Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Spencer Monroe eyed the hole in the side of the cliff.
It couldn’t have been more than two and a half feet in diameter—a tight squeeze in human form, and who knew what lay waiting inside.
If he could shift into his owl, he’d have no trouble getting in.
Sadly, a group of locals—all human—had gathered to watch.
“Cameraman always goes first.” Alan clapped him on the shoulder. “You know how this works.”
Yes, Spencer knew how shows like this worked.
Though he’d only been part of The Hunt for Cryptids for a couple of months, he’d been a cameraman for a decade.
And yes, he realized the irony of an owl shifter working for a show that was supposedly trying to expose the existence of supernatural beings.
Even more ironic? Every member of the team had some sort of magic, and the icing on the cryptid cake… The show’s host, Alan Peterson, was Bigfoot himself. Of course, they’d never actually expose their kind. But humans ate this stuff up.
Spencer crouched in front of the hole and shined the light from his camera inside.
Millions of tiny crystals encrusted the walls, reflecting the beam back at him.
A bead of sweat rolled down his back, and he set the camera down to adjust his shirt.
Living first in Arizona and then in L.A.
, he never understood the phrase “It’s not the heat; it’s the humidity,” until he started traveling.
The air seemed to wrap around him like a wet towel, never allowing his sweat to evaporate.
Summer in the rainforest was no joke.
He scooted toward the hole and rested his hands on the surface, peeking his head inside, and a woman from the crowd shouted in a native language. Spencer turned to see her raising her hands and closing her eyes as if she were praying. A very loud, very insistent prayer.
He looked at Juan, their local guide and resident alpaca shifter. “What’s she saying?”
Juan fought his smile. “She says, ‘The devil lives inside.’”
Spencer chuckled. Though he’d never been to The Underworld, he highly doubted the entrance to Lucifer’s lair was a hole in the wall he’d have to lie on his belly to wiggle through. The devil seemed much more dignified than that.
“Be careful,” Rebecca, a fox shifter and the second cameraperson said.
Spencer flashed her a reassuring grin. “Always.”
“Get in there, man. We’re burning daylight,” Alan called before turning on his thousand-watt smile and narrating their adventure to Rebecca’s camera.
Spencer worked his shoulders into the hole, inching the camera forward and army-crawling into the cave. Gravel clung to his forearms, and his pulse kicked into a sprint. Was he scared? Sure, a little, but that was part of the fun.
The tunnel opened into a small cavern. The crystals he’d glimpsed from outside lined all the walls and the ceiling, and another tunnel the size of a doorway stood at the opposite end of the space. Rebecca shoved a lamp through the entry, and he turned it on, illuminating the antechamber.
“You ready for me?” Alan’s face appeared at the end of the tunnel.
“Yeah.” A hissing sound reverberated through the cave. “No, wait.” A three-foot-long snake slithered toward him, lifting its head, preparing to strike. “Shit! Viper!”
At the sight of the highly venomous reptile, Spencer’s fight or flight instinct kicked in.
Though, in his case, it was fight and flight.
He called on his owl, and vibrating energy danced through his body.
His skin pricked as feathers formed, his arms transforming into wings as he morphed into his bird.
Flapping them, he took to the air a split second before the serpent struck.
Gods, I hate snakes. And for good reason. One of the nasty suckers had bitten him when he was a kid, and he’d spent a week in the hospital, nearly succumbing to the venom. Of course, that was before he learned to shift…and how to fight the little bastards.
“You got it, or do you need help in there?” Alan called.
Now, why would he ask a question like that?
Spencer and Alan had been friends since middle school.
He’d seen Spencer take on plenty of snakes.
They weren’t his bird’s favorite food, but owls were opportunistic hunters.
Plus, the only good snake was a dead snake.
Anyway, Alan wasn’t expecting an answer.
All Spencer could do in his owl form was hoot.
He circled the cave once before swooping down and clutching the serpent in his talons.
With a snap of his claws, he eliminated the threat before tossing it aside and returning to human form.
He scanned the cave, checking the crevices for any more dangerous residents before picking up his camera and pointing it at the opening for Alan to make his grand entrance.
“It’s taken care of. Come on in.”
“According to locals…” Alan grunted as he worked his way through the hole.
“This cave entrance was uncovered last year, and no one has dared to venture inside.” He rose to his feet and dusted off his shirt.
“Legend states that the devil lives here, and I’ll be the first person to see the inside of his lair. ”
Alan winked, and Spencer rolled his eyes. As the host of the show, Alan always said things like that. He was “the first” to see so many things. Did anyone wonder how the camera got inside to record Alan being “the first?”
The cameraman took the initial risks, but he got none of the credit.
Not on this show, not on his previous assignment, and Spencer was fine with that.
This was his dream job. All the adventure, and no fans chasing him down for autographs when he was trying to have a nice dinner at a restaurant.
He didn’t want the limelight or the ego that came with it.
Rebecca followed Alan inside, and they filmed their search for the devil in the cave. Of course, they found nothing in the antechamber. The viper lying in wait was the most exciting thing so far.
“Damn, man. Couldn’t you have subdued the snake and let me take care of it on camera? This adventure might not even make it on the air.”
“I’m not a snake charmer. Why don’t you head in first next time? We can get you a helmet cam.”
Alan narrowed his eyes. “And risk getting mauled by a badger? No thanks. This face is my moneymaker.”
Spencer laughed, but his friend was right. Women made up eighty-five percent of their viewership, and Alan’s wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and chiseled features had a lot to do with it.
Spencer didn’t mind badgers. The rush was worth it. “Ready to explore the rest of the cave, pretty boy?”
