She scrambled to open it in the darkening gloom, trying to keep the growing fear at bay.The smoke was so thick in here already.She estimated they had only a few minutes to escape before they were in serious trouble.
“I’ll wet some towels in the bathroom,” Tristan said.
“No, I’ve almost got it.”After another few precious seconds, she managed to get the window unlocked.She shoved it upward, only to have it stop abruptly half a second later.
The safety locks had sprung into place a few inches up the inside of the frame.The irony wasn’t lost on her.They were designed as an extra security measure, to stop someone from breaking in.But now they were endangering her and Tristan by trapping them inside.
“Hurry,” he said urgently behind her.
“I know.I’m trying.The damned lever snapped into place!”Her fingers fumbled to find the edge of the plastic latch.She shoved the window down slightly to allow her to press the lever back in.On her next breath, she sucked in a lungful of smoke.She coughed, squinted through stinging, watering eyes as she finally managed to heave the bottom of the window upward.
Tristan reached past her and rammed it upward, throwing it all the way open.It hit the top of the frame with an audible bang and locked there.Not wasting any time, she threw a leg out over the windowsill and set her foot on the roof.Tristan helped her through it.She got to her hands and knees on the rough asphalt shingles and crawled a few feet away to make room for him.
He emerged beside her on the roof a moment later, a cloud of smoke billowing out behind him from the open window, backlit from the glow of the flames below them.He crouched next to her, wiping a forearm across his face and blinking fast.“Fire’s all the way around the bottom floor now.”
Shit, it was spreading so fast.It was too risky to try moving around back or front.“We’re gonna have to get down here.”The fire was already close to the base of the wall below them, but they had no choice.
Tristan peered down over the edge of the roof with her.“I’m gonna jump onto the fence.”
She eyed the distance, shook her head.“Not without breaking your leg.”
“Better that than staying up here and falling into the fire when the roof caves in.”
Okay, true.She shifted to the balls of her feet.Watched anxiously as he crept to the edge of the roof.He gripped the lip of the gutter with both hands, swung over the edge and dropped down out of sight.
Peering down at him, she held her breath as he swung himself back and forth to gain momentum, then levered his body outward and launched into the air.
His right foot hit the top of the fence for an instant, then immediately slipped off.He pitched to the side, arms thrown out to try and catch his balance as he toppled over.
Cassie gasped, her scream sticking in her throat when he managed to catch the top of the fence with both hands and break his fall.He steadied himself, levered up and swung himself back over the top in one agile motion, landing in the boxwood hedge on her side of the fence.She could breathe again.
Illuminated by the spreading fire in front of him, he righted himself, spun to face her, and threw up an arm to shield himself from the intense heat.“You gotta be quick.Drop down from the gutter and kick off the side of the house.I’ll catch you.”
She wanted to argue, but there was no time.The flames were way too close.
Setting her jaw, she shuffled to the edge of the roof, sat on it and gripped the aluminum gutter with both hands.Holding tight, she dropped over the edge.A moment’s panic streaked through her when her hands started to slip, the heat of the flames searing along the back of her.
She dug her fingers into the groove and hung on tight, engaging her core to bring her legs up and set her feet flat against the wooden shingles.When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Tristan standing below her, feet spread wide, hands up near his shoulders in preparation to catch her.
“Jump.Now,” he commanded.
It felt wrong on every level, but she had no choice.Taking a deep breath, she shoved hard against the side of the house with her feet and threw herself backward.An instant later, she collided with a wall of muscle.
Tristan’s strong arms locked around her as they both crashed back into the boxwoods.She heard a loud thud, realized the back of his head had slammed into the fence behind them.
She scrambled up onto her hands and knees.The heat of the fire was intense.They needed to get away from here.“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he muttered, rolling his head as he got up.She grabbed his arm, helped him to his feet as she darted a look around.“This way.”Locking her hand around his, she rushed toward the front yard.
Something slammed into the wood siding of the house, inches from her head.
