Along with Moshi, Alana, and Colin, he clambered back up the metal stairs to the top of the lattice. Moshi had prepared straps and harnesses for all of them, fastened to the thickest girders. Callum eyed the top of the tank as he clipped himself in.

“Everyone secure?”

“Good to go, chief.”

“Raina, I need you to keep watch on the building sensors.”

“I’m on it, chief.”

“Henry, open the ventchamber door,” Callum said. “Moshi, get ready.”

It began with a faint hissing sound. A breeze started up, plucking at the thick fabric of his hazmat suit. The hissing deepened, quickening his heartbeat. Peripheral vision showed things moving on the walkways that crisscrossed the lattice: old abandoned plastic cups, paper, scraps of wiring, plastic slivers, all wiggling and rolling along.

“Door at fifty percent,” Henry reported.

The hissing had become a storm-roar now. Its force was buffeting him with a lot more force that he’d anticipated. Instinct made him check the harness clasps. Colin and Alana were already on their knees, gripping the walkway rail for extra security.

“Seventy-five percent,” Henry said.

Callum could hear the whole building protesting now. Metal was creaking overhead. When he glanced up, he could see the lights swinging wildly. Above them, the ceiling panels were buckling, starting to peel from the frame.

“Hundred percent!”

The snarl of air venting into interplanetary space became a hurricane howl. Vapor was streaking across the lattice at incredible speed. Two roof panels ripped free and slammed down onto the tank, vibrating furiously as they were sucked away down the sides.

“Blow it,” Callum shouted.

The charges on the tank support struts detonated simultaneously. He couldn’t even hear them above the gale that was clawing at him. Snowflakes transformed to dangerous ice bullets, strafing down from widening cracks in the roof. The top of the tank vanished, dropping so fast he barely caught the motion. More lethal panels were scything through the air, following it into the cyclone funnel that had formed in the gulf its departure had created.

“It’s clear,” Raina yelled across their comms.

“Close it, Henry!” Callum shouted.

The gale took an age to subside as the ventchamber’s outer door labored against the incredible pressure. Twice as long as it took to form, Callum was sure.

Silence, when it came, was like a physical force slapping him. Callum took a shaky breath and stood up, tensed against the eerily still air. “Everyone okay?”

They called it in, voices unsteady with relief. Callum slowly unclipped the harness. Snow was falling through wide fractures in the broken roof. The inside of the building resembled a bomb site. He checked his radiation sensor, which showed him background levels only.

“Bloody hell, we did it!” he said. Then he started laughing at the surprise in his own voice.

—

The alarm clock’s buzzing woke Callum. Someone had turned the volume up to stadium-rock level and added earthquake-shake to it. Callum moaned weakly and opened his eyes—actions that were hideously painful. His hand groped around for the alarm clock. Somewhere in his aching brain he cursed the smartarse out-of-reach trick.