Burning Time

76

April went into the garage and climbed the stairs. Her ears were still red from Sanchez’s ordering her around. Hell, no, she wasn’t covering anybody. Not this time. It was dark in the back of the garage. At the top of the stairs, she saw a light switch, but didn’t want to try it in case it was wired for a light inside the apartment. She put her ear to the door.

Outside it was quiet again. Maybe backup had arrived and Sanchez was filling them in. But inside, April could hear some movements now. Someone was definitely in there. She could hear footsteps crossing the room away from her. Then there was silence, but only for a second. The crack of a gunshot electrified her.

Without thinking, April raised her gun, stood back, and shot the lock off the door. Oh, God, she was without backup. Couldn’t afford to wait. She kicked the door open. Crouched in the ready position with her arms forward and both hands steadying the gun, she moved in a semicircle, covering the room. Nobody there.

Then suddenly she gasped and lowered the gun.

Emma Chapman staggered through the bedroom door. She was naked and painted all over. A gun dangled in her hand.

Green-and-black patterned snakes with red eyes, and teeth instead of fangs, entwined with eagle’s wings, were wrapped around two doctor’s staffs that spiked the woman’s sides. Red and orange flames rose from her ankles and raced down her arms. On her right cheek, red clown tears ran down her chin to water a burning black rose growing up a vine on her neck. Her stomach was enflamed and swollen, her eyes were wide with terror.

April pushed her shock at the sight away.

“Police,” she said gently. “Give me the gun.”

The woman tottered across the room towards her, nearly falling over the couch. “I shot him,” she cried. The gun fell out of her hand.

“Watch out!” April screamed.

Grebs plunged through the door, the butane torch aimed at them, spitting fire. The blue torch flame roared casting a blinding light. It ignited the upholstered chair. Behind Grebs, the furniture in the bedroom was already ablaze.

April raised her gun but couldn’t shoot.

“Get out of the way!” she screamed at Emma. Emma had come to a halt three quarters of the way across the room, blocking her line of fire.

“Crazy bitch, crazy gook bitch. Burn in hell.”

Grebs lowered the torch to fire the chair by April’s side. A blue flash shot at the fabric.

Crazy bitch! April wasn’t taking that again. She reached out. “Emma, come on. Three steps and you’re out of here.”

Her face burned from the searing heat as Grebs torched the brown curtains at the window. Flames ate up the roller shade and licked at the ceiling. Grebs was at the window facing the garden.

A shot sounded from outside. The fire spread to the cheap rug on the floor.

“Emma, come on.” April had her covered. She reached out one hand. “Come on.”

Outside, April heard the shouts of Sanchez. “Get the hell out of there!”

“Come on, Emma,” April coaxed.

Emma couldn’t seem to move. Blinding light flashed at her five feet away, too far to burn her but close enough to smart.

“Hurry.”

Animal sounds joined the roar of the torch.

“Fucking witch shot me. Fucking bitch—”

Grebs screamed obscenities. For an instant, April had a clear sight of him through the thickening smoke. She could see that he was bleeding, looking for a way out. There was no way out. The flare died. He smashed the window with the heavy cylinder. Another shot came from outside. It hit the window frame with a little thuck.

“Fucking shit—”

He swung around and torched the sofa. Choking black smoke billowed up.

Emma screamed. The rug was burning near her bare feet. April stepped forward and grabbed her hand. It was slippery. She hung on.

“Move.” April pulled her toward the door. Her face burned, and now she was coughing, too. But April didn’t want to leave without nailing the bastard who killed Ellen Roane. The torch spat at her again, forcing her farther back as Grebs moved to the kitchen where the stove was.

“He’s going to blow up the house!” Emma cried.

“What?”

“He did something to the gas line. There’s a leak.”

April pushed Emma behind her as Sanchez charged into the room and grabbed her. April only had a second. The hot gray cloud surged around her, blowing out the broken window. She didn’t want him to blow up the place, and didn’t want him to get away. She held her breath against the suffocating fumes, raised her two hands together, and fired her gun in the line of duty for the second time ever. Grebs screamed. She saw him go down, his jeans and hair on fire. She raised her gun to fire a second time, but Sanchez had come back for her. He grabbed her and shoved her out the door, using himself as a shield as the fire inside roared and spread.

The last thing April saw was Grebs on fire, writhing on the floor when the explosion hit. The blast was enormous. It shook the earth and shattered windows all up and down the block. The roof collapsed above them, and the raging fire shot up into the sky.