“Let me go first,” Quinn said quietly. “I can try to break Tori and Ramie’s fall.”
“No, wait,” Caleb said. “Slow down and let’s think about this before we do get ourselves killed. We can get on the roof outside my window dormer and then make it down to the garage roof. It’s only one story there and much less distance to fall.”
“Let’s go then,” Beau barked. “We don’t have much time before the whole place goes up.”
Quinn slid the window open and then climbed out, hanging on to the eaves as he inched out onto the roof.
Beau helped Tori through the window and Quinn held his hand out for her to grab so she didn’t fall.
“You go,” Caleb directed Beau. “I’ll have to hand Ramie to you. She’s out cold.”
Beau ducked out after Tori and after making sure she was in a secure place on the roof, Beau reached back and carefully hooked his arms underneath Ramie’s shoulders. Caleb eased her legs out so that Beau was dragging her along the rooftop in the direction of the garage.
Already Caleb could feel the heat of the fire. Below them might already be consumed and it was only a matter of time before the roof they were standing on fell in as well.
“Quinn, you get Tori,” Caleb said. “Beau and I will have to manage with Ramie.”
They inched along the roofline as fast as they dared. Caleb’s forehead was beaded with sweat. Fear for his family gripped him in a vicious hold. Just an hour ago he’d prayed for his family to be safe and they were anything but right now.
And then another fear utterly paralyzed him.
“Nobody move,” Caleb ordered.
“What the f**k, Caleb?” Quinn demanded.
“We don’t know if that son of a bitch is on the grounds or how the hell he managed to plant a bomb. For all we know he’s waiting to kill us as soon as we get off the roof.”
Tori let out a whimper but Caleb couldn’t afford to spare her fears. Not when he could possibly be stating an absolute truth.
“I’ve got to go back and get the gun out of my nightstand,” Caleb said. “Nobody move until I get back.”
“Hurry!” Beau urged.
“Just in case something happens to me,” Caleb said in a steady, serious tone, “you and Quinn get Tori and Ramie to safety and do not look back for me.”
“Shut up and move!” Quinn hissed.
Caleb slid on his ass down the roof incline as fast as he dared and then swung himself around and into the window, holding on to the overhang. Smoke was already filling his room and surely it would not be long before fire consumed the entire house, including everyone on the roof.
He yanked open his nightstand drawer, grabbed his pistol and an already loaded clip, shoved it in and jacked a shell into the chamber. Then he climbed back onto the roof and crawled back to the others.
Together they inched their way to where the roof dropped off to the garage. Quinn went first and then Beau helped Tori over the edge, holding her hands while her feet dangled toward Quinn.
“Let go,” Quinn called up. “I’ve got her.”
Tori squeezed her eyes shut and then dropped down to where Quinn had landed.
“Give me one of her arms,” Beau said. “I’ll help you lower her down to Quinn.”
Positioning Ramie between them, they each held her wrists and guided her down to Quinn’s waiting grasp. Beau and then Caleb slid over the edge, holding on to the overhang and dropping the few feet onto the garage roof.
Caleb surveyed their options and decided going down the left side was their only route. The concrete garage apron in front and the sidewalk to the right prevented them from being able to drop the distance from the roof to the ground.
Again, Quinn went first. Caleb eased Ramie down, praying she didn’t wake and panic and slide off while he helped Beau lower Tori over the edge.
Once Tori was safely down, Caleb and Beau took Ramie’s hands and then carefully slid her legs over the edge and inched her forward very carefully so her weight didn’t suddenly plummet.
And she picked then, when she was dangling several feet above Quinn’s head, to open her eyes.
She screamed and began to struggle, her legs thrashing and rotating wildly in the air.
“Ramie! Ramie!” Caleb yelled. “Stop! You’ve got to stop. I’ve got you. You’re safe. But you have to stop fighting us.”
She went still, a low whimper working its way past trembling lips. “Caleb?” she choked out. “This is a dream, right? Tell me this is a dream.”
“It’s just a dream, honey,” he soothed. “A nightmare. Close your eyes and it’ll all be over.”
She went limp and relaxed and as soon as she did, he and Beau let her go and she dropped into Quinn’s arms, sending them both crashing to the ground.
Once Beau was down, Caleb tossed the gun to his brother. Then he swung his legs over and lowered himself to hang from the eave and then dropped the remaining distance, rolling the moment he landed to absorb some of the impact. The breath was momentarily knocked from him and he sucked in steadying breaths.
Immediately he crawled over to where Ramie and Quinn lay in a tangle of arms and legs.
“Quinn, are you all right?” Caleb asked.
“Yeah, just got the breath knocked out of me is all. What about her?”
“Can I open my eyes now?” Ramie asked in a small voice.
“Yes, baby. Open your eyes. We have to get moving.”