Chapter 9 - The Trial by Fire
Flames roared to life instantly, devouring the hallway carpet and climbing the expensive silk wallpaper in seconds.
Thick, toxic black smoke began pouring under the gap of the closet door, choking the air out of my lungs.
I threw my body against the locked wooden frame again and again, but the heavy deadbolt refused to yield.
The heat radiating from the door became unbearable, blistering the skin on my bare arms.
I noticed a small, reinforced glass window near the top of the closet door, designed for fire safety inspections.
I wrapped my bleeding hands in the thick fabric of my torn hospital gown, ignoring the searing pain in my ribs.
I screamed as I punched the reinforced glass with every single ounce of strength left in my broken body.
The window finally shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving a jagged opening just large enough for my arm.
I reached through the broken glass, cutting my skin deeply as I blindly fumbled for the exterior deadbolt lock.
With a final, desperate twist, the lock clicked, and I kicked the burning door open.
I burst into the blazing hallway, sprinting through the wall of fire directly toward the presidential suite doors.
Cameron and my father were panicking inside, desperately trying to unlock the emergency exit as the smoke alarms blared.
I ignored them completely, running straight to the pristine incubator in the center of the room.
I scooped my crying infant into my arms, pressing his tiny, fragile body tightly against my chest to shield him from the heat.
I turned around, locking eyes with Cameron, my gaze burning with a mother's lethal, unstoppable fury.
I fought my way down the smoke-filled emergency stairwell, coughing violently as I descended four flights of stairs.
I finally burst through the heavy lobby doors, gasping for the cool, fresh night air.
Dozens of police cruisers surrounded the hospital entrance, their red and blue lights flashing against the glass.
Before I could ask for help, Cameron burst out of the stairwell behind me, completely covered in soot.
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He pointed a shaking finger directly at me, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Arrest her, she has gone completely insane and tried to burn our baby alive!" Cameron shouted to the armed officers.
