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“Samantha, but we call her Sammy,” tears stream down her face, and she starts to cough.
Grabbing the blanket she is holding around the baby in her arms, I pull it up and over the infant's head. “Ma’am you need to get you and your baby outside.”
“No,” she starts to shake her head. “I can’t leave —,”
“I’ll find Sammy, I promise you, but you and your baby need to get checked.”
She is reluctant as Fitz starts to lead her away.
“I’ll find your daughter,” I assure her.
He practically has to drag her out, but she finally gives in, and I step into her apartment. Smoke hangs in the air, and I duck down starting to move around the area.
“Samantha,” I holler out, “you need to come out sweetheart, your mommy is worried. I’ll take you to her.” Room by room I move around, sliding furniture, looking in closets and under beds. Checking the lower cabinets in the kitchen then I stop in the living room and do a complete circle. “Sammy,” I holler again.
The smoke is getting thicker.
“Collins,” Harsh says through the radio. “Status of the girl.”
Frustration courses through me, as I lower myself to my knees. I am just about to radio back that I haven’t found her when I see movement next to the kitchen play set in the corner.
“Collins,” Harsh says my name again.
Hurrying to the corner, I pull out the play set and see a wide-eyed little girl staring up at me.
“Status Collins,” Harsh barks aggressively and I grab my radio and press the button.
“I got her,” I reach out for the little girl. “Tell Samantha’s mother that she’ll see her little girl in a few minutes.”
“Let’s go find your mommy,” I tell Samantha as she stands and moves toward me. Picking her up, I hold her close and open my coat covering her up the best I can and tell her to curl into me.
We exit the apartment and start for the stairs when I hear loud popping and looking up to see the ceiling giving way.
“Collin’s watch out,” Reyes hollers but it's too late, I drop to my knees, and curl my body around Sammy, and feel the impact. Rubble pounding against my back, the cries of the little girl I am shielding the best I can.
I can hear voices yelling my name though they are muffled. Samantha is holding onto my shoulder tightly, her body shuddering as she cries.
There is little room for me to move, having what I assume was once the ceiling now pinning me to the floor.
“We’re coming Collin’s,” I don’t know who is telling me this, the ringing in my ears makes it hard to distinguish.
“Hold still Sammy,” despite my own worries, I can’t let the little one panic. “My friends are coming to get us out of here okay,” she says something but being buried beneath my coat, it's hard to hear.
I see flashes of light, moving all over. Most likely flashlights as the guys do their best to find us.
“Col—ins,” my radio must have been damaged in the fall, because it's cutting out. “Ca- you—ear—s?”
My head is pounding, as I push against something at my left. Trying to stand, whatever is at my back won’t give.
I feel a wetness running down the side of my head, coating the side of my neck. Fuck, my head feels like it’s going to explode.
“Collins,” again my name is shouted.
“Here,” I holler back, not sure if anyone can actually hear me.
It feels like everything goes silent, a darkness surrounds me and then suddenly whatever is pressing on my back is gone, and I look up to see Liam and Fitz.
“Always finding trouble wherever you go,” Fitz chuckles, holding out his hand.
