Chapter 4

After the absurd farce at the gala, Keller didn't come home for three whole days.

I didn't send him a single message either. Instead, I used those few days to find a two-bedroom apartment through a local agency and paid the deposit in full.

On Friday afternoon, I took Leo to the community shopping mall to buy packing boxes and toiletries.

Leo still insisted on carrying that broken Spider-Man figure with him.

Suddenly, a sharp alarm blared through the mall's ceiling!

Piercing sirens mixed with thick smoke rapidly spread from the second-floor dining area. Panic instantly swept through the crowd as people scrambled frantically toward the exits.

"Fire! Run!"

I wrapped my arms tightly around Leo, retreating with the surging crowd toward the exit.

Suddenly, the decorative ceiling on the second floor collapsed with a deafening crash, blocking the main corridor.

The smoke grew thicker and thicker, making it impossible to breathe.

Holding Leo, I retreated behind the fire door in the corner of Zone B and pulled out my phone to call for help.

At that moment, familiar and intense sirens echoed from outside the mall.

Through the glass window, I saw the fire trucks from Station 3.

Keller, fully geared up in heavy protective turnout gear, was holding a walkie-talkie and speaking.

"Keller!" I dialed his phone number, coughing heavily as I yelled into the mic, "Leo and I are trapped behind the fire door on the second floor of Zone B! The hallway collapsed and the smoke is really bad!"

Keller's anxious voice came through the phone, "Eleanor? What are you two doing inside?"

"Cut the crap! We can't get out, and Leo is struggling to breathe!" I screamed.

However, another firefighter's urgent voice sounded over his end of the line.

"Captain! Trapped individuals found in the dessert shop in Zone A! It's Ms. Sophia and Ava! Ava is having an asthma attack, situation is critical!"

I gripped the phone tightly, my eyes bloodshot as I shouted, "Keller, the ceiling in Zone B collapsed! The fire is burning toward us fast!"

"Eleanor, Zone B has a stronger structure. The fire door can block the smoke, you guys can hold out longer!" Keller's voice was shaking violently, yet it carried a cruel finality.

"Ava has asthma, she can't wait! I have to take the team to Zone A first!"

"Keller Richard, your son is in here too!" I shrieked into the phone with everything I had.

"I'm the commander on scene! I have to rescue people based on the level of danger! You and Leo wait for me to come back!"

Tu-tu-tu...

The call was disconnected.

Leo huddled in my arms, his little hands clutching that Spider-Man figure for dear life.

"Mom..." Leo coughed heavily, asking in a weak voice, "Is Dad coming to save us soon? He's a big hero in fires."

I didn't answer him. I only said one thing, "Mom will get you out of here."

I forced myself to stay calm and looked around for anything useful.

Not far away was an emergency fire axe. I quickly got up, grabbed it, and slammed it down hard on the latch of the rear emergency exit door that was jammed by fallen debris.

With a loud crash of breaking metal, I pushed open the escape door, picked up Leo, and rushed headlong into the smoke-filled emergency stairwell without a second thought...