Angel had a scent. She stood on a pile of rubble, barking furiously, triumphantly, her tail waving. Juli’s heart leapt as she waved to the fire department team that stood waiting, ready to dig.
They scrambled toward her. Their expressions told their story—all they wanted was to do anything, including dig with their bare hands if necessary—to pull someone alive out of the rubble.
Juli’s radio crackled. Lisa’s voice, excited but confident and sure. “We’ve got something—I can hear voices.”
Juli exchanged glances with the first firefighters to reach her. They’d heard, too.
Alive. They were getting someone out alive. Lisa was working the side of the building, near the stairwell that had nearly killed Juli that day. Maybe today it had been an escape hatch for someone.
Angel was digging furiously, and Juli had to pull her back physically so that the firefighters had room to dig. She held the dog, feeling the frantic beating of Angel’s heart, and tendrils of hope blossomed.
Angel wanted a live find—every search dog lived for that. But she’d never acted this way before. Was it because the scent she caught was of someone she knew?
Please, Father. Please.
From the street, she heard a murmur go through the crowd. She stepped atop a slab of concrete so she could see, shielding her eyes against the bright sunlight.
They were coming out—Lisa, Queenie, the firefighters who’d assisted her—and they had victims with them. The crowd burst into applause. They were walking—three of them, dust-covered but safe.
Thank You, God. Thank You.
None of the figures was tall enough to be Quinn or Ken, but someone’s prayers had been answered today.
A firefighter emerged from the hole. “Looks like a natural tunnel but too small for us. You want to let the dog see if she picks anything up inside?”
Juli jumped down, nodding. The others cleared away. Angel charged into the opening, heedless of the rough concrete that must be cutting her paws. Juli slid in behind her, switching on her light.
They were right—it did look as if the fall had created a kind of natural tunnel. Angel, whining, crept forward.
Juli touched her radio. “She thinks there’s something in here. We’re going a little farther.”
Deeper, deeper. She couldn’t let herself think of the tons of concrete poised over her. If she thought of that, she’d never go in.
The tunnel narrowed. Angel was crawling on her belly now. So was she. No one else on the team was small enough to get into this space. It had to be her.
Please, Lord.
Angel barked suddenly, the noise painful in the enclosed space.
Juli reached her, feeling the excitement that vibrated through her. “Okay, girl. Okay. Take it easy. You don’t want to bring it down on us.”
Rubble shifted next to her, and for a panicked moment she thought the tunnel was collapsing. And then a hand came groping through the loose concrete—a hand that clasped hers, that she’d know even in the darkest night.
Ken.
Her fingers wrapped around his, prayers of thanksgiving blossoming in her heart. “Ken. Are you all right?”
He clenched her hand warmly. “I knew it would be you. I heard the dog and knew it would be you.”
“Thank God. Thank God.” It was all she could say, all she could think. Thank You, Father.
“Yes.” Ken’s voice was hoarse with the dust he must be inhaling. “Thank God.”
Angel, wriggling in the confined space, managed to lick their entwined fingers. Ken chuckled, the soft sound reassuring her.
“Yes, Angel, I’m glad you’re here. Good girl. When we get out, I’m going to buy you the biggest steak I can find.”
She forced her mind to concentrate. Get out. This wasn’t over yet. She fumbled for the radio.
“Are you hurt? Is anyone with you?”
“I’m okay. Quinn’s probably got some broken ribs, but he’s moving around. Colleen and Jay are in here, too.” His voice changed, roughened. “They’re both hurt. I don’t know how badly.”
“Don’t worry. We’re going to get you out.”
Please, God, we’re going to get them out.
She relayed the information to the waiting rescue party, knowing that would pitch them into high gear. The problem they confronted was how to get the survivors out without causing a collapse.
“Ken, anything you can tell us about the situation will help us reach you. Can you widen this hole enough to get through?”
But even as she asked the question, she knew it was useless. Slabs of concrete lay at an angle, leaving only enough space for his hand to reach through. And the tunnel through which she’d come was too small for his broad shoulders.
“Not a chance,” he said. “We’re in a pocket under the central stairwell, and that seems pretty stable. If they can pull away the stuff beyond the stairwell area, I think we’ll be okay.”
She ought to back away so that Ken couldn’t hear the conversation on the radio, but she couldn’t seem to let go of his hand. Besides, this wasn’t just any victim. This was Ken, a trained Air Force officer. He knew how to assess risks, and he didn’t need to be coddled.
This time Steve Aigner, the liaison, came on. He listened to Ken’s assessment of the situation.
“Okay, we’re going to talk it over and get back to you with a plan of attack. Juli, you okay where you are?”
“Sure thing.” She wouldn’t leave, not as long as she could hold on to Ken’s hand.
