With painstaking precision, he tipped the lantern toward the oily rags, igniting a smolder. Smoke coiled upward as sparks danced across saturated cloth. The first wisps of burning rag signaled his gamble. He nudged the bucket to contain the flame, aiming for just enough chaos to distract them.
It worked. The criminals hissed in alarm, cursing the sudden smoke. One darted for a water jug. Another rummaged for anything to beat the flames. The third kicked the smoldering rags in frustration. In that swirl of panic, Marcus bolted toward Luna’s cage, heart roaring in his ears.