Madison's eyes grew wide and the fear etched on her face only deepened. She shook her head.
“W— we can't,” she wailed.
“We have to,” I said. “We need to get to Jimmy. This whole place is about to come down and we need to get out of here.”
“I— I can't, Oliver.”
“Yes, you can,” I said. “We have to go. Now. Stand back, Madison.”
She moved behind me, holding her washcloth to her face, shaking her head and muttering to herself. Using the wet washcloth in my hand, I grasped the doorknob and yanked it open. A burst of flame shot in, and I had to duck to keep from being hit in the face with it. As it was, I smelled the odor of burning hair, so I hadn't gotten away from it scot-free.
The scene in the hallway looked like a scene straight out of hell. Flames engulfed the entire room beyond the door. Long fingers of flame crawled up the walls and the smoke was thick and dark, the clouds, reflecting the fire, glowing a malevolent shade of red and orange.
Madison shook her head again, her complexion blanching and her eyes growing impossibly wide. “I can’t walk through that.”
Turning to Madison, I reached and grabbed her. I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder.
“You don't have to,” I said. “Now, keep that rag over your mouth. Don't take it off for any reason.”
I put my rag over my own mouth and adjusted her on my shoulder. The heat from the fire, even though it hadn't reached the bedroom yet, was intense. It felt like my skin itself was on fire. Taking a breath through the rag, I walked out the bedroom door.
I made my way down the hallway, dodging the bursts of flame that erupted all around us. Madison screamed when one burst of fire got particularly close to us. It was like walking through hell. Sweat rolled down my face and my eyes stung like a son of a bitch. The smoke was blinding me, so all I could do was walk in the direction I thought the front door was in and pray that I was going the right way.
The smoke was growing ever thicker and my eyes burned like they were on fire. Tears welled in my eyes from the sting but I kept moving forward. I carried Madison through a living room that was completely engulfed in flame – there was nothing that wasn't on fire. As I moved through the wreckage of the room, my own breathing was becoming more and more difficult. This time, I didn't even have a mask to share with her. I had to keep moving.
I heard a loud crashing against a wall. It wasn't the sound of the fire splitting the wood. It was the sound of somebody outside trying to knock the door in. Jimmy. The first thump was followed by another. And then another. On the fourth go, the front door cracked and blew off the hinges, splintering inward in a shower of wood shards.
Jimmy and my guys pushed their way inside, allowing a stream of fresh air to come pouring in. I heard hoses being dragged on the floor, the sound of boots thundering into the house, and the magical, musical sound, of flames sizzling and being extinguished as the water and fire retardant were sprayed on them.
The smoke got worse, and outside air wasn't coming in fast enough though. We were not out of the woods just yet. Following the open doorway like a moth to an open flame, I walked toward the door, moving quickly, desperate to get to the fresh air.
The next thing I knew Jimmy was beside me. He was forcing a mask over my face and took Madison out of my arms. He cradled her in his, sharing his own mask with her. She looked up at me, her soot-covered, tear-streaked face a frightening sight. But, at least she was alive. At least she was breathing. The air outside was filled with smoke too, and we needed to get out of here. Fast.
Giving it one, final push, I sprinted for the open doorway, Jimmy right behind. The house shuddered and groaned as the fire consumed it, but I burst through the open doorway and into the bright light and fresh air of the day. As soon as my feet hit grass, I fell to my hands and knees. I coughed and retched, but at least I could breathe. Jimmy put Madison on the ground beside me and she sucked in lungful after lungful of that fresh, sweet air.
She stared over at me and in a voice that was hoarse all over again, she whispered, “Thank you,” she said. “You never gave up. You saved me. Again.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure. I turned and caught him walking away from the burning house. He glanced back over his shoulder and, when he saw me staring at him, he started to run.
I had to do something. I couldn't just let that asshole walk away. If he got away, he'd try again. No, this shit needed to end and it needed to end now.
Summoning the energy I had left in my body, I pulled myself to my feet. An EMT was nearby, a guy named Caleb I knew well enough.
I called him over said, “Get her out of here. Now.”
Caleb did as I commanded, though, I didn't wait for him to do it. I knew the process well enough though, to know that he was loading Madison into the ambulance as quickly as he could. I heard the slamming of the rear doors and, a moment later, I heard the sound of tires peeling and siren wailing.
The ambulance took off down the street, ferrying Madison to the hospital. Again. I still couldn't breathe that well, but it would have to do. I wasn't going to let that prick get away from me again. He was halfway down the block and seeing him sent a burst of anger surging through me. It energized me and I took off behind the guy.
He thankfully wasn't a very fast runner. From where I was, he seemed to be a little on the portly side and was definitely not an athlete. I was gaining ground on him and would be on top of him in a matter of moments.
The man ducked his head and ran for all he was worth, turned the corner and promptly tripped over his own feet. The stumble allowed me to close the gap between us and I was on him in a heartbeat. I landed on top of him, drawing a pained yelp from him. In one fast motion, I yanked the hood off his head and stared into the same brown eyes from the hotel.
Stared into the eyes of a man I didn't know. A man I'd never met before. A man who looked like a regular guy – nothing remarkable about him. But a guy who'd very nearly killed me an
d had very nearly killed Madison – twice. He looked at me with fear in his eyes.
This was the man who'd killed Lauren.