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CHAPTER34
Flammable liquid in the bottle spread across the cheap carpeting in the apartment when the Molotov cocktail shattered. The fabric ignited with a whoosh. Danni was at the door. She turned the knob, which gave, and pulled, but the door wouldn’t open. Someone had replaced the padlock on the outside.
Matt was at her side. “What the...?” He set the evidence bags down.
Danni looked for something, anything, to smother the fire. But it was moving too fast. The liquid in the cocktail spread from the fully engulfed carpet to the cheap, thin curtains at the window. They had no time to do anything but get out.
Danni pulled out her phone and called 911 to report the fire and explain how it started as quickly and clearly as she could. It was getting difficult to breathe and to speak. She moved aside as Matt rammed the door with his shoulder. The frame gave somewhat.
They both coughed as dark smoke rapidly filled the small space. Heat rose and sweat broke out on Danni’s forehead.
What were their options? There were bars on the window in the bedroom, which faced the alley. There was no safe way through the fire and smoke.
Matt flung himself into the door again. Now he was coughing harder.
Her nose and throat burned. She knew they’d have to get out fast.
Matt slammed into the door, and the latch almost appeared to give. But he was hurt. He stepped aside, coughing and holding his shoulder.
Danni moved toward the door and put her foot into it the way she was trained. She couldn’t apply as much force as Matt, but the door still seemed to give a little.
Breathing became an ordeal as the air in the small apartment grew acrid and hot. She kicked the door again.
Then a voice sounded from outside.
+++
As soon as Curtis stood and picked up his phone, Gabe turned toward the smoking apartment. No one should be in Thomas’s apartment, but he had to be certain. Everyone upstairs and next door was in immediate danger.
Gabe sprinted across the courtyard to the door and saw the padlock still firmly engaged. He headed to the next-door neighbor’s but stopped short when he clearly heard someone pound on the door.
“Someone in there?” He walked back, avoiding the black smoke pouring from the window.
“Yes!” He heard two voices shout out.
“Give me a minute.” Gabe looked at the padlock and saw the latch was beginning to give from the pounding the people on the inside were doing. But he had a city key. Quickly he inserted it into the lock. No luck. Someone must have replaced the city lock.
Now he could feel the heat, and the smoke was making his eyes water. He just needed something to pry the lock off.
“Here, let me get it.”
Gabe turned to find Chief Estes standing there with a crowbar. Gabe wanted to ask why the chief was there but now was not the time.
Estes jammed the crowbar under the latch and jerked.
+++
Danni kicked again, then heard the creak and groan of something being forced in between the lock and the doorframe. The frame cracked and splintered, and the door swung open.
Coughing and gasping for breath, she and Matt stumbled out of the noxious apartment.
There, to her surprise, was their savior. Throat burning, Danni collapsed into the arms of Gabe Fox.
Hanging on to Gabe for dear life, Danni gulped fresh air. When she got her breath and looked up into his eyes, she realized what this looked like, what it might mean, and stepped back to stand on her own two feet.
“Gabe.”
“You okay?”
