The Weight of Innocence

ave taken

run late. Three hours of talking business with clients who could not make a decision to save their live

nutes meant driving through a part of town that looked like it had been abandoned twenty years ago. Ware

radio. Some talk show hosts were rambling about the

I s

ok

in a neighborhood like this. But as I got closer, there was too much o

i

I had enough of my own problems. But something made me stop. Maybe the way the flames pulsed

chain link fence full of holes. Flames flickered thr

t's your

dustrial district off Marsh

yone i

I just saw it

n the way. Sir, please st

h. O

to wait in my car. But then I h

cre

owed by the fire. B

mach d

was in

were not made for running through gravel and broken glass, but I

ide, it felt like standing too clos

lled. "Can an

answered, wea

d a metal side door. Rusted but intact. I grabbed the handle and jerked my hand bac

I shouted.

stuck out from debris nearby. I wedged it into the frame

eaming

clawed

had. The metal snapped and the door fl

d not see anything. The smoke burned my eyes and throat. He

e you?" I

ans

r. Every breath felt like fire inside my lungs.

e appeared

ers

pulled the body toward me. A woman. Small, thin, unconscious but breat

had tied

. Too light. She felt like som

ran, or tried to, the weight of her throwing me off balance. I lunged to

ir hit

oxygen into my burning lungs. Behind us, the warehous

er and we both wou

blood covered her face. Dark

patting her c

th

there. Her breathing was shallo

about a fire. There's a woman h

and EMS are thr

it f

pty. Just me and this woma

she been tied up in

ugh the night.

behind her eyelid

," I told her. "Sa

the words anywa

ha

briefest moment. Pain an

st anyone

he wen

at did t

with a stretcher. They worked fast, checking vit

ng to be ok

d to mo

he ambulance. Th

hifting numbers on monitors. I sat in the c

injured?" one

I'm f

checked out for

at

staff rushed out to take her insid

o back there

know if s

olice. They'll ne

erything. I told them everything except the warning

I waited. One hou

from the vending machine.

I saw

sedan in the parking lot. Perfect posture. St

met for

got into his car

. But something

ecurity guard

ot. Black car. Expensive suit. Ca

d frowne

a fe

ore serious. They led me to the secur

ame?" the old

hirty m

h cameras. Frowne

's st

ha

the screen

the parking lot

dropped. "D

ed the last hour from

footage together, both

d not want

w exactly what

een looking for the woma

r echoed i

st anyone

e had be

in more danger th