“You know this place better than I do. Which way?”
“There should be a fire exit to the left,” I manage, but the smoke is disorientating. What the hell happened here? How did the place fill with smoke so quickly? And where is everyone? Did they all get out?
My legs are still a little shaky from my exploits with the forklift, but Deacon drags me along and refuses to let me stop or fall behind.
“It should be just along here…”
“Get back!”
“Ahh!”
An involuntary scream erupts from my lungs as a giant ball of fire roars towards us. I scream and scream, and just can’t seem to stop. Flames gallop across the paper thin walls, before leaping up to the ceiling and spreading out in an angry sea of orange, right above our heads.
“Quick, where to?”
“This way!”
Neither of us glance back at the fire, but I feel its prickly heat on my back as we race to get out of its deadly path.
Can’t. Breathe.
We half-run, half-fall onto the automatic doors at the front of the store.
“It’s locked!” Deacon gasps. “Why is it locked? Where is everyone?”
We pound and kick at the glass, but the doors don’t show any signs of breaking.
“Let us out!” I scream. “For god’s sake, let us out!”
But I can’t see a soul. Nobody’s out there. Nobody’s going to help us.
“There’s another way out,” I pant. “Up on the roof. Come on, quickly!”
We charge up the static escalators. The smoke seems thicker here, but there’s an exit just by the stairs.
“Yes, here! Here it is!”
I push at the door. I’m almost surprised when it gives way at my touch.
“It’s opening!”
Deep down, I didn’t really think it would. I didn’t think there was any way we were getting out. I thought Alicia had seen to that. Pushing all our weight against it, we fall out onto the roof and take greedy great gulps of the night air. The door slams behind us.
We’re out!
“I didn’t think we were going to make it!” I gasp.
“Me neither!”
“How are we going to get down from here?”
I hadn’t realised how high up we are. Everything looks tiny down below. There is a crowd of people milling around, down in the car park, but where’s the help? Where’s the fire brigade?
“Help!” I yell at the top of my lungs. “Up here! We’re trapped.”
“They can’t hear you.”
“Up here!” I yell even louder. “Help!”
Deacon shouts too. We both yell and wave our arms, like we’re trying to land a helicopter. But nobody seems to hear us. Nobody looks up. Instead, the crowd starts to move away. Someone is shepherding them down to the evacuation point at the lower end of the car park. They don’t even know we’re here.
Deacon’s face has lost the deathly white look, and he seems to be back to his usual self; strong, reliable Deacon.
“Don’t worry,” he says. “It’s just a matter of time till the emergency services come and get us. Hey, you’re shivering!”
“I can’t help it.”
I feel his arms fold around me and I don’t resist. My legs are like jelly, and I sink down into a sitting position. He sits down with me and keeps his arms wrapped around me, like he’s afraid I’ll blow away.
“We nearly died in there!”
“I know.”
He doesn’t ask for explanations, not yet at least, just holds me tight. And despite the fire, despite everything, I feel strangely safe, wrapped in his arms. My eyelids start to flutter, but I don’t fight it, just let the sleepy haze wash over me.
“Isabel? Isabel! Wake up!”
I feel myself being shaken, but for a moment, I can’t remember where I am.
“Isabel, you have to wake up! The roof’s filling with smoke!”
My eyes snap open. Suddenly, I’m alert.
“Fire!”
Toxic fumes stink up the air, billowing out across the night sky. I try to take a breath, but instead my lungs fill with smoke. We are swaddled in a big, grey cloud. And it’s hot, unbelievably hot. I don’t think I can bear it much longer. I shuffle further forwards, towards the edge of the roof.
“Be careful! You’ll fall!”
“I don’t think we’ve got much choice,” I say, looking down at all the little ant people below.
“We have to jump!”
Chapter Twenty
I hold onto the edge and let my legs dangle precariously over the car park below.
“Don’t jump! It’s too high.”
“But what choice do we have? It’s getting so hot.”
The panic is returning. The same terrible panic I felt when we were trapped inside. I can’t just sit here. I have to do something. Anything.
“Please – the fire brigade will be here any moment. There’s no way they could miss all this smoke.”
But what if they don’t get to us in time?
I feel the bile rise in my throat as I edge closer to the brink. I’m not going to die up here. I have to be prepared to do this.
And that’s when the bright whirling lights flash through the night, accompanied by the very best sound I’ve ever heard:
Nee-Naw, Nee-Naw, Nee-Naw.
“Oh god, oh god! They’re here!”
We wave our arms in the air, shout with renewed vigour.
“Up here! We’re up here!”
“They can’t see us!”
Tears steam down my face, not just from the smoke, but also from sheer frustration.
“Why can’t they see us?”
Deacon cups his hands over his mouth and shouts for all he’s worth:
“Help! We’re up on the roof! Heeeeeelp!”
There is a loud cracking sound and Deacon grabs my hand again, as the whole roof shakes.
“What’s that? What’s happening?”
Then, completely without warning, a ladder reels into sight, and a big brawny fireman reaches out his hand to me.
“It’s OK, love. You’re going to be fine. You’re both going to be fine.”
“Oh thank god!”
I cling to him for dear life as he plucks me from the rooftop and helps me onto the ladder. But as I start to make my descent, there is another loud crack from above.
“Deacon?”
“You just get yourself down,” the fireman says. “I’ll help your friend.”
I do as I’m told and climb safely down to the bottom, but all the time, I’m very aware that there are no footsteps above me. I don’t look up until I reach the bottom rung. I can’t see anything but a cloud of billowing smoke. No Deacon, no fireman.
I barely notice as someone comes up to me and slips a foil blanket around my shoulders.
“Can you move? Good. Please come this way. This area is unsafe.”
I step back as loose tiles and other building materials rain down from the roof.
What’s happening? Where’s Deacon?
“Quick! The roof is collapsing!” One of the firemen shouts. “They’ll never get out alive!”
“No!”
I have to do something!
I spring to my feet, hauling myself back up onto the first rung of the ladder, but strong arms pull me back.
“No, it’s too dangerous!”
I turn to find myself looking into the disapproving eyes of a fireman.
“Come on, out of the way. We need to make the area safe.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just stay out of the way. We’re doing everything we can.”
Instead of helping Deacon, I’m just getting in the way.
I hunch over, seized by another coughing fit. But I am conscious of every second that ticks by.