Fire Escape

by J. R. Tate

  Her instincts screamed at her to keep quiet, but she had to tell someone. He had been a good friend when Michael was in Texas. His support and advice were helpful during that time. She felt she could trust him. “Some detectives came by and talked to Mikey and me about it.”

  “What? Are you serious? Why?”

  She let out a deep breath. “Someone said they saw him at the fires. I’m not sure why. I just… I just needed someone to talk to about it.”

  “How’s he taking it?”

  “Not good, Gregg. Not good. You know how his temper is. You work with him all the time.”

  “Tell me about it. I don’t think I’m his favorite person right now.”

  The hall light flashed on, brightening up the dim room. Mikey emerged from the hallway, one eye shut, the other squinting.

  “Eva, it’s three thirty. What the…”

  “I’m sorry Mikey, did I wake you?”

  “Eva, I’m gonna go.” She heard Gregg on the line hang the phone up, and she ended the call and set her phone on the table.

  “Who was that?” he asked, pointing down to the phone.

  “It was Gregg Walsh. I couldn’t sleep and he’s a friend. I just needed to talk to someone and I thought you were asleep.”

  Michael’s eyes fully opened and his eyebrow arched. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No, I’m not. Now’s not the time to act jealous about it. There’s nothing between us.” She stood up and started toward the hallway, but Mikey blocked access down it.

  “I’m not acting jealous.”

  “No? Then why is it such a damn act of congress when I talk to him?” She pushed through him and walked to the bedroom, feeling him right behind her.

  “Listen to me, Eva.”

  Turning on her heel, she looked him right in the eye. He appeared different. She had never seen him with such concern on his face, not even compared to when Casey was having the issues with Viper.

  “I’m not jealous. Gregg is dangerous. There’s been some things happening at the firehouse that are a cause for concern.”

  “What things? Explain, Mikey…”

  He sat down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, appearing as a man defeated. “He knows about Viper. Not just normal details anyone could’ve told him. He knows the nickname Viper called me. He brought it up out of nowhere. And when we had that fire yesterday, he split the team up, leaving me alone in a burning apartment. I’m talking shit that should’ve never happened. Not even a probie mistake.”

  Eva joined him on the bed, interlocking her arm with his. He felt so tense. “I’m sorry, Mikey… I had no idea.”

  Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he said, “I’ve told you. I’m telling you. Be careful with him. I’m not sure how to take him, but from the moment I started working with him, I just knew something was wrong. I know he was there for you when I was gone, but think about it. Just think about it every interaction.”

  Eva didn’t say anything in response. Mikey had always been pretty good at reading people. He was her lover, her best friend, and now the father of the baby she carried. She had to stick by his side and trust his every word. If he told her to be careful around Gregg, that’s what she was going to do. Gregg appeared to be helpful, but she had never taken into consideration the fact that he could’ve been taking advantage of their situation. It angered her to think that she had let her guard down. She would never let that happen again.

  ***

  Mikey never really got back to sleep after he and Eva had talked. Finally giving up on rest, he found Eva in the kitchen, frying up some bacon and eggs. The smell made his stomach growl, but his nerves sent him a quick reminder that he wasn’t hungry. Hugging her from behind, he buried his face in her hair.

  “It’s all gonna be okay.”

  Eva put the spatula down and turned to face him, leaning in to his embrace. “I’m sorry I called him last night. I don’t know what I was thinking. If you say he’s suspicious, then I’ll be cautious.”

  Michael kissed her on the cheek and sat at the table. “Aside from all of that, we need to figure out your situation on the ambulance.”

  She pulled out several strips of bacon and turned the stove off, placing the finished meal in front of him. He would have to choke it down for her sake.

  “What do you mean?” She wiped her greasy fingers on a napkin and poured each of them some orange juice and coffee.

  “Sit down. Don’t worry about all this. Thanks for cooking. Now enjoy it.”

