Page 14 of Under Fire in Big Sky

Evacuation of the hotel caused a massive bottleneck in the lobby. More staff than guests. He shoved through the crowd, hustling against the flow of traffic and the people fleeing to safety.

Free from the bustling lobby, he dashed to the east side. Reaching the last corridor with a sign for the ballrooms, he halted.

Acrid smoke, heavy with the stench of burning gasoline, filled the hallway. Fire crawled rapidly over the carpeted floor.

He had to get through. Whirling around, he spotted what he needed mounted on the wall. Eli hurried to the fire extinguisher and grabbed it.

The yawning danger zone loomed ahead of him. Pulling the pin, he charged down the fiery hallway, the hiss of the extinguisher punctuating the crackle of flames as he blasted a path through the corridor. The smoke stung his eyes and filled his lungs, but he kept going.

At the entrance of the Grand Ballroom, orange flames consumed the carpet, snaking up the walls, the heat from the inferno hitting him in a palpable wave, forcing him back.

Coughing, he pressed on down the hallway, using the extinguisher in spurts until he came to the last room. Another blast of the propellant smothered the flames creeping up the door.

It was chained and locked.

Liv!

Eli had his lock-picking kit on him, but there was no time to use it. He drew his gun and shot the padlock. Slamming the extinguisher down on the remnants of the lock, he knocked it loose into a pile of ashes—burned paper. He stuck the muzzle of his gun between the hot chains to unwrap them and kicked the door open.

The fire from the other ballroom had broken through. A dense layer of smoke filled the room.

“Olivia!” He choked on the smoke.

Where was she?

He took out his cell phone and turned on the bright flashlight. Running along the periphery of the room, he searched for her. “Liv!”

God, it was so hot. He could barely breathe. The heat. The smoke. He needed air. But he wasn’t leaving this room without Olivia.

Keep moving. Focus. She’s here. She had to be.

There!

In the back corner of the room. Two bodies were slumped over.

His heart jolted. No.

Eli yanked down a wet jacket that had been over their faces. Liv. And a man who must have been Dempsey. They were both unconscious.

Kneeling, he scooped her into his arms and held her close. He stood and hustled out of the room. The exit was only a few feet away. He scrambled through the door. Out into the fresh air.

Hacking, he carried her away from the building, getting as clear of the smoke as he could. He laid her down on the ground. Caressed her face. “Liv, honey.”

She was so still. Her eyes didn’t even flutter beneath their lids.

“Come on,” he urged.

Not again. He couldn’t lose someone again.

In the background, over the ghastly roar of flames, he heard the shrill of sirens. Emergency vehicles. Ambulances. He needed to get her help, get her to the hospital.

Dempsey.

The man was still trapped in the building.

Eli drew a few quick, deep breaths and ran back in for him. Thick clouds of black smoke roiled inside. Coughing, exhausted, he was barely able to see.

He made it back to the ballroom. The ever-growing blaze was moving fast, now burning wildly, flames leaping across the ceiling. Sparks threatened to drop the chandelier to the floor. He dashed into the room.