Chapter 5 - FIRE ON THE HILL
Thick smoke began to billow up the grand staircase as the fire caught the velvet drapes in the drawing room. Orange light flickered wildly against the white walls, casting long, terrifying shadows across the artwork and grand piano.
Ethan reached the breaker room near the kitchen, dodging a heavy iron crowbar swung by one of the intruders in the dark. He ducked under the swing, driving his shoulder into the attacker's chest and slamming him against the wall.
"Call off your men!" Ethan demanded, holding the intruder down.
"Too late, boss!" the man laughed, pointing toward the hallway. "The whole ground floor is up in flames!"
Ethan looked back and saw a wall of fire blocking his path back to the grand staircase. The smoke was becoming unbearable, stinging his eyes and burning his throat. He smashed the glass on the emergency alarm box, activating the loud, wailing siren that echoed across the quiet valley.
Upstairs inside the panic room, Sarah heard the faint vibration of the alarm through the reinforced walls. She held baby Leo close to her chest, rocking him as the room began to grow warm.
Suddenly, a heavy thud shook the panic room door.
"They're in here!" a voice shouted from the master bedroom. "Bring the blowtorch! We'll melt the lock!"
Sarah’s eyes widened in panic. The panic room was built to withstand fire and force, but if they had industrial equipment, it was only a matter of time.
Looking around the small room, Sarah noticed the ventilation shaft near the ceiling. It was narrow, but large enough for a person of her slim build to crawl through—and it led directly to the exterior roof balcony.
She strapped baby Leo securely to her chest using her apron as a makeshift sling. Climbing onto a storage shelf, she used a screwdriver from the emergency kit to pop off the metal vent cover.
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"Hang on, little guy," Sarah whispered, pulling herself up into the dark, narrow shaft just as the sound of a roaring blowtorch began to spark against the panic room door.
