It was supposed to be a routine delivery.

Zane walked into the lobby with a metal briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. No questions asked — that was the deal.

But when he got to the 17th floor, the office was empty.

Not a soul.

His phone buzzed: “Abort. You’ve been set up.”

Zane froze. “Well, this just went south real fast,” he muttered.

He turned to leave, but two men in suits were already waiting by the elevator.

Time to think on his feet.

He ducked into the stairwell and raced down — no turning back now.

As he reached the exit, a woman in black blocked his way. “Hand it over.”

Zane smirked. “Over my dead body.”

He sprinted outside and disappeared into the crowd.

This job? Yeah. It was way above his pay grade.

Idioms Used in the Story

1. Go south (real fast)

Meaning: To go wrong or get worse quickly.
Examples:

• The meeting went south as soon as he started yelling.
• Our trip went south after the car broke down.

2. Set up

Meaning: To be tricked into a trap or bad situation.
Examples:

• I didn’t steal anything — someone set me up!
• The whole thing was a setup from the start.

3. Think on your feet

Meaning: To make quick decisions in a difficult situation.
Examples:

• He had to think on his feet when the mic stopped working.
• She’s great at thinking on her feet during debates.

4. Over my dead body

Meaning: Absolutely not; I will never allow that.
Examples:

• You want to sell my guitar? Over my dead body.
• They’ll take that briefcase over my dead body.

5. Above my pay grade

Meaning: Too complex or serious for someone’s role or responsibility.
Examples:

• Making that call is above my pay grade.
• This situation is way above my pay grade.