Chapter 69 Five Seconds from Death
The explosion threw Pierce backward.
One second he was covering Marcus while they extracted the server, the next, the world turned to fire, noise and pain.
Pierce hit the wall hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs. Something heavy crashed down on his left side. The building groaned, metal twisting, concrete cracking and then silence.
Pierce lay still for a moment, trying to process what had happened. His ears were ringing, everything muffled and distant. Dust filled his lungs, making him cough, sending sharp pain through his chest.
He tried to move, but couldn't. Something was pinning his left arm and torso.
Pierce opened his eyes, or thought he did. Everything was dark, smoke or dust or both obscuring everything.
His training kicked in automatically. Pierce access his body. His left arm was trapped under rubbish, he was in pain, his ribs were broken on his left side, at least two. His head was pounding, he felt something run down his face, which meant he had a head wound.
His breathing was difficult. Lungs full of dust and smoke, each breath sent fire through his broken ribs but he was alive.
Pierce tried to reach his radio with his free right hand and found it clipped to his vest, then pressed the button.
"Derek... you there?" His voice came out rough, barely a whisper.
The radio was damaged or the signal blocked by rubbish.
Pierce tried again. "Derek..."
Still mothing.
Pierce assessed his position. He was on his back against a wall, a concrete beam across his left arm and chest, it was not crushing him completely but heavy enough he couldn't shift it alone.
He tested his legs, both moved, he was in pain but could still work.
Pierce planted his feet and pushed, trying to slide out from under the beam. His body shifted slightly then stopped, the beam catching on something.
He tried again, harder. Pain exploded through his ribs and he gasped.
The building groaned above him. More rubbish shifted, dust raining down. The structure was unstable. If he didn't get out soon, the whole floor could collapse.
Pierce reached up with his free hand, feeling along the beam and found the edge. If he could lift it just enough, shift his weight just enough.
He braced his right hand against the concrete and pushed with everything he had.
The beam shifted, half an inch then an inch.
Pierce's vision went gray with pain but he kept pushing, kept lifting. His broken ribs screamed in protest but he ignored it, focused only on moving that beam.
Pierce was able to lift it then pulled with his trapped arm, his shoulder burning as he dragged himself free. The beam crashed back down where he'd been lying seconds before.
Pierce rolled onto his hands and knees, coughing violently. Every breath was pain. He pressed his hand to his ribs, felt the sharp wrongness there.
It was definitely broken,but he was free.
Pierce tried the radio again. "Anyone... respond..."
Still nothing.
Pierce got to his feet, using the wall for support. His head spun, vision doubling.
He looked around. The explosion had blown out part of the third floor. He could see the night sky through the hole in the ceiling above. Rubbish everywhere, small fires burning and no way down the stairs, the stairwell had collapsed in the explosion.
Pierce moved toward what had been a window. The wall was partially destroyed, creating a gap he could see through. It was a three stories up, making it too high to jump.
But there was a fire escape. Twisted and partially collapsed but still attached to the building.
Pierce made his way toward it, climbing over rubbish, each movement sending fresh waves of pain through his chest. His breathing was getting worse, shallow and hard.
He reached the gap in the wall and looked down. The fire escape was there but damaged. The metal twisted at dangerous angles. It might hold his weight, it might not.
Pierce heard voices below. It was his team.
"Boss!" Marcus's voice was distant. "Pierce, if you can hear me, we're coming!"
Pierce tried to shout back but his voice wouldn't carry. He coughed instead, tasting blood.
Pierce pulled his gun and fired three shots into the air. The recoil sent pain screaming through his ribs but the shots echoed in the night.
"There!" Marcus's voice, closer now. "Third floor, east side!"
Pierce kept his gun away and grabbed the twisted fire escape railing. Tested his weight on it, the metal groaned but held.
Pierce climbed through the gap in the wall onto the fire escape. The structure swayed under him, bolts creaking.
He moved as quickly as he dared, going down the twisted metal stairs. Each step was carefully placed, each movement calculated despite the pain and the spinning in his head.
Halfway down, and a bolt gave way. The fire escape moved sideways, nearly throwing Pierce off. He grabbed the railing, held on as the structure settled at a new angle.
"Boss, stop!" Marcus shouted from below. "Don't move, we're coming up!"
"Can't stop," Pierce called back, his voice hoarse. "The building's... unstable."
He kept moving. One step, then another. The fire escape groaning with each movement.
Ten feet from the ground, another bolt failed. The entire structure shifted, tilting.
Pierce jumped.
He hit the pavement hard, his legs buckling. Pain exploded through his ribs and head. He rolled, gasping, fighting to stay conscious.
Then Marcus was there, hands on his shoulders. "Boss, Jesus Christ..."
"I'm alive." Pierce coughed, tasted more blood. "Get me... out of here."
Marcus and Leo hauled him up, supporting his weight between them. They moved fast, away from the unstable building, toward the extraction vehicles.
Behind them, another explosion rocked the factory. Pierce looked back to see the third floor collapse completely, right where he'd been trapped.
Five seconds later and he'd be dead.
They reached the SUV. Marcus helped Pierce into the back seat while Leo got behind the wheel.
"Should we take you to the hospital?" Leo asked.
"No." Pierce's voice was firm despite the pain. "Go to the cabin. Elena."
"Boss, you need..."
"Cabin." Pierce closed his eyes. "She's... waiting."
The drive back was a blur. Pierce drifted in and out, fighting the concussion, focusing on breathing despite his broken ribs. Marcus kept trying to check his injuries but Pierce pushed him away.
What felt like hours but was probably thirty minutes later, the SUV pulled up to the cabin.
The front door flew open before they'd even stopped. Elena ran out, her face pale in the porch light.
Marcus opened the back door and Pierce tried to get out on his own. His legs gave out immediately.
"I've got you." Marcus caught him.
Elena was there then, her hands on his face, his arms, checking for injuries even as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Pierce, oh my God.." Her voice broke. "What happened?"
"The building... exploded." Pierce managed a weak smile. "But I'm... here."
"Get him inside, Now." Elena's doctor voice took over. "Get him to the medical room."
Marcus and Leo helped Pierce inside. Elena was already ahead of them, snapping orders at Derek, preparing the medical station.
They laid Pierce on the bed. Elena cut away his tactical vest and shirt, exposing the damage. Pierce saw her face go white when she saw his ribs, already purple with bruising, clearly broken.
"Pierce, your ribs..."
"I know." He caught her hand. "Fix me."
Elena's hands were shaking but her voice was steady. "Derek, start an IV. Marcus, I need you to help me stabilize these ribs."
They moved into action while Pierce lay there, watching Elena work. Even terrified, even with tears on her face, she was completely in control.
"Stay with me," Elena said, her hand on his face. "Pierce, look at me. Stay awake."
"I'm not going... anywhere." Pierce's vision was fading at the edges. "Promise."
"You better not." Elena's voice cracked. "You promised you'd come back. You promised."
"And I... did." Pierce's eyes closed despite his efforts to keep them open. "Told you... I always keep... my promises..."
The last thing he heard was Elena's voice, calling his name, pulling him back from the darkness and he held on.
Because he'd promised to come back and Pierce Diego always kept his promises.