Chasing the smoke

Chasing the Smoke
By Israel Praize

When a suspicious warehouse fire lights up the city skyline, investigative journalist Sienna Vale is the first on the scene-and almost the last to leave. Pulled from the collapsing building by Evan Rourke, a seasoned firefighter with a haunted past, she captures more than just photographs: she catches a glimpse of a figure watching the flames with chilling stillness.

The fire is ruled an accident. Evan knows better. So does Sienna. Both have seen the signs-unnatural burn patterns, a perfect pile of untouched ash, and too many blazes with the same silent witness. Reluctantly, they team up, chasing a trail of smoke that leads them into the shadows of a powerful real estate conspiracy... and toward a dangerous arsonist known only as The Ashman.

But the closer they get to the truth, the higher the stakes become. Buildings aren't the only things burning-so are loyalties, secrets, and the fragile trust between them. And in a city where corruption runs hotter than fire, one wrong step could be their last.

Some flames you can put out. Others... you can only run from.