Chapter 430 Thalia Trapped in the Fire
"Thalia, in a moment you'll enter from here, then jump down from the window. The safety airbags are all set up. Also, here's the camera positioning. Take a look - you'll come down from the second floor to the first floor, try to pull the door open, find it won't open, then go back to the second floor." The production assistant explained while handing her an iPad with the route map on it.
As soon as he finished speaking, someone called him on the walkie-talkie, asking about something else.
Thalia took the iPad. "I'll walk through it myself. You go ahead."
"Alright, I'll be at the entrance. Just call me if you need anything."
Thalia nodded, "Okay."
Holding the iPad, Thalia looked at the camera tracks laid out on the ground, walking from the first floor to the second, then back down to the first, and into the second-floor room to check where she'd jump from the window. The script played through her mind.
After finishing her walkthrough and preparing to go downstairs, she found the door wouldn't open when she tried to pull it.
"Again?"
"Am I cursed with fire in this lifetime or what?"
"Anyone there?" Thalia walked to the window and waved at the people below, trying to get someone to rescue her.
"What's that smell?" Thalia wrinkled her nose. Looking back, she saw flames bursting through the doorway, spreading rapidly with a strong gasoline smell coming through the door crack. This fire was even worse than the last one.
Who would dare sabotage the film set?
She'd been too naive. She should have listened to Layla.
"What's that smell?" People downstairs wrinkled their noses. Those standing closer had already caught the strong smell of gasoline.
Someone standing farther away heard the noise and looked up to see movement at the second-floor window. "The second floor's on fire!"
"Oh my God! Thalia's still inside."
"Who's inside?" Layla was drinking water when she heard someone shouting. She vaguely heard Thalia's name and called John down. "Go hear who they're shouting about."
John opened the car door and got out, staying silent for two seconds. When he heard the name, he sprinted at full speed. "Thalia..."
"Thalia?" Layla realized what was happening and chased after him.
Reaching downstairs, she saw people grabbing fire hoses and water, then heard an angry roar. "Did anyone call the police?"
"We called. They're on their way."
"The fire's too big, we can't get in."
Layla grabbed the person who said this. "What do you mean the fire's too big to get in? You have to get in. Thalia's still inside."
John grabbed a blanket from somewhere nearby, soaked it at the fire hose, wrapped it around himself, and rushed straight in.
"John can get in, why can't you? This fire started because of your careless operation. You're responsible."
"Get in there and rescue her right now. What are you waiting for?" The director didn't want this to blow up. He pulled someone aside and told them to go rescue her, then turned to calm Layla. "Don't worry, we don't want anyone to get hurt either. Don't panic. Go check if the fire truck has arrived. Hurry up."
"Right away, right away."
...
"What time is it?"
"Five-thirty. Mrs. Brown said it should wrap up around six."
William glanced at the messenger from Brian. Meeting at six-twenty.
Wait a bit longer.
The man had just finished replying when he saw someone rush out from ahead. Because they were filming, the whole street was blocked off, and William's car was parked at the alley entrance.
He saw people rushing out in a panic, removing the barriers and taking away the cones at the alley entrance, waiting for something.
"Go down and ask what happened."
Finn got out and tapped someone's shoulder. "What's going on?"
"Ah! Nothing!" The crew members weren't stupid. This kind of thing couldn't be talked about outside. Confidentiality was always top priority on set.
If something happened before filming was done, it would look bad.
Finn nodded, turned around, walked to another car, and knocked on the window, signaling the bodyguard inside to go around through another entrance to see what was happening.
Within seconds, as the bodyguard's car drove past the alley entrance, Finn's phone rang. [There's thick smoke inside. Looks like a fire.]
[Go check it out.] William had an ominous feeling, sensing this had something to do with Thalia. She'd been so unlucky lately.
When someone's luck got bad enough, this kind of thing wasn't impossible.
Finn pushed past the people guarding the entrance and headed straight for the fire scene. Before he could ask anything, he saw Layla furiously pointing at the crew members and cursing.
"Holy crap! That unlucky?"
[Mr. Brown, it's Mrs. Brown trapped in the fire.]
As soon as Finn hung up, William's heart sank. He was about to push the car door open when fire trucks came roaring up. William took off his jacket, grabbed a mask and hat from the passenger seat, put them on, and pushed through the crowd into the alley.
When Layla saw William, her shouting and cursing stopped, and her heart settled considerably.
"Did anyone go in?" William asked.
"John went in. It's been a while, but he hasn't come out yet."
Hearing this, William instinctively wanted to rush in with the firefighters, but was stopped. "Don't make us rescue one more person."
William held himself back, knowing that being anxious shouldn't mean causing trouble for others.
"They're coming out!" At the main entrance, someone saw movement in the fire and shouted urgently.
John came rushing out of the fire carrying someone on his back. Thalia was unconscious.
"Give her to me!" William rushed over and took the unconscious Thalia from John's back. As soon as John handed her over, his legs gave out, and he collapsed.
Finn quickly caught him and helped him to safety.
"Ms. Smith..." John looked at William's disappearing figure and reached out, trying to grab him.
"Don't worry. Mr. Brown's here. She'll be fine."
...
"What happened?"
"A fire?"
Amara had just arrived at the hospital today when she got a call from William. The hospital director personally led people down to meet them.
The group went upstairs to the VIP ward together.
"Get a doctor here." William's angry voice echoed in the room.
Thalia groggily opened her eyes. The harsh fluorescent lights made her feel dazed. Seeing her reaction, William waved his hand in front of her.
Thalia looked and thought to herself, 'If I'm dead, how can I still see William?'