Page 88 of Mountain Security

The smoke, however, was the larger concern. Already, it was getting hard to see anything, and even harder to breathe.

“Help!” she yelled again, her throat tight and scorching. She pulled against the handle again, praying for a miracle. The door didn’t budge.

Oh God.

Fear—and the awful, rancid smell of smoke—tightened her throat. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

She crouched on the ground. Here, at least, it was easier to breathe. But that wouldn’t last long.

She thought of her phone, which shealwayscarried with her, but which she’d just happened to leave on her desk this time around.

She took off one of her heels and slammed the door with the shoes, hoping to catch someone’s attention.

But who?

Everybody had gone home for the night, except for Alex, who was in a meeting room. By the time he realized she was gone—

No.

She wasn’t going to think like that.

Yvette slammed the heel against the door again and again, shouting for help. Her shouts grew fainter as it became harder and harder to breathe, but still she kept going.

She wasn’t going to give up.

And then she heard it. Footsteps on the other sound of the door.

“Yvette!”

Yvette almost fainted with relief.

“Alex! There’s a fire! I can’t get out.”

He pushed against the door from the other side. She felt it rattle, but nothing happened. “Fuck. It’s locked.”

Yvette closed her eyes.

It was becoming hard to think, but the fear from moments earlier was gone. Alex knew she was inside, and he would get her out.

All she had to do was hold on …

“Yvette! I need you to move away from the door,” he said, his voice deep and urgent.

Away from the door was closer to the fire.

No.

That other voice inside her grew impatient.

Move to the side of the door.

“Yvette!” His voice grew more urgent. This time, there was a note of fear in it, too.

“I’m …” She struggled to get the words out. “I’m moving to the left.”

She crawled out of the way of the door. Around her, the bathroom crackled insistently.

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