Page 5 of Night Hawk
Clay took a deep breath to clear his brain, and a hint of smoke slithered through the air.
Smoke?
Smoke from a nearby campfire wouldn’t settle into this basement room. And it wasn’t camping season. He flashed his light at the door. Toni cried out, but he couldn’t deal with her fear now.
Smoke seeped under the wood, curling up and into their small room.
“Fire.” He jumped up and put the vise back on the bucket.
Toni remained frozen as if she didn’t hear him.
He raced across the room. Got in her face. “There’s a fire in the building. We have to get out of here, and we have to do it now!”
2
The room filled with smoke at a faster rate than Clay could’ve imagined, and Toni wasn’t responding. He ripped off his shirt, tore it in half, and handed it to her. “Tie this over your mouth.”
She complied, her eyes widening even more with terror. “I…I…”
He couldn’t waste time trying to break through her stupor. He tied his half of the shirt around his head and searched the room for anything he could use to get them out. He couldn’t possibly bust through the cinderblock walls before he and Toni succumbed to the smoke.
He could call 911, but Sam and the guys would be here sooner than a patrol deputy. For now, the door was his only option. He started kicking the wood. No movement. None. He turned and back-kicked. The doorjamb and lock held.
No. No. No.He couldn’t fail. Somehow he had to make an opening big enough to crawl through.
He shone the light over the space. A gasp came from Toni, but he needed the light. Junk was heaped up in the corner, and he hurried over to tear through it. He discarded worn boards and trim pieces. Empty paint cans. An old oil can. Rags. There on the floor. A small hatchet. The wooden handle was broken. He had little to hold onto. He’d make do. He raced back to the door. Ran his fingers over the wood. Not hot. At least the fire wasn’t raging in the hallway outside.
Wouldn’t do to slice his hand open on the splintered handle. He tore the shirt from his head. Wrapped the fabric around the broken handle. He hauled back and slammed it into the door. Small wood chips flew. Not many, but it was working.
He slammed the hatchet again. Once more. Over and over. A small hole appeared. Heavier smoke poured through it. He tried not to breathe, but how could he not under the exertion? He coughed. Hard. His eyes stung, tears pouring down his cheeks. No matter. Toni needed him.
He swung the ax, putting his weight into it. At last the head went through the wood. Had he weakened the wood enough to break through? If not, they would suffocate. Soon.
A swift kick of his boot into the hole, and a satisfying crack sounded in the tiny space. He grabbed the wood morticed into the thicker frame and pulled it free to enlarge the hole. He would help Toni through the opening first, but she was too dazed to move fast. Better to unlock the door and then assist her.
Breathing hard now, he dropped down to the hole. His chest convulsed with a deep cough. He placed his shirt over his mouth again and shimmied out. The thick gray smoke obscured his vision, but he felt for the bar and lifted it.
He jerked open the door and rushed to Toni. “We’re leaving now.”
He didn’t wait to see if she would move but lifted her out of the sink and took her by the hand. They stayed low and started forward. To his right, flames burned in a large barrel someone had slid in front of the stairs, blocking the exit.
His heart fell. They couldn’t get out unless he could move it. But the glowing metal told him it was way too hot to touch.
“Clay!” Sam’s voice came from above.
“Down here!” Clay called back. “Fire in a barrel at the bottom of the steps blocking our exit.”
“Griff’s got an extinguisher.”
Boots pounded down the stairs.
Yes.The best sound Clay had heard all day. He tugged Toni back from the flames and buried her face in his chest to protect her from extinguisher fumes.
Griff, wearing a fireproof hood and gloves, aimed the extinguisher at the barrel. The flames died a quick death, but heavy smoke poured out at an alarming rate.
“Come on.” Griff curled his hand in the air. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Clay led Toni to the stairwell, but her steps were hesitant. He had to get her moving faster. Nothing for it but to lift her over his shoulder and carry her. She didn’t protest, telling him how dire her state of mind was.
