Up in Flames

by Elle James

  She looked forward to the morning jogs with Chance. They talked a little the first day, learning more about each other.

  He’d grown up in Hellfire, living on the family ranch. He liked pepperoni pizza and riding horses. His favorite seasons were spring and fall. He was easily frustrated with his siblings, but would take a bullet for any one of them. And he missed being a part of the military, but was glad to be home.

  The more she learned about Chance, the more she realized what a jerk Randy had been. He’d had no ambition, no manners and no loyalty to anyone but himself. Had Kate known there were real men out there like Chance, she never would have looked twice at Randy.

  She chalked up her mistake to loneliness and having no one else in her life at the time. Randy had been nice to her, at first, and Kate had been needy enough to fall for his lies.

  But Kate had come a long way from being that needy for attention and love. In Afghanistan, she’d learned she was worth a whole lot more than what Randy had to offer. She learned to like her own company and not feel lonely when she was alone.

  On the third morning, they slowed on their way back into Hellfire and walked the few blocks to the station to cool down.

  “I still owe you a riding lesson,” Chance said.

  “I’d like that,” Kate said. “I’ve enjoyed our running in the morning. Thanks.”

  “No, thank you. It gets me out of the station and off the treadmill. I like having someone to run with as well.”

  “It’s nice to have a friend in town.” Kate shot Chance a smile.

  Chance smiled back. “It’s nice that you call me a friend.”

  Kate frowned. “Look, Chance, I don’t want to cramp your style. If you find someone you want to date, just let me know. It could be awkward if you’re still running with me.”

  Chance’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m not planning on dating anyone anytime soon.”

  She cast a sideways glance his way. “Someone burn you in the past? I know all about being burned.”

  He walked on for a few moments before answering. “No, not burned. Someone I cared about died in my arms.”

  Kate reached out to touch Chance’s arm, bringing him to a halt. “Oh, Chance. I’m so sorry. That had to hurt deeply.”

  He nodded. “The bullet was meant for me. Only Sandy caught it.”

  “While you were in Afghanistan?” Kate asked softly.

  He nodded and resumed walking. “It’s been two years. You’d think the memories would have faded by now.”

  “Something like that might take a lot longer.” And now, Kate knew the reason why Chance didn’t want a relationship. “She must have been special.”

  Again, he nodded. “She was.”

  Sadness sank deep in Kate’s belly. How could she compete with a ghost? Not that she was in a competition. But if she was, she would never win. Chance’s Sandy had been the one for him. In her death, she’d died perfect. Nothing Kate, or any other woman, could do would ever measure up.

  As they approached the fire station, Kate looked ahead. “Will I see you in the morning?”

  “No, I’m on duty tomorrow through your running time. The weekend is coming up. Are you off on Saturday? We could do that riding lesson then.”

  “About that lesson… We don’t have to. I’d understand if you’re too busy. I’m still trying to get settled in, and Bacchus is finally ready to move on to another drug to sniff. I might be working the weekend on cocaine.”

  Chance chuckled. “That just sounds weird.”

  Kate smiled, glad the conversation had shifted to a lighter topic. “Bacchus picked up quickly with the marijuana. Sheriff Olson has a sample of cocaine I’ll start training with this afternoon.”

  “I’m still going to take you out riding. If Saturday is good for you, I’d like to take you then. Bring your cocaine, and you can train Bacchus at the ranch. There should be lots of good places to hide drugs out there.”

  Kate laughed. “If anyone else heard us talking, they’d think we were drug runners.”

  He grinned. “So, Saturday?”

  “Saturday,” Kate agreed. “But if you get a better offer, my feelings won’t be hurt if you call and cancel.”

  “Fair enough. But I can’t think of a better offer than taking my new friend out for a ride.” He touched his fingers to his temple in a mock salute. “Have a great day training with my brother.”

  “Will do. And don’t get into any bad fires.”

  “It’ll be another slow day in the neighborhood,” Chance promised.

