Brandon climbs out of the elevator, promising the adults still trapped inside that he will come back to help. There are people looking out the window, and he sees thousands of pieces of paper flying around in the air outside, as well as falling pieces of glass and metal. Brandon brings three people back to the elevator to help. They kick the drywall, but the elevator falls further down. Brandon gets the idea to grab a fire ax. One of the men with him uses it to break more of the drywall down. Eventually, everyone trapped in the elevator gets through the opening.

Marni, the only person with a cellphone, gets a signal. She calls her husband, who tells her that a plane hit the building. The elevator makes a loud screech and falls all the way down; they barely escaped with their lives. Brandon begins to worry that the plane hit the 107th floor, where his dad still is. The group is informed that a 911 operator says to stay where they are until the firemen arrive. Most people decide they do not want to stay in the building any longer and will go down the stairs. Brandon, however, decides to go up the stairs to find his dad.