Tremors

CHAPTER TWO

“CAP’N!”

Joe turned as Spike double-timed it over to his position. “What’s up?” If this was another attempt to talk him out of going in again, Spike might as well save his breath. Every instinct warned Joe that there were more victims trapped. Victims still breathing. He had to do all he could to see that everyone got out safely.

It was more than just his job…it was the right thing to do.

“Dispatch’s got a vic on the horn,” Spike explained. “She called in on her cell phone. Says she’s trapped on level three, far side.” His gaze focused solemnly on Joe’s. “There’s rubble all around her vehicle, a gray SUV. The power windows have been disabled and she hasn’t been able to kick her way out.”

Damn. Joe shook his head. Women should always carry a brick in their cars for that reason. If the power windows failed, they could break the glass.

“All right,” he told Spike. “That’s where I’m headed.”

“Cap’n.” O’Shea pushed her way into the discussion. “Going back in there now would be suicide.”

Leave it to O’Shea to state the obvious so plainly. “And if I don’t, the lady dies,” he countered.

His loyal firefighter glanced away. “I know.” Her gaze swung back to his, renewed determination there. “Then we’ll both go in. You’ll need backup.”

He was shaking his head before the answer had time to form on his tongue. “No way. I’m not taking anyone in there with me.” Quickly he checked his gear. Getting back out might not be easy. With O’Shea shadowing his step, he headed back to the truck for a rappelling rope. “Get a canine over here and find out how soon we can have some heavy equipment on-site. Just in case,” he added over his shoulder as he checked his communications mike.

A few other members of his squad had gathered around him by then. All knew exactly what his last comment meant. The heavy equipment was in case he didn’t make it out and they had to start searching for bodies, including his own, rather than survivors. Backhoes and the like were the least desirable method for uncovering survivors.

“I think we should check with the ICS commander before we—” Spike began.

“In case you haven’t noticed,” Joe challenged, “we’re in the middle of a crisis here. There’s a lot more damage than just this parking garage. Those in charge have their hands full. We’ll do this my way. The situation is far too unstable to risk any more lives than absolutely necessary. No one follows me in unless I call for help. No one.” He looked from O’Shea to the others, making eye contact with each one, leaving nothing to speculation. “Is that understood?”

A rumble of reluctant Yes, Cap’n’s went through the group.

“All right. Get dispatch to patch into my com link. I need direct contact with the lady if I’m going to find her.”

“Yes, sir.”

The members of Joe’s squad dispersed. Some left to task work with the engineers, surveying the damage to check for possible passages in which to search for trapped victims once a canine unit was on-site. Others would help tend injuries and route patients to the hospital as necessary. But Joe knew that every single member of his team would be on high alert, fully prepared to come in after him if need be.

He surveyed the garage once more.

The stairwell and elevator shaft leading to the upper levels were damaged beyond use, even if he’d been inclined to take the risk. Not much remained in the way of structural support. Joe had a bad feeling that the entire garage could go anytime now. Whoever this lady was, she was definitely living on borrowed time. He hoped like hell he could get to her in time.

The climb around and over massive piles of concrete and twisted metal took longer this time. There was no easy access to what remained of the third deck.

Joe paused to swipe the grimy sweat from his forehead. “Any luck on that patch?” he asked, knowing his question would be carried via his communications link to his squad. He needed more specific directions. The garage was pretty damn big and could accommodate a number of cars. The “far side” didn’t narrow things down much.

“Working on it, Cap’n,” came O’Shea’s voice.

He had to move with extreme caution now. The slightest shift in weight could cause a concrete avalanche. He let out an uneasy breath when he visually assessed the extent of the damage on level three. Getting to the opposite side wouldn’t be a simple thing.

Clenching his jaw, he started the perilous journey. His gaze narrowed as he scanned the piles of broken concrete and twisted iron for any sign of the SUV. The victim had said it was gray. Thank God for cell phones. If he was able to get her out, she would owe her life to that sometimes annoying device.

He reached for a piece of protruding rebar to pull himself up. The rubble shifted. Joe froze, not daring to breathe. A low growl filled the air half a second before the pile of rocks beneath him shuddered then dropped a good three feet. Joe held on to the support as best he could.

The grinding sound of concrete and steel was almost deafening as the rubble settled once more, flinging Joe forward. He struggled to regain his footing.

“Cap’n, you there?”

The worried voice echoed in Joe’s ear. “I’m here. Level three is in bad shape. I’m attempting to make my way across to the other side.”

