The Color of a Memory (The Color of Heaven Series) by Julianne MacLean

she continued, “and they think it might be a terrorist attack. They’re not sure, though. It could also have been some idiot teenager.”
    “Oh God,” I said. “Do you see Alex?”
    “It’s impossible to make anyone out,” she replied. “All the firefighters are there in full gear, so he must be there. It looks really bad.”
    Suddenly needing to hear Alex’s voice and know that he was okay, I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m going to hang up and call him on his cell,” I said. “He probably won’t answer, but I have to try.”
    “Call me right back,” she said.
    My stomach churned as I speed-dialed his number, but I was put through to voice mail.
    “Hi Alex, it’s me. I heard about the bomb. Please call when you get a chance so I know you’re okay.”
    I ended the call and took a few deep breaths, then hurried to the checkout and called Cathy back.
    * * *
    The rest of the day was its own version of hell. I tried to get downtown to the fire but all the streets had been closed off, so I drove to Cathy’s house to watch the footage on television. The explosion made national headlines and a reporter from CNN was on the scene.
    I searched for Alex among the chaos, but it was impossible to recognize any individual firefighter because they all wore bulky coats, helmets and face masks. A number of them were operating hoses from the parking lot, and it was reported that some had gone inside the burning building to look for survivors.
    Please, God, keep him safe . I quietly prayed while Wendy toddled around Cathy’s living room, oblivious to what was happening on television.
    I watched with bated breath as one of the reporters interviewed witnesses and spoke to a woman who worked in the building. She’d gone out for a brief walk in the fresh air during her break when the bomb went off.
    “You must be living under a shining star,” the reporter said.
    The woman burst into tears because there was still no word about her coworkers.
    I, too, wanted to burst into tears, but I kept it together. “I wish he’d call me,” I said to Cathy.
    “He will,” she replied. “I’m sure you’ll hear something soon.”
    * * *
    I was standing at Cathy’s kitchen island when my cell phone rang in the back pocket of my jeans.
    The vibration caused me to jump and I scrambled to reach my phone. Checking the call display, I was disappointed to see that it wasn’t Alex. It was a number I didn’t recognize.
    Just then the news correspondent on television appeared on screen to report that a floor had just collapsed in the building, and they weren’t sure yet if any firefighters had been in that location at the time.
    “Hello?” I said.
    “Audrey, is that you?”
    I didn’t recognize the man’s voice. There was a lot of noise in the background. “Yes, it’s me,” I replied. “Who’s this?”
    “It’s David,” he said. “Where are you?”
    “I’m at Cathy’s house. What’s going on?”
    “Oh, God. It’s bad. You better get down to the hospital right away. They just took Alex away in an ambulance.”
    My heart rate skyrocketed. “ What ? What happened? Is he all right?”
    “I don’t know,” David replied. “He was in the building when the floor collapsed but they pulled him out. He’s in bad shape, Audrey. He’s unconscious.”
    “Oh, no…” I cupped my forehead in a hand. My gaze shot to Cathy who was sitting on the sofa with Wendy on her lap.
    “What is it?” she asked.
    I shook my head at her and finished talking to David. “Thanks for calling me. I’m heading to the hospital now. Be safe, okay?”
    “I will,” he replied.
    We ended the call and I shoved the phone back into my pocket. “Can you watch Wendy? Alex was in the building when the floor collapsed. They just took him to the hospital.”
    “Of course,” she replied with concern, standing up with Wendy in her arms. “Do you need me to go with you?”
    “Not right now.” I crossed the room to grab my jacket and purse. “I’m