Finn disagrees but understands my plea and races downstairs toward their exit. I spin around and travel upstairs, skipping two steps at a time. As I step onto the fourth floor, a violent tremor rocks the building and I grab the bannister, steadying my balance. I better hurry up.
Using the axe to bust through each door, I scan the first two apartments, only to find no survivors. Finn’s voice chimes in my ear, “Roman, the girl is safe. I’m on my way up. Where are you?”
“Fourth floor.”
As I make my way through the last apartment on the fourth floor, I come across a child’s bedroom. The fog and smoke block my line of vision so I grab a fog cloth out of another pocket and wipe it clear. The darkened image of a woman’s body comes into view as shock seeps in. Shit.
I nestle down next to the body listening for a heartbeat, but can’t make anything out. Slipping off my glove, I press my fingers against her neck, praying for a pulse. Nothing. Dammit!
A heated anger boils my blood as I lower my head, pissed off at myself for not getting here sooner. The beep from my SCBA sounds, alerting me that I have ten minutes of breathing time left in the tank. Slipping the woman’s body into my arms, I carefully stand up and start to exit the bedroom, but a soft cry echoes from behind me. Spinning my head in the direction of the sound, I scan the room for another person. It’s empty.
I lay the body back on the floor and flash my light underneath the bed, hoping to find a hidden child. As the attempt comes up empty, lo
w sniffles and coughs escape from the closet. My head jerks up as I stand and rush over to open the closet door. A young boy cradles himself on the ground as I flash the light in his eye, and he squints at its brightness. Oh god.
“Captain, I found a survivor. Young boy. I would say age 4. Requesting extraction immediately.”
“Roman, which level are you on?”
“Level four.”
“Get down to level three and we’ll be ready.”
My hands dive into my pocket to grab the fire blanket, only to realize that I gave it to Finn’s rescue. Shit. Glancing around the room, I try to locate something I could use to cover the boy while we race downstairs, but everything is flammable. The young boy cries and lets out deep coughs as the smoke fills his lungs. Bending down, I remove my mask and place it on the boy’s face. In seconds, it seals and air blasts into his face. As a last resort, I remove the tank off my shoulders to unzip my suit jacket and wrap it around the boy. Once the tank is back in place, I haul the boy into my arms and race back out into the hallway. The smoke fills my lungs and my eyes start to water. The burning flames singe the outer layer of my coveralls. Tremors shock the building causing me to stand still, regaining my balance.
Finn’s voice comes through on the radio, “Roman! The stairwell leading to the third floor is down. You gotta get out of there!”
Captain calls in, “Roman, get to the fifth floor. We can get a ladder up there.”
“On my way.”
Holding the boy tight against my chest, I fight through the pain as the heated flames burn. Reaching the stairwell, I jet up the stairs, keeping balance as the building continues to tremble. Jumping for the top of the stairs, I land on the platform. The boy cries out as fear exudes from his face. Panic swarms my thoughts but I push them out. We are going to make it.
A loud explosion bellows from beneath us and a fiery blast erupts. The blast blows me off balance, sending me straight into the wall. The boy slips from my grasp as I fly through the air and slam against the wall. The impact knocks the wind out of me as dizziness clogs my head. Debris from the sixth floor crumbles onto the stairwell as the bannister starts to break away from its hold. I search for the boy, finding him on the ground unconscious, still wrapped in my jacket.
Coughing profusely I hoist him back in my arms, sealing the mask back on his face. The SCBA beeps again, notifying me of the three-minute mark. Scanning for the hall window, a sliver of moonlight illuminates the hallway.
Hoisting us off the ground, one arm holds the boy while my other grabs hold of the radio. With a raspy voice I say, “Almost there Cap.”
“The ladder is waiting for you guys. Step on it!”
With careful steps, I make my way to the window. The building rumbles around us. Flames from inside the apartment melt the walls and burst into the hallway. The boy yells out as I tighten my grip around him.
Large amounts of debris fall behind us and crash into the ground, creating gaping holes in the floor. Violent tremors shake the wooden frame as I struggle to keep balance. A shining light blinds through the hall window as it blasts open with Carter peeking inside. “Roman!”
The sound of the cracking floor creeps around me and I look down to see it’s completely tearing apart. My heartbeat stops as I lay eyes on the child and then Carter. In a split second, I rip the mask off the boy and hoist him up, readying to toss him into Carter’s arms.
As the ground starts to disappear from underneath me, I use all my strength to hurl the boy, tossing him into Carter’s grasp. A smile curves along my lips as Carter catches him. With the sight of the boy safe, the floor gives way and crumbles beneath me.
The roaring plea of Carter’s voice is the last sound I hear as I fall into oblivion.
Melanie
MAKING MY WAY TO the female locker room, my cellphone rings and I glance at the screen. I answer the call, continuing my walk through the halls of the hospital.
“Hello?”
Gia’s voice blasts through, causing me to flinch. “Hey! I figured you’d be awake! I miss you!”