| A Proper Plan

'Got your inhaler, Ro?' Jack asked.

The boy coughed thickly. 'It doesn't work,' he muttered.

'Take the damn inhaler,' Lucy barked. 'You think we want more trouble than we've got already?'

A distant wailing carried to them over the gloating roar of the flames as they consumed more and more of the apartment. Sirens.

'We may not want it, but here it comes,' said Jack huskily. 'Let's get out of here.' He led the charge back around to the front of the building where Jane waited.

*****

The streets in the neighborhood were crawling by now with fire trucks, cop cars, and ambulances, blue lights blinding the night, and sirens screaming past.

'That was close,' Jane remarked when they'd stopped at the next lights. She was half-smiling at Jack, her dark eyes suggesting approval.

'Too close,' he agreed. 'But we were too late to help Ava.' He felt sick inside, and utterly helpless.

'You should've seen it in there, Jane,' Ro chirped from the back seat.