  Eva didn’t dig into the food, still waiting on him to continue.

  “You do a lot of lifting. A lot of big patients on gurneys and what not. You really think that it would be smart to continue to do that? You’ve already had a pretty rough pregnancy.”

  She hugged her robe around herself and finally took a bite of a fried egg. “And what do you suggest I do instead?”

  “Work at the desk until you have the baby.”

  Pushing her plate away, she wiped her mouth and stood up. “You’d never be okay with becoming a paper pusher. Why is it so easy to suggest I do it?”

  Michael instantly regretted bringing it up to her. It needed to be talked about. Her vacation would be over soon and they would have to go back to Captain Rooker with a plan. Following her into the living room, he chose his words wisely.

  “Eva, I’m not the one having the baby. And it’s not like it’s forever. Have the baby, take your six weeks maternity leave, and then get back on the ambulance.” He grabbed her hand. “I think the department might have some sort of policy on how long a woman can stay on the truck anyway.”

  She gripped his hand hard. “I see what you’re saying, Mikey. I know it’s the best thing to do for the baby. Not just the lifting. I come into contact with some of the nastiest crap. I guess the health of the baby would be in jeopardy from contracting something too.”

  “Good point.”

  “I just…” she went back to her plate of food. “I just didn’t want to let too many people know about it yet. I guess we do need to tell the bosses though. Hopefully they can keep a secret for a little bit longer. At least until the second trimester.”

  “I agree, and I’m sure they will. They’re crazy guys, but when it comes to something like this, they’ll be professional.”

  Eva sipped on her orange juice. “We still need to tell my family too, but we can wait until this stuff with the cops settles down. I don’t want to pile too much on your shoulders.” She served him up some of the food. “You gonna eat? It’s getting cold.”

  “I was hungry until you mentioned your family.” His stomach was in knots. He longed for a morning where he could wake up without major concerns on his mind.

  ***

  After talking with Captain Rooker about Eva’s situation, Michael decided to take one more personal day to get his mind right. Gregg was back at work, but when they had walked through the garage, he wouldn’t even make eye contact with them. Michael hoped Eva had noticed his weird behavior, but she was upset about making it official that she was now pulling desk duty for the next seven months that she was in her own world.

  On the short walk home, Michael dreaded going back into the apartment. He didn’t want to be at work, he didn’t want to be at home – he wasn’t sure where the hell he wanted to be or what he wanted to do. Pausing at the stoop, he opened the door for Eva to go inside the building, but didn’t follow her in.

  “Mikey? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m uhh…” he took a few steps back. “I think I’m gonna go out to Rikers. See if I can get a visit with Viper.”

  “What? Why? Don’t you have to set up a visit through their staff first?”

  Shrugging, Michael put his hands into his pants pockets. The morning was cold, and seemed to be getting cooler. “Maybe, hell I don’t know. I just need to do this. I need to see if I can catch him in a lie. Something is off and my gut is telling me Gregg is involved.”

  Eva cocked her head to the side, he
r brow creased as if she couldn’t believe what he had just said. “I think you need to come up to the apartment and get some rest. It’s been a long couple of weeks all around. Take advantage of this day off and get away from the world for a while.”

  “That sounds good, Eva, but there’s no way I’ll be able to rest until I at least try and figure some of this out. I’ll have my cell phone with me. I’ll call you and keep in touch. I should be home by this evening.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

  Michael didn’t respond and quickly walked to the subway. He doubted his plan after Eva questioned how the visitation worked. The two times he had visited Viper before, he had called and arranged them. Viper had approved it and it was a simple process. Now he was showing up unannounced. The worst thing they could say was no, and then he’d have to think up his next step in his plan.

