24. Nolan
Chapter 24
Nolan
T he unbearable heat makes my skin feel like it’s being scorched. I’m suffocating from the lack of air. It feels like a thousand-pound gorilla is sitting on my chest as I roll out of bed and land on the floor. Down here, the smoke is less intense.
Someone yells from the hallway. “Fire department. Call out.”
I shout back. “In here! I’m in here.”
Black boots appear in the doorway, and I try to move, but I’m too weak. “Fire department. Call out. Anyone in here?”
My throat burns with each attempt to shout, a harsh rasp replacing any hope of a clear, strong voice. “I’m right here, dammit.”
As the boots vanish, his next words hang in the air. “All clear.”
“Not fucking all clear. I’m right fucking here, idiot.”
From my position on the floor, I’m invisible and inaudible to anyone out there. I’ll have to get myself out of this.
I cough again, then crawl across the floor on my belly until I reach the hallway. Smoke pours in from all directions. I’m lost. The layout of my house so unfamiliar; I can’t figure out which way to go. Panic swells as I frantically search, unable to locate the door or my girls.
“Daddy, help me.” My little girl’s cry cuts through the raging fire. “Daddy!”
“I’m coming! Stay put! I’m coming!” Struggling to my feet, I yell toward the sound, the ground trembling beneath me.
Guided by her voice, I run my fingertips along the walls as I walk down the long hall. Just as I’m about to reach her, a bloodcurdling scream echoes from behind, making me jump.
“Dad! Dad! Please, help!” Kellie’s voice, tight with fear, cuts through the crackling roar of the flames that now surround me, the heat intense on my skin. “The fire is so hot!”
“Daddy!” A choked sob escapes Mollie as she cries out again, the sound full of pain and despair. “It hurts! It hurts so bad!”
My sweet baby girl, her hair catching fire, stands in the hallway, surrounded by dancing flames.
“It’s so hot!” From behind me, Kellie’s cry of pain echoes down the hall.
I turn. Panic sets in. I’m too far from Mollie, she’s trapped in her room, surrounded by the roaring flames and choking smoke.
“Nolan, help me!” A third voice I recognize pleads. It’s hard to tell where it emerges from, but no matter, I’ll do what I can.
“Dad!”
“Daddy, I’m scared!”
Their pleas for help grow louder and more desperate, but each time I try to save them. The roar of the fire takes over. Their sweet voices, now distant whispers, drift farther and farther away, leaving only a lingering echo in my heart. The smoke, the heat, it’s all too much. I don’t know which way to go or who I can reach first.
The weight of exhaustion takes its toll on my legs, causing them to give out as I stumble. The floor gives way, and I’m free-falling, desperately trying to grab onto anything, but finding nothing.
“Daddy!”
“Nolan!”
“Dad!”
The sounds of their shouts are swallowed by the fire as I fall, each scream further away than the last. The smoke takes on a sinister brown hue. Terror chokes me, each pounding heartbeat a physical manifestation of my fear. A searing heat envelopes me as the flames dance wildly, licking at my skin, before the world erupts around me in a blinding flash.
I jolt awake.
Sweat drenches me as I shoot up in bed and suck in a clean, refreshing breath.
It was just a dream.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I reach over and tap my phone on the charger to check the time. Midnight.
Getting up, I yank off the t-shirt I put on before laying down. I thought Bethany would call me after resolving the Finn situation. While I don’t have all the facts, it sounds like he put his faith in the wrong person and is now facing the fallout. This was the angriest I’d ever seen his mother. She was usually the calm one in a crisis. I’d seen her in action a few times. She always said to sleep on it before reacting. It was good advice, but last night she’d been like a boiling kettle, her anger exploding loudly.
I can’t say that I blame her, though. I’m not so sure it’s Finn she’s so angry with. For now, he’s the unfortunate recipient of her frustration, a temporary outlet for her rage.
Stepping out of my sweats, I flip on the shower and jump in before it has time to get warm. The chilly water provides a soothing sensation to my overheated skin. The dream was so real. I’m so hot, I feel like I’m wearing full fire-retardant gear in the heart of a raging inferno; the heat is intense and stifling.
Crazy how the mind can force the body to react.
With my palms pressed against the damp, cool wall, I tilt my head back, the refreshing water cascading over me, its sound a soothing rhythm, the spray a light mist on my face. I’m not surprised by the nightmare that woke me. It’s not the first one I’ve had after a close call. In my reoccurring nightmare, the girls were always trapped. Their desperate calls for help tugged at my heartstrings. Both were always just out of reach, and I was faced with the impossible decision of choosing who to save.
