Page 100 of Avery's Hero

In the next instant, he’s sprinting toward the apartment like he’s been shot out of a cannon.

That’s when the smell of smoke hits me.

By the time we reach the lot behind the building, I’m on his heels. Flames are licking at the outside of the detached garage.

We both see it at the same time—The door to the upstairs apartment is standing open. He bellows, “Avery!”

“She’ll try to fight the fire.”

Growling a fierce sound out, he shoves at the garage door. “Fuck, why is this thing hung up? It’s wedged by something. The lock is busted, but something is holding it.”

Together, we throw our weight against it. The wood groans as the air thickens with smoke. Finally, after two more hits, the door moves.

Something hits my ankle. For a second I can’t believe what I’m seeing. A cat and two kittens scramble over my feet and across the yard.

Covering my face with my shirt, I duck into the smoke. “Avery!”

“Avery! Where the hell are you?” Brock yells behind me.

I throw out my arm to stop him.

Oh fuck.

My sister’s across the garage bay. She’s got her hands up. “Please, don’t,” she begs a shadowy figure who’s advancing on her.

Her eyes flick to me through the smoky air, but I’m not sure the guy has seen me. I want to keep it that way. I want the advantage.

Before I can move, she hurls the fire extinguisher at him. It slams into his shoulder, knocking him sideways. Brockjumps past me. Like a lion jumping on prey, he slams the attacker to the floor.

Avery sags to her knees. I’m on her the next instant and scoop her up off the floor. She tries her best to fight me, but I don’t let go. “You can’t leave Brock!”

She’s screaming as I run for the door with her in my arms. “Gunnar, no! Wait!”

“I’ll go back. You’re getting the hell away from here. You’ve already inhaled too much smoke. Do you hear the firetrucks? They’re coming.”

Deep coughs wrack her body. I’m furious and terrified. What the hell was she thinking? I lower her to the curb with a warning. “Don’t move.”

As I sprint back toward the garage, Brock bursts through the doorway dragging an unconscious kid with him like a sack of potatoes. Relief knocks me to my knees.

Thank god,he got out.

It would have destroyed Avery if something happened to him.

Brock yells, “His gas can is in there, I don't know if it's empty, but we need to get the hell away. Get Avery out of here.”

“Roger that.”

We’re safely away from the structure by the time the trucks pull into the alley and surround the garage. The LCFD works quickly to douse the fire and save the building.

The arsonist is bound with belts offered by bystanders. He’s screaming, spitting, completely unhinged.

Avery won’t take her eyes off Brock as he talks to Detective Martin and a female police officer.

“You okay, Pip?”

She rubs her temples and rocks back and forth. “I can’t believethis happened. How did someone know I lived here so quickly?”

“It’s a small town. Probably wasn’t too hard to spot you or follow you. If he’s your arsonist, he may have been watching you while you were investigating."