Acta Non Verba

Acta Non Verba

Glancing to his right Jim could see the unmistakable flicker of a fire behind several buildings in the distance. It was two thirty in the morning and not much was moving around the area. He made a quick turn at the first opening and hit the squad cars lights. Dodging trashcans and debris strewn through the back alley, he sped to the source of the light. Tapping his shoulder microphone, he called dispatch. “This is car sixty south. I have a potential fire behind the WAL-MART building. Send fire crews and back up to that destination. Over.”

A loud and distorted female voice replied back to the officer from the dash radio, “Copy that sixty south, will contact fire authorities and send back up! Send further information as it becomes available to you!”

The cruiser sped through the last two buildings and turned into an open field with what looked like several apartment buildings still in the process of being built. Most of the complex was on fire or in jeopardy of catching fire. Jim raced his car around the corner of the first couple of buildings looking for any further potential problems. Around the last corner he found a building which looked as if it was finished. Slamming on the brakes the car shuddered to a stop slightly skidding in the damp dew covered grass. He chopped open his door with his beefy forearm and jumped out to look for any people. His muscular frame seemed to glide from side to side and his dark short hair glimmered in the light of the fire as he searched the area for anyone who needed help. He called back to dispatch with more details. “This is sixty south.” As he scanned for street signs he stated’ “The fire is at the new apartment complex near State Road 52 and James Island road. It is near fully engulfed and judging by the size of it more than one fire station is going to be needed. Over.”

Dispatch fired back, “Copy that we copy your last sixty south. ”At that moment another squad car screamed in to the open field and came to a skidding stop next to Jim’s car. Jim continued to scan the area, as he heard the door slam of the other cruiser behind him.

The other officer yelled, “We got any body in there Jimbo?” “Doesn’t look like it, but we better check to make sure. You head that way, I will go this way!” Still scanning the fire Jim pointed first to his right then to his left. Running off to the later direction he said, “We will meet up on the other side.”

The sounds of both officers, first one then the other yelling could be heard for the next few minutes, “Is any one in there? Does anyone need help.” This continued on as both men made their way around the burning structure. Jim kept thinking to himself. No way any one gets through this. No way any one is in there.

It took several minutes for the two officers to scour the outside of the buildings and meet up on the opposite side. The heat was growing more intense every minute and as the men came together Jim said and gestured with his hands that, “He had not seen anything.”

“Me either.” said the second officer.

Jim got his first look at the other officer and realized it was his buddy B. J.. In all the happenings he had not registered who he had been ordering to the other side of the building. B.J.s name was Bill Joseph and the two of them had played football together in High school and had been friends ever since. To Jim, Bill was the kind of guy you could count on. The kind of guy you would want next to you in a foxhole during a war. People like that were hard to come by as far as Jim was concerned. He also was positive that Bill felt the same way about him.

The sounds of sirens off in the distance could be heard coming steadily closer. Both men thought that no one was in the building and now turned and slowly began to circle back around to their vehicles. Suddenly Bill said, “Hold on, listen up.” They both stopped moving and strained to listen over the roar of the fire. It seemed like minutes but both of them heard it simultaneously. Just around the corner they heard a faint cry. Both looked at each other and still straining to hear Jim motioned to go around the building. Both took off in a flash and raced around the closest corner of the building coming to an area that was a bit darker because fire had not covered it yet. Looking to an open window on the third floor the shadow of a small figure was seen waving frantically.

As the men ran to the base of the building the figure screamed, “Help me, please help me. I am burning up.” Hearing the voice yelling at them Jim realized that the tiny figure was a young girl maybe eight to ten years old.

Jim tried to calm her down saying, “Don’t worry darling, were her, we will help you.”

Bill flanked Jim and ran to a door that was just to the right and below the small girl. He violently kicked the door, once with no success then twice to no avail as it didn’t open. On the third try he mustered enough force to break the door from its jams. Immediately flames thrust into the opening and Bill fell backwards and dove away from the intense fury of the flames shooting through the opening. It was obvious looking through the door that no one was going through there to help anyone.

