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.”
