The corridors are dim, nearly empty. Only my breath keeps me company as I finish the last of the day’s work. The hollow quiet echoes against the walls, and my footsteps are sharp in the silence. I move toward my office, the cool air of evening settling into the empty spaces and crevices. The unexpected sound of Derek’s voice reaches me, stops me in my tracks. I haven’t heard that sound in weeks, and the absence of it has been both a relief and a weight. A light shines beneath the conference room door. His words come low and urgent, an intensity in them that I can’t ignore. It catches my attention. It catches at something else.
I take a step closer, and his voice is clearer. Even and sure, like he is when he’s planning something. Like he is when he knows more than he’s telling. It sends a
