He tried to focus, to peer through Luke’s eyes, but the man’s eyelids had drifted closed and all Varin could see was the darkness that had been his constant companion for much too long. Heidi! Damn it, Luke! Where is she? Can you see her? Luke opened his eyes. There was smoke everywhere, a thick, billowing black cloud of it. It clogged the man’s throat, filled his nostrils and made them both gag. Luke’s arms were empty. He reached out, clawing desperately in a feeble search for the woman who only moments ago had been tucked safely against his chest. “Heidi!” Luke bellowed, the scream driven by the soul-numbing fear that had enveloped them both. Let me. Please, Luke. Let me find her. Bits of plaster and brick fell around Luke’s head, some of the larger pieces digging into his arms and bare chest as they toppled down from the ceiling. Varin held his breath while Luke dropped to his hands and knees and inched forward, knowing the man needed to be in control just as much as Varin did.
