After drooing the spooing wet boy off at his house, Lauren sat in her car in the makeshift driveway with Joyce Byers car parked next to hers. After thinking of all the reasons, she might be here, the only one who made sense with what had happened the night before. There was another thing she didn't want to be true, and for that very reason, she just simply reversed the truck out of the driveway and back to the real road.
The only person she had in mind was Steve. The only destination was in his arms. The only sight she wanted was his carmel eyes. Lauren was with him all the time, but she wanted to be with him more than that. He was the what felt like something she'll want forever. But he also scared her to death. There was always a doubt in Lauren's head that she wasn't even close to that for him. There was always a what if Carol was right and she was a replacement.
Fear is something that plagues every single person. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. There is something about fear that follows you through your life it changes, takes new forms. It starts with the dark or monsters, and then it becomes the fear of trying a bike without training wheels to things like failure.
For Lauren, she fears all of those, and her biggest fear in this world is that not a single person in her life feels the same way for the as she feels for them. She's scared that she doesn't deserve it if they do, and she's scared that she could be right to have that fear.
The truck stopped in its tracks and turned into the Syd's. A girl still dripping water pulled open the door to the diner, ringing the bell attached. "Well, don't you look, Darlin," Annabelle smiled at the girl.
"Thanks. I thought it should be the new look for a Vogue magazine."
"More like America most wanted." Lauren knew the voice without even looking. Steve was already sitting in their unassisted assigned, both with the exact things she was going to get to bring back to him. Two Cherry Milkshakes and a basket of French fries.
"You too, partner." Lauren said, sliding beside him in the table.
"You mean like in crime? Like Bonnie and Clyde. But better."
"Better. All you have to do is change your middle name to Clyde. You know cause I already got the Bonnie."
"While we're at it, you can make your name Lauren officially. Because if we go robbing banks and killing people, they're gonna use your legal name and Loretta Ann Bonnie Hoppers, a long ass name."
"Just be glad I'm not Loretta Ann Bonnie Atkins-Davis-Hopper." Steve's eyes were extremely large.
"Why would it be all that?"
"Those are my mom's maiden names, but my grandma said no."
"Thank you, Grandma Hopper." Steve said, looking up at the ceiling, Lauren couldn't help but laugh.
"If you're talking to my grandma, I'd probably look down. She was a bitch to other people." Steve had a smirk on his face as he finished chewing his fry.
"Apple doesn't fall far." Lauren kicked him under the table. "Hey, she wouldn't condone violence now, would she?" Lauren shook her head like he was stupid.
"Let's see. My grandmother, my dad's mom. Doesn't condone violence? I'd try again." Lauren lips were tight with a smile as she sucked on her milkshake.
"I have a question about your mom." Lauren rasied her eyebrows and nodded. "Has she called recently?"
"No. I told her not to, why?"
"No reason." Steve shugged through his cherry in mouth. Lauren gave him a look. "It's nothing, really. We have other shit to worry about. Like what the fucks in those boxes. Am I right, I can't wait to figure it out, can you."
"Steve, why?"
"I just was just umm... I think I heard you dad and her on the phone." Lauren snapped her fingers to catch the boy, and his wondering eyes focused on the checkered title on the walls.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because he said Diane."
"Why!?" Lauren was visibly angry, not a Steve but the situation.
"Let me eat you out in the bathroom?" In all reality, he was just trying to get her to think about something else. He felt bad that she was so mad. Lauren's jaw dropped open.
"Fuck no. When the fuck did you hear this? What were they talking about."
"Last week before you tried to scare me. I just haven't felt like we had the right time. Right now isn't even the right time I just thought better now then later." Lauren really didn't understand why they would have to talk.
"Well what the hell were the even talking about?" Steve shugged, he felt bad that he told her, but it was making him sick that he hadn't told her.
"I don't know, I heard her name, and I heard you're that's it." Lauren pulled ten dollars out of her wallet sliding out of the booth. Steve slid out, following behind her. Lauren got in the back seat of the truck Steve followed her in. Steve hands cupped Lauren's face. "I'm so sorry. I should have told-, " Steve looked up at Lauren's hand. "What are you doi-" Lauren was going to talk to her dad about it the next time she saw him but she didn't want to see him at the moment.
