²¹ Operation Child Endangerment

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"That--"

"You had a fat lip, crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood."

Imogen frowned when Robin popped up out of her chair, running out the backroom.

Steve and Dustin also stopped the three following the Buckley girl seeing her taking the tips out of the jar on the front counter.

"What are you doing?" Steve questioned her.

Robin turned to the group with a grin, helmet in hand, ready to drive her bike that was abandoned here last night. "I'm going to find a way into that room."

"But half of that's mine," Steve whined, Imogen, nudging him in the ribs making him wince and shut up.

"I'll be back. Just sling ice cream while I'm gone."

Imogen watched as Robin ran away, glancing when she heard her brother groan, seeing Dustin lick some ice cream off a scooper.

Steve snatched it from the boy, "Not my scooper."

──


"You will not believe what 20 dollars at the County Recorder's office gets you."

Robin slapped down a large map onto the table, the group surrounding it. "Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints."

"Nice." Dustin praised the girl making her smirk, connecting her eyes with Imogen.

"So this is us. Scoops." Robin pointed towards a corner in the bottom of the map, her fingers dragging towards the top middle of the map. "And this is where we want to get."

"I mean...I don't really see a way in." Steve shook his head, looking down at the almost blank map that just shown everything they already know.

"There's not, if..." Robin trailed off, taking off the top paper, showing a more detailed blueprint, showing where vent's led. "You're talking exclusively about doors."

"Air ducts." Imogen breathed out, looking at the girl in amazement.

Robin smiled, "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room."

She ran to the whiteboard, grabbing the marker, and running back. "And these air ducts lead all the way..."

The girl starting drawing a red line at the top middle of the map, following the line to where it is connected to where they are right now. "Here."

The four all looked up at the air duct in the room with a quizzical face.

Steve ran out of the shop, going to a supply closet grabbing a ladder and a screwdriver before getting to work.

He was able to pop the opening off, a gaping hole in the wall now, "Flashlight."

Imogen held up a flashlight towards her brother that was on a ladder, taking the screwdriver in return.

"Thank you."

Imogen bit her lip, waiting for a response from her brother and Robin glanced at her.

"Yeah...I don't know if you'll fit in here man it's like...super tight." Steve's voice was hesitant as he shined the light in the hole.

"I'll fit," Dustin stated, looking towards Imogen for encouragement but she just shrugged. "Trust me, no collar bones, remember?"

"Uh, excuse me?" Robin chuckled nervously at that, looking between the siblings at her sides.

Steve watched Dustin climb the ladder after getting down. "He's uh...he's got a disease. Chry...it's chydro, um...."

Imogen rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Cleidocranial dysplasia. It affects the bones in the body, makes them more fragile, or certain bones, collar bones, in Dusty's case, nonexistent."

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