Chapter 7 - The Blaze of Truth
Toby didn't just push the vent grille; he kicked it with both feet, putting every ounce of his remaining strength into his heels.
BANG-CRASH!
The metal grille burst free from its drywall anchors, plunging four feet down onto the stainless steel prep table below, followed by a shower of dust and screws.
Victoria spun around, dropping her phone onto the counter as Toby tumbled out of the open vent shaft, landing hard on top of a stack of plastic cutting boards before rolling onto the kitchen floor.
"What?!" Victoria gasped, stepping back in absolute shock.
Toby scrambled to his feet instantly. He didn't look at Victoria. He sprinted down the hallway toward the red manual fire alarm box mounted on the brick wall beside the main exit doors.
"Stop right there, you little rat!" Victoria screamed, lunging across the kitchen to cut him off.
She grabbed the hood of Toby’s sweatshirt, dragging him backward off his feet. Toby twisted around, using the momentum to kick his leg outward, striking Victoria hard in the shin. She stumbled, her grip slipping from the fabric.
Toby scrambled forward on his hands and knees, reached up to the wall, and yanked the glass-break lever of the fire alarm downward with all his weight.
WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!
Strobe lights flashed violently across the ceiling as high-decibel fire sirens shattered the peace of the restaurant. High above, the automated fire suppression system activated, sending loud warning buzzers echoing throughout the entire commercial building.
Outside the front windows of the restaurant, the sound of approaching sirens—police and fire units summoned by the automated alarm system—began to rise from the main street.
Victoria stared at the flashing red lights, her face turning pale as paper. "You idiot... you ruined everything!"
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Toby didn't answer. He grabbed a heavy iron frying pan from the rack beside him and ran back down the narrow hallway toward the walk-in freezer door. He didn't know how to unlock the heavy padlock, but he began hammering the metal pan against the steel handle with a terrifying, continuous roar.
"Mom! Dad! The firemen are coming!" Toby screamed at the top of his lungs over the blare of the sirens. "The firemen are coming!"
