Chapter Three
Aaron was too busy fighting for his life, and the life of the man who was draped across his shoulders, to even realize his wife had texted him.
While he would have no doubt loved to know the sexy interaction Amber had experienced with the handsome co-worker she’d mentioned on more than one occasion, right now, he just needed to get out of that burning building before the damned thing collapsed.
All around him, he could hear wood snapping. Chunks of plaster rained down from the ceiling, thudding loudly on the floor before busting into a million chalky pieces.
And the heat seemed like it might literally melt him at any moment, causing his skin to soften and ooze off, leaving nothing but a pile of bones on the floor.
He wouldn’t let that happen. He was going to get home to Amber. And he wasn’t going to let the man he carried die, either.
No one would die in that fire. Not today. Not on Aaron’s watch.
So, even though his muscles ached, his legs wanted to give out, and the heat threatened to consume him, he pressed forward.
“Hang on,” he yelled to the guy.
He wasn’t sure if he could hear him over the thunderous firestorm that raged all around them. Or if the man was even conscious. His eyes had opened a little earlier, but that was about it.
There’d been no time to examine him any further. Aaron would worry about that if they made it out alive.
When they made it out alive, he reminded himself.
He reached the stairs and breathed a sigh of relief. The end was in sight, at least. All he had to do was make it down, turn a corner, and then barrel out the front door.
That was easy enough, right?
He started down, resisting the urge to take the stairs two at a time. If he lost his balance, he might send that guy tumbling to the bottom, breaking his neck or something else awful.
So, despite the stifling heat and barrage of sounds that made it feel like a war zone, Aaron went down cautiously.
He was halfway to the bottom when just ahead a piece of the ceiling dropped straight down and busted in front of him, sending countless sparks and embers fluttering into the air.
Flames appeared overhead, taking advantage of the new opening. They stabbed down, as if trying to reach the two men, desperate to ensnare them before they could escape.
Aaron ducked as low as he could. He was aware that, draped over his shoulders, the man might take the brunt of the heat as they passed underneath the fiery obstacle.
But there was no way around that. If Aaron could, he’d switch places with him. But the best thing he could do for both of them was to keep moving, no matter what.
Thankfully, they made it through unscathed. But now, there was another issue to worry about.
Just as Aaron was coming out of the stairwell, a flaming beam had fallen from the ceiling. The building was collapsing around him. Even though he had just a few feet to go until they were safe, it would be hell making it.
The air felt heavy and the atmosphere looked wavy. Pieces of who-knew-what floated around. Aaron was thankful for the mask he wore and its powerful filter.
He sidestepped the flaming beam and gritted his teeth. The weight he carried on his shoulders—along with the oppressive heat—was threatening to send him to the floor.
More chunks of building fell around him. The fire grew. He could see his destination, but it might as well have been a mile away as small flames erupted into larger ones, blocking the path.
But then precious water appeared, jetting onto and over the flames, clearing the way for him to barrel through.
Members of his crew rushed in, eager to take the man off his back and help them both reach safety.
As soon as they were outside, and past the guys working the hoses, Aaron ripped off his protective mask and sucked in a lungful of fresh air.
Well, semi-fresh air.
The black smoke that was billowing into the heavens didn’t help matters. The stench of charred wood, burning rubber, and various chemicals swirled about. But it was still better than the hot air he’d been surrounded by inside that building.
He truly thought they had more time to save the second structure.
But the fire had spread quicker than any of them had anticipated.
Was there some sort of accelerant? Maybe gas cans or something like that stashed around?
Random stuff was often left in those derelict warehouses—debris, trash, and assorted leftovers.
And sometimes people found their way inside, just looking for shelter. Sadly with no other options.
Which was probably the case of the man he’d rescued.
That’s when it hit him. His mind had been so focused on getting them both out alive that it hadn’t registered until then. With a new burst of energy, he pumped his legs quickly, hurrying to where some of the EMT crew who’d arrived were putting the unconscious man on a gurney.
“Narcan!”
“What?” one of the others asked, turning around to face him.
“I think we need to administer Narcan. He was unresponsive when I found him, even before the fire reached us,” Aaron explained.
He’d be damned if he pulled that guy from a burning building only to let him pass away from an overdose.
Again, no one was going to die today. Not if he could help it.
They got to work and thankfully, moments later, the man seemed to be stabilized. Though he’d probably taken in quite a bit of smoke on top of whatever chemical overdose he was battling.
Aaron couldn’t help but smile. In a way, that fire had saved the man’s life.
Had the department not shown up, he might have slipped from this life there on the second floor of that old warehouse, alone and defeated.
But now he had a chance. Aaron sure hoped he was able to find the help he needed and an opportunity to thrive.
He deserved that much.
And Aaron felt he himself deserved some rest, but there wasn’t time for that now. He still had a fire to fight. Or, actually, two.
With that in mind, he got busy.
A fireman’s job is never done.