Page 58 of Saving Jared

The compressors Kevin had mentioned.

"Captain," she said into her mic. "We’ve got a problem."

"Give me your position."

"Second floor. Delta." So, right side. "We’re—"

"Position?" Cole cut in with his mic, his voice rising on, "We’re screwed," as she flinched when a crash sounded just outside their position.

"Get to the roof." The captain’s command didn’t make any sense.

"Sir?"

"He’s gotta be crazy," Cord said, bending toward her.

"Go," Captain Walters all but shouted. "I’ve got another county’s hydraulic aerial platform getting in place at the front of the building."

"Sounds like a plan," Willa told her captain.

"Yeah, right."

She ignored her partner’s sarcastic reply and let go of her mic before carefully stepping out onto the smoke-shrouded, slanted landing with him directly behind her.

What had been a desperate situation moments before had now become almost impossible.

"Well, that’s not happening," Cord groused.

Her heart stuttered when she let her gaze trace over the empty place where more of the landing had disappeared, then up. The outside wall of the stairwell going to the third floor and parts of the stairs had collapsed, leaving it wide open. Smoke continued to roll upward from the bottom floor. How much of the flight of stairs might be missing wasn’t clear.

"That explains the crash," she muttered, taking a tentative step forward and peering down through the smoke to the glow spread out below. Finding a way out through the bottom floor wasn’t an option at this point—whether they could have made it down there or not.

She eyed the steps again. Treacherous was the first word that came to mind as she reached out and tested the railing. At least it was still there and seemed solidly attached to the inside wall. She glanced behind her at Cord standing closer than she’d normally like. But in their current situation she didn’t care.

"I guess, up it is," she told him tightening her hold on the rail. They’d just have to take it slowly and carefully. Cord’s firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from turning around, before going facemask to facemask with her—their breathing loud. He shook his head.

"They won’t hold."

"Then what do you suggest?" She stared hard at him through the two layers of shields. They didn’t have the luxury of time to debate their options. For one thing, they didn’t have any other options. But the main reason being the fire in the area they’d just left wasn’t going anywhere but straight at them as it continued to eat away at the room. Then, of course, was the fact an explosion could happen at any second once those flames hit the compressors.

All of that going on in her mind was reflected in the fear and resignation in Cord’s gaze—the look she was sure he saw in her own. But his quickly turned into resolve as he huffed out a short breath. "I’ll go first. If it holds me, it’ll hold you."

She grimaced at his insistence but saw the merit of his reasoning as he straightened, telling him, "I’ll be a few steps behind you."

He nodded and stepped around her as she let go of the rail and moved aside. She watched, holding her breath, as Cord took hold of the rail and tested the first step with one foot, then added the second—standing there for a second before taking the next step up.

"Shew…" she breathed out as he slowly made his way up—gripping the railing, climbing hand over hand. Willa waited until he’d gone up at least four steps, then propped her pike pole against the wall and followed suit—using the railing as an anchor with each tentative step she took before putting her whole weight on one. Cord may have gone up without a problem, but the entire thing could crumble out from under either one of them at any second, and she wasn’t taking any chances.

With all that worry filling her senses, it was a hell of a time for her thoughts to wander toward Jared. She grimaced.

Jared, who thought she’d cheated on him.

She lifted her gaze toward Cord pulling himself up onto another step—this one barely big enough for one of his feet, much less two. Jared hadn’t had the chance to give her a name, but who else would have made himself out to be her firehouse quickie except for the person in front of her. How ironic was it that the man she suspected had imploded her world was now the one she’d basically entrusted with her life?

She took another step up. Implosions…

She’d had her fair share of those today, with more on the way when her brothers found out about Russ and Laurel.

My parents.

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