Shauna chuckled, smiling at the audience as she explained. “In this side, out that side. Like a school drop off.”
The crowd laughed. Sophia did a thumbs-up and leaned toward the mic. “Ah, if I had kids I’m sure I would’ve picked up on that.” She gave the audience a hurried wave and dashed toward the designated exit. If it circled around, Blayze was probably already on his way to greet her.
She made it only a few feet before noticing a small cluster of interns gathered.
“Hi, Ms. Vasco,” Jane whispered with a huge grin. She pointed toward a large door down the rounded hall. “You’ve got to go out that way. There’s a group of fans lining up to take their picture with you. They’re super excited because no one thought you were coming.”
Sophia leaned to look beyond the door. The hallway might have looped around eventually, but it was onebigloop—probably the size of an actual elementary pickup like Shauna Wilkins suggested.
“I can’t do pictures right now, Jane. Have you seen… that guy I walked in with?”
“Oh, yeah,” Matteo blurted. “I know who you mean.”
Jane perked up. “The big, handsome one?”
Frank broke through the cluster. “The back loop is blocked off. He won’t be able to get through, but I know where he is.” Frank spun to face the other interns. “She can’t do pictures. I’ll take her down to meet up with her bodyguard.”
Jane gasped. “He’s abodyguard?”
Sophia was feeling more at ease than she was a moment ago. Seemed as if Frank knew what he was doing.
“Thanks, Frank.”
He took her a few steps back toward the stage exit she’d just come from. A thick, black curtain hung beside the open walkway; Frank moved it aside with the sweep of his arm, revealing a small, gray door. A printout of a stick-figure in a wheelchair marked the center, the wordsElevator Liftprinted just below.
“This will take us right down to the parking areas,” he said as he opened the door. “It looks like a secret passageway, but it’s really just for those who can’t take the stairs.”
A waist-high, iron gate stood between Sophia and the small lift. Frank tugged at a lever on the gate, pulled it open and motioned for her to go ahead of him.
Sophia stepped inside, glad she hadn’t worn stiletto heels; they’d have likely gotten caught in the metal grate at her feet. A grate she could see right through, though with as dark as it was, there wasn’t much to take in.
“Okay,” Frank said, rushing inside and closing the gate once more. He grabbed the doorknob leading the lift and shut that tight as well. “We better hurry,” he mumbled.
Sophia nodded, fanning her face with her notes; it was stuffy in the cramped space. Unlike typical elevators, this contraption was roofless. The sides hid nothing from view, the cage-like container allowing darkness to penetrate the cab. “So, is there another elevator on the other side of the stage? Is that how Blayze is getting down?”
Frank leaned over a small box with a couple of levers and squinted. “Yep. Okay, let’s go, let’s go…” He punched one of the raised buttons with two fingers, and at last the old lift lurched with a ruckus.
Sophia squealed and threw a hand to her chest, calming the frantic beats. They declined at a slow but steady rate, the noisy thing rattling in protest each inch of the way.
Clank clank screech.
Clank clank screech.
Every few feet it let out an unearthly gurgle, the motor choking on the grease it took to run it. A bitter burning odor wafted in with her next breath.
“Don’t be afraid, Ms. Vasco,” Frank said. “It might seem scary, but no one’s going to hurt you.”
Hurt her?The words—spoken by this intern who hardly knew her—didn’t sit well with Sophia. A dart of fear sunk into her chest as she noticed the quickened pace of his breaths. She’d been standing close, arms touching, with as small as the elevator was, but she dared herself to take a step back. With her hand patting at the space behind her, Sophia took another step. Her fingers met the cold rails of the gate, assuring her she’d gained all the distance there was.
She worked to calm her shaky breaths. Exhaling slowly through pursed lips.Stop it, Sophia, he’s just a kid.
Through the iron grate beneath her shoes, she spotted a green exit light along the approaching wall.The bottom!They were close.
She stared at it as they neared, then watched as it illuminated the small cab bits at a time. Frank’s loafers. His khaki pants, white shirt and tie, and then his face. His flushed, sweat-ridden face. He yanked at his tie.
“Just about there,” he murmured. “Just about there…”
Sophia tipped her head back to see how far they’d come when a small prick came to the side of her neck. Barely noticeable at first. She lifted her hand to cup the area, noticing something pencil-lead thin and hard in between her fingers and thumb. For a second, she pictured a dry stick of spaghetti, but she wasn’t sure why, because it was clearly a needle.
