The Military School (En)

The incinerator

At 9 o'clock Maya had arrived at her appointment. There were several of them under the tent. About twenty lieutenants.

Chief McCallister was present. He introduced the event and the teams, all of which would be in groups of four. He had specified that at the end of the session the positions would be debated between the members of the jury and that the answers would be given the same evening after convocation.

The positions to be filled were 19, 21, 15 and 26. Obviously, given the reputation of number 19, it was the most sought after. Maya had the same chance as all the others.

Four posts for twenty people. The fight was going to be tough. There were people of all ages, men, women, strong firefighters and some not so strong. Maya was probably the youngest.

Bishop was teamed with Lee, Bennett and Dunbar. They had drawn straws and Maya would be the third to pass.

The first had been Bennett. He had asked the team to act as if he had given them a pep talk.

He was a mysogynistic jerk who had asked Maya and Dunbar to stay away and that he and Lee were going to go get the victim who was in one of the rooms of the burning building.

In a little more than fifteen minutes the body had been found. And the four firefighters were out. Bennett was pretty proud of himself and his time.

By the time the dummy was hidden again, they had had a break. Lieutenant Dunbar was trying to make friends with Maya. But Maya knew better than to be impressed or manipulated. They had gone for coffee and a pastry.

Then it was Dunbar's turn. She had given directions to the other three lieutenants. Sometimes putting them in danger. To succeed in finding the body in record time.

-"We can't go in like this, there's no visibility. The fire is everywhere" said Maya

-"I'm your captain, right now, so you're going to do what I tell you, you're going to go through those flames."

Maya had then carried out the orders given by Dunbar. But soon they had no news of her. The chief lieutenant, in turn, had gone through the flames. Maya was on the ground on the other side. She was bleeding from the head, she could see it through her mask.

- "Fucking hell" she said, to herself. "Lee's coming here" she shouted.

While waiting for her to arrive, she checked to see if Maya still had a pulse.

- "you killed her?!"

-"Don't be silly. It's okay, she's probably banged. You're not going out with her until we find that damn dummy. I'm not giving up my chance to be captain because of that bitch!"

- "you forced her to go!"

- "and I would do it again!" She replied. "Bennett you're coming with me."

They had then gone to look for the dummy. Lee had Maya recover her mind while the others came back.

Within thirteen minutes they were out of the building, which was becoming more and more smoky.

-"Congratulations, Lieutenant Dunbar. Faster than your predecessor, and in a smokier space," Key McCallister quipped before turning to the rest of the team.
"But Bishop, are you bleeding?"

-"It's nothing, sir," Dunbar replied hastily.

- "I'm not asking you. Bishop what happened?"

-"Nothing sir, she's right, I just bumped into her."

Maya didn't want to risk Dunbar ruining her chances, when it would be her job to lead the team into the burning building.

Especially since the smoke was coming down more and more and, as a result, her command was going to be more sporty. In other words, still less than Lee's.