Page 87 of Ryder’s Storm

“Promise. How are you gonna get out?”

“Go, now.” He lifted her up and sat her on the window sill, with her legs dangling. The long end of the sheet-chain was already draped around his back, and he was holding on to it with both hands. Scarlet felt dizzy when she looked down, and leaned back.

“I’ve got you, baby, trust me.”

“I love you, Ryder.”

Slowly, he started dropping her. With every foot that she got closer to the ground, she felt more confident that they would get out of this alive. When her feet finally hit the ground, she sighed with relief and turned around to look up at the window.

“I made it!” she cried out to Ryder, but she wasn’t sure he could hear her. The fire in the house now sounded like a freight train. “Ryder!”

“Run!”

40

Ryder watched as Scarlet climbed over the neighbor’s fence.

“Ryder?”

He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. “Thomas?”

“Are you injured?” Thomas asked through the open emergency line.

“No. I’m fine. I lowered Scarlet down into the garden, she’s getting out via the neighbor’s yard,” he replied.

“The fire brigade is thirty seconds away,” the emergency operator cut in. “I’ll have them check on her.”

“Thanks,” Ryder replied.

“Ryder,” Thomas continued now, “We found stuff on Derek Helmsley. It’s not good.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“He’s definitely not Claudia’s nephew. He and Claudia are a con couple. They run long cons, and are wanted in Canada and in Texas. They’re after rich men and women, and fleece them for all they’ve got.”

“And apparently they don’t shy away from using violence,” Ryder guessed. “This fire is arson. It was a trap to kill Scarlet.” What Scarlet had said about her trust fund suddenly came to mind. Something else became clear at the same moment. “You have to warn Brandon King.”

“Eddie’s already on that.”

Ryder saw the first flames shoot underneath the bedroom door. “I’ve gotta get out of here. The fire is getting too close.”

“Brandon King isn’t answering his cell phone,” Eddie said through the line.

“Fuck!” Ryder cursed. He feared the worst—that Claudia and Derek had already killed him. “Triangulate his cell phone!”

“On it!” Eddie confirmed.

Ryder slipped his cell phone back into his jacket pocket. He hopped onto the windowsill and swung his legs through the opening, ready to jump.

“Fuck!” Eddie cursed. “King is in the 2400-block on Pacific Avenue!”

“Shit!”

“He must be in the house, Ryder!” Thomas added.

“Those fucking bastards!” Ryder cursed and got off the windowsill, hopping back into the room. “I’ve gotta find him.”

“The fire truck is there now,” the emergency operator reported.