"This better be the best damn orgasm I've ever had, Steven." Steve smiled at her as her hand continued to push his head down.
"Yes, Ma'am." Steve's lips met Lauren's waist before the wet pants were discarded in the front seat.
☆
"Stop, you are grossing me out." Lauren and Steve smiled at Robin.
"For the last time we have not said anything, it's your own little dirty mind. We just said we didn't sleep last night."
"Which implies you were having sex all night!" Lauren shook her head.
"Like I said, we didn't sleep last night."Lauren smiled at the boy she was sitting on top of. Lauren got over last night's conversation for the meanwhile till she had the time to understand why it took place. As for her and Steve, they forgot about everything for the night.
"We never laid down and had sex Robin." Steve said, Lauren couldn't help but laugh at the boy who thought he was the funniest person on planet earth.
"Eww, please stop." Dustin came through the service door with his binoculars. Drawing all their heads to the door.
"Lo, there is another seat. What are you doing?"
"I was saving it for you, Dusty." She smiled at him innocently. Dustin softly pulled her arms, so she got up and sat in the other chair.
"I've got too much to say to be sitting. As we know, I went back up there to do a little more investigation." The boy began as he passed around the back room.
Every word the boy added was the slightest observation he had made about the Russian security guards, with jokes sparking from every other teenager as he listened to every detail like he was an art enthusiast.
There was talk of other transportation into the room, none of which seemed to be important. They weren't anywhere in the message Robin decoded. Mostly just the Gap, Claire's. The only thing that those and the shipment from the night prior we the fact the a Russian was at the door one with a key card.
"That key card opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keyboard also has a massive gun." The boy never stopped pacing the whole time he was talking and still hadn't, "so whatever in the room, whatevers in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding them."
"Well, you know, could just take him out." Lauren covered her mouth and turned away to avoid getting glared at.
"Take who out?"
"The Russian gaurd." Lauren's hand tightened on her face to keep from laughing. "What I could just come from behind."
"He's good at that." Lauren whispered into her hand, immediately hoping nobody heard.
"I knock him out, and I take his keyboard. It's easy."
"Massive gun mean cotton candy cloud to or or something?" Lauren said, moving her hand to chin to hold up her face.
"No, I don't even think he heard that part of it." Dustin shook his head.
"Yes, Dustin, I did. And that's while I'll be sneaking. Ask Jim, I'm really good at it. Oh wait, you can't because I'm sneaky." Dustin took a deep breath with a sigh.
"Well, please, tell me this, and be honest, have you ever actually won a fight?"
"Last week."
"That doesn't count you hit me on accident and you c-"
"A real fight. Not accident hitting your girlfriend when she sneaks up on you."
"Oh my god, that was one time."
"Twice. Jonathan. Year prior."
"One of the top ten best days of my life." Steve gave her a dirty look.
"That doesn't even count."
"Why wouldn't it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Lauren nodded with a faint smile.
"You got a fat lip -"
"The lip was as all Hop." Steve said, throwing his hand up in the air in her direction.
"Yeah, the lip was all me. Don't give Jonathan all the credit." Lauren said, her hand resting on Steve's leg.
"Well, he gave you a crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood."
"It was a whole lot of thing added up, I get it." Steve said, holding Lauren's hand on his leg. Robin got up and nearly ran out the door. Hesitantly, they all followed her out the door and behind the counter. Where she was digging her hand in the tip jar.
"Robin!" Steve yelled to the girl. "Robin! Hey, what are you doing?"
"I need cash."
"Well, half of that's mine." Steve said as the girl walked away facing them. "Where're you going?"
"To find a way in that room, a safe way. And in tne meantime sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up, I'll be back in a jiff." Lauren looked to the boys' pure confution written on all of their faces.
"She gonna bribe 'em with twenty bucks in tips, or?" Lauren asked but didn't get a response because Steve and Dustin were fighting over an ice cream scooper.
"You better wash that. Nobody wants imbecile's saliva on their ice cream. Maybe Miss Suzie, but that's it." Lauren said to the boys, getting a nod from one and a dirty look from the other. "What do you want some random kid's spit on you ice cream I don't."
