The Evolution Trigger (Evolution Trigger Trilogy Book 1)

by C. S. Won

  He held Madeline’s hand and led her to the parking lot. Half-blind and teeth gritted, they stamped through puddles of water, rain raking their skin like a hail of arrows. Jae’s truck emerged out of the flood, looking lonely underneath a spotlight. He threw himself inside and slammed the door shut. Madeline rolled in next to him gasping out laughter, skin goose-pricked and wet. Jae sat back, catching his breath, listening to the rain pound the roof of his car. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it back from his face, and wiped the water away from his eyes. The upholstery was already turning dark and murky, stained by their damp clothes. Madeline leaned forward and collected her hair in a knot, wringing out the water and letting it collect on the floor mat beneath her. A small puddle formed by her feet.

  “Where did this storm come from?” She asked.

  “It’s been brewing since we went to get ice cream.”

  “But there’s usually some of kind warning. A rumbling of thunder, a little drizzle to start out with . . . not cats and dogs right off the bat.” She threw her hair back, running her fingers through to try and straighten out the tangles. “What were you about to say before the rain fell, anyways? It seemed serious.”

  Jae looked at her and realized he was still clutching the engagement box. It was well hidden, thankfully. His fingers were coiled tightly around it, but she had seen him take something out of his pocket so she knew he was holding something. And the look she gave him told him that she had a good idea of what he was concealing. Should I go ahead and propose to her? Get it over with? No. Too tacky to do it in the car. The moment has to be perfect. It must be memorable, and this isn’t memorable. Well, it is, but it’s not the type of memorable that I’m looking for.

  He coughed to divert attention and smuggled the box back into his pocket. “You know what? I don’t remember” He shrugged. “All that rain made me forget. I’m sure it’ll come back to me later.” He smirked at her. She frowned at the response, face twisted in annoyance. “The only thing that comes to mind right now is that I want to go home and get dry.” Jae said, turning on the car.

  Chapter 4

  Jae parked his truck behind the station and switch off the ignition. The world still showed some residual effects from the storm the night prior. Grass glistened and the parking lot was slick with puddles. After easing out into the morning sun, Jae pulled the duffel bag from the bed of his vehicle and dropped it on the ground. A steady cadence of water droplets fell into a storm drain somewhere nearby. With the sun fully out and the sky free of dark clouds, every trace of the storm would likely be gone by at least noon.

  He stretched his arms over his head, working the cramps out of his body. Gentle streams of sunlight caressed his body, and a dainty haze of dew kissed his face. Today is going to be a good day.

  Once he was done with his stretching routine, Jae slung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to the front of the station. The smell of soap mingled with the scent of freshly fallen rain, along with the hiss of a hose slapping across steel. As he rounded the corner he saw most of the company standing outside, cleaning the two trucks parked in front of the garage. Three rookies attended to the smaller of the two, applying a fresh coat of wax to its exterior. Everyone else was gathered around the larger truck, hands gripping thick soapy sponges as they scrubbed with diligence. Streaks of bubbling soap clung to the truck’s dense shell, red paint peeking through the lather and glowing like a garnet jewel.

  Laughter filled the air. Jae turned and saw Gabe chasing a fleeing Stephanie around the bigger truck, a sputtering hose in his hand. Whenever he came too close she would turn to scowl, throwing a dirt-stained towel in his face as she scolded him. That of course did nothing to deter him, and he kept up the pursuit, teasing her with light splashes of water.

  When Gabe crossed from one truck to the next, he spotted Jae, and an even bigger smile split his face. He dropped the hose, which thrashed and sprayed about, and pointed. “There he is, the man of the hour!” He approached and administered a hug. “How did it go? Did she cry? Was she happy? How many times did she say I love you? Did she fuck you good afterward?”

  “Did she fuck him good? What kind of stupid question is that?” Stephanie rolled her eyes at him before greeting Jae with a smile and a hello.

  “It’s not a stupid question. She gets a big diamond rock and he gets laid. Seems like a fair exchange. I’m just curious to know if she held up her end of the bargain.”

