Family Secrets
Fire
Stephanie walked through the barns making sure all the horses we settled for the night since that was her new chore. She knew that Carter still had issues with her being there and it was worse now that Matt and the guys were there visiting as well. Once she was done she turned hearing one of the doors shut and frowned hoping one of the men hadn’t locked her inside since she left her phone in the house by accident and knew that this barn would be the last one checked since it was the empty one with the horses being moved to the other barns.
She felt uneasy and quickly made her way to the door and pushed it trying to open it. She frowned as she pushed harder and it wouldn’t budge at all. She looked around for another way out and realized that all the doors were closed tightly. Suddenly she started to smell smoke and noticed that one of the stalls was on fire. She pushed at the door frantically screaming for help unaware that the doors had been nailed shut.
Jamie laughed as he stood there. "This will teach them a lesson. And you." Jamie laughed harder.
Stephanie screamed and beat on the door as the smoke from the fire filled the barn and made it harder and harder to breath. The sight of the fire slowly creeping closer to her made the fear that she was going to die that much worse as she screamed and begged for her dad or anyone to save her. “Please someone let me out!” She screamed in tears as she slid down the door feeling light headed. “Someone please.” She choked out begging.
Rip took and saw smoke coming from the barns, as the fear hit him. Stephanie had went in there to check the horses. Rushing down to them, he saw a shadow running away and shouted out for Lloyd and the other men to help. Yanking on the door he saw the nails and narrowed his eyes. Seeing Ryan helping him he began getting them out and opened the door grabbing his daughter and rushing out, "Honey are you ok?" He asked.
Stephanie started to answer him but her entire body shook from coughing and she could only gasp from air before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell back into her dad’s arms struggling to get a deep breath.
"Lloyd call John tell him we need the chopper now!" Rip screamed out picking up his daughter running for the opening in the field knowing that's where they would land. "Come on baby girl hang on." Rip told her.
“Jamie…” She whispered before going limp in his arms.
Rip saw the chopper landing and Beth and John running. Watching them load his daughter, he looked at John. "Go with her. I need to deal with someone." Rip said his eyes going dark with rage.
Several hours later Stephanie woke up hearing the sounds of beeping around her and the oxygen cannula in her nose. She swiped at it with her hand before wincing at the pain in her throat and the fear coursing through her body as everything came rushing back to her.
"Hey, hey." John said holding her hand. "You're ok sweetheart. You're in the hospital. Take it easy." He whispered.
“My throat hurts grandpa.” She whispered. “I need water please.”
John got her some water and helped her to sip it. "There you go honey.”
“Is daddy here?” She whispered. “I heard Uncle Jamie’s voice outside the door. Are Matt and the guys okay?”
"Matt and your friends are fine. They’re in the waiting room with your mom." John told her. "Your dad took off, I have no idea where he went. He took your uncle's with him." John admitted.
“I was so scared. I was afraid I was going to die in there. Can Matt come in here? The other guys too.” She asked him hopefully. “Maybe mom too.”
"I'll go get them sweetie." John told her getting up and walking out to get them from the waiting area.
Matt walked in first and rushed over to Stephanie. "Babe, are you ok?" Matt asked terrified, thankful to see her ok.
“I will be soon.” She promised him holding his hand tightly. “Daddy is going after Uncle Jamie I bet. He locked me inside and nailed the doors shut knowing the fire was going to start. I was so scared.”
Matt frowned, "Babe I wish I had been down there with you. I am going to beat the shit out of Jamie if your dad leaves him to where I can." Matt told her.
“Daddy, won’t let him live if he catches him.” Stephanie admitted. “I’m glad you are here. I wish you didn’t have to leave in a few days. I feel safer with you here.”
Matt looked at her, "I'm not leaving." Matt admitted. "My parents agreed, and I am going to finish my school year here. Your grandpa and my parents are working on that." Matt told her
Stephanie smiled before wincing again and sipping some more water. She had experienced sore throats before but nothing like the pain she was feeling now. She managed to get a little more water down before she felt her breathing getting bad again. She leaned back in the bed as her monitors started going crazy and she struggled to catch her breath.
