Chapter 97 Section five

"Decker!" His courage was so spent that he didn't even realize at first that it was Esperanza calling him. "Decker!" He turned and saw Esperanza standing on the roof of the building where McKittrick had detonated the bomb.Behind Esperanza, flames sprang up and hissed in the rain. Decker took a step forward and swayed.At last he could not resist the attack of shock and fatigue.But he can't stop, especially when he's about to rescue Beth.He rushed frantically under the ladder.He didn't know how he got up there.He and Esperanza walked around the blasted holes in the roof and found Beth desperately trying to get away from the fire.Behind her, the plastic sheet she had been lying on burned up.

As Decker helped her up, the firelight illuminated the fresh wound on his body. "McKittrick is dead." Beth said softly, "Thank God." "But we have to watch out for Renata." He and Esperanza helped Beth as they staggered away from the burning flames toward the ladder. Decker was delirious again.He didn't know how he got Beth under the ladder, but he regained consciousness when he came to McKittrick's body.He stopped and let Beth lean against Esperanza. "What's wrong?" Esperanza asked. "Why did you stop?" Decker was too tired to explain.He searched through McKittrick's wet clothes and found what he needed: McKittrick's car keys.McKittrick had boasted on the phone that he was watching from the street when Decker got downstairs.There was a good chance they could find the Pontiac McKittrick was driving.

But that's not all he's looking for.McKittrick had just knocked Decker's pistol away, but the gun couldn't stay here.Trying to remember their struggle, he stumbled toward the puddle into which the pistol fell.But as he slipped the pistol into his belt, he reluctantly remembered that he still had work to do.He swayed dazedly. "It's never over." "what are you saying?" "McKittrick. We can't just leave him here. I don't want people to recognize him." The dead body weighed heavily as they carried McKittrick up to the ladder.Esperanza climbed to the roof.Decker lifted the body with difficulty and handed it to him, climbing up after himself, and they grabbed McKittrick by the limbs, got as close to the flames as they could, and threw him into it.The body disappeared into the fire.Decker threw in the ax too.

He was always worried that Renata would find them.He and Esperanza carefully returned to where they had dropped Beth, picked her up and continued up the roof.They planned to use the farthest escape, as Renata would not be lying in wait for them there. "Maybe there's another way," Esperanza said.He led them to a shed-like structure on the roof of an adjacent building, but when he tried to open the door, it was locked. "Turn your head away." Esperanza stood at an angle where the bullets would not bounce off himself, and fired several shots at the wood around the lock.Part of the door shattered, and with a kick from Esperanza, the door jerked open.

They went inside and escaped the heavy rain.The dimly lit stairwell was empty.There was no sound of residents running down the stairs. "They're not going to lose hearing the sirens, and the people in the building must have evacuated," Decker said. "But the fire hasn't burned that far, and it's safe to take the elevator," Esperanza said. The elevator takes them to the ground floor.They walked out into the noisy and chaotic streets, bewildered by the noise of motors, spray of water, and shouts of people.They struggled to make their way through the crowd.The bright light made them squint their eyes.

"We have a wounded lady here," Esperanza said, "let's go over there." They squeezed to the right, passing a fire truck along the sidewalk, avoiding paramedics rushing at someone on the other side of the truck.Decker felt that every time he and Beth moved together, she flinched. "Pontiac's over there," Esperanza said. The car was near the corner, a newer model, blue, obviously the one McKittrick drove.Decker tried to insert the key into the door lock on the side of the passenger seat, and it fit. Thirty seconds later, Beth was lying on the back seat.Decker knelt beside her, and Esperanza sat behind the wheel.An ambulance stopped in front of their car. "Fix Beth," Esperanza said.

"What are you doing?" "Detour." Esperanza started the engine, started the Pontiac, and swerved the steering wheel to the right.He hit the accelerator and jolted onto the pavement. Beth groaned.Decker leaned against her, trying to keep her from sliding off the seat.Esperanza steered the Pontiac down the sidewalk, and the pedestrians scattered in all directions.After turning the corner, he bumped the car back onto the road. Beth groaned, the pain getting worse. "That's it." Esperanza looked in the rearview mirror, drove quickly to the next corner, and turned the corner. "Nobody's following us. You just relax, guys. Enjoy the ride."

Decker needs no encouragement.He was so tired that he was struggling to breathe.To make matters worse, he was shaking uncontrollably, partly from overexcitement, but mostly because he knew he was chilling in his bones after being in the rain for so long. "Esperanza?" "what?" "Find us a place to stay, quickly." "What happened—" "I think I'm going to—" Decker's voice trembled. "Hypothermia." "My God." "I have to take off these wet clothes." "Put your hands under your armpits. Don't fall asleep. Is there a blanket or something in the backseat?"

"No." Decker's teeth chattered. "Right now all I have to do is turn on the heater," Esperanza said. "I'm going to find a place to get some hot coffee. Hold on, Decker." "Hold on? Of course. Hold on to myself. I hold myself so tight I—" "Hold me," said Beth. "Hold me tight. Warm me." But no matter how close he was to her, her voice seemed to come from far away.