“Come on, girl. Let’s get you some water,” Tim called to Robin, but she ignored him. “Robin. Come.”
Robin locked in place and started barking vigorously. Her excitement was almost uncontainable, causing her to jump back and forth on top of the debris. But she kept her snout pointed to a single crack between two large pieces of building material. Rebel stopped in mid-motion and stared at her for several seconds before his gaze swung to Tim. His eyes asked the question he couldn’t bring himself to verbalize.
“She’s got something! We need some help over here,” Tim yelled.
Group members from every direction swarmed on the location Robin indicated. Reaper, Shadow, Bull, Roman, Joe, and Tucker surrounded Rebel. Everyone watched on pins and needles as a small camera on the end of a flexible tube was passed through the crack and into the darkness below. The tiny LED light illuminated the cave-like fissure, and the image was transmitted up to the screen held by the camera operator. Rebel started to move so he could see the screen, but Tim stopped him.
“Wait. There’s a reason why the image isn’t broadcast for everyone to see. Give him a few seconds to determine what we’re dealing with down there.”
In his mind, Rebel knew Tim was correct. She may still be alive, but the image of her current condition would forever be burned into his memory if he dared to look at the screen. In the event she didn’t survive, Tim was only trying to save him from a lifetime of the haunting scene. Rebel nodded once, agreeing to wait for their signal it was safe to look.
Tim cupped Rebel’s shoulder and squeezed. “I know I’m asking a lot of you.”
“You have no idea how hard it is for me not to grab that camera from his hands and do it myself. My whole life is down there, and I don’t know if she’s alive or dead.”
“I need you to also consider there’s a possibility Robin found another victim. It’s hard not to get your hopes up, but there were a lot of people in this building,” Tim added.
“It’s Heather,” Rebel replied. “I feel her. I know it’s her.”
Tim nodded his head, but his dubious expression conveyed his honest thoughts. Unable to wait any longer, Rebel darted behind the camera operator and watched the live streaming images over his shoulder. What appeared to be a twisted metal cage came into view and the camera operator halted to fine-tune the resolution.
“What is that?” He talked to himself absently as he worked the equipment, moving the camera around for a different angle.
“It’s the framework for the stairs. The concrete is gone, but that’s the mangled steel frame the steps were built on,” Rebel replied. “Zoom in right there.”
When the camera zoomed in tighter, they both saw an arm move inside the cage. “There! Did you see that?” Rebel wanted to dive headfirst into the opening and bring the search and rescue mission to an end. He wanted his wife back at his side.
The camera operator adjusted the resolution again now that he had a specific target to identify. The camera panned out, giving a wider view, and Rebel’s heart surged in his chest. There, buried beneath the piles of ruin and wreckage, lay the love of his life. Boulder-sized chunks of building remains surrounded her, but the thick steel frame of the stairwell had essentially cocooned her, creating a bent and contorted cage that supported the weight of the remains directly above it.
“Call the structural engineers and get them over here immediately!” The group leader instantly took control of the scene. “Everyone in the section immediately around us, carefully move to the sides. Be careful where and how you step. We don’t want any shifting if we can avoid it.”
Another volunteer sent a small speaker down the shaft to her and unclipped the headset from his utility belt. He extended his hand toward Rebel and passed the headset to him. “Talk to her. Let her know what we’re doing and that she’s not alone.”
Rebel hooked it over his ear, and the volunteer gave him the go-ahead nod when he’d turned it on. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was at a loss for words of what to say to his wife. He had no idea how to reassure her. He had no way of knowing how long it would take to safely get her out of the dungeon she was buried in. He had no clue what he was supposed to say.
Her back was propped up against one side of her protective cage. The camera focused on her face, displaying the streaks of dried blood, cuts, scrapes, and bruises lying under layers of concrete dust. Her hair was matted to her head in places, wild and untamed in others. Though she kept her eyes closed, they fluttered every few seconds as she attempted to open them.
In that moment, Rebel realized he’d never seen anyone or anything more beautiful in his entire life.
“Hey, baby. I have to admit, this hiding spot was a pretty brilliant idea for our ongoing game of hide-and-seek. You’ve really set the bar high with this one. But as you can see, I found you. Surely by now, you know me better than to think I’d let something as trivial as a few hundred tons of steel and concrete stand in my way.”
He bit back the emotions that threatened to overtake him when he saw a small smile play on her lips.
“We’re using a small camera to see you and a one-way speaker to talk to you. All you have to do is nod or something to give me a sign. I’ll keep talking and keep you company. You know me—I won’t leave here until you’re safe in my arms again. In fact, I’m never leaving you again. Not for Miami, not for the government, nothing can keep us apart again. Now that I have you in my sights, you’ll be out of there as soon as possible. We have all kinds of people up here plotting and planning, brilliant minds who can figure this out in no time. I’m right here with you, Heather.”
She slowly nodded to indicate she understood, her sluggish movements leaving no doubt of the trauma her body had sustained. She tried to open her eyes again but quickly shut them and winced in pain.