I drop my head forward and let the now warmer water pelt against the base of my neck. Hoping it will calm my mind and push the images far away.
The last time I had a horrible nightmare like this was right after Stephanie died. The girls were on one side; she was on the other. In that awful dream, she chose who I rescued, leaving me no say in the matter. Urging me to take care of the girls while she stepped backward into the flames.
The frustration of not being able to reach the girls gnawed at me, and Bethany’s unexpected arrival only compounded the problem, making an already difficult decision even harder. It became too much. How could I choose?
Save one.
Never.
The only option would always be to save all three.
This isn’t working.
I flip off the water, grab the towel, and dry off. The sound of rain pinging off the window fills the room, prompting me to go for a run. One of my favorite activities is running in the rain. There’s just something about the rain that soothes my demons and clears the fog from my brain.
Our neighborhood forms a huge loop. Traffic is minimal. Night running here is not as dangerous as it is elsewhere. I doubt I see anyone out. If I wanted to, I could run in the street and not worry about getting hit. I’ll stick to the sidewalk, though, just in case.
Decision made, I walk into my closet and grab one of my moisture wicking t-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts. After my shoes are on, I slip on my smart watch, so when I set the house alarm, it’ll alert me if it goes off. Next, I grab a baseball cap and shove my earbuds in before turning on the alarm system and stepping outside.
The air isn’t exactly cool. Even in late September, Savannah humidity hangs around. The rain only makes that thicker, but I know from experience that it will keep me cooler than it would be if it weren’t raining.
Once my tunes are blaring in my ears, I take off. Ten minutes into my run, I already feel better. The steady beat of my feet against the pavement helps ease the tension. Twenty minutes in, I’m sweating and letting the music and rain set my pace. The demons from my nightmare have fallen further behind me, a distant memory now. After forty minutes and four loops, my muscles burn. A welcome distraction that tells me it’s time to go home and attempt sleep.
Rounding the corner, I slow into a comfortable jog. Once I’m in front of my house, I stop and bend to catch my breath. Tugging out my earbuds, I hear an unusual noise followed by a grunt coming from across the street.
Keeping in the shadows, I make my way over there.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I ask the unsuspecting teenager who just climbed out of the guest room window.
As I approach the bushes, I notice Felix’s wide-eyed expression, his guilty gaze on me. “Mr. Archer, I can explain.”
I wait, and when he just sits there and says nothing, I pull out my flashlight and shine it on him. “Well, go on now.”
He sits slouched in the mud, his legs sliding forward, his eyes now turning to the ground. “I’m not about to let my brother take the fall for something he didn’t do or know about. So, I was handling it.”
“Wait. Are you saying you had something to do with it?” I have difficulty believing that.
His head snaps up in an instant, and he vigorously shakes it. “Hell no. I wouldn’t even know where to get my hands on that shit. And neither would Finn. He’s on the varsity team as a freshman. You really think he’d jeopardize that?”
Extending my hand, I help him to his feet. “So, you were going to do what, exactly?”
“I might have hacked into the school surveillance system and downloaded the video feed from today.” Observing his mud-stained clothes, he quietly berates himself for his stupidity, anticipating his mother’s anger when she discovers the mess.
He’s not wrong. Bethany is likely to ground him until he graduates in three and a half years.
“Let’s get out of the rain, get you into some dry clothes, and you can tell me more.” I motion for him to follow me to my house. “Close the damn window first. How did you not set off the alarm? Or do I not want to know that, either?”
Glancing at the window, my attention is drawn to the fact that it’s not really open, just a tiny crack. “How did you get out of that?”
Reaching up, he pulls it down, nearly losing his footing in the mud. “I didn’t. I was trying to climb back in. When I left, it wasn’t raining.”
We walk across the street, and as I unlock the door, I order, “Shoes off. Roll up your jeans so you don’t fuddle up my floors and can make it into the laundry room. Once there, you need to strip out of those muddy clothes. There should be some clean clothes folded on the dryer.”
“Please tell me you mean your clothes.” Felix seems a bit concerned I might force him to wear the girls’ clothing.
