“Let me apologize anyway. I let you down.” Kit drew a breath. “It’s going to be okay, though. We’ll find another way out. We’ll—”
“I’m not upset, Kit. Really.” Chance looked up. His blue eyes were unnaturally bright. Was he close to tears? Maybe, but if he was, he didn’t shed them. “What happened wasn’t your fault. None of this is your fault. Let’s focus on the positive. Marci and her kids got out. It was worth coming this way just for that. Plus, the floor above us didn’t cave in, and the other stairs have probably been cleared by now. Everything’s going to work out fine.”
Kit hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to hear that until now. The urge to hug Chance enveloped him, but he pushed it aside. “You’re right. Let’s head back the way we came and see what sort of progress has been made.”
“We need a light. I’ve been using my phone so far. Do you have yours?”
Instinctively, Kit reached for a pocket that wasn’t there anymore. “Oh shit. I usually keep it in my suit jacket.”
“Which you gave to Marci to wrap around Ranelle. I hope they realize it’s there and find a way to put it to good use.”
“No, wait.” Kit thought back. “I left it on my desk when I went to get lunch. It’s probably destroyed. And to think, I was on level nine hundred and sixty in Candy Crush.”
“Priorities, Kit.” Chance fished in his own pockets and pulled out a phone. “We’ll use my flashlight app again.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost two. When do you think the earthquake happened?”
“It was around noon. I know because I ordered lunch. That’s the only reason Pat was here.” Kit swallowed. If he’d died, it would have been all my fault.
His stomach chose that moment to growl. When they got back to the lobby, he was going to check to see if his food was around somewhere. Probably buried like everything else.
“I can’t believe it’s only been two hours,” Chance said. “Feels like years.”
Kit nodded. “I keep thinking I’m in a movie, like a survival thriller. Wouldn’t it be great if a director jumped out and called cut right about now?”
Chance laughed. “I thought the same thing earlier. Nothing seemed real. It still doesn’t.”
They started walking. Their footsteps kicked up puffs of white and echoed down the empty hall. When they got to the turn that would lead them deeper into the building, Chance activated his flashlight and lit the way.
Before Chance plunged into the darkness, Kit grabbed his shoulder.
Chance glanced back at him. “What?”
“Nothing.” Kit’s face warmed, and he doubted it was because of the air blowing through the windows. “I was just, um . . . I thought we should hold on to each other. Like we did before. So we don’t get separated.”
Smooth.
“Oh, right. Good idea.” Chance smiled at him.
Kit hoped Chance couldn’t hear his heart racing in the quiet. “Ready when you are.”
As Chance led them back the way they’d come, he spoke over his shoulder. “I think we should head for the side stairs first. If what Lisa said was true, and a dozen people were there, the way should be clear by now. We might be able to walk right out of here.”
“God, wouldn’t that be wonderful.” Kit wiped his brow and spoke without thinking. “That’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
There was a pause. Then Chance laughed. “It’ll be even sexier if it happens.”
A minute later, they passed a door Kit recognized. “Hey, hold up a sec. This is my office. Or it was, I guess. Let me see if I can find my phone.”
“You think it survived?”
“No, but we should check anyway. Your battery isn’t going to last forever.”
“Good point.”
Kit hadn’t expected the sight of his former office to affect him, but the second he walked in, the destruction punched him in the gut. His desk was still standing, but everything on it had been obliterated. His computer was trashed. The photo of his family was covered in shards of glass and dirt. But luckily, the ceiling had held, so there was little debris. He was able to find his phone after a few minutes of sifting around.
“Got it.” The screen was cracked, but when he hit the Home button, it came to life. His battery was at eighty percent. Thank God he’d charged it right before lunch.
“Try calling someone.”
Kit dialed 911 and hit Call, but it didn’t even make it past dialing before the words no signal flashed on the screen. “Shit. So much for that.”
“At least we have it. When things calm down, I bet we’ll be able to call for help. Or we might not need to, if the stairs are clear.”
“Speaking of which, let’s get going.”
Outside, they came to a fork.
Chance pointed the light down one way and then the other. “I never use the side stairs. Which way are they?”
“To the right,” Kit said. “They’re at the end of a hallway, same as the fire—”
Shaking decimated the rest of his sentence. The ground sprang to life beneath them yet again.
“Another aftershock!” Chance yelled. His knees buckled as if the words had taken the last of his strength.
Kit dragged him over to the nearest intact wall. Once there, he fell to the ground and held Chance to his chest as tight as he could. He couldn’t say if it was to protect Chance or because he wanted to—needed to—hold him.
This time, the quaking only lasted about ten seconds, but it was followed by a horrific rending sound. Louder than anything they’d heard so far. Like a car accident was happening feet from them. Then the entire building seemed to sway on its foundation.
Kit’s stomach dropped out of his body. He’d read an article about aftershocks once. They were never as powerful as the earthquake that created them, but they didn’t need to be. Buildings were often weakened by the initial trauma. It took less and less force to topple them once their structural integrity had already been compromised.
Please don’t topple, Kit pleaded with the office. Please don’t kill us. Please.
Everything went still.
