Page 29 of Burn for Me
“But sir, we can—"
“Get out now. That’s a direct order, Marcus,” Jeff cut him off.
“Yes, sir. We’re coming out.”
He heard the annoyed resignation in the man’s voice, but what could he do? There was no other choice to be made. For the greater good. It was bad enough he had one down. It was beyond comprehension to risk another two for a very uncertain outcome.
Anxiously, he watched the doorway in the side of the building, closest to where they would have been. For what seemed an age, there was no movement. It shouldn’t be taking so long. And then the first man cleared the door. As the second started to follow, the roof finally gave, and the building collapsed in on itself.
Jeff hung his head. Fear and anxiety ate at him like acid. The man trapped in that building was not just his colleague, he was a friend. Hell, the man was family! Putting in time in the trenches together, they had forged a strong bond. The worry of not knowing whether Gray was alive formed a tight knot in his stomach. And if he was, by some miracle, would he survive long enough for them to get him out?
Jeff’s nerveswere stretched tight. It has seemed like forever as they’d waited for the other teams to arrive. His guys on-site had already started removing rubble. They’d barely waited for the dust to clear before they’d gotten stuck in. But there simply weren’t enough hands. If Gray was, somehow, lucky enough to still be alive, he wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.
There were simply too many variables in play. Was he alive? If yes, was he conscious? Could he breathe? Was he hurt? The only thing they were certain of at this point was he’d been trapped under the I-beam before the building had come down. After that? There was no knowing. Nothing else was certain.
The senior officer he’d taken over from had informed him of Gray’s suspicions the fire had been arson. He’d called it in to the police department, as was his obligation as it was now considered a crime scene. He currently awaited the team they’d dispatched, along with another fire truck, the department of labour, and one or two other groups. This train wreck was now a multi-agency headache.
The search and rescue team would be bringing the necessary equipment with them. They needed the thermal imaging camera urgently. Once they got eyes on the situation below surface, they’d have a better idea of how to proceed and how best to concentrate their efforts. How much shoring would be required to prevent any further cave-ins. And they’d also have a better idea of Gray’s condition.
Thankfully, the Silvermine fire was under control and men had been dispatched from there to assist with the digging.
As he watched another large chunk of debris being removed, Jeff’s radio beeped, signalling its activation.
“I see them, sir. Search and Rescue just clearing the gates now.”
“Thanks, Stevens. Appreciate it.” Jeff was grateful Kyle Stevens had been part of the team that had arrived from Silvermine. He had a level head under pressure and knew how to get the job done.
He heard the strain in the man’s voice. He knew they were all feeling it. That’s what drove them to function like a well-oiled machine, working in unity to remove the rubble as quickly and efficiently as possible. When it came to one of their own, they were all in.
Once the search and rescue team was ready and in place, the team that had been digging through the ruins took a break. Kind-hearted civilians had set up a refreshment station, dishing out hot drinks and sandwiches. Kyle and the others guzzled down copious amounts of water before accepting the gift of fragrant, steaming cups of coffee. With his cup in hand, Kyle headed over to where Jeff stood talking to one of the police officers that had arrived.
“Did you need something, Stevens?”
“Sir, would it be okay if I take my thirty-minute break off-site?”
“Is it something urgent, son? Nothing that can wait?”
“It probably could, but I’d rather it didn’t, if it’s all the same, sir.”
Something in the younger man’s voice had him looking a little closer. His men were under a great amount of pressure at the moment. Whatever Jeff saw on the younger man’s face had him nodding.
“All right. Thirty minutes.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He watched as Kyle walked away. Then he got back to the business at hand.
* * *
Jerking awake,Kitty reached for her cell phone to check the time. Noting it was a little past seven thirty, she was about to jump out of bed, thinking she had overslept, when she remembered there was no Decadence to go to. About to lock her screen and try to get more sleep, she saw she had a missed call. She didn’t recognise the number but realised that call was probably what had woken her.
Who would be calling her at this hour of the morning? Her staff knew the score; she doubted it was one of them. Maybe it had been Gray, but she didn’t recognise the number. While debating whether to call back, her phone rang in her hand.
“Hello?” Clearing the morning frog from her throat, she tried again. “Hello?”
“Hello, is this Kitty? Kitty Spence?”
Not recognising the voice, Kitty hesitated a moment before finally replying, “Yes, this is she.”