“Yes mine. While I’d love to see you try to rock one of Mollie’s sparkly unicorn outfits, I’m pretty sure your ass wouldn’t fit. If I thought it would, I’d be tempted to send you home wearing it.” His blank stare makes me wonder if he realizes I’m joking. “Dude, go change before you get mud all over my house. Mine will swallow you but better than nothing, right? There’s a sink in there too. Wash up the best you can. Extra towels are on the shelf.”
He scurries off, and I climb the stairs to my bedroom. Before I go change out of my wet clothes, I look in on both girls. They’re sound asleep, just like I left them. Once I’m dried off and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, I head back downstairs to check on Felix.
He’s sitting at the table with his phone out, typing.
“Texting your brother?”
“What?” He startles. “No.”
He puts the phone down on the table and sits there, looking at me like he’s waiting for me to bring down the hammer. “Did you call my mom?”
“Not yet.” I open the fridge and grab two sports drinks. “I’m assuming she’s asleep.”
“Me too.” He takes the bottle I hand him and unscrews the cap. “Why haven’t you ratted me out yet?”
I sit my ass down in the chair across from him. “I’m not gonna rat you out.”
“You’re not?” He squints as he takes a sip of his drink.
“Nope. You are.” I tilt my drink back and guzzle half of it.
Felix slouches in his chair and sighs. “I knew it was too good to be true.”
I chuckle. “Sorry, not sorry. You shouldn’t have gotten caught. First time sneaking out?”
“Maybe.” He shrugs, a nervous smile twitching at the corners of his lips. “Yes. Finn’s the one who usually sneaks out. I’m not telling you anything Mom doesn’t already know. He would’ve come with me this time if he’d known what I was gonna do. But he’s in enough trouble as it is. I’m guessing you’ve heard.”
“The basics, but not the details.” I lean back in my chair and study him closely. “You hacked the school security system? Is this the first time you’ve done that?”
“I plead the fifth.” He lifts his drink again. “And for the record, I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t know someone was lying.”
I could ask him more questions. but I don’t, and my silence seems to get him to open up.
“Gage has a beef with Finn. He’s two years older and plays the same position. Finn beat him out as first string and now he’s not getting as much play time. Gage goes in when Finn needs a break.”
“What position?” I’m sure Bethany has said, but it’s been a long ass day.
“Safety. He’s damn good, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went D1. He’d love to go pro, but he’s got a backup plan.” The way Felix speaks about his brother reveals his unwavering belief in him. “Gage vowed to ruin him.”
“Let me guess. Whatever was in his locker, Gage, put it there?”
“No. That would be too easy.” Felix rips the label off the bottle. “It wasn’t even a kid who did it.”
“You know who it was, then.” With a curious tilt of my head, I lean forward, the silence broken only by my breath.
“Maybe. That’s what I was hoping to find out tonight, but then it started raining, and I ended up turning around. I can’t wait until I can drive.” Our gazes connect, and I can almost hear the wheels in his head spinning. “Do you remember the guy who tried to give Mom the fancy car?”
I nod.
“Did you know that his younger half-brother goes to school with us?”
“I did not.” I tap my finger against the table. “But you said it wasn’t a student. So, what are you saying, exactly?”
“Gage and this kid are buddies. Like as close to each other as Nicky is with us.” Finn slouches more, stretching his legs out. “He let someone in through a backdoor between classes, while the halls were busy.”
“Isn’t someone supposed to be watching the doors? Doesn’t an alarm go off when they’re activated?” This concerns me with all the crap that happens nowadays. Most schools have a lockdown protocol that prevents shit like that from happening. One way in and one way out, unless there’s an emergency.
“That’s supposed to be how it works, but there are ways around it. Kids are crafty and know how to bypass those. How do you think kids skip classes or leave without permission?” When I lift my left eyebrow and frown, he reads my mind. “Not that I’ve ever done that, or Finn. But I’ve heard others talk, just so we’re clear.”
I glance at the stove clock and grunt. “Time to go home. It’s late and you have school in a few hours.”
“We have a late start. I’ll be fine. Maybe I can crash on your couch?” Despite his hopeful expression, I have no intention of agreeing to that. “I can send Finn a text so he can let Mom know I left early.”
“Nice try, kid.” I push up from the table, feeling the weight of exhaustion in my limbs. “Let’s go. I’ll make sure she doesn’t kill you right away.”
Felix’s voice drips with sarcasm. “Thanks.”
I grip his shoulder and squeeze. “She might not even wake up.”
The way he looks up at me tells me he knows otherwise.