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Sophie's response was immediate, echoing the clinical detachment of a seasoned medical professional. “Jackson's condition is stable for now,” she explained, her words a balm to Liv's frayed nerves. “But he's still unconscious, and we're monitoring him closely.”
Liv swallowed hard. “I need to see him,” she whispered.
Sophie hesitated for a moment before agreeing to meet her sister in Jackson's room. Liv ended the call and dialed Brad's number next. The wait for him to pick up seemed endless.
“Brad, it's Liv,” she began as soon as he answered. “What did the lab find?”
But before Brad could respond, there was a sudden popping sound, and Liv's car engine seemed to freeze. She pulled to the side of the road, panic rising within her as flames erupted from under the hood.
As Liv's trembling hand reached for the trunk release, her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of fear and determination coursing through her veins. She needed the extinguisher that sat inside the trunk. But as she pressed the release, her heart sank. The doors remained stubbornly locked, trapping her inside with the encroaching flames.
Panic surged within her as she frantically fumbled for her keychain, her fingers seeking out the small ResQme device that Jackson had given her. It was a simple tool, disguised as a cute kitty for a fundraiser, but now it was her only hope. With shaking fingers, she activated it, feeling a surge of relief as the window shattered under its force.
The glass exploded into a cascade of pebbles as Liv scrambled to escape the fiery prison of her car. Heat licked at her skin, smoke stung her eyes, but she pushed through, driven by sheer willpower and the thought of Jackson waiting for her.
Finally, she collapsed onto the grass, her chest heaving with ragged breaths as she watched her car erupt into an inferno. Tears mingled with the sweat on her face as she realized how close she had come to being consumed by the flames.
Within minutes, the sound of sirens filled the air as Station 3's engine and Brad arrived from opposite directions. Turk and Luke rushed to Liv's side, their faces etched with concern as they approached the smoldering wreckage of her car. Turk wasted no time in barking out orders, his voice a beacon of authority.
“Get those hoses over here and watch your backs!” Turk's commands rang out loud and clear. “The grass is dry. Don’t let it burn.”
The firefighters swarmed around her, their movements a blur of urgency. A wave of exhaustion washed over her. The adrenaline that had fueled her through the emergency was fading, leaving her feeling vulnerable in its wake. Turk and Luke wrapped her in blankets, shielding her from the biting cold that lingered in the aftermath of the fire.
“Liv, can you hear me?” Turk knelt beside her. His touch was reassuring, grounding her.
Struggling to focus, Liv nodded weakly, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “I-I'm okay,” she managed to whisper.
Turk and Luke exchanged a worried glance, their brows furrowed with concern. “What happened?” Luke asked softly as he leaned in closer, his eyes searching hers for answers.
Taking a shaky breath, Liv recounted the events that had unfolded moments before, her voice trembling with emotion. “I-I don't know,” she admitted. “One minute, I was talking to Brad Killian from DCI on the phone, and the next, the car just... exploded.”
Turk's expression darkened with concern as he listened to Liv's account. “What happened before the explosion?” he pressed.
Liv struggled to recall the details, her mind still reeling from shock. “There was a popping sound.”
A silent understanding passed between Turk and Luke as they realized the danger Liv was in. “Like the pop we heard at the warehouse?” Luke's voice was grave.
With a nod, Liv confirmed their suspicions.
“For now, let's get you to the hospital and make sure you're okay,” Turk said.
Liv insisted on doing things her way. With Turk and Luke's help, she struggled to her feet, her body aching.
Numb with shock, she could only stare as Brad approached, his expression filled with worry as he surveyed the scene before him. “Liv, are you alright?” He looked her up and down. Turning toward Luke and Turk, he introduced himself, “I’m Brad Killian, DCI. We met at the Harvest Dance. What happened?”
Turk and Luke quickly recounted the events as they knew them, the sudden popping sound from the car's engine and Liv's escape from the inferno. Brad's expression darkened as he listened, then he immediately called in a contingent of the state highway patrol to investigate the car explosion, his voice clipped as he issued orders over the radio.
Turning his attention back to Liv, Brad crouched down in front of her. “Okay,” he said softly, “we'll figure this out. But for now, let's get you to the hospital and make sure you're okay.”
“The explosive inside. There was an explosive inside,” she mumbled.
“You’re safe now. It’s okay,” Brad tried to soothe her.
She couldn’t put the words together to explain.
They guided her toward the waiting ambulance. Brad promised to meet them at the hospital soon.
Liv's thoughts were consumed by the chilling realization that Michael may have tried to kill her—a betrayal that threatened to destroy her.