  “I didn’t propose to her,” Jae said.

  “What?” Gabe looked at him, surprised. “Why not? What happened?”

  “A storm happened. Ruined the moment.”

  “It passed over Six Flags? It was pouring where I was too. I’m sorry to hear that,” Stephanie said.

  Jae waved it off. “Only a small setback. We’ve already made plans to have a picnic at Piedmont Park in a few days, so I’ll just do it there.”

  “My man.” Gabe threw an arm around him. “Always ready with Plan B.”

  “Proposing at an amusement park would have been tacky anyways, at least in my opinion,” Stephanie said. “A picnic proposal sounds way more romantic.”

  “You might want to bring a tent though. Once she sees you flashing that rock, she’ll want to fuck you right then and there,” Gabe said.

  Stephanie’s look soured. “Gabe . . .”

  Jae bellowed out a laugh. “I’ll consider it. Which reminds me, can you cover for me on Saturday? I was planning to take her on Friday, but the weather forecast calls for more rain. Saturday is the only dry day this week.”

  Gabe rubbed his chin. “Can you take my Monday next week, then?”

  “Yeah, I got you.” Jae pointed at his bag. “I’m going to get changed. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

  Jae strode off into the garage, and sunlight gave way to shade. The garage bay occupied a large space, and with the trucks parked outside, plenty of room was left to spare. The flag of the United States hung down from the rafters, flapping softly in the wind. The Georgia state flag hung next to it, following suit. Two dozen turnout coats, bunker pants, pairs of rubber boots, and burnished red helmets were ordered along an elongated, metallic rack against the wall to Jae’s left. On the opposite end of the garage, several portraits of firefighters decorated the wall. This section was reserved for those whose families had devoted several generations to the cause. Some of the pictures went as far back as the early twentieth century, with names like McGee, Conyers, and Lenhardt, and it was in that row that Jae saw the portrait of his father, clad in a sharp navy-blue suit, bringing up the rear.

  Clacking footsteps echoed behind him. Turning, Jae saw Adam Erste making his approach, drying his hands on a darkened towel. He had his chin raised high into the air, eyes leering down at those he deemed beneath him. As he came closer, Jae nodded.

  “I hear you didn’t propose to your woman,” Adam said, flipping the towel over his shoulder.

  “You heard correct,” Jae said.

  “Then I should congratulate you. The marriage would have been a sham.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because she never loved you in the first place. You’re just a chink.”

  Jae’s first instinct was to drive his fist into Adam’s nose, and God willing, knock some teeth out while he was at it. He was nearly there too, fingers coiling into a tight ball, but he kept his cool. Any satisfaction gained from such an action would have been fleeting, and he’d only draw the ire of his superiors, incurring a severe penalty. The voice of reason told him to ignore the slur and walk away, to defuse the situation before it really turned ugly. So, he heeded its advice, turned away from his provoker, and made for an exit. But Adam apparently wasn’t finished. Jae felt a hand wrap around his elbow, halting him in place.

  “Listen to me. I’m just trying to help. All women are backstabbing, disloyal little whores. They have no principles. You think Madeline is any different? She’s just like all the rest. In a few years, she’ll serve you up to the courts and take everyt
hing you have, marriage vows and love and history and all that shit be damned. There’ll be nothing left of you once she’s done,” Adam said.

  Jae glanced at the hand wrapped around his elbow. The hair on the back of his neck bristled. He shifted his gaze to Adam, regarding him with cool, piercing eyes. “Speaking from experience, are we?” Easy now, Jae, easy.

  Adam stepped back, anger flashing across his face. “I fuck women, but I don’t let them fuck me. If you want to willingly put your life in some woman’s hands, then be my guest. She’ll stifle your freedom, strip away your independence, and drain your soul. You’ll be an empty shell of your former self once she’s done with you. If that’s what you desire, then go forth like the idiot you are.”

  Jae jerked his arm away. “Thank you for your concern, but I think I’ll be able to manage with or without your help.” He walked away, leaving Adam to stare at his departing back once again.

