Page 22 of Burn Protocol

“For what?”

I look at her and for a moment I wonder if she even realizes the effect she had on me yesterday. How cold and stand-offish she was. This morning untied a knot in my stomach and it made me believe that this might actually work. If we can keep talking like this, it might turn out to be my best article yet. Because that’s what all of this is about, isn’t it?

“Our chat, I… I enjoyed it.”

Her mask slips for a brief moment as the corner of her lip curls up. She glances at me sideways and shrugs. Then her jaw sets again and she is back to being the lieutenant.

“Listen, Maya. When I ask you to do something today…”

“I will do it, no questions asked.”

She glances at me again with a pleased gleam in her eye, and nods shortly. Then she holds the door to the station open for me, and we walk in together.

***

Things changed after our coffee date. Elena changed. She is still the same commanding lieutenant, short and curt, but her voice is softer now. Warmer. The days are filled with jumping in and out of trucks, doing drills in between, and the dreadful paperwork whenever there is some spare time left. It’s honestly exhausting, and I am just shadowing.

Most of the calls they get are cats stuck and false alarms, but there are also plenty of car accidents, floods, and even people who’ve locked themselves out of their homes or vehicles. Apart from a burning trash bin, we don’t see any other fires for the rest of the week. Part of me is relieved. Seeing the crew battle the flames freaked me out even if it fascinated me at the same time. But another part of me is confused. So, when we are lounging in the cantina, I quietly ask Rosa about it. Wouldn’t want Elena to think badly about you, now do you?

“Fernandes?”

She peels her eyes away from the television for a brief moment. There is some telenovela on and I realize too late that this might not be the right moment. Rosa loves her shows and watches them any chance she gets, unless she is kicking one of the boys’ asses at darts.

“Hm?”

Her reply is as short as Elena’s replies are, but laced with something warm and sweet. She really is the kind of woman I could easily befriend and hang out with. I smile, but scoff at myself at the same time. I am here for work.

“I’ve noticed that… well, for firefighters, you don’t seem to see that many fires?”

Her lips curl in an entertained grin but her gaze is glued to the screen again.

“Disappointed, guapa?”

I chuckle at her playful tone and see Elena look up from the corner of my eye. Huh? I shake my head and lift my hands.

“No, not at all. But I am surprised.”

This time Rosa turns and really looks at me, her green eyes twinkling. She runs a hand over her knee and bobs her head up and down for a moment, forming her reply. I take a moment to take her in. Her short dark hair is pulled back in a baby bun and her bronze skin is sparkling even under this fluorescent light. She is really quite stunning. But not as stunning as Elena.

“When I joined, I thought I would be saving people from the flames every day. But it turns out it’s actually very rare, chica.” She huffs out a laugh. “I never thought I would say this, but I am glad that it is.”

She offers me a soft smile, a real one this time, and I return it. There is something else there, too.

“You are?” I press.

“We are,” Elena replies, suddenly right behind me.

I startle and gasp, whipping my head toward her. She grins briefly and then sinks down next to me. The couch cushions dip a little, sliding me closer to her. Our thighs touch briefly and my heart suddenly flutters when I feel the warmth of her body through the fabric. I am so distracted that I miss the first few words of what she says.

“…what we train for, and the reason why most of us join. It’s what we live for, so the days without it seem like a long stretch.” She pauses and looks me in the eyes.

“But Maya, every day without a fire is a day people get to live. That buildings remain standing. That forests remain intact. And that’s the ultimate goal here, isn’t it?”

I let her words sink in. Their battle against the flames is to save lives, keep as much of the structure intact to keep the city safe. It’s about making the flames submit as rapidly as possible. But the way Elena gazes down the railing into the bay makes me wonder if she believes her own words.

“You…” I hesitate, not wanting to get on her bad side again. “You look disappointed.”

Her eyes flick back to mine, instantly pinning my gaze. My mouth runs so dry that when I swallow it hurts. Rosa pretends she is watching her show again, but I see her tense at my words. Oh no, what did I just do? Elena inhales slowly, and her jaw ticks just once.