Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
The clock ticked as she paced the small space. She wasn’t ordinarily claustrophobic, but she didn’t like being stuck in this elevator. Maybe all the sensors were down, and they didn’t know she was trapped here.
When the elevator still hadn’t moved a few minutes later, she decided she needed to help herself. “Hello?” she shouted. “Can anyone hear me?”
Nothing. More time passed. Seconds. Minutes. Probably not as much time as she thought.
“Hello?” she shouted louder.
“Zara? Is that you?”
Finally. She didn’t recognize the voice, but relief made her blow out a long breath. “Yes.”
“I’m with maintenance. They told me you were trapped in the elevator. We didn’t know which floor you were on. I’m going to get the doors open. Just hang tight.”
Thank God. She scooted back toward the wall, not wanting to be too close to the doors when they finally opened. She could hear people talking to each other, but she couldn’t distinguish what they were saying.
“Hang tight, Zara. We’re working on it,” the man shouted.
“Okay.” He probably couldn’t hear her, but it didn’t matter. She wanted out of this box.
Patience, Zara. They’re working on it.
She sucked in a breath and held it when it sounded like the men were arguing. Suddenly, she felt unsure. Unease crept up her spine. She inched closer to the doors and put her ear against them.
“No, I don’t have a fucking crowbar. I didn’t know we were going to need it, asshole,” one man muttered. Surely, the maintenance staff wouldn’t speak to each other like that.
“Hello? Excuse me,” Zara called out.
“We’re working on it, Zara. Hang tight.”
She didn’t want them working on it anymore. “How did you know I was in here? Did Mr. Williams send you?”
“Uh, yes. Mr. Williams called us.”
Shit. Zara backed up to the far wall. Shit shit shit. There was no Mr. Williams working for the hotel. At least not that she knew of.
“Don’t worry, Zara. We’re going to get you out of there.”
Zara was shaking like a leaf now. She did not want these men to get to her. Why didn’t I bring my phone with me? She could picture it on her desk in the lab. There was nothing she could do except scream bloody murder the moment they got these doors open.
Shit. Kestrel was going to be so mad. Not just at the situation but the fact that she’d gone upstairs alone. He hadn’t explicitly told her to stay in the basement, and she’d taken the secure elevator. She would have stepped out on the fifth floor and gone into the secure apartment.
Now, these guys were going to get her.
A noise above her made her jerk her gaze up to the roof of the elevator. Her heart beat even faster, feeling like it would burst from her chest. Were they coming in from above to kidnap her?
Chapter Nineteen
“Where’s Zara?” Kestrel barked into the room at large as soon as he stepped into the basement from the emergency stairwell. He’d run down the steps to reach her as soon as the power had flickered out. The emergency lights made the confined space with no windows look eerie—full of shadows and dark corners.
Phoenix turned from the open closet and looked around. “She was just here.”
Magnus rose from his seat and glanced around, too.
Celeste was on the phone, ignoring them.
Caesar emerged from the bathroom. “What’s wrong?” he asked as the three men looked in his direction.
“Have you seen Zara?” Kestrel nearly shouted.
“Yes. She went upstairs to change. She didn’t make it back?”
“How long ago? Fuck! How long ago?” The hairs on Kestrel’s neck stood on end.
“Not long. Maybe five or ten minutes. She must be on the fifth floor and can’t get back down. I’m sure she’ll be right back down.”
Kestrel turned toward the elevator and smashed his fist against the metallic doors. “The elevator is stuck somewhere. We couldn’t turn on the auxiliary power. I’ll go check the fifth floor. Try to call her,” he yelled.
Without waiting for anyone to respond, he rushed back into the stairs. Where was she? Had she made it to the fifth floor, and now she was stuck up there? God, he hoped so. He hoped she hadn’t decided to take the stairs. The stairwell wasn’t secure. Only the elevator was secure.
“I’ll go with you,” Phoenix called out, pounding up the stairs behind Kestrel.
The two men powered up all five flights in record time, taking the steps three at a time. “Zara?” Kestrel shouted as he emerged into the joint living space. He ran to their apartment and yanked open the door. “Zara?”
Nothing. No response. He looked around. There was no evidence she’d been there. “Fuck.” That meant she was stuck in the elevator.
“She’s not up here,” Phoenix added unnecessarily.
Magnus’s voice came into Kestrel’s com. “We have a problem, Kestrel.”
“What?” he retorted.
“Three maintenance workers are on the fourth floor trying to get the elevator to open.”