has passed out.
Small miracles. She steps back and slams her foot into the beam, pushing with all her might. A terrifying groan echoes through the space and she ducks, sure that she’s about to be buried alive. The beam tumbles to the ground. A cloud of dust rises into the moist air. The wooden planks around her tremble and creak. Several shift, falling around her, but the main structure miraculously remains intact, settling into a new configuration.
Slowly, Hannah blows out an unsteady breath. “That was a bit too close for comfort,” she mutters as she rushes to Justin’s side.
His skin is pallid in the dim light. She presses her hand against his clammy neck to check for a pulse and finds his heart rate to be far too slow. She pats him on the cheek, calling his name, but he doesn’t respond.
Rising to her feet, she braces herself and lifts the desk off his leg. The mangled mess she finds below makes her throat clench and she is forced to look away.
Just keep it together. She works diligently to help support his leg for the journey out but she fears that the damage may not be reparable. She’s never seen a leg so badly broken.
Several minutes pass before Justin begins to come around. Hannah returns to his side and cradles his head. “Nice to see you awake again. I was afraid I’d lost you there for a minute.”
He sits up and glances down at his leg. The splint she managed to fashion out of broken boards and strips of curtains is wrapped tightly around his leg. His eyes widen before he looks away again. He looks as if he might faint but manages to keep himself upright. Hannah places a hand on his shoulder and waits for him to look at her. “There’s no easy way out of here. I’m afraid you’re going to have to pull yourself through that hole I came in through.”
He nods as she passes him a ball of material left over from the curtain. “Whatever it takes,” he says and shoves the wad between his teeth.
She squeezes his arm, then tucks her hands under his armpits, and slowly drags him toward the hole. Justin grits his teeth against the pain. Tears streak down his face, clearing away the dirt and grime that mats his auburn hair to his head. Several times she fears she’s going to lose him, but he manages to remain alert though heavily glassy eyed.
Hannah collapses near the entrance to the tunnel. Her chest rises and falls from the effort of getting this far. “Timothy?”
From somewhere down the tunnel she hears voices. “I’ve got him. He’s coming out first,” she calls, hoping they can hear her over the winds and rain.
She helps roll the pastor onto his side and then gently pushes against the sole of his good shoe, helping to guide him into the tunnel. Although he is not nearly as broad in the shoulders as Timothy and certainly has a smaller stature than the other men outside, Justin struggles to fit through the narrow gap.
She spits to the side as he kicks up brick dust into her face. “You’re doing great,” she encourages, pausing to wipe her face. It is much darker than it was the first time she came through here. Fear rises up within her, threatening to root her in place, so she focuses only on Justin’s shoe, pushing when needed.
Their pace is slow, much too slow.
Justin’s grunts and muffled cries of pain tear at her heart. She tries to share words of encouragement as they burrow through the unstable building. It creaks and groans around them, shifting and settling in the winds. One mighty gust will bring it all down on top of them. Hannah prays that they can make it before that happens.
From up ahead and she can see a light around the outline of Justin’s body. Voices echo down the tunnel toward her. “Hannah? Can you hear me?”
“We’re here!” she cries hoarsely, her fingers trembling against Justin’s shoe. She can’t see around him well enough to see how close they are to the exit.
A
Small miracles. She steps back and slams her foot into the beam, pushing with all her might. A terrifying groan echoes through the space and she ducks, sure that she’s about to be buried alive. The beam tumbles to the ground. A cloud of dust rises into the moist air. The wooden planks around her tremble and creak. Several shift, falling around her, but the main structure miraculously remains intact, settling into a new configuration.
Slowly, Hannah blows out an unsteady breath. “That was a bit too close for comfort,” she mutters as she rushes to Justin’s side.
His skin is pallid in the dim light. She presses her hand against his clammy neck to check for a pulse and finds his heart rate to be far too slow. She pats him on the cheek, calling his name, but he doesn’t respond.
Rising to her feet, she braces herself and lifts the desk off his leg. The mangled mess she finds below makes her throat clench and she is forced to look away.
Just keep it together. She works diligently to help support his leg for the journey out but she fears that the damage may not be reparable. She’s never seen a leg so badly broken.
Several minutes pass before Justin begins to come around. Hannah returns to his side and cradles his head. “Nice to see you awake again. I was afraid I’d lost you there for a minute.”
He sits up and glances down at his leg. The splint she managed to fashion out of broken boards and strips of curtains is wrapped tightly around his leg. His eyes widen before he looks away again. He looks as if he might faint but manages to keep himself upright. Hannah places a hand on his shoulder and waits for him to look at her. “There’s no easy way out of here. I’m afraid you’re going to have to pull yourself through that hole I came in through.”
He nods as she passes him a ball of material left over from the curtain. “Whatever it takes,” he says and shoves the wad between his teeth.
She squeezes his arm, then tucks her hands under his armpits, and slowly drags him toward the hole. Justin grits his teeth against the pain. Tears streak down his face, clearing away the dirt and grime that mats his auburn hair to his head. Several times she fears she’s going to lose him, but he manages to remain alert though heavily glassy eyed.
Hannah collapses near the entrance to the tunnel. Her chest rises and falls from the effort of getting this far. “Timothy?”
From somewhere down the tunnel she hears voices. “I’ve got him. He’s coming out first,” she calls, hoping they can hear her over the winds and rain.
She helps roll the pastor onto his side and then gently pushes against the sole of his good shoe, helping to guide him into the tunnel. Although he is not nearly as broad in the shoulders as Timothy and certainly has a smaller stature than the other men outside, Justin struggles to fit through the narrow gap.
She spits to the side as he kicks up brick dust into her face. “You’re doing great,” she encourages, pausing to wipe her face. It is much darker than it was the first time she came through here. Fear rises up within her, threatening to root her in place, so she focuses only on Justin’s shoe, pushing when needed.
Their pace is slow, much too slow.
Justin’s grunts and muffled cries of pain tear at her heart. She tries to share words of encouragement as they burrow through the unstable building. It creaks and groans around them, shifting and settling in the winds. One mighty gust will bring it all down on top of them. Hannah prays that they can make it before that happens.
From up ahead and she can see a light around the outline of Justin’s body. Voices echo down the tunnel toward her. “Hannah? Can you hear me?”
“We’re here!” she cries hoarsely, her fingers trembling against Justin’s shoe. She can’t see around him well enough to see how close they are to the exit.
A
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