Tris presses a finger over her lips, signaling me to be quiet. The firefighter looks over his shoulder.
“What? What’s going on?”
“We’ve got orders to get you out, ma’am,” the firefighter says.
“Thank you. Is the man who was with me out?”
“Ma’am, our orders are to get the woman out.”
I try to shake my head, but I can’t because I’m trapped. My brain must’ve suffered a hit because it takes me a moment to understand what he said. “Okay, I’m the woman. But what about the man who was with me?”
“Another crew is working on him,” Tris says. “Let’s just get you out.” Tris sticks her hand through the hole and wipes my face with a washcloth. I can see better!
“Is he alive?” I ask.
“You set on getting us killed, lady?”
“No. No.”
“Then keep your mouth shut.”
I don’t like him. “Who is out there?” I ask.
The other fireman speaks for the first time, “I’ll tell you who if you tell me who the fuck you are.”
“Dina Ferrar.”
“Who?”
“Dina Ferrar.”
“Well, Dina, the chief of police ordered us to get you out and into custody, and then we are to stop digging. That’s all.”
“Declan Crossbow is under the rubble,” I lie, because Connor risked his life for this. He risked his life so that the man who wanted his brother dead would strike and reveal their hand. I might be stupid, but I’ve seen enough of how these two brothers work to know I need to keep up with Connor’s ruse.
Now, I cry. It’s good. Tears clear the debris from my eyes.
The men exchange looks. Tris curses. I push on even when my throat burns. My voice sounds like I scrubbed my vocal cords with sandpaper.
“Tris, there’s thirty-five thousand dollars in my apartment.” The cops might’ve confiscated it, but they might not have. “I’ll tell you where I stashed it if you do something for me.”
“Lady, I have three kids,” the older of the two firefighters says.
Tris shakes her head. “Dina, don’t. You’ll get us killed.”
“Please, Tris. All I want you to do?—”
She looks over her shoulder. “We’re working as fast as we can!”
The firefighter barks, “No more talking. I mean it.”
“Please,” I beg, and tears spill from the corners of my eyes. “Please, get the man out.”
“Shut up, Dina,” Tris says firmly. “Shut up or they’re going to kill you. The chief is here and Crossbow’s SUVs are arriving.Since Massio is dead, someone else owns the city now. Keep your mouth shut.”
The firefighters struggle to lift the last large piece of concrete wall. I shut my eyes, terrified they might drop it on me. When I close my eyes though, Connor’s dimples and his smile flash before my eyes.
By the time they fetch me out, I’m a hopeless emotional mess. Injured with cuts and bruises everywhere, I cry me a river. My arm hurts when someone pins my wrist to the stretcher before they wheel me away.
