A new face after the race
Chapter 53
Mark looked away distracted and excused himself as some sounds came relevant from the other room, the front room. Emily took her jack knife out as Lucky came around the bends.
They found out the room Emily being held in had another doorway. Lucky ran to her and took the knife from her hands and started tearing through the rope, being as careful as they could. They were going to get caught quickly and had little time to get Emily free.
As soon as Emily was nearly free, Mark came running in and became enraged at the picture before him. Lucky cut the last of the strings that the rope held and accidentally cut Emily in the process. It wasn't deep, but with her sensitive skin from the rope, it hurt more than it should have.
Lucky stood up and stood in front of Emily, like a protector. Meanwhile the two men gave each other dirty, threatening looks; Emily tore off a piece of her skirt and wrapped it around her wrist, to stop the small cut from bleeding. It was all she had at the given moment.
Eventually, as Emily was done, Mark attacked Lucky. Emily screamed as she feared they'd fall on her, but Lucky pushed Mark away and took their fight elsewhere. Emily sighed with relief, she really didn't need that. She was really glad Lucky was there. He even knew what she needed without saying and even through his fury he read her easily. Usually anger clouds a person's judgment, but not Lucky obviously.
As they fought Emily tried figuring out what to do. She couldn't leave Lucky alone with Mark; I mean this whole thing was her fault. It wouldn't be fair to Lucky, but on the other hand the best thing she could do was leave Lucky. He'd feel better to know she escaped successfully. But she herself wanted to stay here and know what happened, unlike the last time this happened. She collapsed and totally missed it all. She didn't find out what happened, just that Zander was dead and Helena the same. No one would give her the details or the end result other than that and they meant well, she really didn't need that extra information, but it would still be nice to know.
And the alternative reason was she didn't feel too safe unless she was with Lucky. She'd get over it; she couldn't be too dependent on Lucky, but not now. It was much too early to start feeling otherwise. It was still happening!
While Emily considered her options and the boys angrily fought, below the floor, in the basement, quite a racket was being made. The old electric system, the reason why the warehouse was abandoned, was making quite a ruckus. It spit and sputtered, even though it hadn't been used in years. It was reaching its final point. It was going to explode.
But no one knew that or when it would happen. It started slowly, before big sparks came spilling out of the holes. It was shorting out and that could mean only one thing: disaster.
But up above no one noticed a thing. Lucky and Mark continued their fight oblivious to Emily or anything else around them, and Emily was just unsure of what to do. She just stared at the fighting men, and watched them as they fought to kill from the looks of it.
Normally she probably would be bothered with these violent scenes, but she was too out of her element to really notice. She was trying to figure out why they were fighting.
Certainly not over her, sure it started that way, but now it was different. There was a whole new issue she didn't know. Emily just supposed it was Lucky taking out his anger to Mark's moves on her, especially that last one. She didn't think on that though. She needed to be aware and ready for anything.
Help had yet to come, and she was beginning to think they would never. So it would be up to her to stop the fight going on between the macho men she attracted. She really loved Lucky, he was so caring and gentle and loving, and he wouldn't hurt her like anyone had in her past. But it still scared her to see what he could be.
She made no movement though. She really should stand up and stop Lucky and Mark, and as much as she thought Mark deserved it, they really needed to be leaving and she was far too weak to take anymore today. He'd get his just desserts in jail eventually. She had no doubt it was a rough place to be.
It was then she noticed the sounds and movements from below them. She couldn't hear them well, given the blows and groans of pain of the fight, but she could feel the wood floor moving unsteadily.
She placed her ears on the cold floor and listened to see what was happening. She heard nothing at first just some hisses, but then a bright spark went off from below. That was the first clue of what was happening.
The warehouse was having an electric shorting, and given the probable age of the system, she knew it was bad. Then something hit her, why this place was abandoned.
She read in the newspaper, a few years ago that it was going to be closed down because the electricity system was unstable and very old fashioned. For safety, it was reasoned; it would be evacuated and abandoned. The city agreed it was the best thing for this place before it killed someone.
She stood up and the ground beneath her continued to move unstable. IF this was California and if New York was under a distinct fault line, she would have thought it was an earthquake, but neither was the case. This place was going to explode and them with it if they didn't get away from it quickly. Now, as soon as possible were better words to think of it.
She didn't know if a fire had started, but the sparking, hissing sound maybe the start of one. And she didn't care to make sure she was right, they needed to leave this place, even Mark, even though he probably deserved to go down with the building. The girl's mothers needed closure and she couldn't forget of Brenda. She was helpless; she wasn't even checked into reality.
She turned towards the fight to find Mark sailing to the floor as Lucky gave him a sound punch. "Lucky!" She screamed, hoping to tone him out of his anger. Anger seriously clouded your judgment and Lucky wasn't an exception.
It was a few moments before he turned to her. She could see bruises coming and maybe a black eye, but those were minor injuries. If they stayed here they might end up with life threatening ones.
Lucky said nothing, probably embarrassed of his actions, but Emily would let it slide if they got out of here alive. "Lucky!" She called again. "We have to get out of here." She told him.
Lucky said nothing again, much to her tension and stress. She really didn't need a toned out Lucky here. He just stared at her, and she would personally kill him if he was lost in thought. Really bad timing Lucky, she criticized him.
