Read Through Smoke: The Troubled Heroes Series Online
Authors: J.R. Tate
“Wait. Casey got me out?” A sense of pride rushed over Michael. Casey had come through for him when it mattered most.
“Yeah, he did. Want me to go get him?”
Mikey nodded, regretting it the moment he did. It felt as if his brain was sloshing around inside his skull. Even his eye sockets were tender. “Just answer me this. When can I get outta here?”
Eva ran her fingers through his hair, sending a chill down his spine. “The doctors said not much longer. You have a head injury but will make a full recovery. They just wanted to monitor it all.”
Mikey let out a low laugh. “Seems I’m the king of head injuries. It’s amazing I’m still able to think a rational thought.”
Eva leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. She smelled like roses. “Things could’ve turned out a lot worse than they did. I’m gonna go get Casey. I know he wants to talk to you. You up for it?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m gonna go to the waiting room as well so you boys can get some privacy.” His mom wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I love you, Son.”
“Love you too.” The room fell silent with the exception of some of the machines he was hooked up to. He had no idea what any of them were called. He just knew that they terrified him. The sooner he could go home, the better.
“Damn Mikey, you look like you were tied up in a warehouse.” Casey’s voice pulled Michael from his thoughts. “I never thought I’d be so happy to see you awake, brother.”
Michael watched as Casey paced at the foot of the bed. He was definitely nervous, but Michael was too. Their relationship was lacking in deep conversations and honesty. “Thank you, Case.”
“For?”
“For getting my ass outta there. I’d have been a goner.” Michael was embarrassed at the fact that he had to be rescued in a fire of all things. He could just hear cops making jokes about it now.
“I should’ve never had to. It should’ve never happened. I swear that I’ll never get you into something like that again. Granted, I know I’ve said that a million times, but this really was an eye opener. I’ve had so much time to think in the waiting room…”
Michael quickly interrupted him. “Damn Casey, shut up, man.” He laughed to let Casey know he was joking with him. “That’s the past. We got kidnapped and almost died. It happened. What matters is you came through for me. Even if it was just this one time, it was probably the most important time. Wouldn’t you say that is a big deal?”
Casey finally sat down in a chair adjacent to the bed, staring out of the window. “I suppose you’re right, Mike. I just can’t help but feel that way. I don’t know what I would’ve done if we’d have lost you.”
Michael stared up at the ceiling, exhaustion settling in. Fighting it, he rolled to his side in hopes that changing positions would jolt his body awake for at least a little while longer. “I’m still here. Plan on being here for a while, so can the crybaby bullshit and man up to the fact that you saved me. Enough said.”
Casey looked over his shoulder. “Eva will be glad to hear it. She’s a great girl. You better not screw this one up.” Laughing, he stood up and walked back to the edge of the bed again, shoving his hands in his pant pockets. “Just to let you know, I’m starting rehab soon. It’s time to get clean.”
Michael let out a deep breath, enjoying the sense of pride that rushed over him. “Good for you, Casey. Good for you.” He tried so hard not to cry, but warm tears fell down his cheeks. Addiction recovery was a long and hard road, but just the fact that Casey was admitting himself into rehab was probably the hardest step of all. “I’m proud of you brother.”
Casey grabbed Michael’s hand. “That means the world to me.”
“Michael McGinnis, are you up for a few questions?”
Michael didn’t even hear Detective Matson walk in the room with his partner until they said something. He couldn’t help but wonder how long they had been there and how much they had heard. Now he was wishing he would go back to sleep. He was in no mood to deal with all of the legalities of what had happened. Was Viper still out there? “I guess it wouldn’t matter if I was or wasn’t, you guys are still here and always get what you want.”
Detective Matson got his notepad out and hoisted his pen, ready to write. “We can always come back, but the sooner we get going, the better it’ll be for all of this to be done with.”
Michael chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Is Viper still on the loose?”
“No. We scooped him up the day of the fire thanks to help from Eva Crisante.”
“Eva? Really? How did she help out?” Michael didn’t mean to sound so disbelieving. It just had caught him off guard.
“She spotted him in the crowd. That is usual for arsonists. Most stick around the scene of the crime to see their work of art. It’s a compulsion they suffer from. She tipped off two uniform cops and chased him down. I think she missed her calling. The force needs her.” Matson laughed. “In all seriousness, we’re grateful she did what she did. There’s no telling where he’d be or what he’d be capable of if we hadn’t got him in our custody.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Michael shuddered to think about how bad his life would be, as if it could be even worse than it was before. “So, let me guess, he’ll get a slap on the wrist and Casey and I will have to go into the witness protection program.”
Detective Matson leaned against the wall, pursing his lips. Just from his smirk, Michael knew he was going to like what he had to say. “Nope. We’ve found evidence from the other arsons, including the one that killed your friend Darryl. He’ll be put away for a long time. The city prosecutor is aiming for life without parole. Chances are, we’ll get it. Viper has really fallen apart since taken in. He’s saying a lot of incrementing things and with yours and Casey’s testimonies, it’ll put the final nail in the coffin.”