“Stand by for the patch,” O’Shea said. “I’ve been giving dispatch down the road for taking their sweet time.”

“Standing by.” Joe reached up for a better handhold in the rock pile. One step forward, two back. The knot in his gut tightened a little more, reminding him that this was not good. He told himself he’d been in dire straits before. This wasn’t the first time he’d put his life on the line to save a vic.

But things were different now.

He frowned. Where the hell had that thought come from? Nothing in his life had changed. He still enjoyed being single, loved the hell out of his work. His life was perfect. He had no one to answer to except himself. No strings, no hassles.

An image of Lisa Malloy suddenly loomed large inside his head. Now, why the hell would he think of her at a time like this?

He swallowed hard and tried to focus on the goal, moving across this treacherous rock pile that had once been the third floor of the parking garage.

She’d changed something inside him. There was no denying that, no matter how hard he tried. She’d gotten to him in a way that no one ever had. He couldn’t figure it out. She was cute as hell, that was true. Had a great personality and was as dedicated to her work as he was to his, which gave them something in common.

But that’s where the common ground ended. She had marriage and kids on her mind—something Joe had no interest in whatsoever. Not that he didn’t expect to marry at some point in his life. But not right now. After all, he was only thirty-three. It wasn’t as if time was running out.

Just then his foot slipped and it took all his strength to prevent himself from falling. Joe glanced down at the jagged slope that dropped all the way to the lowest level. Ugly. And there was no way to determine where the rubble was stable and where it wasn’t. Falling or ending up being buried alive were two very real possibilities in a situation like this.

Maybe time was a little shorter than he’d thought.

This was definitely no time for distractions.

Not even desirable ones like Lisa.

His body instantly hardened at the memory of the last time they had made love. She got to him so easily, made him weak…made him need her. She was the first and only woman who had ever made him think beyond the moment…beyond the physical aspect of the relationship.

He almost laughed at himself. Relationships? He didn’t do relationships. Not Joe Ripani. Even the definition of relationship was too definite for him.

And yet, on some level, his and Lisa’s time together had felt exactly like that. Definite.

Though they’d parted ways a full three weeks ago, a twinge of something like hurt sliced through him even now. It was crazy. He shouldn’t be thinking of her anymore. He should have moved on without a second thought.

But no matter how hard he tried, he would wake up in the middle of the night with images of her haunting his dreams. With the taste of her lingering on his lips, and the need for her touch a palpable longing in his loins.

His heart constricted in his chest. He hoped like hell she was safe at the clinic. If she’d been trapped at home or on the street somewhere, she would worry herself silly over those animals. He’d never known a more dedicated veterinarian. He thought of Salvage and realized that it was that damn dog that had thrown him and Lisa together. O’Shea had rescued the injured mutt from a burning building, but Joe was the one who’d taken over routine care after the animal became the firehouse mascot—not that he minded. That’s what had put him in regular contact with Lisa.

If it hadn’t been for Salvage, Joe might never have ended up with his heart turning traitor against him. He was fully accustomed to waltzing on the edge of survival in his line of work, but this dancing on the fringes of emotional commitment was foreign to him.

What would a guy like him do with a wife and family? Later, when he was chief or something, it would be okay. But what kind of life could he offer a woman right now? He dived into dangerous situations for a living. It wouldn’t be fair to any woman, and certainly not to children. He didn’t want to leave a wife and kids behind if he suffered an untimely death. And unfortunately, that possibility came with the territory in his occupation.

Like now, a little voice taunted.

Adrenaline burned through him as his boot sent pebbles clattering down the slope. Nope, this was definitely not the kind of job for a man with a family. He was better off staying unattached.

No matter how much he would love to make Lisa a permanent part of his off-duty routine, it would never work. No-strings-attached sex was not her style. She would never be satisfied with an uncommitted relationship. He knew it. She knew it. Enough said.

The moment she’d asked that dreaded question, he’d known it was over. Those seven seemingly innocuous words had filled his usually brave heart with dread.

Where do you see our relationship going?

Wedding bells had clanged in his head, and dread had pooled in his gut. He’d had to break it off then and there. She’d been hurt, but it was far less painful than it would have been had they pursued the kind of relationship she wanted.

He’d done the right thing.

He hoped again that she was safe at home or at the clinic. Though he might not want to make anything permanent with her, he still cared…a lot.

“Cap’n.”

O’Shea. Joe hesitated, something in the tone of her voice giving him pause. “I’m here. Got that patch for me?” He needed to be speaking directly with the victim—needed any details she could give him to direct him to her position.

