Page 22 of From the Ashes (Redwood Bay Fire #2)

CHAPTER 22

Zahir

I’ve barely put my stuff away in my locker at the start of shift before Captain Valentine is calling us all onto the concourse for a briefing. “Any idea what this is about?” Anton asks Lieutenant Flores. He manages to multitask and also drag Sawyer away from his phone, where he’s no doubt texting whoever he went out on his last date with.

“Get your asses through this door, and you’ll find out,” the lieutenant says, already halfway past the threshold.

“Probie! Whatcha do now?” Lili yells at our youngest member.

Teddy rolls his eyes. “We literally just got here, Kwon. If anyone’s fucked up already, it’s your hungover ass.”

She peers above her sunglasses and sips the coffee she obviously picked up on the way in. “Bite me,” she says, flashing him a grin.

“Knowing where she’s been, I wouldn’t recommend it,” Lochlan crows, narrowly avoiding getting smacked over the head by her.

“You only out-drink me because you’re a beast, Beast,” she growls.

I laugh and shake my head, catching Yara’s eye as we head out onto the main concourse. “Any ideas?”

“Gene’s off for a couple of shifts,” she reminds me. “Perhaps it’s something to do with that?”

Ahh, yeah that makes sense. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own personal life, I forgot that it’s Passover, so our driver is going to be spending some time with his extended family.

Sure enough, as we reach the common area, Captain Valentine is standing beside a man I haven’t seen before. He’s probably in his mid-thirties, well built, and standing with his feet waist-length apart and his hands clasped behind his back. I’d guess he’s South-East Asian from his facial features and the thick black hair that curls behind his ears. As we approach, he nods at us with a professional smile and confidence in his eyes.

My gut instinct is to like him, but there’s definitely something beneath the surface that I’m not sure about. Then again, I’m not one to talk about putting walls up and keeping those around me at arm’s length.

“Good morning, One-Thirteen,” the captain says clearly as we crowd in front of him and the new guy. “As you might be aware, Driver Engineer Haskell is taking some well-earned vacation time. To cover his shifts, we’ve been lent Firefighter Drayton Hendrix. He’ll be driving the truck in Gene’s absence as well as giving us hands-on assistance. I know you’ll make him feel welcome.”

“Hey, there,” Lieutenant Flores says as soon as the captain steps back. He shakes with Hendrix and gestures toward the dining table. “We usually start the day with breakfast together.”

“Unless we get a call,” Lili quips, causing several people to roll their eyes at how obvious that statement is.

Hendrix looks surprised. “Oh, at the One-Two-Two we ignore calls if we’re eating,” he says in an Australian accent. The groups pauses for a fraction and a couple of people narrow their eyes at him. “Oh, man,” he says with a laugh. “Don’t tell me you guys are that easy?”

I join in with the collective relief at realizing he’s just joking. For a second, I was worried we had a slacker on our hands.

“Oh, you’re gonna fit right in,” Lili says with a clap on his shoulder.

Shaking my head, I smile. “Are pancakes okay?”

“You were on breakfast duty last shift,” Yara points out with a frown. “I’ve got it.”

“Can we still get pancakes, though?” Sawyer asks hopefully.

Yara hums as she heads into the kitchen. “So long as you promise to have some fruit with them, sure.”

“I’ll make eggs,” Teddy cries, always eager to please.

I might be barred from cooking this morning, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be hospitable. “Hendrix, was it? You want coffee?”

He nods and follows me to the machine. “Most people call me Dray,” he says, looking around our station before smiling at me again. It’s difficult coming into a place where everyone else not only knows each other but are a tight-knit group. I like his vibe and feel like he’s doing a good job not being overwhelmed.

“Zahir Delacroix,” I introduce myself and we shake. “Lead paramedic. Most people call me Del. So you’re usually with the One-Two-Two?”

They’re based in San Clemente, but on the outskirts, so they often pitch in to help us with bigger blazes or like when we had that disaster at Critter Canyon Park just before Christmas.

Dray shrugs as I pour us a mug each. “I’m usually where the wind blows me. Putting down roots isn’t really my style, so I’m like a substitute teacher, filling in when and where I can. But the One-Two-Two have had one of their guys out with a broken leg for a while, so I’ve been jumping in with them the most over the past couple of months.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Now you lucky bastards get me for a couple of days.”

“I’m sure we are lucky. Cream?”

“Yeah, and two sugars. So…what’s the deal with everyone here? Are you a good person to get the skinny from?”

