Dee choked back the smoke as she re-entered the building. Whatever had happened had cut off all ground floor exits and forced them to remain on the upper floor. That was all except Gene, her dad, and Charlie, who were in the bottom floor. When the fire raged below Gene had screamed for them to find a way out.
When the fire department arrived, she called out to them and hoped that they could help and quickly. The old adage smoke rises, filled her with dread for the people she loved. They weren’t dead she knew it in her heart she did, no matter how it looked.
“Dee, you did great. Let’s hope they heard you.” Quinn wiped away the tears the smoke evoked.
“I think they did.” She glanced at the two men, who were frantically looking for items that would help them survive the smoke nihilation.
“Here take this.” Larry pushed a wet cloth in her hand.
“What do I do with it?”
“Place it under the door.”
†
“Felix, we can’t stay here. We need to find another exit. This was a bad idea of mine, I’m sorry.”
Gene forced herself to concentrate on the living rather than the dead, biting her lip as she saw the red welts on her factory manager’s hands. The burns would be intolerable for most, but he was carrying on as normal, having tried to save Charles who had been trapped under a falling hoist close to the exit into the office complex. The fire kept creeping closer. Charles had given her a wide smile and said it was okay, it was his time, and Francine was there beckoning him home. She’d dragged Felix away and they had run for the corridor. They made it out and shut the door behind them as another fierce blast of fire crossed the floor. The area was so engulfed in flames that there was no way Charles could have survived.
“This is the best exit, look at all the glass. We need to break some and, best case, the fire department sees us, and worst case, we can get out into the open ourselves. For the record, why did you leave the others and try to help us?”
“You are my family, Felix, I could do nothing less.” Gene sucked in a breath and wished she hadn’t as the smoke filled her lungs.
Felix frowned. “Look, we don’t have much time, the heat is intense, and the glass might break uncontrollably, then we will be tomorrow’s news.”
Gene nodded. “Felix, tell me what to do?”
“This is your life we are talking about, do you trust me that much?”
“As much as I trust Dee, and that’s with my life. Yes.”
Felix gave her a narrow glance as he threw a hammer at the glass roof. “Okay, know of anything in this room that can break that glass?”
Gene didn’t know off-hand, but she knew that she needed to concentrate. It meant the difference between life or death and she most definitely wanted to live.
“I’m not sure. How about one of the chairs? Though the glass is triple glazed and meant to withstand a lot of pressure.”
“Now she tells me.” Felix rolled his eyes. “Any panels with a vent?”
The smoke was befuddling her mind and her chest felt tight, it was hard to concentrate. “I don’t…wait, yes.” She pointed toward a place above the door.
“Great.” Felix looked around then shrugged. “Gene, get on the floor and head to the end of the building it will help.” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You look terrible.”
“I can’t let you endanger yourself. This is my business, I should be protecting you.”
Felix laughed, coughing simultaneously. “Thank you, boss. Right now, I think I’m the best bet.”
“Dee will never forgive me if anything happened to you.”
“Then let’s make sure we both get out of this alive. I can’t have Dee being mad at you, can I?” He winked and headed for the dense smoke near the door.
As Gene scrambled on her knees toward the end of the building she wondered if he knew about them. How could he?
†
Cars from every direction began arriving on the scene and the fire chief smiled. He wasn’t generally keen on people at his scene but right now an extra amount of brawn to help with the hoses and the trampolines would help. This fire had got out of control quicker than anything he’d encountered in his twenty years at the Grady Fire Department.
Galvanizing the troops, they quickly had the hoist and the ground safety nets in place. Within fifteen minutes, everyone from the upper floor was accounted for.
“Chief…my dad…my…Gene…Charlie…they are in the back of the building.” The young woman collapsed in a coughing fit and the paramedics took over.
“Anyone know the layout of this place?” he shouted.
“I do.” He turned to a nervous young woman watching the paramedics take away one of the victims of the fire.
“Well, young lady, what’s at the back of the building?”
“The greenhouse laboratory. I know it’s got special glazing, never known anything break one of those panels. She’s there, isn’t she?”
“People are possibly back there.” He flicked a finger to one of his men. “Three possible in the back. Triple glazing on the glass probably. Let’s get there pronto. I don’t think this building has much more strength in her.” He glanced at the young woman. “Thank you…?”
“Chloe, my name is Chloe. You will get them out, won’t you?”
“Yes, we will.” He walked away. At least she didn’t ask him if they would be alive and for that he was grateful.
†
Dee sucked in the oxygen from the mask the paramedic gave her, desperately trying to focus on the inferno in front of her. How did this happen? In the years she’d worked there, and even when her dad had begun working, there was never an indication of a fire, at least none of this proportion. Tears flowed unchecked as she waited like everyone else for news of Gene, her dad, and Charlie. God, what will I do if—?
“Dee, thank god.” Max rushed forward and pulled her into a close hug.
“Oh, Max, I’m so glad to see you. Dad, Gene, and Charlie are still inside, and I don’t know what to do if anything happens to Gene. I never told her I loved her, and I do…I do.” She looked into the older woman’s eyes and saw sympathy, then surprisingly they brightened.
“In my family we have a motto: never give up until that is the absolute final choice. Knowing Felix as I do, he ain’t going to leave Megan, or you, without a damn good fight. And Gene,” Max smiled, “Gene knows you love her, so she’s got a lot to live for.”
Dee sobbed at the words and Max held her close. “Hey, baby, let’s make sure you are fine first. We can’t have you looking like you just survived a burning building, can we?”
Dee weakly smiled.
Several people began shouting but the only thing Dee heard was, “We have three bodies.”
The words hovered in the air that seemed a breath held in expectation.