Page 10 of Break Me

Finally, he got his ass moving.

I rushed back just as Jeff came barreling out, immediately ripping off his mask. “It’s too hot in there.”

“Fuck. We need to check the interior. Get some air. I’ll take over from here.” I grabbed the hose he was carrying, taking a deep breath while demons crawled at my mind.

“Halle. You can’t go inside.”

“I’m going to save him. He’s my husband.”

“No, Halle. You’re not going in. You saw the explosion. It’s too hot,” Mark yelled as he tried to drag me from the doorway.

I jerked my arm free. “I’m going inside.”

The vision was short but powerful and I found myself unmoving.

“Help…”

The cry was faint and deep. A man’s voice. I heard it, which broke the spell. Without thinking, I switched on my flashlight and ran inside.

Flames licked up two walls, already reaching the ceiling in the darkened room. Wood creaked, the sound ominous. It wouldn’t be long before the ceiling caved in. By how hot the fire was burning, there was no doubt in my mind it had been intentionally set.

“Is anyone in here?” I called out as I swung the beam back and forth throughout the room. Only the sound of the raging fire answered me.

I moved slowly, narrowly avoiding being hit by falling wallboard. Smoke made it almost impossible to see more than a few inches in front of me. From somewhere behind me, I heard my name being called, but I refused to allow history to repeat itself. Not this time.

Never again.

My breathing heavy, I moved toward a hallway, noticing a darker form.

Then I heard a short but deep moan. “Over… here.”

As soon as I took a step closer, another part of the ceiling came down. Instantly flames rushed down from the second floor, totally engulfing the walls. I was running out of time.

A barely controlled frenzy tore through me as I swung the beam, finally catching sight of a man. He lifted his head and I could tell he was struggling with something that was holding him down.

“Stay down!” I called. The man was gasping for air. I moved toward him, instantly crouching down. He could barely breathe. Without hesitation, I yanked off my mask, carefully placing it over his mouth. “Just breathe normally.” I pressed my hand against the face shield, coughing into my arm while I waited for him to take some deep breaths.

“Captain O’Leary. Where are you?”

I couldn’t tell if it was Jeff’s or Mark’s voice, but it didn’t matter. Another thudding sound grabbed my attention. “In the hallway.” Another cough rattled me and I realized some debris was covering the man’s legs. There was no time to waste.

Crawling forward, I started pulling at boards and pieces of the ceiling until he was free. My eyes were watering heavily from the smoke and I was struggling to catch a deep enough breath. I gently took the mask from the homeowner, taking a few gulps of air through it before handing it back to him. “I’m getting you out of here. You need to lean on me.”

Whoosh!

Another wall of flames developed, now crawling across the hallway ceiling. Jesus Christ. We’d be lucky to get out of here alive let alone uninjured. I heard voices behind me just as I managed to slide my arm under the man’s. “You need to help me if you can.”

The man was huge. He was wearing shorts and a tee shirt, and I was worried he already had burns, but thankfully, he was muscular. As I fought to pull him upright, I was worried he’d be dead weight.

“I’ve got… you.” A coughing fit took over and whoever he was pulled off the mask, handing it to me. With the flashlight still in my hand, the eerie glow allowed our eyes to connect briefly. His eyes were piercing even in the dim light. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were iridescent.

Blinking, I took a step forward. Another boom.

Another cracking sound. Flames were everywhere, the wall of heat appearing impenetrable.

But nothing was going to stop me from rescuing this man. He clung to me and together, we moved several feet. When another sharp crack caught my attention, I looked up, instantly driving him against the wall just a split second before a huge section of the ceiling crashed down.

His body was crushed against mine and for another two seconds, we were locked in an embrace.