Hailey

The elevator couldn't move fast enough. Every floor we passed felt like a lifetime of wasted seconds. Evans stood beside me, his hand gripping the brass railing so hard his knuckles looked like white stones. He didn't speak, but I could hear the jagged rhythm of his breathing, heavy and panicked. My own heart was a drum beating against my ribs, fueled by the echo of Lena’s voice on the phone.

She said my name. Nancy said my name.

"Stay behind me when the doors open," Evans commanded, his voice tight. "We don't know the state of the room, Hailey."

"She called for me, Evans," I said, my voice...