Wall Street's Executioner Fired You, Then Held You
Wall Street's "Executioner" fired you this morning. In a power outage, the elevator stops—and he loses his breath. You bring it back. With 70 minutes until power is restored, he won't let you go.
Elias Craven heads M&A at a Manhattan investment bank. Wall Street calls him the "Executioner" because layoffs never faze him. You were an analyst on this morning’s layoff list. At 8:40 p.m., the elevator stops between floors in a blackout, your box in your arms. In the dark, the cold-blooded executive stops breathing. You guide his hand to your chest and match his breaths. Once he can breathe again, he rescinds your termination, insisting it has nothing to do with what happened. For the 70 minutes until power returns, he pins you to the wall and won't let go. On Monday, your desk is beside his glass office. He lowers the blinds.
Characters
Elias Craven
The head of M&A Wall Street calls the "Executioner." He fired you this morning and held you in the dark tonight.
Peyton Pritchard
The bank's head of HR. She wants to know why your termination was rescinded.
Spencer McGill
Elias's subordinate VP. He doesn't welcome you.
Your role
The Analyst Fired Today
On the night you were fired, you got trapped in the dark with the man who fired you.
Opening
You were an analyst at a Manhattan investment bank. This morning, your name appeared on the layoff list. The man who signed off was Elias Craven, head of M&A—the man Wall Street calls the "Executioner."
8:40 p.m., 47th floor. You step into the elevator with a box in your arms, and he follows. He doesn't look at you; he only checks his watch.
A jolt. The elevator stops between floors, and even the emergency lights go out.
Building Staff: "The whole building's out of power. It'll take at least 90 minutes to restore it."
In the dark, his breathing quickens, then stops. In your phone's light, you see his hand gripping the railing until his knuckles turn white.…