"Whatever."
"Thia is a real question for either of either if you to answer. What are we going to do with these boxes when we open them up. Because I don't know about you. I don't really have experience as a bomb technician. " Lauren sat on the stool next to the topings.
"That's little Dustys department." Lauren said, pulling him into a tight hug, rubbing the top of his head and hat as a joke. The boy didn't seem to care, though.
"We expose them. Show them that they are here and coming for us in the heart land." The boy squeezed Lauren back before letting go.
"Wonderful. It's just what I like to do on my Wednesday night. Expose some commies as opposed to I don't know picnic on the lake listening to Tom Petty singing about my little Indiana Boys." Lauren said with a smile, looking at the boys.
About twenty minutes later, Lauren and Dustin were in the backplaying sticks to pass the time when Steve slid open the glass. "Hey, Hop. Um, the guy from the Monday night here."
"What guy?"
"Mustang guy." Lauren got up out of here set and went up to the window, pitting her face close to Steve's to whisper.
"Does he want me?" Steve nodded. "Maybe it's time for that ride."
"Just don't check out his backseat. I know what you like to do back there." Lauren leaned forward and kissed him on the lips before pushing away from him and the counter. Walking out the door, the light lit her dark hair and her light dress.
"Hey, can I get another banna ice cream cone and a date to the fair tomorrow." What the man said honestly supplied her. He didn't seem like he'd ever ask her out or anyone for that matter. Lauren took a deep breath.
"I can't, I have a boyfriend, actually, but thank you so much for the invitation. I'm flattered."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll just take the ice cream then."
"No, no, don't be. I'm sorry if I lead you on." Lauren said, reaching behind her back for Steve's ice cream scooper to scoop his banana ice cream.
"You didn't. I must have just over thought it. I do that a lot. You were just doing your job. I thought you were -" Lauren handed him his ice cream. The man reached into his pocket.
"No, it's not the house." The man nodded and walked out of the ice cream shop.
"Hop, you can't keep giving people free ice cream." He said when Lauren's head went into his chest.
"I'm sorry. I feel bad I'm such a bitch." Steve's hand rubbed the back of her head. "I shouldn't have done that."
"It's alright, Hop. He'll live."
"No I was being a fucking bitch."Lauren's face was in Steve's hands, with watery eyes.
"Don't cry,"
"I might be a bitch but I'm a tough bitch. Not like you, you little bitch."
"Maybe I did cry but I hit my girlfriend in the jaw. I felt really bad and you were crying. And it made me really upset what can I say you're rubbing off on him" Lauren smiled, she was just kidding it was a week ago it was the least of her worries.
Their attention was taken back by the girl running into the back of Scoops. It was seconds before they both made their way back there with the girl already going on, "it's fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office." The girl laid a thin sheet with the blueprints down on the table. "Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints."
"No bad." Looking closer at the paper, the fours head moved closer, looking at both Scoops and the cargo room they were wanting to get into. The only problem was that there was no connection from the rest of the building. The only way was through the Gaurds and their giant guns.
"Yeah, I don't see a way in."
"There's not,"
"I mean, if we don't flirt up the guards."
"That's not an option Lauren, there's no way in if you're talking exclusively about doors." The paper that was on top was peeled back, showing the blueprints to electricial plans along with the air conditioning plans.
"Airducts."
"Exactly." The girl pushed up and began walking over to the wall below the duct. "Turns out, this secret room need air just like any old room." She grabbed a marker and ran back over. "And these air ducts lead all the way here." Robin circled where the cargo room would be. She looked up at the three others looking at her.
"Real question is who the hell is fitting in that? Not any of us?" Lauren, ask genuinely it was a small area.
"I can." When Lauren looked at the boy, Steve was on his way to the storage room. "I think it'll be alright," Dustin said to Lauren. Steve pulled out the latter and a screw driver from the room. Something Lauren didn't anticipate an ice cream shop having but whatever.
"You sure?" Lauren said with furrowed eyebrows. The boy shrugged at the same time they heard the grate being pulled out of the airduct.
