Today’s snippet theme is Character in Danger. Below is a scene from a book I co-authored Aliyah Burke. Enjoy.
An snippet from Wicked Burn…
The sound of fire hissing never failed to make adrenaline and cautious respect fill Yasmine Van Cort. This fire was no different. The scorching heat of the fully engaged blaze made her sweat even more in her heavy turnout gear.
“Find the baby.” She kept repeating the mantra in her head.
Neighbors had called in the fire, so they knew there was a family of three to be rescued–a man, woman, and child. Her partner, Ethan Zachary, was to her right. They worked in tandem to ensure their safety and that of the individual they had set out to rescue. As they strode down the hall, she could hear the voices on the radio in her ear.
“Team three. Nothing yet,” Alvin Calles said.
“Team eight, still searching,” she replied, checking in.
Ethan motioned to her as he shined the flashlight down the hall. She carefully walked ahead, testing the various doors for heat index before opening them. Surprisingly, this left area of the house wasn’t as engulfed at the other side, where team three was searching. As she did a brief check of each room, she could see a family who seemed happy. A sense of pity filled her. It was a shame their beautiful home was being destroyed. She shook it off. Hopefully they would be able to rescue them, and they would be alive, which was more important than things. Reaching another room, she tested the door for heat. Finding it as cool as the others, she pushed it open. Spotting the crib in what was clearly a nursery, Yasmine’s heart clenched as she approached it.
Standing beside the crib, she saw what looked to be a ten-month-old curled up holding a teddy bear and a picture. She stripped off her work gloves, checked vitals and felt a surge of relief when the child’s warm breath puffed against her fingers. “Baby found,” she reported, and slipped back into her gloves.
Picking up the limp baby, she cuddled it close. The child woke, kicking and screaming as Yasmine headed back to her partner by the door. They hurried down the hall, then the stairwell and out the front door as the fire raged around them.
Copyright © 2009 Aliyah Burke and McKenna Jeffries
All Rights Reserved, Liquid Silver Books.
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After reading this snippet, I wanted to read more! You have a winner here.