#Chapter 73: Emergency Stops

Amelia I was already late. The box of updated print materials was heavier than I expected, digging into my hip with every step as I crossed the back hallway toward the freight elevator. The building was unusually quiet, only a few straggling volunteers and junior staff still moving through the halls. Most of the senior team had gone home for the night. Or so I thought. The elevator doors were just starting to close when a hand reached between them. They hissed open again. Richard stepped inside without looking at me. He pressed the button for the third floor. I swallowed. He didn’t say anything, just stood at the other end of the elevator, hands in his pockets, jaw tight. I shifted the box in my arms, hyperaware of his presence. Every nerve in my body lit up the moment the doors closed. We started moving. Then, as we passed the second floor, he turned and hit the emergency stop. The elevator jolted, lights dimming slightly. We halted mid-floor, caught in silence.