Chapter 25 — Fire Behind the Line

The recent explosion caused part of the ceiling above the stage to collapse, creating a large gap open to the night sky. Thien Ly saw that void, a ray of hope flashing in the midst of a desperate situation.

"There's an exit through the roof!" She shouted, pointing towards the clearing. "But we need to move fast, before the structure collapses further."

The three of them followed the wall, away from the fiercely burning areas, trying to reach the gap in the ceiling. But Mr. Tho, with his age and poor health, moved much more slowly than the other two people, his breathing became increasingly difficult because of the toxic smoke that was filling the space.

"Children... just go ahead." He said, his voice broken by coughing. "I... I can't keep up anymore."

"No, we'll go together!" Thien Ly shouted, turned around to support him, one arm wrapped around his waist to support his weight. "No one gets left behind, Uncle Tho. That's the firefighter principle."

Trong Khiem quickly supported from the other side. They both helped Mr. Tho towards the gap in the ceiling, where fragments of the old roof tiles were still falling with each shaking of the burning building.

Just as they were close to a safe location, a siren sounded from outside, getting closer and closer, signaling that the fire department was at the scene. Thien Ly felt a wave of relief fill her body when she recognized Captain Dinh's familiar voice coming through the radio.

"Thien Ly, we have arrived! Where are you children?"

"Second floor, near the stage area, there is an exit through the roof!" She shouted back, her voice still shaky with tension but full of hope.

Just a few minutes later, a fully equipped fire team appeared, using a rescue ladder to safely get all three people out of the burning building. When Thien Ly finally set foot on the ground, breathing fresh air for the first time after suffocating moments in the sea of fire, she felt her legs want to collapse from exhaustion and pent-up emotions.

Captain Dinh ran over and hugged her, his voice trembling with both worry and relief. "You scared me to death, Thien Ly. Don't ever do that again."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Dinh." She replied, leaning on his shoulder for a moment to regain her composure.

The entire squad of Fire Brigade No. 3 was fully present at the scene, each person put aside their fatigue to focus on controlling the spreading fire. Ho Manh Cuong, who was skeptical of Thien Ly in the early days, was now the first person to run to check on her condition as soon as she was safely brought to the ground.

"Are you okay, Thien Ly?" He asked, his voice filled with sincere concern, his hand supporting her when he saw her staggering.

"I'm fine, Manh Cuong. Thank you." She replied, her voice hoarse from the smoke but still smiling tiredly.

Ngo Bang Tam also ran over and hugged her friend, tears rolling down her cheeks even though she was trying to hold back. "I heard there was a big fire at the movie theater. I was scared to death, Thien Ly. Don't ever make me worry like that again."

"I'm sorry." Thien Ly hugged her friend, clearly feeling the warm camaraderie amid these chaotic moments. "But we found the truth, Bang Tam. We finally found it."

Trinh Nhat Tan, although young and somewhat clumsy, also contributed greatly to helping the fire team control the fire, occasionally glancing towards Thien Ly with eyes full of admiration for the woman he always saw as an example to follow.

Mr. Tho was taken to the emergency room immediately due to inhaling too much toxic smoke, but his condition stabilized after receiving oxygen. Before being taken to the ambulance, he held Thien Ly's hand, his voice was weak but full of sincerity. "Thank you for not leaving me alone, even though I don't deserve it."

"I don't do it because you deserve it or not, Uncle Tho." Thien Ly replied, her voice was tired but still remained steadfast. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. Now, you need to live, to face justice and fully testify in court."

During the chaos at the scene, a provincial police task force, arranged according to Trong Khiem's contingency plan, searched the area around the cinema to search for any traces of the person who started the fire. They discovered a motorbike abandoned not far away, along with some other evidence showing that someone had followed and committed arson right before leaving.

"We need an urgent arrest warrant for Tang Huu Phat right now." Trong Khiem spoke to the commander of the task force. His voice, although exhausted, was still full of determination. "We have enough evidence, direct testimony from Mr. Tho, financial data, and now evidence that he intentionally killed people to cover up clues. There can be no more delay."

"We applied for an emergency order as soon as we received the alarm signal from you." The commander replied. "A team has been sent to Tang Huu Phat's residence, another team is monitoring the airport and routes out of the city, in case he tries to escape."

Thien Ly, although her body was still shaking from what she had just experienced, felt a new determination rising in her heart. After eight long years, after so many sleepless nights, so many suspicions, so many dangers experienced, they are finally getting very close to catching the real mastermind behind all these tragedies.

"We'll get him." She spoke, her voice hard even though it was still hoarse from the smoke. "After everything that's happened, we won't let him escape."

Trong Khiem looked at her, his eyes filled with admiration and a deep love that could not be hidden. He pulled her into a tight hug, not caring that they were both still covered in soot and the smell of burning smoke. "We've done the hardest part, Thien Ly. We've got the truth, we've got the proof, and now we just need to complete the remaining work."

Standing amid the ruins of Dong Kieu cinema, watching the fire finally being controlled by her comrades, Thien Ly felt a surge of complex emotions — the pain of learning the brutal truth about her father's death, the relief of finally finding answers, and a fierce hope that justice, however late, would finally be fully served.

Far away, on the horizon, the first rays of dawn are beginning to shine, dispelling the darkness of a long, tumultuous night, signaling the coming of a new day — the day when the truth, after eight years of being buried, will finally be fully revealed under the light of justice.

Trong Khiem's phone vibrated as the two stood watching the last teammates collect firefighting equipment. He answered the phone, his face gradually becoming tense as he listened to the information from the other end of the line.

"What's up?" Thien Ly asked, feeling the anxiety rising when she saw his expression.

"The special task force has arrived at Tang Huu Phat's residence." Trong Khiem said, his voice lowered. "But he wasn't there. The butler said he left last night, carrying his luggage, saying he had an urgent business trip."

Thien Ly felt a wave of disappointment mixed with anxiety rising in her heart. "Did he escape?"

"Doubt." Trong Khiem replied, his voice regained its decisiveness. "We have a nationwide arrest warrant and have blocked the airport and border gates. He cannot disappear forever, especially when all of his assets and network of relationships are concentrated here, in Hoa Trach."

"But if he escapes abroad before we can catch him..." Thien Ly left her sentence unfinished, not daring to think about the possibility that the main mastermind could escape justice after all her family and the whole neighborhood had to endure.

"We won't let that happen." Trong Khiem held her hand, his voice was firm and full of determination. "We've come too far, sacrificed too much to get to this point. I won't let him escape, Thien Ly. I promise you that."

Thien Ly looked at him, then looked at the still smoking ruins of the Dong Kieu cinema, the once symbol of the entire old town, now only ashes. But amid the ashes, she senses a new beginning taking shape — not the end of hope, but the dawn of a new chapter, where truth finally triumphs over the darkness that has reigned for eight long years.