Fully Ignited (Boston Fire #3) (17 page)

SIXTEEN

“Y
OU
LOOK
TIRED
, H
UNT
.
Maybe you should go take a nap and catch up on sleep.”

Scott laughed at the ribbing Jeff was giving Aidan. They’d been at it most of the day, giving the newlywed a hard time about everything from looking sleep deprived to trying to get him to do an air management test with his SCBA and tank now that he was dragging around a ball and chain.

Jamie laughed, too, and he tried hard not to look at her. She was sitting in one of the chairs, a book in her lap, but he hadn’t seen her actually turn a page for at least fifteen minutes.

They hadn’t seen each other since he left her place the morning after the wedding, and they’d seemed okay then. Yesterday, he’d gotten sucked into doing errands and chores for his old man, and she’d promised her mom they’d do a video chat to talk about when would be a good time for Jamie to go home for a visit. Other than a few text messages, they hadn’t spoken until they arrived for their tour today.

She’d smiled and said good-morning, as she always did, and they’d gone about their usual routine. He also noticed that none of the guys acted any differently toward her or made remarks about her relationship with him, which was good. He knew she’d been worried about that, no matter how much Rick had assured her it wouldn’t be an issue.

So everything was the same. And yet everything was different. Because now he knew when she was leaving and where she was going. And he also knew she hadn’t cared enough to share the information with him. He was just a guy she was killing time and having a good time with.

Just like he’d offered to be.

Tossing the magazine he’d been flipping through onto the coffee table, he stood and headed for the weight room. He couldn’t stand sitting around anymore while his mind ran in circles. He might not be able to stop thinking about Jamie, but he could wear out his body.

He wasn’t surprised when Aidan followed him in. Besides the fact the poor guy probably wanted a break from the teasing, they usually spotted each other. Aidan kicked the door closed behind them and hit the button to turn the radio on.

Scott grabbed a pair of gloves from the shelf and walked over to the heavy bag because he felt more like hitting something than lifting weights. Aidan positioned himself on the other side of it, ready to hold it for him.

“You’re not going to knock me on my ass, are you?” he asked, peering around the black bag.

“Only if you’re weak.”

Aidan laughed. “That’s it. Make it my fault you’re in a bad mood and want to beat the shit out of something.”

“Who says I’m in a bad mood?” He’d gone out of his way to make sure he didn’t act any differently today than he did any other day.

“You might be able to bullshit them, but you can’t bullshit me.”

Scott fidgeted with the closure on the left glove until it was as tight as he liked it, and then shoved his right hand into the glove. Then he held it out to Aidan so he could fasten it for him. “Jamie’s going to Ladder 41. The end of this week when Danny comes back.”

Aidan nodded, pressing the Velcro down to secure it. “That’s pretty quick.”

“I guess, although we knew from day one she’d transfer out of here. She’s temporary.”

Aidan couldn’t have looked more serious if he’d been at a funeral. “Is she?”

“Is she what?”

“Temporary.”

Scott growled and hit the bag. “I just said she was. She was just filling in for Danny.”

“What about you guys? She’s not temporary to you, is she?”

He hit with the left, getting into a rhythm of solid jabs to warm up. “Did Lydia tell you why Jamie wasn’t in the pictures?”

“Yeah, she did. But how does she know your feelings about the relationship have changed if you don’t tell her?”

He threw some hooks, mixing it up a little. The blows were hard enough so Aidan had to brace himself to avoid getting knocked around on the other side. “Who says they have?”

“Seriously, why do you even
try
to bullshit me? I know you, Scotty.”

Scott was winding up to take a swing at the bag that just might knock Aidan back against the wall when the alarm sounded. He ripped off the gloves and tossed them aside as they ran for the door.

“Three-story, multifamily residence. Juveniles reported trapped on third floor.”

Shit.
They went for the pole. It was rarely used anymore because it wasn’t the safest way to get to the ground floor, but every second counted.

