Angel

Chapter 80

Corey

We heard Raven scream bomb and then the lines vibrated with explosions and screams. "Marc! Raven! Emilio! Gabe! Nate! North! Anyone! Can you hear us?" Victor was screaming as I sat stunned. Was that one word the last I would ever hear from my husband?

The muffled sound of screams came through the speaker and Luke choked, "Gabe," as Silas caught him.

Where are the others?

North

Black smoke surrounded us as men's muffled voices began to fill the air. Most of the building had collapsed or been incinerated by the blast. Emilio was cradling Marc in his arms, tears rolling down his face as he said something I couldn't make out. Raven and Nate were dragging a badly burned Gabriel away from debris. I shook my head, trying to hear more clearly, but still had ringing in my ears from the blast.

"North! North, can you hear me?" Raven asked, waving his hand in front of my face. I nodded but didn't answer. "I need you to lean back on me now, okay?" What? Why? He yelled something at someone else and I felt pressure on my legs as they quickly covered them. "Come on, man, lean on me. We'll get you out of here."

"Marc," I whispered.

Raven choked, "Em...Emilio's got him now. We need to get you and Gabe to the hospital." My head hurt too much to argue so I leaned against him like he said and some guy lifted my legs. They put me on a gurney next to Gabe who was laying on his stomach. His back was littered with burns and his eyes were closed, but I could see the faint rise and fall from his breathing and relaxed a bit. I felt a pinch in my arm and a paramedic smiled at me as I began to feel drowsy.

Nate

Everything had happened so fast. When Raven yelled 'bomb', we all dashed toward the exit, trying to put as much distance as possible between us and the building, but we didn't even clear the door. I felt Gabe push me and then let out a groan followed by screams as a portion of the ceiling fell on him. Raven and I pulled the debris, doing our best to suffocate the flames that had engulfed his clothes. We dragged him to the door where paramedics met us as Raven went back in for North.

"You idiot, why did you do that?" I cried as they cut away his shirt. "It should have been me."

"Kota would have kicked my ass," he said in a hoarse voice and I gave a half laugh. "If...if...tell Tori I love her."

"Tell her yourself, man. You ain't leaving us," I choked as the paramedic gave him a sedative. He just smiled and closed his eyes.

Raven and another guy placed North on a gurney next to Gabe as the paramedic sedated him as well. "He hasn't even realized his legs were burned," Raven said. "How's Gabe?"

I didn't know how to answer, so I didn't. "Marc?" I asked him.

"I broke my promise," he said, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I promised her I'd bring them home safely." I pulled him into a hug as he broke down sobbing.

Emilio

I cradled Marcus's body to me, begging him to open those beautiful eyes once more. "You can't leave us, hermanito. I need you. Mattie needs you, we all do. Please, please."

Raven's tear-stained face appeared before me as he gently took his body from me. He kissed his forehead and carried him toward the paramedics as Nate pulled me up. It was like I was walking in a fog as he put a strong arm around my shoulders and led me to the waiting cars. I could hear Raven's muffled voice talking on a phone and then Mattie's ear-shattering scream coming through the phone.

Author's Notes:  Tissues at the ready...