Page 795 of The Tempted

Nikki remains silent as we start to move. I can feel Stryker’s gaze burning a hole into me but I ignore the mentally anguished veteran and wait for my sister’s reply.

“He’s trapped underneath the bar,” she calls back to us.

“This way,” Pipe instructs.

“Linc,” Stryker mutters. “He was sitting on top of the bar before the blast.”

“Is Mike conscience?” Anthony asks.

“In and out. Please help!” Her voice is frantic and my heart breaks at her plea.

“Do you see anyone else trapped?” Stryker questions over Pipe’s shoulder.

“We’ve got a problem,” Pipe announces.

Following his gaze, I see the violent flames swirling in our path.

“There are two people trapped but I can’t tell who they are, one is wearing cowboy boots and the other is…oh my God,” she shrieks.

“What! What is it?” I scream back to her, watching in horror as the three men try to figure a way to get passed the flames.

“It’s a woman, but she’s all the way at the other end. I only see her shoes.”

“What color are they?” Pipe asks.

“They look red but I can’t be sure,” she chokes. “The smoke is so thick over here. Are you guys close?”

“Oksana was wearing red shoes,” Pipe says to himself, raking his fingers through his thinning hair.

“Help me with this,” Stryker orders, walking over to the metal door lying haphazardly amongst the debris. He bends his knees and grabs one end while Pipe reaches for a corner and Anthony grunts through the pain to grab the other end. The three men quickly shuffle their feet toward the fire and throw the metal door over the flames. It takes a few minutes before some of the fire is contained but not all of it.

“I need to get to my sister,” I shriek, hope diminishing inside me as I watch the flames continue to dance, separating us from saving her and Mike. “Nikki,” I cry, my body writhing with sobs as I feel Anthony slide one arm around me, pulling my back toward his chest.

“I’m going in,” Stryker announces. Before any of us can say anything he pulls his leather over his face, bows his head and charges across the metal door into the flames.

It’s my breaking point and I crumble. The sound of my sister begging Mikey to open his eyes, the fire crackling around me as I watch Stryker disappear into the amber lights. He’s one man fighting flames trying to rescue three people trapped beneath destruction. Even if he’s able to get one of them free he won’t be able to carry them through the fire to safety.

Dread fills my soul.

Panic runs through my veins.

The stench of death is heavy in the air as we become helpless to those trapped amongst the devastation.

How do you choose who lives and who dies?

How do you save everyone?

How do you live with yourself if one can’t be saved?

“Adrianna,” Anthony shouts, shaking me as he turns my chin left of the flames. I narrow my eyes, push through the tears and watch as Stryker emerges stomping over a mountain of rubble carrying my sister.

“Mikey,” she screams over his shoulder, pounding her fists over and over against his shoulder. “Put me down! I told you to leave me if you couldn’t get him out.”

Stoically, he drops my sister in front of me and grabs a hold of Pipe. I bend, ignoring the aches shooting through my body and wrap my arms around my sister.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him. I’m not sure if he hears me because he grabs a hold of Pipe’s arm and turns his gaze to Anthony.

“I need help getting the bar off them.”

“Anthony, please, you have to save him. Please!” Nikki cries in my arms.

Another shrill voice screams, tearing my attention away from the three men staring back at me and my sister.

“Lacey,” Pipe screams, looking between the direction of Lacey’s voice and the other where his wife, Mikey and God knows who else is trapped.

Who do you save?

Who do you choose?

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