Paramedics and firefighters had been searching for over ten minutes now.
"He said he was going in! Then the idiot jumped!" said David frantically pointing at a spot some distance away. "He was somewhere around here, God damn it, I swear he was right here."
The fireman frowned. All he saw at the location the boy was referring to was a raging fire. There was little chance that someone would survive if they voluntarily jumped into it. Nevertheless, the fireman called for help.
"Men, bring the hose over here!" Within seconds, a direct jet stream of water splayed itself over the area where the other boy was supposed to be.
The external flames flickered in defiance, gigantic shrouds of grey smoke releasing into the sky. Hopefully they would be able to rescue the kid before the smoke suffocated him. It was a few long minutes before the smoke cleared a little it could be seen that the water was raining down massively into what appeared to be a small cavity in the ground.
"Let's check inside!" called a fireman hurrying up in his fireproof vest. A couple of fire fighters put on a smoke filter mask and rushed to the site.
Jason and Gary stood far away, tucked into a safe corner by a tall tree. A couple of police officers kept watch over them as they observed the scene in front. They were still waiting for the policemen from Heckson street to arrive.
"Do you think Paula and Vicky are on their way?" asked Gary nervously biting his nails.
"I'm sure they are Gary." said Jason with a confidence he did not feel.
"Jason, I'm scared." murmured Gary reaching for his brother's hand. He looked far younger than his twelve years as fear etched his tired eyes.
Jason wanted to cry himself, but he knew that if he broke down, Gary would too. He squeezed his brother's hand reassuringly. "I know Gary. Don't worry I'm sure Uncle Axky and big brother Levi is okay. They'll make it. They have to!"
His voice broke a little at the end and was surprised when Gary wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Hey Jason," whispered Gary. "You know, it's okay to cry."
Jason nodded in the embrace. His eyes gave way and he cried onto his brother's shoulder, soft sobs punctuating the crackling fire in the distance.
***
For a moment he was certain that Axky was dead. His hands and legs were bound by a thick rope, and his skin was pale. He was bleeding profusely from the back and it looked like he had been stabbed. But he couldn't be sure of what he saw.
It was chaotic inside the cellar, with debris and flames populating the small space. Black smoke curled around the low ceiling looking for an escape. As every moment passed there was a growing danger of death by lack of oxygen. This was not the place to check for a pulse or heartbeat, not to mention they were quickly running out of time.
He hauled Axky's dead weight body over his shoulders and started to climb the makeshift ladder. The wood was cracking in the fire and it was mere seconds before it started to turn to ash. And when it did, he could no longer climb it.
The smoke kept getting thicker as he dizzily inched closer to the top. His arms ached His neck and arms were covered in splinters and hot ash, but he shielded Axky's face with his chest as best as he could.
Suddenly there was wetness over his head. It felt like rain and he rejoiced inside. Perhaps there was a storm outside, a storm strong enough to douse the rampaging fire. Or maybe this was how you entered the afterlife. Through a world of fire, smoke and hurricane.
Was this heaven or hell? Or a place in between?
He hadn't lived his life a saint. They both had done some unethical things. But for the most part they were both okay guys. Too bad it would end like this.
He struggled to climb higher up the rickety ladder feeling faint as smoke caked his lungs. He could have sworn he would have dropped Axky by mistake, if Axky hadn't been taken away from him at the last moment.
He started to fall backwards into the fire below, the flames rising up to claim him and him alone.
Guess Axky was headed for heaven after all.
***
"Levi, don't you dare die on me!" shouted David from the sidelines. The GPS had stopped beeping indicating that the signal had been disrupted. If the fire had got to Axky's shoe, and destroyed the transmitte as the firemen extracted a couple of bodies from the ashes.
"We got 'em!" yelled a pair of strong men holding an unconscious teenage boy and a bruised and battered older man.
The next few seconds passed by in a manic flurry of movements. The paramedics hurried to link Axky up to several monitoring machines. Levi was given a separate bed and had his heartbeat checked.
"Is there anyone from the family?" asked the medic looking around. "We have to take them to the hospital."
In a flash, a black Bentley skidded to a halt some distance away. It was covered in wheat grain husk and mud, as though it had been driven through a field at a high speed.
"Paula and Vicky!" exclaimed Jason as he saw them rush up to the paramedics. It was quite a feat for them to have reached faster than the policemen from the station.
"AXKY!" screamed Paula in horror as she caught sight of her husband's limp body. She broke down into hysterical sobs.
Vicky rushed up behind her mother and was shocked into silence.
The only two men she loved in her life were on the hospital beds, bleeding and unmoving.
Why does he look like Levi? God why?
Her eyes caught sight of David crying in the sidelines and realized she wasn't mistaken. The shock hit her like a knife wound to the chest.
Were they too late? Was it all over? Her heart slowed for a moment as she realized she may have lost them both.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive me Dad, Levi. God I am so sorry.
How could she continue to live? What right did she have to breathe?
She should have stopped her father from going to meet Gavin Walters that night. She shouldn't have asked Levi to help her locate him. She should have just been more fucking useful in her life.
It hurt. It hurt so much she could not cry. As her mother sobbed beside her, disbelief hurt her far more than she could let on. The ambulance lights blared red as the beds started to get loaded inside. Dizzying sirens added to the cacophony of the night, as the paramedic team packed up swiftly.
She obeyed mutely when her mother grabbed her hand and pulled her in to sit inside the ambulance.
"Wife and daughter." Paula introduced herself to the nurses sitting with them. They nodded and closed the door.
Almost instantly the van took off at breakneck speed. But for Vicky and Paula time seemed to have stopped altogether. They couldn't help but look at the familiar faces occupying the white beds.
Vicky didn't think she deserved to look at her father's ashen face and Levi's soot covered hair. His blue eyes were closed and her father's smooth smirk was gone.
What was the point of anything anymore?
She hid her face in her hands and kindly allowed herself to cry.
A/N: I'm sorry for such a sad chapter.
I hope you are all doing well. I underwent a small surgery last month and was advised not to strain myself for a couple of weeks, so this update came really late. To make up for it I'm uploading the next chapter in a few hours. :)
Let me know your thoughts. Do you think Axky and Levi will make it? (Either way Gavin Walters is going to have hell to pay.)
Thanks for reading!
Lots of love,
Andy