Adrenaline flooded my system and smoke filled my lungs as I ran through the large, mostly empty, smoke filled-room.
Every step added to the agony in my arm.
I will not quit.
“I’m here,” I said, stopping in front of her and dropping to a knee. I bit back my scream when my useless left arm dropped to my side as I reached for Madi with my right hand.
“What happened to your arm?” Madi asked, her voice gritty from the smoke.
Only Madeleine fucking Sheppard would ask about my arm while tied to a chair in a burning building with blood oozing from dozens of nasty cuts.
“It’s fine. Let’s get you out of here.”
I scooted behind her after cutting the ties at her ankles.
Seeing Madi’s blood soaked hands made me see red.
She’d fought against the ropes at her wrists and lost.
She’s so fucking strong.
Using my pocket knife, I apologized as I carefully cut the ropes.
Madi didn’t respond, but her body tensed as she braced against the pain. I spared a glance and noticed her jaw was clenched tight enough to turn coal to diamond.
It wasn’t enough to her from whimpering when I touched her raw flesh. The sound tore at my heart.
Worry about your feelings later. Your only priority is getting her out of here.
“Can you walk?”
“I think so,” she answered, holding her wrists against her chest while standing on wobbly legs.
I wrapped my good arm around her. “The office is unpassable. We need to find another way out.”
The windows were too high to be useful, and I knew from the blue prints Doug sent that the emergency exit was located along the back wall.
Not an option.Fires consumed the small rooms surrounding it.
We’d never make it through.
“She set fires there first,” Madi said, following my gaze.
I looked towards the shipping and receiving doors. I wouldn’t be able to force them open with one arm, but maybe Madi and I could do it together.
Madi coughed, her body weight dropping on my arm.
The cough didn’t cover her cries of pain when she lifted her hand to cover her mouth.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. We have to keep moving.” She winced as she clung to my shoulder to hoist herself back up. The blood from her wrist soaked through my shirt.
She can’t help me with the bay doors.
“Let’s go.” With my left arm throbbing and Madi limping, we headed toward the large metal doors we didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of opening.
“South exit blocked. Heading to the east bay doors.” I told the team, trusting them to help from the outside.