“I got it, Cap’n, but there’s something you should know before I put her through.” O’Shea’s voice trembled on the last words.

“Time’s wasting, O’Shea.”

A beat of silence passed before she said two words that would impact Joe as nothing else could. “It’s Lisa.”

A moment of pure panic slammed into his brain. “Lisa Malloy?” he demanded, as if there was any other Lisa in his life or O’Shea’s.

“She says it’s bad, Cap’n. Real bad. I’m patching her through now.”

“Joe?”

Joe’s heart stumbled at the sound of Lisa’s voice. He blinked rapidly. At the dust, he told himself. “Yeah, I’m here,” he said with as much nonchalance as he could muster. “Tell me where you’re at so I can come rescue you.”

“I’m…I’m on the side of the garage opposite the Welton Building.”

At least he was headed in the right direction. The Welton Building, which housed a number of offices, was at his back.

“Be a little more specific if you can,” he prodded gently. He’d heard the fear in her voice. Fear, hell. She had to be scared to death. His gaze searched frantically for any sign of her car. He should have known when he’d heard gray SUV. Lisa drove an SUV and it was what he’d call silver. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d acknowledged the possibility. But denial was a strong ally at times.

“I parked in the middle…you know, not all the way at the end, but not very close to the stairwell, either. I…I don’t know. Is that specific enough?”

“Sure…I’ll be right there,” he lied for her benefit. He couldn’t see a damn thing. Nothing but monochromatic heaps of rubble.

“It’s bad, Joe,” she murmured so softly he scarcely heard her.

“I’ve seen worse.” Another flat-out lie, he thought, moving as quickly as he dared. “Tell me what you see out your windows.”

His heart pounded so hard during the silence that followed that his head filled with the roar of blood rushing there, pushing against his eardrums.

“Piles of broken concrete,” she said, her voice not shaking quite so badly now. “There’s a support pillar lying against the hood of my car. Maybe another one on top, since the roof over the front seat is bashed in.”

A new surge of fear hit like a fist to his already tense gut. “You got plenty of room to move around in there?” he asked carefully, not wanting to give away how much that part concerned him.

“Yes…sort of. I moved to the cargo area in hopes of getting out through the rear hatch, but I didn’t have any luck kicking out the glass.”

“Is the hatch clear of debris?” That would be a stroke of fiercely needed luck.

“Partially.”

“Good. That’s the way we’ll get you out then.” He made the statement as if it were a given, but the farther he moved into this level, the dimmer that prospect looked.

The structure still moaned, and Joe knew there was a real risk of total collapse. Time was running out.

“Lisa, do me a favor, would you?” He had to pinpoint her location. Now.

“Be careful, Ripani,” she said softly, almost laughingly. “The last time I did you a favor, it turned out badly.”

She was remembering Salvage’s injuries…the way she’d healed the animal that was now part of the firehouse team. No, it wasn’t Salvage or his injuries on her mind. She was likely recalling his callousness, his ability to walk away as if nothing had happened between them. She didn’t have to say it; he understood. And he had walked away, just like that. The decision had been mutual once he’d made his position clear. He’d had his reasons. But he knew she hadn’t understood, though she’d claimed to. He wasn’t even sure he could explain it. Now definitely wasn’t the time to try.

“No strings attached, babe,” he teased, infusing the words with a chuckle. “Try the horn or radio.” He doubted the radio worked since the power windows didn’t, but it was worth a shot. And though it could be dangerous to sound a horn in such an unstable structure, Joe had to take the risk. “I need to know exactly where you are.”

“Okay.”

He held his position while he waited for her to attempt to signal him. He sweated out every single second before the sound of the horn cut through the silence. “Once more,” he told her. He homed in on the direction of the sound. “Gotcha.”

“Hurry, Joe,” she urged, the fear back in her voice now. “I don’t know how much longer the roof is going to hold out.”

Did that mean the weight of the rubble was pressing in on her? Joe swore under his breath and moved faster. He had to get her out of there. Every instinct warned him that total collapse was imminent.

“Give us a status, Cap’n.”

O’Shea’s voice cut into his thoughts. Her connection would override the patch with Lisa.

“Stay off the link,” he growled. He wanted nothing between him and Lisa.

“We need a status on your situation,” she repeated. “I’ve got a canine standing by. Do you need backup?”

O’Shea was prepared to come in. Joe imagined it had more to do with saving her best friend than with supporting her captain, but he’d give her that. He wanted to save Lisa, as well. Though Shannon O’Shea was professional to the bone, even the best-trained rescue workers couldn’t completely set aside emotion when someone close was in danger.

