What the hell had gotten into him? He was not the type of man to fall for the first good-looking needy woman who came along. Damn, this woman was beautiful. She looked so delicate sitting there. He could not just leave her.
"I'd feel better if I knew I at least got you to your car. Is it far from here?” Ryan looked up towards the top of the beach standing to get a look at their location. The nearest parking lot was half a mile in the other direction. That would mean a long, hard walk.
Katie closed her eyes and exhaled. There was no way she was jogging back to the boardwalk but she needed to get rid of the hunky guy.
"It's okay really. I just needed a few minutes. It was just a cramp,” she blurted out then pushed herself to a standing position.
Katie lost her balance as the lace on her right sneaker caught on a jagged piece of wood from the bench leg. She was wobbling to the right then to the left in an attempt to keep her balance. She fought to seek the stranger for support or assistance.
She thought she was a goner, mentally envisioning the embarrassing images as her face hit the sandy beach. She teetered for what seemed like many seconds before she felt the solidity around her waist and the instant feeling of relief that filled her body.
The stranger's arms wrapped around Katie's waist stopping her from falling, and Katie's cheek pressed against his solid chest. She felt the enormous flow of heat rush through her body. The embarrassment from her klutzy, rather silly reaction to the man with the enticing hold, was enough to make her want to bury her head in the sand like a crab.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry.” Katie pulled away again, nearly losing her balance and he held her arms. Their gazes locked, she could feel the tiny beads of perspiration escape from the pores of her forehead. This was a bad situation, she felt as if she could possibly faint and he continued to stare. She tried to release her shoelace from the jagged wood, repeatedly lifted her foot, but it was no use, it just would not budge. The man continued to hold her.
She refused to look at him or allow their gazes to meet again, when they were so close. Her body coiled up as tight as a spring ready to snap. Forget her feminine parts. The desire, the need for deeper contact, sent erotic thoughts through her mind. She needed to escape, she needed space between them and fast.
"Here let me get that for you,” he smiled wide, seemingly unaware of the affect he had on her. He smirked.
He bent down and gently took Katie's leg by her calf and lifted the shoelace from confinement.
Katie pushed the loose strands of hair behind her ear and could feel the rush of heat hit her cheeks once more. His large hand softly covered her entire calf sending electric shocks through her thighs. Their gazes locked again. The devilish smirk and flirtatious squint of his eyes did a number on her.
Each time he looked at her like that, she felt immediately feverish. In an attempt to ignore her ridiculous reaction to the handsome stranger, she fought the emotion allowing the chills and beads of sweat to replace the warmth. A constant up and down roller coaster of emotions was sure to leave her feeling exhausted from the process. She had to leave. Just walk away and breathe.
She thanked him then looked away.
"Why don't you let me walk you back to your car? Are you parked near the boardwalk?” He asked crossing his arms in front of his chest.
The look on his face told her she was in trouble. He was the flirtatious type and probably thought she purposely lost her balance. That is when she noticed the tattoo on his bicep. It was a fireman's hat with an American flag and the nickname BULL. He was a firefighter.
Her heart felt as if it relocated to her stomach and Katie quickly moved to the side. Disappointment, fear and concern replaced the giddy, wild, erotic emotions she felt only moments ago.
"I'm fine, really but I appreciate your help. Have a good day,” she told him and she started walking away.
Ryan saw her expression change the second she eyed his tattoo. He glanced at his arm then back towards the woman. Maybe she did not like firefighters.
He wanted to change her mind.
He wanted to hold her.
Damn! What was wrong with him? He wanted to make her stay, tell him her name, make her give in to his demands. She was adorable and sexy, a unique combination that left him staring after her. He shook his head as he watched the young woman escape.
He gazed at her backside in the slim fitting, navy blue jogging shorts she was wearing. She was tone from her ankles to her thighs and further up. He cursed the shorts only having his imagination to go by.
"See ya around!” he yelled, but she never looked back.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 3
Two weeks had gone by and Katie felt right at home in the ER. Her brother Donny was an awesome surgeon, she saw firsthand, and had the opportunity to aid him in two separate accident victim's operations. The staff was friendly and she had already made a few new friends. She was grateful because she missed Terry something terrible. Talking on the phone was not the same.
"You've already established a nice reputation for yourself young woman,” Donny commented as he took a sip from the white foam coffee cup.
"What do you mean?” Katie asked.
"You get along with everyone, even nurse grump ass,” he said, nodding towards the head nurse on duty. The woman was older, set in her ways and did not really have many people skills.
"It's no big deal. I just kill them with kindness.” Katie winked.
"It's more than that, Katie. You are the whole package and you believe in the human factor. Empathy is important in this field. These are real people and real lives. Some people forget about that too quickly.” Donny looked towards the head nurse again.
"You're pretty good yourself, Donny. I guess it runs in the family."
"Yeah, we rush into an emergency room. Billy and Michael rush into burning buildings."
Katie smiled.
Dr. Broderick turned the corner.
"Nurse McKeller, join me for some coffee? I'd offer dinner but it's late,” he asked with a wink and Donny stood up from the seat.
