The Rainmakers
Ch. 16, Clearance

MacGyver waited until Barbara had climbed up and through the hole before he spoke. “Colsen, what can you tell me about my new guide?”

“She’s Karl Steuben’s assistant—been with him for five years. She’s got clearance for all the levels of the KIVA.” There was a short pause where, though MacGyver couldn’t see, Pete was grinning at the disconcerted Gus as he added, “By all accounts, she’s a woman to be reckoned with.”

Pete heard the smile in MacGyver’s response. “I gathered that much. Hang around and we’ll see where Spencer wants us to go.”

“Will do. You two watch yourselves.”

⌂

Barbara crawled through the narrow opening, wishing—not for the last time—that she had worn a pantsuit instead of a dress to work that day. As she pulled herself along, her hand closed on the battered shoe she had brought up from the third level—it had been half-buried in loose dirt. Grimly, she clutched it tightly and struggled forward with even more determination. Hands were waiting on the other side to help her down.

“Dobbson.” The little man was limping down the corridor, one hand on his head and the other bracing himself against the wall as he made his way toward the elevator shaft and the promise of escape; he stopped and turned back at the sound of Barbara’s voice.

She hurried to his side, pressing the shoe into his hands. “Take this up with you… please.”

“Up? Aren’t you coming out with us?”

Barbara shook her head. “No. I’ve got to try to help Dr. Steubens and his friend Dr. Marlow. They’re still trapped in his lab.”

“You’re going back down to the Third?!” Dobbson gaped at her. “After everything we went through to get up here?!”

“I have to, Dobbson. This guy they sent down… he doesn’t know the KIVA…not like I do. I can get him there faster than if he wanders around alone down here.”

Dobbson looked at the shoe, and then he raised his eyes to look into Barbara’s face. “Are you sure you want to do this? I know that you’re dedicated to your work… but I think you’re taking loyalty a little too far. Dr. Steubens would never expect you to risk your life like this.”

Forcing bravado, Barbara smiled and shrugged. “What risk? I’ve got the Boy Scout with me, remember?” She turned and nodded in the direction of the bio lab.

As she spoke, MacGyver came sliding down the dirt pile and landed on his feet. He slapped the dust from his trousers and immediately followed the hose back to the fire extinguisher box, where he twisted the lever back to relieve the water pressure. He tried to push the glass door of the cabinet back in place--as far as it would go with the hose unraveled--but the broken glass fell out he moved it, causing him utter a surprised whistle and snatch his hand back.

Dobbson squinted toward in MacGyver's direction. “Hmm. Is he a handsome fellow, this man? I think I'm jealous that you’d rather stay down here with him than come away with me!”

Barbara flushed. “I haven’t noticed,” she replied tartly.

“Hmm. You’ll get him through safely, I’ll wager. I’ll be waiting upstairs for you, my dear.”

Barbara caught one of the other scientists and put Dobbson’s hand on the man’s arm. “Goodbye, Dobbson. I’ll see you again in a few hours.”

She watched the other survivors as they limped down the corridor, bunching around the elevator doors where they waited to ascend through the dusty shaft of light that now shown down through the opening. More than a mere rope ladder, Burke had organized several volunteers to drop down through the shaft with ropes and harnesses, lifting the shaken and injured scientists to safety.

Barbara became conscious of warmth against her back. She turned her head and saw that the man who had rescued them standing close to her… not quite touching, but close; he was also watching the progress of the exodus.

When he saw her glance at him, he offered her a wry smile and lifted one hand in what struck her as a ridiculously chivalrous gesture. “Shall we?”

She turned immediately and began to walk toward the control room, eager not to let him see how much she would prefer to be climbing out than going down again into the dusty and crumbling hell she knew waited on the Third level of the KIVA.

She had her back toward him; if she had seen MacGyver’s face, she could have guessed by his expression how much he would have liked to see her climbing out, too.

⌂

Burke had a look on his face like he’d been pole-axed. He’d just gotten back from organizing the extraction of the surviving scientists MacGyver had found, and Pete had given him an update on MacGyver’s status. “What?! W-what did you say that name was again?”

“Some woman named Spencer. She volunteered to show MacGyver where she last saw Steubens and Marlo—”

“Are you out of your mind, Colsen?” Burke demanded angrily. “She’s one of the few people who know Steuben’s research inside and out… we can’t risk her like this!”

“It was her decision,” Pete answered calmly. “Look, I’m not any crazier about it than you are… but the fact is that if we can find Steubens faster this way… we’ll have a better chance of getting them out in time!”

Burke sighed. “Okay, Colsen,” he muttered at last, “but I hope this guy can hold his own.”

Pete’s forehead creased with concern. “What do you mean?”

The corner of Burke’s mouth crooked up in a sarcastic smile. “He just better hope that none of the information he needs is classified. The earth will open up and swallow the sun before Barbara Spencer gives anyone without proper clearance so much as the time of day.”

Gantner blinked in confusion. “I don’t understand… you authorized MacGyver to go down there. Doesn’t that mean he’s got whatever clearance he needs?”

“Come on, Gantner… you work for the State Department!” Burke’s laugh was a touch bitter. “You know the difference between ‘authorization’ and ‘clearance’.”

Gantner frowned and muttered, “Oh boy.”

Pete bit his lip. It clearly hadn’t occurred to Gantner to inform Spencer – or even Burke, for that matter – that MacGyver already had top-level State Department clearance … and ‘Colsen’ wouldn’t know it either. Pete had to remain silent – though it took a massive effort – and prayed silently that MacGyver would manage to charm what he needed to know out of Spencer… before time ran out for everyone below Level One.

⌂

Barbara led MacGyver straight toward the control room. The walls and ceiling had buckled in some places, but the corridor was still passable. They went past several doors, but Spencer did not lglance at them or even slow down; she was retracing the steps that had led her and Dobbson up from the lower level. Her goal was to find Karl Steubens and get him safely out of this place as quickly as possible.

MacGyver lagged behind by several paces. He looked around and stopped occasionally to push open doors, giving each room a cursory investigation, occasionally nudging piles of debris with his foot but finding nothing useful. The next door he tested failed to yield to his hand. Squinting through the small window, he could see nothing but darkness.

Barbara glanced back and noticed that he’d stopped. She halted and turned. “What are you doing?” she asked sharply.

“Just seeing what there is to see,” MacGyver answered. Eyeing the door and estimating its strength, he put his shoulder against the frame and leaned hard.

“That is Dr. Zaylus’ office… and it's private.” Barbara’s lips were pressed together in a firm line of disapproval. “You have no business—” she jumped a little as the door suddenly gave way to his thrust and popped open. “You have no business in there!” she repeated, coming back several steps toward MacGyver. “Come out of there at once!”

MacGyver stepped back out of the room, leaving the door open. “Nobody home.”

Barbara leaned past MacGyver and pulled the door closed. “His research is classified! You don’t have clearance… you’ve no right to break open doors!”

“I didn’t break it… I, ah… circumvented the lock.” MacGyver hedged. “I’m sure that Dr. Zaylus would feel differently about my ‘entering uninvited’ if he had been in there and needing help. Shall we continue?”

Barbara pressed her lips closed again. Her training had prepared her for the idea that some security measures must be sacrificed in a desperate crisis, but she found it very difficult to admit to herself that things were so desperate—because that would bring her closer to admitting to herself that it may be too late to rescue Dr. Steubens.

Rather than argue with the man, she nodded and walked on, saving her energy for what might come next.

~~~Link to Chapter 17

Spoken like a true bureaucrat.