âItâs buried deep,â remarked a seasoned rescuer.
Leonel stood before the collapsed building, encircled by a crowd.
Alongside the search and rescue teams, bystanders from the neighborhood had gathered to observe the scene, their murmurs creating a backdrop of whispered conversations.
âI heard his wife had an accident and is trapped beneath the rubble,â one voice murmured.
âHe seems well-off,â another observed.
âThey must be deeply in love.
Sadly, sheâs likely too deep for survival.
Even the dogs canât pick up her scent,â someone speculated.
Leonel listened silently, his mind consumed by the single desire to locate Alexis.
At that moment, he neither refuted nor argued with anyone around him.
He continued to dial Alexisâ number.
Anxious for any sign of her, he dialed repeatedly until a voice cried out, âOver here! Thereâs Light.
Itâs a phone!â
Leonel rushed to the source.
A small, arched hollow on the buildingâs left side marked the site of the collapsed stairs.
A dim light emitted from six feet below-it was Alexisâ phone.
The rescue dogs had located Alexis.
The rescue team leaderâs voice rang out, grave.
âSheâs injured and bleeding.
â
He ordered the crane to be prepared for retrieval.
Leonel said softly, âI need to go in.
My wife has a blood clotting disorder.
Itâs been four hours.
I have to try.
â
As Leonel gazed back at Sampson Reed, the leader of the rescue team, he remained resolute.
âWhat if we drill in now and the top collapses again?â Sampson inquired, voicing a concern.
âThen Iâll go down with her.
â
âLetâs not stir up trouble.
Donât you wealthy people value your lives? This isnât a game.
â
Leonel shrugged off his coat before Sampson could finish.
Equipping himself with a flashlight and helmet borrowed from the others, Leonel dropped to the ground and began to crawl forward.
âPull him back,â Sampson ordered, pointing at Leonel.
No one moved.
Just as Sampson prepared to do something, Leonelâs voice rang out clearly.
âIâve already made myself clear.
Iâll go to her.
We have kids to raise, but our parents are still alive, and I also have siblings who can help if we die here.
But I have only one wife, and Iâm the only one who can go in and save her now.
â
With a gentle touch to the hemostatic in his trouser pocket, Leonel affirmed his resolve.
He persisted in crawling further inside.