The Blackout

by K J Kalis

  A few minutes sounded like an eternity to Kat. She could barely breathe. They had so many lives riding on whether they could make it through — Jack, the dogs, the kids in the back of the truck, the bus driver, Chuck... She knew they needed a miracle. Her hands gripped whatever she could find as they hit the first wave of flames. She was blind for a minute, the truck engulfed in a wave of heat and smoke and angry redness as the blaze passed over the truck. The road cleared but there were still flames crouching on each side. Kat’s heart was pounding. She glanced in the back. Chuck sat up and gave her a thumbs up. She looked at Jack. His face was buried in Woof’s fur, his arms wrapped around the dog’s neck. Tyrant was on his left, her black face staring at Kat. “You’re okay, girl,” Kat said, trying to reassure the dog.

  Just as Kat turned her head to see what was ahead, Van yelled as the truck swerved, “Watch out!” A car abandoned on the side of the road was fully on fire, the windows blown out and the interior destroyed. Kat watched as the car disappeared into the smoke, saying a silent prayer for whomever it belonged to.

  By the look of the road, Kat thought they were about halfway. She looked again at the back of the truck. Only Chuck’s head was visible. She saw him lean to the left to see out ahead of the truck to warn the kids when there was danger coming. The heat inside the truck was almost unbearable. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead. She couldn’t imagine what the kids were feeling under the tarp. She realized that hot and alive was better than dead.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chuck motioning. She looked ahead of her and saw a wall of flames jumping the road, the blaze arcing over the road to get to the other side. “Van!” she screamed, curling herself into a small ball, reaching in the back of the truck for Jack. If the truck caught fire, they would all be dead. There would be no way for them to make it out. She didn’t breathe. She couldn’t breathe. She felt the truck push forward. Van must have accelerated. “We’re through that one,” he said, almost in a whisper. He looked at her. He looked drawn, circles under his eyes and soot on his face. “Here’s another. Hold on!” The truck accelerated, escaping the flames before they could catch up. “We’re going to have to just go for it, Kat. If I slow down, we won’t make it.”

  She sat up in her seat and motioned to Chuck, pointing frantically forward so he would know to hold on. She saw him grip the side of the truck and give her a nod. “Okay, let’s do this. Get us out of here.”

  40

  The engine roared, all the cylinders pushing the truck as fast as it could safely go through the flames and the debris. They slowed down once for a log that had fallen on the road and got around it just as another cluster of fire worked toward the other side. Kat’s knuckles were white as she held on. The truck lurched down and around a curve. Up ahead, probably a half-mile in front of them, they could see the fire line, police cars and fire trucks parked, blocking the road. She looked at Chuck, who nodded and picked up his radio. She could hear him yell, “Coming in hot, let us through!”

  Through the smoke and the flames that threatened to stop them at any minute, Kat could see police officers in full uniform waving them forward. A dozen firefighters waited at the front of the line of fire trucks, extinguishers in hand. Kat willed their truck forward. They were so close, but a line of fire flashed just ahead of them completely engulfing the road. “Get down!” Van yelled as he slammed on the accelerator. The flames lashed the truck for what seemed like an eternity as it jumped over the road. Kat held her breath, her fists in tight balls.

  She felt the truck slow and realized they had stopped. The door opened and firefighters helped her out. They made it. She grabbed Jack, wrapping him in her arms. One of the firefighters leaned in the truck and lifted Woof out. “You took good care of him, didn’t you?”

  Jack looked at the tall man and nodded, tears running down his face, “I tried.”

  By the time Kat and Jack were out of the truck, police officers and firefighters were helping the kids get down. Paramedics pulling gurneys ran forward, strapping the children in and checking them. Chuck got out of the back of the truck with some help from his battalion. Kat ran over to him, “Are you okay?”

  Chuck had a pained look on his face, “I think so. Mighta gotten a bit of a burn on the back of my neck.” He leaned over to so Kat could look.

  “You did. I need a medic!” she shouted. A team of paramedics came running over, walking next to Chuck, escorting him to a waiting ambulance. As he did, Loretta came tottering over, her face stained with soot and ash.

