Pyro

Chapter 12

He looked unchanged. He had the same t-shirt, jeans, golden hair, and blue eyes. He was different in no aspect. Except for the fact that he was here, in Las Vegas, inside a casino that I happened to be in, while it was on fire.

Regrettably, we didn't have any time to catch up. The tiled ceiling above us groaned and Parker shoved me forward, sensing the impending collapse. He vaulted out of the elevator, mercifully dragging Quinn out of the way too; not a moment too soon, the ceiling gave way, leaving a gaping hole large enough to peer through and coating us in dust and ashes.

I sputtered and coughed loudly, inelegantly wiping the dust coating my face with my sleeve. Quinn marveled at the hole, where a raging inferno was relentlessly tearing through everything in its path. He squeaked. "I did not think going into a burning building through."

Damn straight you didn't, I thought.

Across the lobby, shattered glass doors were wide open where a hero ushering some stragglers to safety had my heart lodge in my throat. Parker must've noticed too because he said in a low voice, "We have to go."

Immediately, I turned to Quinn, dumbstruck. I knew we had to escape, but Quinn. Dozens of questions flooded my mind but the predominant one was: What in the name of God was Quinn, of all people, doing charging into a burning casino in Las Vegas?

"W-W-" I started, unable to form words.

Parker took a long stride toward the exit, adjusting Kaz on his shoulder. "Let's go. You can bring your friend with you."

Quinn opened his mouth to say something but I shot him a silencing glare. "I know you have questions, I do too, but we have to go, now."

He nodded and we shambled for the exit, careful not to trip over scattered objects and fragments of glass. Man, I knew I said we needed chaos, but this... I hoped no one was killed. The thought worried me more than the prospect of the hero standing by the door, who spotted our group and signaled us to hasten our pace, learning we were the opposite of scared pedestrians.

What if... I killed someone? What if I had snuffed out a life? Multiple lives?

We reached the exit and fresh air from the outside world filled my nose- I released a breath I didn't even know I had been holding, and vigorously shook my head. Whatever I had done, it was for the sake of finding Rebecca's killers.

The crunch of glass under my shoes lulled me out of my trance and I assimilated my new surroundings, bit by bit.

The night was pitch black. Pillars of smoke rose up from the hotel.

Traffic was halted.

A throng of onlookers had gathered; cellphones and cameras were in nearly every hand. The alternating colors of rose red and sea blue associated with emergency responders encompassed the entire block. Firemen in their traditional yellow suits scrambled for the firehose. Half a dozen ambulances were filled with people gushing blood from jagged wounds caused by glass. Some people were being treated for burns.

A random police officer escorted us a safe distance away from the hotel. He asked if Kaz needed medical attention, but Parker assured him he was fine and had simply fainted. The officer's brows furrowed, but Parker insisted that Kaz was fine; eventually, he left to assist other people and we were alone.

Quinn, Parker, a still delirious Kaz, and me.

I almost forgot- Quinn.

I swiveled on my heel to face him. He yelped, startled by the sudden motion.

My glare must've said it all, because he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "So... how's life?"

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.