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"Let’s go," Jeffery said, clearly annoyed

Mission hurried after hilanced back once at the , then over at the noisy crowd jostling against the temporary barriers by the door An IT tech approached the croith a computer, wires coiled neatly on top, and a woman reached out desperate ar for her baby

"Since when did people start bringing their own computers up?" he asked, curious as a seasoned porter about how things got froh he itnessing yet another loop his kind was being sliced out of Roker would have a fit

"Yesterday Mr Wyck stopped sending our techs out He says it’s safer this way People being robbed out there and not enough security to go around"

Jeffery aved through the gates, Mission as well They wound in silence through the hallways, every office full of clacking sounds or people arguing Mission saw electrical parts and paper strewn everywhere He wondered which office was Rodny’s and why nobody else was having their food delivered Maybe his friend was in trouble That was it Made sense of everything Maybe he had pulled one of his stunts Did they have a holding cell on thirty-four? He didn’t think so He was about to ask Jeffery if Rodny was in the pen when the old security guard stopped at an i steel door

"Here" He held the tray out to Mission, who stuck the letter between his lips and accepted it Jeffery glanced back, blocked Mission’s view of a keypad with his body, and tapped in a code A series of clunks sounded in the jaht, Rodny was in trouble What kind of pen was this?

The door swung inward Jeffery grabbed the tray and told Mission to wait there Mission still had the taste of milk paste on his lips as he watched the security chief step inside a roohts inside pulsed as if sohts like a fire alarm Jeffery called out for Rodny while Mission tried to peek around the guard for a better look

Rodny arrived athe there Mission fought to close his own ht of his friend

"Hey" Rodny opened the heavy door a little further and glanced down the hallway "What’re you doing here?"

"Good to see you, too," Mission said He held out the letter "The Crow sent this"

"Ah, official business" Rodny smiled "You’re here as a porter, eh? Not a friend?"

Rodny smiled, but Mission could see that his friend was beat He looked like he hadn’t slept for days His hair had been chopped short as if to keep it out of the way, but there was the shadow of a beard on his chin Mission glanced into the roo in there Tall black metal cabinets were all he could see They stretched out of sight, neatly spaced

"You learning to fix refrigerators?" Mission asked

Rodny glanced over his shoulder He laughed "Those are coht himself older or better Mission nearly reminded his friend that today was his birthday, that they were the sa Jeffery cleared his throat impatiently, seemed annoyed by the chatter

Rodny turned to the security chief "You mind if we have a few seconds?" he asked

Jeffery shifted his weight, the stiff leather of his boots squeaking "You know I can’t," he said "I’ll probably get chewed out for allowing even this"

"You’re right" Rodny shook his head like he shouldn’t have asked Mission studied the exchange He sensed that his friend was the sa, probably being forced to do thehe’d said or done He sh he’d heard soer to the others and asked the off, bare feet slapping on the steel floors

Jeffery crossed his arrow up down the hall froether," Mission said "So what did Rod do? You know, Mrs Crowe used to make us sweep the entire Nest and clean the blackboards if we cut up in class We did our fair share of sweeping, the two of us"

Jeffery appraised him for a moment And then his expressionless face shattered into tooth and grin "You think your friend is in trouble," he said He see "Son, you have no idea"

Before Mission could inquire, Rodny returned, s and breathless

"Sorry," he said to Jeffery "I had to get that" He turned to Mission "Thanks for co by, man Good to see you"

That was it?

"Good to see you, too," Mission sputtered, surprised that their visit would be so brief "Hey, don’t be a stranger" He went to give his old friend a hug, but Rodny stuck out a hand instead Mission looked at it for a pause, confused, wondering if they’d grown apart so far so fast

"Give ht never see theain himself

Jeffery cleared his throat, clearly annoyed and ready to go

"I will," Mission said, fighting to keep the sadness out of his voice He accepted his friend’s hand They shook like strangers, the s, the folds of the note hidden in his pal sharply into Mission’s hand

•12•

It was a miracle Mission didn’t drop the note as it was passed to hi was amiss, to keep his mouth closed, to not stand there a fool in front of Jeffery and say, "Hey, what’s this?" Instead, he kept the wad of paper balled in his fist as he was escorted back toward the security station They were nearly there when someone called "Porter!" from one of the offices they passed