Getting Home

Part 22

From behind the FILES door.

He went to the door, his gun down but still at the ready, his flashlight up and aimed at the doorknob. It was unlocked... he cautiously reached out, turning the knob quietly and steadily, concentrating on slowing his breathing.

The door creaked as it slowly swung open.

He only took a few steps in, swinging his flashlight around in the dark, heart slamming in his chest. There were rows of shelves, filled with manila folders and files. Then all of a sudden—

Something blurry launched at him.

Sean only caught a flash—fangs, glowing eyes, a fuzzy yellow...

As a dog jumped on him.

The dog. The dog that had been with Ava. What had she called it? Funny? Furry?

Fury.

"Hey boy," Sean said, using his hand that held the flashlight to scratch behind Fury's ear. "What are you doing in here? How did—"

There was an explosion somewhere in the building—so big and violent that it shook the floor, throwing Sean off his feet. Manila files and folders flew and fluttered as shelves toppled upon each other.

The ceiling began to sag and crumble.

"Go!" Sean shouted at the dog... but more at himself.

The point was moot anyways—the dog was already out of the room and running down the corridor.

"Thanks for waiting, pal," Sean grumbled. He nimbly hopped up, snatching up his flashlight and racing after Fury.

The light began to get brighter the further Sean went—he was confused, until he saw flames licking out of the offices he passed. The rumbling was getting louder—the shaking too was now non-stop, like a low grade earthquake.

There was a loud crash from behind—Sean instantly knew it was from the file room, where had been only a minute prior.

Oh my god.

Sean reached an intersection in the corridors and heard barking coming from one of the hallways that branched off. He looked towards the direction he had been going—the lobby.

Behind him, there was more crashing and thunder as the ceiling fell.

Goddammit, he thought. Then another thought crept in...

It's just a dog. Forget it. Save yourself.

The dog barked again from that direction.

"Aw fuck," Sean mumbled, holstering his pistol. He took off down the corridor.

Away from the lobby.

There were more flames and debris down here. He sprinted through, the smoke getting thicker and making it tougher to breathe.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Hey, boy! Dog! Fury! Where are you!"

More barking.

From Digital Forensics.

There were more flames here, and a lot of smoke—Sean could barely see. He covered his mouth, trying not to breathe too much of it in.

"Fury!" Sean shouted in between bouts of coughing and hurrying frantically through the aisles of computer servers and equipment. "Fury, where are you!"

The ceiling here, too, began to crack and crumble.

Well, that's it, then, Sean thought. It was weird; all of his fear was gone, suddenly replaced by an odd calmness. I'm dead. Died trying to save a dog. I barely even LIKE dogs. I wish I could have—

Sean froze.

Oh no.

Oh my god.

AVA.

He had left Ava in the Sergeant's office.

I've gotta go back.

There was no hesitation in that thought, for once—until the loud banging and crushing sound of tumbling rocks falling from where he had come in at.

The way out was blocked.

Sean suddenly heard whining. He whirled his head around, finally catching a flash of yellow in the haze—

Fury.

He was standing, whining, over what looked like a body laying motionless on the floor—it was hard to tell. Sean squinted, seeing some white cloth... a lab coat.

And long red hair, fanned out on the floor.

Sophia Adler.

He immediately hurled himself forward, no thought or debate in his mind. Fury saw him coming and began barking loudly, hopping up and down in place in little circles.

A loud, male voice suddenly shouted out from the back of the room.

"Hey! Anybody in here! If you can hear me, come towards my voice!"

Sean easily scooped Sophia off the floor, cradling her in his arms and running towards the voice as fast and hard as he could. He could hear the frantic clicking of Fury's paws right behind him. The smoke swirled and billowed around Sean as he ran.

Everything started to fall and collapse behind him, massive, huge noise and collisions that blared everything else out. The ground shook violently. Just when he felt he couldn't run any longer, he caught a flash—

Of a police officer silhouetted in the doorway at the rear-exit of the room.

An exit that led out behind the station.

The cop saw him, his eyes suddenly widening. "Hey! It's Mather! Hurry up!"

Sean ran even harder. The figure in the doorway disappeared, revealing the cold, snowy night outside. Sean re-doubled his efforts just as the roof above him fell—

He burst out into the back parking lot in a plume of smoke, flames, and debris flying out after him. There were a lot of people out here... and all of them were sprinting away.

Sean followed them, hearing the entire police station come down on itself behind him.

He stopped at the edge of the parking lot, on the grass, suddenly completely spent with nothing left. He dropped to his knees, his back still to the collapsing building, still holding Sophia Adler and bowing his head.

Ava, he mourned, as the tears began to flow down his face. Oh my god, Ava.