  Kate hoped so. She hated to think of him running into a burning building. How did wives of firefighters remain calm when their men were on duty?

  Not that Chance was her man, nor she his wife. But he was her friend, and she worried about him.

  After a quick shower and a change into the uniform that had finally arrived the day before, she walked with Bacchus to the sheriff’s office and started her day’s training with Nash. They spent the early part of the day riding out in the countryside, where she learned about all the different roads leading into the Hill Country, both paved and unpaved. When they came back for lunch, Nash was tasked with transporting a prisoner from the county jail to the county courthouse for trial. They left the courthouse that afternoon and dropped the prisoner off at the jail. On their way back into the sheriff’s office, the town of Hellfire was rocked with an earth-shaking explosion.

  “What the hell?” Kate swayed for a moment, and then spun toward the sound.

  A plume of smoke rose above the southeast corner of Hellfire.

  “Come on. Let’s go check it out.” Nash ran back toward the SUV.

  Kate held the back door for Bacchus to get in. She jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door as Nash shifted into reverse.

  Lights flashing and sirens blaring, they followed the smoke to the southeast.

  As they passed the fire station, men were leaping onto the big red truck as it edged out of the bay.

  Kate thought she caught a glimpse of Chance climbing aboard but wasn’t sure. When the men were dressed in their turn-out gear, they all looked alike—bulky and dull yellow with stripes of reflective tape across their arms and backs.

  The SUV’s radio crackled with the report of an explosion and fire on Poplar Street.

  Nash responded that they were on their way. Another deputy checked in that he was on his way with a five-minute ETA.

  Nash and Kate were the first of the first responders at the scene.

  In a dingier side of the little town, where the buildings were showing their wear and not being maintained as well, someone had blown up a huge bin full of trash next to a wood-framed abandoned warehouse. The explosion had knocked a hole in the side of the building and set off a fire that was quickly consuming the old timbers and siding, eating into the walls and roof so quickly, the fire department would be hard-pressed to save the structure.

  Sirens wailed as the fire engine whipped around the corner and came to a stop near the site.

  Firefighters leaped from the truck and yanked the hoses loose, dragging them to the nearest hydrant.

  People from the nearby neighborhood of shanty houses and run-down apartments gathered nearby.

  Kate, Bacchus and Nash left the SUV and hurried to urge them to stay back and out of the way of the firefighters.

  “Pay attention to the onlookers,” Nash said in a hushed tone. “Sometimes the perpetrators like to watch the show.”

  As she spoke with bystanders, Kate studied them. Some were older men and women from nearby houses, concerned for their homes and neighbors.

  A man stumbled out of the old warehouse, his clothes tattered, looking as if he hadn’t had a bath in weeks. He carried an equally tattered duffel bag and a ragged sleeping bag slung over his shoulder. Staggering toward the firefighters, he shouted, “There are more people inside.”

  The firefighters ran into the burning building.

  Kate could barely breathe as she waited for t
hem to come back out.

  Bacchus tugged at the end of his lead, sniffing the side of the building adjacent to the one on fire. He pulled her forward, eager to sniff more.

  Kate eased forward, letting him continue his investigation while she watched for the firefighters, praying Chance wasn’t one of them, but knowing in her heart he was.

  Nash had hurried forward to get the homeless man out of the way of the men working the fire.

  When Bacchus’s lead suddenly went slack, she glanced down at him.

  He lay on the ground, looking up at her.

  Kate frowned. “What’s wrong, Bacchus?”

  He turned to sniff at a concrete block leaning against the wall of the building and turned back to her, his tail wagging as if he was waiting for her to give him his toy.

  Kate’s heart leaped into her throat. She backed away from the concrete block, dragging Bacchus away with her. “Nash!” Looking around desperately, she yelled again, “Nash!”

  Deputy Grayson appeared at her side. “What’s wrong?”

  She pointed toward the concrete block leaning against the building adjacent to the one with the flames climbing higher into the sky. “Bacchus indicated he found something behind that concrete block.”

