Manny lifts a finger to let Joey know he’s down as well.
Joey looks at me.
“Count me in,” I say.
“All right! Shots for all.” Joey’s inner party animal rears its head. To Manny. A year older, none the wiser.”
“To Manny,” we all repeat.
“Well, fellas,” Joey says, sliding off the table to his feet, “as fun as this is, I’m pretty sure our plan’s a bust. It was too obvio—“
Before Joey can finish his sentence, an explosion shakes the place to its very foundations.
20
Confrontation
Ears ringing,my heart pounding, I scramble for my gear.
“He’s here!” Manny says.
I try to focus. One thing at a time. Fire hood. Check. Bunker pants. Check. Turnout jacket. Check. Helmet. Check. Gloves. Check.
It’s too bad we’re not timing ourselves, ’cause I’m pretty sure I just geared up in record time.
The sickening rush of flames moves down the hall, searching for oxygen.
The temperature’s already gone up a few degrees. Soon it’ll be a sauna in here, and then a furnace.
Jax taps my shoulder. “Let’s check on the source of the blast. Dennis and Manny are gonna swing the truck around to the front. Let’s get to it!”
We hustle into the hall but get stopped in our tracks.
Holy hell balls it’shot. Flames are spreading along the walls. The smoke toward the front entrance is too thick to see what sort of damage the explosion caused, but I get the distinct feeling it ain’t good.
“Mask up!” Jax says.
Just as I finish donning my breathing apparatus the sprinkler system activates. Water sprays my face shield.
With Jax leading the way, we press forward down the hall. The fire’s getting bolder, with flames starting to leap off the wall and across to the other side.
The smoke near the building’s front entrance is even worse than I thought. For a moment it engulfs me, and all I see is grey, all I feel is heat, and all I smell is the acrid stench of melting paint.
I stumble forward and see Jax. Why’s he stopped?
I get closer and my question is answered.
The entrance has turned to rubble. Jax drives his shoulder into the pile, his movement wild and desperate. Without thinking, I join him, but it doesn’t take long for us to realize that it’s futile. It ain’t gonna budge.
We fling the rubble over to the side. The air is so thick and hot it almost feels like a liquid. Like we’re submerged in a pot of boiling water.
This is bad. By the time we clear a path we’ll both be cooked the way Manny likes his steak: well done.
Just as I’m about to propose that we retreat, Dennis, Manny, and Joey approach us.
“What happened?” Jax says.
“The emergency exit is blocked” Dennis says, breathing heavy.
