THURSDAY, 10:42 A.M.
BURNING BUILDING
Flames licked the walls around Heath. He had precious minutes, if not seconds, left. The heat and toxic smoke could kill them both if he didn’t get her out of here. They’d survived a second explosion near the front of the structure, but who knew if something else in this death trap would explode?
“I got you. You’re okay.” Heath hefted her up, bolstering her with his arm. She collapsed against him. He lifted her up over his shoulders like a firefighter is trained to carry survivors. Like Dad had shown them when they were kids.
The way he’d entered the burning structure was now an inferno. He’d have to exit the building through the back. He took the path of least resistance, praying this wasn’t the road to death.
Images of the day a fire had razed his childhood home and taken his mother from him fought for space in his mind. He couldn’t let those memories shut him down, paralyze him, or he wouldn’t make it out. This injured woman depended on him.
Lord, please let her live. Please let it not be for nothing. Please let us escape!
A door hung open at the back of the building. A break in the smoke gave him a window, literally. He could see through the window. Grass. Sky.
Freedom.
He felt a rumble in his legs. A portion of the ceiling collapsed, blocking his way.