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Then I see flaming red hair pop up behind the mass. “Hartley? Oh thank god!”
“Booker? What are you doing in here? I thought it was one of the firemen.”
Her voice is softy and rough, raspy. Like she’s been smoking a pack a day for fifty years. I don’t like it.
“Here. Put this on.” I hand her the portable oxygen mask and then I take a good look at her and run my hand through my hair.
“Shit! What the hell happened?”
She peers up at me with a soot-stained face. Her eyes are dark in her pale face.
“I’m not sure. I was heading for the door but then there was a big crack and I fell. I don’t remember anything after that. Until now.”
I nod my head and eye the big beam. How the hell am I supposed to move this?
I key my mike. “Hey, Chief! I found Miss Hanover but she’s trapped under a beam of some sort. In the office.”
I look around and my heart sinks. The smoke is thicker and it burns my lungs like I’m sucking on a cigarette lighter. The back of the office is fully engulfed and the eerie red flames are dancing closer and closer. The roaring sound is so loud now that I’m shouting over it.
“The flames are almost up to us and I don’t think I can move this beam.”
“Hold tight, Sheriff. I’m sending the guys in. But we’re talking when we get you out.”
I wince. Yeah, I knew he wasn’t gonna be happy. Instead of one person, he’s gotta save two.
I hear a crashing noise and two of the firefighters come in, their turnout gear concealing their identities. All they are is big bodies to me right now.
In the dark, one of the guys grabs an ax and starts to chop up the damn wooden beam. It’s an old building so most of it is wood. Perfect material for a fire.
The other guy moves to the opposite end and attacks that side of the beam. After they’ve cut a significant amount off of both ends, all three of us grab the beam and shove at it and Hartley pushes herself back when it’s off of her.
She starts to stand but then wavers and moans when her left foot hits the floor.
“I’ve got you!” I lift her up in my arms and marvel at how light and delicate she is. She eyes me for a second and then slips her arm around my neck, resting her head on my chest. Both of the guys point and I see that they’ve got the water pointed at a path in the building. I nod and move towards it, gritting my teeth at the acrid smell of smoke, coughing and wheezing.
One of them tries to take Hartley but I just growl at him and he backs off.
We run through the flames and the water douses all of us. Flames, heat, water and a roaring in my ears along with dark smoke billowing all around us. It’s like we’re in hell.
I finally burst out of the building by one of the other access doors. The front is still too engulfed.
The EMT’s race at us, a stretcher between them and they grab Hartley out of my arms. I want to scream and growl at them not to touch her. But I know she needs to go to the hospital. I need to make sure she’s safe.
The chief strides up to me, his face red with anger. “What the hell, Booker! The one guy that I was absolutely sure I’d never have to have this conversation with! You don’t sneak into a burning building for any reason. We would have got Miss Hanover out without your help.”
Hanging my head, I cough and it feels like hot pokers are sitting inside my chest. I can’t suck in a whole breath and the chief groans.
“You need to get your ass to the hospital too. I saw two of your deputies out front. They’ll take care of the crowd. I’m sure this is arson and we’ll have an investigator coming out here soon. But I’ll get the information together for you too.”
He eyes me sharply. “As long as you promise not to go off half-cocked like this again.
I nod my head, coughing.
Honestly, I feel too shitty to do anything.
He waves and one of the EMT’s comes charging up and I’m bustled off to the waiting ambulance.
They’re working on Hartley in another ambulance and my eyes don’t leave her tiny figure. Her face is turned towards me and she smiles behind the oxygen mask. She pulls it up and mouths, “Thank you.”
