BOUND BY FIRE

PROLOGUE

Six Months Ago…

“911, what is your emergency?”

A very controlled, even, and cold male voice stated, “I am calling to report a fire.  The occupants inside will be cleansed, and if God allows them to survive, they will learn to respect the sanctity of marriage.  That the wife is to respect and obey her husband.  There is no leaving, you are bound for life.” 

“I’m sorry, sir, did you say there is a fire?  Where is the fire, and can I please have your name?”

The cold voice replied, “22 Main Street” and hung up.

Within minutes the sound of sirens can be heard throughout the small town as the fire trucks race towards the building, now engulfed in flames.  The first on the scene is Sam Roberts, a 32 year old veteran of the force, standing six feet, five inches tall, and all muscle.  Wearing all of his equipment, and barking out orders, he is an intimidating man.  However, his team mates describe him as a softie.  He is a loyal, loving, and honest man, who takes his job seriously and will do whatever it takes to protect those around him.  Being a fifth generation firefighter, this is in his blood.  He is a protector, a savior, a hero.     

Sam approaches the burning building only to find that the front door is locked.  He breaks it down with his axe and is confronted with billowing, dark smoke.  He braces himself and enters the building with his team right behind him.  They search the main floor of the small home, nothing.  His team was briefed by the 911 dispatcher, and informed that there were people inside, so through the heat, smoke and the flames that threatened to take them all out, they push on.  Suddenly he hears a loud ‘thump’ coming from the upstairs.  He rushes to the stairs followed closely by his team, careful as they climb to the top.  The smoke was chocking.  Even with the equipment, it was hard to see, and starting to get harder to breathe.  Sam presses on, and once he reaches the top of the stairs, he sees what made the noise.  A young woman - her feet bound together, and hands tied in front of her - had collapsed behind two other victims tied to chairs.  Sam signals to his team that there are three victims and rushes to the young woman, as his team mates tend to the couple tied to chairs.  With no time to spare, the flames are becoming bigger, the smoke chocking, Sam picks up the young woman and throws her over his shoulder as he follows the rest of his team back down the stairs and out the front door, just as the stairs collapse and the house is fully engulfed by the fire.

Sam places the young woman onto the ground, removes his helmet and gloves, and checks her pulse.  Nothing.  She’s not breathing.  “Shit” he mutters.  He immediately cuts the rope binding her hands and feet, and begins CPR as the paramedics rush towards him with a stretcher and oxygen.  “Come on!  Come back, stay with us sweetheart!” he says through breaths.  “One, two, three,” he counts the chest compressions aloud and hears her ribs crack.  Sam tilts her head back and again breathes air into her lungs.  “Come on, breathe” he yells, and continues with the compressions.  Finally, she coughs, and begins breathing.  She opens her eyes, and frantically tries to move.  With strong arms, Sam holds her still and tries to calm her, “It’s ok.  You’re alright sweetheart.  You’re safe.”  She looks at Sam and he can’t help but notice her striking green eyes, wide with fear.  He brushes her long blond hair off of her face and says again, “you’re safe.”   

The look of fear did not leave her face as Sam picked her up and laid her down on the stretcher.  As the paramedics placed the oxygen mask onto her face and began to load her into the awaiting ambulance, Fred, one of Sam’s team mates, slowly approaches and whispers something into Sam’s ear.  Sam says something back to him, and looks at the young woman.  “Alexis Johnson?  Is that your name sweetheart?” Sam asks the young woman.  She just nods weakly.  “You’re going to go to the hospital to get checked out.  You’re going to be ok.  And once you’re cleared, someone is going to come talk to you about what happened here tonight.  Do you understand?”  Alexis just nodded.  Before the paramedics closed the ambulance doors, Alexis said “Wait,” in barley a whisper, pulling the mask off her face.  Her blond hair covering her bright green eyes, now welling with tears.  “My parents, are they okay?  Damien, he…he d-did this, please where are my parents!”

Sam looked down at the ground, and slowly his blue eyes met hers, “I’m so sorry Ms. Johnson, they didn’t make it.”  The look on Alexis’ face broke Sam’s heart.  “No, I don’t believe you!  They are all I have”, she yelled, “they protected me, they’re stronger than me, he didn’t win! He can’t win!”  Surprising the paramedics and Sam, Alexis climbed off the stretcher and jumped out of the ambulance, running towards the still burning house.  Sam chased after her and wrapped his arms around her small waist, pulling her towards his strong chest.  “You missed them” she screamed at him, “they’re still in there, you have to get them out!”  “I’m so sorry, Alexis, we did all we could.” 

“You should have left me and saved them!” she shouted.  “It’s all my fault!”  Sam just held her until she collapsed to the ground sobbing.  “It’s all my fault.  I have no one.  They were trying to protect me.  I should have listened to them.  I should have been stronger.” 

Sam just held her tight.   It is only now that he notices the bruises and cuts littering her face and arms.  Some fading, others fresh.  His heart breaks even more realizing that someone has been beating this woman, and from what little she has already said, he has tried to kill her, and killed her parents.  Sam simply held her tighter, wishing he could take away her pain and whispered in her ear, “This is not your fault, you survived, and I know that’s what they would want.  They did protect you, they did save you, and you are strong.”