Donny did not like Broderick hitting on his sister. The guy was slime when it came to women. Never mind he was eight years older than Katie.
"Sure,” Katie replied before Donny could intervene. She giggled at his brotherly protectiveness.
Donny stood and watched as Dr. Broderick and Katie headed towards the lounge.
* * * *
9:00 p.m., the call came into the firehouse. The bell sounded and immediately Ryan, Brad, Michael and the others scrambled to the garage bay. They each pulled on their pants, stepped into their boots and grabbed the rest of their gear in speed record time. They jumped into the trucks, the chief already in radio contact with dispatch and on route to the location.
Once in the truck, the firefighters helped one another put on their gear, attaching their self-contained breathing apparatus and checking the valves. They grabbed their masks and buckled themselves in.
They prepared their minds best as they could for the fire scene.
They were on their way to a house located at 117 Beach Cove Bay, a small, two-block neighborhood consisting of three cul-de-sacs. The house in jeopardy was located in the farthest cul-de-sac that bordered a heavily wooded area.
Upon arrival, there was great concern for the neighboring homes as well as the adjacent wooded area. As Ryan and the others arrived on the scene, flames were shooting from the right side of the home and the roof.
The residents in the neighborhood gathered outside their homes watching the events unfold. The local Police Department had officers on the scene that immediately began to safely border off the fire scene with yellow ‘do not cross’ tape to assist the firefighters.
"John and Marcus, you two ‘lay it in and hit the hydrant,” the Lieutenant ordered and both John and Marcus began to haul the hose from the pumper truck. They pulled the two and a half-inch hose closer to the custom built, colonial style house as Lieutenant Jones orde
red. John was now the nozzle man and he began spraying the far right end of the house in attempt to stop the fire from spreading. Sirens blared in the distance, red lights flashed, radio conversations echoed over the speakers. Drivers from Ladder Three positioned their trucks towards the house and roof. Ryan assumed that the fire started in the attic on the right side of the home.
Ryan sensed the urgency to move quickly. He and Brad were doing their job and waiting for further instruction from the Lieutenant.
Out of habit, Ryan scanned the crowd of people with his eyes. He knew that one quick glance would not indicate what he was looking for, but the thought of someone trapped inside would make Ryan and the team approach the fight differently. He focused on his assigned position, prepared to enter the house on the ground floor level by the garage, when he caught a glimpse of the lieutenant,
The lieutenant's facial expression changed as he spoke to an older couple. Ryan assumed they were the homeowners.
The chief called out orders to Colt and Freddie.
"You two begin on the roof, we need some controlled ventilation before I can send Ryan and Brad in search and rescue."
Colt and Freddie grabbed the gas-powered chain saw, preparing to climb the ladder to begin working on the fire from the roof. Ryan and Brad waited to enter, grabbing a thermal digital camera to use if necessary, while Michael and Ted prepared the hose for their water supply to put out the fire and enter by the side door of the home. Now, red, orange and black flames covered the entire right side of the house. The smoke was thick and changing from gray to black then covering the clear night sky.
"Bull, Buddy, you two go in do a sweep of the house ‘B’ side, search and rescue. The neighbor said two adults and one child own the home. No one has seen them. Mike and Ted will follow,” Lieutenant Charlie Jones told the firefighters.
Ryan got that instant pain in the pit of his stomach, the thought of someone trapped in the heat, smoke and fire sent a terrible feeling through his whole body. Then the adrenaline kicked in, the rush to search, find and rescue the victims.
The chief took Ryan and Brad's red tags from their turnout coats, a procedure required before entering a fire.
Ryan noted his and Brad's place of entry on the side of the house. They placed their masks in position over their face and checked their valves one final time. The fire had not spread that far yet. Ted and Michael were seconds behind them pulling the two and a half inch hose with them between two parked cars in the driveway. All the firefighters were dressed in full gear. They could see the smoke inside the house through the pane of glass on the side door, it was thick and Ryan wondered where the family could be. The house was large and the custom design would surely throw them for a loop as they tried to conduct a search.
The side door remained locked. Ryan waited for the ‘okay to enter’ by the chief once the roof men made their incision and provided ventilation of the fire. The chief radioed in and a second later, Ryan kicked in the door. Ryan and Brad entered the smoke-filled laundry room.
A short hallway led to a wooden slotted door, there was smoke everywhere. Cautiously, they moved forward.
Brad opened the door and the thickness of the smoke instantly hit them. Ryan adjusted his breathing mask. The fire was spreading fast and they needed to hurry. They called out, identifying themselves as firefighters as they pushed through toys and furniture. They were in a playroom. Brad headed towards the staircase, the bedrooms were upstairs and the fire was moving towards the hallway.
"Help us!"
Ryan saw a man and a woman, they were frantic, covered in black soot and coughing as they made their way through the smoke.
"This way, come on!” Ryan yelled taking the woman by the hand.
"Our boy! We can't find Kevin!” The mother screamed, tears streaming down her blackened cheeks.
Brad joined Ryan by the stairs. Ryan radioed it in.
"Where are the bedrooms?” Ryan asked the parents and they told them, “Up the stairs and to the left".
