She Sets Fire to Their Hearts (Complete)

She Sets Fire to their Hearts

The smoke was billowing out of the two story office building by the time we pulled up, sirens warning onlookers out of the way. As I jumped down from the fire engine I quickly scanned over the scene and saw people running from the building while coughing. My heart was racing with adrenaline, this was my first fire call since I graduated from the fire academy and I was eager to prove myself in a house full of guys who felt they had to look out for me.

"Probie!" My attention is drawn to my captain as he's assessing the scene. "Suit up, you're going in the lieutenant. There are three people unaccounted for in there."

"Yes sir!" I don't give him the chance to second guess sending me in before I'm grabbing an oxygen tank and mask and running to meet up with the lieutenant at the entrance to the building.

"Alright kid, stick with me. The smoke is going to be super thick so stay low and yell as loud as you can so they can hear you. You find anyone you let me know. Got it?"

I nod my head yes and pull on my mask and make sure it is properly sealed to keep smoke from sneaking in. The last thing I want on my first call is to need to be rescued because I can't mask up properly.

Once we enter the building all outside noise immediately disappears. All I can hear is the deafening roar of the fire burning, wood furniture crackling from the flames. The suffocating heat slams into me even through my turnout gear and I need to take a second for the shock of it to wear off before I follow my lieutenant up to the second floor before we split up to start looking for the missing people.

I enter the breakroom first and start searching for survivors. "Fire department, call out!" My voice cracks but it must have been loud enough because I hear someone yelling from the other side of the table. I round the table and see a giant of a guy on the ground.

"Sir! Can you hear me? What's your name?"

He nods his head slowly grumbling out "North" and I can tell that he is about to pass out from the smoke so I take off my mask and put it over his face so he can get some clean oxygen. Once I replace my mask he seems more alert so we can get out of here. "Ok North, I need you to stand up with me so we can get you out of here. Can you do that?"
He manages to pull himself up using the table but he won't move otherwise.

"We need to find my brothers. They are still inside."

"Your brothers are outside and safe. We're clearing the building now, you're one of the last ones we need to get. Let me get you outside so you can be seen by our medics." I try to reason with him but I can see him getting more agitated and I doubt he will leave quietly.

"If one of my brothers are still inside I need to find him! Let me go!" He roars in my face as he yanks his arm out of my grasp. I try to step in front of him to block the doorway but he pushes past me and rushes out of the room. I quickly radio my lieutenant for backup before I run after him.

"North! I need to get you out of the building, it's on fire! The more time I spend chasing you the less chance I have at finding your brother alive!"

"Then leave me alone and go find them! I'm not leaving here until we find everyone."

Realizing nothing I say will get him to leave willingly with me and it is getting to the point where he is endangering everyone's lives I know I have to do something drastic.

I take a deep breath and hope like hell this works. "Sorry big guy." Before he has a chance to react I grab his arm and pull him around to face me which makes him stumble a bit. This gave me the chance to send my fist right into his jaw sending him crashing to the floor unconscious. Letting out a relieved sigh I take out some straps and wrap them under his armpits and across his chest so that it will be easier for me to drag him out. Just as I start trying to figure out how to drag him down a flight of stairs without injuring him more my lieutenant arrived to help.