Had he gone for help? She did a quick scan of the room. He was nowhere in sight.
“Andrews to Command.” She depressed the mike, shouting to be heard. “Ramsay’s down. I think he’s gone through the floor. I’m not sure where Flynn is. Does anyone copy?”
She tried to tamp down the fright soaring through her. She wouldn’t be any help to herself or the others if she lost control now.
“Mason.” She leaned forward as far as she dared, and shined the beam of light into the yawning hole. “Damn it, you better be okay, Mason.” She whispered the words like a mantra over and over.
“That’s such a shame isn’t it?” Mark’s eerily low voice snickered from the darkness beside her. “You two were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. These darn old warehouse floors anyway. You just never know how structurally sound they really are until something like this happens.”
Annie jumped back. She stared at the familiar face she’d worked side by side with for so long. Now a stranger looked back at her.
“What’s going on, Mark?” The words croaked out. She swallowed hard in an effort to provide some moisture to her suddenly parched throat. “We have to find him.” Her gaze cut away from the man at her side in search of Mason.
She shoved backward from the edge of the opening but found her movement blocked by Mark.
“Your concern for your new lover is so touching, Annie.” He snarled. “I’m afraid it’s too late for him though.”
“Don’t say that.” She shoved at his chest. The movement caught him off guard and he tumbled backward. Annie scrambled to her feet, and sprinted for the door.
“Bitch.” The raspy epithet rent the air behind her. “I should’ve killed you while I had the chance.”
Her legs felt as if they weighed fifty pounds apiece as she pounded her way across the open floor. Her heart threatened to pound from her chest with each step. The caution she and Mason had used upon entering the room forgotten.
His words bounced around in her brain. Had Mark been the person responsible for running her off the highway? What about the floor she’d fallen through? The questions whirled like a tornado.
She’d spent so many hours working side-by-side with this man. How could she have missed the hatred she was now hearing in his voice?
She was almost to the hallway. Mark was so close she could hear his movement over the piercing trill of the alarm. If she slowed down now he’d be on top of her in an instant.
She stumbled over some unseen object on the floor. Her hands gyrated like a drunken tight rope walker as she fought to maintain her balance.
Before she could fully regain her footing, Mark snagged her around the waist, dragging her to the ground.
The weight of his body crushed the air from her lungs. Annie fumbled for the radio microphone in an attempt to let someone know what was going on.
She felt like a rag doll as he overpowered her, and flipped her onto her back.
“Ow.” She cried out as the force of the move drove the air tank into her spine. Pain shot down her back.
“I’d love to take my time with you, Annie, but I’m afraid it won’t be long before the others come looking.” He grabbed her booted feet and began dragging her back in the direction they’d come. “You’ve made this much harder than it needed to be.”
Annie bucked and kicked as she bumped across the wooden floor. Her air tank slamming repeatedly into her back as it snagged on the cracks and crevices.
“I don’t understand what’s going on, Mark.” She called out. “Please.” She didn’t care if he heard the begging in her tone. Ego be damned. She needed to stall him. “Mark, please? You’re like a brother to me.”
“Brother.” He scoffed, spitting the word out as if it was poison. “You see, Annie. That’s always been the problem. You never gave me a chance to prove that we could be anything other than work partners.”
Annie fought to make sense of his words. Could this all be happening because she’d rebuffed him? Hell, she’d thought his come-ons had been no more real than any of the other men. They’d all made joking innuendos to one another over the years. It was part of the fire department life.
Until Mason’s arrival, she’d never taken any of them seriously.
Her mind shot back to Mason. Had anyone found him yet? Had they even heard her call for help?
“I’m sorry.” She drew her mind back to the immediate matter. Getting away from the crazed man who was still maneuvering her toward the gaping hole. “I never meant to hurt you, Mark. I thought you were joking around like everyone else did with me.” She managed to shake a foot out of his grasp and slammed it hard against the floor. Pain shot through her ankle and up her calf but she didn’t let up. She had to get him to stop and focus on her if she had any hope of getting away.
“You didn’t know, huh?” Contempt twisted his lips into a cynical snarl. “What should I have done, Annie? Jumped on you like Ramsay? I thought that you needed to go slow.”
“Oh, Mark.” A twinge of guilt rippled through her. “I swear to you I had no idea.”
His gaze locked on hers through the masks each wore, and for a brief second, Annie forgot that this man had been responsible for several attempts on her life.
“It’s too late now, Annie.” He heaved up to his feet and latched on to both of her feet again. “But at least you won’t be alone in hell.” Annie saw the laugh more than heard it. “Ramsay, your knight in shining armor, will be there waiting for you.”
They were almost to the opening. She renewed her escape efforts. With a final effort, she wrenched both feet free, and kicked out with all her might.
Her feet connected with his thighs sending him backpedaling through the air. He teetered on the edge of the gaping hole Mason had disappeared through. It seemed like an eternity passed before the weight of his equipment won out and he lost his balance.
Mark’s eyes locked on hers a split second before he threw himself forward, snagging her foot once again.