Matt took and freaked out, as he ran out shouting for a doctor or someone to help. Stephanie soon found herself surrounded by doctors and nurses as they worked to open her airway. She heard her mom yelling into the phone at her dad to get there before they administered a sedative so they could put her on a machine to help with her breathing while her throat healed and the swelling went down.
She felt uneasy and quickly made her way to the door and pushed it trying to open it. She frowned as she pushed harder and it wouldn’t budge at all. She looked around for another way out and realized that all the doors were closed tightly. Suddenly she started to smell smoke and noticed that one of the stalls was on fire. She pushed at the door frantically screaming for help unaware that the doors had been nailed shut.
Jamie laughed as he stood there. "This will teach them a lesson. And you." Jamie laughed harder.
Stephanie screamed and beat on the door as the smoke from the fire filled the barn and made it harder and harder to breath. The sight of the fire slowly creeping closer to her made the fear that she was going to die that much worse as she screamed and begged for her dad or anyone to save her. “Please someone let me out!” She screamed in tears as she slid down the door feeling light headed. “Someone please.” She choked out begging.
Rip took and saw smoke coming from the barns, as the fear hit him. Stephanie had went in there to check the horses. Rushing down to them, he saw a shadow running away and shouted out for Lloyd and the other men to help. Yanking on the door he saw the nails and narrowed his eyes. Seeing Ryan helping him he began getting them out and opened the door grabbing his daughter and rushing out, "Honey are you ok?" He asked.
Stephanie started to answer him but her entire body shook from coughing and she could only gasp from air before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell back into her dad’s arms struggling to get a deep breath.
"Lloyd call John tell him we need the chopper now!" Rip screamed out picking up his daughter running for the opening in the field knowing that's where they would land. "Come on baby girl hang on." Rip told her.
“Jamie…” She whispered before going limp in his arms.
Rip saw the chopper landing and Beth and John running. Watching them load his daughter, he looked at John. "Go with her. I need to deal with someone." Rip said his eyes going dark with rage.
Several hours later Stephanie woke up hearing the sounds of beeping around her and the oxygen cannula in her nose. She swiped at it with her hand before wincing at the pain in her throat and the fear coursing through her body as everything came rushing back to her.
"Hey, hey." John said holding her hand. "You're ok sweetheart. You're in the hospital. Take it easy." He whispered.
“My throat hurts grandpa.” She whispered. “I need water please.”
John got her some water and helped her to sip it. "There you go honey.”
“Is daddy here?” She whispered. “I heard Uncle Jamie’s voice outside the door. Are Matt and the guys okay?”
"Matt and your friends are fine. They’re in the waiting room with your mom." John told her. "Your dad took off, I have no idea where he went. He took your uncle's with him." John admitted.
“I was so scared. I was afraid I was going to die in there. Can Matt come in here? The other guys too.” She asked him hopefully. “Maybe mom too.”
"I'll go get them sweetie." John told her getting up and walking out to get them from the waiting area.
Matt walked in first and rushed over to Stephanie. "Babe, are you ok?" Matt asked terrified, thankful to see her ok.
“I will be soon.” She promised him holding his hand tightly. “Daddy is going after Uncle Jamie I bet. He locked me inside and nailed the doors shut knowing the fire was going to start. I was so scared.”
Matt frowned, "Babe I wish I had been down there with you. I am going to beat the shit out of Jamie if your dad leaves him to where I can." Matt told her.
“Daddy, won’t let him live if he catches him.” Stephanie admitted. “I’m glad you are here. I wish you didn’t have to leave in a few days. I feel safer with you here.”
Matt looked at her, "I'm not leaving." Matt admitted. "My parents agreed, and I am going to finish my school year here. Your grandpa and my parents are working on that." Matt told her
Stephanie smiled before wincing again and sipping some more water. She had experienced sore throats before but nothing like the pain she was feeling now. She managed to get a little more water down before she felt her breathing getting bad again. She leaned back in the bed as her monitors started going crazy and she struggled to catch her breath.
Matt took and freaked out, as he ran out shouting for a doctor or someone to help. Stephanie soon found herself surrounded by doctors and nurses as they worked to open her airway. She heard her mom yelling into the phone at her dad to get there before they administered a sedative so they could put her on a machine to help with her breathing while her throat healed and the swelling went down.