First Class Rescue (First Class Novels) Read Online Free

to feel the walls behind him to
find the door of the adjacent apartment. He opened the door and went in,
closing it behind him, trying to keep out as much smoke as possible. Visibility
was better but not great.
    He pulled off his mask and yelled. “Cleo! Cleo! Here girl!”
There was no response and a dog didn’t appear. He kept walking through the
living room and down a short hallway. Opening a door, he called again. “Cleo!
Come on girl.” He whistled and heard a faint sound. He backtracked down the
hall to another closed door. Opening it slowly, he called again. “Cleo!”
    A bark! Relief flooded through Tim as the big German
Shepherd ran to him, panting wildly. “Hey girl,” he sighed, rubbing her head.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
    Tim had been trained to bring bodies down a ladder, but he’d
never brought a canine down before, and Cleo wasn’t a little dog, and she was
scared which made the exercise even more interesting. One step at a time, they
made their way back to the apartment next door and to the open window. Jeff was
halfway up the ladder waiting for him.
    Amazingly, Cleo let Tim hook her to him and then to the
ladder. Her big brown eyes looked up at him, somehow knowing he was saving her
and showing appreciation as she licked his face.
    “Come on girl,” he whispered as they slowly took one step
and then another down the ladder. By the time they reached Jeff, Tim was still
talking to her with each step, his voice calming her and encouraging her. And
as they stepped on to the truck, Cleo looked up at Tim and he could see the
gratitude there.
    “CLEO!” the young woman screamed as Tim guided the dog off
the truck. The dog ran to her mistress and the woman hugged her tightly. “Thank
you!” she cried. “Thank you so much!”
    “You’re welcome,” smiled Tim. All in a day’s work!  

2.
    Beth Collins checked into a hotel a couple of blocks from
her apartment. The landlord had been vague as to what was happening with the
building and when the tenants would be allowed back inside. The only thing
damaged by the fire on her floor had been in the stair well. Her apartment was
fine, other than being filled with black smoke and a small amount of water
damage. She’d contacted her insurance agent and hoped her displacement would be
very temporary.
    Once the fire had been extinguished, one of the firemen had
escorted her up to her apartment to get a few things. She’d packed a bag
quickly and grabbed Cleo’s leash and her favorite toy, a stuffed octopus that
had a squeaker in each one of its furry ‘legs’.  She sat on the hotel bed and
unpacked her suitcase. She’d grabbed toiletries, her hair straightener, her
grandmother’s diamond and ruby brooch and a pair of antique diamond earrings.
She also grabbed the stack of manuscripts from her desk, thanking God that
they’d been spared. At least she could still work. There was no point in
bringing clothes…they all reeked of smoke. Tomorrow she’d go shopping, but now,
all she wanted to do was snuggle with Cleo and thank her lucky stars that the
nice fireman had rescued her faithful companion. She couldn’t imagine life
without Cleo.
    *****
    Maureen clapped wildly as she watched the evening news.
“Peter!” she yelled to her husband. “Tim’s on the television!”
    A reporter told of the fireman’s rescue of a German Shepherd
and had footage of him climbing down the ladder, the dog being half carried.
“New York’s bravest,” the anchor had repeated with a smile as they went to a
commercial break.
    “Hope he doesn’t keep the mutt,” Peter muttered as he came
as sat next to his wife. “He’s got a soft heart when it comes to dogs.”
    “No,” Maureen shook her head. “They said the dog was
reunited with her owner.”
     “Good,” replied Peter. “Because you know we’d get stuck
with it while he was at work.”
    Maureen smiled and nodded. “That we would.”
    *****
    “Isn’t that just precious?” one of the