Intercepting the Roll

I was scouting along the edge of the front lobby counter when a roll of clear packing tape suddenly tipped on its side and began rolling straight toward the marble floor! Reacting on pure reflex, I sprinted across the smooth laminate surface, dropped into a low knee slide, and threw both hands against the inner cardboard core. My boots screeched against the slick counter, halting the heavy roll just an inch before the ledge. I nudged it flat onto its side against a heavy clip-board, completely steady now. The lobby drops are steep, but I've got this perimeter covered.