"Harvey is inside!" she screamed, her voice raw and breaking. "Hurry up and save your husband! You have the card and only you know the password!"
Sweat dripped down the back of my neck as I turned my gaze toward the factory. My throat tightened and my chest felt heavy, but I shook my head helplessly, my voice oddly calm amidst the hysteria.
"Let's call the fire department for help," I suggested, pulling out my phone. My fingers glided over the screen with a slowness that seemed to contrast sharply with the frantic energy around me.
Evelyn spun to face me, her face twisting into an expression of pure fury. Her voice trembled as she jabbed a shaking finger at me.
"He went in there to find the accounting records for you and now it's on fire! But you're just standing here? Watching? Are you even human?"
I held her gaze, unmoving. Her wild eyes searched mine for something—remorse, fear, panic—but I shrugged instead, my shoulders rising and falling with a casualness that only seemed to inflame her further.
"The fire's too big," I said. "What if I get hurt?"
——
Evelyn gasped. Her face contorted into something primal—a mix of grief, disbelief and pure hatred.