Page 76 of A Forgotten Heart
If the bullets were tearing through wood, the straw tick wouldn’t offer enough protection. Nor was he certain he could lift and hold it—not with his bum shoulder.
A flame burst through one corner where the ceiling met the wall, quickly spreading across the ceiling like water running down a hill. The roof must be ablaze outside. Smoke had spread across the entire room and was dropping fast, blocking Nick’s sight and causing another coughing fit, this one so bad that he had to bend over and grip his knees for support as his body shook.
If only he’d made it to the woods.
Now he was trapped. No way out.
Elsie’s words from earlier hit him.Take a breath and think.
When he tried to breathe, it turned into a cough. The way his body convulsed made new pain radiate through his shoulder.
He crossed the room to the window, staying as low as he could. From a spot beside the window, he tried to peer through the flames and darkness. Drew his revolver and aimed it out the window, just in case.
Heat from the wall seared his skin, driving him a few steps back from the window.
He heard her voice in his head.You’re one of the most intelligent men I know. You can figure this out.
Tears dripped down his cheeks as he fought against the smoke. Raising his forearm to shield his face from the smoke didn’t help.
Come on, Nick. Think.
Flames climbed the wall to his left.
At least one good thing had come of this. He’d created an inferno that would be visible for miles.
Please, God, let help come. Fast.
He had to go back outside. Maybe the shooters would miss. At least if he ran to the woods, he’d have a chance. Staying inside meant burning alive.
The haze of smoke was so low now that he holstered his gun and crawled on his hands and knees.
A loud splintering sounded overhead, and he had only a split second to react. He rolled away just as part of the roof collapsed—blocking the door.
He wasn’t going to make it.
He pressed his face into the floor, seeking one clean breath so he couldthink. Another coughing fit grabbed hold of him, and black spots danced before his eyes.
He didn’t want to die like this.
He loved Elsie. Had never stopped loving her. Even when he hadn’t been able to remember the previous day, his heart had remembered her.
The thought landed in his mind with perfect clarity, causing a ripple like a pebble dropped in a still lake.
He loved her.
And he wasn’t going to get to tell her.
No.
He refused to have things end like this.
He rolled onto his back as he hacked and wheezed, looking for any other way?—
The window.
The window on the north side of the building was untouched. Nick scrambled to his knees, lunged across the room. He hooked his hand onto the windowsill and wrenched his body up.
Flames licked the wall, moving closer.
