Page 17 of Fire Fight

“Trusses are coming down!” I shouted at Tuck. “Move!”

He didn’t need to be told twice, breaking into a run, going as fast as he could in all his gear. I did my best to match his pace, trying not to jostle Aspen too much. But if we didn’t get the fuck out of this building in the next fifteen seconds, we were all going to die.

We reached Davis, and Tuck yanked on his coat as we raced by, pulling him and the hose out with us.

No sooner had we stepped into the night than the roof collapsed with a thunderousbang, sending a fireball shooting into the sky. The force of the blast dropped me to my knees, and I barely maintained my grip on Aspen. When I managed to stumble back to my feet, still cradling her, I shouted to the engine crew.

“Scene is clear. Open ‘em up!”

The hiss and sizzle of the two elements colliding filled the night air a beat later.

Before I could call for them, Sutton and Thomas were already at my side with a gurney.

“She’s alive and lucid,” I said as I laid her down on the gurney. “Name is Aspen McKay. Thirty-three, but I don’t know anything else about her history. Definite smoke inhalation, and she’s got some pretty gnarly burns on her left side.”

As Sutton slipped an oxygen mask over Aspen’s face, I removed my gloves and pulled my SCBA off, deeply inhaling the fresh night air.

A hand wrapped around mine a moment later, and I glanced down to find Aspen had reached for me.

“Thank you,” she croaked, letting me go as Sutton and Thomas hauled her away.

Tuck approached and settled a hand on my shoulder.

“Nice save, Cap.”

I mock saluted. “All in a day’s work.”

Tuck only grinned and bumped me with his shoulder.

“Let’s go help those engine boys.”

After a final look in the direction of the ambulance, sending a prayer up to the universe that Aspen would be okay, I faced the blazing building and got back to work.

six

. . .

ASPEN

The first thingI noticed upon waking was that my entire body screamed in pain, like I’d been run over by a train.

I’d barely cracked my eyelids only to slam them shut against light threatening to blind me. On top of feeling like my body was a giant bruise, my head pounded like a jackhammer had taken up residence in my skull.

Breathing deeply, I willed the throbbing in my brain to recede enough to fully open my eyes. My other senses began to pick up on the happenings around me, and I strained my ears, attempting to figure out where the fuck I was and why.

First, I took stock of myself. I laid on my right side on a semi-soft surface, and any shifting around made my left pull and pulse, like my skin was rubbed raw and blistered. My throat ached, and my mouth felt stuffed with cotton.

Beeping. Low, murmured voices. The squeak of rubber-soled shoes on the floor.

When the searing pain in my skull dulled to a slightly more manageable ache, I attempted to open my eyes again.

As soon as my lids parted, a yelp sounded from somewhere nearby and a moment later, a woman’s face filled my vision.

I knew that face well. The same cinnamon colored eyes set in my own face stared back at me.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she breathed.

“Mom?”