Climbing to his feet Bill yelled at Jim, “No way, we can’t get through there.” He quickly looked to his right and back to the left then said, “What now, the fire trucks are still a few minutes away? I don’t think she will last that long!”

Jim reassured the little girl, “Don’t worry we won't leave you.” then he paused and searched the area. “Bill get over here, she can jump. You and I can catch her.” Jim insisted. He then looked up to the window and as calm as he could he asked her, “Are you ready to give it a try sweetie? We won’t drop you we promise.”

Bill chimed in, “Sure little one we have you, we can’t let anything happen to you!” Then he added, “Darling, god is by your side and he loves you.”

At that moment you could see it in her eyes a calmness came over her and her fears seemed to go away.

Jim motioned to her and said, “Climb to the edge and jump to our arms little one. You can do it.”

She smiled at the two of them and climbed up to the opening of the window. Grabbing the edge of the window she pulled herself up to a standing position and swayed slightly as she tried to steady herself. Jim and Bill moved close to each other and grabbed each other's hands in preparation for the fall that she would make. Jim said to Bill quietly, “Can you remember how the cheerleaders did it at our football games?”

“Yah.” Bill said and continued, “Cradle and soften the blow. She is small we can handle it. No fears. No doubts.”

Jim said, “I am with you we got it covered.” then he looked to his target as she stood in the window. “All right darling, we are ready you can do this. Just slowly step forward and jump with your feet out in front of you.”

Flames began to envelop the entire room behind her and the heat from the surroundings became more intense the longer they stood there. The girl gazed upward into the night sky, and Jim could see her say a little prayer as she used her tiny hand to make the sign of the cross. She then looked down and with no apprehension at all she moved forward jumping with her feet out in front of her and falling to the waiting arms of the officers below. Both men braced for the weight of the girl as she fell and both adjusted slightly forward to catch her before she struck the ground.

Even though she had fallen some twenty-five feet Jim did not feel her body strike his arms and did not hear the sound of breaking bones as he had anticipated. Instead, she seemed to land as if on a cloud of air softening the blow of her fall. The men rushed her far to the side of the building and to an open area where she could get fresh air.

Bill ran to his cruiser to grab a blanket from the trunk while Jim comforted her from any fears that he thought she might have. To his amazement she just smiled and looked into his eyes. Nothing scared her, nothing fazed her. She was as calm as if she had just awoken from a pleasant dream. Jim softly said, “You are ok, little one. Safe and sound.”

“I knew it would be all ok, because god is my guardian and he will protect me because I believe in him.” she said slowly. “He told me that you would keep me safe. He said you were my angel.”

Jim softly stroked her hair and cradled her as if she was his own. He was flushed, but a feeling of being at ease came over him. He had been moved by the entire ordeal and felt lucky that he had been there to save this little girl.

Returning from his car Bill covered the girl with the blanket as the fire trucks pulled in to the lot and expertly began to douse the fire with plenty of water. Jim and Bill carried the little girl to an awaiting ambulance and the paramedic asked if she had a name. Jim turned to her and asked her, “Our little darling what is your name?”

Smiling intently, she said, “Maggie.”

“Well, there you have it, Maggie is her name and take real good care of her if you please.” Bill said to the paramedic emphatically. “She is our special little Maggie.”

It had been a stressful couple of hours. The firemen had found the body of Maggie’s mother in the ashes of the building. The chief had thought she had been overcome by smoke and never made it to her daughter to save her. Yet this little girl knowing she had no help from her mother trusted two men to save her. Jim sat in his car thinking more and more about the entire scenario. How did she do it? So small, yet so, brave. How did she show no fear? After Bill had told her God was with her, she calmed down. Is that a coincidence or was it just her faith that got her through? As thoughts raced through his head Jim thought to himself was it truly an act of God? I know I believe in God but it has not been a focus in my life as it seemed to be with little Maggie. Jim truly believed something had happened not only to her but to him. He didn’t know what it was but he did know something had changed.

More to come.............