Chapter 2 - The Man Inside the Elevator
The elevator doors opened three inches.
Then stopped.
Evan buried his face against my side.
"Don't let them open it."
I stared at the gap.
Roman moved in front of us.
His security men stepped forward.
Nobody spoke.
The elevator lights flickered behind the doors.
A faint metallic scraping sound came from inside.
Roman's security chief raised his hand.
"Everyone back."
The doors opened another few inches.
Then another.
Finally, they separated completely.
Roman's private elevator was empty.
But the floor was covered with thin strands of torn metal cable.
Roman stared down.
His face changed.
He understood something immediately.
The elevator hadn't stopped because of a normal malfunction.
Something had happened above the cabin.
He crouched and picked up one piece of metal.
"This isn't from the elevator."
The security chief examined it.
"No."
Trent looked terrified.
I noticed.
Roman noticed too.
"Everyone stays where they are."
Trent swallowed.
"Mr. Black, there may have been a mechanical failure."
Roman looked at him.
"Mechanical failures don't usually leave cable fragments inside an elevator."
Nobody answered.
Evan tugged my sleeve.
"Mom."
"What?"
He pointed at the corner of the elevator.
"There."
I looked.
A tiny black device was attached beneath the control panel.
Roman saw it too.
He stepped inside.
His security chief grabbed his arm.
"Sir, don't."
Roman stopped.
The device had a small red light.
It blinked once.
Twice.
Then went dark.
Roman slowly stepped back.
"Nobody touches that."
Trent whispered something.
"What?"
Roman looked at him.
"I said nobody touches it."
Trent nodded.
But his eyes were not on Roman.
They were on Evan.
That frightened me more than anything else.
I pulled Evan closer.
Roman noticed.
He looked at my son.
Then at me.
"How long has he been working here?"
"Three years."
"How often does he stay with you?"
"Most nights."
Roman's expression became thoughtful.
"Has he ever been in this corridor?"
"Sometimes."
"Why?"
"He likes machines."
Evan interrupted.
"Mr. Ortega lets me watch."
Roman looked at him.
"Mr. Ortega?"
"Maintenance."
Roman turned toward his security chief.
"Find Ortega."
The man spoke into his radio.
No answer.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Roman's face tightened.
"Call him directly."
The security chief pulled out his phone.
He listened.
Then looked up.
"Voicemail."
Trent immediately said, "He probably went home."
Roman turned.
"At three in the morning?"
Trent hesitated.
"He works nights."
"So do you."
Silence.
I felt Evan's hand shaking inside mine.
Then Roman's phone rang.
He answered.
"Black."
The voice on the other end spoke rapidly.
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"Say that again."
The person repeated something.
Roman looked toward the elevator.
"How many?"
A pause.
"Keep everyone there."
He hung up.
"What happened?" I asked before I could stop myself.
Roman looked at me.
"Three cameras went offline."
"Where?"
"Forty-second floor."
My stomach dropped.
That was the floor directly beneath the executive penthouse.
Roman looked at Evan.
"Did you hear the sound before or after the lights changed?"
"Before."
"How long before?"
Evan thought.
"Seven seconds."
Roman looked at his security chief.
"That's almost exactly when the elevator lost pressure."
I stared at them.
"Could my son really have stopped it?"
Roman answered honestly.
"We don't know."
Then a sound came from inside the elevator.
A phone vibrating.
Everyone froze.
Roman slowly stepped forward.
A black smartphone was lying beneath the emergency panel.
It wasn't his.
He picked it up carefully.
The screen showed one incoming message.
No name.
Only a number.
Roman read the message.
His face became expressionless.
I watched him.
"What does it say?"
He didn't answer.
His security chief looked over his shoulder.
His face went pale.
"What?"
Roman handed him the phone.
The message contained only six words.
THE BOY WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO PRESS IT.
I looked at Evan.
He looked back at me.
Trent stepped backward.
Roman noticed.
"Trent."
Trent stopped.
"Who knew the emergency button was here?"
Trent didn't answer.
Roman's voice became colder.
"Who knew?"
Trent finally looked toward the hallway.
Then he whispered:
May you like
"Someone who isn't supposed to be alive."
Before anyone could ask what he meant, a phone began ringing inside the mechanical room behind us...