  On the ride to Rikers, he tossed all of the possibilities around. Gregg had mentioned stuff about Viper. Warehouses were burning in a similar fashion to the ones that killed Daryl. Could it be coincidence? Definitely. But why was his name suddenly on the radar with the police when he had no ties to what had been happening? Could Gregg have been the one to tell them? Surely the cops would have recognized that the “witness” worked in the same firehouse as the person they were pinning the crime on. There was so much grey area that Michael feared he’d never figure out. Most importantly, why would Gregg want to do this to him? What had he ever done to the guy? He barely knew him.

  A lump formed in his throat as he walked up to the visitor’s entrance of the prison. The same musty smell hit him hard. Memories of the last two visits clouded his mind. The same guard sat at the desk that he had dealt with before.

  Looking up from the computer, he looked annoyed. “Can I help you, mister?”

  “I’m Michael McGinnis. I’m here to see an inmate.”

  “Do you have it arranged?”

  Michael shook his head. Here’s where they would tell him no and his entire morning would be a waste. “Not exactly, but I’ve visited him before. It’s usually a mutual agreement, but today I just showed up. If you let him know I’m here, I’m sure he’ll be fine with seeing me.”

  Looking up from the computer, the guard said, “Michael McGinnis. I have in our log that you have visited the inmate that goes by Viper twice before. Let me make a phone call and see what we can do. You can go sit in the waiting area and I’ll let you know.”

  “Thank you,” Michael replied.

  After about a fifteen minute wait, the man approached him. “Viper is waiting in the back visitation area. The guard by the door will accompany you.”

  Michael followed the other man, trying to devise what he would say to Viper when he got in the room. How would he react if he instantly accused him of all of the things he suspected? This could all be something his imagination had conjured up and Viper had nothing to do with it.

  The clean shaven criminal was on the other side of the table, his hands cuffed like they had been the times before. He was smirking, and he leaned forward as Michael sat across from him.

  “Well, Hero, I wasn’t expecting to see you again. Why are you here?”

  Michael scrubbed his hand down his face, feeling the clamminess on his skin. “Gregg Walsh.”

  Viper’s expression didn’t change. He stayed even keel. “Excuse me?”

  “Firefighter Gregg Walsh. You know, the one who transferred to my company when I was in Texas? Does it ring any bells for you, Viper?”

  He laughed and leaned back in his chair. “I think you’ve officially lost your mind, Mikey. You come all the way to Rikers to talk about a guy you work with? I don’t guess I’m following your logic.”

  Sitting forward, Michael felt like he was inches away from the other man. “No? Then how is it he knows personal shit that is only between you and me? How is it that fires are popping up all over the city, arsons, burning in the same way you set them?”

  “I stand by my statement, McGinnis. I think you’ve lost your mind.”

  Michael wasn’t sure how to take his reaction. Maybe he really didn’t know about Gregg and what was happening. Maybe someone had inadvertently mentioned the small details to Gregg that only a select few knew.

  “You told me you were a changed man. You’re so full of shit, Viper. Sad thing is, for a split second, I believed you.” Despite his apprehension, he pressed on. Even if Viper was unfamiliar, this was true feelings that Michael had to get out. “You’re not a changed man. How about you stay out of my life for good?”

  The same arrogant smirk was plastered on Viper’s face as Michael got up to leave. Before he got to the door, Viper motioned for him to come back. “Sit down for a second, Hero. I got something to tell you.”

  “What?”

  “No, come sit down.”

  Michael got back to his chair, but refused to sit in it. “This is as good as it gets, Viper. If you’re gonna sit here and lie to me about what is happening, I’m not wasting any more time.”

  Whispering so low that Michael could barely hear him, Viper said, “You’re an easy man to frame, McGinnis.” Motioning to the guards, he spoke up, “I’m done with this visit. Take me back to my cell.”

  “No wait!” Michael yelled. “I’m not done talking to you! Why?”

  The guards came in, each on Viper’s side. “See you soon, Hero. See you soon.”

  Michael lunged forward at him, but before he could get any closer, another guard stepped in, holding him back against the wall. “You need to calm down, sir.”

