I spent most of the night tossing and turning. In the morning, we all get up together. It seems no one slept well.
The reason? The damn roasting bedroom.
They turned up the heat.
So that’s new.
Theo, Hazel, Priya, Lucie, and I are all on the sofas, drinking coffee like it’s going out of fashion. Evan is in the bathroom.
The temperature is back to normal now, but the damage has been done. We’re going to spend the day tired and hope they don’t do the same thing tonight.
I felt like I was going to burn to death in the dry heat last night, with nothing to cool me down.
Wait. Fire. That’s it! We could set fire to the place.
Great, and actually burn to death.
But…would they let us burn in here? The fire department would come. Even if they don’t call, someone would see a lot of smoke in the woods. They’d think it was a forest fire.
Caleb, Matt, and Owen couldn’t leave us because firefighters would find our burned bodies and start to ask a lot of questions.
They would be forced to act. They would have to let us out of here. The transportation of captives is the part where the kidnappers are most vulnerable; there are factors outside of their control.
We can escape.
“We need to set the place on fire,” I say.
Theo, Lucie, and Priya look at me with wide eyes.
“What did you just suggest?” Hazel asks.
“That’s too dangerous!” Theo growls. “We’ll die.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think we will.”
The four of them look at me like I’ve lost it completely. I haven’t. Not completely anyway.
Unless I have, and I just don’t know it. Either way, it’s a plan that could work. It’s better than playing dead since Theo and I aren’t getting called into any rooms.
For some reason, we’re getting a break. For how long? Every time that speaker crackles, my heart takes a dive and my palms sweat.
That’s probably why you’re getting a break. To drive you crazy always fearing it.
Evan walks into the room from his shower. His messy dark hair is damp. His eyes lock with mine as soon as he turns around, always to me first, as if he’s checking to make sure I’m still here and I’m okay.
He frowns, sensing the tension in the room. “What’s going on?”
“My best friend has finally lost it. That’s what’s going on,” Hazel tells him.
He walks to the sofa and sits. Ignoring everyone else, he says, “This should be fun.”
“I’ve thought of a way out of here.”
“No, Piper, you’ve thought of a way to kill us all at once,” Lucie says, cutting in.
Evan looks at her, frowning. He leans more on the positive side, like me, so I appreciate that he’s at least willing to hear me out.
“What’s your idea?” he asks, tilting his head. I can tell he’s half-amused, but I have a feeling my idea will wipe away his smile.
I look at him dead serious and say, “We set fire to this room.”
He stares for a second, and I can see his mind working overtime. “Fire? Really?”
“Yes. People will see the smoke, and the fire department will come. Caleb, Matt, and Owen can’t leave us in here to burn because the officials will find our bodies and a lot of questions will be asked. Don’t you see? They have to let us go for their own survival. And while they’re opening the door for us, we have a chance of getting away. Six on three, it’s not bad odds.”
It’s not great odds, either, but there isn’t much we can do about that.
His mouth curls into a grin. “God, I love how you think, Piper.”
“Are you kiddin’ me?” Theo yells. “I know you back her on everything, but this is ridiculous!”
Evan’s head snaps to Theo. “We can’t break out. There are too many doors and they’re always locked. What else would you suggest? She’s right, Theo. This is the only way. They can’t let us burn in here; they have to let us out. It’s our best chance.”
Silence cloaks the room like a blanket.
I chew on my lip while they all consider our chances. This is the best way.
It’s the only way.
What else can we do that would force them to let us all out at the same time?
They don’t care about us, so we can’t pretend to be sick. But they do care about self-preservation, so they’ll open the doors to save themselves from a lot of questions the police would have if they found charred bodies in here.
Priya takes a breath, tears welling in her eyes. “I hate to admit it, because I’m scared, but I think Piper is right.”
“Yes, I’m right,” I say. “There is nothing else we can do, at least nothing that will get us all free at one time.”
“No, Piper is not right. Piper is insane!” Hazel exclaims.
Evan ignores her. “When are we doing it?”
“Now.” My heart is beating out of my chest. The rhythm so fast that I feel dizzy. But I can’t wait. I can’t stop and think about this because there is a good chance I’ll talk myself out of it. I mean, it’s the best plan we’ve got, but I won’t deny it is dangerous.
“What the hell?” Theo snaps.
I look up at tiny window. “It’s light outside; they’ll be here. Regular as clockwork. We have to do it now.”
Standing, I head to the kitchen. We don’t have a lighter or matches for obvious reasons…but we can make a fire in the microwave.
“Piper, we should talk about this more first,” Evan says. He follows me to the kitchen area and grabs my wrist.