"Hey, get me a flashlight." Steve said holding out the metal peice. When he had that taken of his hands he took the flashlight in replacement of the screw drive that Dustin took and discarded onto the floor next to them. Robin, Dustin and Lauren looked up at Steve on the latter waiting for his prognosis. "Yeah, I don't know if you can fit in here. It's, like super tight."
"I'll fit." Dustin corrected Steve as he stepped down the latter. "No collarbone, remember?"
"Um, excuse me?"
"Oh he's weird."
"Well I new that."
"Double weird then, he's got like squishy bones or something."
"No, Hop, he doesn't have squishy bones hes missing missing bones. He's got this disease it like Chyto... Chtro... I dont know. All i know is he can bend like Gumbo." Robin looked at them and smiled.
"You mean gumby?" Robin asked when Lauren was giggling at the boy who was trying to wiggle his way into the metal tube like a worm. Or should he be called the legs considering that wad the only bit of the boy that was actually visible.
"I'm pretty sure it's gumbo." Steve corrected her. At this point it was less of a giggle and more of a laugh.
"Steve, just shut up and push me." Dustin screamed with an echo from the tube surrounding him
"Okay!" Steve yelled back before stepping foot on the latter grabbing the boys feet beginning to push them. "I'll push you."
"No my feet, dumbass. Push my feet." At this point Lauren couldn't contain her laughter, seeing as her laughter was contagous and the hilarious scene unfolding infront of them. The two girl entered a fit of laughter holding on each other to avoid falling over in it.
"What?"
"Touch my butt! I don't care!" The boy screamed back at the other. Steve moved up on the latter and begain pushing Dustin's butt. The girls nearly on the floor laughing so hard, the boys screaming back and fourth was not helping it. "Come on! Harder! Push harder!"
"I'm pushing."
"H...e is... not gonna fit." Robin said in-between laughs while she brought in large amount of air. Lauren shook her head at the girl that had her arm around her.
"No... the fuck he's no...t" Lauren returned the laughter only creating more. Turly if it was just one or the other they laughing would have been minimal but when they were together adding to each others their core hurt feom how hard they were.
"You're playing with my feet?" Dustin yelled continuing to wiggle us way into nothing. Steve had his hands on him trying to push him in but truly was no help at all.
"I'm not playing." Steve said moving up on the latter. "I have terrible footing."
"I'm just going to shove you, okay. Ready?" Steve said as he held in to both legs. Lauren had to let go of the girl and walk over the the boys with the giggles still in her stomach and a smile on her face.
"Just shove me?" Steve pushed the boy as best he could. "Shit!" The boy yelled, Lauren hit the boy softly to get him to get down.
"Let me."
"That work?" Steve said disregard the girl who began climbing the latter on the opposite side of the latter. "What?"
"I want to help." Lauren said grabbing the boys legs.
"Try one more time." Dustin said Lauren pulled his legs back with Steve. In reality Lauren wanted to help mess with the boy she knew he was never getting in it, but it would add to her enjoyment of the whole experience.
"On one." Lauren nodded with a smile. "Three, two." Both of them said "one" as they pushed the boy into the duct without him budging.
Steve dropped his legs holding on the wall making Lauren's drop the too grabbing hold of the edge of the duct so she didn't fall off the latter. "At least someone knows what in one means."
"Oh shut up you're both stupid!" Dustin screamed back kicking his feet. "I'm not going to fit get me out of here."
"I have a idea!" Robin yelled up to the three. Both head on the latter turned to look at the girl with every idea that really has come in this adventure.
"What did she say?" Dustin asked. Lauren grabbed his feet pulling him out while jumping of the latter. The boy set his fert next to Steve who then stepped down.
"She said get out she has an idea."
"Really wha-" Dustin asked when Robin turned to look at the little girl on the other side if the glass. Lauren's face dropped no smile no giggle lingered.
"No."
"No yeah good idea Ro-" Steve said getting cut off by Lauren.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"I second the yes." Dustin said.
"Well I didn't ask you guys no." Lauren looked at the door and to Steve. It was like there brains connected and the both ran to the door. Lauren pushed Steve back holding the door open. Steve tried to pull her back but she was holding door frame with a death grip. When Dustin added Lauren couldn't exactly fight back so the won and piled out of the back room the smiles on their faces. Lauren pushed through them reaching for the girls hand getting it in seconds.