He barely paused long enough to shove his feet into his boots and pull up the bibs. The coat and helmet he took with him and he ran around the truck to climb into the cab. Firing the engine, he immediately hit the sirens so by the time the rest of the company was on board, he was ready to roll and—hopefully—drivers and pedestrians on the street had ample warning to get the hell out of the way.

The second E-59’s nose cleared the door enough for Jamie to see and tell him he was clear, he hit the gas pedal hard. Usually he noticed her reactions to corners and his aggressive way of getting through intersections, but today he had no attention to spare.

He brushed a car, parked illegally too close to a corner. “Fuck.”

Jamie pulled out her phone, but didn’t make a call as they approached another intersection. Once she’d let him know the side street was clear, she slipped it back into its pouch. They’d report the damage and drown in the paperwork later.

They pulled up in front of the address, both drivers having to lay on the horns to get the idiot bystanders out of the way. There was plenty of flame and smoke for them to capture on their cell phones, but they needed to do it from well across the street.

The guys were spilling out before the trucks even stopped and he pulled his coat on as he climbed down. The ladder company was busting ass getting their landing pads down so they could raise the ladder, and he joined his guys, who were pulling out the line. Jeff had the spanner wrench to open the hydrant.

“Are there any adults up there with the kids?” he yelled to Jamie.

She shook her head. “They don’t think so. Latchkey kids, home alone. Oldest is ten.”

“Shit. Any visual confirmation?”

“No. The neighbors are sure they’re in there, though.”

Probably hiding. Maybe under the beds or maybe in a closet. Best-case scenario, they were all together and as soon as the ladder was up, a shout would have the oldest guiding them to the window.

“Fire started on the first floor. Cigarette and oxygen tank.” Jamie cast a quick glance around to make sure they were ready. “All right. We need to keep those flames down until they get those kids out.”

As they moved onto the porch, ready to blast the first floor with water, Scott registered movement on the ladder. Gavin was on his way up, scrambling toward the window. He could hear the crowd across the street, shouting pleas for them to find the kids. Sirens blaring as more police officers and fire companies and the EMS arrived. The incident command SUV skidding to a stop.

He was about to step from chaos into hell, and as he always did when it looked like things might get rough, he sent up a quick and silent prayer to his guardian angel.

Okay, Mom. I need you to watch my back.
He grabbed on to the line behind Aidan and tapped his shoulder to tell him to go.
And today watch out for Jamie, too, okay?

* * *

J
AMIE
HIT
A
IDAN
’
S
shoulder to get his attention because either it was too loud for him to hear her or her radio was cutting in and out. She hadn’t taken the time to figure out which. “We need to get up to the second floor. Flames in the back and they don’t have the kids yet. Another company’s at the rear, but they don’t have a good angle.”

He nodded, and they moved toward the stairs at the front. She hated moving floors before the fire was contained to at least a minimum degree, but they had guys on the third floor. Since she knew they wouldn’t retreat without finding the children, they had to do everything they could to keep the fire from breaching that floor for as long as possible.

She didn’t know if the entire building was decorated in cheap synthetic fabrics or if there were chemicals they didn’t know about, but the smoke was thick and dark. It played hell on visibility, but they got the line to the second floor and turned the water on the flames. If they could beat it down from this direction while the other companies attacked it from the rear, they might be able to keep it from spreading any further.

Static crackled in her ear and she wanted to shake her head to clear it. Something was definitely wrong with her radio and it was an extremely shitty time to have a malfunction. Gullotti’s voice came through in pieces, though.

They had the oldest and middle children. The toddler had been down for a nap and by the time they realized what was happening and went to find her, she’d already hidden. While the flames hadn’t reached them yet, smoke had, and they’d gotten disoriented. They were being treated and the L-37 was going to have to do a room-by-room sweep, looking in every nook and cranny until they found the little girl.

“We have to keep this contained,” she shouted, and her crew acknowledged.