“Stand down, O’Shea,” he ordered. “I’ve got the situation under control. Now clear the link.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Joe, are you still there?”

Lisa’s voice. He wondered now why he’d never noticed how pleasant it was. It touched him as gently as a butterfly’s wing and with a sweetness that took his breath. How could any man have known this woman intimately and not be affected, even if he had walked away?

How could a guy walk away from a woman like Lisa?

What was wrong with him? What idiot would pass on a future with a woman like her? O’Shea had pointed that out to him the day after he’d split with Lisa. Up until then, Shannon had never once given him any grief on the job. And then only that one time. She’d said her piece and hadn’t spoken of it since. Still, he knew she was disappointed in him where Lisa was concerned. O’Shea carefully kept her feelings out of their professional relationship, but Joe knew where she stood on the issue of Lisa. And like Lisa, O’Shea just didn’t understand that he’d done the only thing he could.

He had those old reliable reasons for the decision he’d made. The ones that had kept him single when his friends, as well as his squad members, had gotten married one by one. But he knew what was right for him. A permanent relationship had no place in his life.

Any fool could see that.

He just couldn’t figure why it felt so damn wrong right now.

Truth be told, it had felt wrong way before now. He’d missed Lisa. Thought about her more than he would admit even to himself. Wanted her desperately.

But having her would be…a mistake.

He’d told himself that three weeks ago.

Jesus, he prayed, don’t let this be the Almighty’s way of showing him what a mistake he’d made.

“Joe?”

The desperate plea in her voice tugged hard on Joe’s heartstrings. Strings he hadn’t realized he possessed. But then, he’d realized a lot of things in the past four or five minutes.

“I’m almost there,” he assured her.

“Joe, I want you to know that—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said, cutting her off. He wasn’t sure he could deal with true confessions right now. Good, bad or indifferent.

“You always were a stubborn male chauvinist pig,” she snapped.

His eyebrows shot upward. “I guess I can’t deny that,” he allowed humbly. At least if she was pissed at him she wouldn’t have time to focus on her fear.

“Deny it?” she said hotly. “Please. The only person you ever think of in a relationship is you. You just pretend no one counts except you, then when you walk away, it doesn’t ping your conscience because you’ve convinced yourself you didn’t do anything wrong or hurt anyone.”

“Okay,” he relented. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have slept with you then walked away.”

He could almost see her stewing on the other end of the communications link. Without a word, she telegraphed her fury with a quiet that thickened between them.

“That’s all it was to you, wasn’t it?” she said. “Plain old physical gratification. Not making love, just sex.”

His frown deepened. Maybe he did deserve a good tongue-lashing, but she’d enjoyed the sex just as much as he had. To pretend otherwise was a flat-out denial of the truth.

“We were both over twenty-one, honey,” he retorted, his own irritation surfacing now. “It’s not like I talked you into anything you didn’t want to do.”

The silence was different this time, and he muttered a self-deprecating curse. Talk about inserting foot in mouth. Good thing they were on this line alone.

“Look, I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s just focus here.” He glanced around at the destruction and then shook himself. What the hell was he doing, letting his attention stray? Only Lisa had ever been able to do that to him.

She sighed. “Sorry. You’re right. Just get me out of here, please.”

“Almost there.” He zeroed in on the spot where he’d determined her SUV to be. A grin slid across his face. He could see the rear hatch. “Gotcha in my sights, babe.”

“Thank God.”

Ditto, he mused.

They would talk about this later. When they were both safe. And when the city was back to normal again. When he finished up here, chances were there would be other missions related to Mother Nature’s handiwork waiting for him.

Getting Lisa to safety was about all he and his squad could accomplish at this site. The canines and heavy equipment would have to take it from here.

Lisa gasped. “I see you!”

He smiled for her benefit, though he couldn’t quite make her out just yet. The lightly tinted rear window prevented him from seeing inside the vehicle, but he was almost there.

The entire structure suddenly shook.

Not just a slight shift.

Not a mere reaction to mounting stress on the compromised support beams.

Aftershock.

Joe bit back a heated curse and pushed forward.

He had to get to Lisa.

The rubble beneath him shifted.

A loud boom thundered above him. Debris fell around him, the low-pitched roar sounding like the enthusiastic clapping of hands.

Joe curled into a ball and shielded his head.

Chunks of glass and concrete rained down on him, followed by clouds of dust.

The shaking stopped as suddenly as it had started, and an eerie quiet fell.