Page 38 of Until We Come Home

Frank’s bedroom is charred pitch black all the way to the ceiling when I walk past it, the mattress where I found him burned straight down to the springs, and I look at it just long enough to know what another thirty seconds would have meant before turning away.

The battalion chief catches up with me on the sidewalk, shakes my hand, and says good work. Frank’s daughter finds me right after that, thanking me about nine times through her tears. Ollie wanders over after she leaves. He’s soaked from the hydrant spray and sweating through his gear, and he wipes a hand over his face, still catching his breath in the hot air.

“That was...” He trails off, shaking his head. “Holy shit, Mateo. They cover flashovers endlessly back at the academy, but seeing one roll across a ceiling in real time was a hell of a lot different.”

“Yeah, that got a little close for comfort,” I say as I work the hose. “Tough luck for your first major working fire. Most guys get a string of routine calls under their belt before ever watching a room go up like that.”

“They don’t happen on every call, right? Most structure fires don’t reach that point?”

I shrug, coiling the hose over my arm. “Depends who you ask. The training numbers say most fires never flash, but that’s counting every dumpster and grease fire in the country. It comes down to what’s in the house. Modern homes tend to flash easier.” I toss the coil onto the tailboard. “Best bet is assuming every structure has the potential to blow. Keeps you sharp.”

“Right.” Ollie nods, taking that in. “Definitely don’t want to drop your guard.”

A grim laugh gets out of me. “No. You really don’t. Not if you plan on doing this for long.”

He hesitates, frowning. “What’s the move, then? If you’re caught inside when it happens?”

“You don’t have one,” I tell him plainly. “There’s no secret technique. When a space flashes, the air itself ignites, and no hand line is going to save you. You’re either already out the window or you’re done. The whole game is reading the smoke signals before it turns and staying out of the path. That bedroom door gave me just enough time today, but relying on a thin interior door is a terrible strategy.”

I shift my weight, uncomfortable under his open admiration. I’m the last person who should be setting an example, and the idea of a green probie copying my reckless habits down the line makes my stomach turn. A kid that young has no business taking those kinds of chances.

“Listen to me, Ollie—” I start, fixing him with a stern look.

Before I can finish, Rebecca steps around the side of the engine, her sharp gaze cutting between the two of us. She flashes Ollie a look that signals he should make himself scarce. He takes the hint, stammers a quick excuse, and scrambles off toward the pump panel, leaving me to turn back to the tailboard.

“I gave an explicit command to hold off on entry,” she says, her tone deceptively quiet, dark eyes burning.

“What choice did I have, Bec? Stand by and let him burn?” I keep my eyes glued to the hose in my hands. “We’re firefighters. We show up to pull people out of the fire, not watch from the curb.”

“You think I don’t fucking know that, kid? I told you that room was about to flash. You saw the exact same smoke I did, and you went through that frame anyway. Solo. No line, no partner. That’s every rule we have, broken in one go.”

“Yeah, well, you could’ve ordered me off the ladder.” I don’t look up from the hose when I say it.

“Would you have come down?” She glares at me, waiting.

I keep my mouth shut.

“This has to go in the report.” She shakes her head. “I know why you did it, I do. But I have to report it.”

“I know you do, Bec. It’s fine,” I say, and I mean that too.

She sighs. “You scare the hell out of me, kid. You know that?”

I smile a bit at her. “For the record, I’m sorry. You’re one of the only people I actually don’t mind taking orders from. Just this one... I couldn’t do it, Bec. He was right there.”

She sighs again, longer this time. “I know. I fucking know. These calls are never easy, even after so many fucking years in this job. But Jesus. Barnes is gonna come down hard on you, and I can’t save you if he suspends you.”

“Then I’ll deal with Barnes,” I say.

She gives my shoulder a hard squeeze as she steps past. “Finish packing up the hose.”

I pick up the line. Frank’s going home to his family tonight. Whatever heat Barnes throws at me for it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and that’s the exact thing that frightens Rebecca most.

CHAPTER 9

Mia

The studio is quiet after an exhausting afternoon. Jada and I spent hours refining the choreography for the benefit show, but she packed up around seven, giving me a hug before slipping out the heavy double doors with her dance bag slung over her hip, tossing a quick promise to grab coffee together tomorrow morning.