Inferno
Brie headed down the stairwell with the keys jingling in her hand. She shivered in fear when she reached the bottom stair. This place held so much horror and pain that she was desperate to find someone to hand the keys to so she could leave.
She was disheartened to see the light haze of smoke in the basement because it meant there was very little time left…
Hearing voices to her right, Brie headed in that direction but took a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end. She retraced her steps but soon found herself at another dead end.
“Where are you?” she yelled, heading down another hallway.
Brie stopped in her tracks when she heard muffled cries coming from the row of doors ahead. When she tried to open the nearest door, she found it locked. Fumbling through the different keys, she eventually found the correct one but was frustrated when she found the room empty.
“Hello! Can you hear me?” she called out. Unable to pinpoint which door led to the room where the voices were coming from, Brie started frantically unlocking every single door while the hallway began to fill up with smoke.
Panic set in when she dropped the keys. Not willing to run, Brie cried, “Shout as loud as you can until I find you.”
She closed her eyes and remained still, straining to hear their voices. Certain the muffled cries were coming from the right side, Brie began unlocking that row of doors. She had to blink away the tears from the stinging smoke, concentrating hard to slide the key into the lock.
Opening another door, Brie saw the twins frantically straining against their chains. They’d been gagged and bound on opposite walls. Closing the door behind her to keep the smoke out, Brie raced to the nearest one and tried every key until she managed to unlock the metal cuffs.
Brie hurried to the other twin once the girl was free. After removing their gags, Brie explained, “The building is on fire, but I have no idea how to get out of here.”
“We do,” they both answered.
The nearest twin grabbed Brie’s hand while the other opened the door. As they started down the smoke-filled hallway, Brie noticed fresh wounds on the girls’ naked bodies.
“Are there any others in this hallway?” she cried.
“No, our Lord keeps us separate from the others.”
Turning a corner, they ran into a group of rescuers. Brie heard Sir’s stern voice. “What the hell are you doing. Brie? You’re not supposed to be here!”
Brie held out the keys to him with a shaking hand. “I brought more keys so you could rescue them faster.”
Sir snatched the keys from her and barked to the twins, “Get her out of here. Now!”
The twins each took a hand and raced Brie down the hallway toward safety. Glancing back, Brie was frightened to see Sir heading in the opposite direction.
“Come with me!” she begged.
He turned and commanded, “Wait for me outside.”
Brie whimpered, terrified she might never see him again as the twins continued to propel her forward.
“I love you, Brianna,” he called out.
Everything in her wanted to break away and turn back, but she’d made Sir a promise she could not break. “Come back to me!” she cried as she lost sight of him in the haze.
By the time they made it outside, all three of them were choking on the smoke. Titov quickly guided the three to a triage area where the team of medics was waiting for them.
While the medical staff administered her oxygen and gave her more blankets, Brie stared in horror watching the entire back of the building engulfed in flames. Her gaze was drawn to the entrance of the building as she desperately waited for Sir to appear.
Wrapped in warm blankets, she watched as group after group of Captain’s men emerged from the billowing smoke, leading survivors to safety.
Brie closed her eyes, silently praying that Sir would be the next person to walk out.
When she opened them again, she screamed in sheer terror as a portion of the roof collapsed. Bolting to her feet, she attempted to run back inside, but Titov grabbed her and forced her to sit back down.
“You’re not going anywhere. Rytsar’s orders.”