Chapter Fifteen - No Escape!

Sobbing with terror, her voice horse, Stephanie continued to scream for help, her breath coming in quick short gasps. She was curled up in a ball on the floor, shaking so much she was unable to think straight. It was in this position that she heard a voice calling her name.

"Stephanie! Stephanie!"

"Dean!"

Relief flooded Stephanie, and she raced for the door, pounding it with her fists. "Dean! Help me! I'm locked in."

"Step away from the door!" Dean yelled. "I'm going to break it open."

"Wait! Wait!" Stephanie reached down to remove the towels she had stuffed under the door earlier, so they wouldn't slow down Dean's entry. She quickly shuffled backwards, "Okay!"

Dean threw his entire weight at the door, as hard as he could. The wood quickly splinted and the door flew open.

Stephanie collapsed into Dean's arms. "Dean, you came for me … you came."

Dean briefly stroked her hair, before pulling back. "You know me. I love to play the hero." He meant it as a joke, but the tremble in his voice couldn't quite pull it off.

Her eyes widened as she noticed flames beyond the now broken door, "The fire!"

Dean grasped her hand, in a firm grip, propelling her forward. "Trust me! We can make it past." He grabbed a flashlight from the shelf on their way out, switching it on.

"Stay low to the ground. Heat and smoke rises," he ordered

Stephanie did as he advised, keeping as close to the ground as humanly possible, without inhibiting her ability to walk. Fire was currently destroying the row of lockers on the far wall. Stephanie and Dean stayed on the other side of the room, which was thankfully the side directly in line with the door.

Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief as they made it through the door, and watched as Dean shut the door behind them in an attempt to stall the fire. They weren't out of the woods yet though. They still had to negotiate their way down the hall to the back exit.

Cautiously the two teenagers moved down the smoke filled hallway.

Kimmy was dreaming about the summer she was five, when her family had rented a beach house in Palm Springs. It was the summer her Pop had shown Garth how to barbeque, although he hadn't been a good teacher, as Garth had burnt the hot dogs to a crisp. The dream was so realistic that Kimmy could smell the hot dogs burning.

"Kimmy!" she heard a frantic voice call.

It sounded like Jesse, which was impossible, as Kimmy hadn't known him when she was five. And why would he sound so upset over some lost hot dogs! In fact now that she thought about it, there appeared to be a lot of smoke for a simple barbeque. Kimmy coughed, slowly returning to consciousness.

Her eyes flew open, and all she could see was black smoke, and flames. In an instant it all came flooding back – Regina … no water … hit on the head! Panic like she'd never known before welled in her throat, as she realized there really was a fire.

"Kimmy! Where are you?" It was definitely Jesse calling, but his voice sounded far off.

Kimmy sat up. The flames were climbing higher and higher. "Jesse!" Kimmy eyes were streaming, and her head was pounding, "I'm over here – next to the utility box."

"Keep calling out! I'm by the office door, but I can't see a thing."

Kimmy did so, and Jesse almost tripped over her. For the first time Jesse was grateful for the waistcoat with the bright colored shapes.

"Jesse … the Smash Club's on fire!" Kimmy said, stating the obvious.

Jesse noticed the gash on her forehead, "How badly are you hurt? Can you stand?"

"I think so, yeah!" Kimmy attempted to move. Jesse helped her up, and even though she was a little wobbly on her feet, she was able to stay upright.

"The door's just here!" Jesse practically had to yell over the roar of the fire.

The heat was intense. Kimmy raised her hands to her face to shield herself from the flames coming closer. The fire was now attacking Jesse's desk, the flames dancing across the wood.

They reached the hallway, "This way!" Jesse coughed, his voice horse from the smoke. "The back door!" Kimmy almost tripped, but Jesse's arm around her prevented them both from falling.

"Whose there?" a recognizable voice shouted, at the precise moment Jesse and Kimmy collided with an obstacle in their path.

"Dean!"

"Jesse!"

"Uncle Jesse!"

"Stephanie!"

"Take my hand, Uncle Jesse!" Stephanie said desperately, reaching blindly behind her. "Dean's almost at the back door!"

In the lead, Dean could just make out the door hand. Reaching out he turned it, a cold feeling rushing over him – the door wouldn't open! "It's locked!" He twisted the door handle back and forth desperately willing it to open.

Jesse pushed Kimmy and Stephanie against the sidewall, as close to the door as possible. "Don't move!" he ordered, as if there was a chance they would.

