Snapshot (37 page)

“Hi Adam, I just was calling to say hi, but I guess you’re busy.”
 

He heard the strain in her voice. Dammit! Why had he missed her call?

“You know, in case I don’t see you tomorrow, I wanted to let you know how much I love you. I never said it to you, but I always wanted to. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I wish we could spend more time together.”
 

He could hear the fear in her voice as she struggled to get the words out. She coughed. “I better get going, but know that I love you, and thank you for… for everything.” She muffled a cry. “Bye.”
 

The call ended. Adam tried to force down his emotions. She had called to say goodbye. He ran a hand through his hair. He knew her so well. Of course she wouldn’t mention the fire or the danger.
 

He clicked off his phone and wanted to scream. But instead, he silently sent her strength.
Marti, I’m trying to get there. Be brave, hang on
.
 

The highway curved, and the cab took an exit onto a side road. In the distance, flames lit the night sky.

“Holy shit, get a look at that fire!” the cabbie said.

For the first time in his life, Adam felt a cold, stark fear. His throat went dry. “My girlfriend’s trapped in that fire,” he said in a whisper.

The cabbie glanced in the rear view mirror. His eyes said what Adam refused to believe.
 

She’d never make it out alive.

Chapter 22

A noise sounded over the roaring fire. Marti muffled her chokes to listen, sharpening her senses. She heard it again and sat up. She tried to call out, “I’m here!” but choked on the words.

“This is the Fire Department. Is anyone here?” They sounded loud and close. She called out again and her throat felt like the Sahara desert.

A bright light appeared, moving low on the floor from the direction of the doorway. “This is the Fire Department. Is anyone here?”

“Yes!” She waved her arm while climbing over the side of the tub. The light caught her movement and zeroed in. She flopped onto the floor like a dead fish. The light came closer until she could see the looming figure of a fireman leaning over her.

Thank God!

He looked like some sort of alien with his huge oxygen mask. “Is there anyone else here?” he asked, the sound somehow amplified through his mask.

Marti shook her head. “No.”

“Are you able to walk?”

“Yes,” she choked out with a nod.

“Take my hand.” He held out a large gloved hand. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet, helping her keep her balance. “We’re going to move as fast as we can. Are you ready?”

Marti nodded to the masked hero. They took a few steps with him leading her by the hand. She doubled over, coughing from the thicker smoke.

Before she realized what was happening, he scooped her into his arms and moved quickly through her room and into the hall. She clung to him with her head tucked into his chest. She closed her eyes to block out the gritty soot and toxic fumes. The strong arms held her firm as he rushed down the hallway to the stairs. She opened her eyes long enough to see the stairs still intact, but the other side of the room lit by vicious flames. The heat was so intense she feared being baked alive.
 

Marti held on with all her might, holding back her coughs as best she could. Suddenly, cool air hit her skin. She opened her eyes and found herself outside. The pristine circular drive looked like a war zone of fire trucks and rescue equipment. An army of firefighters roamed the grounds. The mansion burned like the hells of Mordor.

When they were a safe distance away, her rescuer gently set her feet on the grass and held her steady. Marti couldn’t suck in the fresh air fast enough, but each breath still caused her to choke and gag. She hacked until her stomach heaved. She fell to her knees and vomited until her stomach had nothing left.
 

A moment later, soothing voices offered assistance. Her fireman helped her to her feet. “I’m going to turn you over to the EMT’s. They’ll take good care of you.”
 

He’d taken his mask off and looked like a normal man, with a sooty, sweat-streaked face. Is that how she looked?

“Thank you,” she croaked, barely able to make a sound.

“You’re welcome,” he said with a smile, and Marti wanted to weep with gratitude.

The EMT’s led her to an ambulance. Before she even sat on the back fender, they placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. She felt immediate relief through the burned rawness of her nose and throat.

A blood pressure cuff appeared on her arm and a brown haired, kind-eyed EMT shone a pen-light in each of her eyes.
 

She was alive. She made it!
She saw everything but felt slow to react. The EMT asked her questions and she didn’t know if she answered or not. In the distance, crowds of people watched the spectacle of the fire. Some of them were probably from the party.
 

She thought of her dad and experienced a new nightmare. “My dad!” She pulled off the oxygen mask.

“He’s fine. He’s safe. You can see him later.” They placed the oxygen mask back on.

Marti sighed in relief and concentrated on dragging clean air into her lungs.

*
 
*
 
*

“This is as close as I can get,” the cabbie said. His expression said that only bad news lay ahead.

“Thanks.” Adam handed over the fare.

“Good luck, kid. I hope your friend is okay.”

Adam nodded stiffly. He only had thoughts for Marti. Was she alive? Did they find her yet?

He ran through the throngs of onlookers, panic growing with each moment. The fire lit up the night sky like a fireworks finale. News helicopters flew overhead. He passed numerous reporters filming live, and photographers snapping pictures.

A barricade held the public back. He pushed through, and a police officer stopped him. “You’ll need to remain behind the barricade.”

Adam stopped, debating his next move. He hadn’t come this far to be kept away. He’d knock the cop out cold if he had to. Thankfully the officer turned to hear a radio message, and Adam slipped by unnoticed.
 

As he got closer, heat radiated from the firestorm. He didn’t know where to look or who to ask, so he ran up to a fireman. “Did they get the girl out?”
 

“I’m not sure, but hang on and I’ll see if I can find out.”
 

