Page 6 of Sheltered by the Lawman

He moved slowly. “Lady?” he yelled. His voice seemed engulfed by the threatening cloud which grew thicker as he moved deeper into the apartment. Flames shot out from the living room, eating up the curtains and climbing the side of the wall.

Not able to see past a few feet and his breathing was growing labored from the smoke, he dragged off his shirt and held it against his face as he took slow, precise steps, searching through the darkened space for the woman. “Hello? Lady?” He moved his gaze erratically.

Taking his phone out of his pocket, he used the light to see where he was going.

Flames now reached as high as the ceiling and were spreading fast.

Where the hell was the woman?

“Lady? Where are you?” He stepped toward the hallway where thankfully there wasn’t as much smoke and he could see beyond a few feet. He heard a noise from one of the rooms. A loud thud? Or a moan? “Lady?” he was yelling louder now, moving faster too, so fast that he’d dropped his shirt somewhere in his haste. With a boot to the locked bedroom door and the splintering of wood everywhere, he rushed in to find her lying on the floor. The window across the room was wide open and the thin white curtains were ripped and billowed in the wind.

Cull dropped down to his knees beside her and checked her pulse. Although it was slow and faint, she was alive. “We have to get out of here,” he commanded, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder, checking the status of the fire. The smoke was thicker in the hallway now and he could feel the temperature rising. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the heat and adrenaline rush. “I’ll get you out of here,” he said to the unconscious woman. He reached beneath her and gently lifted her, although his protective side yearned to grab her up and hurry the hell out of the burning apartment before they both ended up dead. When her hair swept off her forehead, he saw the blood smeared at her hairline. She’d been struck. Someone had left her for dead.

Hearing menacing pops and creaks, he realized they didn’t have long before the place was consumed in fire.

With her tucked in his arms, he started for the door when he stopped cold. The flames were within several feet, blocking his exit. “Shit!” The apartment was going up quick.

Looking back at the window, he realized there was only one way out. Scrambling across the room, he peered through the open window, feeling a rush of fresh, cool air that gave his lungs relief. The woman weighed nothing and he easily held her against the safety of his chest and arms as he climbed through the window onto the fire escape. The rusted metal creaked and scraped against the brick building as if in warning that it didn’t meet code. He wasn’t too sure about the stability, but what choice did he have? With as much gasoline as he smelled poured throughout the apartment, he wasn’t sure how much time they had before the place was engulfed.

Bracing her so that if they fell he’d protect her from getting hurt, he took each step carefully, but instinct cautioned him that he needed to move faster. When he finally reached the ground, he heard a loud crack, closely followed by the breaking of windows. A shower of glass poured around him. Fire alarms were going off inside the building and he hoped residents were all hurrying out.

Then a new sound joined the others. Loud familiar pops. Shit! He dropped down to his knees behind a car, still holding the woman close, frantically looking around into the darkness. They were being shot at!

Where was it coming from?

Cull covered the woman with his body for protection as he looked around the front of the fender. He couldn’t see anyone from his position. It was too dark. In the distance he could hear the rustling of clothing then the thudding of shoes against concrete. Drawing his gun from the waist of his jeans, he squatted by the tire and waited, using all his senses.

Another succession of loud pings hit the car and screams sounded from people nearby. People were gathering in the commotion.

Someone was pissed that he had saved the woman.

Crawling on his stomach along the rough concrete, he narrowed his eyes, targeting every inch of space where the gunman could be hiding…and then he saw movement in the shadows almost a hundred feet away. A man dressed in all black jumped out from behind a dumpster and ran for the alley. Cull was on his feet in seconds, chasing the assailant. At the corner of a building, he stopped, aimed and took several shots. The gunman jumped the chain-link fence, falling hard on the other side. He let out a low groan of pain, but he was up and running.

Cull was sure he’d hit the man.

He heard sirens in the distance, but he couldn’t wait for their assistance. He sprinted down the shadowed alley and hit the fence running, flying over it in record time, just in time to see the gunman hop into a vehicle, burning rubber and squealing tires as he took off.

Aiming at the car, Cull wanted to take the shot, but by now the fire and gun shots had drawn a crowd and he couldn’t take the risk of hitting an innocent bystander.

Cursing, he watched until the car, a beat-up Oldsmobile with the back tag removed, disappeared. He quickly made his way back to the unconscious woman. The spots of blood on her forehead had turned into a trickle and left a red trail down her pale cheek. She was eerily still and he had to check her breathing again. Thankfully, she was alive.

Someone had meant to kill her. Would have killed him too.

Goosebumps scattered the woman’s flesh and he realized she must be cold. Drawing her into his arms, he sat back onto his bottom and leaned against the side of the car, cradling her close as he watched the apartment burn. He touched her slender neck, sliding the tips of his fingers gently along her smooth skin, feeling her pulse. It was stronger now, but her color was still too pale for his liking.

Flashing lights feathered across the building as the police cruisers stormed in. The woman moaned, and he threaded his fingers in her hair, attempting to soothe her. “It’s okay, Monica. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” He squeezed her tighter, suddenly feeling like he’d become her protector.

Her eyelids fluttered. “Wh-who are you?”

“The man who saved you,” he whispered.

“Don’t leave me,” she said softly and closed her eyes.

---