WARNING: This chapter contains distressing content.

Chapter Twenty-One

Evil Inferno

Angela and Diablo looked at the red glow and the smoke coming from the town as well as the sounds of sirens.

"Oh my God!" Angela cried "A fire!"

Diablo opened his wings and glared, he was about to fly up into the air, but he hesitated and turned to Angela.

Angela in turn looked back at him.

"Here!" he said holding out his taloned hand "I'll fly us there!"

"Fly?" Angela cried.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you!" Diablo said, "I'll take you back there and make sure you get home safe! I promise!"

Angela blinked at him in shock.

"Look we haven't got time!" Diablo barked making Angela jump slightly "Do you trust me?"

Angela swallowed hard.

She wasn't sure about letting the raven fly her back to the town, but at the same time, she couldn't get to the location of the fire nor to her own home fast enough on foot, she had no choice.

"Do you trust me?" Diablo asked still with his hand out to Angela.

"Y…Y…Yes." Angela stuttered as she placed her hand in Diablo's then before she had a chance to realise what was going on, she was pulled towards him and he picked her up bridal style before taking off into the air, dust flying from underneath them as he launched into the air!

Angela cried out in fear and wrapped her arms around Diablo's neck before burying her face in his feathers.

Diablo held Angela close as he flew upwards, and he looked over the rooftops of the town looking to see where the fire was.

He soon saw where it was, a little further in within the town and it was a house, fully ablaze!

"Holy Cow!" he thought to himself and began to fly towards it.

As he did, Angela kept her face against his feathers, and she held her breath trying to get used to the fact that she was being carried through the air.

She then exhaled and forced herself to look away from Diablo's chest and she saw the town of Spencer below her.

She tightened her grip as she felt scared but slightly excited as well, as thoughts of when she was a child came to her about dreaming of flying like a bird, and how Nigel must have felt when he was flying in his Jet in the Airforce.

She then got pulled back to the reason she was in Diablo's arms, and she saw the house ahead ablaze.

"No!" she cried "Oh God no!"

Diablo noticed her panic and he looked at her.

"Is that your house?" he asked.

Angela shook her head.

"No! It's Solomon's house!" she cried "Oh God! Solomon!"

Diablo glared and he flew faster towards the house before landing on the rooftop of a tall building adjacent to the house.

Both the Raven and Angela stared in horror at the house as it burned and smouldered as locals began to gather at the scene shouting and pointing.

"Oh shit!" Angela cried as she watched the flames rise higher and the smoke billowed out.

"I don't know what happened!" Diablo cried "But I'm going in there!"

'WHAT!?" Angela cried but before she could stop him, Diablo opened his wings and took off towards the house taking out his walkie talkie to call his Disciples.

"Calling all Disciples!" he shouted into the Walkie Talkie "House on Fire! House on Fire! Innocents might be inside!"

He then gave the address of the street.

As he flew around towards the back of the house where the public couldn't see him, he soon heard a howl, and he looked behind him to see Rex appear with Samson and Ravage.

Diablo grinned in relief when he saw them.

"Boss!" Samson cried "We were nearby! We saw the flames when we were scouting!"

"Where are the girls?" Diablo asked.

"On the other side of town!" Samson reported "Shall I bring them here?"

"Tell them to go to the rooftop over there!" Diablo shouted pointing to where Angela stood watching.

Ravage looked over and he saw Angela and turned to the Raven with a raised eyebrow ridge.

"Who's the chick?" he asked.

Diablo turned to the Locust.

"I'll explain later!" he barked "Right now! We need to save the innocents!"

"On it!" Rex growled and he ran forward before jumping through a window at the back, Samson following him.

Diablo turned to Ravage and pointed to the upstairs windows.

"We'll fly in through those windows there!" he said, and Ravage nodded before they both flew up to the windows where smoke billowed out.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Solomon was crawling on the floor as he searched the house for his parents.

He had drifted off to sleep staring at his phone waiting for Angela to text him, but he hadn't been sleeping for long before a couple of loud crashes woke him, and he wondered if it was within the house or outside.

He had gotten up and decided to investigate what it was, but as he had opened his door, he got the shock of his life when he saw flames down the stairs as well as in the opposite bathroom.

