Red Hot BOX SET: Complete Series 1-4: A Patrick & Steeves Suspense Read Free

smoke in the hall was lighter, he was moving away from the center of the fire. Standing, he hurried forward. At the end of the hall, a beam above him collapsed raining sparks and burning debris down around him. He jumped back and pressed his radio. “Captain, I’ve got a kid here on the 10th floor. Man down in the stairwell, near the 7th.”
    “You’re alone Steeves?” Captain Rook’s voice barked through the radio. “Didn’t I tell you to stay with your crew?”
    “Captain, you need to get someone up to Jessie, he’s in bad shape.”
    “I can try to get Bates over there, but Steeves … we’re running out of men and you are running out of options. I need you to back out. That whole floor is about to go.”
    Down the hall, the cry came again. “Can’t do that Captain. There’s some debris here, the rafters are burning, but I’m going in.”
    “Hang on Steeves.”
    Dal picked his way forward, swinging his axe into the rafter barring his way.
    “Steeves, when you get through to the end, hang a right. That hallway will lead you to a fire escape on the north corner.”
    “Roger that, Captain.” His eyes watered as he followed the wall against his right shoulder. The wails grew louder as he came upon another open doorway. He followed the door in and edged his way around the room. Stumbling into a crib, he reached down, patting the surface until he found the baby. Murmuring to the child, he unzipped his jacket, lifted the bundle and pressed the infant to his chest, nestling its head in the small pocket of air he’d created. Turning back to the door, he exited the room and followed the hall to the right.
    “Steeves?”
    “Got him, Cap.”
    “We’re set up for you, Steeves. Make your way to the exit.”
    An uncharacteristic undertone ran through the Captain’s voice. He checked behind him, flames licked up the walls. The fire was burning hotter. All it would take was a rush of air and it would all be over. He pushed his body faster down the hall. His equipment weighed down on him.
    “You close Steeves?” The captain’s voice crackling through the radio was terse.
    Ahead of him, another rafter was about to break loose from the ceiling. Jumping, he sailed through a curtain of sparks, the force of the rafter falling behind him propelled them forward. He couldn’t judge distance through the thick smoke, but kept pushing on.
    Time slowed. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard the welcome sound of water hitting embers and followed the hiss to the door of the fire escape. He pushed it open, stepped onto the landing and waited. As they moved the ladder closer, he zipped his jacket completely closed to safeguard the infant. Discarding his axe on the landing, he stepped onto the ladder grasping the top rung with both hands. Below, they backed the ladder off, away from the flames, away from the smoke.
    Before he knew it, he was on the ground, surrounded by flashing cameras. Someone rushed forward and took the baby. To his right, a team of EMTs hustled Jessie, unconscious and broken, to a make-shift triage zone. Around him, chaos reigned. The dead and injured lined the ground like charred furrows.
    Dal ripped the mask off his face, stepped forward and collapsed.

Chapter 6
    L as Flores , a small town on the coast, had been a beach-away-from-home for Emily and her friends during high school and university. She’d spent many happy hours here, but had never been to the hospital on the other side of the highway, away from the palapas , bars and hotels.
    She followed the signs through the dark, mostly deserted streets, navigating past several well-lit taco stands and packs of starving street dogs. Spotting the red lights of the Emergency Department sign, she pulled in under a street light near the doors, locked her car and headed inside.
    Bright florescent lights blazed overhead. She glanced around at the hard green plastic chairs and half-sleeping sick and slightly-wounded. Babies cried. Couples argued or wept.