Blonde Bomb Tech

by Lara Santiago

  Sabrina took a deep breath to stop her rioting emotions. She straightened and ceased struggling against the two men holding her. Once she calmed down sufficiently, they released her. She turned and buried her face in Murphy’s jacket and started sobbing, losing the battle against her emotions. The explosion rocked her. Those noises from the initial explosion echoed in her brain and made her insides liquefy with terror.

  Sabrina heard Murphy’s voice repeating over and over that Jake was okay as he patted her back awkwardly. She and Murphy rarely hugged. Besides, Sabrina knew Jake was okay. She’d just seen him in all his glorious testosterone-filled fire-fighting masculinity running across the yard. She tried to get a grip and stop crying. Jake would understand her uncontrollable tears. This was the first bomb explosion where he hadn’t been available for to hide her unwanted tears from the general public.

  Sabrina caught her breath, forcibly stuffed down her fears, and stepped away from Murphy. She wiped at her face and smiled at him and murmured quietly, “I’m okay now. Thanks Murphy. I’m so embarrassed.” She bent at the waist to further calm her fright.

  When she straightened, Murphy merely smiled at her, thinking he knew why she was upset. “Jake’s fine, Sabrina,” he said again, in a calming and tolerant voice. “Go over there and see for yourself.”

  Nope, partner. You got it all wrong. Jake can take care of himself. Then he takes care of me. If you only knew what truly made me upset…you wouldn’t trust me as much, she thought morosely.

  Murphy turned her physically and pointed over to where Jake stood next to the ambulance. He’d just deposited the second child in to the arms of an EMT. He looked up and found her as if he had a built-in homing device embedded in his retinas.

  “Go over and talk to him, Sabrina,” Murphy pushed her lightly on the shoulder.

  “Be right back,” she murmured, as her gaze traveled over the sea of milling people to Jake’s face. The intensity of the gaze he directed at her nearly halted her breathing. He was in his element. He was victorious. He’d beaten back the flaming licks of death pursuing him and saved a life in the process. He must be on an incredible adrenaline rush. Too bad he had to work for the next three nights. She’d love to feel the power of him on a rush expressing that victorious feeling in bed with her. Woo boy, that would sizzle.

  Sabrina slowly walked over to him as if mesmerized. No one stopped her. Jake’s gaze revealed concern for her. He knew she was upset about the explosion and his worried expression said so. Hopefully, he was the only one who noticed.

  The look she returned was full of as much pride as she could muster. He’d done his job, and he hadn’t gotten killed. Sabrina smiled at him seductively as she completed her journey. Their relationship was about to become so public.

  Sabrina stepped up to him and right into his personal space, but didn’t touch him. She didn’t dare. She motioned for him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear. He closed his eyes and leaned in. She whispered in his ear all about her adrenaline-rush fantasy of him in bed, and told him to think about that for the next three nights. She’d be waiting for him when he got off his shift.

  Jake groaned audibly, but smiled as though she were in trouble when he got off work. She winked.

  “So I heard you were spreading rumors about my innate ability to satisfy you. Is that true?” He gave her a lopsided grin, which looked suspiciously like a smirk.

  “You know it’s true, but jeez, that was quick.”

  “Well, stop talking about my private parts to annoying, loud-mouthed firemen. You’re just making him jealous.”

  “I’ll try to contain myself from now on…maybe.”

  Sabrina started to turn away, but then saw the sneer on Ted’s face as he watched them. She was not into public displays of affection, but what the hell.

  Sabrina turned back, grabbed Jake’s face between her hands, and laid a lip lock on him, the intensity of which surprised even her. Her nipples tingled with desire as her lips slid over his passionately. He didn’t touch her as she ached for him to do. That was a good thing, though. They probably would have self-combusted if any more than his luscious lips were participating, and boy howdy, did his lips participate. Sabrina didn’t stop kissing him until she heard clapping and whistling coming from Jake’s fellow fire fighters.

  Okay, enough. Show’s over, people.

  “Thanks Jake. I needed that. Maybe it’ll hold me for a day or so,” she whispered.

