Chapter Fifteen
Hunter
Our weekly meeting at the clubhouse had run over. Usually, I didn’t mind being in church because Coop always kept the meetings short and sweet and we still managed to get a lot of things covered, but I’d been anxious to get away this time because I was meeting Abby.
I didn’t want to be late.
It was cold so I didn’t want her standing outside the library waiting for me for any longer than necessary. I was on my bike. She wanted to ride it and as we were only going to The Shack for dinner, I figured it was a short enough journey that she wouldn’t get too cold and long enough that she’d get a taste of it to see if she liked it.
I was looking forward to seeing her again, but when I turned into the street where the library was located, I saw the smoke and my blood ran cold. As I neared, it became evident that it was the library that was on fire. How could that be?
I screeched the bike to a stop and got off. People were standing around in the street watching the building burn. I scanned the crowd for Abby but I couldn’t see her.
“Has anyone called nine one one?” I shouted out.
“I already called them!” someone shouted back.
Through the window, the library was so thick with smoke that I could barely see the flames.
“Abby!” I called out. “Abby!”
No reply.
My heart was beating ninety to the dozen. I was terrified that she’d been in there when the fire had hit. Surely she would have got out in time. But what if she hadn’t? There had to be a fire exit around back. Maybe she’d made it there. Without hesitation, I raced around the back of the building. Sure enough, there was a fire exit there, but the door was locked tight. I peered in through the window. It was some sort of storage room. I had to get in there. I had to get to Abby.
I took off my leather jacket then wrapped it around my hand then punched my fist through the window. I used the jacket to hit out the remainder of the glass then climbed up onto the frame and jumped down into the room. The smoke was already making its way under the door.
I crossed the room in four long strides then, again with my jacket wrapped around my hand in case the handle was hot, I opened the door. It was like opening the door to a furnace. The smoke hit me in the face instantly, stinging my eyes. I blinked a few times then peered into the room.
“Abby!”
She was there, on the floor, crawling towards the storeroom door, coughing from all of the smoke. She lifted her head and met my gaze and her eyes widened.
“No!” She coughed some more. “Don’t come in here!”
I put one foot into the room just as three or four flaming ceiling tiles came hurtling down from the ceiling and landed on the floor at my feet.
I froze, paralyzed with fear.
This was the stuff of my nightmares. I started to hyperventilate. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t save her. I was going to have to watch her burn to death, just as I had watched the boy. I could still hear his screams when I closed my eyes at night.
I’d never forgive myself if I let anything happen to Abby.
I roared out my anger and frustration. Why did this keep happening to me? What had I done to deserve it? I balled my hands into fists and forced myself to slow down my breathing.
I was not going to let her die like this and if she did, if I couldn’t save her, well, I was just going to have to die with her.
I kicked the ceiling tiles out of the way then got down onto my hands and knees and crawled into the room. The heat was intense and there was so much smoke it was becoming increasingly difficult to see anything at all. But I forced myself to keep going until I reached her.
I reached out and grabbed hold of her arm.
“I’ve got you,” I said.
And this time, it was true.
But we weren’t out of danger yet.
“Come on,” I shouted. “We’ve got to hurry.”
But smoke filled my lungs and all I could do was stop to cough. Abby was coughing too and she appeared to be slowing down.
No. We weren’t going to die like this.
“Come on,” I said again, pulling her towards the storeroom door. “We’re nearly there.”
Finally, we made it through the door, just as a large piece of the ceiling collapsed and crashed to the ground right where we’d been kneeling a moment before. The flames were licking their way across the walls to the storeroom door.
I threw the door closed, just as the fire reached it, but another coughing fit overcame me.
Abby had collapsed onto her back so I shook her to get her moving. “Come on, babe, we’re nearly there.”
She didn’t respond.
If I wanted to get us both out of there I was going to have to do it myself. I got to my feet, bent at the knees then scooped her up and into my arms.
She wasn’t heavy by any means, but my body felt tired and lethargic.
Still, I managed to carry her outside.
I laid her gently on the ground, about to check that she was breathing when she started coughing.
Relief made me fall to my knees.
I’d done this time what I’d failed to do before.
I’d fought my demons and had triumphed.
After she had stopped coughing, she blinked up at me through watery eyes.
“You did it,” she said. “You saved me.”
“I’ll always save you,” I told her. “Whenever you need me to.”
The smile on her face told me that she believed me.