  “Sooner or later you’ll find out that she has another side to her, one that she’s kept hidden from you all your life. All women operate with lies, deceit, and manipulation. Beautiful women like Madeline are nothing but an illusion, a sparkling apple with a rotten core. Walk away before it’s too late. If you knew what was good for you then you’d listen to me.”

  But Jae refused. Adam’s infatuation with Madeline was not unknown to Jae. He was well aware of how much Adam fawned over Madeline, despite all the attempts to hide it and disguise it with insults. These rants were nothing more than a blatant attempt to wedge discontent and mistrust, to whittle away at the happy coupling until nothing remained but an ugly breakup. With a newly single Madeline, Adam would swoop in as the shoulder to cry on, manipulating her at her most vulnerable until he finally achieved what he’d wanted to realize for so many years, no matter the means and no matter the cost. Jae clenched his fists at the thought. Adam’s effort to create discord was a tired act, and he knew sooner or later he would have to do something about it before things got out of hand.

  In the locker room, Jae set his bag on a bench and stripped out of his clothes, tossing them in a pile inside his locker. He unzipped his bag and took out his uniform, a navy-blue twopiece. A cloth Atlanta Fire Department medallion was stitched onto one of the shirt sleeves, and a shield was pinned over the heart. Jae slipped the uniform on, threw his bag inside his locker, and stepped out. He headed for the chief’s office down the hall.

  Chief Royce McAdams was inscribed on a golden nameplate bolted to the door, making it clear who this workspace belonged to. Jae cleared his throat and rapped his knuckles on the heavy oak.

  “Yes?” A voice called out.

  “It’s Jae. Can I come in?” Jae asked.

  “Jae? Of course, get in here.”

  He stepped in, closing the door behind him. An old rotary phone, well-worn and speckled black, sat on top of the chief’s small desk like an artifact from a time long forgotten. A cassette player next to the phone sang a garbled tune he didn’t recognize. Across from the desk, a woodpaneled CRT television set, complete with crooked antenna and circular dials, sat on top of a dusty, hollowed out TV stand. A Sony VCR had taken up residence inside, above stacks of VHS tapes pressed together into tight columns, unlabeled and unmarked. A poster of a young Farrah Fawcett, wearing a tight, red one-piece swimsuit, was stuck to the far end of the other wall. Her golden locks flowed past her shoulders in waves and curls, and she smiled a wide, glittering just-for-you smile.

  It was as if Jae had stepped back in time to ‘80s.

  Chief McAdams hunched over his desk, rummaging through a pile of paperwork, wireframe glasses sitting on the edge of his bulbous nose. A greying beard buried his jaw, sharply contrasting against his dark brown skin. The whiskers crawled up to his ears and disappeared once they reached his bare scalp. He had big barrel arms and a gut that’d seen better days, its girth seemingly expanding inch-by-inch every time Jae saw him. Despite his growing volume, the chief’s presence was undeniable, with broad shoulders, a brick wall chest, and a bulging neck pushing through his buttoned collar.

  He glanced up from his paperwork, eyeballing Jae. Then he stood up, swooping his arm in welcome to a chair on the other side of his desk. After sitting back down, he picked up his pen and resumed scribbling on a form. “What can I do for you, Jae?”

  Jae took his seat. “I wanted to inform you that Gabe will be picking up my shift this Saturday. I’ll be taking his Monday in exchange.”

  The chief nodded. “That’s fine. Anything else?”

  “No, sir, that’s it”

  Chief Adams stopped his pen and looked up. “Don’t hold out on me, boy. Did she say yes?”

  Jae smiled. “Washed away by the rain. That’s why I needed Saturday free; it’s the only dry day left this week.”

  The chief barked out laughter. “You let a little rain stop you? I would have gone ahead and proposed, and if she said no, I would have stayed out there until she said yes.”

  Jae chuckled. “Well, I’m trying to ask her hand in marriage, not force it.”