  “Always here for you, babe,” he whispered taking a deep breath. He gave her a meaningful look and glanced back at the burning building, “You okay?”

  Sabrina shrugged, gave him a suddenly watery smile, and then nodded. “I’ll live.”

  “Good. I’ll see you in three days to address that…um…other adrenaline-filled request.” He smiled seductively.

  Sabrina had to leave this instant, or face the embarrassment of having three fire-station companies witness her throwing Jake down on the ground to rip his clothes off so she could have her wicked way with him.

  “Maggie?” said an old woman to Sabrina’s left. “There you are. I was looking for you, dear. How is your little bun in the oven with all this excitement going on?” The woman actually put her hand on Sabrina’s belly and rubbed it twice.

  Sabrina jumped back as if burned, butting into Jake in the process. “I beg your pardon?” The woman’s glassy stare had the look of someone a few bricks short of a full load. She looked to be about eighty or so, a little wisp of a woman, her long gray white hair braided in a single rope draped down her back. She wore a flowered flannel nightgown and pink chenille robe. She had matching ribbed pink chenille slippers on her feet.

  “And where is the little pumpkin,” she asked, looking around as if for a small child, and Sabrina stumbled backwards again on unsteady feet. Jake caught her, thankfully, as she would have fallen on her butt.

  “Sabrina?” Jake’s voice sounded worried. “What’s wrong?”

  “What do you know about the little pumpkin?” Sabrina asked the little old woman in an urgent voice, bracing herself against Jake. His hands rested on her hips and she had a death grip on his forearms.

  “It’s alright dear, I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.” The old woman looked around again and saw an approaching figure. She shook her head slightly as if to clear it and walked away quickly from Sabrina and Jake in a spry little trot.

  Sabrina watched the old woman sidle up to Suzanne Forrester. What was she doing here?

  “Maggie, there you are. How is your little bun in the oven?” She then began the same routine on Suzanne’s stomach.

  Suzanne gave her the same look of horror Sabrina had felt. “How did you know I was pregnant?” she asked, as the old woman rubbed her belly in the same way.

  “Well, everyone knows, dear.” An unkempt looking man in his mid-fifties, looking like he’d dressed quickly and poorly, came up and put his arms around the old woman.

  “Now, mother. Don’t be bothering these nice people,” he said, trying to lead her away.

  “Wait a minute. Stop,” Sabrina heard herself say, putting laying a hand on the man’s arm to detain him. She turned her ear-bud radio on and keyed the mike. “Hennessey, get Brian and Murphy and come over to where I am.”

  “Where are you?”

  “By Jake’s truck.”

  “Naturally.” She registered his amused tone.

  Jake steadied her on her feet and gave her a wink, but left her to return to work.

  When the three men arrived, Sabrina explained in a low voice what the woman had said about the little pumpkin.

  Hennessy and Brian went over to talk to the man and his mother. Murphy stood with them listening in. They argued in raised voices as Sabrina and Suzanne watched the drama.

  “That was creepy,” Suzanne said quietly. “I just found out today, I’m expecting a baby in December. I only told my husband two hours ago.”

  Sabrina wondered why Suzanne was so chummy. They had never been formally intr
oduced, but Sabrina certainly knew who she was.

  The words ‘I’m expecting a baby’ finally soaked into Sabrina’s overworked brain. She knew she should say something congratulatory, but couldn’t muster the sentiment. She’d never be pregnant. Would never carry Jake’s baby. Her heart fell to her feet at the dismal thought remembering the sound of laughter from all the children running free in the backyard at dinner earlier.

  The firefighters had already put out the fires from the explosion and were now checking the building to see what structural damage had occurred from the blast.

  Sabrina would have to face him soon enough with her story. There was no need to share it now. But it sure hurts. Pain stabbed through her and Sabrina fought it off with superhuman strength. Having that old woman put her hand on her belly and suggest she might be carrying a child had made her tremble with desire. Desire she couldn’t afford to spend any time dwelling on. She needed to focus. The case had just opened up. Think about the case and not your vile secrets.

