𝗣 𝗬 𝗥 𝗢 𝗠 𝗔 𝗡 𝗜 𝗔 | BOOK THREE

N I N E T E E N

[atticus eaton]

"We've got a call coming in! Fire in an unstable apartment building." Chief Williams says.

Graham looks at Jolene and nods. She packs up her stuff and runs to the engine, the usual routine, where she will sit and wait until the fire is out or we leave to get more supplies. I pull on my gear and climb in, sitting across from Graham who sits beside her.

"How much does all of that weigh?" She asks. "It can't be light if it's protecting you from flames this big."

He shrugs, looking at all of the gear we have with us.

"Well, it depends on how much gear you have with you. The basic gear of just boots, pants, jacket, Hat, air-tank, and mask weighs about forty-five pounds, but if you have an axe, a camera, radio, box light or any irons with you, the weight can be as much as seventy-five pounds." He says.

She raises an eyebrow and smiles slightly before remembering why we have to wear so much gear. The engine pulls away from the station with Jolene, Graham, Chief Williams, two other officers and I all crammed up in the back. Jolene's hand brushes against Graham's and I can tell he's trying to fight the urge to take it. Three weeks ago, he kissed her on the rooftop of their apartment building. "And it was perfect" He said. "The stars were shining, the city lights were gone, and she was staring at me. I took the chance to kiss her, not regretting a single second of it. And I don't think she minded either, seeing as we made a routine of sneaking onto the roof at night to watch the stars and occasionally make out." God, that boy really got himself into the mess now.

"This Fire is big and it's burning quickly. We're keeping in touch with the police and they're reporting that people are still trapped inside. When we get there, I need all hands on deck." Chief Williams says. "Jolene, any possible way that you can help out would be greatly appreciated."

She nods.

"I can find cool rags and water. Get people cooling down." She says.

He nods.

"That's perfect. I'll see if Chief Eaton can get Jaxon Pedrad to assist you." He says.

Graham looks at her, his eyebrows furrowed and a frown plastered on his face.

"You need to stay safe. You can't get hurt." He says.

She furrows her brows and shakes her head at him.

"Any possible way that I can help you guys and the people trapped inside is my main goal today." She says. "I'm helping out."

We park out front of the building, staring at the flames. We all climb out and Jolene gasps. She covers her mouth, looking at the building wildly.

"This is my old apartment building," She says. "This is where I lived when he attacked me."

I look up at the brick building with wide eyes. The bricks are dark with soot and the flames soar high, reaching for the clouds. This attack was deliberate. Chief Williams runs over and nods to everyone.

"Jolene, you and Jaxon Pedrad are distributing oxygen, water, and cool rags to anyone exiting the building. You'll assess wounds, anything that looks burnt, bruised, or otherwise, circle with these sharpies, date and time it. They're being sent to the ER's as quick as we can. If they have a name, write it on their foot, arm, leg, forehead, wherever you can. If not, it's Jane or John Doe. This is trauma protocol number one. We believe in you." He says.

She nods and takes the sharpies from him, running towards Jaxon. They exchange a few words and collect supplies.

"The rest of you, those people need your help. If you see someone in distress, don't hesitate to ask them what they need. If you have to, run inside and find someone. Be careful and keep an eye on flares. Those bursts are only gonna get faster and hotter until this thing burns to the ground." He says. "We are their last hope right now."

Everyone runs in different directions, some to the building, others to people sitting on curbs with rags and water. Graham's head in in the clouds. He watches Jolene like a hawk, watching her every move, making sure she doesn't slip us and give herself even a paper cut. I stare at him and frown. I reach forward and smack his shoulder firmly. He whips his head around and glares at me. I shake my head and roll my eyes.

"Look, I know you love her and all, but you've gotta get your head in the game. These people need us." I say. "We've got a job to do."

He nods and pulls his helmet on.

"Let's go." He says.

A woman screams inside the building, her screams echoing loud above the flames. We run through the door, listening for her. She screams, her voice echoing through the stairwell. We run down the stairs, into a flaming hallway. I look at Graham, nodding.

"You take left, I take right. See if we can find her." I say.

He nods. I walk down the right wing of the hallway, flinching as the flames swell in on me. I check the doors, pounding on them.

"Hello!" I exclaim. "Is anyone in there?"

The scream echoes down by Graham. I run after him, spotting a woman with two badly broken legs laying on the ground, the flames nearly devouring her whole.

"Graham, we've gotta get her outta here." I say.

He nods, crouching down beside her. He lifts her off of the ground and cradles her legs gently. He runs through the flames, running up the stairs. I look around for anyone else. The spot the woman once lay in resides beneath two very large holes in the floor—she probably fell from the third floor through the ground into the basement. No wonder her legs broke. I run out, following Graham and the woman. She sobs, point at the building.

"My baby is in there! Please! Save my baby!" She screams.