Danny swung the Jeep to the location Ed had rattled off. He frowned as he noticed a trailer behind Ed's Jeep; one he knew was almost certainly not theirs. Danny assumed that Ed had borrowed it off whoever the elephant that was inside it belonged to, well he at least hoped that. The trailer was state of the art – silver with built in temperature control, safety features to the eyeballs.
"What's going on?" Danny asked signalling to the trailer and the elephant who was inside it.
"Look at the elephant Danny." Ed told him following Danny who was on his way to the trailer. He nodded as he noticed Danny grimace and gasp.
"God, he's a real state. Poor lad, can't be much older than two." Danny replied sadly, "Where'd you get him?"
"Well I took him." Ed smiled.
"Took him?" Danny exclaimed, his face pale.
"Yes, I was vaccinating some cows and I saw him in a barn. When they were distracted I took the trailer, loaded the ellie and now here I am." Ed grinned, "I figured you could lead a sensible way home."
"Ed, where did you get him from? Who?" Danny asked, the pieces of the puzzle fitting together. Only one farm that had cows could afford this kind of trailer.
"The Ritzio's." Ed beamed until he saw Danny's face turn to one of pure fear. He'd never seen Danny look scared, not once.
"Ed, you need to return him then get out of here!" Danny promised Ed, "They are a gang Ed! Drugs gang! They'll think nothing of taking Mara out – people in it or not."
"What?" Ed's voice shook, "How long do I have?"
"How long have you been here?"
"2 hours."
"ED!" Danny shouted angrily, "Oh god, Alice... Robert... where's Fiona?"
"They won't burn the house down... We'll call the police." Ed smiled.
"POLICE?" Danny practically screamed, taking his radio off his belt. "You need to give that elephant back or buy it!" He turned away from Ed shouting down the radio, "Alice... Alice honey! Alice please pick up! You need to get of Mara, you and Robert! Run Alice! Alice!"
The radio crackled. Danny was pacing back and forth radio in hand. Ed didn't know what to do. He'd put Danny's wife and child in danger. Ed picked up his own radio.
"No one head to Mara." Ed shouted into the radio before turning back to Danny who was by this point looking irate. "Danny..."
"No Ed! You never think!" Danny shouted angrily, "My wife and son are in that house in danger and it's all down to you! You better get in touch with them and tell them you are returning the elephant and pray they stop there!"
Ed was left speechless as Danny sprinted to his Jeep, leaping into the driving seat and speeding away on the road to Mara. Ed slowly began to tap the numbers into his phone for Tim Ritzio, the man in charge. He swallowed as he heard the answer.
"Where's my elephant and trailer Lynch?"
"Here with me, I'm going to return them..." Ed began but was cut off,
"Oh don't worry about that, the damage is done. Your place Mara; it's blazing." Tim laughed, "I want the elephant, the trailer and one hundred thousand rand by tomorrow evening."
"I..."
"If I don't get your money me and that wife of yours, Fiona, may have to have a little fun." Tim warned, "Now... get here with the elephant and the trailer." Tim spat before hanging up. Ed looked around worriedly, he had to return the elephant.
"Danny." Ed spoke into the radio.
"What?" Danny answered over the roar of his Land Rover.
"Mara... he said it's blazing..." Ed told him.
"I swear to God if anything happens to either of them I will kill you." Danny shouted angrily before throwing the radio down onto the passenger seat.
It didn't take Danny long to reach Mara. He could already smell the smoky fire from a mile away and a thick black smog was already clouding the air. He swallowed; god he hoped Alice had gone out with Robert. No, he prayed! He quickly radioed Liv.
"Danny?" Liv asked,
"Don't go to Mara. Keep Charlotte. Have you seen Alice?"
"No," Liv replied, "She's at Mara. She text me an hour ago saying she was getting her head down for an hour whilst Robert was quiet."
Tears stung Danny's eyes as he pulled into Mara's gravel car park. He almost immediately began to cough. The place was ablaze. Fire has consumed every quarter of the luxury lodge, creeping and crawling it's way around almost as though it was hugging the place with its suffocating arms. Danny tore his shirt off, wrapping it around his face. Just above the crackling he could hear a baby crying; his son. He didn't even think about it; he simply ran in, dodging the flames as he made his way through the house, calling his wife's name.
Fire blocked his path every step of the way. The beams were weak and fire was nipping at every part of his body, threatening him as it menacingly attempted to capture him as he stampeded through the lodge. He burst through the door of Alice's room and almost immediately he spotted Robert; Danny picked him up, forcing his little boy into his chest trying to stop him from inhaling too much of the deadly smog that poisoned the air. He glanced towards Alice, rushing over to her.
