Chapter 2 Fire

SHEENA

The rest of Sheena's day went by at the orphanage, playing with Tyler, the new boy who was brought in today. They got his name and age from his birth certificate that was with him in his bag. He was 3.5 years old.

Sheena felt sad for the boy and the thought of adopting him crossed her mind once but she shook off the thought because for that she'd have to use her real identity and she couldn't afford to do that.

Rosario, the mafia lord might be looking for ways to take revenge from her family and if he ever knew that she was living alone in a different country without any protection, he'd surely take advantage of it.

It was 6 pm and Sheena was leaving when Tyler started crying. She walked to the door unwillingly but Tyler followed her and tugged her skirt while crying.

"Shala, don go! Pwese," he said in his cute baby voice and Sheena couldn't refuse.

"You cute little thing! Are you going to force me to shift here permanently ?" Sheena asked while narrowing her eyes at him.

"At least stay until the donor arrives here. He'll be here in an hour." Agatha's voice came in and she agreed. Not for the donor but for Tyler.

Sheena picked him up and went to the backyard where there was a huge tent house for the kids. All the kids were inside the orphanage, having evening snacks and watching TV shows but Tyler wanted to play outside with Sheena. So they enjoyed themselves in the tent house

After nearly an hour of playing, Sheena sensed the smell of something burning and looked around when she saw smoke coming out from the gap below the closed door. Lantern lights hanging around from the trees were giving off a calming vibe, so she failed to notice the change earlier.

Now she could see black smoke rising in the sky and fear engulfed her, not for herself but for Tyler.

Her heart raced as she rushed to the door to open it but as she touched the knob, her fingers burnt.

"Oh my God! Agatha? Agatha! Maggie? Anyone there? Please open the door,'' she shouted and picked up Tyler.

She looked at the boundary wall which was 6ft in height and had a spiked fence over it. So leaving from there was not possible. There was no way to walk around the building to reach the front door because the backyard was blocked from the front side by big walls, the same height as the building.

They were trapped and if the fire wasn't doused in time, soon the plants and trees would catch fire and it wouldn't take long to reach them.

"Someone help!!!!" Sheena shouted as loudly as she could but she wasn't sure anyone could hear her because everyone must have left the building.

Tyler started crying and tears streamed down Sheena's face looking at his scared face.

"Don't cry, Tyler. I won't let anything happen to you," she told him softly and put his head on her shoulder to protect his face from the hot air that was starting to hit them.

"God! Please help me. At least save Tyler," she muttered while looking up with blurry eyes when the door burst open.

She couldn't control herself and cried loudly as relief washed over her looking at someone standing at the door. She couldn't see the face and because of the blazing fire behind him, she could only make out his silhouette.

He looked like an angel to her and she rushed to him before handing Tyler over.

"Wait!" she said and rushed back to the tent.

She took a napkin and poured water on it to make it wet and then went to the man to put the wet cloth on Tyler's nose.

"Hold it and go," she said and the man answered,

"I am not leaving you here. Let's go." He grabbed Sheena's wrist and pulled her but she didn't move.

"I'll slow you down. Just go! Firefighters will be here soon."

But she was not sure if she was safe anymore because the fire had started blasting out from the windows and a few potted plants outside had caught fire already.

"Stay here. I'll be back," the man said and ran away with a crying Tyler who was clutching the man's neck like his life depended on him.

Sheena was staring at their retreating figures while standing near the door, 4 steps above the ground when the wooden door frame began falling.

She moved back abruptly and lost balance, twisting her right ankle. She fell on the ground face first and a scream escaped her lips, her foot was hurting like anything.

The burning frame fell off on the stairs in a position that it could slip anytime and fall on her.

"Drake? Is it my last day?" she muttered, looking at the starless night sky that had turned red because of smoke.

"Sheena!! Get up. Come here."

She looked at the door and found the same man standing there, stretching his hand in her direction.

"Where is Tyler?" she asked and squinted her eyes as her eyes were now burning.

"He is safe. Now come here or I'll have to die here too."

"I can't get up. I twisted my ankle. You go. Thank you for saving Tyler," she said as more pain erupted from her ankle and she hissed in pain.

She thought the man would run away but he came forward carefully crossing the burning log and bent down before slipping his hands under her knees and shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Sheena asked with her eyes half closed as she couldn't open it because of the burning.

"Picking you up. What else? Look around yourself. Trees are catching fire."

He picked her up bridal style and started climbing the stairs.

His voice sounded familiar but Sheena couldn't point it out where she heard it.

How did he know her real name? No one should know who she was.

Her heart drummed inside her chest.

As they entered inside, extreme heat enveloped her whole body and both of them started coughing but the man didn't stop. She rubbed her eyes and opened them to look around and the first thing she saw was something falling down which was completely engulfed in fire.

She was about to scream when the man turned to his right to protect her legs those were directly under the burning log or whatever it was. The object engulfed in fire fell on his left arm.

Urghhh!!!!

He grunted but kept walking at a fast pace.

