"Report!"Ishriek into the mic. "Someonetalk to me!"
"Explosionin the sub-basement,"Shanecuts through, choking on thick dust. "Structuralintegrity is compromised.Ceilingis coming down."
"Whereis he?"Idemand, my nails gouging deep into my own thighs. "WhereisDaniel?"
"Idon't have eyes on him,"Loganbarks. "Thecorridor collapsed entirely.We’recut off."
"No."Thedenial punches out of my chest. "No, no, no."
Tearingthe headset away,Ilunge blindly for the rear door handle.
"Ma'am!Stayinside!"Joeyyells, reaching back to grab my jacket.
"Getoff me!"Isnarl, shoving the kid back with adrenaline-fueled strength. "That’smy brother!That’smy man!"
Ihit the icy ground hard.Bitterwind bites into my skin, flash-freezing the wetness on my cheeks.Thecompound sits a hundred yards away, black smoke already billowing from a collapsed ventilation stack.Orangeflames lick hungrily at the falling snow.
Myboots slip on the slick gravel asIsprint toward the tree line.TheSigP365Danielforced on me bites cold against my spine through my waistband.Pullingit will be entirely useless against burning rock and collapsing earth.
"Kaila!"Austinbellows from somewhere to my right, butIpush my burning leg muscles harder.
Slashingthrough the perimeter fence opening,IfindLoganandShanestumbling from a crumpled side door.Ashcoats their tactical gear.Theirhands are completely empty.
"Whereis he?"Iscream, fisting the heavy fabric ofLogan'stactical vest. "Whereare they?"
Logan’sgaze drops to the slush at his boots, his jaw working beneath a mask of black soot. "Theblast took out the main supports,Kaila.Wecouldn't?—"
"Don'tyou dare say it,"Iseethe. "Don'tyou dare."
Pivotingback to the burning structure,Istare at the roaring wall of flame blocking the primary entrance.Myboots drag me one step closer to the inferno.
"Kaila, stop,"Shanewarns, his heavy grip locking around my bicep. "Youcan't go in there.It’sgone."
"Letme go!"Thrashingwildly against the hold,Ikick at the snow. "Hepromised!HesworeGunnarsnever lose what's theirs!"
Aviolent, grinding scrape of metal tearing over stone echoes through the clearing.
Tothe left of the fiery entrance, the heavy steel grate sealing a drainage outflow shudders violently.Therusted bolts groan under immense pressure.Everyonefreezes in place.
Themassive grate bursts outward with a deafening clang, burying itself in a snowdrift.
Thick, bloodied fingers grip the concrete edge.Athick forearm follows, corded with screaming muscle and plastered in gray dust.
Danielhauls himself up from the black depths of the drain, his massive chest heaving for oxygen.Slickred blood pours freely from a gash on his forehead, soaking his shredded tactical gear.Slunghigh over his right shoulder, wrapped securely in a fire-retardant tarp, hangsKevin.
"Daniel!"Thescream rips out of my throat, raw and burning.
CarefullyloweringKevinto the ground, the giant then collapses onto his side in the deep powder.Awet, rattling cough tears through him as he spits black phlegm.Then, his dark eyes lockonto mine.Acrossthe frozen distance, cutting straight through the smoke, that utterly feral, possessive heat brands me.
Tearingfree ofShane'shold,Isprint the remaining distance.Myknees crack hard against the frozen dirt right beside him.Franticpalms map the rugged lines of his jaw and the solid bulk of his chest, hunting for fatal wounds.
"Youidiot,"Ichoke out, dragging my sleeve across the bleeding gash on his brow. "Youstupid, heroic mountain man."
Asavage grin splits his filthy face. "Toldyou," he rasps, the sound grinding out of his ruined throat. "Ifound him."
Droppingmy gaze to the tarp,IwatchKevinstir weakly against the ice.Hisbreathing is shallow but continuous.Batteredand scorched, but breathing.
"Kevin,"Iwhisper, pressing a palm to his cold cheek.Thekid flinches hard before cracking open his good eye.