“Shhh.” Julie held one finger up to her lips. We fell silent. She pointed down the hall toward one of the other doors. I couldn’t tell what she was seeing. She keyed her microphone. “Something’s going on in 1613. Checking it out.”

I leaned in close to my wife. “What is it?”

“Look at the carpet.”

I’d been studying the door. I hadn’t noticed the floor. The carpet around 1613 seemed darker. I took another step and the carpet squished damp underfoot. As I moved, the light glistened off of what appeared to be water running out from under the door.

Milo had noticed it too. “Wet and cold monster stuff,” he whispered. “We’ll see who’s laughing at my warm footy pajamas soon enough.”

“Wake up whoever’s next door and let’s get them out of there. This might be ugly,” Julie suggested. Milo took one side and Trip took the other, knocking loudly, as me and Julie slowly approached 1613. “Whose room is this?”

I’d walked right past this after leaving Earl’s last night. This had been one of the party rooms. “One of Grimm Berlin’s, I think.” The stuff trickling out from under the door looked like normal water, nice and simple, like maybe the toilet had backed up. Nothing supernatural at all, except the carpet was already coated with a sheen of ice.

Nate Shackleford had come around the opposite corner. Julie signaled for her brother to knock on the doors on that side. Jason Lacoco arrived a moment later. Great. Not my first choice of who I wanted at my back if something went down. There was some angry swearing in Spanish as Milo roused the first of the other occupants.

There was a loud grinding noise from inside the 1613, like someone was dragging a piece of heavy furniture. All of the Hunters in the hallway tensed.

Julie got back on the radio. “Earl, something’s going down. We’re going in.”

“Hold on. I’ll be there in a second,” Earl responded.

There was a shriek of terror on the other side of the door. “Someone’s hurt. Going in now,” Julie shouted. I tried the doorknob. It was so cold I could feel it through my glove. Of course it was locked and needed a key card.

“Somebody else go, then. Julie, stay put. It’s too dangerous.”

“What?” Julie’s mouth fell open. “You…what?” I was as stunned as she was. Julie wasn’t exactly some delicate flower. She was always wherever it was the most dangerous. She’d been hunting monsters since she was a teenager. Earl had never coddled her before. My wife’s surprise turned to fury. “Sorry, Earl, you’re breaking up.”

“Hold on! That’s an order.”

“What’s his problem?” She let go of her mike and looked at me. “Kick it.”