"We don't talk to strangers E." Lauren said looking down at the girl walking out of the ice cream shops.
"What?"
"Let's go shopping." Lauren said with a smile before the girl stopped.
"I want ice cream Lo."
"In an hour?"
"Now." She said with a smile and puppy dog eyes.
"Okay but then you don't listen the crazy people okay?"
"You mean sailor boy and girl with Dusty Crusty? No chance." Lauren turned around. The three standing there with smiles on their faces. She gave them dirty looks with her interlocked with the young girl. "I want, something I've never had."
"You've had every-" Robin's hand went into Steve's abdomen.
"There are a few you haven't tried in the back. You have come with us though. There haven't been released yet."
"Okay." Erica let go of the girl's hand and walked towards the three teenagers walking into the back.
"Erica!?" The girl looked back and shrugged. "Tou never go into the back for "ice cream"." Lauren said with air quotes.
"Lo, I always will go in the back for ice cream." Lauren rolled her eyes and followed the four into the back but Dustin closed the door infront of her, but she pushed against it.
"Sorry we don't let traitors in." Lauren pushed harder making the boy pushed harder before she moved completely the door flung open slightly with a nearly falling boy but he caught himself before pulling it back close. While Dustin occupied the door Lauren hopped on the counter and climbed thought the window to see the girl already looking in the tunnel. They moved fast like in seconds.
There girl stepped down and Lauren, Robin, Steve and Dustin awaited her answer. "Yeah, I don't know."
"You don't know if you can fit?"
"Oh, I can fit. I just don't know if I want to." Lauren smiled, it was going her way the very last thing she wanted was Erica involved.
The boys and Robin was already enough. The girl who is significantly younger and innocent, well innocent and unaware of the real need for her. Erica was a child the last thing she need was to put herself in danger. The last thing Lauren wanted was for her to get involved the fact that everyone else was wad horrifying.
"Are you claustrophobic?"
"I don't have phobias." Erica corrected her.
"Okay, well, what the problem?"
"The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica." The girl raised her voice to make sure she was heard.
"There is nothing time to go shopping." Lauren walked over to the girl her hand again reaching for the girls.
"She's broke don't listen to her." Steve said, without hesitation Lauren held up Steve's wallet."
"No I'm not. Let's go." Erica grabbed Lauren's hand and started walking witj her. This was the worst case senerio for everyone but Lauren it was working out for her.
"Ice cream all you can eat, right now garrentteed." Steve said before the walked out the door.
"No faking me out this time?" Steve shook his head. Erica looked at the other two wanting conformation, ressiving the same from them too. The girl shrugged, "Okay, then."
"Erica Simone Sinclair! I told you not to listen to them they're crazy." The girl looked up at her with a sad look.
"I like ice cream, I'm sorry Lo." Lauren rolled her eyes and walked out the door with her. "I'd like one of everything to our table, please." Erica requested as she lead Lauren to a circular booth.
"Erica." The girls eyes looked to Lauren, but her head stayed forward. "I can get you all the ice cream you want."
"But we're getting it for free."
"Erica I don't want to crawl in that tunnel."
"Why?" Erica asked her genuinely. She might have been tough, Erica to everyone else but there were few people she was soft Erica around. Her parents, Lucas when no one else was round, one or two other people and Lauren.
When Lauren first moved to town and started babysitting the Sinclairs, it went from once a month to every weekend. The kids loved Lauren, and they loved their nights out. With Lauren being there more than just on the weekends, Erica practically grew up with her.
"Because what they want you to do can get you hurt."
"I'm big, I'm strong. To quote you, I can handle anything. I won't get hurt."
"E, what they want you to do could hurt Arnold Schwarzenegger."
"Climbing through a tunnel doesn't seem like that big a deal, Lo." Lauren sighed, leaning back into the cushion of the booth. At this point, there were already four cones, three bowls, and shakes.
"At least give 'em hell." Lauren sighed, grabbing one of the milkshakes she could never say no to a milkshake. Dustin tried to sit down, but Erica gave him a dirty look.
