AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Damn right."
"Which means she fights dirty," Moon snickered, lifting the ladder back into place.
Jake glanced up, cracking a smile, making Eva's heart skip a beat. Why did the man have to be so gorgeous? Why did his T-shirt have to cling so spectacularly to his torso? Why did-
The radio crackled, distracting her, as Martin relayed that the apartment was clear. Time to clear the scene.
Eva tugged off her helmet and bunker coat and found a pen. Normally, she'd help stow the equipment, but since Hank had pulled her around front and several volunteer firemen had arrived to assist, she filled in the paperwork normally done by the driver. Might as well save Hank some time and earn her some brownie points. With Wendell contemplating retirement in order to run a yard service full time, Eva wanted to make captain.
Only Jake stood in her way. And that was a huge problem.
Not because she loved Jake, but because he deserved the promotion as much as she did.
And she might get it over him just because she didn't have a penis- which didn't sit well with her. Not thenothaving a penis part- she really didn't want one-but that she'd get the job not based on merit but rather on her gender. The wordtokenflitted through her mind again.
"Hey, miss."
Eva ripped her gaze from the paperwork fluttering on the clipboard to find Kiki standing beside her. "Hey, Kiki.You need me?"
"I'm just worried about Zeke."
Zeke? Who was that? A cat? Eva had forgotten to ask about pets. "Who's Zeke?"
"He lives in 30A. He's only eight."
Eva grabbed her mic. "Did we clear 3OA?"
"No occupants detected. All secure," Hank responded.
Eva looked at Kiki."We didn't find anyone."
"Well, he ain't gonna answer. He ain't supposed to be home. He said he was gonna stay home because Jarvis Bell said he was gonna whip his ass for telling Mrs. Haydell he cheated on his spelling test. His Big Mama will whoop him good if she knows he's home." Kiki looked at the closed door of the apartment housed next door to hers.
"Christ," Eva breathed, grabbing her mask and attaching her accountability tag to the PVC pipe atop the cone. "Stay here, Kiki."
Eva ran toward the closed apartment, calling into her mic. "FD2, reassessing apartment A. Resident indicates possible child on the premises."
"Shit," Hank shouted.
Eva pulled on her gloves and connected the mask to the tank, sucking in the cool oxygen. She hopped onto the porch stoop and tried the front door-it was locked. Behind her she saw Jake and Martin coming toward her with the battering ram in hand.
Eva eyed the flimsy doorknob.
Then she kicked in the door. The wood of the jamb splintered and the door flew back, slamming against the interior wall. The apartment revealed in the morning light showed a place that was definitely lived-in, with breakfast dishes piled in the dated kitchen sink and a tired tweed green couch covered in laundry.
No active smoke.
Eva pulled off her mask, sucking in the acrid smell. "Zeke?"
No answer.
"Jesus, Eva. We had the beast,"Jake said behind her. "But nice kick."
She didn't say anything. Just moved toward the dark yawn of the hallway.
"Zeke?"she shouted again.
The heat in the apartment wasn't a result of the fire they'd extinguished next door. The combination of a humid August and the heavy bunker gear she wore made Eva feel as if she'd entered the mouth of hell. She flung open the first door she came to-an empty room with a floral bedspread and lace curtains.
