You had only one clear choice here, anywhere else and you'd rely on perfect timing and luck. Not that approaching Ellie's desk was any different, just that you were interacting with her directly instead of waiting for her to stumble upon you. You walk a while down the field of carpet, the fabric has a strange smell to it, like mildew mixed with old socks which makes sense, the direct path from the door to the desk probably suffered the most traffic and abuse from people's feet. You toss the shrink ray back into your backpack with your knife as you come upon the base of the desk chair and behind it, Ellie's feet tapping in rhythm to her music.

         Passing under one of the chair's wheels you study your surroundings and take action. You are next to her foot, you can see scuff marks on the off-white rubber sole of the sneaker perfect for climbing, further above you spot a shoelace hanging off the edge of the shoe, hovering just above the ground.