Page 72 of Static/Cling

“I don’t know.”

“But you enlisted his help to get us in here,” Leif reminded them. “And now you’re saying he might not be on our side?”

“On the side of neutralizing this file, yes.”

“But maybe not on the side of doing that without sacrificing whoever he has to use to do it.”

Sal sighed, miserable. “Maybe not.”

Roger made a wounded sound.

“Don’t panic,” Leif said sternly. “Rog, how’s your big friend? Okay?”

There was a pause, and then Roger cleared his throat.

“Good deal. Sit tight. We will be back for you, yeah?”

Another little cough.

“You okay, little dude?” Antony asked in the background of Roger’s device.

“Yeah, Tony. I’m good. Ow. Dude. What the hell?”

“Sorry.”

“Rog?” Sal asked, fear spiking their voice.

“You’re a bit stronger than you think, yeah?” Roger asked, and Antony laughed.

“Maybe don’t squeeze quite so hard.”

“Maybe, yeah.”

“That’s better.” Roger actually sighed. “That’s nice.”

Bjorn so wanted to know what, exactly, was going on in that guard booth.

“So hey,” Roger said after a moment. “Do you think they found my dog yet?”

Antony didn’t answer, and Leif turned his attention back to more immediate matters.

“Where to next, Sal?”

“This building is divided into a back block and a front block with the elevators in the middle between them.”

“Okay.”

“Obviously, you’re in the back block.”

“Okay.”

“So up here, not many people use that back block.”

“Because of the haunted stairs.”

“I would guess so.”

“So, and I’m just guessing here, but we have to get to the front block, right?”

---