"Oh my god! Your jacket." Sheena stretched her hand towards his left arm, trying to douse the fire when he said,

"What are you doing? Dousing fire with bare hands? Just stay still. I'll deal with it later."

Christian!!!!

She shifted her gaze to his face and she was right. It was Christian.

"You? What are you doing here? Put me down, Christian," she shouted as anger surged through her.

Christian looked at Sheena but said nothing and kept walking. Sheena was about to say more when they reached the front door and he rushed outside.

Sheena wiggled in his arms as she wanted him to put her down but he tightened his hold around her and she gritted her teeth looking at him. Christian was looking straight ahead with a poker face and then he told someone,

"Can I get a chair or something? She twisted her ankle. She needs to sit."

"Oh my god! Sir! What is this?" A beautiful redhead wearing a maroon formal jacket over a black tank top and maroon pencil skirt rushed to them and began dousing the fire on his jacket with a napkin.

She shouted in a shrill voice, "Someone get a bottle of water."

Sheena's nose scrunched up as she watched her over-reacting when she heard the siren of the fire truck and rolled her eyes.

"Everything is already burnt, Lazy asses," she whispered to herself and Christian looked at her with an amused expression.

Sheena remembered Christian was still holding her.

"Why are you still holding me? I said put me down. I can handle myself. Just put me down," she said in an angry whisper and he looked at her with knitted eyebrows.

The fire on his jacket was already doused by then.

When Sheena thought he'd argue, he did the opposite.

"Fine. Go handle yourself," he said and abruptly put her down on her legs.

Ahhhhh!!!!

A pain erupted from her ankle and she screamed, finding something to hold on to but there was nothing except Christian's dominating figure.

She was about to fall when Christian grabbed her hand and pulled her to him before carrying her again.

"You handled yourself well, I must say," he remarked sarcastically with a smirk and she fumed in anger.

"Sir, here. Put her on this chair." The red head brought a chair and Sheena sighed in relief as Christian finally put her down on it and sat on one knee in front of her.

"What are you doing?"

"Sir! What are you doing?"

Both Sheena and the red head shrieked but Christian remained unfazed. He gently took Sheena's heels out and kept them aside before standing up.

"Thanks, Amelia," Christian said with a faint smile and she nodded.

"It's okay sir. I am always happy to help you," she said while batting her eyelashes at him and her cheeks turned red.

Her cringe behaviour irritated Sheena.

Sheena was looking at Amelia when she heard a child's cry.

"Tyler!! Oh my god! Where is Tyler?" she shouted while looking around and saw Agatha carrying him.

As they reached where Sheena and Christian were, Sheena was about to take him on her lap but Christian beat her to it.

"Hello, baby! Are you scared of the fire? We are here with you. You'll be safe." Christian talked to Tyler softly and put Tyler's head on his shoulder while patting his back. Surprisingly, Tyler calmed down and snaked his arms around Christian's neck.

"Oh my god! I don't know why this kid doesn't calm down with anyone else but he is happy and content with Shaila and now you too. I think you people have some connection with him," Agatha said with an amused smile while Sheena kept looking at Tyler and how he was sleeping on Christian's shoulder.

"Oh! By the way, Shaila. He is Mr Christian Adams. He is the one I told you about earlier today. The businessman, coming here for donation," Agatha said and Sheena's eyes widened.

She added, "But now what? It's completely destroyed. For what will he donate now?" Her face dropped.

"I wanted to help you people and I'll still help," Christian said and both of them looked at him.

"I'll re-build this orphanage. Do you people have any place where you can keep these children temporarily?" he asked and Agatha thought for some time with her fingers under her chin.

She shook her head and said,

"Nowhere, except shifting them to other orphanages. These kids don't want to be separated except for being adopted. They like it here with us. I don't know how they will cope." Her eyes turned glassy.

Christian seemed to think about something and spoke after a few minutes,

"Don't worry. I have a mansion nearby. All of you can stay there for sometime. It's huge enough to accommodate everyone. I'll make this place as good as new in a month. Then you people can shift here.

Agatha covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes widened as she said,

"Are you serious Mr Adams? That'll be so good. Will you really do that for us?"

"Yes. Why not? I promise, all of you can stay at my mansion and the orphanage will be ready in a month."

A team of doctors arrived to check on people. One of the doctors checked Sheena's ankle and said she had a sprain and needed bed rest for 2 days. He strapped a compression bandage around her ankle.

"How will you go, Shaila? You can't even walk properly," Agatha asked.

"I'll hire a cab. Don't worry."

"Okay. It's time for me to go too. I'll make arrangements for the construction and it'll start once the police finish checking the place," Christian said and Agatha took Tyler from him. He looked up with a bewildered expression.

"Tyler baby, say goodbye to Mr Christian and Shaila," Agatha asked him gently, he looked at them with wide eyes and then started wailing.

He stretched his hands to Sheena and Christian so he took him back. Tyler stopped crying soon and said

"Shala...come."

He snaked one arm around Christian's neck and stretched another arm to Sheena.

"Oh boy! Now what will we do? He is not ready to leave both of you," Agatha said with an amused smile and raised her eyebrows.