“You know it.” Alan put on his television face, and Rebecca recorded him explaining more of the legend while Spencer ventured into the next chamber.
The main part of the cave stretched into the darkness, well past the light his camera emitted.
He held up the lamp to get a better view and stepped farther inside, kicking up dust along the way.
Scrunching his nose at the tickling sensation, he turned toward the entrance to film Alan stepping inside.
His friend’s brown hat and serious expression made him look like Indiana Jones, which wasn’t by mistake. Alan played the role of adventurous explorer to a T. Yet another reason Spencer would choose to be behind the camera rather than in front of it any day. He never had to put on a show.
Alan kicked up more dust as he moved, and the itchy sensation crawled from Spencer’s nostrils down to his throat.
He held up a finger to stop Alan’s speech, but before he could hit pause on his camera, he let out a massive sneeze that echoed through the chamber, bouncing off the walls and reverberating through his chest. Pebbles rained down from the ceiling, and the entire cave seemed to rumble.
“That’s not good.” Alan backed toward the antechamber, and Spencer froze, staring at the ceiling as the falling pebbles grew into rocks the size of baseballs.
Now would have been a good time for his fight or flight to kick in, but he couldn’t make himself move. A cracking noise echoed from above, sounding way too much like the ceiling splitting.
“Let’s go, Spence,” Alan yelled, snapping him out of his trance.
He started toward the antechamber, but the ceiling had, in fact, split, and as Alan darted through the opening, the baseball-sized rocks turned to bowling balls.
The cavern roared as if Lucifer himself was pissed they'd ventured into his lair, and the ceiling caved right at the exit, trapping Spencer inside. Then there was silence.
Holding his breath, he waited for the dust to settle and his brain to grant him the ability to move again.
He stood in the same position he’d frozen in, the camera still rolling, pointing at the rubble.
Panning upward, he peered through the hole in the ceiling.
Another chamber lay above, filled with even more glimmering crystals.
“Spencer!” Alan coughed, and Rebecca cried out, “Spencer, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He kept his voice quiet to avoid disturbing what was left of the unstable cave ceiling.
“Spencer!” Alan called again.
He paced to the pile of rocks, gently placing each step, and lifted his head toward the small opening at the top of the passage. “I’m okay. Let me hand you the camera, and I’ll fly out.”
He gave the equipment to Rebecca, shifted into his owl, and passed over the mountain of rubble that would have sealed a normal person inside. The moment he returned to human form, Rebecca threw her arms around him. “Oh, thank the gods!”
“You scared the shit out of us, Spence.” Alan wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a brotherly squeeze.
“I don’t think you have to worry about this adventure not making the cut.” He picked up his camera and reviewed the footage.
“That’s intense.” Alan’s eyes widened as he watched the video. “I knew hiring you was the right decision. After this, there’s no way the network will cancel us. Screw Isabella. Our ratings are going to soar!”
Spencer ground his teeth at the mention of his ex-fiancée.
Isabella DeFranco was the host of the most popular adventure show on live TV and every streaming service around.
Expedition Excitement was huge, and so was Isabella’s ego.
Spencer had been her cameraman from the beginning…
before the show took off and her self-importance skyrocketed.
When he caught her cheating with the producer, he ended the relationship. In turn, Isabella ended his career.
“How will we explain Spencer’s escape?” Rebecca asked. “There’s not enough space above the rubble for a human to fit through.”
Spencer eyed the ceiling. The antechamber appeared stable enough. “Let’s move some of the rocks. You can get a shot of Alan moving the last few, and then I’ll pretend to come through. The editors can make it look believable.”
“You’re a genius. This is why we’re best friends.
I’ve got this. Back up.” Alan shifted into his sasquatch, his body sprouting dark brown fur, his size more than doubling as his beast took control.
He went to town on the rubble, lifting a three-foot boulder with ease.
Five minutes later, his superstrength had enabled him to remove half the pile, and he returned to his human form.
Rebecca filmed the shots the editors would need, and they high-tailed it back to the hotel. That was enough excitement for one day. Spencer couldn’t wait to get cleaned up and then stretch his wings beneath the moonlight.
After a hot shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and found his phone ringing on the nightstand, Mandy’s name lighting up the screen. He smiled and picked up the device. “Hey, sis. How’s it going?”
“I’m good. How are you?” He could hear the smile in her voice.
“Oh, you know. Just working. Same old, same old.”
She laughed. “Your job is never the same old anything. When will you be back?”
He glanced in the mirror on the dresser and tousled his damp hair. “We’re heading home tomorrow.”
“Perfect. You’re going out with me Wednesday night.”
“Oh?” He sank onto the edge of the bed. “Where to?”
“The Fang and Flask. We’re going speed dating.”
“The hell we are.” He was still licking his wounds from Isabella’s betrayal. He wasn’t about to open himself up to dating anytime soon…if ever again.
“Please? Kathy was supposed to go with me, but she bailed. I really want to do this, and all my other friends are in relationships. Pretty please? For your favorite little sister?”
“Mandy…” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m happy to hang out with you, but…”
“Fine. I’ll go by myself. Hopefully there aren’t any creeps attending. I’d hate to get abducted on my way home.”
“You watch way too many crime shows.”
“So do you, and you know what could happen to a pretty, young woman on the streets of L.A. all alone. Especially at a place that caters to demons downstairs.”
He closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. “What time should I meet you?”
“Pick me up at seven.”
“See you then.” He mashed the End button and tossed the phone onto the nightstand. This was one adventure he was not looking forward to.