Page 63 of Tactical Revival

“Fire alarm.” Her eyes widen, and she sprints out into the B&B.

Pajama-clad, sleepy-eyed people are already rushing down the stairs.

“Everyone outside, please! Be safe, move carefully!” she orders as she dials 9-1-1 on the front desk phone. “Oh, what is happening now?”

I open the door and help everyone file out, all while keeping my attention on making sure Margot remains safe.

“How many are outside?” she asks.

“Six,” I tell her.

“Six.” Her eyes widen. “There’s still a couple upstairs. They’re elderly, have hearing aids. They may not have woken up.” She turns and heads for the stairs, but I grip her arm.

“I’ll get them. Go outside and make sure everyone is fine.”

“Jaxson—”

“Go.” I head upstairs, and by the time I get to the top, I see smoke billowing out from the door of one of the rooms. Since I don’t know what room they’re in, I slam my boot into the door, splintering it open.

Smoke fills my lungs, and I cover my mouth with my arm as my eyes burn. Flames climb up the far wall, but the bed looks made, so I rush further down the hall to the only other closed door.

Knowing that if they didn’t hear the alarm, they won’t hear me knocking, I kick the door open, then stumble inside. Smoke follows me in, and I rush forward as a groggy elderly man sits up and moves between me and his wife.

I point behind me. “There’s a fire!” I yell.

He reaches up to his ear and presses something.

“Fire!” I yell again.

His eyes widen, and he rushes out of bed and grabs his wife’s robe.

“What’s happening?” she asks after turning her hearing aid on.

“There’s a fire, Midge, we have to go.”

She stands, then sways on her feet.

I don’t hesitate as I scoop her up, knowing that it won’t be long before the fire spreads out of the room. Especially since I kicked the door open in my search for them. “I’ll carry you down. Leave your things, the fire department is on their way. Cover your mouth and nose with something.”

She uses the sleeve of her robe, and he grabs a throw blanket, then follows me out into the hall. The smoke is so thick it burns my eyes and throat. Since I’m carrying her, I can’t cover my nose, so I do my best to hold my breath as I rush down the stairs, her husband behind me.

The moment we’re out in the fresh air, I draw in a heavy breath and set her down.

“Thank you. Thank you,” the husband says as he wraps an arm around her.

I nod, then cough as I try to take another deep breath.

Margot rushes to my side. “Are you okay?”

I nod again, trying to stifle my coughing. But as I straighten, I see a shadow move around the back of the house. “Stay here. Stay with everyone.”

“What? Where are you going?”

I don’t answer, just reach behind and grip my firearm, then rush around the side of the house as fast as I can move, given the smoke I inhaled.

The shadow keeps running. “Wait! Stop!” I keep running after whoever it is, knowing in my gut they had something to do with this fire. Flames like that don’t just happen.

The person leaps over a fence, then sprints across the street and disappears into the tree line. I jump over, determined to catch them, and then—someone lays on a horn and tires screech. I leap back just in time to avoid being smashed by a passing car.

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