A cry of alarm rent the air, but Annie couldn’t be sure who it had come from. Her hands flailed for purchase as the weight of his body pulled her across the remaining inches toward the hole.
A gloved hand caught on the abandoned fire hose. With both feet dangling over the gaping hole, she grabbed the lifeline with her other hand, halting her progress.
Her shoulders screamed with the effort it took to hold on. The alternative to the pain was much worse. She kicked out with her free foot, striking him repeatedly. She had to make him let go or they were both going to be in trouble.
And Annie had no intention of going through another floor is she had anything to say about it.
“Let go damn it.” She screamed, punctuating each word with the thrust of her leg.
Time was running out for Mason. She had to get to him soon or risk the possibility that he’d be gone from her forever.
She pulled her free leg back as far as she could and let it fly one final time. Nausea roiled in her stomach as the soft, sickening thud of her rubber boot contacting Mark’s flesh reverberated through her leg. His hold loosened enough for her to pull her foot free.
Mark didn’t make a sound. The eerie silence that proceeded the distant thud of his body hitting a hard surface somewhere below disturbed Annie in more ways than a scream. She lowered her head to the floor. Her breathing was nothing more than panting as she fought to slow it down.
Mark had made his choice a long time ago. There was no reason for her to feel any guilt or remorse over the events that had just transpired. Yet she did. And Annie knew that she would for a very long time to come. She should have seen the signs.
She pushed that particular train of thoughts aside. For the moment, she needed to assess the condition of the other’s. Fighting the urge to run in search of Mason, she scrambled across the space to the crumbled body of Josh.
Please let him be alive. She sent the silent prayer skyward as she turned the man over.
Surprise shot to her toes. It
wasn’t the face of Josh Bayers that she was looking down at, but rather, the face of Joe Martin.
Her mind scrambled to make sense of the information it was processing. Why would Joe be here? And what happened to Josh?
Her worried gaze swept the space around her. Was she still in danger? No one else occupied the immediate area.
She pulled off a glove and searched for a pulse on the side of his throat.
A slow, steady thump-thump greeted her. A breath of relief whooshed from her lungs. She shimmied around until she was at his head. With great care, she slid her hands under the back of his head and down his neck until his head was cradled on her forearms. She grabbed the back of his collar. In one fluent motion, she got to her feet and began pulling him to the safety she knew awaited them.
Although she had to maneuver him in a stooped position, Annie made quick work of clearing the room. She was almost to the end of the hall with her patient when the door to the stairwell flew open.
She blinked once, then again. The smoke had to be playing tricks on her eyes.
“Hey Sugar.” Mason’s sexy drawl nearly brought her to her knees. “Why don’t you let the guys take over now?”
Mason stepped aside allowing two firefighters from the Rykers fire department to pass.
~&~
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mason dropped his gaze from the petite woman to the body she was hauling. Joe Martin.
So Annie had been right. He’d been innocent all along. Would she forgive him from suspecting her friend? Mason prayed she would. That would be something he’d worry about at a later time. Right now they needed to get everyone out of the building.
After a quick report on what little she knew about Joes condition, Annie relinquished his care to the men.
“Come on, Annie.” He drew her against his side. “You’ve done enough for now. Let’s get out of here.”
“You’re alive.”
If it weren’t for the fear in her eyes, Mason would have laughed at the awe in her voice.
“Yeah, Sweetheart. Just a little banged up.” He nodded to his shoulder. “I may be in need of a little attention if you’re interested.”
Annie’s worried gaze flew to the shoulder he’d indicated. Her eyes rounded in panic at the widening circle of dark that stained the area.
“Mason.” She struggled out of his hold, hands instantly working to uncover the injury. “You’ve got to let me look at it.” She scolded when he pushed her hands aside.
“In due time, Sweetheart I promise. Right now, if we don’t get out of this building, it’s a very big probability that you will end up carrying me out.”
The statement drew her eyes back to his face. He had no doubt she would see how pale he was. Even in the dimly lit area. There’s wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
He tugged her close to his right side again, and despite his attempts not to, leaned on her a bit as they made their way down the staircase behind the other.
Time dragged on as each step felt like it was in slow motion. He puffed out an exhausted breath, silently cursing his waning strength.
Annie shot a worried look in his direction. Mason could feel every place on his face that her gaze touched but refused to meet her look. If she saw how close he was to collapsing she’d panic.
And that wouldn’t do either of them any good.
No, he needed to make sure she was clear of the building and safe before he gave into the encroaching darkness.
“Andrews to Command.”
The call broke into his thoughts. His gaze slid sideways, landing on Annie.
“Go ahead.” The relief in Chief Daniels voice was evident despite the hissing of static on the line.
“Hey, Chief,” Although she tried to hide it, Mason picked up on the wobbly tone of Annie’s voice as the enormity of the events of the past ten minutes hit her full force. “I’m so glad to hear your voice.”
“Well if you ever put me through shit like that again, Annie and you won’t be happy to hear from me.”
Despite the fear that he would fall on his face at any second, Mason hugged her closer. He could relate one-hundred percent to the Chief’s sentiment. He didn’t know whether to kiss the hell out of her when this was all said and done. Or beat her lovely round bottom.
