Up in Smoke (18 page)

A
t work the next morning, I sat enjoying the sports section of the local newspaper and a cup of morning coffee in the dining hall when Cole strolled in.

“You hear anything more from Foster?” he asked, pulling up a chair.

I set my paper down and took another drink of my coffee, letting the warmth go down my throat and into my belly before I responded. “Haven’t heard anything from the guy since he called me the other day.”

He nodded and said, “I suspect you will soon. He has a PI buddy he was going to talk to the last time I spoke with him.”

“A private investigator? Why’s this Fred guy helping me out like this?” I asked, setting my coffee down on the table. “I don’t even know him.”

Cole smiled. “He’s looking to get promoted over at the station, and cracking a case like this will help him look good.”

“What kind of case is
this
?”

“Remember? I told you that Lincoln guy is a wanted fugitive up and down the coast—California, Oregon, and here in Washington. He’s a big timer that you got mixed up with.”

I adjusted in my seat a little.

“Don’t be nervous about it,” Cole insisted. “He told me there are cops in unmarked vehicles at your place and your daughter’s.”

Nodding, I said, “I demanded it before I gave them any information.” I took another sip of my coffee. “I didn’t know he was a big time criminal. I just fear what means he has to screw with my family more. He had video footage of my daughter.”

“That’s insane, man,” Cole said, shaking his head. “No wonder you didn’t want to share much with me earlier on. These guys probably rattled you pretty good.”

“Yeah. I was terrified.”

Megan suddenly came into the dining hall and walked over to Cole. “Hi, Rick,” she said to me before directing her attention at Cole.

“Hi,” I said politely as I stood up to leave.

“You don’t have to leave,” Megan said. “I was just going to tell Cole something really quick.”

“It’s all right,” I replied. I went to the kitchen and refilled my coffee. I couldn’t help but overhear them talking in the other room.

“I’m going to the school to help out, and my phone died on the way in, so I stopped by.”

“Okay, love,” Cole said.

It was awkward to hear them talking, so I left the kitchen and went down the hallway. Walking into the multi-purpose room, I spotted Ted and Kane glued to the television set.

“Gents,” I said, stepping in to the room.

Kane looked over at me and tipped his chin. “Sup, Alderman.”

“Just livin’ the dream.” Looking at Ted, he looked like he didn’t even know I came in the room. “What you doing, Sherman?”

“Shh,” he replied.

Kane laughed and got up off the couch to come over to me. Kane lowered his voice and leaned into me a little. “We have a meeting today about those changes coming down. You know anything about it?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know a thing.”

“Oh, come on! I know you know.”

I took a drink of my coffee. It took all I had in me not to frown, knowing full well about Gomer getting the cut. I felt bad. He hadn’t been there long, but he was a part of the brotherhood. Sure, he got picked on, but he was one of us. “It’s going to be a hard day.”

Kane’s face looked worried as he frowned. “It’s Gomer, isn’t it? He’s canned.”

“Can’t say,” I said.

“Well, he already got an offer over at a Fire station in Suncrest. He’s going to go work out there if he gets the axe.” Kane shook his head as he looked down. “It’s not right what they’re doing.”

“It is what it is.”

“Cole said he was helping you the other night and couldn’t hang out because of it. What were you two up to?”

“No need to get up in the business, McCormick.” I went and sat down with Ted on the couch. Ted was strange, but he didn’t need a constant flow of communication like everyone else seemed to need.

The meeting was underway, and Cole looked like he was sweating bullets when he walked to the front of the room. Jensen was up there with him, but he looked more depressed than nervous. Brian sat fidgeting in a seat a few rows up from me.

I leaned up and said into his ear, “Calm down, son.”

He looked back at me and said, “No dumb comment about me being a rookie?”

I shook my head.

“Now I
am
scared,” he replied, looking forward.

Cole cleared his throat. “Okay, guys. You know we lost the battle with the Mayor and the city. I’m happy to report we were able to keep the pensions safe, and they did lax a smidge. But . . .” His eyes fell on Brain. “Gomer—”

“I know,” Brian replied before Cole had to say it. He stood up and turned to all of us in the room. “It’s been a pleasure working with all of you, and I already have an offer out in Suncrest.”

“Forest fighting?” one of the guys in the back said.

“Yeah, mostly. Houses too, though. Suncrest does have a few thousand people in it.”

Cole said, “It’s the place we took that retreat last year for the men’s conference.”

“Beautiful place,” Micah added.

“On a lighter note,” Cole said as Brian sat back down. “We will be congratulating Mr. Alderman for retirement in the coming month. He’s elected to take an early retirement package from the station. So give him a round of applause.”

Everyone clapped and a few guys behind me patted my shoulder.

