With them out of sight, I fell to my knees cradling my throbbing hands. The vibration from metal hitting metal had rattled them useless, and the pain pulsed through my body mercilessly. I had to get up, though. I had to climb down.
Focusing as I gripped the railing, I spun my body around. This time, the metal ladder wasn’t as hot, or maybe I just couldn’t feel it. Either way, I worked my way down, relying as little on my hands as possible.
Again on the ground, I knew what I had to do next. Running past the still burning building, I approached the guys who were hard at work.
“The trench has to be at least a foot deep and three feet wide,” I ordered.
They heard me, but I didn’t know if it was possible. The water was pouring down too quickly. As soon as someone shoveled a hole, it was fil
