Free Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior by Shobha Nihalani

cabinet and held the mop outside the window, waving it frantically.
    They heard someone yell, ‘Look! Up there!’
    Within minutes there was a ladder reaching up to the window and a fireman was facing them. ‘Stand back!’ he shouted and rammed the window sill until the brick crumbled. The opening was big enough for them to slide through.
    ‘Hurry!’ one of the kids called out. Behind them, the fire had blasted through the door. The smoke made them cough and their eyes watered.
    ‘Hold on!’ The fireman leaned against the sill and looked inside. ‘Come on, let’s get a move on. Don’t panic, we will all make it.’ The kids climbed up the cabinet and scrambled through the opening as the fireman hauled them out one by one. There was a crowd below, cheering as the kids emerged.
    Shit! Akash thought. The kids had seen his face. And once he got out, worst of all, he would be questioned. He turned around but there was no way he could go past that raging wall of fire. And it was moving in fast. A blast of heat hit him. The blaze was wild and angry. There was no other way out. He could say that he was already inside when the fire broke out. But the media would have him on the news and he didn’t want that. Shit! Shit! Shit! As he made it out of the hole, down the ladder, he heard Chris calling him. And a roar of cheering went up.
    Akash covered his face as he landed on the soft earth. He moaned as the firemen helped him up. He pointed to his arm: the cloth was stained black and he knew his arm must be as bad as it felt. The kids’ parents were hearing stories of his bravery. Akash heard shouts. ‘He’s the one who saved us!’ The children, streaked in black and suffering from smoke inhalation, were energetic enough to shout and point at him. Damn kids! Akash caught sight of Chris whispering to someone and gesticulating with his hands about his ability. Akash turned away as cameras whirred in his direction; the reporters called out questions.
    Akash used a cloth to cover his face. He turned away, trying to avoid the attention. He grabbed a passing fireman. ‘I’m feeling dizzy …’
    The fireman conveyed that to the police officer who sternly pushed back the press and the crowd of onlookers. ‘Move on, let’s give the injured some space.’
    Akash was led to a medical van. The medics placed an oxygen mask over his face and treated his burns. Akash lay back. Tears rolled down his cheeks while the medic cleaned his burns and applied antiseptic. His soothing voice didn’t help. Akash was a big baby when it came to pain. And he wanted to cry out loud. ‘You got any painkillers?’ Akash asked. The crowd outside continued to grow while the fire trucks monitored the building, ensuring the fire had been controlled. Akash felt like his whole body was burning up. The medic handed him the meds. ‘Rest here for a while. We will take you to the hospital.’
    ‘Thanks,’ Akash mumbled and closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to go to the hospital.
    Two more television vans arrived and began filming the charred building. The fire had been brought under control. The building looked like it had ugly, black muddy water dripping from the empty windows. He heard one reporter reveal that two men had died inside. One was a janitor and the other a security guard. The cause of the fire was under investigation. The news reporter went on to say that luckily, six young children were saved by a mystery man. Shit , Akash thought. He didn’t want to hear more.
    A good fifteen minutes later, without anyone noticing, Akash removed the oxygen mask and stepped out of the medical unit. Before he walked away, he saw something etched on the side of the van with black paint: The Kalingan will return . His mind went blank for a second. He looked again and it was gone! Then he whirled around, heart pounding with anticipation. He searched the area, looking for a face that stared at him in the crowd of commotion. No one seemed odd or out of