He didn't know what had happened and right now he didn't care, but he had to find his parents, wake them, and get them out!

Solomon crawled on the floor holding his nose to avoid the toxic smoke, he knew just as much as everyone else that the smoke was the biggest killer when it came to a house fire and he knew that if he didn't act quickly, he and his parents would suffocate.

"Mum! Dad!" he screamed "WAKE UP! FIRE!"

But he heard no answer and he tried to crawl to the bedroom where they slept yet he started to find it difficult to breath as the smoke got thicker.

"Mum! Dad!" he shouted "Fire! Fire!"

He crawled more, trying to reach the door, but it felt like his body was getting heavier the more he tried to move.

Solomon reached out a hand yet as he touched the door, he couldn't find the strength to reach the doorknob, and he felt himself getting sleepy, just as he passed out, he saw a pair of black combat shoes and green and grey slacks before him….

Meanwhile, Rex and Samson had managed to get inside the burning building and despite the stench of the smoke, Rex sniffed the air trying to find scents of humans within and he soon picked up the scent.

"There are three individuals!" he reported to Samson, "They're upstairs!"

"Affirmative!" Samson replied and he followed the Doberman as they fought through the smoke and leapt through the flames.

"And I know what caused this fire!" Rex growled "It smells like a petrol bomb!"

"A WHAT!?" Samson exclaimed furiously.

"This was no accident!" Rex shouted, "This house has been targeted, why I don't know!"

"But we'll find out!" Samson said as he continued to follow Rex and they made it to the upstairs hallway.

"There!" Rex shouted as he saw Solomon crawling weakly on the floor towards a closed door.

"Mum…. dad…" they heard him croak and Rex ran over just as the young man passed out.

"No!" Rex cried as he knelt to the young man and studied him.

"We got to get him out of here!" Samson barked as he coughed from the smoke.

"You get him out!" Rex ordered "I'll see if there's anyone else in the house!"

"Rex…" Samson started, unwilling to leave his friend.

"That's an order!" Rex shouted "Go and find Diablo, Ravage, and the girls! I'll be right out! I promise!"

Samson glared, he didn't want to leave his friend behind, but he trusted him enough that he would get out alive.

"Okay…" he said.

"Trust me soldier!" Rex said "Take that young man out of here! I will be right out!"

Samson nodded and saluted at Rex who saluted back and the Panther gathered Solomon into his arms and he ran to find a way out.

Rex watched him go then stood up to look for the other occupants in the house.

Meanwhile, just as Ravage and Diablo were about to break into the top windows, they saw Samson dive back outside into the backyard with Solomon in his arms.

"Samson!" Ravage cried and lowered himself down.

Diablo followed suit and landed beside the panther and saw the unconscious Solomon in the panther's arms.

"Oh fuck!" he cursed as he looked at the young Jewish man, the very same one he had spoken to with Angela.

"Solomon…."

As he spoke the young man's name Ravage and Samson looked up at the Raven.

"You know this young man?" they asked.

Diablo cursed and looked up.

"I'll explain soon!" he said, "But right now we have to help him!" he took Solomon from Samson's arms and opened his wings.

"Follow me!" he shouted.

"Wait!" Samson shouted, "What about Rex?"

As he spoke, a crash was heard, and Rex appeared from a broken window doing a forward roll and standing up before them.

"I'm here!" he barked.

Diablo turned to the Doberman and Samson looked relived.

"Thank goodness!" Diablo said, "Is there anyone else in the house?"

Rex looked saddened.

"There was," he said, "But they're dead, the smoke must have gotten to them! I got them outside to the other side of the house for the public to find as they're starting to gather!"

Diablo hung his head in sadness, as did Ravage and Samson.

Yet they didn't have time to mourn as shouts were heard along with sirens.

"Damn! The emergency services!" Diablo said as he opened his wings "Follow me!"

He then opened his wings and took off into the air whilst Ravage took Samson and Rex's hands and he lifted him into the air as well to follow the Raven as he carried Solomon.

So it turns out the burning house was Solomon's house!

Diablo and Angela have arrived at the location and Rex and Samson have saved Solomon, yet will Solomon live? And how will Angela cope when she finds out her friend's fate, as well as the other Disciples?

Well, tune into the next chapter to find out!