America's Bravest (43 page)

“Are you glad about the baby?”

“Of course I am. Sure, of course, but I…never
mind.”

She grabbed his hand. “Antonio Ramirez. Don’t
you dare clam up on me. Haven’t we learned our lesson?”

The support group was instrumental in
Sophia’s change in outlook, but just as beneficial were their
couples meetings with Harrison. He’d told them they both had to
stop protecting each other and be honest about their feelings.

“Yeah, we have. I don’t want the new baby to
make us backtrack. Make you worry when I go back on the line in
February.”

“He or she won’t. I promise. I think we
should look at this little miracle as a new beginning.”

He grinned like the boy he’d been when she’d
told him the first time that she was accidentally pregnant. They’d
started out on shaky ground, but now, the earth had firmed under
their feet. And when it went rocky, as it was bound to, they’d be
honest with each other and get help if they needed it.

Standing, he crossed to the pocket doors of
the living room, slid them shut and locked them.

“What are you doing?”

“Insuring our privacy. I want to make love to
you here, in front of the tree, to celebrate our own Christmas
baby.”

She laughed aloud and held her hands out to
him.

Tony took them, knelt in front of her. While
still on his knees, he said a silent prayer of thanks for all he’d
been given.

And he swore the angels were smiling down on
them.

-oOo-

Novella number five in the AMERICA’S
BRAVEST SERIES

Kathryn Shay

Rescue 7 screeched to a halt in front of the
small office building in a strip mall in the center of town, and
all five firefighters tumbled out of the rig. The Quint and Midi
followed behind them, and the Battalion Chief’s vehicle stopped on
a dime. Cal Erikson exited his Jeep, his stance erect, his
movements quick. “Get the lights on first and I’ll set up Incident
Command, but know we’re going in fast. Malvaso, come with me.”

The April wind had picked up, fighting Sydney
as she tugged on her turnout coat and put her SCBA in place, ready
to pull it over her face. Quint and Midi crews unloaded the huge
halogen lamps and switched them on, slicing light through the
darkness. She glanced over and saw the chief set up his computer on
the hood of the Jeep. Gabe returned to the truck and called for
their attention. “We’ll wait till the Quint gets water on the fire,
but be ready. This is the chief’s best friend’s office
building.”

That news had come from dispatch on the ride
over. Thankfully, it was eleven at night, so Max Delinsky, local
businessman, more than likely wasn’t inside. The small building’s
windows were dark, too, which was good.

Quickly, water was slapped on the fire and
Gabe led his team to the chief. Erikson faced them; his expression
was bleak. “Max isn’t home. I can’t reach him by cell.” He glanced
worriedly at the structure. “I’m afraid he’s inside. He works late
sometimes.”

“If he’s in there, we’ll find him, Chief,”
Gabe said, squeezing Erikson’s arm. “I promise.”

“Fuck it. Give me your gear, Malvaso. I’m
going in with your guys. You take over out here.”

“Cal, that’s a very bad idea. You’re
personally involved.”

He was already whipping off his HCFD
windbreaker. “What if your cousin was in there?”

Waiting a beat, Gabe finally nodded. “I hear
ya.”

Erikson donned the turnout coat, Nomex hood
and face mask while the rest of them checked the layout of the
building on the computer. He handed Gabe his cell phone. “Speed
dial four. Keep calling him.”

The chief lead the way to the front of the
building. Sydney had taken the rabbit tool, so she popped the lock
on the heavy door. No alarm. Not a good sign for Delinsky; if he
hadn’t turned it on, the chances went up of him being inside.
Adrenaline began to pump through Sydney’s veins.

“Ramirez and Sands, come with me back to his
office,” the chief ordered. “White and O’Malley check out the left.
There’s a kitchen, lavatory and a break room down there.”

Sydney and Tony followed the chief to the
right. Thick, gray smoke filled the foyer and the corridor as they
made their way to Delinsky’s office. “It’s behind that door.” A
fire door, which might be good for the chief’s friend.

“I got it.” Again, Sydney situated the tool
and sprung that door. She stepped into a five-by-five hall space in
front of an office.

Suddenly, an explosion rattled the building
and the fire door slammed shut. Sydney looked down. She held the
pry tool in her hand. And neither man had had the chance to step in
behind her.

