Chapter 23
Ryder
“E lara!” I shout, my voice echoing back at me. As far as I can tell, there’s only one entrance and exit and only one set of stairs, so when I find El, I’ll find whoever took her. I dart across the first floor and when I find nothing, I run up the staircase, doing the same thing. As soon as I turn the corner, I see El. But I don’t see anyone else. She appears to be alone. But I remain cautious in case someone is hiding in the shadows.
She's unconscious - please just be unconscious - and tied to a chair. “El!” I shout again as I reach her. I pull her face up and make sure she’s okay injury wise. She seems to be unharmed, besides the ropes digging into her skin. I check her pulse; it’s strong. She’ll be okay. I grab a glass shard off the floor and cut the ropes. She slumps over to the side, but before she can fall, I catch her in my arms .
Tears well up in my eyes, the fear and anxiety washing away as I fully process that she’s alive and in my arms again. I hold her as close as possible to me, hugging her tightly. “Baby, you have to wake up.” I whisper into her ear. I know she’s alive, but I need her to open her eyes.
I’m so focused on her that I don’t notice the faint crackling sound until the smell of smoke fills my nostrils. When I look up, I can see a small puff of smoke rising from the first floor. I quickly blink my tears away before getting up, still holding El. I run towards the staircase in hopes that the fire hasn't reached the stairs. It’s no surprise that my hopes were just wishful thinking. Flames engulf the bottom of the stairs, quickly spreading about fifteen feet beyond.
Unless he left well before I got here, this is the only way down to the first floor and he couldn’t have passed me. Various scenarios are playing through my head as I try to figure out how to get out of here logically. I could break a window, but realistically, that wouldn’t be my first choice. If I was alone and not carrying someone I care about, I would probably consider it. The smoke is getting thicker, making it harder to breathe, and it’s getting hotter as the fire grows beneath my feet. I pull the neckline of Elara’s shirt over her nose so she isn’t breathing in as much smoke and I do the same with mine. It’s not much, but it’ll work as long as I get us out of here sooner rather than later. A piece of the floor has fallen, and I know this building isn’t going to be standing much longer. I already knew it was an old building, but I hadn’t thought about how it’s likely not up to code in today’s world.
As much as I don’t want to jump fifteen feet out of a second-story window, it seems to be the only option. If I could pull a rope ladder out of thin air, I would. I run to the window farthest from the stairs and look out to see if there’s anything I can safely land on. Not that it matters at this point. I adjust how I hold Elara, so I’m holding her in a hug with her head on my shoulder. I kick through the glass, shattering it, and it instantly feels easier to breathe. I peek my head out the now missing window to make sure I can get down somewhat safely. There’s a small ledge that I can aim for. As long as we don't land on our heads, we’ll be fine. I sit down in the window frame, getting as close to the edge as I can without falling.
The ledge is maybe five feet below me. I inch forward, coming off the frame and landing on the ledge. But, as soon as it takes our weight, it collapses under me and I fall the rest of the way down, landing kind of on my feet and then my back. I luckily didn’t break my ankles, but I’ll be expecting back pain soon. I didn’t drop El, though, thankfully. She’s still out cold.
I run back to the car, putting El in the backseat and buckling her in before I dash to the driver’s seat, starting the car. I take off quick enough that a cloud of dirt forms around the back tires. I look in the rearview mirror just in time to see the building fall completely as the fire consumes it.
I drive down the desolate road, no precise location in mind. I just want to get far away from here. I’ll likely just drive until I get tired. I glance to the backseat every so often, just to check on El. She has stirred a couple times, but hasn’t woken up yet. I pull into a gas station and take a blanket from the trunk, covering her with it. She instinctively nestles right into it.
The sight of her body relaxing at the feeling of security warms my heart. I move her hair out of her face and kiss her cheek before I whisper in her ear, “You’re safe, El. I promise.”