“Leave your eyes closed, sweetheart,” Rebel coaxed her. “There’s a lot of concrete dust, and it can scratch your eyes and make them hurt like hell. We’ll get them rinsed good when we get you out of there. Do you remember what happened?”
She nodded, and her face fell as sadness overcame her.
“I know you’re sad, and I know you’re scared. But we’ll get through this together, okay? You and me. Oh, and there’s someone up here I can’t wait for you to meet. She already loves you, and she hasn’t even met you yet. She’s been beside me all night, searching for you and refusing to rest until she found you. Her name is Robin, and she has the most beautiful brown eyes you’ll ever see.”
Heather arched one eyebrow, daring him to continue complimenting another woman to her.
Rebel laughed good-naturedly. “And she has the shiniest black hair. Come to think of it, her hair color does remind me of yours. Anyway, let me see if I can get her over here to say hello to you.”
He looked up from the screen to find Tim there, smiling and waiting with Robin. Rebel knelt down beside her then Tim gave the command. “Speak to the lady, Robin.”
“Rrr-ruff!” Robin barked.
Rebel ran his fingers over the screen, his heart bursting with love when Heather responded with a full smile. “Robin says hello, babe. She’s a gorgeous black Lab with a heart of gold. You’ll love her, and I’m pretty sure you’ll want to keep her.”
Engineers and construction crews approached, poised to explain the plan they’d devised for extricating her. Apprehension unlike anything he’d ever experienced before gripped him tightly, squeezing him like a vise from the inside. He put the headset on mute before he addressed them.
“I just found her after almost two days of searching. Do not do anything that could take her away from me again.” The threatening timbre of his voice left no room for misunderstanding.
“We’ll take good care of her. Everything will be handled one step at a time to make sure all the supports are in place.” The engineer attempted to assure him, but Rebel would only rest easy when she was finally rescued.
“Okay, baby,” he said softly. “We’re starting the pro
cess of getting you out of there. You’ll hear a lot of noise. They’re bringing in heavy equipment to move the larger pieces out of the way. You’ll feel vibrations, which will almost certainly shake smaller pieces onto you. Keep your head covered just in case, but I’ll be here watching their every move, every second.”
She mouthed I love you in response, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
“I’ve loved you every single day since the day we first met. You’re my best friend, my lover, and my wife, and you’re the best person I know. You’re beautiful and sexy and caring and giving and funny and strong and independent and supportive—and so much more.
“I’m not saying goodbye, my love. You’re not leaving me. Want to know how I know that? Because I can feel you. I feel you inside me, beside me, all around me. Because you’re the best part of me, the part I can’t live without. The day I can’t feel you anymore will be the day I die. But that’s not today, Heather. We still have a life to live out together. So don’t you dare give up and even think about leaving me.”
Her tears continued to roll down her cheeks, but the trepidation that had covered her expression was replaced with the determination he recognized. She nodded and mouthed okay. When the extrication work began, she did as he’d instructed and covered her head with her arms. He didn’t miss the grimace of pain that flashed across her face when she raised both arms, but she didn’t let it stop her.
Piece by piece, they carefully moved the largest chunks of debris at the top of the pile away from the rescue site. With every movement, the engineers reevaluated the structure of what remained and identified what to clear next. Inevitably, a portion would break loose and free-fall into the space below, tumbling through the twisted metal that imprisoned her before hitting her. Her muffled cries of pain and fright drove Rebel mad. In the tight space where she was trapped by the metal, she had nowhere to move to dodge the shards. When they’d cleared a hole barely large enough for a person to fit through on the surface, he thrust the headset back to the volunteer and jumped feet-first into the opening before anyone could stop him.
“I’m here, baby. I’m with you.”
He reached his arms through the steel bars that still caged her and covered her head with his muscular arms. The metal had been driven deep into the ground around her and still supported some of the wreckage that hadn’t yet been moved. Though she didn’t have much room to move, she slid toward him, flush with the metal, and wrapped her arms as far around him as she could reach through the metal bars. Her fingers were battered and sobs racked her body, but she held on to him with all the strength she had left.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Her voice barely came across as a rough whisper with her throat and mouth coated in the dust from the devastated building.
“This is exactly where I should be—it’s where you are.”
Through each meticulous step of the work, Rebel stayed at her side. His strong arms protected her from falling dangers. His words soothed her frazzled nerves. His presence gave her the strength she needed to hold on. In between activities, volunteers lowered several bottles of water down to them. In the first delivery, he used the bottles meant for his rehydration to wash the grit out of her eyes and clean the dust off her face. After clearing the dust from her mouth and throat, he nursed her wounds and made sure she was well hydrated. Each time the equipment started up, he gathered her in his arms through the metal bars and used his body to shield hers.
The sun was setting again when they’d cleared enough away to safely cut the metal and get her out. A blowtorch was lowered to Rebel, and he hesitantly examined the cage that surrounded her. If the cut weakened the metal any further, the weight could shift and bury them both. But they’d been in the danger zone long enough, and the odds of something tragic happening increased. Their lives were in the hands of the structural engineers.
