Chapter 1034: Explosion
Besse watched helplessly as Doyle was taken away, struck dumb, unable to speak. Her eyes burned red.
Instantly, through her blurred vision, she saw Oscar and Theodore. Oscar’s tension was palpable, laced with fear. Besse stared at this familiar yet strangely unfamiliar scene.
Then, she heard Oscar’s voice, calm yet trembling: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll get you out of here. Don’t be afraid!”
Numb, she watched Oscar’s trembling hands struggle with the locked car door. Failing to open it, he squeezed through the shattered window to reach her. Besse was trapped in the mangled car. Oscar hesitated to pull her roughly, fearing injury.
“There’s a leak!” Theodore exclaimed urgently. A pool of oil spread across the street from beneath the car. The overheating engine, coupled with the oil leak and earlier tire blowout, threatened spontaneous combustion.
“Hurry!” Theodore urged.
Oscar gritted his teeth, his body half inside the car, scraping against jagged glass. Ignoring the pain, he focused entirely on Besse. She watched him, his body close, his nervousness palpable in every tense breath.
He calmly released her airbag, examining her body for obstructions. Her legs were completely trapped. He strained to pry open the crushed car seat, his veins bulging, his face reddening with exertion.
“Oscar, hurry!” Theodore pleaded. “Hurry!”
The heat intensified dangerously. Just as Theodore’s fear peaked, the car ignited.
“Oscar, the gasoline’s ignited!” Theodore cried, his voice edged with panic.
Oscar, eyes unwavering, continued his desperate struggle to free Besse. The entire car was ablaze. Theodore, unable to wait, lunged forward. “Pull her out, quickly!”
“Her legs are stuck!” Oscar shouted.
“Damn it, hurry!” Theodore grabbed Besse, attempting a brutal extraction. If Besse remained trapped, Oscar would die too. He pulled without mercy, prioritizing survival over Besse’s potential injuries. The sudden, sharp tug caused Besse to wince, but she remained silent. Oscar saw Theodore’s reckless action; it risked further harming Besse, but the urgency left no time for a gentler approach.
“Theodore,” Oscar said decisively, taking a deep breath.
Theodore responded, panting.
“I’ll count to three, then pull with all your strength.”
Theodore nodded.
Oscar was already inside the burning car, the flames intensifying. Besse noticed, but Oscar remained focused on her, reaching into the compressed space around her legs.
“One, two, three!” Oscar counted, exerting all his strength to lift the crushed seat slightly. Theodore seized the small gap and pulled. Oscar held the seat; any less effort would trap Besse again. Finally, Theodore dragged Besse clear.
“Take her away, now!” Oscar yelled.
“What about you?!” Theodore asked anxiously.
“I’ll be right behind you.”
Theodore hesitated.
“Hurry!” Oscar’s voice was sharp and urgent.
Gripping Besse, Theodore hurried away, intending to return for Oscar.
A few steps away, they heard the first explosion – a deafening roar.
Besse flinched, gazing back at the car where Oscar remained. Terror gripped Theodore; he quickened his pace.
After placing Besse safely, he turned back toward the inferno. He recalled seeing Oscar’s arms trapped beneath the seat – a sacrifice for Besse's life.
Theodore ran toward the car. Another explosion erupted, engulfing the sedan in a larger blaze. Oscar was lost in the flames.
Theodore plunged into the fire.
Besse bit her lip, trembling. The surroundings were familiar, yet the absence of others was unsettling. Only Oscar and Theodore remained from what should have been a larger group. If Theodore failed to save Oscar…
Tears welled in her eyes; the thought of the worst was unbearable.
“Boom!”
A far more violent explosion rocked the area, the shockwave and heat a painful assault even from a distance. Besse saw two figures thrown several meters, lying still.