Page 5 of Flash Freeze

Flash concentrated on the comforting sound of her regulator’s steady hiss, letting the oxygen wash her clean from the inside out. Easy now, fire, she thought. I don’t know what pissed you off, but back down. Take a rest.

Movement ahead. Through the twisting red-and-black columns, firefighters raced between the rows of steel drums. Their hoses came alive, sandwiching the blaze between them. In ten more minutes, the air cleared. Steam and smoke sizzled, and the last flames gave up. Flash knew it was Engine Crew One—not the thoughts in her head—that quieted the fire. Then again, she didn’t rule out anything.

Thank you, she thought, then shook hands with Trevino. “Thanks, man. You got here just in time.”

“I don’t know,” he said, pulling up his mask. “Y’all seemed to have had it hogtied by the time we added our dab of water.”

“And what took you so long?” Waylon complained, tone playful. “Had to stop and tie your bootlaces?”

“Naw, man. We had to drive all over creation to get to that service entrance, and the manager dude was all panicked. Anyway, it worked out, so no sweat, right?”

Waylon clapped him on the shoulder. “Sure. We’re good.”

They rolled their hoses as they lumbered back the way they had come. Flash stopped at the office door. “I wanna take a quick look.”

“Sure,” Woods said. “We’ll just twiddle our thumbs while you go sightseeing.”

She shot him a perturbed glance and headed into the room. An outline marked where the man had lain. The ceiling was gone, and sunlight filtered through venting stripes far overhead. File cabinets, computers, charred and melted. Fires left patterns. Chaos had a shape. She knew industrial fires played by different rules from house fires or wildfires. Still, something didn’t sit right. She shook her head and rejoined her team.

Outside, firefighters were packing up. The ambulances had left. Plant workers stood around in clumps across the parking lot, talking with police officers and fire department representatives. “Drain and stow the hoses,” she ordered. “Check all your gear. I don’t want anyone leaving an air tank or Halligan behind.”

“We would never!” Woods exclaimed in jest. But Flash was all business. She strode to where Captain O’Riley, Assistant Chief Velasquez, and the two other captains were conversing. She wanted to ask questions and make recommendations, but she waited.

O’Riley caught her eye. “Good job,” he said. “But if it had taken any longer, we might all be playing harps about now.”

“Casualties?” Flash asked.

“Three bodies were recovered, two more missing,” he said. “And why’d you spare Woods to bring out a dead victim? In major fires like this, we need everyone in there.”

Flash swallowed, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She wasn’t sure of the correct response. “I didn’t waste time assessing his condition. I’d rather err on the side of maybe saving a life than maybe leaving someone to die, sir.”

He narrowed his brows at her. “You knew he was dead.”

“He shouldn’t have been.”

“Come again?” Now, all the captains and Velasquez stared at her.

“He was lying on the floor in an office that appeared to be the fire’s point of origin. The door wasn’t blocked. Others from that area surely evacuated. It seemed suspicious to me that he was there, and I didn’t want his body to suffer further degradation.”

O’Riley cocked his head at her. “You might be dating an FBI agent, but you aren’t a detective—or do you desire a career change?”

“No, sir.”

“Houston Police and the fire marshal’s office are investigating the cause, and I’m sure they’ll look at the office before making a determination. Thank God it didn’t start in that staging warehouse.”

“Your team and Squad rescued at least eight people, and that’s something to be proud of,” Velasquez said, but her smile was strained.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Get out of here, Cash,” her captain said with a wave. “The day isn’t over yet.”

She inclined her head. “On my way.” Pivoting on her heel, Flash hustled back to her truck and climbed in. “All aboard?” she asked, taking a quick glance.

“Ready to roll,” Waylon said as he threw it into reverse. Backup beeps ensued, and people moved out of the way. “Considering we’re all still alive and we didn’t lose half the city, I’d call this one a success.”

Flash tried to smile, but it lacked inspiration. She couldn’t help but wonder if they’d been a little faster, maybe they could have saved the man in the office.

Chapter 3