Her eyes snapped to him. "I am calm. Doesn't look like it." Maya looked toward the cameras. Now she understood the whole design.
They needed anger. A raised voice, a shove back, anything that could be cut away from what came before. She lowered her voice. For the record, I have asked you three times to move. Evan's expression changed.
Just slightly. Tyler noticed. He stepped closer to Maya. Why are you talking like that? Because you're recording.
So So keep recording. For the first time, Tyler looked unsettled, only for a second. Mason tried to grab the strap of Maya's bag. She pulled it away. Don't touch that.
Mason grinned. There she is. Tyler's eyes dropped to the bag. What's so special about it? Nothing you need to worry about.
Mason reached again. Maya turned her body sideways and kept the bag out of his reach. Her movement was quick. Too quick. Mason paused.
Evan's eyes narrowed. Tyler saw it, too. What was that? Mia said nothing. Mason stepped toward her.
She moved back. He followed. Mia was now only a few feet from the concrete wall. The crowd had grown larger, at least 10 people, maybe more. Their phones reflected tiny white rectangles in the dim corridor.
Still, no one intervened. Maya looked at them. Can someone call campus security? Nobody answered. Tyler smiled.
Why? Nobody's doing anything. Maya turned back to him. That sentence hurt more than Mason's shove. Nobody's doing anything.
That was exactly how people like Tyler survived. Not because no one saw, because everyone saw and waited. Mason shoved her again. This time, her bag dropped. It struck the concrete and slid toward a pillar.
The zipper caught on the floor and opened several inches. Maya's breath stopped. She looked down. Inside, beneath the towel, black fabric showed her belt. Not all of it, just enough.
Evan lowered his phone a fraction. What is that? Maya moved toward the bag. Mason stepped in front of her. Move.
He smiled. No. She tried to go around him. He blocked her again. Mason. Something in Maya's voice changed.