didn't you tell me about the two classmates that died?" He looked at her searchingly.
She frowned. "I thought you already knew."
"Robinson is your trainer, right?" At her cautious nod, he let out a disgusted sound. "He's a creep."
"They had already been moved by the time we made it the rest of the way down here." She looked toward the stairwell. "The stairs almost sound like groaning. And the dark."
"Is that what made them fall?” He looked more and more disturbed, as she nodded and continued to speak.
"Everyone panicked. The sound was so loud. It just seemed to get louder and louder. The wind and the darkness. Two people began to shove and then…" she trailed off. Her eyes moved to the staircase.
"You know how Handler Robinson feels about your situation," he said carefully.
She nodded. "I know." She shoved her hands in her pockets and glanced toward the elevator. “He doesn’t think I should be here.”
"He is friends with Handler Keane," Luke continued.
Sarah looked at him in surprise. "The supervisor?" At his nod, she bit her lip.
"I only tell you this because I don't want to see something happen to you." He paused.
Sarah stared at him with wide eyes. She watched him start to speak, then stop. Finally, he continued to speak.
"Not many people know, but the city council is backing Keane for mayor." He looked at her when she gasped. "He has a lot of ideas about how things should be run in The Corridor. A lot of support."
Sarah looked away. "I appreciate you trusting me enough to tell me that." She turned toward the elevator. "And thank you for helping me today."
"It was no problem, at all."
Sarah nodded. She started to ask how he knew about Keane, but she thought better of it. She walked over to the elevator and pressed her hand to the scanner. Luke stood in the doorway. She glanced at him.
"Thank you for walking me to the door."
"You're welcome." He gave her a nod and turned away.
The soft ding from the elevator made her jump. She looked at the empty elevator, then Luke. He pressed his hand against the scanner. He looked back over his shoulder at her.
"Have a good night," he called.
"You, too."
She stepped onto the elevator and pushed the button for the surface. As the doors closed, she saw him step through the doorway. A vent above her head pumped warm air into the space. She shivered, watching the depth gauge above the doors. One mile, half a mile, one thousand feet. Finally, the surface.
The doors slid open. Small flecks of ice filled the air that washed into the elevator. It stung her eyes and brought a cough from her throat. The wind burned across her cheek, as she turned her face away. Stepping from the elevator to the concrete platform, she tucked her hands into her pockets. She looked both ways down the slush covered sidewalk.
Her eyes moved to the houses along the street, all with curtains drawn. Old, clapboard houses with peeling paint. She grabbed the thin rail and descended the steps to the sidewalk. The icy metal stung her palms, the scars seeming more sensitive after Farran's attention.
She looked up at the gray sky, ice salt crunching beneath her boots. Nothing moved in the falling darkness. She tucked her chin against her chest and crossed the street. For three blocks, there was nothing but snow and silence. Her hands clenched into fists in her
She frowned. "I thought you already knew."
"Robinson is your trainer, right?" At her cautious nod, he let out a disgusted sound. "He's a creep."
"They had already been moved by the time we made it the rest of the way down here." She looked toward the stairwell. "The stairs almost sound like groaning. And the dark."
"Is that what made them fall?” He looked more and more disturbed, as she nodded and continued to speak.
"Everyone panicked. The sound was so loud. It just seemed to get louder and louder. The wind and the darkness. Two people began to shove and then…" she trailed off. Her eyes moved to the staircase.
"You know how Handler Robinson feels about your situation," he said carefully.
She nodded. "I know." She shoved her hands in her pockets and glanced toward the elevator. “He doesn’t think I should be here.”
"He is friends with Handler Keane," Luke continued.
Sarah looked at him in surprise. "The supervisor?" At his nod, she bit her lip.
"I only tell you this because I don't want to see something happen to you." He paused.
Sarah stared at him with wide eyes. She watched him start to speak, then stop. Finally, he continued to speak.
"Not many people know, but the city council is backing Keane for mayor." He looked at her when she gasped. "He has a lot of ideas about how things should be run in The Corridor. A lot of support."
Sarah looked away. "I appreciate you trusting me enough to tell me that." She turned toward the elevator. "And thank you for helping me today."
"It was no problem, at all."
Sarah nodded. She started to ask how he knew about Keane, but she thought better of it. She walked over to the elevator and pressed her hand to the scanner. Luke stood in the doorway. She glanced at him.
"Thank you for walking me to the door."
"You're welcome." He gave her a nod and turned away.
The soft ding from the elevator made her jump. She looked at the empty elevator, then Luke. He pressed his hand against the scanner. He looked back over his shoulder at her.
"Have a good night," he called.
"You, too."
She stepped onto the elevator and pushed the button for the surface. As the doors closed, she saw him step through the doorway. A vent above her head pumped warm air into the space. She shivered, watching the depth gauge above the doors. One mile, half a mile, one thousand feet. Finally, the surface.
The doors slid open. Small flecks of ice filled the air that washed into the elevator. It stung her eyes and brought a cough from her throat. The wind burned across her cheek, as she turned her face away. Stepping from the elevator to the concrete platform, she tucked her hands into her pockets. She looked both ways down the slush covered sidewalk.
Her eyes moved to the houses along the street, all with curtains drawn. Old, clapboard houses with peeling paint. She grabbed the thin rail and descended the steps to the sidewalk. The icy metal stung her palms, the scars seeming more sensitive after Farran's attention.
She looked up at the gray sky, ice salt crunching beneath her boots. Nothing moved in the falling darkness. She tucked her chin against her chest and crossed the street. For three blocks, there was nothing but snow and silence. Her hands clenched into fists in her
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