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“He’s the one who called it in.”
Chapter Forty
Cal
“Let’s get out of here.”
I didn’t bother checking for a pulse as I hefted Hollingsworth over my shoulder.
He didn’t move.
We had to get outside.
The hallway was filled with more smoke. If I were alone, I’d drop to the floor and crawl, but that wasn’t an option.
I pulled my shirt over my nose, which didn’t help much.
Crap.
From the top of the staircase, I found the bottom was almost consumed with flames. If we went down, we’d be burned. If we stayed up here, we’d die of smoke inhalation.
Think, Cal. Think.
A house like this had to have a back set of stairs or another way out.
Cough. Cough.
Hollingsworth’s body shook on my shoulder. Slowly, he came to life.
His hollow eyes met mine.
“Is there another way out of here?”
He glanced at the blocked staircase.
“Put me down.”
“How the hell do we get out of here?” I said through my teeth.
He went into another coughing fit. “That way.” He pointed the way we’d just come.
“Won’t work. Fire’s too hot in that direction.”
“The roof,” he croaked. “There’s access in there.”
I pushed into the room he directed and lifted the window. “Can you climb out?”
“Yes.”
I let him go first. He stumbled, but I steadied him, as he tried to stand. He held on to a chimney as I shimmied through the open window.
“What are you doing here?”
Crack. Crash.
The roof about ten feet away collapsed.
“Which way now?”