  “Well, that was one for the ages!” she giggled, a big smile crossing her face. “I’m gonna be telling that story for a long time.”

  Kat couldn’t do anything but throw her arms around the woman and laugh. “I’ll go into a fire with you any day, Miss Loretta.”

  They let go of each other, Loretta holding her at arm's length. “You and your family did a mighty good thing today, Kat. All those parents,” she pointed to the kids who were being loaded into ambulances, “they are going to be so grateful.” Loretta leaned forward, “I’m going to make sure they know how hunky Van is, too.” She wrinkled her nose, “Makes for a good story.”

  Kat chuckled and shook her head, watching Loretta chase after the children. Kat turned to look at the truck. The flames had peeled the paint off of the hood, roof and sides. The windshield was cracked and one of the tires was flat. It almost looked like it had melted from the heat of the fire. It probably had. She took her baseball hat off and pushed her hair away from her face. The sun had come up over the ridge. She turned to see one of the paramedics sitting with Jack, Woof, Tyrant and the firefighter who got them out of the truck.

  “Mom, Mom!” Jack yelped. “Look! This lady is a vet! She’s helping Woof.”

  The woman, brown hair in a bun behind her head, smiled, “Actually, I was a veterinary technician in the military.” She manipulated Woof’s leg, moving her fingers up and down on the bones and muscles. “It doesn’t feel like anything is broken. He has good movement in the joints. I’d suspect he just pulled something. See how he is in a couple of hours. There’s a vet clinic up the road if you need them. Good people.” She stood up. “Jack, you are doing a great job with the dogs. Keep at it, okay?”

  Jack nodded, a smile on his face. “I will. Thanks!”

  Kat looked through the crowd, trying to find Van. “Jack, did you see where Van went?”

  Jack pointed toward the front of the line of the fire trucks. “He told me to stay here and that he’d be right back.” Kat was about to go find him when she saw him walking back through the crowd of police, paramedics and firefighters. He shook his head, “I’ve got bad news.”

  Kat tilted her head to the side, waiting.

  “The house is gone. All of it.”

  “What? How’s that possible? How do you know?”

  “The battalion chief over there has a satellite link. They pulled up the coordinates. It burned to the ground while we were getting out. It’s a good thing your friend Chuck came to get us. A couple of minutes more and we would have all been toast.”

  The reality of what they had been through sunk in. Their house. Gone. Jack’s clothes and toys and books, the memories they had brought with them when they moved from Aldham. The pictures. Kat’s things. All of it. “Maybe it won’t be so bad after they get the fire under control. Maybe the battalion chief had the wrong area.”

  Van shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. “I wish he was wrong, Kat, but he wasn’t. I saw it myself.”

  Kat’s body shook, whether from the trauma of trying to escape the fire or the news that they had lost everything. She’d never known that feeling before. What she had left in the world was right in front of her. Van, Jack, the dogs and their go-bags. That was it. She pulled out of his arms, wiping her face, smearing soot into black rivers on her cheeks and chin. “I can’t even… I don’t know what to say.”

  Van leaned over, putting a hand on each of her shoulders, “I know what to say. The people
I love the most in this world are right here in front of me. We will be fine. I promise.” He pulled her into his arms again. She hoped he was right.

  “Well, look at this fine family reunion!” A voice boomed out from between the firetrucks. “Chuck said I could find you here.” Freddie Henderson loped up to them, his long legs crossing the distance with barely a step or two. He glanced at Van’s truck, “Man, that’s seen better days. Must have been quite the ride.”

  “You have no idea,” Van said sullenly.

  A shadow passed over Freddie’s face. “Seriously, you guys saved a lot of lives today, including Chuck’s. Thanks.” He reached out and shook Van’s hand. “Means a lot.” He took a step back and looked at Jack. “How are you, little man? Did you help your folks out?”

  “Yeah, I did. We nearly lost Woof.” Jack rubbed the dog’s back. Woof and Tyrant were resting in the crusty grass on the side of the road, a plastic container filled with water near them.