“God,” Chance wheezed. “Is that going to keep happening until . . . until . . .”
Until the building collapses.
“Don’t panic,” Kit said even as he struggled to breathe. Cold fingers were squeezing his lungs. “Aftershocks happen less frequently over time. I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere. Let’s stay focused on the plan.”
“Right.” Chance angled the light down the hall leading to the side stairs. “We’re almost there. We—” He gasped.
The hallway they’d been about to go down wasn’t there anymore. It had caved in. If Kit had ever wanted a detailed look at the building’s guts, now was his chance.
“Shit.” He got to his feet, leaning on the wall for support. “Shit. If we’d gone down that way . . . If I hadn’t wanted to look for my phone . . .” He didn’t even finish the thought. Just thinking about it made his stomach lurch.
The light trembled in Chance’s hand. He was pale beneath the chalk coating his face. “Well, so much for the side stairs.”
Kit offered him a hand up, but Chance didn’t seem to notice. He was looking in the direction of the wreckage with dazed, unfocused eyes.
“Chance?” Kit touched his shoulder. “We should keep moving. There’s still the lobby.”
That seemed to snap Chance back to the present, but when he looked at Kit, his eyes were feverish. “A dozen people. Lisa said there were a dozen people down that way. What if they didn’t get out before it collapsed?”
Kit’s throat burned as if he’d swallowed acid. He’d been trying not to think about that. “They made it out, Chance. They made it out like Marci and Pat and everyone else. They’re outside right now, and they have no idea the hallway collapsed.”
Chance seemed to seize onto his words like a lifeboat. “You’re right. They had to have gotten out.” He hauled himself to his feet. “Now it
’s our turn.”
“That’s the spirit.” Kit started to pull away, but Chance grabbed his hand.
“Is this okay?” He gave Kit’s fingers a squeeze. “I, uh, don’t want to lose you in the dark.”
Kit’s heart fluttered. Much as he wanted to read into it, he understood. They both needed something solid to hold on to right now. “Of course.”
They picked their way back to the lobby. Upon reaching it, Kit’s heart soared. It was deserted. The clogged line of people trying to get out had vanished.
“Oh, thank God.” Kit stumbled forward, hauling Chance after him. “They must’ve dug their way out. I bet everyone’s safely outside. All we have to do is . . .”
Kit saw the truth long before he reached the stairs, but he refused to believe it until he’d jammed his head through the doorway.
The stairs were gone. In their place was an empty shaft heading straight down into darkness. It was like a giant throat waiting to swallow them whole. A single remaining emergency floodlight illuminated the destroyed stairwell. Bits of the landing remained, and the stairs leading up to the top floor were intact, but halfway down the next flight, they were jagged like broken bone. The aftershocks must’ve destroyed them.
“Jesus Christ,” Chance whispered.
Kit clapped his free hand over his mouth and willed himself not to retch. Less than an hour ago, there’d been a hundred people here. Were the stairs destroyed all the way down to the bottom floor, or had only part of them crumbled away? The light didn’t reach far enough into the darkness for him to tell.
If it were the former, all the people standing on them would have fallen to their deaths. The bottom of the stairwell could be filled with bodies for all they knew.
Kit wrenched himself away, letting go of Chance’s hand so he could cover his face. So much for the sweet state of denial he’d been trying to keep himself in. He took a deep breath and wasn’t surprised when it caught in his throat.
A warm hand rested on his back. “They made it out, Kit. The stairs probably held through the first aftershock and didn’t collapse until now, like the hallway. Everyone would have gotten out long before then.”
It was the same lie Kit had told moments before. He appreciated the effort, at least.
He struggled to pull himself together, but it was like trying to make a snowball out of sand. Having a plan had kept his mind occupied. Having goals had kept him going. But now, they were fresh out of exits.
“What are we going to do?” Chance drew a breath that rattled in his chest, but otherwise held firm.
Watching him keep it together made Kit feel like he had the strength to do the same. “I don’t know. I can’t seem to gather my thoughts. It’s almost like the earthquake—”
“Muddled your brain.” Chance nodded. “I’ve been feeling the same way.” He paused. “I hate to say this, but . . . those stairs were the last way out, weren’t they?”
Kit’s heart thudded hard in his chest. For a moment, his head blanked with fear. Then, an idea popped up from nowhere. “Let’s go up a floor.”
“What? Why?”
“The exits here are blocked, but they might not be up there.”
Chance gasped. “Holy shit, that’s brilliant.”
“And even if they are, we might be able to get up onto the roof. There could be helicopters we could signal. Or we could wave to people on the ground and let them know we’re alive.”
For the first time since the aftershock, there was a spark of hope in Chance’s eyes. “There might be other people still in the building too. We should check.”
Renewed strength coursed through Kit now that he had something to do. “I’ll go up first. If we both try, the stairs could crumble under our weight. You stay here where it’s safe, and I’ll scout ahead. When I find something, I’ll come back for you.”
Chance looked uncertain, but he nodded. “Okay. I’ll be right here. Do you want to take my phone with you?”
“There’s enough light for now. If I need more, I’ll use my own.”
“Will you let me know you’re okay? Shout every minute or so.”
