Chapter 3

As I slide through the opening in the boards, I press myself against the wall to stay away from the heart of the fire. I hear noise above me and I look around and notice on the opposite side of the barn. I map a way through the fire and make a break for it, climbing up the stairs as soon as I reach them.

Smoke immediately hits my face as I reach the top of the stairs. I cough as I take out my phone flashlight and look around. I keep myself low to try and avoid the smoke that's already filled the loft. I hear faint coughing and carefully crawl closer. I bump into something and curse under my breath, putting my hand on it to feel what it is. It's…it's a leg, I think to myself. "Ashley?" I call out, praying that it's her. "Is that you?"

"Chloe?" her voice calls back and I breathe a shaky sigh of relief. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," I say as I crawl closer to her face. "I'm here to get you out." I feel for her shoulder and my hand lands on her wrists, wrapped together with rope. "You're tied up?" I ask.

"Yeah, he tied my wrists and my ankles," Ashley answers. "I can't get up…I've tried." I find my footing and stand to pick her up when she shouts, "Chloe! Look out!" I look up to a window on the far end of the loft and a figure standing in it. Before I can even see what it's doing, I hear a pop and pain erupt in my stomach. I fall to the ground, clutching my stomach as I feel something warm spread across my hand. I'm shot…I'm shot, I finally process. I look up to see the figure still standing in the window. I shakily reach for my gun and aim it. I pull the trigger and I see the figure jolt before falling out of the window. I breathe a shaky sigh of relief as I curl into myself more from the pain. I hear Ashley let out a weak, "I'm so, so sorry, Chloe…I'm sorry I got you into this."

I look over at her. This is it, I think to myself. This is the same place Max was shot in…I'm going to die. As the flames creep their way into the loft, I notice tears in her eyes. I shake my head. But it doesn't have to be for her. I can't let her die here…Amber needs her…Avi can't lose her. I muster the strength to crawl over to her. With my body shaking, I brace myself to stand and slide my arms underneath her. "I'm getting you out of here. You're not going to die here."

"Chloe, you can't," she says weakly. "You just got shot. This will kill you."

I let out a sigh. I know, I think to myself but instead, I say, "So will staying in this barn and letting us both burn to death. I'm not letting you die today. I'm getting you out of here." Tears trickle down Ashley's face as I lift her up. I cry out, but grip her as I somehow manage to stand. Shaking, I make my way toward the stairs, feeling like my insides are tearing apart the entire way. I lean against the wall of the barn and slide my way down the stairs, careful not to drop Ashley. The bottom floor is completely engulfed in flames. I find my opening and I struggle towards it, staying to the side as to avoid most of the flames.

Finally, I make it to the opening. "I'm pushing you out first," I say to Ashley. She nods as I slowly lower her to where her feet are touching and I push her through the opening. She tumbles a little but lands on the grass. I smile as I see Avi, Amber, and Kaley rush over to her. I slowly slide myself through before everything fades to black and I collapse onto the ground.

I groggily come back to consciousness again, barely able to process what's happening around me. I hear Amber and Kaley's voices and the crackle of fire. I feel hands on my shoulders before finally it hits me: Barn, fire, Ashley, Chloe…I have to help! I immediately go to sit up as Kaley firmly holds me down, "Woah, woah, woah, you're not getting up!"

"I have to go help!" I call out weakly.

"Yeah no," Kaley says. "Chloe's already in there and you hit your head pretty hard. The back of your head is bleeding. You can't go in there."

"Ashley's in there," I whisper, my voice catching. "I heard her scream for help. That's when…the barn erupted in flames and I got blown back."

"Chloe's going to get her," Kaley says assuringly. "She's going to be okay." I can see the worry in her eyes and as I glance to Amber several feet away, I can see her fighting a mental breakdown. Kaley sighs, "We already called 911 after we saw you. Help should be here soon anyway."