  “Really? You’ll have to tell me about that sometime. Think I can borrow your mom and Van for a sec?”

  “Yup, I’ll stay here,” Jack nodded.

  Freddie pulled Kat and Van out of Jack’s earshot. “Listen, I didn’t want to say this in front of Jack, but it looks like the fire you just escaped started the same way as the blue dot fires.”

  Fury welled up in Kat’s chest. “Are you saying that the power surges are what’s to blame? It nearly killed us and those kids! Is that what you are saying, Freddie?”

  Freddie looked at Van and shook his head, “Man, she’s a spitfire.” Van just smiled and shook his head.

  “Kat, I know the last couple of hours have been horrendous. Maybe I shouldn’t have even come here, but I wanted you to know.” Freddie looked at Kat and Van. “Do you have somewhere to go?”

  Van shook her head.

  “Why don’t you come back to the firehouse? Everyone is out fighting this monster so there are plenty of bunks available. We’ve got clean clothes, too.”

  “Yeah, that sounds good. We appreciate your hospitality. Okay with the dogs coming, too?” Van said, motioning to where they’d left Jack.

  Freddie glanced behind them. “Those two? I suppose if that’s the only way I get to hang out with Jack.”

  Kat wanted to be thankful. Somewhere inside of her, she was. For the moment, she could only look down. Fatigue weighed her body into a heaviness she had never felt before.

  “Let’s get you guys out of here. We’ll talk more after you get cleaned up and seen by our medics, okay?”

  * * *

  The ride to the firehouse took a little longer than Kat expected. There was traffic snarled in every direction trying to avoid the fire that had ripped its way up Sauk Canyon. Freddie and Van talked quietly in the front seat. Kat sat in the back with Jack and the dogs, their go-bags in the back of Freddie’s SUV. Her mind raced as they passed neighborhoods where kids were walking to school. They were clean and dressed and probably had a home to go back to, she thought, instantly realizing she was feeling sorry for herself. She looked around the SUV. Her husband, child and dogs were fine. They were together. She knew everything else could be replaced, but was that really true? Would she ever feel safe in her home again knowing that at any moment a wildfire could pull their life out from underneath them? What if next time they weren’t so lucky?

  By the time they got to the firehouse, Kat had relaxed, or tried to. She and Jack took the dogs out to the lawn to walk a little bit. Woof’s leg looked like it wasn’t a serious injury. He had only the slightest limp. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go inside. Maybe we can find some soap for these guys and showers for us. What do you think?”

  Jack pulled his shirt up to his nose and sniffed it. “I smell like I slept in the middle of a bonfire.”

  Kat smiled. She was happy Jack was trying to make a joke. That was a good sign. “So do I, buddy. So do I.”

  The inside of the firehouse was relatively quiet except in the dispatch area. The firetrucks that would have normally been parked in the bays with the two-story garage doors were empty. Ambulances, trucks and equipment had all been deployed to do what they could to contain and stop the Sauk Valley fire. The smell of morning coffee brewing filled the building. Freddie showed Kat and Jack where they could shower and told them he’d take care of the dogs while they were getting cleaned up. Kat made a mental note that she’d have to go out later on in the day and get them all more clothes and toiletries. What they had in their bags wouldn’t last more than a day or two.

  Kat sent Jack off with Van to get showered in the men’s locker room. She took her own go-bag and headed to the women’s locker room. Once in the shower, she was grateful for the hot water and the citrus smelling soap the firehouse kept handy. She let the water run down her body, seeing pools of black soot and ash run down the drain. She dried off and ran a comb through her hair. In the mirror, she noticed that she had a few marks on her face, neck and arms. Burns. They didn’t hurt too badly.

  The shower made a big difference. Kat felt a sense of calm coming over her. There was no place safer when there was a fire than a firehouse, she decided. She found Jack in the common room the firefighters used, sprawled on the couch with Freddie. They were playing video games. “What’s going on here?” she asked, smiling.

  “Well, we couldn’t wait for you. Us heroes, we need to have some fun after a fire,” Freddie said, looking over his shoulder. Tyrant and Woof came up to nuzzle her hand. They were wet.

