Deception: Redemption...Is A Bitch (Book Four)

Chapter 1

It was happening so fast.

Levelling the gun, he aimed – he'd had enough. Hearing Kay's panicked scream behind him, the others' shocked declarations and Jonathan's urgent voice, 'you can't do this Cam'. He had already pulled the trigger just as his brother knocked his arm away making the shot go wide.

Then the explosion of a glass light fixture, the crackling of flames beginning, igniting the tinder dry wood and the blow back scattering embers throughout the ancient wall hangings and carpeting.

The young clerk, Jeremy rushed through the open doors, running into him, as her escaped the inferno that was engulfing the building. Beau, the coordinator not so lucky, a beam had fallen, trapping him, unable to move.

Shaking himself out of his stupor and realizing the gravity of the situation. "Damn it, now I have to save the son of bitch....Gunter." The big set designer was waiting, the fire walk suit in hand, already having retrieved the garment from his van. Within seconds Cameron had donned the uncomfortable vestment and rushed into the burning building. Open-mouthed Jonathan stared, grabbing onto the engineer's arm.

"How'd...you were ready?" It was uncanny he had been ready and waiting. His expression never wavered, just the guttural response.

"A lot of secrets in that old building, it was rigged to blow." Gunter moved himself closer to Kay and the young clerk. Jonathan made a mental note that he had to talk to the big guy, that building went up way too fast, explanations were in order.

Another burst of flames shot from the upper floor windows, showering splintered glass down, along with soot and ash bringing his attention back to the burning structure and his brother.

The air was searing, hotter than anything he'd experienced when performing a fire walk. Flares of flames snaked throughout the building, fingers of heat assaulted his limbs, registering even through the protective gear. The blinding, smothering haze made it impossible, limiting visual cues. Calling on the briefest of memories of the layout of this building, he remembered there were rooms towards the back corner and to the left.

Hope he was proceeding in the correct direction when his foot caught, almost making him fall; the magical training kicked in allowing him to regain his balance. Realization that what had made him falter was a prone figure lying under a fallen column, the flames not yet devouring the area, made him push harder. It took all of his strength and then some he didn't know he had to move the beam enough to maneuver the body out.

"Come on slime ball, I'm saving your ass." Grabbing Beau by the shirt collar he hauled him up and started towards where he thought the door was.

Jonathan unable physically to assist his twin started calling his name, giving him something to focus on. The eternity of the few minutes it took for his brother to reappear in the dense smoke made his heart wrench. The CarbonX Safety suit was top of the line, unmatched in protection but, it would only last as long as Cameron could deal with the heat. He may not get burned but the heat, as Jonathan well knew, could be unbearable, especially since he had no time to use the stunt gel.

This shouldn't be happening. He knew what his brother intended but, the moment he saw the trigger pulled back his reflexes kicked in, this wasn't his brother and he would never be able to live with himself if he actually went through with it. Pushing his arm out of the way, the bullet had gone awry, causing an unbelievable chain reaction.

That frenzied push had brought his brother back to his senses, out of his fugue state.

When the staggering figure of his twin, with the other man draped clumsily over his shoulder, emerged from the burning building, he couldn't help but catch the pair as Cam stumbled out into the desert sun. Pulling the semi-conscious Beau Smith away.