  Sabrina had yet to mention the pumpkin decoration on the bomb casing to Hennessey . She knew the three bombs were related. It was inconceivable that an eighty-year-old woman could be involved in this, but they had to consider all possibilities.

  Even the pumpkin possibility, whatever that was. Sabrina watched as Hennessey, Murphy, and Brian concluded their conversation with Mr. Henderson and his mother Alice. They all walked over to where Suzanne and Sabrina waited in silence.

  Hennessey told everyone to regroup and come down to the station to sort everything out first thing in the morning. It was after midnight. Mr. Henderson refused to allow his elderly, semi-senile mother Alice to be escorted to the police station in the middle of the night. He’d promised to bring her in the next day. Hennessy told him he would send a police escort in the morning to ensure an appearance.

  “I’d like you to join us tomorrow too, Mrs. Forrester,” Captain Hennessey said.

  “All right.”

  “By the way, why were you here tonight?” he asked suddenly as if he’d just thought of it.

  “I got a phone call,” she said guilelessly.

  “From who?” Sabrina asked.

  “Some man. He said I should turn on the news then he hung up. At first I was afraid something had happened to my husband, but all the channels had this…” She paused and looked at the apartment building. “I recognized the address, of course. I don’t understand what’s going on. Is someone destroying my chances of finding out my true heritage? And why, for heaven’s sake?”

  “We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Hennessey said, wiping his hand down his face and pinching his nose on the way down. An infrequent gesture, one he normally made when he was extremely tired. Or under pressure. Or both. Another nail in the coffin Sabrina felt closing in around her. This was the third blast in under a week she’d had a hand in trying to stop, and failed.

  Councilman Peters would have a field day tomorrow.

  Sabrina cringed to think of the headlines forming as she watched the police beat back the reporters from the yellow taped line. It was going to be a long night.

  Chief Cochran took that opportunity to come wandering into the growing circle to check on Sabrina, concerned at her display at the perimeter right before Jake made his triumphant return. He patted her on the back and gave her a fatherly look. His eyes widened as he glanced at Suzanne for the first time.

  “God Almighty. You look exactly like Maggie Morgan!” He looked back and forth at both Sabrina and Suzanne twice more the shock evident in his wide-eyed expression. He stared at Suzanne as if he saw a ghost. Then he looked at Sabrina and another curious look came over his face. His eyes squinted before he said, “You two must be related.” He took a breath and said calmly, “You both look exactly like her. Like Maggie.”

  Suzanne shook herself and studied Sabrina maybe for the first time. She pulled an envelope out of the jacket pocket she wore and extracted a picture.

  The one she’d promised to bring from the diary. She handed it to Sabrina. It was an old picture. Sabrina flipped it up and sucked in a breath. It was a picture of her mother.

  Maggie Morgan.

  Chapter Nine

  Sabrina had a sister. Maybe. Was Suzanne Forrester really her sister? She tucked the question away for later as she pulled into work the next morning.

  Sabrina stepped out of her car in the sheriff department’s parking lot and stifled a groan. Her whole body ached. She hadn’t slept well the night before. Not only had she woken up screaming after just two hours of sleep, but Jake’s arms hadn’t been there to comfort her, and she hadn’t tried to sleep further. Seeing the picture of Suzanne’s biological mother and recognizing it as the picture of her own mother had made her regular nightmares gear up a notch.

  They had been particularly vivid this time, probably because of the trauma of the night before She was on information overload. The bomb wiring impossibility. The kids tied up. Jake barely escaping the explosion. The explosion itself. She suppressed an automatic shudder, focusing on getting inside and seated at her desk before falling apart.

  Sabrina grabbed a cup of bad coffee from the vending machine outside the hallway leading upstairs to her office. It would only help marginally, but she needed something to occupy her hands so she could face the morning paper she’d been too chicken to read before leaving her house.

  Murphy wouldn’t shuffle in for at least an hour. Brian would probably pop his early-bird-chirping-self in pretty soon. She hoped for at least a few minutes of solitude to gear up to endure the difficult coming day. She heard loud voices erupting from Hennessy’s office.