Mikey let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes, scared that he would wake up and realize this was all a dream and he was still shackled to the cold, concrete floor of the warehouse. When he opened them again, the cops were all still standing over him in his hospital bed, along with the terrifying machines he was hooked up to. “Damn, that is the best thing I’ve heard in I don’t know how long.”
“We’ll get outta here and let you get some rest. I’m sure you wanna be back in your own bed soon.” Detective Matson extended his hand and Michael shook it, the cop’s grasp strong against his. “We’ll be in touch for the rest of the legalities.”
Mikey nodded at him, heaving out another sigh. Eva walked in seconds after they left. She leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips. Beginning to pull away, Michael cupped the back of her head, pulling her in for a much deeper kiss. She smoothed out his pillow and sat down, reaching for the TV remote. Eva flipped through the channels, pausing on an afternoon talk show. Scoffing, she turned the TV off and grabbed his hand. Her palms were smooth against his rough and callused skin. “The doctor said they’re discharging you. Your Ma is getting some clothes for you. The one’s you had on were filthy. We had to throw them out.”
“Bring it on.”
Michael wasn’t sure, but his heart raced as they rode the elevator up to his floor of the apartment complex. He couldn’t really put his finger on why. Was it because for the past month he had to look over his shoulder for Viper and was still in that habit? Was it because this all seemed too good to be true and Viper would jump out of nowhere, catching them off guard? He’d never know for sure. He just knew that the sight and smell of his home made his nerves relax as he hobbled through the threshold. There was still a dull ache in his head and he was walking with a limp, but none of that mattered when he sat down on his couch, safe and sound after everything that had transpired.
Eva sat his duffel bad down on the coffee table and sat across from him, her smile growing by the second. “You look more relaxed than I can ever remember seeing you, Mikey.” She ran her hand down the side of his cheek. “You okay?”
Michael nodded. “Of course. This is just so much to take in.” He placed his hands on her cheeks as well, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Thank you, Eva.”
She arched her eyebrow. “For?”
Michael laughed and ran his hand through his hair. “For everything. For helping the
morons
of the NYPD catch Viper. For helping me home. Things could’ve been drastically different without you.”
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, lightly kissing the back of it. “It was nothing. You and Casey did most of the work.”
“Speaking of Casey, he’s got a long road of work ahead of him.”
“Yeah? What do you mean?”
Michael felt an immense amount of pride flood through him. It was a strange feeling to think that way about Casey, but now he could, and he was thankful for that. “He’s starting rehab next week.”
“You’re kidding me!” Eva seemed more shocked than him. “Well I’ll be damned!”
“My mom is helping him pay for it.”
Michael noticed a few tears trickle down her cheek and he quickly wiped them away with his index finger. Biting her lip, she tried looking away. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be crying.” She swallowed and looked back at him, her hazel eyes bright as more tears fell. “It’s just that, when you didn’t show up for work, I had all of these emotions. All of these emotions I never want to feel again, you hear me?” She began to cry and laugh at the same time, and Michael couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her mood change.
“As I told Casey, I plan on being here for a lot longer. Okay? I’m not going anywhere.” He wiped more of her tears away. “Everything’s okay.”
She nodded and grabbed a tissue. “I bet you sleep like a baby tonight.”
Michael leaned back, his head slowly sinking into the couch cushion. He stared to the side, eyeing several pictures on the wall. “I’m still going to jump at every sound for awhile. That memory of feeling like someone is watching me will take awhile to go away.”
Sitting beside him now, he felt Eva’s arm wrap around his waist. “Yeah, but just think of it this way. Viper is sitting in a cold eight by eight cell. We have closure for Darryl’s death. Surprisingly, in the midst of it all, Casey is finally gonna get the help he needs, and you are home safely with nothing but a head injury, something that surely isn’t new to you, Fireman. I’d say you’re unstoppable, Michael McGinnis.”
Grinning, Michael pulled her in for a long hug, feeling the happiest he had felt in years. He didn’t want it to end.
THE END – Please leave a review, email, or post on my Facebook wall with your thoughts! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated! Links to email and Facebook can be found below!
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Check out these other books by J.R. Tate –
Backfire – Sequel to Through Smoke: The Troubled Heroes Series
Michael McGinnis returns in this sequel to Through Smoke.
While visiting his brother in Texas,
he is struck by the devastation wrought by the drought and wildfires.
Learning the fire departments are staffed mostly by volunteers, he feels compelled to stay and help. Having little experience with this type of firefighting, Michael is forced to learn the basics quickly, making him vulnerable to the deteriorating situations in the largest and most destructive wildfire in Texas history. Eva is forced to go back home to New York with the constant worry of his safety on her mind.
With danger closing in on him, Michael comes to terms with what is important and must make a crucial decision that can change the lives of everyone he knows.