In the Shadows (The Club)

She unlocked the back door and pushed it open. Heavy smoke drifted out, setting Vivian to coughing. “Yvette?”

Behind her, a car door opened and slammed shut. Zeke was next to her in a heartbeat. “What the hell’s going on?”

“Yvette?” Vivian called again, fear starting to creep in.

“Viv, we need to call the fire department.”

She ignored him and covered her mouth and nose with a sleeve, pushing her way inside. Zeke swore and followed her in. He talked into his phone as they hurried inside, the smoke growing thicker as they neared the kitchen.

Vivian’s heart stopped when they reached the baking area. Fire engulfed one of the ovens. Scraps of aprons and dishtowels spewed from the oven’s open door, dropping clumps of burning fabric to the floors. Some had clearly drifted toward the wooden worktables, which were starting to catch. Worse, bags of flour were scattered around the room, ripped open so everything was coated in a fine white powder.

Yvette was slumped in a corner near the sink.

“Zeke!” Vivian called over the sound of the flames. She pointed at Yvette. “Help me!”

Together, they made their way to Yvette. Vivian tried to get under one of her arms, but Zeke easily lifted the unconscious woman and carried her toward the doorway. Vivian followed behind him, lungs burning from the acrid smoke. They had to get out before the flour caught—

She watched Zeke’s broad shoulders as he moved out of the kitchen and toward the back door. They passed the hallway to the offices and dining area when Vivian turned back, catching one last glimpse of her kitchen going up in flames. Swallowing down her tears, she turned to continue following Zeke when she caught a flash of movement from the corner of her eye.

Blinding pain exploded above her right temple and the world went black.

***

The fire crews were pulling in when Zeke emerged from Divine Twins, Yvette still cradled in his arms. A pair of paramedics were on him in seconds, barraging him with questions as they took her from his arms.

“I don’t know,” he kept repeating. “Viv’s the owner of this place–”

Silence.

Zeke spun. No one behind him but firefighters staging around the burning building. That strange heaviness had returned to his chest, pushing on his lungs until he had to fight for every breath. Now he knew what it was.

Fear.

“Vivian?” he bellowed. No answer.

Ignoring the orders of the paramedics and nearby firefighters, he rushed toward the back door of Divine Twins. Several firefighters got in his way, blocking him from entering the building. He grappled with them, pointing toward the doorway. “She’s still in there, you bastards!” He pushed against them, screaming her name.

Three firefighters, directed by someone, cautiously entered the building. He answered the fire chief’s questions in a daze. Where it had started. What was burning. Why they’d arrived there just as it had begun. And the entire time he answered those questions, he prayed that Vivian would walk out that door with one of the men who had gone in after her.

Instead, they emerged one by one, empty-handed. The fire chief moved off and Zeke sank to the ground. The pavement’s chill couldn’t rival the ice claiming him. He was dying from it—

“Mr. Harding?” Detective Mancini hurried toward him through the fire crews. “I just heard about the fire from dispatch. They said Ms. Bennet was missing.”

“She was right behind me,” he whispered.

“Mr. Harding, a witness said they saw a dark sedan leaving the building from the front entrance. The driver had put someone in the passenger seat before driving off.”

At least that broke through the haze. “What?”

“Do you know anyone who has a dark sedan, Mr. Harding?”

His mind scrambled, pieces falling into place. Glacial clarity dawned. “No.”

Detective Mancini glared at him, clearly mistrustful.

“I’m sorry, detective,” Zeke said, forcing himself to sound shocked. “I don’t know who it could be.”

“Stay here, Mr. Harding,” the woman ordered. She left him there, working her way back through the crowd toward the front of the building where another cop car waited, lights flashing. She yelled at him as he sprinted from the parking lot, rushing toward the only place he could think of where he could get help.