He gave her another look, more into reality, but she could still understand the question. "This place is going to explode. The electricity is shorting out." Emily explained as urgent as she could.
Lucky turned one last time to Mark's unconscious, unmoving body before turning back to her, but when he did, it wasn't a pretty sight. A large crack was spreading on the wood and he began to smell smoke. Emily was right, Lucky realized, now completely present. They needed to get out of here.
He made a movement to walk over but the floor was increasingly unsteady. He had to get to her quick, but not make any quick movements ironically enough. He watched as the crack stretched across the floor more. It reached the wall, and they were separated by a widening canyon.
He cursed as he cautiously made his way to her. Great time to close off your ears and lose your cool Lucky, he thought, criticizing himself and his tendencies. He was almost near Emily when one of the halves completely broke, sending the wooden floor and its occupant down with them into the fire that use to be the basement, a tornado shelter or something he noticed, at one time.
And worst of all it wasn't his half. He watched as Emily's eyes met his, full of fear and he heard her scream as the floor broke beneath her, sending her with it.
For the first time since he came upon her being held captive, he spoke. "Emily!" He screamed as she disappeared with the falling rubble. He looked in horror down, but found no sign of her, even if the fire gave light. He could see broken wood pieces, but no evidence of Emily.
Without thinking he jumped down there as well. The smoke filled his lungs and he coughed, his eyes watered, but that didn't stop him from finding Emily. He moved around, being careful, but yet reckless. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd die for Emily.
He began by moving pieces, but didn't call Emily's name for two reasons. One, the smoke was too much to do so, and two Emily was probably unconscious with the debris falling on her and the distance she fell. Sure he made it and would probably have some injuries thanks to his jump, but he was too worried to even feel a tinge of pain. He simply blocked it out. He didn't know how long it would last though but didn't go from there.
He continued his search, never failing. He wouldn't fail to find Emily; he would die before he gave up. As he got ankle deep in the rubble he found something, a hand from the velvety feels of it. He continued digging up the debris until he found and dug up a head, covered with dark, long hair.
He breathed a little sigh of relief as he found a pulse. Emily had a big piece of wood on her though, and he began to feel the adrenaline leaving him. He was loosing strength, but he ended up pushing it off her somehow gaining the strength to do so.
After she was free he sat down, all exertion gone. He gathered up Emily's body and held her like an infant in his grip, bridal style like he did in the hospital when she couldn't walk, but there were no arms around his neck this time.
He cradled Emily's head, calling her. "Emily, wake up." No response came. "Emily, please wake up." He begged again. "This is really a bad time to fall unconscious, you realize that don't you?" He asked her, and still no response. He felt tears come to his eyes.
"I should have listened to you. I was just so up in my anger, I should have realized something up, the floor being very unstable was a very good sign there, but I didn't recall it, did I?" He confessed as a few of his tears fell on her right cheek. "I'm sorry, so sorry. We could be safe right now. You should have left me; I shouldn't have gotten so into that fight." He continued and barely noticed as the other half of the floor fell.
The fire was spreading and the building was going to come down, on them most likely. The fire surrounded them now, they were stuck. They were probably going to die. He could probably make it out, but not with Emily. She was too much baggage at this point.
Well if she was going to die, he was going with her. If Emily could only wake up on last time…a small sound came from her lips. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Lucky…" She called weakly, and he finally saw how tired and exhausted she was. The day was too much for her; far too much for her weak and exhausted, still recovering body.
"Emily." He smiled gratefully at her, as best as he could give the circumstances.
Emily tried speaking again, but the smoke was making it difficult. Their oxygen level was running extremely low. If they didn't die of a burning warehouse falling on them, they'd certainly die of too much smoke inhalation.
"Lucky…" Emily couldn't get the rest of her message out, but Lucky still understood it. She coughed some and then tucked her head into his shoulder for comfort.
She said she loved him and there was no way he could say it back, but they both knew very well how they felt about each other. It was no secret anymore. He just tucked her in his arms close, protecting her to the best of his ability.
Outside, between the winter snowflakes and growling wind stood a huge crowd of people. The fire was too much out of control and the weather not helping the visibility, there was nothing they could do.
Melissa had done exactly what Emily commanded. She had ran to the first house and yelled for help. She exclaimed that she had been kidnapped and needed to call the police immediately.
However, with the weather and the police officers ignorance, they didn't believe her story. They called Jason and they had been reunited. It took forever to tell the whole story and then the still ignorant officers had called their next in command and finally got the message.
But by then it was too late. They couldn't stop the fire, they couldn't see, couldn't do anything.
Jason and Melissa went to the scene and Jason held her close to him, not letting her go, protecting her. Lulu, Luke and Laura went too. They widely expected Lucky was in there too. Sonny got called up soon after. Michael and Morgan were with Bobbie, so he was alone.
Along with the immediate family members of the thought people inside the burning inflame, was rescue workers, police officers (even the stupid, ignorant ones), and paramedics were on the scene.
They looked on with hope, but as the building fell to pieces, their sister, brother, mother, son, daughter not coming out of it, was diminished. Everyone screamed out their family members' names in grievance.
In Jason's firm grip, Melissa screamed "Mommy!"
Lulu, in her dad's arms screamed for her brother "Lucky!"
Sonny, in horror and despair, watched his only daughter and oldest child going down with the building screamed "Emily!"
And then there was silence.