911 lonestar - short stories

- chapter 5

The air inside the building was smoky and TK could barely see as soon as he stepped inside. His first lungful burnt and he sputtered, covering his face with a damp towel.

"Hello?" He croaked out and tried to get his breathing under control before shouting louder. "HELLO? Is anyone there?! I'm a paramedic, I've come to help!"

He lifts his head to the side, trying to discern the noises in the building. The flickers of flames and the creaks of the building makes it hard to hear if anyone's responding.

His coughs get caught up in the thick smoke and it feels like he's in his own bubble.

"H-hello?!" He coughs deeply and drops to the floor with the slightly thinner fog.

Looking around once more, it looks to be empty. He crawls down hallway after hallway, shouting out. But no one ever calls back.

He's beginning to realise how big of a mistake this was as his eyes start stinging. He can imagine how red they look already.

He starts to think about this and decides to head back outside. He can't see anyone and maybe they got out and the other guy didn't realise. He turns around when something different catches his ear.

"HELLO?!"

"Help", a muffled voice sounds from down the hall.

"Paramedic! Where are you?!"

"Over here! Over here!" He sees a hand in the distance and pulls himself up into a crouch so he can move quicker.

He gets closer to see a man lying face down on the floor making some kind of groaning noise.

"It's okay, we're gonna get you out of here", TK tells him.

He loosely ties the towel around his face and uses both hands to grab the man and roll him onto his back. It takes some effort but he finally manages to pull him over.

But that's when the man jumps up and smacks TK across the head with something. He drops to the floor as the guy pulls a mask over his face to avoid the smoke.

TK doesn't know what happened. His head is foggy and it takes a minute to remember where he is and why the hall is full of smoke.

"What the hell", he mumbles and reaches a hand up to a sore spot on his head. "Dude, I was just trying to help you".

TK notices through sore eyes and the confusion in his head that the man is completely fine. He's standing over him and staring down through a mask, breathing fine. He's been tricked.

But he can't understand why someone would pretend to be hurt. Maybe the mans confused or hit his head and is suffering from a concussion.

"Sir", TK says as he tries to sit up, pain flaring on his forehead. "Sir, we need to get out of here. The building is unstable and its not good to breathe all this in".

"Don't move", the gruff voice returns.

TK doesn't process and tries to stand up when a thick boot hits his chest and he falls back down.

"I said don't move!"

That's when he realises, this man may be confused, but he's dangerous. He's towering over him and angrily clamping something in his hand and shoving it in TK's face.

"You move again or try and contact anyone and I'll set it off!"

TK instinctively holds his hands up to show the man he isn't a threat. He looks into his wild eyes before looking back at the item in the mans hands.

It's black and silver, a canister surrounded by wires and tape.

"Uhh, sir, What is that?"

"Just shut up!" He shouts back and waves it around.

He isn't an expert, but TK knows a homemade bomb when he sees one. And its made even worse as the man acts more and more unhinged.

"Um. I saw your friend outside. He's worried about you".

"No! He died!" The man responds instantly.

"No, he's standing outside. He told me you hadn't come out yet, he was worried and asked me to help you".

"Oh, that one", the man snorts. "At least he's done one thing right today".

The comment makes TK pause and wait before he responds. He still doesn't completely understand this situation and that's dangerous. He tries to really think. Ignores the throbbing in his head and the burning in his throat.

"Wait", he whispers. "Did you start the fire? Did you do this?"

The man clenches his jaw and surges forward, grabbing TK by his collar and dragging him further into the building.