His fingers tightened on hers, as if he read her thoughts. “You ought to get out. You can’t do anything more here. Just leave the radio with me.”
“No chance.” She tried for a lightness she didn’t feel. “This thing belongs to the team. I’m not letting a civilian have it.”
“Liar.” He squeezed her hand again. “I want your promise that you’ll get out before they start digging. Promise me, Juli.”
She wouldn’t have a choice, when it came to that. She’d be in the way of the rescue if she stayed. “I promise.”
“Okay.” He fell silent for a moment—long enough for her to wonder if he were injured and not telling her. “I wanted to tell you—when I realized we were trapped, I knew that all the things I’d been angry with God about—the accident, not flying again—they didn’t matter if only God could use me to help get the others out.”
She struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. “You’re doing that. If you hadn’t broken through, we might not have known where you were.”
Until it was too late. She wouldn’t say that.
His fingers rubbed hers. “I remembered that blessing you said to me yesterday. It helped.”
Now she really couldn’t speak. What would he think if she told him the rest of it?
The radio crackled to life. “Juli? Listen, we’re all set. We’ll be able to use heavy equipment to clear some of the debris now that we know where they are.”
She knew what he was really saying. That with two people possibly badly injured, time was of the essence. They’d have to take the risk.
“Okay, Steve. I understand.”
“Tell them to get back under the stairwell as much as possible. And you and Angel get out here now. We’re not starting until you’re clear. I mean it.”
“Will do. Ken, you heard?”
“Right.” His hand moved in hers. “Go on. You and Angel get out.”
“One thing first.” She pressed his fingers against her cheek. “When I told you that blessing, I didn’t tell you all of it. I want to say it now.”
“I’d like that.” His voice was very soft.
Her heart thudded in her chest, but she managed to keep her voice steady. “Hold on to what is good. Hold on to what you believe. Hold on to what you must do, even if it is a long way from here. Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go. Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.” She took a breath. “I love you, Ken.”
She slid backwards, leading Angel, not waiting for a response.
An eternity later she reached the surface, sliding out, lifted in the arms of the waiting crew. Angel came after her, limping a little now that her role was done. One of the firefighters picked up Angel, carrying her cradled in his arms to the waiting vet.
Juli followed, scrambling over the rocky surface. She had to get clear so that the rescue work could begin. She’d barely reached the emergency vehicles when someone grabbed her.
“Juli!” Holly’s face was white. “Is it true? They’re alive?”
It wasn’t her job to notify victims’ families, but she could hardly rob her friend of the reassurance she so desperately needed.
“I talked to Ken. They’re okay.” She hugged Holly. “Listen, you shouldn’t be standing here. Come over here and sit down. There’s nothing we can do now but wait.”
“And pray.” Holly nodded. Beyond the rope keeping back the spectators, Juli saw Pastor Gabriel with a group of people from the church and members of the Montgomery and Vance families, holding hands, heads bowed.
Her throat seemed to close. They’d undoubtedly been holding her in their prayers, as they would every rescue worker and victim. Sometime she’d tell them exactly how much that had meant today.
But now…now she could only watch as the heavy equipment—Quinn’s heavy equipment, still present, thank the Lord—began moving the debris, bringing Ken and the others closer and closer to freedom.
“I tell you, I’m fine.” Ken snatched his shirt back from the emergency room nurse who kept trying to take it. Beyond the curtain he spotted Adam Montgomery, Quinn’s cousin. “Listen, Dr. Montgomery will tell you.” He gestured to Adam. “Tell them to let me go.”
Adam pushed the curtain aside. “It’s okay,” he told the nurse, smiling. “There’s nothing wrong with him but bad manners.”
She let go, and he shoved his arm into a sleeve, wincing a little at some bruises he hadn’t known were there. “What’s going on? No one will tell me anything.”
Adam shrugged. “You’ll have to talk to Sam for the police side. I can only tell you the medical news.”
“That’ll do.”
“Quinn’s got some painful bruised ribs, but he’s otherwise okay. Colleen has a concussion, along with some assorted bruises. We’re keeping her here overnight for observation, but she should be fine.”
“And Jay?” His heart clenched. He’d been holding the boy in his arms when the rescuers broke through, knowing how Juli had felt when she’d held that dying child.
The anxiety must have shown in his voice, because Adam put his hand on Ken’s shoulder. “Poor kid took quite a beating, between those thugs and the explosion, but he’s going to be all right. He’s been admitted. His father is with him now, and the rescue worker who found you—Julianna. You can go up later and see him if you want.”
Juli. He slid off the table. “Later nothing. I’m going now.”
“You’ll have to get past all the people who want to talk to you first,” Adam warned.
