Chapter Two: Despair
"Chet! Marco! Get back!" shouts Mike from his place at the engine. "The building's shifting again! It's gonna go!"
Chet turns to look at the engineer. Wide-eyed, he exclaims, "But the guys! They're still in there!"
"Come on, Chet…" Marco urges, pulling the curly-haired fireman away even as his own stare is locked on the building. "There's nothing we can do..."
'There's nothing we can do…' Mike's own thoughts repeat, the words echoing in his mind as he watches the two-story building collapse. 'They're…'
He hangs his head, partially in disbelief and partially in despair. Not but a few moments pass before he feels a hand clasp his shoulder, and he looks up to see the almost pained expression of Chief McConnike.
"You boys did everything you could…" the chief says, swallowing hard before he can speak again. "Another unit just arrived… to begin the search..."
Mike knows what that means. He can take a break. In truth, he wants to step back. To get away from the rubble.… But he knows he can't abandon them. He'd never live with himself.
Looking up, a defiant gleam in his eyes, he shakes his head—his gaze locked on what is left of the building.
"I'll go tell the guys. We'll get geared up."
"Son… There's probably no way that they… The whole building… They won't be in good shape, even if we do find them today…"
"No. We're going to find them, Chief," Stoker responds before approaching his two crewmates. "Chet. Marco. McConnike says that another station showed up to help with the search."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go," Marco says adamantly.
Chet nods slowly. "Yeah... We gotta start lookin'... And maybe..."
"Chet, McConnike says the chances aren't good that..." Mike hesitates not wanting to give voice to the thought. He sighs and starts again. "Just don't get your hopes up..."
"I know... It's just..." the usually humorous lineman trails off, shoulders slumping.
"Yeah, I know..." Mike agrees then looks toward the rubble once more. "Well… let's get to work..."
With that, they gear up, putting on their SCBAs and going with the search team, into the wreckage that was only moments ago a building.
Hours pass and other than a few five minute breaks to rehydrate or replace a cylinder, they keep searching. Each time a new section is uncovered, they silently pray that this section is the one, but each time they find nothing more than debris.
After working close together for some time, with no sign of their missing crew, they split up and hope that one of them would be the first to spot anything that might help.
And it is not long at all until their change of tactic brings results.
"Hey, I found somethin'!" Chet shouts.
Stoker is the first to react, rushing over to his crewmate as Chet lifts a partial beam.
"What is it, Chet?!"
"This," he answers, pointing down to the floor.
Directing his gaze downward, Stoker gasps. He knows that the chances are slim but he dares to hope because if anyone could…
"Chet. Get Marco and Chief McConnike."
"Got it!"