  Nash frowned. “Found what?”

  Her blood running cold in her veins despite the heat of the blaze, Kate hurried to explain. “He laid down.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It means he found explosives. I trained him to sit when he finds drugs.” She looked around at the people standing nearby and the firefighters rushing out of the burning building, carrying or assisting a ragtag group of men from the smoke and destruction. “We have to get everyone back. Now.”

  Nash didn’t need further direction. He spoke into the radio on his shoulder, warning dispatch and the other deputy who’d arrived at the scene of the potential of another explosion.

  “I’ll tell the firefighters,” Kate said and ran toward the men gathered near the front of the burning building.

  “Get these people out of here,” she yelled as she ran forward. “You have to get out of here now!”

  A firefighter stepped in front of her. “Kate, what’s going on?” Chance gripped her shoulders and stared at her with a soot-covered face.

  “Explosives. Bacchus indicated explosives against the side of the next building. Everyone needs to get back.”

  “Go. Take Bacchus and help get the bystanders back further. We’ll take care of the rest.”

  She grabbed hold of his jacket, her heart pounding hard inside her chest. “You have to leave before the next one goes off.”

  “We will. But you need to go first. I can’t do my job until you get out of the way.”

  She nodded and stepped back. Then she turned and ran toward the thickening crowd. “Move back!” She yelled. “Way back. There are more explosives. If you don’t leave now, you’ll be hurt.”

  The onlookers turned and walked or ran as fast as they could.

  The homeless man who’d originally exited the burning building staggered toward the flames. “Rudy. Did you get Rudy out of there?”

  Kate hurried toward him. “Sir, you have to leave this area now. There’s a chance of another explosion happening. You’re not safe here.”

  “But I can’t find Rudy.”

  Her chest tightening, Kate looked around. “Who’s Rudy?”

  “My dog. He’s still inside that building.” He pushed past Kate and lumbered toward the building engulfed in flames.

  Kate grabbed his arm and yanked him around. “You can’t go in there. You have to leave this area immediately.”

  “I won’t go without Rudy.”

  A firefighter emerged from the burning building, carrying a short-haired dog that appeared to be a cross between a Labrador retriever and a hound. As soon as he cleared the door, the dog wriggled out of the firefighter’s arms and ran toward the homeless man beside Kate.

  The man bent and caught the dog as he leaped into his arms. “Rudy. I thought you were a goner.” He hugged the dog tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks making tracks through the grime.

  “Now, go!” Kate turned the man around and gave him a gentle shove. “Hurry!”

  Once the man was moving in the right direction, Kate started to turn around.

  A man wearing a helmet and a fire-resistant uniform ran toward her. “Kate, get out of here!”

  The moment she realized it was Chance, an explosion rocked the air and threw her to the ground.

  Chance landed on top of her, covering her with his body. Pieces of brick, boards and glass blasted out from the point of detonation, raining down on them.

  Something pierced the leg of Kate’s uniform trouser and pinched her arm. Her ears rang from the concussion, and for a long moment, she couldn’t catch her breath.

  “Kate?” Chance lifted his head. “Are you okay?” He leaned up on his elbows and stared down into her face, his gaze sweeping over her features. “Talk to me, Kate.”

  “Can’t…breathe…” she whispered.

  Chance immediately rolled to the side.

  As soon as he did, smoky air filled her lungs. She coughed and sat up, her head spinning. “Bacchus,” she cried out.

  The Malinois dropped down beside her and nuzzled her hand.

  She pulled the animal into her arms and ran her hands over his body, feeling for wounds. She stopped when her fingers encountered the warm, wet stickiness of blood. “He’s injured.” Kate pushed to her knees and stared down at Bacchus.

  “He’s not injured, Kate,” Chance said. “You are. That’s your blood.”

  She stared at her forearm where a jagged scrape was bleeding onto the dog and laughed. The sound came out a little manic and relieved at the same time. “Oh, it’s just me.”

