“Alright. Let’s go.”
37
Matt had no time to think.
Lily slipped through the floor and he leapt toward her. He couldn’t see her—dust and smoke swirled around him. He reached blindly and managed to grasp her limp wrist and pull her from the growing hole in the floor.
The house shook and rumbled as the two stories began to cave into the basement. Only with sheer adrenaline was he able to pull the woman from the depths of the collapsing structure.
Through it all, he heard Kara calling for him.
Stay out! Stay out!He wanted to scream but dust filled his lungs and he was coughing. He collapsed, Lily next to him. His side ached from where the table hit him. He crawled, dragging the unconscious woman with him. He wasn’t going to make it.
Kara was in the doorway, trying to keep her balance as the house shook like an earthquake. She looked angelic, the sun glowing behind her. And Matt feared he was already dead and this was the last vision he’d have.
“Go!” She ran to them. “Go, I have her. Get out!”
She sounded angry and scared at the same time. Matt couldn’t gain his balance, and half crawled to the door. Kara grabbed Lily under the arms and dragged her out. At the threshold, he pulled himself up, then picked up Lily and they stumbled down the stairs and away from the house.
The explosion pushed them all to the ground, but they were far enough away that they weren’t sucked into the smoldering pit.
Nathan was crying. “Mom? Mom!”
Matt couldn’t see much, his eyes blurry from the gas and dust. “Kara—is she—?” He prayed she wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be dead. The poor woman didn’t deserve that fate.
“She has a pulse. She’s unconscious, and she’s bleeding. So are you.”
“The windows exploded.”
Kara rolled Lily on her back, and Nathan put his mom’s head in his lap. Tears streamed down his face. “Mom, please be okay.”
“She’s breathing,” Kara said. “That’s a good sign.”
The house was on fire, and it was hot. “We need to get to the clearing,” Kara said. “If these trees catch fire, we’re screwed. Can you make it?”
Matt nodded. “I’ll get her.” He motioned to Lily.
“Like hell you will. Nathan, you pick up her legs, I’ll pick up her shoulders, and we’ll carry her to that willow tree on the edge of the field, okay? It’s about fifty yards—can you make it?”
Nathan wiped the tears from his face and nodded.
Matt followed Kara and Nathan as they carried Lily. It had been close, too close.
But they were all alive. They were going to make it.
Lily moaned, but didn’t fully regain consciousness. Nathan held her hand as they sat on the ground. Matt leaned against the tree, and Kara finally sat, put her head on his shoulder. “Dammit, Matt, that was too close. I’m not going to lose you because of some fucking psycho.”
“You didn’t.” He kissed the top of her head and winced ashis side burned with pain. “Don’t let Catherine hear you talk that way.”
“I want that woman’s head on a platter.”
“We’ll find her.”
“I hear sirens,” Nathan said. He started to get up, but Matt motioned for him to stay put.
“Let’s see who comes before we make ourselves known.”
They heard the sirens, but it was several minutes before they saw lights. Then Kara said, “I hear a helicopter.”
