Page 4 of Wrecker

Instead, I had to settle for doing it on my own and hoping that he was looking down on me and knew I was trying to make him proud.

“Fine, but you better text me updates.” She grabbed a pillow from my bed and tossed it at me.

“Deal.” I caught the pillow midair and sent it sailing straight back to her.

Jennifer’s laughter trailed me as I left, making me smile as I headed to my car.

It took me a little more than half an hour to drive to the building I wanted to check out, as it was located in Chattanooga, a few towns away from our college campus. The five-level reinforced concrete garage had probably been approved tosupport the three-story office building a few blocks down the street since they’d been built around the same time.

Since I wanted to walk the perimeter first, I left my car around the corner where parallel parking was allowed. Slinging my backpack over one shoulder, I crossed the street, my eyes narrowing when I got close to the garage. The plans I’d found said it was finished a few years ago, but there was already significant spalling on the concrete along the base. Rust stains bled through areas they shouldn’t have, indicating potential issues with waterproofing. I also found honeycombing that was deeper than 25 mm in the concrete, which made me worry even more about the building's structural integrity.

Discovering this many visible issues during a simple walk around the garage left me wondering how it had passed inspections during construction. I pulled out my phone and began snapping pictures, ensuring I captured multiple angles. The entrance ramp led to the first level, which was mostly empty. I glanced around and made my way to the far stairwell. The elevator was taped off, which didn’t surprise me. Most of the lights worked, but one flickered overhead as I descended to the lower level.

I didn’t have to explore the basement level for long before I discovered a steel stress fracture. It had already been sealed, but whoever was responsible for the repair had done a sloppy job. This just raised even more red flags.

It was too soon in the parking garage’s lifespan for this kind of damage, especially when it was designed to bear heavier loads. Either the steel was lower grade than what had been approved, or someone had cut corners. Big ones.

A chill crept up the back of my neck, raising goose bumps under my jacket. I stood slowly and tucked my infrared camera into my backpack, but something about the floor caught my eye. I crouched down to examine a sunken concrete slab.

As I ran my fingers lightly across the jagged outline where the concrete had settled unevenly, I shook my head with a deep sigh. Spotting exposed rebar above my head, my concern deepened even more.

I rose slowly, sweeping my flashlight across the far wall. The beam of light hit more issues. Too many for a relatively new structure since parking garages typically had a minimum lifespan of thirty years. Major repairs shouldn’t be needed for at least ten years.

None of this made sense unless the builder did more than cut a few corners. They had to be downright negligent.

Just as I reached for my notebook to jot down a few thoughts, a loud pop echoed through the garage.

My head snapped up.

The noise came again, louder this time. Then it was followed by a deep groan.

I stepped back from the beam instinctively, my heart thudding. “No, no, no…”

There was a sharp crack, followed by a deep rumble that rolled beneath my feet.

Instinct kicked in hard. I needed to get somewhere safer than the middle of the basement floor of a five-story parking garage if it was about to tumble down around me.

I bolted for the stairwell I’d used to get down here, adrenaline surging through me as I sprinted faster than I’d ever gone before.

The concrete around me shuddered. A chunk of ceiling collapsed behind me with a deafening crash. Dust exploded into the air, blinding me for a second, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t if I wanted any hope of getting out of here alive.

My backpack slammed against my side as I pushed harder, barely dodging another slab that fell from the wall. Screamingfilled my ears, and I didn’t realize the sound was coming from me until I was inches from the stairwell door.

I dove, and the world around me exploded.

I hit the ground hard, banging my head. But that didn’t stop me from bracing against the rectangular frame while pain lanced through my shoulder. It was the safest place to be as chunks of concrete and steel crashed around me.

“Please, please, please,” I chanted, squeezing my eyes shut.

I thought about my dad and hoped he was truly watching over me so my mom wouldn’t get a call telling her I was gone.

When the worst of it passed, everything was dim. Dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe. It was so thick that I couldn’t see anything. Not that it mattered since there was nowhere for me to go.

My hand fumbled for my phone in my pocket, but it did me no good because the screen was too badly cracked to use it.

I wasn’t sure how long I was there, alone in the darkness and debris, before I finally heard sirens far above me.

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