Fractured Memories (Badge of Honor #1)

Chapter 3

THREE

Noah’s tires screeched as his truck slid to a stop near the blazing house. Neighbors had already gathered in the yard. The light from the flames reflected a mixture of horror and fascination on their faces. Ash and soot floated in the air. His boots ripped across the brown-tipped grass as his gaze flickered from person to person. Felicity wasn’t among the crowd.

He stopped a 30-something man with a snake tattoo on his bicep. Noah flashed his badge. “Knoxville Police Department. Did you see what happened?”

“The place just exploded. Must’ve been a gas leak or something.”

An elderly woman nearby held up her cell phone. “I’ve called for the fire department.”

“Did anyone come out of the house?” Noah’s tone was sharp, but he could play nice later. Right now, the only thing that mattered was locating Felicity. His gaze skipped between the two individuals. Suddenly, the family resemblance between them was clear. A grandmother and her grandson.

“No.” The younger man shook his head. His eyes widened. “You don’t think someone’s inside, do you? The place is a vacation rental?—”

“You’re sure no one came out of the house after the explosion?”

“Absolutely, sir.” He pointed to a house down the street. The garage door was open. A motorcycle rested on its side on the concrete and various tools were scattered about. “I was working on my bike when the place went up in flames. Like I said, it was an explosion. I’m sure it’s a gas leak or something.”

Noah wasn’t sure about anything except that the last time he’d spoken to Felicity, she was going inside the vacation rental. His chest squeezed tight at the thought of her dying in that house, fifteen years after she’d witnessed a murder there. Shoving those thoughts and feelings aside, he snapped into battle mode. “Get these neighbors off the yard.” Noah raised his voice, along with his badge. “Everyone move to the other side of the street for safety. Now!”

The neighbors began heeding his order. Before the man could leave, Noah grabbed his arm. “What’s your name?”

“Jake.”

“Jake, I want you to make sure these people get to the other side of the street. When the firefighters arrive, I want you to tell them that Detective Noah Hodge is inside the house conducting a rescue operation. You got that?”

“Yes, sir.”

Assured the civilians would be safe until more first responders arrived, Noah spun on his heel and raced for the house. The flames were intense. Heat, coupled with smoke, poured over him. Sweat coated his skin as he circled the property, searching for a point of entry. The kitchen was obliterated, but the west side of the house was untouched by flames. For the moment. Using the butt of his gun, Noah punched a hole through the glass in the primary bedroom window.

“Felicity!” He screamed her name through the opening. No response. Noah knocked out the jagged shards of glass clinging to the frame before launching himself through the broken window. A chunk of glass sliced his arm, more tore at his pants. He ignored it. Felicity was likely injured and unable to flee the house. There was no other explanation. Every second counted.

He wouldn’t let her die. He couldn’t.

God, give me strength. Guide me to make the right decisions.

Smoke hung heavy in the air. Noah pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth. Quickly, he cleared the adjoining bathroom, verifying no one wasn’t inside, before moving toward the living room. “Felicity!”

The roar of the fire was the only response. Tears coursed down his cheeks, his body’s natural reaction to the irritants in the air. He frantically blinked to clear the water away .

A gaping hole existed where the kitchen used to be. Flames, fueled by the fresh oxygen, grew by the second. They ate everything in their path. Entering the house and searching for Felicity was against protocol. Noah didn’t have the right equipment and should’ve waited for the firefighters. Harper’s face flashed momentarily in his mind. If he died, his little girl would be an orphan.

But if he turned back and later learned he could’ve saved Felicity… Noah wasn’t sure he could live with himself. He pressed forward. The smoke was so thick, Noah couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. “Fee!”

The childhood nickname fell from his lips without a second thought. Felicity had played on his swing set, spent Christmases at his house when her father was working, and held his hand at his parents' funeral. She was a part of his life and the thought of losing her was too painful to contemplate. “Fee, answer me.”

He tripped over something near the staircase and crashed to the ground. Pain erupted through his body at the bone-jarring impact. Noah gritted his teeth. He turned to untangle his foot from the object. His fingers stumbled over warm skin and silky hair.

Felicity. Noah wiped at his eyes, clearing his vision long enough to assess the situation. She slumped against the staircase with her eyes closed. Thick tape covered her mouth, more secured her body to the railing. His fingers trembled as he pressed a hand to the curve of her throat. Felicity’s heartbeat was thready and weak, but there. She was alive. Noah’s lungs burned from the smoke even as his mind registered the fact that this fire was no accident. Someone had tried to kill her.

Flames reached the living room curtains. The fabric went up in a whoosh of hot air. A beam in the ceiling groaned in response as the crackling blaze grew larger. The smoke grew thicker. It was heavy and blinding. Noah fumbled with the bindings holding Felicity to the railing. The tape was thick—industrial strength—and difficult to remove. He retrieved a small knife from his pocket and flicked it open.

The house groaned again. The flames were making their way along the roof. Sparks dropped to the ground, eating anything in their path. The couch. The bookshelves. Sweat poured down Noah’s face, mixing with the soot coating his skin. The heat was brutal. It stole his breath. The low oxygen levels in his body made him lightheaded. He battled against his own physical need to run. He wouldn’t abandon Felicity.

The knife was dull from previous use. Noah had been meaning to sharpen it for weeks, but kept forgetting. Now he was paying for that mistake dearly. He sawed at the tape holding Felicity hostage to the staircase railing. Outside, sirens wailed. The firefighters and other first responders had arrived, but from the way the building was moaning, the roof wouldn’t last long. It was about to cave in.

“Come on, come on.” His movements were quick, his focus absolute. The sweat from his skin, along with Felicity’s, made everything slick. The blade sliced his palm as the handle slipped from his grip. He barely felt the pain. His adrenaline was in high gear, blocking out everything except the desperate task at hand. Finally, Noah felt the tape give way. He grasped one end with his hand and yanked hard.

The binding snapped.

Felicity’s slender form leaned toward him. Noah didn’t waste a second. He lifted her into his arms. The house rumbled as an exposed beam crashed into the living room. Sparks peppered Noah’s bare arms and burned holes through his clothing. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t see. The roof was about to collapse.

He raced for the rear bedroom, praying they would get out of the house before being burned alive.