[OLD] The Scorpion Mission (#2)

Twenty-One

"I told you!" a man shouted. "That's the girl who burned down the boarding school in April!"

Ivy froze. Spencer shouted something, but she wasn't sure what he said. The crowd was getting closer. So many eyes were on her. A few in the back called for them to stop and leave the Supers alone, but the mob wasn't listening.

"Ivy!" Spencer grabbed her hand. "We need to go this way." He pointed to the left. The road led back into town, but it was the only way to go that wasn't blocked.

Ivy nodded and forced herself to move. Ace barked softly at the mob, just enough to force everyone backwards a few steps.

They ran down the street, past businesses and confused onlookers. A building up ahead had a 'closed' sign hanging on the front doors. The windows were boarded up and several signs out front announced that it was for sale.

"In there," Spencer said as they came to a stop. "Claire, can you get us an opening?"

Claire didn't say anything. She glanced back at their pursuers, then back at Spencer. Her hands were shaking. She nodded and turned her attention to the building.

Nothing happened for a moment. Ivy tensed. They didn't have time to be standing around.

After what felt like too long, the front door fell off its hinges. Spencer breathed a sigh of relief and they ran into the building. Once all four of them were in, he filled the doorway with a thick wall of ice.

"All right," Spencer said. "We need to find a way back to the road we came in on."

"Do you think we could wait them out?" Ivy asked.

"Doubt it." Spencer glanced at Claire. "You guys okay?"

"I'm fine." Ivy said.

"Me too," Claire said. Her voice trembled. "I just—didn't think they would turn on us."

"I know." Spencer clenched his jaw. "It sucks. We saved them and they want to lock us up."

"It's my fault," Ivy muttered. "Because I burned down the boarding school. They recognized me."

Spencer shook his head. "That wasn't your fault, Ivy. And it doesn't matter now. We're gonna get out of here."

Ivy sighed and nodded.

Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in concentration. "All right, how do we get out?"

Ivy sensed a sudden burst of heat nearby. She frowned.

"Do you guys smell that?" Spencer asked.

Claire's eyes widened. "What are they doing?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Ivy clenched her fists as the scent of smoke reached her. "They're burning the building down. With us in it."

"Let's go," Spencer said. "Out the back. I'm sure there's a door..."

"No," Ivy said, concentrating. "I they've got the building surrounded. There's fire coming in from each side. Except..."

Claire closed her eyes. "Ivy's right, I think. There's people on every side, and they're angry. But there's only a couple on the north side. We could get past them."

"Well, that's great," Spencer said. "But we'll have to get past the fire first."

It was getting hotter, and smoke had found its way into the room they were in. Ivy walked toward the door at north end of the room. "We have to move fast, then, before—"

Too late. She opened the door to see that the next room was already in flames. Ivy's heart dropped to her stomach. How were the others going to get out?