“I will. Thanks, Adam.”
But when he reached the hallway, he saw it wasn’t going to be as easy as that. He could hardly brush past his mother, or his sister or brother. And when he finally finished reassuring them and drying his mother’s tears, Sam Vance and his partner were lying in wait for him.
“Listen, Sam.” He stepped out of the way of an impromptu prayer service Pastor Gabriel seemed to be holding. “I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know. Give me a break, will you? I need to find someone.”
Sam looked as if he knew who that someone was. “Believe it or not, we don’t really need you. Your friend Jay is a pretty brave kid. I’d try and get him to the police academy if his heart didn’t belong to the Air Force. He’s told us all about it, and we’ve already picked up Theo Crale.”
“Has he told you yet who hired him?”
“He’s denying everything at the moment, but it’s early yet. We’ll get him.” Sam grabbed his shoulder, hard enough to make him wince. “Congratulations on not being dead yet, cousin. I think you’ll find Julianna up on the second floor.”
“Thanks.” He saw someone carrying a camera round the corner and sprinted for the elevator, shutting the doors in the reporter’s avid face.
Juli. He had to see Juli. Had to be sure she was all right.
And had he imagined it, or had he lain in the darkness with a ton of rubble over him and heard her say she loved him?
The doors swished open on the second floor. He started down the hallway, glancing at the penciled name placards on doors as he went.
Colleen Montgomery. The door swung open as he passed. He had a quick glance at a white hospital bed, a motionless figure, blond hair spilling across the pillow, a rose next to her making a bright spot of red.
He looked curiously at the tall figure striding away. What had Alessandro Donato been doing in Colleen’s room?
Then he saw Juli come out of a room across the hall, and every other thought left his mind. He reached out, as he had in the darkness, and clasped her hand.
“You’re here.” Stupid, but it was all he could think of to say.
“I’m here.” A flush warmed her cheeks. She gestured toward the door. “Jay is in there. He insisted I bring Angel up so he could thank her, so I smuggled her in. I’m sure you want to see him.”
He didn’t release her hand. “I do. But I want to see you first.”
The flush deepened. “You’re seeing me.”
A sound of laughter spilled out of one of the rooms. “Alone.” He tugged at her hand, leading her down the hall until he spotted an empty room. “Here.”
Once inside, he shoved the door closed. He wanted to put his arms around her, but he couldn’t. Not until he knew for sure.
“Was I imagining it?”
“What?” Her face was a luminous oval in the soft glow of a bedside reading light.
“When you found us. When you told me the rest of the blessing. You said you loved me.”
Her face went still. “I had to say it. Even if it embarrassed you, the way it did before. You don’t have to say anything—”
He pulled her against him, his arms going around her while his heart overflowed with gratitude. “Not say anything? How could I not? I thought I’d lost you with my stupidity.”
“You’re not—”
He put his fingers over her lips. “Stupid. I thought the only thing that was important in life was flying. I thought it was the only thing I’d ever be good at, and that if I couldn’t do that, I was nothing.”
Her eyes clouded. “The medical exam?”
“I didn’t pass. I’m being assigned to Peterson, to do training.”
All of a sudden that didn’t sound as bad as he’d thought. He’d been a positive influence on Jay. Maybe he could be the same for a new generation of pilots.
“I’m sorry. So sorry.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be. I know now that God has other things for me to do. Good things.” He moved his hands on her arms. “Things that I hope include you, if you can stand the idea.”
Her smile came through then, trembling on the verge of tears. “Stand it? I think I’ve been dreaming of that since I was fifteen, and I didn’t even realize it until you came back and took my heart again.”
“I couldn’t take what you weren’t ready to give, could I?”
A tear spilled over, glistening on her cheek. “When Angel and I went in, looking for you, I knew that God had put us there for just that purpose. Whatever happens in the future, we did what He had planned for us.”
He pressed his cheek against hers. “I love you, Juli. I know we’ve both got some things to deal with, and I’m not sure what the future holds, whether I’ll stick with the Air Force or look into something else. But there’s one thing I’m sure of. I love you. I want a life with you.”
“That’s good.” Her arms went around him then. “Because I’m not letting you go.”
His lips found hers then, in a kiss that held all there was of his heart.
When they finally drew an inch apart, he laid his cheek against hers. “You know, I’d like to change a little bit of that blessing you said for me.”
She smiled, her cheek moving against his. “I’m not sure you ought to tamper with ancient Pueblo blessings.”
“Just a little.” He kissed her lightly and twined his fingers through hers. “‘Hold on to life, even when it is easier letting go. Hold on to my hand, and never go away from me.’”
She looked at him gravely, and all of her courageous heart was in that look. “I will hold on. I promise. Always.”