“The skinny?” I say in amusement as I pass him his mug.

“Yeah, you know? The goss? I find the best way to fit into a place is to understand the social politics as quickly as I can. Is anyone dating? Or have beef with each other?”

I laugh and shake my head. “You might find it a little stomach-churning how well we get on here. Of course there are disagreements from time to time, but as clichéd as it sounds, we’re like a family most of the time.”

“Depends what your experience of family is,” Dray says with a quirked eyebrow.

Ah. That’s fair. I think of all Colt’s been through with his parents. Sometimes I do forget that when I say family, I mean people who will always be there for you and never let you down.

For others, family is something you escape from and never look back. Considering his accent and how far he is away from where he grew up, I wonder if that’s more Dray’s definition of the word. We share a knowing, sympathetic look, and I think I get my answer.

“Well,” I say, “Captain Julian Valentine has been here for several years, but our longest running member is actually Gene Haskell, the guy you’re covering for. He’s happily married to a lovely lady. They have five children together and even more extended family who he’s spending Passover with.”

“Five kids?” Dray whistles. “You know, I did hear this house had a reputation for being rainbow central. Isn’t that the case?”

I chuckle as I look over the team. “You mean do we attract a lot of the LGBT community? Yes, that’s true, especially here on the first watch. We like to tease Gene that he’s our token straight. You see the redheaded golden retriever of a man over there?” Dray nods. “That’s Lochlan Bell. Some people like to call him Beast. He was convinced he was straight until he met his now-boyfriend before Thanksgiving last year. It was actually very sweet watching him work it out in real time, even if it did take him forever.”

Dray sips his coffee and considers Lochlan for a moment as he and Lili lay the table for us all to eat. “So it’s not just gay guys? You’re cool with people being bi?”

I blink, thrown by such a question. “Yes, of course,” I say. Logically, I know that biphobia and bi erasure exist in many forms in all kinds of spaces, but not at the One-Thirteen. “You see Lili—the woman helping Lochlan lay the table?”

“She seems to be sabotaging him more than helping,” Dray says with a snort.

He has a point, and I smile with him. “Well, she’s a very loud and proud bisexual, so even if she was the only one, she wouldn’t put up with any nonsense. But Sawyer there is equally vocal about being pansexual…mostly regarding how many men, women, and everyone in between he sleeps with.”

“Heartbreaker?” Dray asks.

I tilt my head back and forth. “More of a playboy. He’s always upfront that he’s not looking for anything more than a night, so I’d hope everyone he hooks up with has their eyes open going in. Commitment doesn’t seem to be on his radar.”

“Not getting tied down is important to some people,” Dray comments.

Trying not to be obvious, I glance at him. He’s staring at Sawyer and Anton playing foosball, so I get a chance to study him. Clearly, he’s a bit of a nomad, which suggests to me he’s running away from something. Or maybe that’s just how he finds his peace. Who am I to judge?

I’d also bet money that he’s bi himself, and wonder if he requested to try out the One-Thirteen specifically. We do have a reputation for attracting queer personnel and I’m proud of that. Perhaps he’s looking to settle down a bit more than he’s letting on. If so, I’d like the One-Thirteen to be an option for him.

“Sawyer Nelson is all about living life to the fullest,” I say wryly. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that doing this job can have that affect on some people. So he dates a lot. He’s also the most likely out of everyone here to wear killer heels, leather pants, and eyeliner sharp enough to draw blood.”

Dray raises his eyebrows at me. “Really?”

“Well, that’s Lili’s style as well, but I think Sawyer enjoys challenging people’s expectations more.”

I’m not usually one to talk about people on their behalf, but everyone in this station is very open about who they are and the journey they’re on. Sensing that Dray might need to know just how welcome he’ll be here, I keep going.

“That’s Sawyer’s best friend with him, Anton. He got married and had a daughter before accepting who he really is and coming out as gay. His wife and her new husband couldn’t be more supportive, and they all co-parent together. It’s really beautiful to see.”

“And his birth family?” Dray asks, correctly guessing there was a reason why Anton denied his sexuality for so long. My heart pangs as I think of Colt’s similar situation, but I’m definitely not going to talk about that today.

Sadly, I shake my head. “They’re very religious. Unless he fixes his ‘lifestyle choices,’ they’ve said they don’t want anything to do with him.”

“What about the little girl?”