I let out a sigh but nod. "Can I sit up?" I ask. Kaley nods and helps me into a sitting position. She looks me over but keeps a hand firmly planted on my back. As Amber paces our way, we jolt at the sound of a loud POP! "What was that?" I whisper.

"It sounded like a gunshot," Amber says. Kaley grips my arm as if ready to lift me when another gunshot goes off. I gasp as a person falls from the window at the barn's loft and lands in the grass below.

"Who was that?" Kaley asks.

"I don't know," she says. "It didn't look like Ashley or Chloe. I'm going to go check."

"Don't," I call out. "What if it's the kidnapper and he's not dead?"

"I don't think he's going to do much after falling out the window," Amber says. "I'm not going to get close, just close enough to see if it's Ash or Chloe." She walks away for a moment around the corner of the barn before coming back, shaking her head, "It's a man…and he didn't look like he was breathing. He had a gunshot wound in his chest."

"Do you think he shot at Ashley or Chloe?" Kaley asks.

"He had to have," Amber replies. "But Chloe must have taken him out." We all turn to the opposite side of the barn as we hear a grunt and another figure pops through the paneling of the barn. "Ashley!" Amber calls as she runs after her. Kaley helps me up and we run over to her. Ashley is curled in a ball coughing, her wrists and ankles tied, but alive. Kaley whips out a knife from her back pocket and carefully saws through the ropes around Ashley's wrists and then her ankles. As soon as she's free, Amber scoops her younger sister into a hug, "Oh Ash, I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm here, Amb," Ashley coughs, "I'm here."

"Where's Chloe?" I ask. Ashley face falls and I look up to see a figure lying on the ground a few feet closer to the barn. "Chloe!" I call as I run over and kneel beside her. It doesn't take me but a moment to realize what's happened as the large, red stain on her shirt continues to grow. I notice the bullet hole in the center and I press down on it as tears cloud my vision. I hear a soft cough from Chloe's still form and I look down at her. "You still with me, Chlo'?" I ask in a strained voice?

Chloe blinks her eyes at me and gives me a weak smile. "Hey you," she says weakly.

"What happened up there?" I ask, taking a hand and holding hers.

"I tried to get Ashley," Chloe coughs, "but apparently the guy didn't want that so he shot me…then I shot him out the window…and carried her out of the barn."

"You carried her?" I ask bewildered. "After you were shot?"

"I couldn't let her die in there," Chloe says softly. "I knew you guys needed her…especially since I-"

"Don't you finish that sentence," I say, tears trickling down my face. "This isn't where you die. You're not dying today."

"Av," Chloe says softly as tears rim her eyes. She cups my face with one hand as she grips mine with her other, "I've been here before. I saw Max get shot in the same place and she didn't carry someone out of a burning building after. I knew this was it the second I was hit. I just knew I had to get Ashley to safety and see you before I could let go." Despite the tears in them, her eyes hold nothing but peace as she squeezes my hand a little tighter.

I shake my head, "I can't lose you."

"You're not losing me," Chloe says as she pulls my forehead down to hers. "Not forever. We'll see each other again. I've seen you grow from the insecure girl I saved in the junkyard to a confident young woman who I see today. You're secure in your career, secure in your friendships…things that weren't the case when I met you. And you have helped me grow from someone who saw no worth in herself to knowing I have a purpose. And I guess I've fulfilled it. You have your people, Av. You're not alone…but I know it's my time."

I shake my head, tears pouring down my face as I pull her into a tight embrace, "I love you, Chloe. So, so much."

"I love you, Av," she says weakly. "More than you'll ever know." I feel her exhale and go limp in my arms.

"Chloe?!" I call out, shaking her limp form. "CHLOE!"

"Is she okay?" Kaley calls out. I faintly hear sirens as she says, "Help's almost here! Just hang on!" I don't notice her coming over or Amber gently pulling me off of Chloe so Kaley can start chest compressions. The world starts to spin around me before all goes black once again.