Chapter Thirteen
All men need to accept their fate
And I see no bravery, no bravery
In your eyes anymore
Only sadness.
James Blunt – No Bravery
I tapped my fingers patiently on my arm as Mac put his head in the place where the ceiling tile should have been. I looked at Flack worried, his head tilted up gazing at Mac, trying to figure out.
"We've got a bomb, pull the alarm." Mac's yell snapped us both into action. Don hit the fire alarm first. The word "bomb" was echoing through my mind as Mac hurried down the ladder. We were suddenly in the corridor. I pounded the door in front of me before opening it, and holding for the people scurrying out. Down the hall I watched Mac and Don do the same. I moved onto the next door kicking it open.
"Clear."
"Clear."
"Clear." All three of us moved towards the exit where we'd come from. I noise clattered behind us, making us stop dead and turn. A young man, with massive head phones on peered out lifting up on head phone.
"What's going on?" Don was the first to answer him yelling over the noise of the alarm.
"Get the hell out of here, there's a bomb!" He ran past us and down the stairs in the direction we'd previously come. I breathed a sigh of relief as we started moving again. In my haste, the camera in my hands slid from my grasp and hit the tiled floor with a abrupt bang. Automatically I reached out to pick it up. Don grabbed my arm yanking me in front of him, and shoving me forwards to the stairwell.
"Leave it." he shouted over the alarm, urging me forward with a firm hand on my back. In the distance, a low rumbling sound…
Flack turned as I did. I grabbed hold of his hand instinctively, to pull him along with me away from the bomb. A massive force hit me, throwing me backwards through the air. I felt Flack's hand slipping from mine as I fell into oblivion.
"Carmen? Carmen…?" I jumped, stumbling out of the reverie. Stella's warm smile lingered in front of me.
"Are you alright your shaking?" she said gripping my trembling hands. I stared down at them.
"I…I think I had a flashback." I said putting my hands on the flat surface and took a deep breath.
"It's time to go home Carmen." She said softly. I let out a shaky breath, bowing my head. Stella's arm went around my shoulders.
"Here I'll take you home." She said kindly. I cleared my throat pushing the tears from my eyes.
"I think…" I looked at my hands again. The shaking had died down now, but it was still there, faint, almost undetectable.
"I think I'm gonna go to the hospital…see Don." I told her. Stella nodded coming up with a better proposal.
"Why don't I take you home first, you can shower and change and then meet Mac at the hospital." I gave her a worn smile.
"That sounds great." I confessed.
"Come on then." She said gently guiding me from the office. I relaxed letting her take charge and repay the favour she felt she owed me.