"Alice." Danny shook her, "Alice."
"Danny." Alice coughed, "Get Robert out of here."
"I need to take you too..." Danny protested,
"Get me a t-shirt then run with him. You can't take us both! Damn it you are wasting time!" She wheezed.
Danny threw her a t-shirt that was lying on the edge quickly, watching as Alice tied it around her nose and mouth. He felt torn but he knew that she was right; he had more chance of saving them both if he took Robert first. God, all they'd done is argue and now he stood to lose her.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." Danny promised her resting his forehead against hers, "I love you." He cried.
"I love you too... Go." Alice forced as she pressed her head with her last bit of energy to his harder, "Save our son. Tell him, tell him I love him, if I don't make it"
Danny nodded before rushing out of the room, closing the door behind him. He began to cough violently, as he kept one hand firmly pressed on the back of Robert's head. He began to dodge the various fallen beams. He glanced around him as he ran; this place was gonna fall eventually. The fire was raging out of control!
He sighed in relief as he noticed the door; he burst through, his eyes burning as the sunlight hit him and the marginally cleaner air infected his lungs. He noticed an air ambulance in the air and Ed parked a while away. Danny glanced down at Robert, kissing him softly, before running down to the car park and throwing him into Ed's arms.
"Take him! I need to go back for Alice!" Danny shouted,
"Danny! You can't! You fool!" Ed shouted, "Your gonna leave this child parentless!"
Danny looked back for a moment before shaking his head; he was not leaving his wife to burn! He would not lose another wife to a bloody fire! Especially one started by a drugs gang. He galloped back through, taking the same path he had. This time it seemed harder though, like his movements were growing more and more lethargic. Every breath was turning into a struggle; he was beginning to slow. He opened the heavy door and gasped as he noticed the fire had eaten away Robert's cot.
"Alice!" Danny called as he ran to her. He could see the burns already taking form and her breathing was ragged and wheezy. As he picked up she coughed, latching onto his neck with her arms. "We're gonna be ok honey."
Alice simply nodded, tears beginning to form. Danny began to make the same route he had with Robert. He smiled as he saw the door! They were close to freedom! He was going to get her out of here when suddenly and without any warning a beam landed in front of them. The fire biting Danny as he turned, saving Alice from the flames. He looked around him quickly and quickly noticed he was enclosed by a ring of fire. He backed as close to the glass patio doors to the balcony as he could before slowly reaching one hand out to open it. He screamed in pain the moment his hand made contact and almost immediately tore his burnt palm off the metal handle.
"Danny." Alice whimpered, "I love you... I'm so sorry and... oh god Robert."
"Alice, we'll get out of this." Danny argued, "We have to!"
"We can't!" Alice screamed before coughing, "Kiss me Danny."
"We can't remove the cloth."
"God Damn it Danny we're about to die! Kiss me!" Alice cried, "Please, kiss me!"
Danny looked at her blue eyes pleading with him and he nodded, looking around. This was it, the fire was gathering pace. His eyes widened as he heard a pop. Alice didn't waste one more second knowing an explosion from the gas was inevitable. She pulled his face down to hers and began to kiss him passionately; at least she would die kissing the man she loved and who had given her so much.
Outside, Rosie and Dup had arrived at the scene, the air ambulance had landed and was treating Robert and a number of fire engines were on their way apparently. Dup was pacing and Rosie was stood, staring at the lodge, praying that her Dad and Alice made it out alive.
"It's collapsing and it reaks of gas!" Rosie panicked. "Dad! Alice!" She screamed.
Then it happened.
A humongous and deafening bang rang out, a ball of fire launched itself into the air and debris flew in every direction, even hitting the bystanders. The whole place crumbled as a grey puff of smoke cannoned into the air.
"Dad!" Rosie screamed tears falling, "Alice." She cried as she fell to the floor.
Dup stood for a moment staring before bursting into silent tears; he knew he'd lost them. He'd lost his best friend and the woman he loved as though she was his own daughter. Robert, his poor Robbie, was an orphan and Rosie, that beautiful young woman had lost her father. Suddenly it hit him, how much his family needed Danny and Alice and just how much they had all lost – all because of Ed.
"You bastard." Dup cried before launching himself at a defenceless Ed. His fists pounding into the gentleman's body in any place they chose to land.
A/N – I'm so evil, I know!
So what's gonna happen next? Will they find Danny and Alice amongst the wreckage?