The elevator shuddered to a halt between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth floors. I felt it in my stomach, that lurching drop that shouldn't have happened, that made my briefcase swing from my grip and my heart slam against my ribs. The fluorescent lights flickered once, twice, and then died, plunging us into absolute blackness. "Shit," I breathed, my hand finding the wall, pressing against the cold metal paneling. "Are you kidding me?" a woman's voice cut through the dark, sharp with panic. "No, no, no, no, this cannot be happening right now, I swear to God, I cannot be stuck in this fucking box…" I heard her moving, heard her palms slapping against the buttons, and I heard the desperate jab of her finger against the emergency call button. "Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, trying to sound calmer than I felt. "Hey, it's okay, we're gonna be fine, they'll send someone to get us out, just give it a minute…" "You don't understand." Her voice was higher now, h
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