The bodyguard who was on duty that night walked slowly into the mansion cell and peeped inside Tessa's room. He pulled his phone out and called to update Gareth.
"She's still alive?" Gareth asked.
"Alive. Fast asleep." The man responded.
"She's a fighter. I thought she'd be dead by now," Gareth laughed before ending the call.
At that same time, Kiara was giving her final warnings to Tessa:
"You cannot afford to miss this opportunity. I have told you the plan over and over again, and I am sure by now you know exactly what is expected of you."
"I know, ma'am Kiara."
"Can you just run it past me again."
"Ok," Tessa straightened up. "As soon as people are running in the commotion of the fire, I will also run into the kitchen and use the side exit. The security guard next to the fountain will have been distracted, so that's the route I will use on my way to exit the mansion grounds. I won't go via the main gate, I will have to go via the garden, climb that huge tree and jump over to the other side."
"Yes, yes." Kiara nodded her head happily.
"And then I should not go home, because if Gareth finds out that I am missing, the first place he will search is my home. So I will go to the address that you gave me; to Jacob's house, and I will give Jeremy the jewellery."
"And the letter," Kiara added.
"Yes ma'am, the letter too."
"And if Jacob says he also does not know where Jeremy is, what will you do?"
"I will insist that he knows, because you told me that no matter what, Jacob should know where to find Jeremy."
"Good. And once the jewellery is sold, what happens?"
"Jeremy must leave the capital city. He will have to find a way to leave, at any and all costs."
"Use the jewellery to take care of yourself. It's a pity that I have not much cash with me. All the cash that I had, I have given to you. Use it wisely. But those items should work. Sell it; it's very expensive jewellery. I wish you the best" Kiara hugged the girl, and for a long time the two remained like that.
Finally she let her go and wiped off the tears with, "My prayer is for us to meet again one day. But if we do not, it was an honour to have you as my helper, Tessa."
"It was an honour to work for you too, ma'am Kiara."
Kiara told Tessa to go and hide in the bathroom, and she rang the bell for Rosaline. Looking very frightened, Rosaline came in and stood in the centre of the room. It was easy to tell that she was awaiting the bell, because as soon as it rang, she appeared.
"It is time to make the soup, is it not?" Rosaline asked.
"It is. Now go there and do not mess up anything."
"I will not." Rosaline assured her boss.
She walked all the way down to the kitchen, and she placed a pan on the stove. She put in some cooking oil and lit the gas on the highest gas mark. With trembling hands, Rosaline started to chop some onions. She threw a few vegetables in the blender and switched it on. She quickly turned it off, due to the noise that it was making, and she carried on with chopping the tomatoes.
The oil was sure heating up fast, and Rosaline could not even stand still. She was very scared. She watched as steam started to come from the oil, and she got ready for the action. She took a cup of water and standing from as far off as she possible could, poured some water into the pan of hot oil. There was an instant reaction of a noise, and the oil furiously bubbled. It splattered in all directions, and a ball of fire shot from the pan.
"It worked!" Rosaline said under her breath, and she watched as the fire furiously grew. Before she knew it, the fire alarm wailed, waking up everyone in the mansion and in the staff quotas. She ran into the control room and swiftly turned off the CCTV. She opened the electricity control panel and randomly switched off three breakers. Then she ran out.
"Help me!" Rosaline screamed, running out of the house. She ran straight to the bodyguard who usually stayed near the fountain, and waved her hands, "help me!"
The man ran towards the kitchen, and saw that there was a fire inside. Besides the stove, Rosaline had carefully place some paper towels, which had also caught fire by then, and the fire was steadily spreading.
Lady Pinkerton, who was fast asleep in her bedroom, heard the fire alarm and she woke up with a startle. She woke her husband up, and he started to dress up, ready to evacuate the building.
Lady Pinkerton called Gareth.
"Is that a real fire? Do we have a fire drill today?" she asked.
"It's a real fire! I'm coming for you. Get ready to leave now!" Gareth was panting.
Lady Pinkerton quickly wore her morning gown and opened the door. She and her husband headed for the stairs.
At that time Tessa was already out of the building, using the side exit. She was running for her life, with the bag of jewellery in her arms. She ran through the garden and headed for the big tree. Tessa was not used to climbing trees. In fact she had never climbed a tree before, but she sure knew how to try. It was easier than she thought; and before long, she was on the other side.
The breakers that Rosaline switched off affected both Vine and Kiara's wing, as well as the basement. The third one affected all third floor sockets. Vine, in his wing, also heard the alarm and he woke up with a startle. It was dark everywhere. He immediately called Gareth.
"It is not a fire drill, young master! Evacuate!" That was how Gareth answered the call.
Vine checked and saw that the lights were not working. He called Gareth again.
"Why are the lights not working? Why hasn't a generator kicked in?" he asked in panic.
"Evacuate the building, young master!" Gareth screamed and ended the call.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, the fire was growing in leaps and bounds. Since the gas stove was switched on, the gas helped in making the fire wild. The gas tank, which was in a built in space, continued to feed the fire, and it happily expanded. It licked the curtains and other food items. Cereal boxes burnt like the paper that they are; and the fire moved to the next room.
Vine used his phone torch to run towards Kiara's wing.
"Kiara!!" he called. His mind was telling him that since Kiara's door was usually locked, she was not going to be able to unlock it from inside; and he feared a lot for both Kiara and Vincent Lisandro; but more for the latter.
The bodyguards who usually stood by Kiara's door were not there, for the two had run downstairs to try and see if they could assist with putting out the fire.
Vine pushed the door open while calling, "Kiara!"
"What is happening?" she cried.
"A fire! Let's go!"
Vine snatched the child and ordered Kiara to follow him. It was very dark in the whole place.
"Where the hell did your bodyguards go?" he asked.
"I don't know!" Kiara cried.
They ran down the corridor, and as they were about to descend the stairs, they met a bodyguard who was coming from downstairs.
"Go back up, young master! There is no way out from this staircase! The fire is coming up this side!"
"What? Which side is safe, then?"
"Northern exit! Follow me!" the man said.
They ran very fast, following the man.
"Has anyone called the fire fighters?" Vine asked.
"I think so, I am not sure." The man was breathing heavily.
Kiara, ran, and since it was dark, she bumped into something, making her wail in pain.
"My knee! My knee!" she cried.
Vine stopped in his tracks. He looked back, flashed the light on Kiara and saw her writhing in great pain; blood on her right knee.
"Take the child! Make sure he is safe!" he handed Vincent to the bodyguard, and he quickly picked Kiara up in his arms.
"You will be fine," he whispered.
And on they ran. They ran down the stairs, and the place was a total mess. Smoke was everywhere, and Vincent started to cry.
"We will have to retreat!" the bodyguard announced.
"And go where? All the exits are on fire! Are we not able to just exit from here?" Vine asked wearily.
"I don't know!" the guard screamed.
He took two steps forward and came back.
"The fire is bad."
Meanwhile, standing outside was the master and lady Pinkerton.
"Someone please find Vine and Vincent. You have to find them. And that girl too, Kiara! Find my grandson and his family, or else you all die!" she mixed both threats and pleadings as she failed to imagine life without Vine and Vincent Lisandro…and maybe Kiara too?