Page 80 of Static/Cling

“Or are just accidentally found,” Sal added. “Or dropped off by parents who are just assholes.”

There was a story Bjorn thought he’d want to ask about later, but right that moment, he saw his chance to slip out, straggle at the back of the clump of bodies, then slip into the freight elevator under cover of the crowd.

“Moving,” he said again, and eased his fingers around the crash bar. A massive electrical wave surged through him, zapping and cracking against the door, stinging his hand, sending the burning sensation up to the roots of his hair.

The lights beyond the door flickered and he froze, breath held.

They didn’t go out, though, and in the chaos of people trying to figure out what had happened, he ducked out and around the corner to the freight elevator.

“Building hates us,” he whispered.

Leif snorted because no doubt he remembered other times Bjorn had mentioned feeling something similar. Some buildings just didn’t dump as much static on him as others, and some places zapped him so hard his heart skipped beats. He could never explain why with science, so what other explanation couldthere possibly be other than that some buildings liked him, and some did not.

When he swiped the card, which he still held in the shirt, it thankfully worked.

“Remind me to thank Kassian for this stuff,” he whispered. “It really works.”

The doors opened immediately, allowing him to slip on without having to wait. They closed most of the way, hesitated, making his breath catch, but then shut with a metallic clang.

The freight elevator was at least a larger than average square box, the walls covered in moving blankets, and the floor inset with carpet tiles. Bjorn busied himself as it jolted into motion by shuffling in a small circle, rubbing his socks over the carpet.

The bigger charge he worked up, before he got to where he was going, the better. If he managed to melt down the entire building, he wouldn’t be sad about it.

A sharp, static buzz in Leif’s ear almost prompted him to yank the earpiece out, but it quickly passed, leaving behind a faint itch.

“Sal? What was that?”

Sal was silent a moment, then they sighed. “I didn’t realize the sub-basement was shielded. It makes sense, but… I should have known.”

“Kassian’s piece didn’t do that.”

“Because I turned his off before he got there.”

“Can you get him back? Either of them?”

“I’m trying.”

“I’m going after him.”

“The hell you are,” Sal said, and their voice startled him, because there was none of the usual gentleness in it. It froze him in his tracks for just a split second, and he nearly panicked before they spoke again.

“We have a plan,” Sal said. This time, though, their voice was back to the same, soft, quiet cadence he’d come to know, and his tensed muscles released instantly. “With Bjorn out of contact, it’s even more important that we to stick to the plan. You have to be exactly where he expects you to be when he expects you to be there, otherwise this all goes to shit.”

“Newsflash. It’s gone to shit already.”

“It’s salvageable. Stick to the plan.”

“They’re right,” Roger spoke up. “All we can do now is stay on target.”

Leif huffed, missing Bjorn’s presence, and his knee-jerkStar Warsquote he would have made, echoing those words. “Roger that, Gold Five,” he said, resigned.

Roger chuckled. “We’re getting all our people back, Leif.”

“Yeah.”

“And BTW, I’m keeping that code name.”

That shouldn’t have made Leif grin, under the circumstances, but he was suddenly very thankful for Roger.

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