Chapter 331: Safe escape
The moment the lighter hit the ground, the gasoline ignited with a deafening roar. Orange and blue flames raced across the floor, devouring everything in their path. Heat exploded outward, searing the skin and blinding the eyes.
The man staggered backward, cursing as the fire spread rapidly, licking up the walls and curling toward the ceiling.
Thomas, alarmed, pushed his weight backward, rocking the chair on its hind legs in a frantic attempt to escape the encroaching fire. With a loud crack, the chair toppled over, and Thomas crashed to the hard concrete floor. His head slammed against the ground, sending stars exploding across his vision.
"Ugh!" he grunted in pain. But there was no time. Ignoring the throbbing ache, he twisted onto his side and began inching toward the door, scraping his body along the floor.
Lydia’s scream pierced through the crackling inferno.
Thomas whipped his head and took a look, only to see fire all over Lydia. His froze, eyes wide and mouth agape.
For a moment, everything else fell away. The gunfire outside, the suffocating smoke, his own desperate need to survive—all of it vanished as he watched Lydia writhe in the grip of the very destruction she had unleashed.
On the other side of the room, the man in the black suit coughed violently, his face shielded by his arm as thick smoke billowed through the doorway. His eyes, bloodshot and stinging, squinted into the haze.
Through the swirling gray, he caught sight of Thomas, sprawled on the floor, just beyond the reach of the hungry flames.
"Mr. Williams," he barked, snapping into action.
Ignoring the blistering heat, he lunged forward. Reaching Thomas, he hooked his arms under his shoulders and yanked him backward with all the strength he could muster.