  “It’s not about force; it’s about persistence. You simply can’t let anything stand in your way. That’s how I married my wife of thirty-one years. She hated my guts and wanted nothing to do with me, but I was determined to make her my woman, and there was no way in hell I was going to take ‘no’ for an answer. It took months of pursuit just to get her to agree to go on a first date with me, and look where we are now: married! Bet she never saw that coming. Of course, she’ll claim that she did it just to shut me up, but we both know that it was genuine love that won her over.” The chief smiled. “Best decision I ever made, I’d have to say.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind the next time it rains.”

  “Before I forget, I took the opportunity to pick this up for you.” The chief pulled out a sheet of paper and pushed it under Jae’s nose.

  “Application for Lieutenancy?” Jae asked in surprise as he looked the paper over.

  “That’s right.”

  “You think I’m actually ready for this?”

  “Of course you are. You’ve been ready. You were born for this. It’s in your blood. You have tremendous leadership skills, and you’re utterly fearless. I need more men like that in higher positions.”

  “Sir . . .”

  “I would have preferred to make you a captain, but there’s a process to this, so I can’t skip you ahead ranks. No matter how much I want to. You’ve got to climb that ladder one rung at a time, right?”

  “Yes, sir. I’m honored. I just didn’t think—”

  “What’s there to think, boy? Say yes! Fill out that form and ace the test.”

  “Well, I was just thinking of waiting a few more years before I took it.”

  “Why?”

  “I feel like I’m still too young to pursue something like this, like I need a few more years under my belt before I even think about a promotion.”

  The chief laughed. “You’re almost thirty, and you’ve been here since you were about twenty-two. That’s almost ten years of experience, plenty enough in my eyes. Just take the damn test. You’re a smart lad; you’ll pass it easily. Besides, if you really intend to marry your woman, then a family will be following shortly thereafter, right? As a lieutenant, you’ll be paid more and receive more robust benefits. You’ll be better equipped to take care of that family than you are now.”

  The chief was right; it would be difficult to support a family on a regular firefighter’s salary. So far, he and Madeline had been pooling their incomes. It allowed them to live comfortably, but with children, Madeline would most likely take maternity leave. Perhaps she’d even quit altogether if she decided to tend to the kids full-time, and that would effectively cut off their second source of income. Becoming a lieutenant now would allow Jae to save even more for the future, which would give him the means to support his family without Madeline also having to work, if she chose not to.

  “You’re right. I guess I wasn’t seeing the forest for the trees. I’ll fill it o
ut and send it in,” Jae said.

  “Good. Pass this test and keep up the good work, and I’m sure a captain’s rank won’t be too far behind.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Chief McAdams crossed his arms and leaned forward, examining the young man sitting across from him. “You’re looking more like your father every day. You’re not as big as he was, but you’ve got his look, not to mention his heart and spirit.”

  “I miss him. He was a good man.”

  “He was a good man, indeed.” A sigh passed through the chief’s lips. “I remember his first day here, back in ‘84. It was the first time I had ever laid eyes on an Asian man; hell, it was the first time for a lot of us here, in fact. We weren’t accustomed to the shape of his eyes or the tone of his skin. He was an alien, some foreigner from some far-off land halfway around the world.” He shook his head. “God, did they try their best to fuck with him. They called him every derogatory name in the book, singling him out just because of how he looked. They took his accent, which wasn’t even that strong to begin with, and his identity and used it against him. I should have done something about it, but it shames me to say that I partook in the festivities myself. Ironic, right? Here I was, a black man, trying to tear down other colored folk, when it wasn’t too long ago my people were being brutalized in the streets for even daring to speak up. I won’t make any excuses for it, but goddamn I should have known better.”

  “It’s fine, chief. I don’t blame you for it.”

  “Thankfully, things turned around for him the moment he gave one his tormentors a bloody nose and a black eye, and it would’ve been a lot worse if they didn’t pull your dad off of him. After that, all the insults vanished like a fart in the wind. He was respected from that point on, feared even. Funny how a little violence can cajole these fools to reign in their behavior.”