Over her radio, she heard, “Sands, you
okay?”

“Yeah, chief, but I got the rabbit.”

“Try it from the inside.”

She set the pry mechanism in position but
couldn’t get purchase this way. She told the chief.

“Some of the fire doors are like that.
Ramirez is going for another tool. Sit tight.”

Glancing over her shoulder, Sydney frowned.
“Why, Chief? Your friend’s office is right in front of me. I can
get in there.”

“Wait for us.”

“Yes, sir.”
Not
.

She remembered a lesson she’d had at the
Academy from Zach Malvaso, who confessed that he thought there were
times when a firefighter had to follow his own instincts even if it
meant disobeying a direct order. Her gut told her this was one of
those instances, so she approached the door labeled
President
. Through the glass she saw a lot of smoke. Hell,
if Delinsky was inside, he didn’t have much time left. Smoke
inhalation was the leading cause of death in fires. Removing her
glove, she found the knob hot to the touch; she slid her hand back
into the Nomex and tried the handle. It opened.

Once in the office, Sydney dropped to her
knees. She could see absolutely nothing, so she tried to picture
where the desk might be. Straight ahead, she guessed. She crawled
forward. Bumped into a chair. Swore. Moved to the left.

“Sands, you okay?” The chief’s voice sounded
worried.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Raising her hand, she felt the edge of
something. A leg of the desk. Feeling her way upward along the
wood, she stood, met a flat surface and felt around. She moved
along the edge, encountered what might be a computer, papers,
then…human flesh.

“Sands!” she heard through the radio. The
chief’s voice was more panicky than she’d ever heard it. “The horn
blew. We have to evacuate. The burst in the back was a stove
blowing. The building’s fully involved. We’re on our way out and
will head around the side. Go into the office and stand near the
big windows. Don’t open them though, or it could make things
worse.”

“I, um, Chief, I’m
in
the office.
Your friend
is
here. I found him collapsed over the
desk.”

“What the…?” He swore. “Is he alive?”

Taking off her glove again, she felt his
neck. “Still has a pulse. Thready but strong.”

“Stay calm and give him some of your
air.”

As if she didn’t know what to do. But Gabe
had said on the way over that Erikson and Delinsky were like
brothers so she understood the chief’s concern.

“You have to stay with him and give him air.
Don’t try to get him out. We’ll be right there and come in as soon
as we get the order that the place is ventilated.”

“Okay, buddy,” she told Max Delinsky as she
pulled the chair back, eased him out—he was heavy—and slid to the
floor with him. He was unconscious, but she spoke to him anyway.
“Here take this.” She removed her mouthpiece and as soon as she got
a gulp of smoke started to cough. There was nothing like breathing
in this shit—and Delinsky had been in it a while.

Please don’t let me be too late,
she
prayed.

After several seconds of air, Max came awake,
took in more oxygen and finally started to cough, signaling his
lungs were working.

Relief swept through Sydney, making her weak.
Thank God, she thought as she shoved the air piece back into her
mouth. She’d hate to kill the chief’s best friend.

oOo

Pain filled Max’s chest as consciousness
dawned. Suddenly, air flowed into his lungs. When he came fully
awake, he realized he was stretched out on the floor, a warm body
was behind him and the person was stuffing something in his mouth.
Disoriented, he couldn’t remember what had happened. He opened his
eyes to total blackness and a thousand needle pricks stinging them.
Then the mouthpiece was removed and he started to cough as his
lungs refilled with—Jesus, smoke. A minute of the panic and pain
again, then the air hose was placed back in.

The owner of the body said, “Mr. Delinsky,
I’m Firefighter Sands from Cal Erikson’s division. We’re in your
office. A fire broke out in the building. I’m the only one who made
it back here, so we have to sit tight and share the air until the
others get us out. Can you do that?”

“Yeah. What happened?”

“Let’s not talk. Lay back against me. I’m
leaning on the wall so I can hold your weight.” He did as she
asked, her presence calming. He took in her air, then went to pull
the hose out of his mouth. “No. Wait at least sixty seconds.”

“I can’t see my watch.”

“Don’t joke either.” But he felt her chest
rumble.