She lost track of how long they worked, beating back the flames only to have them jump or reflame. It wasn’t exactly a hoarding situation, but the apartment was full enough to offer plenty of fuel for the fire while hampering their movements.

It would have been tempting to back down and get her guys out of harm’s way, but she couldn’t surrender the third floor to the fire.

“Shit!”

She turned in time to see a beam fall, narrowly missing Grant’s helmet. He reacted, jumping to the right, but then went right back to the line. Looking past him, Jamie saw the old furniture surrounded by stacks of magazines and swore under her breath.

“You need to find that kid
now
,” she shouted into her radio. Not that they weren’t trying their best, but they were losing ground and she needed him to pick up on the sense of urgency.

It was at least five more minutes before they found the toddler hiding in a lower kitchen cabinet and got her out onto the ladder.

“We’re pulling back,” Gullotti reported. “Ladder 37 is clear of the structure.”

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Jamie shouted. The fire could have the building and the piles of junk somebody had been collecting since probably before she was even born.

They started their retreat, which wasn’t easy since they had to manage the line as they went. And they were halfway back to the stairs when the building shifted and a ceiling joist dropped onto Grant, whose knees buckled.

Shit.
Jamie moved to his side, wondering why the hell this house had it out for the young guy. He was already trying to get back on his feet, but he was wobbly and she could see the joist had damaged his tank connections.

They had to get him out of there.

“Go,” she yelled, gesturing at the other guys. They could handle the line and make sure she didn’t run into a dead end of flame. “Make sure the exit’s clear.”

She grabbed Grant’s coat, pulling him close. But before she could get into position to hoist him up onto her shoulders, Scott was there. “I’ll take him.”

“I told you to clear the exit.” The smoke was seriously hampering visibility now, and she knew the flames were devouring the place almost unchecked at this point.

“Aidan’s got it, and there’s another company in support. Let me carry him down the stairs.”

She was so angry she couldn’t even speak for a few seconds. Carrying Grant down the stairs she could do. Physically it was harder for her to backtrack out of the structure while wrestling with the line, and therefore more dangerous for everybody. “I gave you an order.”

He ignored her and hauled Grant onto his shoulder. The younger guy struggled, trying to tell them he could walk, but he was so shaky and disoriented, it would be faster to carry him.

The building shifted again with a creaking groan, and she knew they couldn’t spare even another second to have a pissing match about who was in charge. She took off toward the stairs, staying just far enough ahead to make sure their path was clear without losing sight of Scott and Grant.

They caught Aidan, and Jamie grabbed the line behind him as he sprayed what had to be a reignition point. She waved for Scott to take Grant behind them and then pointed at a window. It had already been smashed out, probably by another engine company, and it was only a few seconds before guys appeared on the other side to take Grant.

Scott didn’t go out, though. He came back and tapped her on the shoulder. “I’ve got this. You should get out.”

She ignored him and shouted to Aidan. “We’re clear, Hunt. Let’s get clear.”

Once outside, they grabbed waters and protein bars from the volunteers and walked as a group to check on Grant.

He was sitting up on the stretcher in the back of the ambulance with a white collar on, looking annoyed. The paramedic who seemed to be in charge looked at them and, noting the rank on her helmet, addressed her comments to Jamie.

“He says he’s fine.” She rolled her eyes. “I think he might have a mild concussion. Initial smoke inhalation, but he snapped out of that pretty quickly when we put the oxygen mask on him. We’re taking him in to have a look at his neck and spine just to make sure there aren’t any hairline fractures in there. It looks like his tank took the brunt of it, but his tank’s on his back, so we want to be cautious.”

“I’m fine,” Grant called, trying to catch Jamie’s eye.

She pointed a finger at him, having had her fill of people not doing what they were told. “You’re going to the hospital. When they say you can leave, you can leave. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Once the ambulance doors were closed, they walked back to the truck to start getting their equipment together and repacked. They’d hang around for a while in case it took a long time to burn down, but for now they could rest for a few minutes.