Nico and Autumn didn’t waste any time. They moved to Reagan’s side and helped her to the doorway.
Nico stopped and looked overhead. There was an auspicious sound, like the roar of a monster.
“Do you smell that?” Autumn looked towards the ceiling, “That’s gas.”
Nico nodded, and they moved down the hallway. “We have to get out of here. Right now.”
“Come on, ladies and gentlemen, before we all become ash,” Mario yelled from the stairs.
They moved up the stairs to the next floor. It was uncomfortably warm. Nico began sweating as if he were in hell. There was a crash and then crackling. A rafter fell from the ceiling and crashed down, barring their exit.
“That’s the only way out!” Autumn yelled, then coughed.
“There’s another exit this way,” Mario yelled. He beckoned them to follow.
Still guiding Reagan, Autumn, and Nico followed at a slower pace. He felt the heat like it was a breathing dragon behind them.
They reached a door that Mario pushed open. It was another set of stairs leading down. “This goes out the back. I swear this place was used by runners during prohibition. There are so many hidey holes it’s not funny.” He looked to Autumn. “Your boy, Hererra, is waiting for you guys at the other end of the tunnel.”
“You’re coming with us, right?” Autumn’s eyebrow furrowed.
“I’ll meet up with you guys later.” He shared a look with Nico. “I need to take out the trash.”
Nico nodded. Whether or not Autumn liked it, they were doing things the old way. “Okay, call me when you’re ready.” Nico shook his cousin’s hand, then continued.
They painstakingly made their way down the stairs and into a long tunnel. Light streamed in from the other side. The closer they got to the light, the fresher the air became.
Nico pushed the door open to hear the screams of sirens.
“Took you guys fucking long enough,” Hererra snapped. “Oh fuck, what the hell happened to you, Reagan?” He took hold of the woman and cradled her in his arms.
“Do you want the long or short version?” She rasped, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“No talking yet until the EMTs get a look at you.”
They followed Hererra to the front of the house, which was now ablaze. Three firetrucks, and half a dozen police cruisers, including unmarked vehicles, lined the side of the road. A couple of ambulances were also close by.
“Friends of yours,” Nico drawled. An eyebrow lifted as he exchanged glances with the detective.
Hererra shrugged both shoulders, “I told you I had some buddies on standby.”
“Autumn!”
Both Nico and Autumn turned to the person shouting her name. A man in an FBI flak jacket came running towards her.
“Braeden!”
Nico watched Autumn run to the man and wrapped her arms around him. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Nico noticed another woman walk up beside them.
“I called them as soon as I could.” Hererra motioned to the three. “Braeden was on his way here, anyway. After I gave him details, he refused to be left out of the picture.” Both men stood shoulder to shoulder as they watched the family reunion.
Tears streamed down Autumn’s face as she embraced her biological parents. Nico felt a pang of emotion hit him in his chest.
“At least you didn’t fuck the plan up,” Nico said, clearing his throat.
With a glance back, Nico watched the firefighters battle the blaze licking out of the house. There was a great yawning and another boom as if a bomb burst in the bowels of the house. The firefighters scattered, and they added another hose.
“You think Winters made it out?”
