Page 91 of Pomegranates and Olive

The sky is a deep purple and I roll over trying not to wake Deniz, who is snuggled against me. He stirs but doesn't wake, but he also won’t let go of his grip on me either. Slowly moving his arm, I slide out from under him and sit up, committing to memory the view of naked Deniz and his lean, tattooed torso. There are only a few hours left before I'm supposed to be leaving Bodrum. Of course, I can't leave now, in fact I never want to leave, but I do need to find Luca and explain myself. I also need to explain myself to Deniz, but I can't do that until I'm free from my commitment to Luca.

From the corner of my eye, I spot movement on the restaurant terrace.

Who could be there at this hour?

I sit forward, focusing on the figure when an enormous blast from the terrace illuminates the entire beachfront. It’s immediately followed by an ear-splitting crackling noise.

Deniz is immediately on his feet. "What the fuck was that?"

I scream and point at the restaurant. "FIRE!"

Deniz throws on his jeans and is already running down the jetty before I even get off Tora. I have to grab a change of clothes from the storage locker because you just can't fight fires in a party dress.

By the time I catch up with him, the terrace is burning; potted plants burst into fiery shapes in the darkness, wooden beams of the overhead pergola crackle and pop around me. I'm rooted to the ground, mesmerised by the flickering flames, until Deniz's voice jolts me out of my zombie-like state.

"Russo! Grab the hose!"

The sound of fear in Deniz's voice jolts me out of my trance as fierce flames spread toward the bar at an alarming rate. I race the short way back across the grass to the jetty end and grab the water hose. At the same time, Deniz disappears behind the bar, reappearing with an extinguisher.

A massive gust of wind blows in from the sea, acting as an accelerant for the flames. The fire begins to pick up speed and intensity, spreading twice as fast. The pergola and bougainvillea are now lost to the fire as it spreads across the terrace. I'm hosing the bar to dampen down some of the spot fires, but the water pressure isn't strong enough to have any real effect, while the extinguisher that Deniz has is now empty. He stands beside me without any real idea of what to do next.

The kitchen is well on fire by now, and the heat is just so intense, forcing me to move back across the terrace as I continue to hose down sparks that have started smaller fires. In desperation, Deniz runs straight into the burning kitchen.

"You can't go in there! Deniz!"

I'm thinking of the enormous gas bottles that are changed out daily. They are going to blow, for sure.

Sirens wail in the distance as Aydin arrives, grabbing the hose out of my hand just as part of the roof of the kitchen collapses. I scream as a solid wall of flame gushes towards us, accompanied by a huge crashing sound. "DENIZ!"

I race toward the flames, my lungs burning as I inhale smoke. I cough and gasp for air. Crying in earnest, I blindly search through the burning debris for any signs of Deniz. The stone walls are still standing, but the ceiling is gone. The divider between the bar and the restaurant is now a wall of flames shooting into the sky. The only thing left standing in the kitchen is the walk-in refrigerator. If Deniz was quick, he would've made it inside the walk-in before the ceiling collapsed.

"DENIZ! DENIZ!" I scream as loud as my smoke-filled lungs will allow.

I don’t know where to look or what to do now.

Then, although I’m not sure because it's hard to tell with the fire roaring around me, but I swear I hear Deniz yell. Then I’m sure I hear a strong tapping coming from inside the refrigerator. Deniz will be cooked alive if I don't get him out of there.

I'm surrounded by fire, but I push through, throwing burning debris left and right. I pick up a piece of wall blocking my path to the refrigerator and scream out in pain as the flesh on my hand sears. Like a wild woman, I throw myself at the door, but it won’t budge. The flames are licking at my back now, and the smoke is thick and choking me, forcing me to pull up my thin t-shirt over my mouth. I need help. Hurtling back through the kitchen, I reach Aydin, who is now joined by Luca. Both of them are doing what they can to keep the flames under control. Spotting me, Luca knocks me to the ground and rolls me left and right on the grass. I try to shout, but my voice is weak and hoarse. "Get off me!"

"YOU'RE ON FIRE!"

My adrenalin has got to be off the charts because I don’t even feel the flames on my skin.

Oh, dear, God!I’ll be scarred for life!

My throat is burning, and I can barely manage a croak, but I need to tell them where Deniz is. "Deniz… in… the kitchen."

Luca and Aydin assess the flames before sharing a knowing look. "There's no way we can get in there!"

"The fridge… I think he's in the fridge." I try to jump to my feet, but my legs collapse under me, and I grab Luca by the arm. "Please, Luca. Find him."

Luca nods grimly before grabbing the hose off Aydin and disappears into the smoke and flames.

In the next instant Ginny and Rosie are both beside me and it was a good thing too. Suddenly, my body feels as if it weighs a ton. I’m unable to move.

Ginny lifts my head and places it on her lap. "You stupid girl. What were you thinking?"

Rosie pours a little water into my mouth. I try to swallow, but my throat burns. I cough up water and phlegm, and I try to speak, my voice hoarse. "Deniz…" I can't finish my sentence as I'm overcome with another coughing fit and try to gulp in air.

---