Jesse joined Dean, and together they threw their entire weight against the door, but it didn't even budge a fraction.

"Again!" Jesse ordered, but their efforts were in vain.

"Something's blocking it," Dean said. "It should have opened by now!" He looked behind him, briefly considering whether they could make it to the front exit, but the fire had completely cut them off now, and was making its way toward them.

Jesse pounded the door as hard as he could, "Is anyone out there!" he shouted. "Help us!"

The girls helped him scream for help, but their voices were weak.

Dean looked around frantically his eyes falling on the small window above the door. "Up there!" he yelled. "The window!"

Jesse followed his gaze, "No one can fit through there, not even Kimmy!" he said furiously.

"It's no use," Stephanie slumped to the floor in despair. "We're never going to get out of here!"

"No! Jesse, get out of the way!" Dean raised the flashlight above his head, swinging it back and forth by the window, hopeful that someone outside would catch the signal.

Jesse, listening at the door, thought he heard a sound on the other side, "Quiet!" he said to Kimmy and Stephanie. "I think I hear something! Hello!"

"Jesse! Jesse!" a voice called back.

"Someone's there – I think it's Danny. It's going to okay!" he said to the girls. "Danny, the door won't open!"

"The dumpsters blocking it!" Danny answered. "Hold on Jesse! Joey and I, and some others will have it moved in a second."

"Dad! Please hurry! The flames are getting closer!" Stephanie screamed.

"Hurry Danny!" Jesse echoed. He could just make out shifting type noises on the other side.

Dean grabbed Stephanie and Kimmy, shoving them behind Jesse, "Get ready to move!"

"Nearly there!" Danny called. Jesse and Dean braced themselves against the door. "Okay now!" They crashed into the door again and it finally gave way, flying open. Danny, Joey, and the other bystanders helped to pull the exhausted four out.

"Is everyone else okay?" Jesse asked Danny and Joey frantically. "Nicky! Alex!"

"Round the front with Michelle and Carmen," Joey reassured him. "Amelia too," he informed Dean. "They're pretty scared – well we all are – but fine!"

"Dad!" Stephanie cried falling into her father's waiting arms. "It was Regina, Dad!" Tears rolled down Stephanie's face, as she clung to her father hysterically. "She locked me in the supply closet. She meant for me to die!"

Danny held her close, "It's okay now Steph, you're safe!" he soothed.

Stephanie buried her face in Danny's shoulder, "Dean saved me!"

Danny mouthed 'thank you' to Dean, over his daughter's shoulder. Dean gave a small nod.

Jesse had his arms around Kimmy. She leaned against him, rubbing her head, where Regina had struck it, "She turned off the water. I went to check it out and that was when she knocked me out."

"She blocked off the exit as well," Joey announced grimly. "She must have used her car to move the dumpster – there are skid marks all over. I don't know how anyone didn't see or hear anything!"

"Maybe they did," Dean said. "They just didn't realize what it meant."

"Regina!" Stephanie suddenly asked her dad. "Did she get away?"

Danny shook his head, "I don't know Steph. I don't want you to worry – Regina's the police's problem now."

Moving away from Danny, Stephanie crossed the short distance to embrace Dean, His arms went around her and he held her tightly.

Fire fighters in full gear made their way over to the group, "Is everyone in your group accounted for?" one of them asked.

"Yes!" Jesse looked toward the building, "I don't think anyone's still in there – I hope not anyway." Kimmy shuddered against him, and he tightened his hold. "I'm Jesse Katsopolis. I own the Smash Club!"

"You'll need to come with us Mr. Katsopolis!" the fireman insisted. "We have a lot of questions for you!"

"I'll do whatever I can to help!" Jesse turned to Kimmy gently touching her hairline where Regina had struck her. "Kimmy make sure you get that checked out before I get back!" He turned to his brother-in-law, "Danny make sure she does!"

"Can't it wait?" Stephanie appealed to the fireman. "My uncle has just escaped a burning building.

The fireman looked apologetic but firm, "I appreciate that young lady, but we need to get this fire under control."

"It's okay Steph," Jesse reassured her, following the fireman. "This building is my responsibility!"

Stephanie's eyes were drawn to the door they had just exited from. The entire hallway was now fully engulfed in flames. If they hadn't escaped when they did, it would have been too late! Stephanie clutched Dean's hand tightly, and along with the others, she watched the Smash Club burn to the ground!