Page 63 of Whispers and Warriors
Emma.
Fear clawed at his throat, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. He couldn’t lose her, not now, not after everything they’d been through. She was his light in the darkness, the one thing that made this hellish existence worth living.
Without conscious thought, he was moving, his feet pounding against the deck as he raced the fifteen steps to the mess hall door. He shoved past panicked crew members, barely registering their startled cries as he barreled through the chaos.
His heart hammered in his chest, his breaths coming in sharp, ragged gasps. He had to get to her, had to make sure she was safe. Nothing else mattered.
He wasn’t certain where the explosion came from, but the smoke grew thicker, the heat more intense. He could hear the crackle of flames, the ominous groaning of metal. But still, he pressed on, his determination unwavering.
“Emma!” he shouted, his voice raw and desperate. “Emma, where are you?”
But there was no response, only the deafening roar of the alarms that seemed to pierce the very soul, accompanied by the haunting, tortured screams of the injured and dying echoing in the distance, painting a vivid picture of chaos and despair.
William gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. He would find her, no matter what it took. He would save her, just as he always had.
Even if it meant sacrificing everything else.
His eyes darted wildly around the room, taking in the chaotic scene. The once immaculate space transformed into a nightmarish tableau of destruction. Tables and chairs were strewn across the floor, flipped over in disarray, while shards of glass and scattered debris lay like jagged confetti. The air hung heavy with smoke, a dense, suffocating fog that carried the acrid stench of burning metal and plastic, searing his nostrils with its harsh, biting odor.
But he barely registered any of it, his focus solely on finding Emma. He moved through the chaos, his heart pounding in his ears, his breathing ragged and shallow. He called out her name, his voice hoarse and desperate, but it was swallowed by the cacophony of screams and alarms.
“Emma!” he shouted again, his eyes darting from one terrified face to another. “Where are you?”
He caught a glimpse of a familiar shade of brown hair and his heart leapt into his throat. He surged forward, shoving past a group of sobbing women, his hand outstretched. But as he drew closer, he realized it wasn’t her, and his stomach plummeted. He pulled the woman up. “That way,” he shoved her toward the open door, his heart torn between helping her and finding Emma.
“Damn it, Emma,” he muttered under his breath, his jaw clenched tight. “Where the hell are you?”
Spinning around, his gaze swept the room once more. The smoke was getting thicker, the heat more intense. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back, the sting of it in his eyes. But he refused to give up, refused to let the fear that clawed at his insides take hold.
This damn room was too big, too many people were in the way and too many flipped over tables blocked him.
All around him, women shoved and screamed, their eyes wide with terror as they fought to escape the smoke-filled room. The acrid stench of burning plastic and metal seared his nostrils, making his eyes water and his lungs burn with each ragged breath.
But he couldn’t focus on that now. He had to find Emma.
“Everyone, stay calm!” he shouted over the din, his voice commanding yet reassuring. “Follow me to the exit, quickly now!”
A few women near him looked up, their tear-streaked faces etched with fear and confusion. But when they met William’s steady gaze, a flicker of hope ignited in their eyes. They nodded, grabbing hold of each other’s hands as they began to move toward him.
William led the way, his strides purposeful and sure despite the uneven footing of overturned chairs and debris. He kept his gun drawn, ready to protect the group at a moment’s notice. More women fell in behind him, their whimpers and cries creating a haunting chorus amidst the shrill blare of alarms.
“That’s it, stay together,” William urged, glancing back to make sure no one was left behind. His eyes continued to search desperately for any sign of Emma’s curly brown hair or hazel eyes, his heart clenching painfully at the thought of her trapped somewhere in this nightmarish hell.
A deafening groan suddenly reverberated through the room and William’s head snapped up. His eyes widened as he saw the far wall buckling inward, the metal twisting and screeching in protest. Fiery sparks rained down from exposed wiring, igniting pockets of spilled oil and sending plumes of thick black smoke billowing toward the ceiling.
“Go, go, go!” William roared, waving the women past him as he positioned himself between them and the collapsing wall. Terrified shrieks pierced the air as they rushed for the exit, clambering over piles of rubble in their haste.
With gritted teeth, William risked one last sweeping glance behind him, his eyes stinging and blurry. But there was still no sign of Emma. A wave of despair crashed over him, threatening to buckle his knees. How could he leave her? How could he abandon the woman he loved more than life itself?
Anguished, William forced himself to turn away, knowing deep in his heart that Emma would never forgive him if he let these innocent women perish for her sake. She was too good, too selfless for that. Her love for others had always eclipsed her own well-being.
Blinking back the hot sting of tears, William ushered the last few stragglers through the mangled doorway, the blistering heat searing his back as the flames licked ever closer. He left them, shoving back through the danger to find Emma and anyone else left behind.
TWENTY-FOUR
Ringing.
Piercing Pain.