I turn around and frown. “You agreed that it was a good plan.”
“No, I agreed that it was a plan that could work. There’s a difference, babe. A massive difference.”
When we’re safely out of here, I’m going to obsess over the fact that he just called me babe. Right now, I need to convince him of my side. It’s all or nothing. We can’t keep waiting.
“Okay, but I don’t see what difference it’s going to make in an hour or even a week from now.”
“I’m not suggesting we wait a week, but we’ve given this about five seconds of thought. That’s not enough.”
“Evan, I need you to back me up right now.”
He tugs me closer. “I’m on your side, but I’m also thinking about everyone else here.”
“After last time, we said we’d all be in agreement,” Hazel says, folding her arms. She’s joined us in the kitchen with the others.
“Yeah, and then Lucie attacked the wall with a tiny plastic knife.”
“Don’t bring me into this,” Lucie snaps, scowling at me.
“Okay, enough,” Evan says, frowning at Lucie. He turns back to me. “Piper, think about this.”
“I have. You know we need to act fast. You all do. Why will no one admit what needs to be done here?”
Evan takes a breath and shakes his head. “Okay.”
“Okay, like we’re doing this now, okay?”
A slow grin stretches across his mouth.
My shoulders sag. “You think I’ve lost it.”
“I know you have. I just happen to like it. Let’s set this place on fire.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Theo interjects. “I’m not saying no, but can we at least take a second to think through how we’re doing this? They come in and open the doors…then what?”
“Six against three,” Evan replies. “We arm ourselves with the teakettle and toaster—that’s about all we have in here. They might not cut through drywall…or a chest cavity, but they’ll do some damage if you go hard enough.”
It’s better than nothing.
Theo nods. “Can’t say I’m overly confident, but I am so ready to get out of here.” He turns to Lucie and Hazel. “We die trying, not in a room fighting.”
“Ooh, we should all get tattoos of that when we’re out.”
Five pairs of eyes slide to me.
“I was just trying to lighten the mood.”
Evan shakes my comment off. “Let’s do this. Make sure you have something to fight with, everyone. I’ll light a fire.”
“You’re doing it?” I ask him. Here I was fully prepared to torch this place since it’s my idea, but I have to say, I’m glad Evan is volunteering so it’s not all on me.
“Have you ever set a building on fire before, Piper?”
“No, have you?”
He laughs. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Get a knife and wait by the door.”
I do as I’m told and follow Theo, Hazel, Lucie, and Priya to grab a knife, then head to the door.
You are certifiable.
Evan grabs the aluminum foil and stuffs it in the microwave. He looks back at me for a second before jabbing his finger on the button to start the microwave.
I watch as the foil spins and then catches fire. The microwave pops, and fire spills from the door, alighting the cupboards.
Evan watches the fire as if it’s the most interesting thing he’s ever seen, golden flames flickering in the reflection of his eyes.
“Evan,” I prompt.
He blinks, and his eyes snap to mine. “Sorry.” He steps back in line with us.
The flames grow as they spread toward the kitchen table and sofas. The wooden table is consumed by a bright orange blaze.
My eyes widen as the soft fabric of the sofa succumbs in seconds. They swallow it, raging across the sofa and spreading to the rough carpet.
I watch the inferno consume the room, growing at an alarming rate.
The heat the fire is giving off prickles on my skin.
Evan turns and walks over to me, putting his body just in front so he’s between me and the door.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“Not in the slightest,” I reply. Just because I’m all for this doesn’t mean I’m ready for the fight.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers.
I cough as smoke begins to fill the room, rising to the ceiling.
Oh God, why aren’t they here yet?
Lucie takes a ragged breath. “What if they don’t open the doors? What if they decide to leave us to die?” Her eyes widen at the sight of the fire raging, obliterating the chair next to the sofa and the bookcase filled with DVDs behind it.
“They’ll come,” Evan tells her.
He sounds sure. I am, too. They’ll come. We just don’t know what will happen from there.
This is only the first part of the plan. We still have to get past them and then get back to town.
One step at a time or my head is going to explode.
I grip my plastic knife in my fist and reach for Evan with the other hand.
He rubs his thumb over my knuckles, and my lungs open, breathing easier.
“Haze, you okay?” I ask my best friend.
“Nope. I love you, Pipes.”
“Back atcha. But no goodbyes. We’re getting out.”
Behind us the fire rages, and smoke begins to fill the room.
Come on. Where are you guys?
Evan squeezes my hand, the solid muscle on his forearm tensing.
Oh God, they’re not coming…but the fire is.