"I'm here!” Michael yelled as he approached the stairs.
"The parents, can you get them out? I will help Brad search for the son. The boy must be hiding."
Michael told the parents to follow him. He led them through the smoke and heat to two other firefighters and to the safety of the outside. Michael returned, helping Ted pull the hose through the laundry room.
Outside, Charlie had Billy and Eddie hosing down the right side of the house to contain the fire and provide more time for Brad and Ryan to search for the boy. The others were making their way to the top of the house where the fire was building. They continued to try to stop the fire from spreading. The fire from the right side of the house began to extend through the playroom. In seconds, the fire reached past the staircase that led upstairs and to the laundry room where the firefighters had entered only moments ago. There was thick smoke and flames coming towards Michael and Ted. They radioed in, informing their lieutenant of the status of the fire. They began to spray the hose, putting out the fire just as it feasted on hanging coats, clothing and other flammable material in its path. The fire roared ferociously and extended through the laundry room. Michael and Ted held the hose tight and continued to spray the bursts of red and orange.
Colt and Freddie cautiously walked on top of the roof. The red and orange flames shot up from the top peak on the right side where they had made the first incision with the powered chainsaw. At this point, the fire was craving for more oxygen and the side windows began to shatter. Colt and Freddie knew that they needed to provide some more controlled ventilation. Freddie called it in.
"Chief, it's getting worse up here. We need to make another cut. Where are search and rescue?"
"Go ahead Freddie. I'll find a location and status on search and rescue."
"Bull! What's your position?” the chief radioed to Ryan.
"Hallway, no sign of the kid yet. Two more bedrooms to search” Ryan responded.
The chief then radioed Freddie giving him an update.
The thick black smoke engulfed Freddie and Colt as they used their skills and training to make a hole in the roof. Freddie re-started the gasoline-powered chain saw, the sound echoed through the night air as the blades made contact with the roofing shingles.
Freddie tore at the slices of material with his Halligan tool pulling pieces of shingle and plywood trying to make a hole large enough to spray water through.
Ryan and Brad slowly made their way up the stairs ducking together as the ceiling filled with an ocean of flames. Black smoke started making its way from the attic and the right side of the house to the center where they now stood. Ryan and Brad searched the rooms to the left. Ryan noted that the window might be their only means of escape.
Ryan eyed the fancy tapestry and loads of magazines and newspapers that covered the whole sidewall of the living room. The fire was only feet away from igniting the paper material.
Ryan called into the radio to Michael and Ted.
"We need that hose up here the fire is spreading fast."
"We just got the laundry room and furnace area wet down, these people have filled gasoline containers down here. We're moving them out."
Ryan realized that Michael and Ted had their own problems. They would not want the fire to get hold of any filled containers of gasoline. That could kill all of them.
Together Ryan and Brad searched and moved down the small, enclosed hallway. Brad was just ahead of him.
They continued to look around. Brad headed towards the first room, Ryan towards the second right next door. They were running out of time. Ryan could hear the water spreading against the house. The crew was trying to put the fire out, give Ryan and Brad more time to search. They heard what sounded like large objects crashing and pounding to the floor. Simultaneously, Ryan felt the rush of heat, then saw flames spreading down the hallway. Ryan knew that the stacks of magazines and newspapers were igniting and the sound had to be the towers of magazines crashing to the floor.
&n
bsp; He called out to Brad just as the wallpaper and the hallway carpeting went up in flames. Smoke was everywhere. Ryan and Brad continued to search.
"We've got to move it. The fire will spread this way and we're going out the window."
"I'll check this room. You take the other. Call on the radio and we'll meet out the window if we get trapped,” Ryan said. Brad was already headed into the last bedroom.
Brad entered the room, searching with his hands, moving the mattress off the bed and thinking of all the possible hiding spots a kid could think of. He pulled the Thermo Imaging Camera from the clip and turned it on. He pointed it forward while making a slow circular direction around the room.
The bed was empty and the corner was, too. The camera indicated a heat form coming from inside the closet. Brad immediately opened the closet, pushing aside clothing on hangers and anything that would cover a small child.
Then Brad saw a movement and thought he heard a scream.
Frantically, Brad pushed the boxes to the side. The small child sat curled up in a ball. He held onto the poles in the closet for life. Brad instantly knew his appearance had frightened him.
Brad reached for the child but he would not budge.
"It's okay kid, I'm here to help you, come on.” Brad reached for him again and the kid held tighter.
The full gear is scaring him. It must be the mask.
Brad removed his mask, knowing it was a bad idea but the kid was not making things easy.
"Come on kid. We have to move. Your parents are outside, they're waiting for you."
The kid let go and at the same time Ryan's voice echoed over the radio and the doorway burst into flames.
"Brad, we got to go."
"The kid's in the closet. I got the kid. Oh shit!"
Ryan heard Brad yell. The hallway filled up with flames in an instant, trapping Brad and the victim in the room.
The fire was at the doorway where Brad was. Ryan attempted to meet up with Brad again but the fire caused an instant barrier between him and the hallway. The fire filled the room Ryan was in. Ryan headed towards the window, radioing in their location and the need for the ladder truck.
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