Page 43 of Bleeding Hearts

Bentley meets me in the hall just outside the apartment. With smoke rapidly filling the spacious apartment, rescuing the man is of critical importance.

“Fire department. Call out.”

We step inside. Several seconds tick by, thick with anticipation, as we search for the guy we returned to find.

We finally find him. He’s on the floor of his bedroom, lying on his side, struggling to breathe. The man is built like a professional lineman. It’s a good thing I’m not alone. With Bentley’s help, we get him on his feet and comfortable enough for one of us to carry him out.

“I need to do a second check of 4B. You got him?”

Bentley hoists the man over his shoulder and nods, prompting me to motion for him to go first. As we re-enter the hall, the smoke turns an eerie brownish color, making me uneasy.

“Everyone out, now!” the captain orders over the radio.

A shift in smoke color is a signal suggesting a building collapse—a serious issue requiring immediate attention. While risks exist in this job, when your captain orders you to get out, you get the fuck out.

As we retreat down the hallway, fleeing the brown smoke, something behind me catches my attention. My head snaps around, eyes narrowing in surprise at the sight of a silhouette hurrying into the apartment where I found the baby.

“Fuck.” With a deep breath, I prepare myself for the task ahead. “Captain. We have another one. I’m getting her now. 4B.”

“There’s no time!” His clipped tone brooks no argument.

“I’ll make it quick.” Already heading that way, I pray the building cooperates long enough to grab her and get out.

“I said evacuate!”

A loud pop shatters the silence as a hallway beam buckles, creating a brief moment of panic.

I’m about to step into the apartment when the woman crashes into me.

“My baby!”

“We took your baby outside.” With ease, I hoist her over my shoulder and make a mad dash for the stairs. “We gotta go. Now!”

She offers no resistance, the suspense thick in the air as we race to the stairs, only seconds before the ceiling behind us crashes down with a deafening rumble. Urgency spurs me onward; the intense heat closes in behind us, a reminder of how quickly I need to get us out of here.

As fast and as safely as I can, I run down the stairs. The smoke makes it difficult to see, forcing me to use instinct not to trip. When I see light seeping in under the door, I pick up the pace, heat growing rapidly behind me.

A whooshing sound, like escaping air, fills my ears as we reach the exit. I burst through the door, sprinting away as theanticipated blast threatens to overtake us. Trusting my instincts, I shift the woman off my shoulder and securely hold her to my chest, ensuring her protection as I throw both of us to the ground.

A flash of flames licks against my back. The heat intense, barely muted by my protective gear, as I use my body to protect the slender woman under me. It’s gone just as quickly as it arrives, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

A deafening boom reverberates through the air, causing the ground to tremble beneath us.

In a matter of seconds, I’m lifted off the woman by my crew. Supported on both sides, they drag me away to the safe zone, the inferno now behind us. Once we’re far enough away, I’m released.

Yanking off my helmet and mask, I toss them to the ground and suck in a lung full of fresh air. “What happened? Was anyone inside?”

Shari stands in front of me, her hands flying as she works on my coat. “Everyone got out. What the hell were you thinking?”

With my coat and suspenders off, I bend at the waist. “You would’ve done the same.”

Opening a bottle of cold water, she passes it to me. “Probably. Captain is pissed, though.”

Taking the bottle from her, I drop to the ground and guzzle it.

Fighting fires is no joke. Our gear is heavy and hot.

With a nod, I gesture for the second bottle, then glance down at my coat and gear spread on the dusty ground. The melted back of my helmet and the charcoal stains on my coat serve as a reminder of the extreme danger my job puts me in. I’ve seen worse, but this is a first for me.

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