  Sabrina recognized Councilman Peters’ voice in the din, bellowing her name. Damn it. Didn’t that man ever sleep? Didn’t he have anything better to do than to ride her ass? Dawn hadn’t risen in the east yet but Councilman Peters was awake and calling for blood. Did he have show up every damn day to castigate her for being a girl?

  Sabrina listened closely to the voices raised in anger, but couldn’t make out any more useful words. The walls were just paper thin enough to assure her she was in big fat trouble, but not enough to warn her in advance of the specific charges. Like she didn’t know anyway, she groused to herself.

  Sabrina opened the early morning paper to read, in gory detail, the news version of her most recent failure. The newspaper had dubbed the recent string of bombs a courtesy of the ‘Mad Bomber’.

  What a boring name, she thought. How about the “devastating detonator” or “the excessive exploder?” How about the “Humiliating Horrifier?” Whoever was responsible for this series of tragedies had been as silent as the grave since the little pumpkin tidbit. No one had died, yet. Though not for lack of effort, with the two kidnapped girls tied up in the apartment last night. A shudder rippled through her. Whoever was responsible for these bombings was crazy and should be stopped! She wished they had a clue to follow.

  The bombs were all different. Sabrina didn’t know what the bomber was trying to accomplish with this except to personally humiliate Sabrina Morgan, girl bomb tech.

  “Or torture Suzanne,” she murmured, considering it an equally unlikely possibility. The question of her possible relationship to Suzanne Forrester crept into her mind. What if they were sisters? Did they look so much alike?

  Sabrina had studied herself in the mirror this morning, looking for the resemblance Chief Cochran saw in them, comparing her face to the picture Suzanne possessed of her long lost mother. Sabrina had only seen the big bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.

  “You don’t have a family. Don’t get your hopes up,” she whispered to herself. Sabrina shook off her reverie and studied the paper again. There was a big spread on the front cover about the fearless rescue of the kids by Jake and Matt.

  She zeroed in on Jake’s picture immediately below the fold. He’d been interviewed last night after she’d already gone. He looked breathtaking in the picture they snapped of him, running with the rescued child cradled in his arms as th
e bomb exploded behind him. The photo would probably win an award.

  Jake told the reporters he’d only been doing his job. “The accolades for this rescue should go to Sabrina Morgan, the bomb technician. She heard the tapping noise and requested we check it out,” had been his exact quote to the newspaper.

  A repeat bio of Sabrina was listed in a box along the edge of the article sans picture this time. Thank heavens for small favors. They made reference to the newspaper’s insightful article from three months ago, showcasing her as being the only female bomb tech on the local force. Tomorrow they would probably crucify her because she’d failed to defuse the last three bombs she’d worked on. Well, two out of three anyway.

  Sabrina wondered if Councilman Peters had read today’s complimentary article before racing in to scream at Hennessey for allowing her to do her job. Probably not. He never showed his face for the positive press she received.

  The semi-quiet of the morning was shattered when Councilman Peters came charging out of Hennessey’s office. This time his notice of her was immediate and loudly engaging.

  “Ms. Morgan!” he shouted at her angrily. She noticed his muddy brown eyes were bloodshot as his tirade began. “When are you going to excuse yourself from this team and let someone who actually knows how to take care of these nasty bombs a chance to work?”

  “I…” was all she was able to get out before he continued berating her.

  “I can’t understand why anyone with a half a brain would insist you are the only person who can be called in, when it is obvious you lack any talent whatsoever to get the job done. You may have had a few lucky breaks the past couple of years, but that seems to be over, and what’s this I hear about you accosting one of the firemen after this most recent explosion? That type of behavior…”

  “Not another word, Councilman.” Hennessey’s enraged voice fairly boomed across the office.

  Sabrina, now locked in a staring contest with Councilman Peters, was unwilling to cower from his accusations. She wasn’t sure if the fireman she was accused of accosting was Matt for holding her back during the blast, or Jake for the kiss she’d given him directly after. Probably Jake, but she didn’t care. She stared with all the loathing and contempt she could project. He looked away from her, allowing her the victory, and turned to Hennessey as he approached.