creaked and wind whipped in from more shattered sliders.
Still no response, my gun at the ready, I stepped carefully into the bedroom. Quickly clearing the bathroom and closet, I saw her suitcases, but I didn’t pause. No idea if Abernathy was up here, I wasn’t risking any chances.
Taking a defensive position by the door to the living area of the suite, I glanced around the corner. Seeing no one, I walked thru the space to the second bedroom. The sliders were cracked, the ceiling was coming down and the floor was buckling in the corner.
Clearing the second bedroom, I hurried back and grabbed leggings and a long-sleeved sweater from Sanaa’s suitcase. I found a pair of sneakers in the closet and her large purse on the dresser. Shoving everything in it, I shouldered the bag.
Praying the door to this suite wasn’t damaged, I stepped over a light fixture that’d fallen and put my hand against the door to check for heat. The fire alarms were still going off in the hall, but the sprinkler system hadn’t activated. I didn’t think there was a fire, but I wasn’t taking any chances on opening the door if there were flames in the hallway.
Not feeling any heat, my gun aimed, I tried the handle.
Whisper quiet, the door opened, the shit went from bad to worse.
A fucking cloud of dust and debris so thick I couldn’t see through it choked out any breathable air.
“Harm!” Switching on the laser on my gun, I covered my nose and mouth with my left elbow and scanned.
Jesus Christ.
I dropped my arm only long enough to call out again. “HARM.”
Tempered wind blew in from the broken sliders in the suites and the debris in air dissipated enough for me to get a look.
I almost wished I hadn’t.
A fallen support beam was blocking the door to the northeast suite, the elevator doors were buckled outward as if blown from the inside, and the lights were flickering. The fire door to the stairwell was blown clean off.
I scanned the length of the hallway twice for Harm or anyone else, but it was empty.
Holding my breath, keeping my gun aimed, I fished in my pocket for my cell and snapped a couple pics before hitting send to Luna. Then I retreated into the suite.
Making my way back to where Sanaa was, I scanned quickly for more damage that was an immediate threat and was two paces away from the bedroom when the power flickered, then went out.
“Ronan!”
“Stay where you are, Sanaa.” Fuck. “I’m coming back.” Holstering my gun, I glanced at my cell, but neither the texts nor the pics had gone through. “I’m here.” Dropping her purse and crouching by the bed, I lifted the mattress and used the flashlight on my cell so I could see that she was okay.
She gasped. “You’re covered in soot.”
“I know.” Turning off the flashlight on my cell and shoving it in my pocket, I grabbed her clothes and handed them to her. “Hold these, but don’t move yet. Conditions out here aren’t good. Give me a minute to make a barrier between you and the dust.” I knew from past experience that inhaling debris after an explosion could cause asthma at best, and lung damage at worst. “I don’t want you breathing any of this in.”
On her stomach, but braced on the arm holding the dress to her face, she took the clothes and clutched them to her chest as she nodded.
I lowered the mattress, and let my eyes adjust to the dark before glancing around.
Curtains, sheets, ceiling fan, headboard… large framed painting above the bed. That’d work.
Quickly moving toward the sliders to the balcony, I had to make a decision. The winds were coming in strong and the weather was deteriorating, but the air quality in the suite was shit. I kicked out the spiderwebbed safety glass on the one slider still standing.
“Oh my God!” Sanaa shrieked. “What was that?”
I glanced back as she lifted the edge of the mattress to look out. “Mattress down,” I barked. “Keep it down. I’m just getting some fresh air in here.”
“Okay.” Thankfully she retreated under the mattress.
The distant sound of sirens filtered up through the howling wind, and I set to work. Shaking out the sheets, I then ripped a few strips and tied them off between the headboard and ceiling fan. Taking the painting off the wall, I jammed it upright at the end of the bed between the mattress and the short footboard. Using