A long lane at night

2.14. GOOD INTENT Part 3

I actually made it to deli in fifteen minutes and the final éclairs were still drying. All the advantage I had gained to myself was lost waiting for those last boxes.

'What's wrong, Jack? You're fine with leaving Alice with your family.'

'Yeah, but I leave her at her house, not in a different environment. I don't know, I guess I'm just frustrated that things aren't going the way we had planned.'

Nate patted my shoulder and I was glad to see the last bits of our order finally being readied for delivery. Rose thanked me for my patience, I wished her a good day and Nate and I finally left the deli.

The journey back was a slower one. There were too many fragile boxes on the back seat and I didn't want to ruin anything. We also got stuck in some boring traffic halfway through, but it was when I turned on Nanna Maggie's corner that I realised something was wrong.

There were several flashing lights going everywhere on the road and I could see a commotion a little way ahead. I had to slow down and honked a couple of times to try and make through the crowd. When the people cleared, I stopped the car in complete shock.

My path was blocked by the red and white tape that was bound to haunt me forever. Two fire trucks and an ambulance were hastily parked after the tape and professionals were running in and out. My grandmother's house was on fire.

Without thinking, without processing anything else, I threw the car door open and tried to leave without unbuckling my seat belt. I corrected my mistake and sprinted outside the vehicle, not caring for the door I had left wide open behind me. An officer tried to stop me from crossing the red and white tape.

'You need to step back, sir,' he said.

'That's my grandmother's house!' I shouted in desperation. 'MY DAUGHTER'S IN THERE!'

Another officer appeared next to him. This time, a woman with a stern face.

'Are you related to Miss Margaret Altridge, sir?'

'Yes. She's my grandmother. My name is Jack Altridge-Leech. My daughter, she's a baby, she's not even one yet, Alice Altridge-Leech. She's in there. I have to rescue her.'

'Sir,' the woman said, but I could not hear her. 'Sir!' She snapped her fingers in front of me and the shock made me look at her. 'I need you to listen to me very carefully, sir. The baby was rescued and is fine. She is in the ambulance, but I'm afraid I can't let you near her, sir. As for your grandmother—'

'No!' I screamed. 'No! My grandmother's in there! You have to help her!'

'Sir,' the stern woman said again. 'I am sorry to inform you, sir, but Miss Margaret Altridge was found dead when first respondents arrived. Is there anything you can tell us about the accident, sir?'

I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't digest what she had told me. I was losing focus of my surroundings. I didn't know what was happening anymore. I needed to protect Alice. I needed to see my daughter. I needed to see my grandmother. She couldn't have been ... No! She couldn't. She wasn't. I was with her less than an hour ago. I need to get to her. I need to see Alice.

'Sir, we cannot let you through,' the woman said in what felt to be in response to my own thoughts. I had already lost control of my words. I didn't know what were the things I was thinking to myself and what were the things that I was saying out loud.

I didn't force myself through the red and white tape. In some subconscious level, I knew I was strong enough to knock them all down and get to my daughter, but something in that woman's voice told me that she wasn't just in that ambulance. Something in her voice made me feel like Alice had gone somewhere beyond my reach.

'But it can't be ... You said she's alive and well. She's my daughter, she's just a baby. I need to get to her.'

Then another voice came to me. A voice who had enormous power over me, yet I was so lost in my shock and my pain and my desperation that I couldn't see where he was. I think I felt his hand on my shoulder, but I can't be certain.

'You need to trust me,' Nate's voice spoke in my ear and it became my focus point. 'You need to trust me like you never trusted me before. You need to stay here. Whatever you do, don't leave this spot. Stay right here, Jack. Stay here.'

And his voice vanished.

My surroundings were still spinning and I couldn't see much more than the not-so-distant flames and the flares of the ambulance lights. I couldn't see Nate, nor did I have any idea where he disappeared to. I needed to get to Alice, but I couldn't. I tried to cross the tape once or twice, but an officer who was even bigger than me was there to make sure I wouldn't manage it. Nate's voice had told me to trust him and to stay where I was.

I trusted Nate with my life.

I trusted Nate with my daughter's life.

Nate, who was about to become Alice's own father with me.

Nate, who always took care of me, who always had my best interests at heart, even when they didn't favour him.

Nate, who was so paranoid, he always had a plan.

Perhaps he also had a plan for a catastrophe like this.

Nate had asked me to trust him and to stay here.

I would do as Nate asked.

I don't know how many times I repeated those thoughts in my head and how much time passed. It could have been two seconds or it could have been two days, until another familiar voice reached my ear.

'Come on, Jack. You need to come with me.'

I couldn't leave that spot. Nate had me promise I would stay exactly where I was.

'I know, Jack. Nate told me what happened. Nate was the one who told me to take you with me. He has a plan. Come with me and I'll tell you.'

I trusted Nate with my daughter's life.

Nate trusted his father with anything he ever needed.

I finally gave in to uncle Henry's pull on my shoulder and turned on the spot.

I couldn't distinguish the words that were exchanged between him and the officers.

I needed to get to Alice.

Nate had told me to stay.

My trust in Nate was stronger than my own instincts.

If Nate had a plan, I would follow.

Nate's plans were always the quickest and safest route to fix any mess and get us out of such a place.

Uncle Henry didn't guide me to my car, he walked me to his truck. He helped me inside, placed the seatbelt over me and closed my door. I had no idea of time passing anymore, but some time did pass and he entered the truck through the other door.

'Nate left me a message to pass on to you, Jack.'

I think I might have turned my head towards him, but I couldn't be certain.

I couldn't be certain of anything anymore.

I just needed to be close to my daughter.

'Nate said, "if you want to get Alice back, you'll need to stay at my father's house and not leave there until I contact you, no matter what happens. Trust me".'

'Okay.'

I was too weak to say anything else.

I couldn't believe my grandmother was dead.

She had just ordered five-meat sandwiches for me and Nate.

I couldn't believe she had died in a fire.

I shouldn't have stayed.

I shouldn't have left Alice behind.

I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

I heard Uncle Henry revving up his truck engine and the purring sound made it even harder for me to stay awake.

Everything faded to black.