"You're not done. Go fetch me some more ice cream." The boy rolled his eyes, getting up to go help the back and forth shuffle that was Robin and Steve bringing more and more ice cream that one girl could not possibly eat in one sitting.
As the table filled up, Erica was being more and more of a pain. Saying things like this needs more strawberries, "needs more fudge." Steve didn't move. "Go on." The girl said calmly but with a mix of sas, she said, making Steve get up a final time.
Robin pulled the map up while unfolding it to show where she had marked it up. "You see this?" Lauren covered Erica's eye with her hands.
"No, she's blind." Dustin moved her hands off Erica's face.
"Not blind anymore, Erica. You see this?" Erica nodded at the girl. "Thjs is the route you're gonna take. Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight. Then you knock out the grate, jump down open the door."
"Then you find out what's in those boxes?"
"Exactly. "
"And you say this guard is armed." Lauren hadn't even known how much she knew. The fact that Erica knew this and still thought that was strong wasn't shocking.
"Yes, but he won't be there." Anothing thing Lauren didn't know about maybe it's because she was barely listening to the boy. Everything about this made her nervous, and things that made her nervous would typically be ignored and tuned out in order to pretend it wasn't real.
"And booby traps?"
"Booby traps?"
"Lasers, spikes in the wall? She's talking like Harrison Ford Indiana Jones stuff."
"What?" Robin asked like it was the most outlandish thing to be said. Like Russians building a shopping mall in the middle of Indiana while using it as a front for their necular weapons doesn't sound crazy.
"You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangeredment." Lauren nodded along with the girl who was speaking nothing but fact upon fact.
"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time-" Robin was cut off with the girls disagreeing quiet yells.
"Child endangerment."
"Erica? We, we think she's Russians." Lauren was taken aback apparently in the little fight she had to get into the back room thay had been able to tell her every fiber if the story. At least Erica wasn't seeming to be uo for it. "Want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love your country?"
"You can't spell "America" without "Erica. " Erica said, casually taking a sip of her drink to finish it off.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Only that's, uh, totally true. So don't do this for us. Do it for your country." Whike Dustin was talking Erica continued to try and get evry bit of the drink with her straw making a sucking noise. "Do it for your fellow man. Do this for America... Erica." Erica set the cup down and looked at the boy.
"Oh, I just got the chills. From this float, not you, and not you speech. Know what I love most about this country? Capitalism. Do you know what Capitalism is?" She got a nod in response. "It means this us a free market system, which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. And it seems to me, my ability to fir into that little vent, is pretty valuable to y'all. So, you want my help? This USS butterscottch better be the first of many. And I'm talking free ice cream... for life!" The girl declared, slapping Lauren's hand on the table.
☆
A slight chill ran down Lauren's spine hardly from the cold breeze it was seventy seven degrees, rather the fact that at his time, Erica was setting up to crawl into the vent, "Erica, do you copy?" Robin asked through the radio, transmitting from the roof to the vent entrance at Scoops.
"Mhm, I copy. You nerds in position or what?" Came from the radio as the say in the darkness of the summer night sky. They all stare in the same spot that didn't the night before.
"It's all quiet here, so you've hit the green light."
"Green light, alright. Commence Opperation Child Endangeredment." Came from the radio.
"Can we not call it that?" Robin asked pulling her finger off the speak button.
"I mean is she wrong?" Lauren asked furiously.
"Please shut up, Hop, God." Lauren gave Steve a rude look but shut her mouth. The silence at the end of the radio was loud.
"I'm just glad i'm not eighteen," Lauren said a mix of pettyness and worry.
"Now, what is that supposed to mean?"
"I won't get tried as an adult."
"What?" Steve said, annoyed.
"Well, when Mrs Sinclair presses charges. I won't get tried as an adult like somebody."
"She's going to be fine. There is nobody down there!"
"That doesn't mean they is'nt somebody in there. She's in danger. Do you not see that? The Russian sees she's in there. Bam, an innocent ten year old dead because we were dumb." Steve didn't bother to look at the girl. "Oh my god, I want to strangle you."
"Not if I strangle you first." Again, Steve said, not bothering to look at her.
