Chapter 76
In a total panic Olivia hurls herself out of bed and runs to Emil. He is fast asleep, in spite of the fire alarm. She shakes him as hard as she can.
Her eyes are stinging with the smoke.
“Wake up!” she yells. “Fire!”
Emil stares at her in confusion. Then he coughs and realizes the gravity of the situation. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, but we have to get out of here. Now!”
Through the wide window onto the outside seating area, she sees the flames licking at one corner. And at the same moment she realizes they are in a wooden house.
The fire could take off at any second.
And then they are done for.
Out, out, out, screams the voice inside her head.
“Is there a fire extinguisher?” Emil shouts.
Olivia has no idea. That was the last thing on her mind. Where would it be kept, if there is one?
Desperately she flings open the door of the closet in the hallway, searching for something, anything to put out the fire.
There!
Right at the back she sees a red fire extinguisher.
“I’ve got it, Emil!” She heaves out the heavy cylinder, pushes her feet into her moon boots, and dashes outside with the extinguisher in her arms.
In the distance she can hear the sound of approaching sirens—a neighbor must have called the fire service.
Help is on the way.
Will they get here in time?
The flames are unbelievably large and terrifying. The world is colored in shades of orange and lilac. Everything is burning.
A cloud of powder fills the air as Olivia turns the hose toward the greedy fire and squeezes as hard as she can.
Then she wobbles and almost drops the extinguisher as a thought strikes her. This fire cannot possibly have started by itself.
Someone must have done it deliberately.
Someone wanted her and Emil dead.