When Tomorrow Ends by Cyndi Raye Page B

place.”
     
    A bolt of terror went through Maggie. “Jax isn’t at Abby’s,” she whispered. “When we left tonight, I left him in his cage. He thinks he’s in a cave and I closed the door. Jake, oh Jake, he’s still in the bungalow in the bedroom. Why didn’t he bark!”
     
    She broke free and began to run to the bungalow. The smoke poured out but Maggie didn’t care. She had to get Jax out, she was the one who put him in his cage. How could she forget! The upstairs flames were thicker and brighter than before but below there was smoke.
     
    Maggie took her headband off and wrapped it around her nose and mouth as she entered the bungalow’s open door. It was dark and dangerous inside as smoke billowed all around, but Maggie knew her way without being able to see a thing. She worked her way to the bedroom door and pushed it open.
     
    “Jax, where are you?” Her hands felt around until she found the large cage. Her fingers fumbled but she couldn’t open the cage until she noticed something jammed into the lock. “What?” she cried out then a pair of large hands picked up the cage.
     
    “Maggie, grab me,” Jake ordered. Maggie held on to his belt loop as the rush of pure air rent through her nostrils. She gagged and coughed.
     
    “We’ll take it from here,” a fire chief told them. “You both need to get away from the scene.” The sirens of incoming fire trucks and men rushing through their back yard filled the area. Water from a hose began to douse the inferno. Like a well oiled machine, the fire fighters laid out a plan to put out the fire.
     
    Maggie felt Jake’s strong arms around her. She tried hard to push fresh air in her lungs. “Why hasn’t Jax moved?” she cried out and fell to her knees at the cage. She fumbled with the lock and realized someone jammed a piece of steel across so even the dog couldn’t get out. Maggie was not strong enough to free the dog but Jake knelt down and yanked it away. He opened the door and reached in to Jax, who was unconscious.
     
    “Oh Jax, wake up!” Maggie pleaded. “We need to get him help.”
     
    “Get on the boat Maggie, we’ll take him to Jon.” Jake gathered Jax close and stood up with the dog in his arms. His solemn look scared Maggie. Jake was furious. Jake stalked to the boat and when Maggie sat down, he placed Jax on her lap. He pulled a solar blanket from one of the cabinets and placed it over their pup, then knelt down. “Everything will be okay, Maggie. Keep it together baby.”
     
    She shivered. Their night of fun on the town turned in to a night of horror. As the boat pulled away from the docks, Maggie looked back to see their home engulfed in flames as firemen worked around the property. She tried to hold it together. It was a house, that’s all. It was where Jake and her met so long ago.
     
    She didn’t realize tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed out loud.
     
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    Maggie’s heart wrenching sobs went right to his core. Jake didn’t look back like she did. He reached out and placed a hand on her cheek. “It’s a house, made of wood and materials that we can rebuild.” He brushed a tear away.
     
    She sniffed. “It’s our home, where we met, made love, fought. I feel so violated, like our lives have been raped by a sinister force.”
     
    He nodded. “At least we know who the sinister force is.”
     
    “I drove all those miles in the Impala with his voice in my head and ear. He was up close and personal in my face, Jake. I have no doubts it was Jerry.”
     
    “I agree. You recognize his voice better than I do but there’s no doubt in my mind. I doubt my security system will be able to capture his face. Of course, the cameras won’t do us any good, they’re simmering in soot and dust and water as we speak.”
     
    “If you used a security company, perhaps they will have a video.”
     
    Jake shook his head. “I had a home security system here. Didn’t think I’d need anything elaborate for my