  She sat back on her heels and looked around. “There could be more explosives.”

  “I doubt it. But it wouldn’t hurt to get you out of here and let Bones check you out.”

  He helped her to her feet. When she wobbled, her head spinning a little, he bent and scooped her up in his arms.

  “Hey, I can walk,” she said, but didn’t struggle. She liked how strong he was and how he made her feel cared for and protected. “What about the others? Someone might have real injuries.”

  “They’re okay. You’re the one bleeding.”

  “I am, aren’t I?” she said, staring at her arm, dripping blood onto his jacket. “I’m sorry. I’m messing up your suit.”

  Chance shook his head. “You’re killing me.”

  “Bacchus and I were only trying to help.”

  The dog trotting along beside them looked up.

  “And thank goodness you were there to find those explosives. It could have been bad if we hadn’t gotten as far away as we did.”

  He took her to the other side of the fire truck where the EMT, Bones, was checking out the firefighters and the homeless men who’d been in the burning building.

  An ambulance had just pulled up, and more emergency medical technicians jumped out and off-loaded a gurney.

  Chance set her on her feet near Bones. Bacchus sat, his tail wagging, seeming to take it all in.

  “Did you notice?” Kate said.

  “Notice what?”

  “Bacchus didn’t run off after the explosion.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  “Yes. Maybe he’s getting over his fear of things that go bang.”

  “Maybe.” Chance interrupted Bones tending a cut on one of the firefighter’s cheeks. “I need some of your medical supplies.”

  Bones moved aside so Chance could reach the kit. He glanced over at Kate. “I heard Bacchus saved us all.”

  Kate patted the dog’s head, leaving a trail of blood. “He’s a good dog.”

  Bones slapped an adhesive bandage onto Daniel’s cheek. “You’re good to go.” Then he turned to Kate. “Here, let me.”

  Chance handed Bones what he needed to clean and wrap the woun
d. “You’ll need to rewrap it once you’ve had a shower, but this will do for now.”

  She looked down at the bandage and smiled up at Chance and Bones. “Thanks, but I seem to have torn my new uniform as well.” She held out her leg where the bottom of the pant leg was thick with her blood.

  “Damn, why didn’t you say anything?” Chance bent and ripped her trouser up to her knee.

  “Hey. That’s my new uniform.”

  “It was torn anyway, and the sheriff isn’t going to give you a hard time about it,” Nash said. “Are you?”

  Sheriff Olson stepped up beside Kate. “I have another set due in the office tomorrow. Don’t worry about it. You and Bacchus did good today.”

  “But the buildings…” She stared at the two buildings that were still burning. “They’re a complete loss.”

  “Yeah, but they’re just buildings. They can be replaced,” the sheriff said. “Our men and women in uniform can’t be.”

  Chance wrapped her leg in a swath of bandages. “The wound isn’t that deep, so you won’t need stitches, but this was all we had left. We have more supplies at the station, or we can swing by the clinic for some on the way through town.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Kate pushed to her feet. “See?” She was proud of herself for not even swaying when her head swam.

  “Yeah. Come on, let’s get you home,” Nash said.

  She shook her head. “There’s still more work to do. You need to be here as well.”

  “But you’ve been injured,” Chance argued.

  “And if it was Nash, instead of me? Would you be as quick to send him home?”

  “Yes,” Chance said.

  Kate raised her eyebrows and turned to Nash. “Would he?”

  Nash shook his head. “He’d tell me to ‘buck up, buttercup’.”

  Kate crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m staying. We can’t have anyone interfering with the work you guys are doing to keep the fire from spreading.” She pointed to Chance. “You have your job, go to it. And I’ll do mine.”

  Chance frowned.

  Sheriff Olson chuckled. “She’s got spunk.” He clapped his hands together. “Come on, let’s get this place cleaned up.”

  Kate gathered Bacchus’s lead. “I’m going to take Bacchus around the exterior of the surrounding buildings.”