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My frantic eyes spotted movement in a window on the side of the building, bare fists beating into the glass in terror. Then her face, a face I’d know anywhere. I had to get to her. A few shouted instructions and I was on the truck, maneuvered to the side of the structure, and mounting the ladder. I climbed as fast as I could, pried the window up. I reached inside and grabbed her, hauled her halfway out before she could get her arms around my neck. They lowered the ladder once I had her safely in my arms. I held her, whole and alive, but gasping for breath, teary eyes searching mine in terror. I ripped off my respirator mask and held it to her face so she could get the oxygen from my tank.
Julie couldn’t get a breath, clawed at it until I moved it away. In desperation, as I cradled her, I put my mouth on hers, giving her rescue breaths until she relaxed in my arms. As soon as her lips started to stir beneath mine, I was kissing her. All the intensity of my fear and longing, my need for her came surging up. Tyler yelled at me to move out of the way so they could use the ladder.
I carried her to the ambulance and set her gently on the crash cart. She trembled, wept, gave way to a horrifying, racking cough. I stroked her messy face, whispered to her that they’d take care of her, that I had to go back to work. She couldn’t speak, just clung to my hand as I pulled away and the EMT assessed her condition.
I wanted to stay with her, God help me. There were other people to save, but it was more than I could do to tear myself from her. I knelt in the narrow space of the ambulance beside her and kissed her forehead, whispered that she had to try for me, keep the oxygen mask on and I’d have a Beckett by her side in no time. That I needed her to be okay. That I’d do anything. Just please, please stay with us. I kissed her temple, stroked her hair.
Julie tried to choke out a word, and I leaned in to hear her. “Go,” she managed to gasp frantically before another coughing fit seized her. I nodded, gave Darren’s phone number to the EMT. Generous and brave even in danger of her life, Julie was sending me back into the fray to do the work I loved, to save other trapped residents the way I’d rescued her. I kissed her hand and took off at a run toward the trucks. I surveyed the scene, noted that it was a weekday afternoon so there had been less than half the residents home thankfully, but that made it seem more like arson, more like a targeted attack. Suspicious, I decided I’d have to speak to the police officers on the scene after we were done clearing the building.
28
DARREN
When I got a call from an unknown number and some EMT said a fireman gave him my number and said to call about the blonde woman in the ambulance, I think every drop of blood in my body froze right then and there. I asked if her name was Julie Romero and he said he wasn’t sure since she wasn’t in any shape to answer questions after that fire. He told me the hospital they were heading for and I said I’d meet them there.
I didn’t just break the speed limit; I did everything I could to defy the laws of physics to get there faster. I was beyond caring about getting a ticket or losing my license. I would’ve happily driven over other cars if I could have done it. Still, I was twenty minutes from the hospital where she was taken. By the time I entered the ER waiting area at a run, searching the empty reception desk for a sign of life so I could demand to know Julie’s exact location and her condition, my sister Kendall was there, sitting in a plastic chair, glaring at everyone who dared to exist at that moment.
“How’d you beat me here?” I asked.
“I’m Julie’s emergency contact. Have been for years. They called me right away. Who called you?”
“Rory was on the scene. He had them give me a call,” I said, not interested in small talk.
I loved my sister and I’d make it up to her later, but I didn’t have time or patience for her in an emergency that had the potential to end life as I knew it. If anything happened to Julie, well, I’d been bargaining with God the whole time I broke traffic laws getting to the hospital.
“You know anything yet?” I asked.
