“Not in the slightest,” I reply. Just because I’m all for this doesn’t mean I’m ready for the fight.

“I’ve got you,” he whispers.

I cough as smoke begins to fill the room, rising to the ceiling.

Oh God, why aren’t they here yet?

Lucie takes a ragged breath. “What if they don’t open the doors? What if they decide to leave us to die?” Her eyes widen at the sight of the fire raging, obliterating the chair next to the sofa and the bookcase filled with DVDs behind it.

“They’ll come,” Evan tells her.

He sounds sure. I am, too. They’ll come. We just don’t know what will happen from there.

This is only the first part of the plan. We still have to get past them and then get back to town.

One step at a time or my head is going to explode.

I grip my plastic knife in my fist and reach for Evan with the other hand.

He rubs his thumb over my knuckles, and my lungs open, breathing easier.

“Haze, you okay?” I ask my best friend.

“Nope. I love you, Pipes.”

“Back atcha. But no goodbyes. We’re getting out.”

Behind us the fire rages, and smoke begins to fill the room.

Come on. Where are you guys?

Evan squeezes my hand, the solid muscle on his forearm tensing.

Oh God, they’re not coming…but the fire is.

37

There is nothing to do but wait and hope. It’s a different kind of feeling than what I’ve grown used to in here. There is an urgency to this hope. If they don’t come, we burn to death.

Flames grow higher, and the room clogs with smoke.

“Piper!” Priya screams.

Coughing as my lungs fill with smoke, I drop to my knees. “Get on the floor!” I shout, and we drop to the ground, covering our mouths and noses with our sleeves and collars.

The door clicks. Oh my God, it’s worked!

Evan’s eyes find mine. He can’t quite believe it, either. I mean, we knew they would have to, but they’re so sick and it wasn’t an impossibility that they would leave us to burn.

I turn around as Theo shoves the door. “Let’s go!” he shouts.

I watch the black smoke at the top of the room pour out the door as the fire roars. It’s only been one minute, but it feels like an eternity.

“Go now!” Evan orders.

Pushing myself to my feet, I grab Hazel and tug her along with me. Theo and Lucie are ahead with Priya behind him. Evan is last, his hand on my back, pushing me forward. We hit the door at the end of the waiting room and it opens.

We run through the clothes room as the fire rages behind us, creeping up like it’s personally trying to get us.

“Hurry,” Evan shouts.