smile
widening. “Yes, he thought you might say something like that. This box contains
incentive. If you refuse the meeting, you will receive more pieces until
there’s nothing left.” He pushed the box at Pete and rose. “Have a nice day,”
he said, voice dripping with condescension.
Pete stared at the box, nausea
dumping acid into his gut. He didn’t need to open it. He knew. But perhaps he
was wrong, and if he didn’t open the box she’d come back from the ladies room
still embarrassed and wanting to go home. He would apologize. He would drive
them back to the institute and cajole her into watching McQueen and Dunaway
play chess and seduce each other. As long as he didn’t open the box, she was
safe in the ladies room.
But he had to open the box, didn’t
he? So he did, lifting the lid tentatively. Black tissue paper covered the contents.
He pushed it aside. A coil of long golden hair lay in the box. The scent of
Eve’s herbal shampoo wafted out, mixing with the sour stink of his own fear.
Pete could not go to Sideways.
He would not go to Sideways.
He had to go to Sideways.
Three years of relative peace
shattered like brittle glass, inviting every single one of his private
nightmares out in the open.
Chapter 8
Chet rounded up everyone he could
find. Only the core staff was left. Judith addressed the group in her office.
“A nightmare goblin appears to have crossed over. For those who haven’t dealt
with them before, they are nasty little creatures. They can induce sleep,
followed by weaving nightmares into your subconscious. If you’re lucky and wake
quickly, it seems like an especially bad dream. If the spell is strong enough
it can bring on psychotic episodes.”
Franny hugged her little dog closer
to her body. “How do we catch it?”
“They like shiny things, sweets,
and blood. We’ll set traps throughout the building. Hopefully it won’t take
long to catch the thing.”
Chet said, “We’ll work in pairs so
we can watch out for each other, keep each other from falling asleep. Maura’s
raiding the kitchen for cookies and whatever else we can use.”
“I know I could use some coffee,”
Irvine mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.
Judith nodded. “We’ll definitely
keep the caffeine flowing until we catch the goblin.”
“Is this a capture only or can we
kill it?” Sanngrid passed her favorite knife back and forth between her hands.
“I’d prefer we capture it and send
it back across the gate,” Judith said. “But I won’t shed a tear if we have to
kill it.”
Rami still looked upset from the
nightmare that woke him earlier. “I say we kill it.”
Chet designated teams. “Okay,
Niall’s with Maura. Franny and Rami, you two. Bettine’s with me. Judith, you
and Irvine?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Chet looked at Sanngrid. “Where’s
Pete?”
Sanngrid shrugged. Franny said,
“Uh, he might be in town with Eve.”
“Ooh,” Rami said with glee.
Franny wagged her eyebrows. “I hope
so.”
Chet thought for a moment. Pete was
handy as hell in situations like this, though he would definitely be for
killing the goblin in bloody fashion. If he’d finally worked up the courage to
spend time with Eve, Chet didn’t want to ruin that for his friend. “Okay, if
they come back and we’re still dealing with this we’ll set up a trap for them
to watch. Otherwise, I say unless this becomes an emergency we just let them
enjoy the day.”
“That’s fine,” Judith said. “Sanngrid,
I want you to rotate through the teams once the traps are set. For now, I want
you to go bring up some things from the weapons room.”
Rami said, “I’d like a flame
thrower, please, with a side order of C4.”
Sanngrid grinned. “I’ll bring you a
nice big sword.”
“Ooh, me too,” Franny said. “And
can you bring Mac’s protective gear?”
“Of course.” Sanngrid addressed the
director. “Anything else?”
“That’s all for now.” Sanngrid
left. Judith said, “All
widening. “Yes, he thought you might say something like that. This box contains
incentive. If you refuse the meeting, you will receive more pieces until
there’s nothing left.” He pushed the box at Pete and rose. “Have a nice day,”
he said, voice dripping with condescension.
Pete stared at the box, nausea
dumping acid into his gut. He didn’t need to open it. He knew. But perhaps he
was wrong, and if he didn’t open the box she’d come back from the ladies room
still embarrassed and wanting to go home. He would apologize. He would drive
them back to the institute and cajole her into watching McQueen and Dunaway
play chess and seduce each other. As long as he didn’t open the box, she was
safe in the ladies room.
But he had to open the box, didn’t
he? So he did, lifting the lid tentatively. Black tissue paper covered the contents.
He pushed it aside. A coil of long golden hair lay in the box. The scent of
Eve’s herbal shampoo wafted out, mixing with the sour stink of his own fear.
Pete could not go to Sideways.
He would not go to Sideways.
He had to go to Sideways.
Three years of relative peace
shattered like brittle glass, inviting every single one of his private
nightmares out in the open.
Chapter 8
Chet rounded up everyone he could
find. Only the core staff was left. Judith addressed the group in her office.
“A nightmare goblin appears to have crossed over. For those who haven’t dealt
with them before, they are nasty little creatures. They can induce sleep,
followed by weaving nightmares into your subconscious. If you’re lucky and wake
quickly, it seems like an especially bad dream. If the spell is strong enough
it can bring on psychotic episodes.”
Franny hugged her little dog closer
to her body. “How do we catch it?”
“They like shiny things, sweets,
and blood. We’ll set traps throughout the building. Hopefully it won’t take
long to catch the thing.”
Chet said, “We’ll work in pairs so
we can watch out for each other, keep each other from falling asleep. Maura’s
raiding the kitchen for cookies and whatever else we can use.”
“I know I could use some coffee,”
Irvine mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.
Judith nodded. “We’ll definitely
keep the caffeine flowing until we catch the goblin.”
“Is this a capture only or can we
kill it?” Sanngrid passed her favorite knife back and forth between her hands.
“I’d prefer we capture it and send
it back across the gate,” Judith said. “But I won’t shed a tear if we have to
kill it.”
Rami still looked upset from the
nightmare that woke him earlier. “I say we kill it.”
Chet designated teams. “Okay,
Niall’s with Maura. Franny and Rami, you two. Bettine’s with me. Judith, you
and Irvine?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Chet looked at Sanngrid. “Where’s
Pete?”
Sanngrid shrugged. Franny said,
“Uh, he might be in town with Eve.”
“Ooh,” Rami said with glee.
Franny wagged her eyebrows. “I hope
so.”
Chet thought for a moment. Pete was
handy as hell in situations like this, though he would definitely be for
killing the goblin in bloody fashion. If he’d finally worked up the courage to
spend time with Eve, Chet didn’t want to ruin that for his friend. “Okay, if
they come back and we’re still dealing with this we’ll set up a trap for them
to watch. Otherwise, I say unless this becomes an emergency we just let them
enjoy the day.”
“That’s fine,” Judith said. “Sanngrid,
I want you to rotate through the teams once the traps are set. For now, I want
you to go bring up some things from the weapons room.”
Rami said, “I’d like a flame
thrower, please, with a side order of C4.”
Sanngrid grinned. “I’ll bring you a
nice big sword.”
“Ooh, me too,” Franny said. “And
can you bring Mac’s protective gear?”
“Of course.” Sanngrid addressed the
director. “Anything else?”
“That’s all for now.” Sanngrid
left. Judith said, “All
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