Dear Jillian

8

'Gear up.'

The words tumbled out of Erin's mouth before she even had a moment to think.

Holtzmann looked up from her desk, one eye closed as if in thought and she twisted her lips.

'What?'

'Gear up,' Erin repeated, she was sitting on the other side of the engineer's desk and she slowly stood from her stool, her legs pushing it back silently against the floor.

'Holtz, gear up!'

There was urgency in her voice.

'Erin?' Holtzmann responded, standing too and looking at Erin intently, 'What is it?'

Erin shook her head, looking around.

'Something's here,' Erin moved her body in a circle, looking, seeking, 'something..'

'Erin?'

'Jill baby, get your pack, get the others.'

Holtz could sense the firmness and fear in the woman's voice and she ran out of the lab, calling to the others that were somewhere in the Firehouse. Erin followed close behind, her face filled with confusion, fear, her eyes darting around her as though looking for something, waiting for something to appear.

Something to re-appear.

Holtzmann reached the wall of proton packs as Erin arrived at the bottom of the stairs and she stilled, Patty and Abby joining Holtz at the wall, the blonde quietening their questions as they followed her gaze to where Erin was standing.

'What is it?' Patty asked as Holtz's eyes didn't leave the area at the bottom of the stairs and she slowly motioned for them to put their packs on.

'Erin....honey?' Holtz called as she watched the brunette look around and then back to her, Erin's eye contact intense, as though she wasn't even blinking.

'Something,' Erin murmured as the women finished clipping their packs on, 'here, something..'

Holtzmann nodded.

'Something's here,' the blonde repeated for the others, Abby nodding, humming a little in response.

It was early evening, the sky had darkened a little outside and Erin turned to the door, swallowing hard.

There was a loud bang and Erin winced at the pain it caused shielding her ears and the others flinched too, the power shutting off, and they stood in darkness.

'Guys, what was that?' Abby whispered, as the three of them flicked on the flashlights the engineer had installed on their pack straps. A second later the emergency lighting kicked in and dimly lit the lower floor.

'You okay?' Holtzmann directed at Erin, but all three women replied with a yes simultaneously and Holtzmann snorted, 'I'll never not be used to that.'

'You hear that?' Patty stated as she turned to the front door, the others following her gaze.

'Nothing, ' Abby whispered in response and Patty nodded.

'The city that never sleeps looks to have passed out,' Holtz said as she started walking towards the front door, the others following and she opened the wooden door, and it creaked, breaking the silence. Their footfalls almost echoed as they stepped outside, Erin the last to exit, the city in front of them covered in a mist. The moon was still blazing, suddenly the only source of light as the Firehouse went black again.

The temperature had dropped and their breath escaped in white clouds, all but Erin's and Holtzmann looked over to her.

'What's happening?'