SETH (Book Four)

THIRTY-SIX

I poke my nose in the air. A pungent smell inhales through my nose. It's the smell of something sweet but also sour, almost like...

"Oh shit!" I move around, scanning the place in a panic.

"Cap? What's wrong?"

I peek in every corner of the room, any small holes, and when I stop in front of an air vent. I look down at my boots and lift to look under. I grab the cover of the air vent and tug more than once. After I had it open, I used my flashlight to see inside, and the smell was vital, only to find liquid as it surged slowly.

The gasoline smell was so intense I had to put my gas mask back on.

"Cap?"

"We need to get out of here," I proclaim. "Kendall, are you done with the list?"

"At 78%," She calls out, hearing the clicking sounds from the keyboard.

"Well, you better hurry." I back away from the vent. I turn to Gunnar. "They are going to light this place up."

"Fuck!" Gunnar hisses and brushes his hair back roughly. "I knew something smelled funky, and it's not the dead people here."

"How long do you think we have?" I ask him. I was judging by the amount of gasoline dripping to the floor. I will need to be more accurate about the time left we have here.

"Since we entered here not too long ago, and when I went that way to take pictures, the smell immediately hit my nose. I say we have about a few minutes." Gunnar states. "Because once it's lit, we can die any second."

"Kendall."

"Almost there, Cap," Kendall stays quiet and then yells. "Done!" She cheered for a second but froze. "What the hell is that sound?"

Suddenly, roaring muffle sounds are heard coming from inside the walls. It grew closer to where I was standing. "Run!"

In a flash, all of our kick-off ran outside as a blast of fire broke inside. Gunnar and Kendall were ahead of me as I looked behind to see a wave of flames approaching us like a demon. It was burning everything in its path to get to us.

"I'm not cut out for running!" Gunnar yells in front.

"Just keep running!" I command him, and I can hear my heart racing and the loud panting from the three of us running for our lives.

"This place is going to blow!"

We were out of the house, and from a running distance from the complex sound of an explosion, we pushed forward to the ground with the sand on our faces.

I groan from the impact and turn around. The beach house is in complete ruin. A puff of black and big smoke travels into the sky as the fire devours the cabin.

"Shit," Kendall sat up and let out a hiss. "That's going to be sore in the morning. Well, that was fun."

I don't enjoy her sarcasm when it comes to cases like this. I roll my eyes at her.

"You okay, baby?" Gunnar reaches for his wife.

"I'm fine. How about you, Cap?" Turn her face to me.

"Kind of pissed," saying as I got up from the ground and dusted the sand off in frustration. "You got the list?"

Kendall also got up, with Gunnar helping her. "Yup, and that's not all I got."

I eye her and lift a brow. "What else did you find?"

"We have to go back, and I'll show you on my computer."

I looked at the now burnt-up cabin before I turned away with the two following.