Hell Fires (Age-Gap Romance)

The shrill ring of the land line broke through my brooding. I grabbed the receiver before it rang again and sliced through my nervous system.

“Mav! Are you there?” Tex’s voice came through panicked and breathless.

“Texas? I was just heading out, what’s up?”

“Tight Ends is on fire. It’s fucking engulfed man, a fireball is blocking the entire entrance.” My throat caught, my blood boiled in my veins, and tears sprung to my eyes. I felt rage and fear like I’d never known in my life take ahold of my body.

“Is anyone inside?” I said. My voice didn’t sound like my own, it was as if I were detached from my own flesh.

“They all are, man! The only one who got out was fucking Reese. He threw a Molotov cocktail at the girl on the stage and split.”

“Kill him,” I said without emotion.

I dropped the phone.

I ran with only one purpose.

Save Soph.

Oh, please, dear God, save my Sophie.

Take me instead.

…

I don’t remember the two mile ride from the Rogue Club to Tight Ends.

I don’t remember the thoughts that ran through my broken mind.

I prayed for rain and it happened. The sky opened up and a biblical deluge plunged down from the angry clouds above.

I told God if he gave me one more chance, I’d promise not to let go.

I would never let her go if he let me hold her again.

When I was a mile out, I could see the smoke. It rose up toward the bright moon like a tower of doom, thick, black, suffocating. A raging beast that would be hard for anyone to survive. I saw the revolving lights of the first responders, but they gave me little reprieve. I saw the ladders extended and an arc of forced water hitting the box shaped building and creating an incredible amount of opaque grey steam.

I pulled into the parking lot and let my bike skid on the gravel. I jumped while it was still moving and ran toward the left side of the burning building. There was an outdoor fire escape for the second floor. I saw people had been rescued, taken out the side and back entrance and were sitting on the asphalt drinking water, breathing portable oxygen, and huddling in shiny thermal mylar blankets.

I yanked an ax off the side of the one of the fire engines and strode over to the external fire escape. I jumped once and caught the ladder, wrenching the old contraption down with a loud squeak. I started climbing like a man possessed. I reached the second floor fire door in what felt like a few seconds. From the outside, the thick steel door had no handle, no lock to key.

I heaved the ax over my shoulder and raised it high, then I slammed it down between the door and the frame where the deadbolt would be. It clunked against the iron and I raised it again. And again. I beat the shit out of the door, the whole time seeing red. In the background I could hear the police and fire yelling for me to come down, but I was far beyond compliance, I was on the very edge of my sanity and wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who got in my way.

Finally, with a loud crack, I forced the massive stubborn door. I kicked it inward and was met with a face-full of acrid smoke. I covered my eyes and coughed and stepped into the toxic soot. If I died trying to save her, I’d say good riddance. I hated that in the last exchange we’d had, I’d broken her precious heart.

“Sophie!” I screamed into the stinging blackness. “Sophie! Where are you?”

My brain was reptilian as I batted away the black smog and blinked at its invasion of my body, my eyes tearing and my throat choking on its coal-fire soot.

Get down.

Finally, a rational thought.

I hit the floor and did the military crawl in what I thought was the direction of the sound booth.

“Sophie, Goddamit! Don’t leave me,” I croaked. I dragged my body farther into the devil’s mouth, a hell fire of heat and ceaseless poisonous smoke. My elbow hit the frame first and I rose, feeling for the doorknob. It was burning hot and locked. Sophie never locked that fucking door.

I raised my ax again as my final deed on this earth. It shattered the frame with one blow and I kicked in what was left of the door.

I fell to my knees and began feeling the floor. I’d gone maybe three feet before I hit something soft. And small. I put my palm over her mouth and nose. And thank fuck, still breathing faintly. I heaved her tiny frame onto my shoulder and turned; I could see the fire door exit through the clearing smoke, by a reflective exit sign that now sat crooked on the hanging, mangled door.