“And Mr. Freeman will be taking his retirement here in two years, which is also an early retirement.”

Everybody clapped for Micah as he stood up. Just then, the fire alarm went off and we all headed for the exit of the training room. Rushing through the dining hall and down the hallway, we made our way to the fire pole.

Down below in the bay, I saw Brian getting his gear on. I tipped him a nod. “That’s mighty good of you to come.”

“One last time,” he replied, smiling.

Getting into the fire truck, we barreled out of the fire station and down the street with the other engine right behind us. The call that came in was for an apartment building down by the Northtown Mall. There were multiple people trapped inside.

Taking lead on the frontal attack, Ted and I set the hose up right in front of the main apartment building that was engulfed in flames. The heat reaching out from the fire was so intense that I could feel the material inside my jacket begin to stick to my skin. I directed the nozzle toward the flames that were jumping out of the downstairs window.

Ted was leaning against my back as I leaned against his for support. It took a few minutes to get the flames to die down before we began making our way to the door of the structure. Cole came running by and headed to the nearby apartment building, where the fire was beginning to expand over into the structure. The flames danced across the rooftop above Cole as he climbed the metal stairs up to the apartment.

“What are you doing, Taylor?” I shouted.

He didn’t hear me. He continued to book it up the stairs and to the apartment door. Seeing the flames grow more in that direction, I got on the radio.

“Taylor! That building isn’t safe.”

“There’s a woman in here, don’t question me.”

“Gomer,” I said. “What’s your location?”

“Top side of the structure to your right.”

Glancing over, I saw Kent dousing the building so flames weren’t able to jump. “Get off that roof and come down here.”

“Listen to him,” Taylor said over the radio.

I saw Brian come down as I continued hosing the structure in front of me. Switching the stream of water between the inside of the apartment and the rooftop of the structure Cole was in, I continued fighting the fire as I waited for Brian.

Brian ran over to me and I handed him the nozzle with haste, shoving it into his chest to grab. “Be sure to switch between this structure and that one,” I shouted as I pointed to the roof.

“Got it,” he replied with a nod.

Running up the same stairs Cole had taken, I got on my radio again. “Taylor—location.”

“I’m in the kitchen of apartment 887.”

“Copy that.” Going into the apartment, I veered right and stayed low out of the smoke. The fire had already made its way partially into the structure, even with the water I had been spraying on the roof. The smoke was thick and impaired my vision.

“Call out,” I shouted as I made my way to the first bedroom door.

Suddenly, a beam fell from the ceiling. I jumped out of the way as it dropped right behind me. I kicked the beam out of frustration and then continued forward.

Cole came over the radio. “Got her. Heading out the back window of the structure. Ladder on the north side, please.”

“I got you, Taylor,” Micah said. “Pulling ladder off truck now.”

Turning around, I began making my way back out the way I’d come in. My breath was short as I walked out of the doorway of the apartment and onto the cement slab that sat just outside the apartment. I grabbed onto the metal railing outside the apartment to keep myself from falling. I regained my composure and used the railing for support on my way down the stairs.

Ted must have seen me struggling, because he came rushing over to me as I walked away from the apartment building.

“You okay?” he asked, grabbing my shoulder.

“I’m fine,” I replied coldly. Pushing past him, I took off my helmet and mask, letting out a wet cough as I headed over to the truck. Sitting down on the back bumper of the fire truck, I looked up at the apartment building. The flames were mostly out by that point. Cole came over to me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Just don’t feel right.”

He patted my shoulder. “Probably dehydrated. By the way, thanks for coming in there.”

“It’s what we do. No need to thank me.” I got up and walked around to the driver’s side of the truck. Cole was right behind me. Reaching into the backseat, I grabbed a bottle of water and twisted the cap off. With one giant gulp, I downed the entire thing. I felt better. Smiling, I said, “Just a little dehydrated.”

He nodded and went back toward the apartment as he got on the radio. Watching as Cole walked away from me, my eyes bounced from firefighter to firefighter. Suddenly, it hit me: I was getting too old for this. Everyone looked so young. If I could, I would have been home napping right about that time. And that was the first real time that I felt comfortable with the idea of retirement.

Later that evening, I was reading Redeeming Love on my tablet in the multi-purpose room at the station when my cellphone buzzed in my pocket.

It was Fred.

“My PI buddy wants to meet you.”

“I’m at work.”

“Well, can we come over there?”

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”

He paused. He didn’t say anything, but his breathing told it all. They had to have found something. “What’s going on?” I asked. “Did he find Lincoln?”

“Well. We aren’t sure. We have a Winnebago heading north, but we want to show you a picture.”

“Come on over, I guess,” I said. “I’ll look at it.”