Page 95 of Static/Cling

“Resting,” Kassian said, head still back, eyes having drifted closed. He didn’t have the energy to deal with his brother right then. Leif needed his calm, and he was using all his reserves to stay that way.

“Well, break-time’s over. We have to leave before George figures out?—”

“George is dead.”

“What?”

Finally, Kassian lifted his head to look at Rufus. “He’s dead.” He jerked his head at the still-open door. “In there. Grab thatlaptop and let’s go.” Gently, he levered Leif off him and turned his attention there. “You ready?” he asked.

“No.”

“We do have to make tracks.”

“I know.” Leif sighed, laid his head back on Kassian’s chest and squeezed him with more strength than a man that size had any right to.

“There’s one more of us in the building,” Kassian told Rufus.

“I know.” Rufus stowed the computer in Leif’s pack, then slung the pack over his shoulder. “Your guy’s taking care of the—” The lights snapped out. “Servers.”

“Mission accomplish—” Gunfire cut Kassian off, and he jerked upright. “Shit.”

Before his thought process progressed any further, Leif had torn himself loose and dashed away, past Rufus and out of sight around the corner chanting “no, no, no, no” as he ran.

Earlier…

Bjorn ground his teeth. “Who wasn’t quick enough?”

“We have to move.” Was Rufus’s unhelpful reply.

“Who else is here?” Rufus asked.

“What?” Bjorn frowned.

“That was a building-wide event in a building that generates its own power, so it didn’t come from outside.” He moved to the door, cracked it open and peered into the hallway.

Bjorn began to shuffle around the carpeted room. Whatever happened next, he was going to need more power than he currently held. “Maybe it was your people. Sal said you had some kind of plan.”

“Not one so clumsy it would telegraph we were doing something before it was too late to stop it.” He let the door close, holding it so it didn’t bang, as he turned. “So, who else is in the building?

Bjorn clamped his mouth shut.

“For fuck sakes! If you have any hope of getting out of this alive, you need my help. Unless you want to sacrifice whoever it is, tell me.”

For what felt like forever, Bjorn stared him down. What if he was reading the guy all wrong? But what other choice did he have? He wasn’t getting out of this room unless either Rufus let him go, or he hurt the man. He wasn’t going to accomplish this mission or get his friends back unless he got out.

Kassian wouldn’t want his brother hurt. Of that, Bjorn was certain.

“Fine,” he growled. “But anything happens to him, I will find you.”

Rufus stared. “You’ll hurt me if I hurt him, but not if I try and hurt you.”

Bjorn shrugged. “I’m made a certain way, I guess.”

“I guess you are.”

And maybe it was going to be his downfall, but he sensed his time was getting shorter and shorter. “He’s on the top floor taking care of the backup servers.”

“That’s what the power blink was about.”

---