Page 36 of When Monsters Rise
“Goodplan.”
Beeclimbs in first beforeIcan protest.She’squick, small and light, but it takes me a little longer to get my frame through the window.
I’mno scout, butI’lldo whatever it takes to protectBee.
Theinside of the pharmacy is dim and dusty, and most of the shelves are empty.Thereare planks of wood leaning up against the wall.Igrab a slender one.Aperfect weapon if needed.
Afew packets of pills and sachets are scattered on the ground.Beepicks them up as we go, shoving whatever she finds into her pockets.Wecan examine it all later.Westay low and move quietly.
Thefront door is our first stop.It’slocked and chained.Nokey.
Fuck.
There’sno way to open it.Removingthe boards will require a tool we don’t have and even then, it would take forever, because it’s obvious someone used a nail gun.
Thisis the point we should decide to leave.
Beeshakes her head and heads deeper into the shop.
Theair smells like dust, peppermint, and something sharp and bitter.Thescent is sharp and cloying when it hits my throat.I’venever smelled anything like it before.
Beecomes to a halt at the end of an aisle and looks up at the large, curved mirror positioned high on the wall to allow a good view of the shop floor.Thereis no movement, just our shadowy figures crouched by the aisle.
Themirror doesn’t show us what’s beyond the counter.
Sheleans in close. “I’llgo into the dispensary.Youstay here.Runif you hear me scream.”Sheempties out her pockets and hands me the sachets and pill packets.
“I’mnot leaving you.”
Sheglares at me. “Ican move faster on my own.Ican find a way out ifIdon’t have to worry about you.”
Ouch.Iwant to argue with her plan, but she’s a scout, and this is what she does.Mysweeper skills are useless without the serum or my blade.She’sright.I’llbe a liability to her escape, butIcanfight to give her time to get out.Shedoesn’t have to know that, though.SoInod. “Fine.”
Satisfied, she dashes to the counter and slips beneath the hatch before vanishing into the dispensary beyond.
Fiveminutes.That’sallI’mgiving her.
Fiveminutes thenI’llgo after her.
Myscalp prickles in awareness, and my gaze flies to the mirror, searching for movement.Nothing.Iinch forward.There’sa blind spot to the far right.Anarea of the shop floor not covered by this silver eye.
Ineed to check it out.
Therecan’t be anything there because otherwise it would have spottedBeewhen she crossed to the counter, but my body tells me differently.
Mysenses are in alert mode.
Ineed to check it out.I’mholding my breath asIpeer around the end of the aisle, past the counter and into the shadows.Nothingmoves.
There’snothing there.
Butmy gaze is drawn up the far wall, then up to the ceiling.Myheart stutters.
Alarge mass clings to the cracked plaster.Veinyand dark crimson, it pulses slowly like a heartbeat.
Itshudders suddenly and pushes out at one end as if…Ohfuck.There’ssomething inside it.
There’ssomething inside, and it’s trying to get out.