Rebel held his breath while he made the cuts at the precise locations in which he was instructed. When he’d cut enough away for Heather to squeeze through, he scooped her up in his arms and crushed her to him while she cried tears of joy and relief. The team above lowered harnesses down to them to pull them out to safety and freedom. He helped Heather into her harness before stepping into his own and pulling her back into his arms for safekeeping.
The thunderous roar of the crowd when they emerged from the certain death trap was humbling. Heather looked around her, blinking repeatedly from the pain and from the tears that blurred her vision, and was awed at the scene. The mass of people who’d voluntarily worked hours on end to find and free as many as possible was unbelievable.
“Brax,” she choked out, unable to express anything else.
“I know, love. Believe me when I say every single one of them wanted to be here. To help in any way. And I’m so grateful for them.”
Paramedics were waiting in the wings and rushed in as quickly as the workers unhooked their harnesses. At first, Heather tried to resist medical treatment.
“I’m a nurse,” she rasped and waved the gurney away. “I’m okay.”
“Nurses are almost as bad at being a patient as paramedics are,” one of them joked but didn’t move away.
“You’re a wonderful nurse. You’re not okay. You’re injured, and you’re a patient as of right now. Get on the gurney.” Rebel crossed his arms over his wide chest and dared her to argue with him.
She climbed onto the gurney, careful to avoid further injury to her side and leg, and stretched out. One of the paramedics started an IV for her hydration while the other performed an initial medical assessment.
“Which hospital do you want to go to?” the one who performed the assessment asked her pointedly.
Resigned to the fact she genuinely did need medical attention, she nodded when Rebel gave the name of the hospital where she worked. The uncertainty swirling in her mind was the only reason she didn’t want to leave for the hospital. She knew she needed treatment, but she wasn’t ready to face the questions she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Has my dad been found?
Was he transported to the hospital?
How bad were his injuries?
When can I see him?
Is he still alive?
Loaded and ready to go, Rebel jumped into the back of the ambulance with her, staying at her side as he promised.
“Do you want us to meet you there? I don’t want to intrude if the two of you need some time alone.” Noah stood at the back of the ambulance, holding the edge of the door.
Heather raised her head and replied for them both. “You’re our family. You don’t have to ask.”
Noah grinned and winked at her. “We’ll be there, then. Rebel, I got a call, and we’re back on for locate and eradicate. It’s your call, but personally, I don’t think you want to sit this one out.”
Through their nonverbal conversation, Rebel read between the lines and instantly understood the difference in their assignment.
“This investigation belongs to me. There’s no way in hell I’d miss it.”
23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
On the ride from the port to the hospital, Brax handed Heather his cell phone.
“Let your mom hear your voice so she knows you’re okay. She’s been worried sick, and they wouldn’t let her in the port.”
She dialed her number, and her heart ripped in two from the panic in Kay’s voice when she answered.
“Brax? Is she okay?”
“I’m okay, Mom.”
Completely choked with emotion, neither could speak after that simple exchange, so Rebel took the phone and finished the conversation.
“Kay, we’re heading to Heather’s hospital, where she knows the doctors and nurses. Meet us in the ER when you’ve calmed down and can safely drive. You don’t have to rush, she’s really okay. We’ll see you soon.”
Rebel leaned over and gently kissed Heather while lovingly stroking her matted hair. “It’s okay, baby. You can cry all you need to. I’ll be here to dry you
r tears and take care of you.”
Kay was waiting in the emergency room when the ambulance arrived. Even though it had only been a couple of days since Heather had last seen her, she noted how the stress and worry appeared to have aged her mother by several years.
Kay rushed to her when she was wheeled in and looked her over. “Heather, are you okay? How badly are you hurt? What can I do?”
“Just my ribs and my leg hurt, Mom. I’m okay. Brax has been taking good care of me,” she replied weakly.
“Thank God you were found. I don’t know what I would do if…”
What Kay didn’t say told Heather more than she wanted to know at the moment. Compartmentalizing the traumatic event was helping her stay sane. She wasn’t prepared to know everything all at once. Whatever information Kay had about Emmett’s condition couldn’t be good news, and that fact nearly pushed her into a panic attack.
She was thoroughly evaluated, questioned, poked, prodded, X-rayed, treated, and medicated for the injuries she’d sustained. From the trauma and stress her body had sustained, the doctor decided to keep her for a twenty-three-hour observation and make a determination about admitting or discharging her at that time. She was moved to a large private room to give Brax enough room to stay with her.
When the doctor made his rounds the following morning, she convinced him she would convalesce much better at home than in the hospital. With assurances that Rebel, Kay, and the rest of their extended family would be there to help her, the doctor agreed to let her go home. Bull brought Heather’s Land Rover to the hospital, and Rebel drove his wife home.
Wicked Intentions (Steele Secrurity Book 4) Page 22