Elaine Overton Loves Inferno

June 5th

Detroit , MI

Marty could feel the smoke seeping into her lungs, her nose and her eyes. She'd been exposed to the inferno far longer than protocol allowed. She was starting to get nervous. A tiny coward in the back of her brain was screaming. "No one's in there. Go back. Go back!" But firefighter's lived by their instincts and hers was telling her the opposite was true. She turned left, then right trying to see through the mist of gray ash falling around her.

"Help."

Marty froze in place wondering if the weak cry had been imagined.

"Help."

The sound came again, but this time it was strong and forceful, a man's voice.

"Is anybody there?" Swinging her axe in a crisscrossing motion she cut a path in the direction of the voice until she finally came to an opening in the scattered debris.

A man was lying with his legs trapped beneath a large, wood beam that had fallen from the ceiling. He was lying so still she feared she was too late.

As if sensing her presence, he tilted his head back to look at her from an inverted angle. "Help me, please!"

Moving with lightening speed, Marty braced her axe beneath the wood beam.

"Hold on," she shouted through gritted teeth.

Using every ounce of strength she had, she pried at the wood beam but it wouldn't bulge. She scanned the long object and in her mind quickly calculating the best possible position for support. She wedged the wood stick only inches from the victim's head. She knew what she was about to attempt was dangerous. She would have only one chance to make it work.

"On the count of three, I need you to move out of the way," she shouted over the crackling fire that was quickly becoming unbearable. The man's big, brown eyes were so focused on the wood object beside his head, he barely heard her.

"Do you understand me?" Marty yelled, hoping to snap him out of the dazed state.

Without his help this would never work.

The man shook his head frantically, praying that this was a seasoned firefighter with years of experience in matters such as this and not a rookie trying some untested theory. Marty braced herself hard against the axe. She knew she would need every ounce of her 135lbs, five-foot, ten-inch frame to move the stubborn object.

"One." She watched his eyes.

"Two." He looked terrified. Would he be able to do this?

"Three." She pushed against the stick with all the strength she could muster. As soon as he heard the creaking sound of the wood giving way the man started scrambling backward. Five solid strokes and he was clear. Seconds later, the wooden axe fractured beneath the weight of the beam and both came crashing down hard against the floor. Without missing a beat, Marty had her head beneath the victim's arm.

"Can you walk?" The breathing apparatus she wore was making it hard to hear her words, but he understood her meaning.

"I'll try," he answered, attempting to be lifted by his rescuer. He managed to get to his feet, but forward movement was still difficult.

"It's alright. I've got you." Marty half-dragged, half-carried the injured man through the blaze. She led with speed and confidence as her helpless victim lay heavily against her fighting to stay conscious.

She swallowed hard and breathed deeply when the river of flames opened to reveal the glass doors of the building's entrance. Truth was, she had no idea if they'd been moving in the right direction. She only hoped she was following the path that led to where she found her now unconscious companion.

Members of her engine team were gathered around the entrance trying to peer in. Horror-stricken expressions were on every face. The fire had gotten out of control, and everyone had been ordered out. It wasn't until they'd cleared the building that they realized Marty had gotten separated from them.

Big Cal was the first to spot the blurred images coming through the blaze. "It's her." Cal yelled to the group of disheartened men. "It's Marty." He charged for the doors with total disregard.

Marty saw someone coming toward her grinning widely. She'd never been so happy to see that buck tooth smile in her life. Cal caught the lifeless man under the other arm greatly lifting her burden. The trio finally came through the front entrance to a hail of cheers. The news crew that had been standing off to the side came rushing forward shoving microphones into their faces.

The last things Marty remembered, turning her victim over to the paramedics, the feel of her knees crumbling beneath her and Big Cal's large hand coming under her back to break her fall.