  “I wasn’t finished!”

  “The inmate said he was. He has that right. You need to calm down or your visitations will be revoked.”

  Michael pulled his arm away from the guard’s grasp. “I don’t think I’ll need them anymore.” He didn’t even wait for an escort out of. His anger was at maximum level and Viper’s words continued to echo in his head.

  “You’re an easy man to frame, McGinnis.”

  Could he take that to the cops? No one had heard him say it but Michael. It wasn’t even loud enough for the guards who were standing by. It was hear say, but so was the person naming him at the scene. Was he better off just not mentioning the Rikers visit to anyone? At this point in time, his best bet was to not say any more than what the detectives asked, and even then that might be too much.

  Chapter Twelve

  Michael left Rikers with no real direction to go in. he felt out of control and lost now more than ever. He couldn't get Viper's evil stare out of his mind. He couldn't get his voice to fade. Just as he had suspected, Viper was in on whatever this was. He still didn't have complete confirmation that Gregg was part of it, but who else could it be? There was no concrete proof. They had nothing substantial against him either, but as Viper had said, he was an easy man to frame. What plan had they come up with to do this? Viper was intelligent and knew how to work the system.

  A sick feeling crept up and Michael leaned over the railing next to the East River. He had got back to Manhattan, but didn't want to go home. The water was choppy and the breeze off of it was chilling. The hair on the back of his neck rose up. Burying his face in his hands, he felt every negative emotion imaginable come to the surface. What in the hell was he going to do?

  Eva could vouch for him, but he had seen plenty of crime shows. An alibi like that would never stand up in court. Shaking his head, he couldn't believe that he was contemplating this. He was innocent. He didn't set the fires. Hopefully the justice system would come through, but just like the crime shows, he had seen enough from the court system to know even innocent people had been put away for crimes they never committed.

  Sitting on a park bench, he watched some children play carelessly at the park adjacent to him. Their parents were watching, joy filling their eyes as they laughed and let go of all inhibitions. He missed feeling like that. He missed the way it felt to just play. His heart
ached. What if Viper was successful and he got put in prison? He'd miss the birth of his child. He'd miss its first steps, its first day of preschool, possibly even its first day of kindergarten. How would Eva handle it? Michael had to turn away. Would he ever feel the joy of watching his child on the playground? If he got sent away, would the kid even know who he was?

  Glancing down at his watch, he noticed it was already mid afternoon. He didn't intend on being gone the whole day, but the thought of his apartment made his stomach churn. His phone vibrated in his pocket and it was Eva calling. Ignoring it, he slid it back into his jeans and walked down the sidewalk, pulling his jacket around him. Another buzz let him know that she had left a voicemail. He fought the urge to throw the phone into the water. He wanted the world to go away.

  It wasn't Eva's fault. Why was he feeling such negativity toward her? He had put her through so much in the time that they were together that it had crossed his mind that she'd be better off without him. Things were just so complicated. He loved her more than life itself. He couldn't fathom life without her. He cared for her enough to let her go if it meant that she'd stop being pulled into all of the bullshit. There was also a baby involved. His pregnant girlfriend was at home wondering where he was. That alone should've been enough for him to head back to the apartment, but his legs carried him farther away.

  With no idea of where he was headed, he just walked. His problems would have to wait until he was ready to face them.

  ***

  Eva glanced up at the clock on the shelf above the TV. It was a little after seven PM and she still had not heard from Mikey. Earlier when she called, it would at least ring several times before going to voicemail, but now he had his phone turned off. Dialing his number again, a lump formed in her throat at the sound of his voice on his message. Ending the call, she scooted the phone across the surface of the coffee table and leaned back on the couch.

  What had happened during the meeting with Viper? He told her that morning that he would be home right after. Did something happen to him? Who could she call to check? If she called his mother she would just be left to worry as well. She didn't want to put her through that. What if he had gone over there? He had become particularly close to her in the past few years.