19
THE RESCUE
Slash
Slash grabbed her key ring as Carrera slammed on the brakes in front of Elsa’s house.
“I’m calling 911,” he said as Slash bolted from the SUV.
With the key in hand, she ran toward the front door.
Laser-focused, she needed to find Elsa and get her out. Despite everything she knew about fire safety, she was going into that burning building.
“Don’t go in!” Carrera screamed.
Ignoring him, she tapped the handle with her fingers. It was cool, so she keyed her way inside. A swarm of black smoke billowed out the front door.
Turning away, she sucked down a breath, then turned back. “Elsa!” she screamed.
No answer.
She dropped to her knees, crawled into the foyer. The smoke was billowing down the stairs from the west side of the home. Holding her breath, she crawled into the front room. She feltaround, but she couldn’t find Elsa so she hurried, on hands and knees, toward the family room.
Elsa always watched TV in there.
Please, please be in there.
As she passed the staircase, it felt like she’d stepped into an oven. Glancing up, vibrant orange flames were shooting upward, engulfing the entire upper level.
Moving fast as she could in the smoky darkness, she hurried into the family room. As she was making her way toward the sofa, she bumped into something.
Elsa was lying on the carpet.
“Slash!” Carrera screamed, “I’m coming in after you!”
Slash scooped her up, then stood. It was impossible to see two feet in front of her, but she had a general idea where the front door was.
“Got her!” Slash screamed. “Coming out!”
She inhaled, started coughing, as she made her way toward the exit, bumping into Carrera.
He grabbed her, and rushed them outside.
On the front lawn, she set Elsa down and started coughing. Then, she hocked up black phlegm. Carrera was performing CPR on his grandmother as the roar of sirens grew louder.
Elsa lay lifeless on the grass. Shoving out the mounting fear, Slash held her hand as Carrera breathed life into her.
“Elsa, breathe,” Slash said. “You can’t leave us. Fight, fight hard.”
Carrera continued with the compressions before he paused to breathe into her. “Come on G-ma, you got this.”
The fire truck stopped out front, and the crew jumped into action.
Elsa breathed, opened her eyes, then started coughing. Carrera sat her up as the paramedics rushed over.
“Oh, thank God,” Slash said.
As the medics moved Elsa away from the house, the fire crew started spraying the home, dousing it with part water, part fire-retardant chemicals. The paramedic attached an oxygen mask to Elsa.
