Here is the long awaited chapter! I apologize for taking so long, but I am happy to continue this story, since you all seem to like it so much. Time to find out if Andy survived…
The emergency vehicles arrived not even five minutes after the explosion occurred, but they couldn't just rush into an unstable building. They were quickly trying to devise a plan on getting into the building while the firefighters tried to put out the fire with the hoses attached to the truck.
Officers Peck and Diaz arrived at the scene, minutes after Police Chief Best arrived. They approached him as he was talking to a group of firefighters.
After he was done, he turned gravely to his fellow officers in blue. "It doesn't look like there will be very many survivors. We are still going to try and get into the building to search," Best said, clearing his throat.
"What would you like us to do right now, sir?" Gail asked, ready to get a piece of the action.
"Just take statements for now, see if anyone saw anything suspicious. By the size of the blast and the fire, it seems as if this wasn't an accident," Best said, raising his eyebrows.
As soon as they went to head over to the ambulances to get some statements from the conscious victims, a heavy set woman barreled over to Best. She was out of breath, covered in ash, and shaken up, but seemed otherwise unharmed.
"What is it ma'am?" Best asked, placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her.
"A man!" she exclaimed. "A man went into the building!" Chris and Gail looked at each other, and shrugged their shoulders, waiting for further explanation. Seeing their looks, she continued. "He went in as everyone else was running out. I think he was looking for someone, but he is in there! He hasn't come back out."
"Can you give us a description?" Chris asked, pulling out a pad of paper. She immediately described a man of shorter stature with dark wavy hair and brown eyes who was muscularly built.
"Thank you ma'am," Best said, and pointed her in the direction of the waiting ambulances. His radio was already pulled out while she was walking away. He alerted all the personnel in the area that there was a man, a potential suspect in the building and to proceed with caution.
Chris and Gail went on their way and took a few unhelpful statements from shaken up victims. A lot of ambulances had already left, carrying the victims that were worse off and needed immediate medical attention.
It was then that Chris thought of something. "Hey, Gail," he said, stopping her by placing a hand on her arm. "Isn't this the hotel that Andy and Sam went for their honeymoon?" he finished slowly.
Gail was ready to turn and tell Chris that he was being ridiculous when the description of the man running into the building popped into her head. Her mouth opened into an 'O' of surprise.
At the same time, Chris and Gail gasped, "Sam!"
Gail took off running to tell Best, Chris trailing behind.
Sam wasn't sure how long it took for the firefighters and paramedics to arrive, but he barely noticed their presence. He was sitting cradling the broken body of Andy in his arms when they came into the room.
He was barely conscious and he couldn't remember how he managed to dig Andy up from the rubble; it probably had something to do with adrenaline. All he knew was that she wouldn't wake up.
He was scared he would never see her captivating eyes or hear her sweet voice again, which is why he refused to let her go when the paramedics tried to take her from his arms. They had to forcibly pry her from his grasp and still he fought as the firefighters held him back. He was vaguely aware that they were speaking to him, but his focus was solely on Andy.
He tried to take a step to follow the paramedics who were carting her out of the dangerous maze that was the remains of the hotel, but he fell to his knees, too weak and full of grief to get up. A pair of firefighters hoisted him up and Sam allowed himself to be led out of the hotel.
The whole time he was wondering what he had done in his life to deserve losing his wife the day after their wedding. It had taken so long to finally admit his feelings for Andy and now he was afraid of losing her. But he wasn't going to give up on her yet. He would keep fighting for her, even when she wasn't able.
That's what a good husband would do and that is what he would do for the only woman he loved.
Another cliffhanger! I promise it won't take as long to update with the answer.