Free The Crossover by Larry Kollar Page A
Authors: Larry Kollar
been the conquest.
They continued to chat until others were out of sight and hearing, then turned a corner. “James Isaacson,” Freddy read the nameplate next to the door. “That’s your name for a few minutes.” He tried the door. “Locked. But not for long, right?”
Lodrán did not bother to respond, and got to work on the lock while Freddy stood in front of him and played with his phone. “Got it,” said Lodrán, turning the knob. No alarm sounded, and they slipped inside and closed the door behind them.
“What the hell?” Freddy punched a button on the phone. “Maybe nine to get out? Nothing.”
“What?”
“The phone’s dead. I’m not even getting a dialtone. They wouldn’t make it that hard to call out.”
“What’s—never mind. Let’s try the next office.”
Lodrán opened three offices, and all the phones were dead. “Could the people who left the bomb have done this?” he asked Freddy.
“Yeah. It ain’t that hard to cut a phone line. They put the bomb in the PBX room, and that’s where all the lines go. And it’s the weekend, so when this place comes down, nobody will know they did it.”
“We need to tell Chelinn.”
“We were talkin’ about what if they had someone inside 911 that could keep the call from going through, while you were bringin’ your girlfriend over,” said Freddy. “They said something about the fire alarms.”
“A secondary plan. That sort of thing is second nature to Chelinn.”
“Yeah. We call that a ‘Plan B.’ Let’s go.”
The basement was empty, and Chelinn and Lodrán moved quickly through the hallways. “Here,” said Chelinn, pointing at the sign next to one door. “Records. I thought they would be here.”
“Why?” Lodrán started on the lock.
“It’s much like Ak’koyr, in a way. The records may be needed, but not often enough to justify having them near the workers. So the records room is out of the way. But nearby, in a place with stone walls, since paper burns readily…”
Lodrán opened the door. “Then burn it!”
“I can’t, at the moment.” Chelinn looked at Lodrán. “What would make me angry today?”
“Hundreds of people dying needlessly, when you could have—”
Chelinn’s faced flushed, and fire leaped from his hands. Nozzles in the ceiling began spraying water that turned to steam in the heat of Chelinn’s magical fire. After a long minute, the magical fire died and natural fire took over, burning stacks of paper on the shelves where the water could not reach.
“Here’s the fire alarm,” said Chelinn, noting a red block on the wall outside the records room.
“Pull… to… sound… alarm.” Lodrán puzzled out the words. He pulled down the small lever, then covered his ears. The buzzing noise pierced his aching head regardless.
“Quickly now!” Chelinn hissed, taking Lodrán’s arm. “I’ve made us hard to see, just hold on to me!” They clattered up the stairs.
• • •
“Where have you two been?” Chuck feigned annoyance at Chelinn and Lodrán. “They’re giving us five minutes to clear out.” He gestured at the hand truck, with two boxes already stacked on it. “Load it up. Freddy, you push the cart. The rest of us will each take a box. Two, if we can carry them.”
Minutes later, they reached the parking lot and loaded boxes in Chuck’s car. Chuck gave the building a wistful look. “This was shaping up to be the best sales year I’ve had at the con,” he sighed. In the distance, they could hear sirens. “Let’s hope things get back to normal, quick.” He saw Chelinn’s look and nodded, then lowered his voice. “I wish we could make sure they find the bomb.”
“If we could call from someone else’s phone, I’d call it in now,” said Freddy. “I wouldn’t even use our go-phones for that, though. I had a drunk friend call 911 from her cell and hung up, and the call didn’t disconnect. They used her cell to figure out where she was and found her. It was a
They continued to chat until others were out of sight and hearing, then turned a corner. “James Isaacson,” Freddy read the nameplate next to the door. “That’s your name for a few minutes.” He tried the door. “Locked. But not for long, right?”
Lodrán did not bother to respond, and got to work on the lock while Freddy stood in front of him and played with his phone. “Got it,” said Lodrán, turning the knob. No alarm sounded, and they slipped inside and closed the door behind them.
“What the hell?” Freddy punched a button on the phone. “Maybe nine to get out? Nothing.”
“What?”
“The phone’s dead. I’m not even getting a dialtone. They wouldn’t make it that hard to call out.”
“What’s—never mind. Let’s try the next office.”
Lodrán opened three offices, and all the phones were dead. “Could the people who left the bomb have done this?” he asked Freddy.
“Yeah. It ain’t that hard to cut a phone line. They put the bomb in the PBX room, and that’s where all the lines go. And it’s the weekend, so when this place comes down, nobody will know they did it.”
“We need to tell Chelinn.”
“We were talkin’ about what if they had someone inside 911 that could keep the call from going through, while you were bringin’ your girlfriend over,” said Freddy. “They said something about the fire alarms.”
“A secondary plan. That sort of thing is second nature to Chelinn.”
“Yeah. We call that a ‘Plan B.’ Let’s go.”
The basement was empty, and Chelinn and Lodrán moved quickly through the hallways. “Here,” said Chelinn, pointing at the sign next to one door. “Records. I thought they would be here.”
“Why?” Lodrán started on the lock.
“It’s much like Ak’koyr, in a way. The records may be needed, but not often enough to justify having them near the workers. So the records room is out of the way. But nearby, in a place with stone walls, since paper burns readily…”
Lodrán opened the door. “Then burn it!”
“I can’t, at the moment.” Chelinn looked at Lodrán. “What would make me angry today?”
“Hundreds of people dying needlessly, when you could have—”
Chelinn’s faced flushed, and fire leaped from his hands. Nozzles in the ceiling began spraying water that turned to steam in the heat of Chelinn’s magical fire. After a long minute, the magical fire died and natural fire took over, burning stacks of paper on the shelves where the water could not reach.
“Here’s the fire alarm,” said Chelinn, noting a red block on the wall outside the records room.
“Pull… to… sound… alarm.” Lodrán puzzled out the words. He pulled down the small lever, then covered his ears. The buzzing noise pierced his aching head regardless.
“Quickly now!” Chelinn hissed, taking Lodrán’s arm. “I’ve made us hard to see, just hold on to me!” They clattered up the stairs.
• • •
“Where have you two been?” Chuck feigned annoyance at Chelinn and Lodrán. “They’re giving us five minutes to clear out.” He gestured at the hand truck, with two boxes already stacked on it. “Load it up. Freddy, you push the cart. The rest of us will each take a box. Two, if we can carry them.”
Minutes later, they reached the parking lot and loaded boxes in Chuck’s car. Chuck gave the building a wistful look. “This was shaping up to be the best sales year I’ve had at the con,” he sighed. In the distance, they could hear sirens. “Let’s hope things get back to normal, quick.” He saw Chelinn’s look and nodded, then lowered his voice. “I wish we could make sure they find the bomb.”
“If we could call from someone else’s phone, I’d call it in now,” said Freddy. “I wouldn’t even use our go-phones for that, though. I had a drunk friend call 911 from her cell and hung up, and the call didn’t disconnect. They used her cell to figure out where she was and found her. It was a