Page 97 of Up In Smoke
“Towels in bathroom, case in hallway closet,” she tells me, coughing more into a handkerchief. “What is this fire? Someone burn cake?”
It’s kind of admirable how she can still crack jokes at a time like this.
I shake my head as Klaus and I move through her apartment. “It’s in the stairwells,” I call back to her. “And the corridor. I think…” I trail off, wondering whether or not I should speculate further or if that might scare her.
“Think what?” she demands, solving my dilemma for me. I’m not sure anything really scares Katerina Petrova. It just pisses her off.
I sigh, gathering up all the towels from the cabinet. “I think maybe someone started the fire on purpose.”
“No!” she shrieks. “Shit fuckers. Who would do this?”
I get the taps running in the bath, throwing the towels in to start them soaking.
DoI know who would do this?
Or is it just a crazy coincidence that I sent Emerson packing mere hours before somebody set light to my apartment building?
Speculating about the cause isn’t going to get us through this, so I shake my head and shove those thoughts aside. I wantthe towels damp, not sodden, so I start wringing them out and dropping them into the sink.
As I lay a couple down by the front door, I can feel the heat from the other side. My heart skips a beat and I swallow thickly.
We’re definitely not getting out through that way, now.
There are more sirens outside and I can see the flashing lights coming from below. But I don’t stop to look, instead grabbing Noski’s carry case then rushing Klaus and I back into the bedroom. If the fire reaches this door, we’ll be in serious trouble, but I still lay down the wet towels anyway for peace of mind. They should minimize the smoke creeping in, at least.
“Noski, come here,” Katerina says, trying to ease herself out of her bed. It looks like among her fur coats are also jewelry boxes, and old pair of ballet shoes, a couple of sparkling tiaras, and some framed photos. Almost like she’s building a nest of all her most prized possessions. She reaches up and clips her fingers at her cat. “Kis-kis-kis. Down, now.”
Klaus barks, making Noski hiss and retreat farther back on top of the closet.
“I’ll get her, Katerina,” I tell her. “Why don’t you sit back down? I can bring you anything else you want.”
She looks worriedly up at her cat in the eerie blue glow from my phone light, then sinks back onto her bed, pawing at her things.
“This is my life, Jesse,” she says tearfully. “I fight hard for it. These things are mine. This space, this peace, this time is mine. Now somebody will take it all away.”
“No, Katerina,” I say firmly, dragging the stool over from her dressing table so I can stand on it and scoop up Noski. She hisses but I move fast as she wriggles, depositing her into the mesh carry case and zipping the top shut. “Help is here.” I hand her Noski and point toward the window where we can see the red and blue lights flashing through the night. “My husband, Rico, isout there right now with his team. They’re going to put out this fire and we’re going to be fine. Okay?”
Katerina arches an eyebrow at me. “Okay, new boy. No need to shout. I not scared.”
I laugh and pat her leg. “Sure, Miss KGB. Now, is there anything else that you want while we wait? Because you might not be able to save everything out there. But this bed is now our life raft and we’re going to make sure everything you treasure is on it. Okay?”
She hugs the cat case to her chest and looks around with wide eyes. Suddenly, she doesn’t look so intimidating.
“Okay, Jesse. Only Noski is important. And you? Where are your treasures?”
I shake my head and climb on the bed next to her, inviting Klaus to come huddle with us. He jumps up, but then goes and stands guard at the end of the mattress, like he’s protecting us from the flames creeping toward the door.
“Klaus is all I care about,” I tell her truthfully. “And Rico, but he’s doing his job. I just hope he’s safe.” Suddenly, a wave of fear crashes over me and a little sob escapes my chest.
I’m trying to be brave for Katerina, but we’re trapped in a burning building. What if Rico and the One-Thirteen don’t put the fire out in time? What if I never see him again? What if this beautiful life I’ve only just reclaimed for myself is about to go up in smoke?
Katerina pats my hand. “He is big, strong, sexy husband. You have picked well. He will find us, and everything will be right. Perhaps you can also find me firefighter husband?”
I laugh, a single tear sliding down my cheek. She smiles kindly at me and brushes it away. “You are good boy, Jesse. Thank you for staying with me. I hope we will both live to see another glorious day. But I leave Omsk with nothing and if I leave here today with nothing, this will also be okay. ExceptNoski.” She scowls and hugs the mesh case tighter, making the cat inside meow in protest. “I will leave with Noski. But I have had very good life, Jesse. Life is not things. Life is love.”
“Well, lets hope we can save your things as well, huh?” I say with a laugh, rubbing my face and sliding off the bed to look out of the window. There is a lot going on out there, but I see a long ladder from the truck pointed at the window of the apartment the other side of ours. A firefighter is assisting a couple of kids to climb down, and their mom that I’ve seen a few times in passing is waiting her turn with a quite frankly enormous rabbit hugged to her chest.
I open the window and lean my head out, realizing that most of our neighbors above us are also hanging out of their own windows, waving their arms and shouting for attention.