As they switched the hose back and forth, a
thousand thoughts crossed his mind. Was he going to die? What would
that do to his daughter Amber? To calm himself, he thought about
the woman risking her welfare for his. Did she have a husband who
worried about her? A child she didn’t want to leave an orphan? How
old was she?

Vaguely, he heard her radio go on and off,
heard Cal’s voice, though Max was light-headed and couldn’t make
out the words well.

The air came back to him. She said, “It’s
taking longer than they thought, Mr. Delinsky. Before we break the
windows in here, they have to ventilate from above first so we
don’t go into backdraft.”

After he breathed in air, he handed the
nozzle back to her. “Make it Max.”

“What?”

“Max. What’s your first name, Firefighter
Sands?”

“Sydney.”

“Thanks, Sydney.”

Seconds crawled by as the woman shared her
breath with him. At last, the sound of glass shattering; he heard
bodies come into the room. He was lifted up off the floor by big,
strong arms that were probably Cal’s. Dragged to the window. Handed
out.

He hoped Sydney Sands was right behind him.
He wouldn’t be able to live with something happening to his
guardian angel in order to save him.

oOo

“Hi, Max. We’re over here.” Chief Erikson
called to his friend, who they’d rescued five days ago. Max was
recovered enough to want to meet the group who’d saved his life,
and suggested he buy them drinks at Badges. Sydney had changed out
of her uniform into jeans and simple white blouse, and the others
were dressed in civilian clothes, too. Even the chief.

A tall, broad-shouldered guy approached them.
Hmm, he was a nice specimen. As he got closer, she could see his
hair was sandy colored, and his eyes a piercing green. They locked
with hers immediately. The warmth and gratitude in them warmed her.
“Well, there she is.”

She wondered how he knew she’d been the one
with him? They all got credit for the rescue, of course. “Hello,
Mr. Delinsky.”

He grasped her hand and held it between both
of his. Big masculine palms caressed her. “We’re on a first name
basis.
That
I do remember.” Smiling, he tugged her close
and gave her a hug. Sydney wasn’t used to the affections of
strangers, but she
had
held this man in her arms and let
him breathe her air. So she hugged back. Besides, people usually
got sappy after you saved their lives.

“Yeah,” she said easily as she drew away.
“We’re more than acquainted. How you doing, Max?”

“Very well, thanks to you.” He kept staring
at her, and his intense gaze made her nervous. “You’re a little
young to be executing a solo rescue, aren’t you?”

The chief clapped him on the back. “Yes, she
is. Syd’s been with us since she was eighteen. And she’s an
excellent firefighter which is why she got on the Rescue Squad so
soon. But, I’ll have you know, she went against my orders to go
into your office alone.”

His eyes widened. “Seriously? You got in
trouble?”

“Not exactly.” The chief was smiling and
Sydney enjoyed seeing him in the role of friend and not boss.
“Protocol demanded a letter in her file, but I worded it so she’s
shown as a hero. Come on, you can buy me a drink and meet the rest
of the group.”

Max smiled again at her. “You’re staying
around, right? I’d like to talk to you some.”

“Sure, okay.”

Tony approached her, handsome as sin in jeans
and a purple shirt nobody else could wear. “Only had eyes for you,
kiddo.”

“What?”

“He’s taken with you.”

“’Cause I was with him. Gave him my air. We
all conduct the rescue.”

“Maybe. But you’re a beautiful woman, Syd.
Men are attracted to you. It probably surprised the hell out of him
to see somebody like you in the role as savior.”

“Give me a break. Now, you,
you’re
married to a beautiful woman.”

His grin was infectious and his dark eyes lit
from within. “Yeah, and she’s even prettier with that big belly.”
Sophia was due to give birth at the end of the summer. Sydney had
had dinner at their home a few nights ago, and Sophia looked
stunning with a cute, rounded belly.

Unlike Sydney, who’d blown up like a balloon
early in her pregnancy. She’d had a difficult time with Daisy all
around, but she loved her almost four-year-old to distraction.

She talked with Tony and finished her beer.
“I gotta go,” she said after a while. “My mother’s watching Daisy,
but I don’t like to take advantage of her time when I’m not
working.”