the ironing board into place and sighed with relief when it fit perfectly. Now she just needed to muster the courage to climb up on it and crawl across.
* * * *
The elevator opened, and Cole stepped out along with Jason, Logan, Lexi, and Brooklyn. “I don’t know what happened to Amber. She said she’d be down shortly,” Brooklyn said.
Cole grinned. “I did keep her up pretty late. I bet she fell back asleep.”
“I’d rather not hear about your escapades,” Brooklyn shot back.
Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Wait! Do you smell smoke?”
“Yeah.” The smile Cole wore faded. “I wonder where it’s coming from.” They turned the corner from the bank of elevators, and Cole’s stomach twisted. Fire raged at the end of the hallway directly in front of Amber’s room. “Pull the fire alarm,” he yelled as he took off full speed toward the flames.
A moment later alarms began to sound.
“Oh my God,” Brooklyn cried. Within seconds they closed in on the fire, but the heat and smoke pushed them back.
Cole glanced back at Brooklyn, then on to Lexi before turning his attention to Jason. “Get the girls to safety.”
“What about you?”
“I’m going to try to reach Amber.” Cole looked up. Why wasn’t the sprinkler system turning on?
Jason grabbed Brooklyn by the shoulders and turned her away. “Come on.”
“But Amber,” Lexi protested even as she began to cough.
“Go with Jason,” Logan ordered. “I’ll help Cole get Amber.”
“But?” Lexi protested.
“Logan and Cole will get her,” Jason argued as he pulled her back toward the elevators.
“Here.” Logan turned toward the room next to Amber’s. “We’ll go through here, out to the balcony. Maybe we can reach her from there.” Logan turned his back to the door, and with more force than Cole thought possible, he kicked. The door shook, and wood cracked. Logan backed up and repeated the move a second, then a third time. Each time the wood splintered a little more until finally the door gave way. Cole rushed inside and directly to the balcony. He slid open the door, and relief swamped him at the sight of Amber.
He snagged her by the arm and yanked her against him. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“How did you get here from your room?” Logan looked from her to the railing and grinned at the sight of the ironing board.
Cole followed Logan’s gaze, and pride filled his heart as he put the pieces together. No matter how scarred Amber might be from her past, she was still a fighter. “That’s my girl,” he praised. “Now let’s get out of here before we’re all trapped.”
They raced back into the now smoky room to the open and broken interior door only to find flames dancing around the opening. The sprinklers had yet to turn on. Despite the fire being so close, they had no choice. It was either run now or be trapped. Logan went first, ducking his head as he raced through the ring of fire. “You go.” Cole grabbed Amber and shoved her through the flames; then he darted out the door behind them and took off at a run.
They met the firemen on the stairs as they headed down. “Are you three all right?” one of the firemen asked.
Cole nodded. “We are now. Fire is on the tenth floor all the way at the end of the corridor. The other stairwell is probably blocked by the flames.”
The fireman nodded. “Thanks for the info; now go.”
They burst through the stairwell door on the main floor, raced through the lobby, and out to safety. Fire department members directed them away from the building toward the crowd that waited across the street.
Cole spotted Jason with his arms around Brooklyn and Lexi, standing in a grassy area not too far away. With tears in her eyes, Lexi let go of Brooklyn’s hand, pulled away from Jason, and launched herself at Logan, clinging to his neck. “Thank God you’re all right.”
Finally safe, Cole scooped Amber into his arms and held her as he stared up to the balcony ten floors above. Smoked
* * * *
The elevator opened, and Cole stepped out along with Jason, Logan, Lexi, and Brooklyn. “I don’t know what happened to Amber. She said she’d be down shortly,” Brooklyn said.
Cole grinned. “I did keep her up pretty late. I bet she fell back asleep.”
“I’d rather not hear about your escapades,” Brooklyn shot back.
Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Wait! Do you smell smoke?”
“Yeah.” The smile Cole wore faded. “I wonder where it’s coming from.” They turned the corner from the bank of elevators, and Cole’s stomach twisted. Fire raged at the end of the hallway directly in front of Amber’s room. “Pull the fire alarm,” he yelled as he took off full speed toward the flames.
A moment later alarms began to sound.
“Oh my God,” Brooklyn cried. Within seconds they closed in on the fire, but the heat and smoke pushed them back.
Cole glanced back at Brooklyn, then on to Lexi before turning his attention to Jason. “Get the girls to safety.”
“What about you?”
“I’m going to try to reach Amber.” Cole looked up. Why wasn’t the sprinkler system turning on?
Jason grabbed Brooklyn by the shoulders and turned her away. “Come on.”
“But Amber,” Lexi protested even as she began to cough.
“Go with Jason,” Logan ordered. “I’ll help Cole get Amber.”
“But?” Lexi protested.
“Logan and Cole will get her,” Jason argued as he pulled her back toward the elevators.
“Here.” Logan turned toward the room next to Amber’s. “We’ll go through here, out to the balcony. Maybe we can reach her from there.” Logan turned his back to the door, and with more force than Cole thought possible, he kicked. The door shook, and wood cracked. Logan backed up and repeated the move a second, then a third time. Each time the wood splintered a little more until finally the door gave way. Cole rushed inside and directly to the balcony. He slid open the door, and relief swamped him at the sight of Amber.
He snagged her by the arm and yanked her against him. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“How did you get here from your room?” Logan looked from her to the railing and grinned at the sight of the ironing board.
Cole followed Logan’s gaze, and pride filled his heart as he put the pieces together. No matter how scarred Amber might be from her past, she was still a fighter. “That’s my girl,” he praised. “Now let’s get out of here before we’re all trapped.”
They raced back into the now smoky room to the open and broken interior door only to find flames dancing around the opening. The sprinklers had yet to turn on. Despite the fire being so close, they had no choice. It was either run now or be trapped. Logan went first, ducking his head as he raced through the ring of fire. “You go.” Cole grabbed Amber and shoved her through the flames; then he darted out the door behind them and took off at a run.
They met the firemen on the stairs as they headed down. “Are you three all right?” one of the firemen asked.
Cole nodded. “We are now. Fire is on the tenth floor all the way at the end of the corridor. The other stairwell is probably blocked by the flames.”
The fireman nodded. “Thanks for the info; now go.”
They burst through the stairwell door on the main floor, raced through the lobby, and out to safety. Fire department members directed them away from the building toward the crowd that waited across the street.
Cole spotted Jason with his arms around Brooklyn and Lexi, standing in a grassy area not too far away. With tears in her eyes, Lexi let go of Brooklyn’s hand, pulled away from Jason, and launched herself at Logan, clinging to his neck. “Thank God you’re all right.”
Finally safe, Cole scooped Amber into his arms and held her as he stared up to the balcony ten floors above. Smoked
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