“Just heat and smoke, Captain,” he said. “Don’t send anyone. I’m almost out.”
“How do you know? Can you see something? Is there light coming through?”
Jayce wished he could have said yes. He desperately wanted to get out of there on his own. “Almost out, Captain.”
As Jayce rushed along the wall, he tripped over something and skidded into a pile of boxes—apparently some had fallen and not been picked up. Or whoever had set the fire may have left them scattered as a booby trap for unsuspecting firefighters. He’d heard of sick individuals doing things like that.
He pushed himself to his feet, felt around for the wall, and realized he had lost his bearings—again. After falling ass over teakettle, he didn’t know in which direction he popped up. Now he was surrounded by smoke he couldn’t see through, so he moved a few feet in each direction, feeling for the wall. Nothing. Back to center. A few more steps in another direction again led to nothing. He came back to the center, moved a few feet in another direction, and pawed at the air. He couldn’t believe this calamity. Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, his low air alarm began chirping. Its warning told him he had five minutes—ten at the most—to breathe.Shit, shit, shit.
Jayce heard voices and turned toward those. Apparently the captain had sent someone after him even though he had asked him not to. He was never so happy to be second-guessed.
“Fierro! Where are you?” Drake called out from somewhere nearby.
“Stay where you are,” he yelled. “I can hear you. I’m coming toward you.”
“Well, hurry up. We’ve got a bitch of a fire on our hands, and we need you.”
Jayce felt bad enough without being told he was part of the problem. He charged toward the voice, tripped again, and yelled, “Jesus Christ.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I just feel like an idiot. Thank God it’s you. I was afraid they sent someone…” He almost said the wordmortal.That would’ve been hard to explain.
“Yeah, I know. Come toward my voice. And watch your feet this time, Grace.”
Jayce laughed, even in the midst of his frustration and anger at himself. He slid his foot ahead a few feet and then pulled the other one up to meet it. In this way, Jayce sort of skated his way across the floor toward Drake’s voice.
“I can see you.”
Jayce squinted through the smoke and saw a dark shape a few feet ahead. “Yeah, I see you too. Almost there.”
When he reached out, Drake grabbed his arm and dragged him in the right direction. “I’ve got ya, buddy.”
Jayce let out a deep breath, never more grateful to hear those words.
Drake led him another dozen or so feet to the stairwell. “I’ve got him, Captain.”
“Thank God. Get him out of there before he runs out of air. You all right, Fierro?”
“Yeah, Captain. I’m fine. Just got turned around when I tripped over something. Not a body—just boxes. We’ll go and help Harmon now.”
“No, Fierro, you’re coming to me. Cameron can help Harmon.”
Crap.
* * *
When Kristine and her mother arrived at the Back Bay train station, they heard their names being called from a distance. A handsome man was heading toward them. It wasn’t Jayce or any of his brothers. Curious, Kristine and Amy headed toward the stranger who knew their names. When they reached each other, the guy introduced himself.
“I’m Rory, owner of the B and B where you’ll be stayin’,” Rory said with an Irish accent.
Kristine stuck out her right hand. “Hi, my name is Kristine Scott. This is my mother, Amy.”
They all shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before he reached for the two heavy bags. They tried to stop him.
“You don’t have to carry our stuff. We’re plenty strong and can do it ourselves,” Kristine said.
“Oh, I have no doubt of that. But how would it look if I strolled beside two ladies carryin’ heavy luggage?” As they walked, he chatted away. “I’ve heard good things about you, Kristine. And this is your mother? She looks young enough to be your sister.”
