After that, we put our minds to beating through the gale and avoiding unidentified flying objects. Just past the gates, Daniel grabbed my arm and yanked me aside. A scream of wet air past my ear spiraled into a rolling crash on the sidewalk behind us. Whatever had nearly crushed us was already a shadow scudding end over end half a block away. We both broke into a run. Never so glad to see Fifth swim up out of the watery dusk. We splashed across the avenue to the 59th Street access and tumbled up the three flights as if riding the storm itself.

The stripped-down corridors of the pass-thru were a maze of howling wind tunnels.

Daniel was laughing, like he’d enjoyed the run. He grabbed my poncho before I got airlift and veered us toward a darker hallway. “This way!”

I hardly had time to protest before he’d halted at a sheltered alcove housing a bank of boarded-up elevators. From somewhere he produced a small flashlight to shine into all the nooks and corners, making sure nothing lurked. The cinderblock here was in place all the way to the ceiling and the floor was dry, least till we got there. We stood panting and dripping, palming rain from our faces and hair.

I knew this sort of lobby. On other levels, there might still be a fake marble table too heavy to steal, each with a bolted-on metal vase that once held plastic flowers. Daniel set the flashlight end-up on the floor. Its translucent base glowed softly, a portable lantern.

I eyed it enviously. “That’s a handy little thing.”

“Never without it.”

“So bright. How d’you keep it charged?”

“My home solars are pretty reliable.” Daniel let his tongue loll and slumped against the wall. Rain shivered in droplets on his short-cropped hair. “Whew. I’m out of shape.”

He didn’t look that way to me, his drenched tee showing every hard line of his body. And I was breathing a lot harder than he was. Not what you’d expect from a bookish sort.

I recalled what Grace had said about me finally noticing, and glanced away, rearranging the folds of my giant poncho. Rather be more hidden than less. “I got delayed, too. Tagged by a bunch of Macys.”

He laughed. “You’ll need a better story than that.”

“No, seriously. They didn’t get anything, but the whole thing put me off my game.”

“You’re saying some kids tried to mug you?”

I nodded. “Three of them. Babies, almost. What’s with that?”

“Wish I could say.” He settled more comfortably against the rough block and crossed his arms, like he meant to linger a bit. I could live with that. I’d already scouted out three separate escape routes if I had to scoot, plus I needed to rest up for the long haul home.

“So, did you read your book?”