The fire roared louder inside the house, beams cracking overhead. Firefighters hesitated, forced to slow their approach because the man’s body blocked the only safe entrance. From the sidewalk, someone whispered nervously that the man must be in shock, maybe injured, maybe unaware of the danger closing in around him.
But the truth was stranger.
Every few seconds, the biker leaned his head slightly toward the door behind him, listening.
Not watching the fire.
Listening to the house.