I just initiated Dorota’s diagnostics mode. I think she might be defective. I fear she’ll be out of commission for a few hours.
“Goddamnit,” I said. “Look, I’m sorry we didn’t upgrade you properly. We were lucky to have survived the last race at all. I know the chair is annoying. But can you please turn it on? The seat belt feature is important.”
Fine. But I’m keeping her ability to speak turned off.
“You can do that?” I asked. Maybe it wasn’t such a useless upgrade after all.
Osvaldo: We’re going to try to drop down the elevator shaft. We’ll need someone to get through the door and then drop through the elevator. You got thatHolespell, right? Couple other friends are meeting in the hallway. You in?
Carl: Maybe. We’re still trying to figure out the best path. Look, man, have you seen my previous messages?
Osvaldo: Yeah, I saw ’em. You and me, we’re working together, but we ain’t friends. My game guide told me not to ever bother taking a deal on the tenth floor, no matter what. It’s better to die. And everything I’ve heard and seen backs that shit up. Filipe and I will take our chances.
I exchanged a look with Donut. The elevator shaft seemed like an obvious trap.
Donut: YOU’RE BEING STUPID. YOU WILL DIE IF YOU GO TO THE SEVENTH HEAT.
Osvaldo: Only if I come in last place.
“You goddamn bullheaded idiot,” I muttered.
“Hey,” Pontiff said.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“What’re we going to do?” Donut asked.
“Let’s get through this one, and we’ll lean on him to take a deal when this is over.”
I turned in the seat, addressing Nester. “Okay. Here’s the plan. The second we’re in the room, do your thing. Any sort of empty space, just call it out. Got it?”
The woman nodded. She would use her Radar skill to search for hidden passages, conduits, and so forth in the walls and, more importantly, on the floor.
I triple-checked my inventory. I had the sticky explosives stacked and properly labeled so I wouldn’t have to think about where I’d left them.
Dr. Metcalf reappeared.
A last-minute rule has just been announced. There are seven floors in this building. Every apartment has a ring hidden within. You must drive through seven rings, one on each floor, before you are allowed to pass the finish line. Each team is given one ring that is mandatory, and it is now on your map.
Your designated ring is within apartment 231 on the second floor.
“Damn it,” I said. We should have seen that coming. There went everyone’s plans, including my own to find the electrical conduit system to just drop to the ground floor.
Osvaldo: Is your mandatory ring on the fourth floor?
Carl: No, second.
Osvaldo: Okay. That means we’re all given different ones.
“Okay. Shields up. Get ready,” Pontiff said as the starting lights appeared.
[ 74 ]
The light turned green,and we were off.
We all raced toward the grate at the edge of the duct, and as we approached, it became clear that the slats were too thin for us to fit through.
“Donut,” I called.