SATELLITE [STEVE HARRINGTON]

bring it, virgin

"THAT KEYCARD OPENS THE DOOR, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE RUSSIAN WITH THIS KEYCARD ALSO HAS A MASSIVE GUN."

Dustin paced before Robin, Steve, and Ginny, carrying on about what he saw when spying on the Russians this morning. "Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."

"But there's gotta be a way in," Robin sighed.

Steve, who swung his hat around on the tip of his finger, blew into it so that it returned to its normal shape. "Well, you know..." He sat forward, lowering his head. "I could just take him out."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, and Robin said, "Take who out?"

"The Russian guard," Steve said easily. Robin made a face, sharing a look with Ginny. Steve scoffed. "What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out and I take his keycard, easy."

Ginny sat forward. "Okay, and... What about the massive gun?"

"And that's why I would be sneaking."

Dustin snorted. "Well, please, tell me this— and be honest. Have you ever actually..." He pursed his lips. "Won a fight?"

"Okay, that was one time—"

"Twice, Jonathan, year prior," Dustin noted.

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Listen, that doesn't count..."

"Why wouldn't it count? 'Cause it looks like he beat the shit out of you—"

"It wasn't—"

"You got a fat lip, crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood—"

Ginny sighed. "Steve, chill."

Robin sprung up suddenly, muttering, "That just might work." She darted into the main lobby, grabbing all the bills out of the tip jar.

Steve jumped up after her. "Hey, Robin! What are you— what are you doing?"

"I need cash," she shrugged, backtracking out of the store.

"Well, half of that's mine," whined Steve. "Where're you going?"

"To find a way into that room, a safe way!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ★ ｡･:*:･ﾟ

ROBIN DID, INDEED, FIND THEM A WAY INTO THAT ROOM. She returned half an hour later with large blue prints, announcing, "It is fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office."

She brandished the maps on the back table proudly. "Starcourt Mall. The complete blue prints."

Dustin looked awed and amazed. "Not bad..."

Robin pointed to a spot. "This is us, Scoops, and this—" She dragged her finger across the map. "—is where we wanna get."

Steve shook his head, Ginny's hand on his shoulder. "I mean, I don't really see a way in..."

"There's not," Robin chimed, "If we're talking exclusively about doors." She tore away that map to reveal another.

Dustin nodded. "Air ducts."

"Exactly." Robin marched to the whiteboard, retrieving the marker. "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. And these air ducts..." She circled a spot on the map and drew a line back to Scoops Ahoy. "Lead all the way here."

"You're a genius, Robin," Ginny smiled, squeezing Steve's shoulder. "Only question is... Who's going in the vent?"

Steve, the tallest, used a screwdriver he found in the back room to peel off the vent, holding it in his mouth as he looked in. "Flashlight," he asked, looking down at Dustin.