Of course the latter would have to wait until he healed. Once he laid a hand on that perfect part of her anatomy, he wouldn’t stop until he’d touched every inch of her.
“Chief, it wasn’t Josh up here with Mark. It was Joe Martin. We need a search crew in here stat.”
“I’ve already got one on the way in.”
“Sir,” Mason broke into the conversation. “Josh Bayers is on the second floor in the room I landed in. Tell them to check the large room on the north side of the building. Bayer’s is alive, but unconscious. Mark Flynn wasn’t so lucky.”
“Okay, Mason. I’ll head them that way. You two get your asses down here. I’ve got ambulances standing by.”
“Chief,” This from Annie, “I think it would be a good idea to scramble the helicopter for an intercept.” She looked up into Mason’s face before continuing. “Despite Mr. Ramsay’s bravado, he needs to be life flighted to A.S.T.C, Sir.” She dropped her gaze back to the deep red stain. “Ground transport might take too long.”
“Shit.” Both men growled in perfect unison.
“Okay, I’ll have them airborne by the time you get down here.”
“Thanks. We’re coming down to the second floor now.”
Mason watched as beams of light bounced up the stairs in their direction. The search team.
Maybe he should give in and let them carry him out. Then at least he’d know that Annie got out.
Fear that once he stopped, he wouldn’t be able to get started again, kept him moving. He didn’t want his, or Annie’s last memories to be about him being carried out.
He wanted to leave the building the same way he entered. On his own two feet.
Annie waved the other firefighters through the doorway before she guided him down the next flight of steps.
He counted each step they took. They were so close. The gloom of smoke began to clear making their progress a little easier.
When they made it to the top of the last set, Annie propped him against the wall. Loosening the chin straps on his helmet, she slipped the cumbersome item from his head.
She released the fastenings on his mask and carefully removed it.
Mason sucked in a refreshing breath of air. She made quick work of removing her own mask before bending to retrieve both of their helmets from the railing where she’d balanced them.
Reaching out his uninjured hand, he snagged his helmet and plopped it on his head. Never leave a building any differently than you entered.
Annie followed suit. Her brow furrowed in worry when her gaze swept his injury for about the twentieth time since they’d begun their descent.
“Relax, Annie.” He wiped away a trace of moisture from her cheek. “I’m going to be fine.”
Despite the nausea churning in his stomach, when Annie straightened to her full height, his love for her ratcheted up by leaps and bounds.
“You’re damn right you will.” She wrapped an arm around his waist again, and started them moving down the last few steps between them and safety. “Because if you aren’t,” She glanced up, locking stares with him, “I swear to God I’ll kill you, Mason Ramsay.”
“You might not get the pleasure of following through with your promise if we stand here much longer, Sweetheart.” He said, hating that he was the cause of the fear so evident on her face. But he wanted the chance to see what the future might hold for them. And that meant he had to get her moving, and fast. With each step he took, his vision narrowed and dimmed.
Damn it! Just a few more steps, Ramsey.
~&~
Annie paced to the window of the waiting room for what had to be the hundredth time since she’d made the trek from Hammond’s Bend to the Level One Tr
auma Center where they helicopter crew had flown Mason to.
Traffic bustled in and out of the enormous parking lot. Were they employees of the hospital or families of its patients? How many other families were waiting with bated breath to find out if their loved ones were going to survive? What would she do if Mason didn’t pull through? What if he never came out of the coma?
The thought nearly doubled her over. Annie wrapped trembling arms around her middle in an attempt to stifle the pain growing there. He had to make it.
“Please, God just let him pull through,” she whispered.
“Hey, Annie.” She whirled around to find Chief Daniels standing a few feet behind her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I was just thinking.” She let the rest of the sentence trail away.
“He’s going to be okay, Annie.” Chief Daniels closed the distance, and wrapped her in a hug. “He’s too damn stubborn to be anything but alright.”
Despite the hot tears streaming from her eyes, Annie laughed into his shoulder. She leaned on the solid strength he offered. For the time being, she’d take any offered.
Giant sobs wracked her as the horror she’d experienced inside the warehouse poured from her body. The realization that someone she’d once thought of as a brother had wanted her dead mystified her. The tears slowed, and she fought to take in deep, calming breaths.
When she felt in control enough to step from the comfort Art’s arms had offered, Annie had no idea how much time had passed. Nor had she been aware of the arrival of what looked like almost the entire Hammond’s Bend Fire Department.
Her gaze shot from one concerned face to another before it landed on John Flynn standing away from the rest. She swiped at the last dregs of tears on her face and started toward him.
Her brother firefighters parted as she crossed the large waiting room. As she passed, each fell into place behind her as if to say they had her back.
The silent action had tears threatening again.
She stopped in front of John. Even though he didn’t meet her gaze, Annie could see the pain in his expression. Pain for the son he’d just lost. And she was sure, embarrassment for his actions. John was a strong man, but still she knew it couldn’t be easy for him to be standing here.
Where There's Smoke: Page 18