“I will.” As Kit turned away, he got the oddest urge to . . . do something. Hug Chance? Shake his hand? Oh God, definitely not that. “I’ll be right back.”
Even as Kit knew he was doing the brave thing by going ahead alone, the idea of leaving Chance frightened him more than the roof caving in. He steeled himself and stepped onto what remained of the landing, looking anywhere but down. The stairs leading up seemed solid enough, and he could make out the twelfth-floor door.
With one final glance back at Chance, he plunged ahead. He half expected the staircase to crumble the second his feet touched it, but it held.
“So far so good,” he called back. He made it all the way up with no issues. Once he was on the twelfth floor, however, it was another story.
“Holy shit.”
Their floor looked like a luxury suite compared to what Kit walked into. The place was destroyed. Most of the walls had buckled, and the furniture in the lobby had been reduced to toothpicks. The roof had caved in so badly, he could see the sky in places.
Two out of the three hallways that branched off from the lobby were blocked, including the one that Kit knew led to the side stairs. It seemed that when that part of the eleventh floor had caved in, it’d taken the twelfth with it. The fire escape was equally inaccessible, and they could kiss the idea of climbing onto the roof goodbye. There was barely a roof left.
Fuck. We’re trapped.
Chance’s muffled voice reached him. “Kit? Are you all right?”
Kit almost couldn’t draw the breath to speak. “Yeah! I’m okay!” Sort of.
He’d thought he’d gotten most of the panicking out of his system, but now it really kicked in. His heart pumped acid into his veins, and every breath burned. A crushing weight pressed in on his chest from all directions.
It wasn’t just that they couldn’t get out, he realized. How was anyone ever going to get in to rescue them? They were fucked.
Having Chance around had helped Kit keep it together, but now that he was alone, horror overwhelmed him. It was all he could do to stay on his feet.
Chance is counting on you. You have to keep going. There’s one more hallway to scout, and then you can return to Chance.
God, what was Kit going to tell him? Sorry, buddy, looks like we’re dead.
He shut that thought down before it could freak him out even more. He focused on getting air into his lungs as he started down the hallway. It was one he’d been down before, though the quake had made it unrecognizable. Once, it’d led to a series of offices used by the higher-ups. Now, it was a warzone.
The ceiling was more or less intact, but the offices were trashed. Doors were hanging off the hinges, glass partitions had shattered, and overall, it looked like the whole floor had been through a wood chipper.
Kit got to the end of the hallway and found nothing but a dead end and a single untouched office. The door was closed, and the glass inset was intact. In the wake of all this destruction, it seemed like a miracle that this one thing had survived.
He’d almost managed to work up a smile when he heard a voice behind him.
“Kit! Can you hear me?”
“Chance!” The sound of Chance’s voice alone dispelled the panic that had wrapped Kit up like a fly in a web. He spun around and raced toward Chance’s beautiful, wonderful voice. “I’m here!”
He rounded the corner leading back to the lobby and found Chance standing in a fresh cloud of kicked-up dust, his shirt pulled over his mouth.
“Oh, thank God. Kit.” Chance hurried toward him. “When you stopped answering me, I panicked. I tried to find you. I—”
“Don’t move! I’ll come to you.” When Kit reached him, he grabbed Chance’s shoulders. It was miraculous how much better he felt simply having him near. “It’s all right now. I’m here.”
“Did you find the exit? Was there a way out?”
<
br /> The hopeful look on his face was a knife slipping between Kit’s ribs. He dropped his eyes. “It’s no good. Everything’s blocked off. We could try to clear a path, but I can’t tell what’s debris and what’s a support beam. If we move the wrong thing . . .”
“The roof might collapse.” Chance’s bottom lip found its way between his teeth.
“Yeah.” Kit reached up without thinking and brushed a thumb across Chance’s cheek. “In fact, it probably will.”
Admitting it felt like failing all over again. There was nothing Kit could have done, and yet guilt tore at him. If he’d been faster, smarter, something.
“That was our last chance,” Chance whispered. “There’s no other way out.”
You failed him.
“I know. Chance, I’m so sorry. We’re trapped in here.” His other hand found its way to Chance’s face and cradled it. He wasn’t sure which one of them he was trying to comfort. “I should have gotten you out when I had the chance.”
“You couldn’t have, Kit. There was nothing more you could have done.” He wet his lips. “I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I’m glad we’re at least together. If I were stuck in here alone, I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I do. I’d lose my shit.”
They both laughed, the tinny, too-high laughs of the hysterical.
Chance recovered first. “Seriously, I’m glad you’re all right. I’m so happy to see you, I could kiss you.”
Kit started to respond but stopped when the words jumbled in his throat. That statement presented a danger that had nothing to do with the earthquake. The last thing they needed right now was Kit’s awkward feelings complicating things.
Thankfully, a second later, Chance seemed to realize what he’d said. His face went red beneath the dust coating it.
It occurred to Kit, as if from a distance, that the way he was holding Chance’s face was a little inappropriate, even for two people in a life-or-death situation. Between all the adrenaline and roller-coaster emotions, he’d forgotten himself.
On Solid Ground Page 5