The Liberation Paradox

"I Read it in a Book."

Danny

19:20

(1hr, 48mins remaining)

"What about what you did to Mika? I saw her on the camera. Was that necessary, what you did to her?" Marcio still held the stun stick, and Danny could see in his eyes that he was thinking about using it.

Danny held his still-electrocuffed hands up in an open gesture that said, It's okay. Go easy. Aloud he said, "Hey, relax, Marcio. That was all an act. She couldn't very well let The Mushroom know she'd been helping me." Danny was pretty sure The Mushroom was suspicious of Mika's story, but Mika had proven such a good actress it was hard not to believe her. "She's more afraid of him than you or I are."

"I don't believe you." But even as he said it, Danny noticed that Marcio lowered the stun stick slightly. He was starting to believe him.

"Honest. I tried to get her to come with us, but she has...obligations here."

Marcio wavered a little more. "Wait...Did you? And she...?"

"That's none of your business." Danny held men who brag about their sexual conquests with contempt. A real man had nothing to prove, and therefore no need to brag. "I left her a lifeline. I gave her Mrs. Kundertson's number in case she changes her mind. Now, let's get out of here."

Marcio seemed mostly convinced now. He set the stun stick on the table and picked up the all-important cell phone with the crucial data on it. "You'd better not be lying, Danny."

"I'm not lying. For once."

As Marcio made for the door, Danny crouched down, searched the unconscious goon's pockets until he found the man's security access card. He used the card to release the electrocuffs from his wrists. Next, he scooped up the plasma rifle the man had dropped as he'd fallen to the floor. They might need that rifle to get out of the building.

"We have to hurry," Danny said. "Daniau will be back down here as soon as he realizes his safe is empty."

Marcio grinned as he stood in the door, powering down Mika's cell phone. "We've got a little time."

"Why? What did you do?" Danny asked, suspicious.

"I set up a distraction upstairs."

"What did you do?"

"I made Sky think that I was up in Daniau's office selling him a pack of lies. He came up the front stairs just as before I went down the back stairs. And just before Daniau went up there"

"You what?! That's brilliant." Danny could see right away how Sky would rush to get to Daniau's office if he though Marcio was up there manipulating the boss against him. If Marcio timed it right, Sky would have arrived in Daniau's office just before the boss himself. Probably right about now, Sky was trying to explain why he was in there alone with an empty safe.

"I think I'm a bad influence on you," Danny said as they started to run down the hallway toward the back stairs.

Danny

19:22

(it's too late to make the shuttle)

(but screw the shuttle!)

Marcio pushed open the door leading to the back stairwell with Danny close at his heels. He began to take the stairs leading down, but Danny stopped him. "Not that way, we're going up." Danny relished the confusion in the tall, skinny nerd's face.