Calamitous (Kaylor)

23

"So what's going on?" Lily asked. Karlie motioned for Taylor to speak, and all eyes turned to the blonde.

"They've abandoned the headquarters. Unfortunately, there was no information on where they went." Groans of disappointment rose from the group.

"I suggest we all head home and start thinking about how we can track them down again," Karlie said. "We clearly can't do anything else here." The group disassembled, and Karlie and Taylor decided to walk home, rather than ride to the station first with the others. Lily joined them, suggesting they share ideas.

As they approached their building, however, they became aware of an unfamiliar noise. The air seemed to feel hotter and it sounded like there were people screaming. The three looked at each other and broke into a run, trying to find the source of the screams, and rounded the final corner before their building came into view.

They all froze for a moment, watching in horror as flames worked on consuming the building. "But...how?" Karlie asked, dumbfounded. She could see the windows of her apartment from here. Smoke was billowing out of them.

"Maybe faulty wiring?" Lily asked, sounding just as horrified as Karlie.

"The building was up to code. It's actually one of the best buildings in the area," Karlie countered. Taylor snorted and walked a little ahead of them, staring up at it with a strange mixture of sadness and anger.

"Taylor?" Karlie said. "You don't think it was...?"

"Arsyn," Taylor growled. "It was her. I'm sure of it." She turned to look at the crowd of people congregating across from the building. Some were still running out of the entrance. "Come on," she said. "People may need help." The three made their way into the crowd, asking people if they were okay and if everyone made it out. They could hear sirens in the distance, gradually getting louder, which was a relief.

A woman, clinging to the hands of several children, began to loudly sob, catching their attention. "What's wrong?" Karlie asked, approaching her with Taylor and Lily at her side. "Apart from...yeah."

"My little girl!" she weeped. "I told her to hold on - I only have so many hands! She's not out here!" Her devastated wails tugged at Karlie's heart.

"I can hear the fire engines. They'll be here soon," she tried to assure the woman.

"They won't be here in time." Karlie turned to Taylor, ready to sharply rebuke her for her lack of tact, but faltered when she met the blonde's determined gaze. What is she doing?

"Which floor were you on, ma'am?" Taylor asked the mother.

"Th...the third," she stuttered, unsure why she was being asked this. Taylor nodded and started walking toward the building.

"Taylor! Where are you going?" Karlie called, rushing after her. "We can't just leave her alone! She needs to be comforted."

"Then comfort her." Taylor kept her purposeful stride and didn't look back as she spoke. Realizing where they were headed, Karlie tried to tug her back.

"You can't get close to the building!" she said, pulling on the blonde's arm.

"Watch me." Understanding dawned over Karlie then, and she clung to Taylor's arm tightly.

"No, no, come on. You can't do this," she pleaded. "The firefighters are only a few streets away. Let them do it."

"Every minute counts," Taylor grunted, still walking forward despite Karlie's resistance.

"But it doesn't have to be you that does it!" Karlie dug her heels into the ground, desperate to stop the smaller girl's motion. Taylor turned back to meet her eyes, a sad look on her face.

"I need to do something right for once, Karlie," she said sadly. "That girl is worth much more than I am. I'm already broken. She's got her whole life ahead of her."

"You're not broken!" Karlie said, tears in her eyes. Taylor sighed, looking away.

"I'm sorry. I want to do this," she said, and suddenly she jerked her arm out of Karlie's grasp and took off at a run toward the entrance. Karlie moved to follow her but Lily, who had run from the crowd and just caught up to them, encircled her arms around her friend's waist.

"You can't go in there!" she yelled over the roar of the fire.

"I need to go after Taylor!" Karlie shouted back, struggling.

"She made her choice. Now we can only hope." Karlie numbly realized that her friend was right. There was nothing she could do now. Lily began to lead Karlie back away from the building, and the tall girl allowed herself to be moved regretfully. A few minutes later, they reached the rest of the crowd just as the fire trucks arrived. Jumping out of the trucks quickly, the firefighters began connecting hoses to hydrants and preparing to enter the building.

Karlie raced over to one that was moving through the crowd, asking about missing people. "My friend is in there!" she gasped breathlessly. "She went in to save someone's kid - it's been a few minutes now - oh, please find her!" The man looked at her with sympathy and raised his radio to let the other know, but he froze as he looked over Karlie's shoulder toward the building.

"Why aren't you doing anything?!" Karlie screamed desperately.

"Miss, is that your friend?" the firefighter said, pointing toward the building. Karlie turned to look and saw a figure staggering away from the building, a small child clinging to her neck. The detective didn't bother to answer; she just took off running. Lily followed, and they could see that the mother of the little girl was also making her way over.

The mother reached Taylor first, taking the child into her arms and crying, thanking her profusely. The blonde nodded in acknowledgement. She looked a little dazed, but accepted the woman's hug. Mother and daughter then rushed off to find an ambulance to check the child's health.

Then Karlie reached Taylor. She barely slowed down as she approached, skidding to a stop and taking in the shorter girl's appearance. Taylor's hair and skin were darkened with ash, and some of her hair looked singed. She had a few visible burns, but none that looked too bad. Her blue eyes were as bright as ever. They looked at each other for a moment, neither sure what to say. Taylor looked like she was about to apologize, but before she could, the detective made her move.

Karlie placed her hands on Taylor's cheeks and crashed their lips together. Time stopped for a moment; the roar of the fire, the rumbling of the crowd, the firefighter's calls to each other all faded into the background as each could only hear their own heartbeats loud in their ears. She pressed closer, and Taylor responded. Karlie could taste smoke on the blonde's lips, and something else; something that was distinctly Taylor. She released the smaller girl's cheeks and tangled her hands in the ash-dusted hair, eliciting an appreciative moan.

And suddenly it ended. Taylor pushed her away, and Karlie felt rejection cloud her mind. It dissipated instantly, however, when she saw the reason for the girl's action. Taylor was coughing violently, wheezing for breath between each bout.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Karlie panicked, trying to support the girl's weight as she slumped heavily against her shoulder.

"Yeah, just inhaled a little smoke," Taylor said weakly. "Give me a day or two and I'll be good."

"Okay, you're going to the hospital."

"Totally not necessary."

"Well, you're seeing Martha at least." When Taylor didn't complain, Karlie relaxed, putting one of Taylor's arms over her shoulder and starting to lead her away from the building. Lily, who hadn't wanted to interrupt them, approached and took Taylor's other side. The two of them helped Taylor limp away as the firefighters continued to salvage as much of the building as they could.

As they started on the short walk to the hospital, where Martha was currently working her shift, Taylor became weaker and Karlie crouched down to allow her to climb onto her back. They set off again more efficiently.

"Karlie?" Taylor mumbled into the back of the detective's neck. "Where are we going to live now?" Karlie's heart sank. She hadn't given much thought to the fact that her own apartment had been targeted. At least I didn't have many personal belongings. I'll still miss that place though.

"I don't know, Tay," she said softly. "I don't know."