Tim’s face is immediately gone from the window but I don’t wait for him to return. I grab my ax and start hitting at the chain. It’s thick and stubborn, and under ordinary circumstances, my ax would be useless against the steel links. But when I saw this woman chained to the bed, I had a moment of clarity where I told myself, This woman will not die the way Marney did. I’m getting her out of here.
I strike at the chain with all of my might, sparks flying from the metal-on-metal contact. Mentally counting to myself every time I make a blow, it’s only on the eighth hit that the chain miraculously breaks apart and the woman is freed.
Tossing my ax near the window, I wrap the blanket more securely around her and easily lift her from the bed. She can’t weigh more than a hundred and ten pounds, if that.
When I reach the window, Tim is there with bolt cutters, which he immediately drops when he sees me with the woman. I squat down so her body is level with the window and pass her through head first to Tim’s outstretched arms. As Tim takes her upper body, I help to thread her lower half through the window until he’s cradling her fully.
“She’s unconscious... probably drugged. I can’t believe she was f**king chained to the bed.”
Tim doesn’t respond but he doesn’t have to. I know he’s as disgusted as I am.
“I’ll be right behind you. I’m going to get this dog out.”
Tim turns away but yells back, “Don’t get bit.”
Pulling my head back in the window, I locate and grab my helmet, face piece, and ax tossing them through the window, hearing them clatter on the concrete driveway below. The Chief will have my ass if he knows I had taken them off, but I know it helped to keep the dog at ease. Turning around, I look at the dog solemnly. “You’re not going to bite me if I pick you up, are you?”
The dog gives me a vigorous wag of his tail and I take that as his full acquiescence that he will be good and keep his teeth sheathed.
Squatting down, I wrap my arms around the dog’s chest and lift his front paws to the windowsill, resting them there. Squatting again, I reach his back haunches and haul him up, pushing him forward out the window. The damn dog weighs a ton but he doesn’t resist me. Once he realizes he’s going out the window, he kicks his back legs out against my chest, springing forward and leaping the rest of the way out. I see him land in the driveway with a grace that belies his massive frame.
Throwing my leg through the window, I follow behind him.
As I walk back to the front of the house, I see the fire is mostly contained. This turned out to be a fairly easy fire but I’m thankful that dog was barking, or else we may not have found the girl in time.
Speaking of the dog, I look around but don’t see the shaggy beast anywhere. Shrugging my shoulders, I head over to the ambulance. One EMT is placing an oxygen mask on the woman’s face, while the other takes her vitals. She appears to be gaining consciousness and I find myself curious as to why she was chained to the bed.
Reaching up, she tugs at the oxygen mask. The EMT pulls her hand away and tells her to leave it in place. Shaking her head back and forth, she pulls on it again, this time with more force than I would have thought she had, and rips it off.
“Capone,” she gasps. “Please, get him out of the house.”
The EMT looks at me and says, “Was someone else in the house?”
I nod my head and step up into the ambulance. “Her dog. That’s who she’s talking about.”
Sitting on the bench next to the woman, I lean over and take the mask from her hand. As I start to gently pry her fingers away, I tell her, “I got your dog out. He’s fine.”
Her fingers immediately go lax and the mask slips from her grip. I start to pull it back up over her mouth and nose, but my hands freeze when I look at her eyes. They are pinned on me and they are the most unique eyes I have ever seen in my life. I can’t seem to tear my gaze away.
They are gray—almost utterly devoid of anything other than that particular shade that is right in between black and white. Except... there’s a slight ring of green and gold flecks that hug her pupils and they stand out in stark contrast to the silver. She’s staring at me with the most thankful expression I’ve ever been bestowed.
Reaching out, she locks her fingers around my wrist. “Thank you,” she whispers, and then she loses consciousness again.
2
I throw the last of my dirty clothes into my duffel bag and zip it up. This last call officially threw me into overtime, having received it just as the end of my three-day shift had expired. Now it’s time to go home and relax for the next four days.
Best of all, if I skirt out of here quickly, I can avoid the Chief’s wrath altogether. He’s been holed up in his office since we pulled back in and has apparently forgotten that he was going to chew me out just a few hours ago.
“You headed out?”
Swinging around, I see Tim standing in the doorway to our sleeping quarters. He’s leaning against the doorframe, his beefy arms folded across his chest.
“Yup. How about you?”
“Yeah. Headed over to Sam’s school to pick him up. You know... surprise him.”
I smile. Tim takes every opportunity he can to spend time with Sam. It’s hard being a fireman because you work such odd hours. Ever since Tim got divorced, he takes every available opportunity to spend it with his son. Luckily, Tim’s ex is pretty cool and works with him outside of their normal custody arrangement.