"I'll strangle both of you shut up. She's going to be fine." Dustin said in a quiet scream. While they did this, Erica was receiving directions from Robin as she reached turns in the air ducts.
"I'm there," came from the walkie-talkie in a scratchy manner, alerting every single person on the roof.
"Do you- Do you see anything?
"Yeah, I see those boring boxes you're so excited about."
"People no people right? Robin ask he are there people."
"Any Gaurds?"
"Negative." Lauren let out a sigh of relief after hearing this.
"Booby Traps?"
"If I could see them, they would be pretty shit traps, wouldn't they?"
"Thank you for that." There was grunting mixed the crashing of metal making Lauren sick she knew she was fine but it didn't stop the worry.
"I'm in." Steve ran his hands through his hair.
"Oh, god." He sighed he was nearly if not just as nervous. It's not like they thought bringing the child in on the plan. It was dangerous that much was fucking blatantly obvious but Lauren's constant reminders were stressing him out far worse. He wasn't trying to be a dick he was stressed.
Before they knew it, the girl opened the door. "Free ice cream... for life." Dustin pushed off the wall and ran to the door. The rest followed suit, running down the stairs the sketchy hallway and out the door.
When they made it outside and around the corner, everyone ran into the room full of boxes. Lauren leaned down to hug the girl. "Thank you. You did great."
"I know," the girl joked, pulling away desprate to see what was in the boxes that everybody wanted so desperately. Steve had already started digging into one when the door closed behind them. None of them paid any mind to it.
Every head hung over the box as Steve turned the nozzle, opening the second box. After putting the lid on the box off to the side Steve eyes finally saw what everyone else's saw. It didn't look to be anything special just for more individual nozzles to be turned and opened but the fact that it was supposed to be "food" was heavy suspicious. "That's definitely not Chinese food."
In an attempt to somewhat lighten the mood Lauren said, "I don't know, the food positioning I got from that mall Chinese has got me suspicious." It didn't, light the mood that is all it did was get looks from all over them. Steve's hand went to twist another bar.
"Uh, maybe you guys should, you know, stand back." Erica stepped off her box now standing beside the two girls that hand already done as suggested.
"No."
"Just-"
"No."
"Step Back. Seriously." Steve was trying to push the boy back and Lauren was trying to pull him back.
"No! No! If you die, I die!" Lauren hand immediately went from reaching from the boy to rubbing her forhead.
"Okay." Steve stopped fighting him and just reached for the handle.
"If either of you die, I'll kill you both." Dustin looked at her and then to Robin.
"Funny, she means no irony in what she just said." He said quietly the girl nodded, when Dustin and Robin heard the click both their attentions were drawn away from each other and to the green substance in the container Steve was holding up.
"What the hell." Steve whispered under his breath. They all stared at it, not knowing exactly what they were looking at.
"What is that?" Lauren looked at Robin and smiled.
"See, I'm telling you that is what I was throwing up last w-" Lauren's joke was cut short by a loud settling nose occupied by a faint shake.
"Was that just me, or did the room just move?"
"Booby traps." Erica responded right before another movement of the room leaving everyone on edge if not over it.
"You know what? Let's just grab that and go." Robin grabbed it from Steve Lauren following after her grabbing it from her.
"Better yet, put it back and go." Lauren walked back over to the box lining the container up with the port.
"What are you doing?" Robin asked.
"Putting this shit up. Out of sight out of mind." Robin grabbed it before she got it all the way back in while the girls we going back and forth so were Erica Steve and Dustin about how to open the door.
"Out of site, with the Russians, Lauren." Lauren thre her hand up.
"Like I give a shit looks like the got a shit ton more. What we gonna do about it."
Robin was waving the thing around. "Then this could be the mouse that broke the camel's back."
"Just open the damn door!" Both girls, regardless of their bickering, were tied of the others bickering on how to open a door turned and yelled in unison.
"I'm trying." Steve hit one more button creating yet another loud sound and not a great one. Just like that a light went out and Lauren's along with everybody's stomach dropped as they could feel the whole room plummeting.
Screams escaped all of them no matter how tough they were. As far as they knew they were free falling to there death. And this wasn't a fun Tom Petty song.