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.I didn’t know it then but they’d called in two more companies after mine.At that point, my first concern was for Aaron, getting him some help.”“The EMTs were all on the other side?”Derek nodded absently.“We’d been told when we arrived that most of the businesses were closed on Sunday.No one was aware of anyone inside.Residents of the top floor of the building to the north had been the ones to call in the alarm, and had gotten out safely long ago.The other buildings didn’t have residential units.All commercial.“While I’d been inside, though, the initial report had changed.There were two cars in the parking lot, in spaces employees of the different businesses usually used.They’d sent some guys in to search the buildings that hadn’t been burning when we’d arrived.”His face tightened and she saw him swallow hard.Macey sat up straighter.“When I got around to the battalion chief in charge, I could see the fire had jumped south to Julie’s building and the one next to it.I heard about the two cars, and when they said one was a silver Camry my knees nearly buckled.”“Julie’s?” Macey asked quietly, knowing the answer from Derek’s agony.“Chief Valencia had Billy on the radio.He and Carlos had found two people in the basement of Julie’s shop.Both blonde females, both unconscious.Carlos had just taken one out a back window—apparently flames blocked the way to the door—and Billy was carrying the other woman, a few feet behind Carlos.I took off running, trying to find a shortcut to them, as soon as I heard.”He leaned his head back on the couch, so he stared at the ceiling—or would have, if his eyes had been open.Macey could tell he was struggling to keep his composure.Grief pulled at his features and she wondered if he was even breathing.She reached out to him but stopped short, her hand hovering above his arm as she hesitated.She drew it back without making contact, and waited for him to continue with the most horrible part.CHAPTER FIFTEEN“SIXTY MORE SECONDS and they could’ve made it,” Derek said, his voice gruff with sadness.“Carlos got the other woman out.I’d had to go around the long way to get back there and try to help.I was twenty yards away when the building went down.Just collapsed, both the main and second stories falling into the basement before my eyes.”Macey squeezed his forearm, then took his hand in hers.He surprised her by tightening his grasp instead of pulling away.“It took forever to reach them.First we had to get the fire under control, then dig through feet of debris.Chief Valencia tried to make me leave several times.Did everything short of shoving me in the truck and driving me away himself.But I couldn’t leave her, even once hope for their survival was gone.There was no way they could’ve made it.No pockets of air, no way they hadn’t been crushed under the weight of the two stories.”Macey scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder, her chest tight.The timer on the ancient oven started beeping, the tinny, shrill sound dragging her back to the present moment.She couldn’t imagine eating now.“Be back in a sec.”She got up and methodically, numbly pulled the steak and potatoes out, paying no heed to whether they were done or not.Tears blinded her and she couldn’t care less about the state of the food.After twisting the oven dial to Off, she rejoined Derek, who hadn’t moved a muscle.She didn’t hesitate to slide right up next to him and weave their hands together again.He didn’t acknowledge her, but that was okay.Minutes passed without them speaking.“Dare?” she finally said softly.“How do you think you could’ve stopped the building from falling on them?”He stared straight ahead, dully, almost catatonically.“I mean it,” she continued.“Firefighters are some of the biggest, bravest heroes out there.You run into burning buildings while everyone else is running out.You save lives, save property….But you’re not God.You can’t stop a building from falling down after fire has ripped through it.Can you?”She saw him struggle to swallow again.His eyes darted around the room, still avoiding her.“Derek? You can’t.Admit that.”His eyes shut and he shook his head.“So then her death couldn’t be your fault.It was just horrible, awful luck that she and Billy were in that basement.”He didn’t hesitate in his answer, as if he’d already asked himself this question and had formulated the answer in great detail.“If I’d figured out what was happening just feet away from me—literally maybe fifty feet—when I hauled Aaron out of the first building, I could’ve gotten in there to her.Could’ve got her out before the building came down.Maybe even before she lost consciousness.”“You were getting help for Aaron
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