Chapter 5 - The Ambush
The piercing shriek of the fire alarm shattered the remaining peace in the restaurant.
Thick, white smoke suddenly poured through the ventilation vents.
Panic erupted instantly.
Diners who had been watching the drama unfold now shoved past each other in a frantic rush for the exits.
Chairs were overturned, and glasses shattered under heavy footsteps.
Ethan instinctively wrapped his arms around Hannah and Noah.
"Stay close to me!" he yelled over the deafening alarm.
The smoke was thick and smelled heavily of burning chemicals.
It blinded them within seconds.
"Noah, hold my hand tight!" Hannah coughed, her eyes stinging.
She felt her son’s small, terrified fingers grip hers.
The crowd surged backward as a burning decorative curtain fell near the main door.
The sudden shift in the mob violently slammed into Hannah.
She was pushed hard against a stone pillar.
The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs.
In that chaotic second, Noah's hand was ripped from her grasp.
"Noah!" Hannah screamed.
Her voice was swallowed by the blaring sirens and screaming patrons.
She crawled blindly on the floor, waving her hands in the thick gray fog.
"Noah! Baby, where are you?!"
Ethan materialized beside her, his suit jacket covering his nose and mouth.
"Where is he?!" Ethan shouted, his eyes wide with pure panic.
"He was just here!" Hannah sobbed, choking on the smoke.
Ethan stood up, ignoring the burning in his lungs.
He grabbed a pitcher of water from a nearby table and poured it over his own head to clear his vision.
Through the shifting haze, he saw the emergency exit door swinging shut.
Just before it clicked closed, he caught a glimpse of a woman's white winter coat.
It was Victoria.
And she was dragging a small, struggling child into the alleyway.
"They went outside!" Ethan roared, sprinting toward the door.
He kicked the fire exit open, the hinges screaming in protest.
He burst into the cold Chicago air.
But the alley was completely empty.
There was only the distant sound of a car engine screeching into the city traffic.
Ethan fell to his knees on the freezing pavement.
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Hannah stumbled out behind him, looking at the empty street.
She let out a wail of absolute agony that echoed off the brick walls.
