Page 16 of Enduring Promise

Ahead, he saw Claire running toward them, her face pale with terror. She reached them, her voice a frantic rush. "It’s the barn—the horses! The paddocks are locked, and we can’t get them out! The fire is spreading so fast."

Russ released Hillary’s hand, his instincts kicking in. "Stay here," he said to her, but Hillary was already close on his heels, following him toward the blaze. She cast him a sharp look, her voice urgent but firm. "Be careful!"

Claire ran alongside them, her breaths labored as she spoke, her words filled with dread. "This is a message. They did this to scare me. They’re going to let the horses die, and it’ll all be my fault."

As they approached the barn, Russ could see the staff clustered outside, their faces streaked with soot, coughing and gasping. The flames licked up the sides of the structure, roaringlouder by the second, and the air was thick with the acrid stench of smoke.

One of the men, slumped on the ground and clearly shaken, looked up at Russ. "The keys, they’re gone. They’re not where they should be. I tried using an axe, but I couldn’t get through."

Russ’s eyes fell on the axe lying nearby, its blade reflecting the flickering fire coming from the barn. He grabbed it without a second thought, his resolve hardening as he turned to the barn. The flames were already consuming the structure, but he couldn’t stand by and let the animals die trapped inside.

Hillary’s voice followed him as he stepped toward the inferno. "Russ! You can’t go in there.”

He gave her a quick shrug of apology before plunging into the suffocating heat of the barn, determined to break through and free the horses before it was too late. Inside the barn, Russ was immediately enveloped by thick, suffocating smoke that burned his lungs and blurred his vision. The heat was overwhelming, pressing down on him like a tangible force, stinging his skin and making sweat pour from him in seconds. Flames crackled and snapped all around, dancing up the wooden walls and licking at the edges of the hay bales stacked high. The air was dense with the scent of burning wood, and the panicked, high-pitched whinnies of trapped horses echoed through the space, adding urgency to every step.

Russ spotted the first paddock through the haze, the horse inside rearing and kicking against the wall in a desperate attempt to escape. The animal’s dark eyes were wide with fear, and its nostrils flared as it bellowed, thrashing against the confines of the enclosure. Russ gripped the axe tightly, positioning himself in front of the paddock’s lock, and raised the weapon high.

He struck the lock once—twice. It held firm. Gritting his teeth, he swung again with all his strength, his musclesstraining, and finally, with a metallic clang, the lock broke free. He tossed the axe aside and yanked the door open, barely stepping back in time as the horse surged forward, barreling past him in a terrified sprint toward freedom. It was a powerful, dark bay stallion, its muscles rippling under a sleek coat, glistening with sweat. It bolted, nearly trampling Russ in its frenzy, its hooves pounding the ground like thunder.

The impact of the horse’s near-miss sent Russ staggering back, momentarily dazed by the close call. His heart hammered wildly, but there was no time to pause. Gulping in a breath of smoke-filled air, he regained his footing and turned toward the next paddock.

The flames were spreading faster, creeping dangerously close to the next enclosure, where another horse stood, kicking at the door with all its might. Russ knew he was racing against time. He grabbed the axe again, his movements fueled by adrenaline, and brought it down on the lock with as much force as he could muster, each swing a desperate effort to break through and give the animal a chance at survival.

Russ brought the axe down one final time, his muscles screaming with exhaustion. The last lock broke free, and he yanked open the door just as the horse—a powerful black stallion with wide, terrified eyes—bolted past him, barely giving him time to step out of the way. Russ stumbled, coughing as smoke filled his lungs, the heat clawing at him from all sides. He could feel the flames licking closer, closing in, and he knew he had to get out, now.

Dizzy and disoriented, he staggered through the haze, half-blinded by the smoke and barely able to draw breath. His legs felt like they would give out at any second, but he forced himself onward, toward the vague outline of the open barn doors. His vision swam, darkening at the edges, as he stumbled forward, hoping he was moving in the right direction. Finally, just as hefelt himself slipping, a rush of cool air hit him, and he burst through the doors, collapsing into the open.

Arms caught him before he hit the ground, and he blinked, his eyes tearing from the smoke as he looked up into Hillary's worried face. She was speaking, her lips moving, but he couldn’t make out the words over the ringing in his ears and the distant roar of the fire behind him. All he could do was cling to her, drawing in gasping breaths as he felt her grip steady him, grounding him in the chaotic scene.

Around them, people scrambled, some wrangling the terrified, newly freed horses, while others ran to help. He could see a truck pulling up, loaded with a large water tank and hose, and a few workers leapt into action, aiming to douse the flames that still licked at the old barn.

He turned, his gaze finding Claire sitting on the ground a few yards away, her face streaked with soot and tears. She was watching the barn burn, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. As he and Hillary moved closer, Claire looked up at him, her expression raw with anguish.

“You shouldn’t have gone in there,” she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. “You could have died, Russ. Don’t you understand? I can’t take any more blood on my hands.” Her voice cracked, and she looked away, her gaze fixed on the burning barn, as if unable to face him. “I’ve already... I’ve already hurt enough people. Irreparably changed them for the worse.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and damning, as Russ and Hillary exchanged a stunned glance. Who exactly were they trying to protect? Maybe Claire didn’t deserve their help at all.

CHAPTER 17

Hillary watched Russ enter the grand sitting room, freshly showered and changed, his face still flushed from the ordeal but his gaze steady. He crossed the room to where she was sitting and took a seat beside her, his shoulders tense as they waited for the fire marshal and police detective to share their findings.

The room was quiet, a heavy tension hanging in the air. Claire sat across from them, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her eyes darting anxiously between the officials. Madame Fournier stood nearby, her expression somber but her gaze fixed sharply on the fire marshal as he began to speak.

"The fire was intentionally set," the fire marshal said, his voice clipped and professional. "We found traces of gasoline accelerant around the barn’s entrance and along the hay bales stacked inside. Whoever did this intended to create a blaze that would spread quickly and do as much damage as possible."

A murmur of shock rippled through the room, and Hillary felt her pulse quicken. She glanced at Russ, whose jaw was clenched. Reaching out her hand, she took his and squeezed. They were, after all, supposed to be newlyweds. Surely, she should be comforting him.

The fire marshal continued, his eyes sweeping over the gathered group, pausing briefly on Russ before moving on.

"And it seems the keys that would have allowed the horses to be freed from the paddocks were stolen beforehand," he added grimly. "Whoever planned this wanted to ensure that the animals would be trapped. At a minimum, their goal was the loss of the animals in the fire... but it could have been far worse. Someone could have been killed."

The fire marshal's gaze settled pointedly on Russ as he said this, the unspoken implication lingering in the air. Russ didn’t flinch, but Hillary could feel the tension radiating from him.

The police detective stepped forward, clearing his throat. "We’ll be conducting interviews with everyone involved and reviewing any security footage from the property. Although the barn didn’t have surveillance cameras, the gates leading into the estate do. We’ll see if we can identify anyone who might have entered the property before or after the fire was set."

The detective’s gaze drifted over each person in the room, his eyes sharp and assessing. When he reached Russ, he paused, a frown creasing his brow as he studied him more closely.

“You look familiar,” the detective said slowly, as if trying to place where he’d seen Russ before. “Have we met?”

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