  “Did you give them baths, Freddie?”

  “Oh, that?” he said, punching buttons on the controller, “Yeah. They needed them for sure.”

  Van came out of the kitchen area, holding a cup of coffee. “There’s coffee, if you want it, Kat. Some breakfast stuff, too.”

  “Naw, I’m okay. Freddie, can I use your office? Just want to make sure my computer didn’t melt when we evacuated.”

  “Sure enough,” he replied without looking back. “Doors unlocked. Have at it.”

  “Thanks.” Kat looked at Van, who nodded.

  “I’ll stay here with these two,” he said.

  Kat made her way out of the common room and went up the flight of steps to Freddie’s office. Her damp hair touched a few of the spots where she had been burned, the stinging reminding her that the day had been long already. In Freddie’s office, she set her computer down in the center of his desk and booted it up. She waited for a moment, hoping the machine would still work after all they had been through. She had many of her documents stored on the cloud, but there were still a few things that she needed to be able to access. As she waited, she saw the file for the church fire she had seen on television the night before sitting on Freddie’s desk. Her heart began to pound a little faster. She wanted to look at it, but should she? It was a legal matter. Freddie trusted her in his office. Would he be angry if she took a peek at it? Her throat tightened.

  Despite her better judgment, Kat flipped open the manilla folder. On the left side were printouts of images from the fire. On the right side, there were notes attached to the back of the file. Kat thumbed through the pages. There were notes on what time the call was received, what firehouses went to battle the fire and who was on duty. Lots of administrative information. Kat turned to the other side of the folder where Freddie had added his images. Kat took the pictures out of the folder and lined them up on his desk. There were views of the exterior and interior, at least what was left of them, which wasn’t much. Kat looked at them one by one. She tilted her head to the side. What did Freddie see in these images? From the looks of it, the majority of the church had been destroyed. As she moved her gaze from one image to the next, one of the last ones caught her eye. It was a photo of five pictures that had been hung on the wall. They weren’t damaged in the fire. Kat chewed her lip. There was something about the picture that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

  Kat got up from the desk. She started to pace. Why did it seem familiar? Where had she seen something like that before? She stopped,
leaning over the picture, her hands braced on Freddie’s desk. Of the five people in the picture, two were men. Had she seen them somewhere? She didn’t know. The other people in the picture looked to be a woman and two teenage girls. She sighed at sat down at her computer, pulling up the file that she had been working on with the information Theresa had sent her. It was probably nothing. Maybe she was just tired from the night they had. She put the pictures away and tucked the file back into the spot it had been on Freddie’s desk.

  She scanned her computer screen, paging down through the details, reference notes and images that she had kept. The faces in the picture from the church fire kept nagging at her, but she didn’t know why. About ten pages into her notes, she saw something that caught her attention. The Theta Sigma Delta social media profile. She had written down the URL to access the site. Had she seen something there that looked similar to the pictures of the people in Freddie’s file? She clicked on the link, her memory coming back. What was it?

  Kat scrolled down the page, washing past posts on the upcoming rush season for the chapters, what chapter won the coveted Theta Sigma Delta tradition award and which new chapters were being launched around the country. Kat hadn’t been in a sorority when she went to college. She doubted she would have liked it. There were hundreds of posts from Theta Sigma Delta, all polished to look like their national brand. Kat pushed down further on the page. She shook her head. There was nothing there. Maybe she was just overtired? She was about to close the page when she accidentally hit the page down key on her keyboard. In front of her popped up a memorial post. “Theta Sigma Delta celebrates the lives of Janet and Grace Lewis, wife and daughter of beloved brother, Connor Lewis.”

  Kat stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the image. Were those the same people in the pictures from the church? Kat pulled Freddie’s file toward her and fished the image out of the pile of pictures. Kat held them up and compared them. The hair, the faces — they were exactly the same. She leaned back in Freddie’s chair, staring at the picture. How was Theta Sigma Delta connected to two fires in the area? She knew Bart Walsh was a Theta Sigma Delta, but who was Connor Lewis?