Adam paused while the fireman radioed in the question. A lot of static came back, but no answer. Adam couldn’t wait around. He took off in search of her. He spotted two ambulances, one with a couple of middle-aged guys near it. Two EMT’s stood next to the second ambulance, helping a person covered in soot. The person’s face was smudged and dirty, with bright white eyes staring out. It must have been pure hell in that house. Adam’s heart tightened as he thought of Marti fighting for her life.

The person he’d been looking at tore off the oxygen mask and yelled something, but Adam couldn’t hear it. He moved on, but the figure in the ambulance waved, pushed off the medical personnel and ran toward him. He couldn’t imagine a fan recognizing him at a time like this, especially someone who’d just been in a fire.
 

He froze.
 

Marti
?
 

As the person got closer, he realized it was a girl. She called out again.
 

“Adam!” Her voice sounded rough, like sandpaper.

“Marti!” He couldn’t believe it. The world stopped turning as he looked at her smoke-ravaged body. Every inch of her was black and sooty. Her hair and clothes were wet. She ran to him, and he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Behind them, the fire raged as he held this beautiful miracle in his arms. He vowed to never let her go.
 

“Adam!” she cried with a cough.
 

He touched her hair and her back and held her trembling body close. He cursed his cast for getting in the way. She molded herself into him and cried.

“You scared me so bad!” He held her face and looked into her beautiful eyes. How had he not recognized her?
 

“I scared me! I can’t believe you’re here.” She smiled, revealing soot-covered teeth. She coughed again.

“Are you okay?” He held her as she doubled over.

She continued to hack and then said, “I’m fine.”

“Let’s get you back to the ambulance and let them take care of you.” He knew she’d never go on her own, she was that stubborn.

Adam rode along when they transferred Marti to the hospital. As the ambulance drove away, the mansion crashed in on itself, the firefighters losing the battle. Adam had been scared when he had fallen onto the rocks at camp. He had worried about his injury and that he’d let people down. But now, as they left the destruction, he realized how close he’d come to experiencing true despair, losing Marti.
 

He still couldn’t believe he had arrived when he did. What if he would have waited until tomorrow? Was there some mystical force that had made him ditch his family in New York and hop a plane? He didn’t know. But he thanked the heavens he had.

They delivered Marti to the ER at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. She looked like a refugee from a war-torn country. The staff buzzed with efficiency, asking her questions and setting up the room.

A nurse entered data in a computer. “What are you parents’ names and numbers? We need to contact them right away.”

Marti glanced at Adam with uncertainty and removed the oxygen mask. “My mom lives in Wisconsin, but no one knows where she is. My dad is Steven Hunter. He was in the house, but I don’t know where he is now.” She coughed, but not as bad as before.

The nurse glanced at Marti with sympathetic eyes. “I’ll see what I can do to find out where he is. And who is this?” She referred to Adam.
 

“This is my boyfriend.”
 

Adam could swear Marti blushed behind her soot-smeared face. “Adam Jamieson.”

The nurse smiled. “You sure are connected to some famous musicians.”

Marti grinned.

“We’re going to take you for some x-rays. Perhaps Adam should leave the room while I ask you some personal questions.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“We’re going to do a chest x-ray. Is there any chance you’re pregnant?” The nurse spoke softly as if she didn’t want to embarrass her.

Marti swallowed and locked eyes with him. He waited to see how she’d respond. She looked down and twisted the blanket. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

The nurse glanced up, surprised. “I see. When was your last menstrual cycle?”

“That’s just it. I’m not exactly sure. At least five weeks ago, but I’m never regular.”

“Alright, why don’t you sit tight, and I’ll be back in a minute.”

The second the nurse left, Adam joined Marti and took her hand. “I guess we’re gonna find out once and for all.” His chest tightened. He prayed she wouldn’t be pregnant. His life would be changed forever if she was, and he knew he wasn’t ready for a baby.

“I’m afraid,” she said, and he wished he could protect her from more devastating news. She didn’t need anything else in her life to go wrong.

“I know. Me too.”

The nurse returned along with a woman who carried a caddy full of tubes and bottles. “I’m going to draw some blood panels,” the lab technician said.

Adam squeezed Marti’s hand and stepped away while the woman drew several tubes of blood.

“There you go. All done.” She labeled the last tube and removed her latex gloves.

“Marti, let’s get you cleaned up and into something more comfortable while we’re waiting for your lab results. Adam, we have waiting areas around the corner. Actually, you should go to the Bel Air Room. It’s a private waiting area, where you won’t be disturbed.”

He understood. Cedars Sinai was known as the
celebrity hospital,
and the staff knew how to handle high-profile patients better than anyone. Adam wasn’t a patient, but he didn’t need to deal with strangers knowing he was there.

“Okay, I’ll be nearby. Come get me when you’re ready.” He gave Marti’s hand another squeeze. “Oh wait, I should get a picture of you like this! You know, for posterity.”

“Yeah, that’ll be one for the record books. Oh no, my cameras burned up in the fire! All my stuff is gone! My cameras and laptop and all my pictures. Oh God, and Kahlua! I threw her off the balcony!” The look on her face broke his heart as she realized the extent of her losses.

“It’s okay. You’re not gone. That’s all that counts.” Adam pulled out his camera and snapped her picture, capturing her haunted look.
 

She pulled the oxygen mask back over her face and leaned her head back against the pillow, defeat in her eyes.