I grimace. “They tried to sue for custody, claiming she wasn’t safe with either of her sinful parents. It got thrown out of court, but sometimes they still try and see her, no doubt to attempt to brainwash her.” Before the mood can turn too bleak, I smile brightly. “It’s a good thing the One-Thirteen are family to her instead. In fact, I’ve been helping to teach her to surf recently.”

Dray’s face lights up at that. “You surf?”

“Since I was a child,” I say with a nod. “It’s been nice to have an excuse to do it more often again recently. You?”

He nods and grins. “My board is the only thing I own that’s too big to fit in my van. So I’ve got it strapped to the roof and use it every chance I get.”

Oh, wow. Is he really that much of a nomad? I don’t want to pry too much, but that sounds like he’s got one of those tiny mobile homes. I’d be interested to see how he manages that. It must be an exciting life. I just hope it’s not too lonely.

Dray nudges my shoulder with his own to get my attention again. “And what about you? Are you out loud and proud like the others?”

It looks like breakfast is being dished up, so I decide to summarize the rest of the team as quickly as I can. “Proud,” I agree, “but maybe not quite as loud. The captain and lieutenant are the same. And then Teddy’s our probie and Yara’s my partner on the bus. They’re both a little undecided, I think.” I meet Dray’s eyes. “That’s one thing about us. We’re boisterous, but we’ll never push anyone if they’re not ready for it.”

“Except the Beast man over there?” he asks playfully.

I shake my head and chuckle. “Trust me, if Lili hadn’t used a battering ram to force Lochlan to reconsider his feelings for Dario, they’d both still be pining miserably for each other.”

“Oh, so you’re that kind of a family,” Dray says as we make our way to the dining table.

“What kind of family?” Teddy asks, a hint of apprehension in his voice. Everyone takes a seat as he and Yara dish up.

“Meddling,” Dray explains with a grin.

That gets several laughs from around the room. “Oh, you bet, new guy,” Lili tells him wickedly. “Give us a couple of hours. We’ll be all up in your business.”

“You are welcome to try,” Dray replies.

Lochlan waves his hand in front of his throat in a ‘kill it’ motion. “Don’t challenge her, my dude. It’ll become her life’s mission.”

That doesn’t appear to deter Dray. “Bring it,” he says playfully with a wink.

The morning passes suspiciously quietly after that. We make it through breakfast uninterrupted before Yara and I are called out to treat a suspected heart attack that just turns out to be heartburn. So after giving the guy some antacids, we’re back within the hour to rejoin the rest of the squad.

Everyone knows better than to say it out loud, but I start to worry that it’s going to be one of those long, boring shifts that feel like they last forever. Of course, it’s good if no one in Redwood Bay has an emergency, and I always appreciate getting some decent sleep when at work overnight. But if we spend twenty-four hours on edge without getting to expel that energy anywhere, I find the unused adrenaline leaves me unpleasantly restless for days afterward.

Luckily…we’re not left in limbo for long.

Some time after one o’clock, the station’s gray cat, Smokey, comes shooting across the open concourse, looking like she’s running for her life. Lochlan’s Dalmatian, Rocky, is chasing her, so initially it doesn’t seem like such an unusual sight.

“Rocky, be nice!” Lochlan yells from where he’s watching some kind of science fiction TV show with Teddy. I shake my head and tsk as I go to resume loading the dishwasher with our plates from lunch.

Then everybody’s phones start pinging all at the same time.

“I take it that’s not normal?” Dray asks as we all start pulling them from our pockets.

“No,” I reply to him. But I barely get a chance to glance at my screen before the tones start sounding. It’s not the typical call alert. It’s…

“EARTHQUAKE!” Lieutenant Flores bellows. “Take cover!”

He doesn’t need to tell us twice. As the ground begins to rumble and more alarms and sirens fill the air, the entire One-Thirteen throws itself on the ground against the interior wall, waiting for the moment to pass. Our administrator, Nancy, hurriedly joins us, climbing awkwardly on the floor in her pencil skirt. Lochlan clings to Rocky. I assume Smokey, like most cats, would rather fend for herself. I hope she’s okay, wherever she’s hiding.

This isn’t exactly unheard of in these parts. I think of my teta scoffing at the meagre 4.2 a few weeks ago. But it doesn’t matter how many I experience, every time the very earth starts to tremble beneath my feet, it’s an extremely humbling reminder of how much we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. There’s no telling how strong the tremors will be or how substantial the damage. I mutter a prayer under my breath, hoping for mercy.

It’s definitely more intense than the previous one. I reach out and grab the hand of whoever happens to be taking shelter beside me. It’s Anton, and he squeezes my fingers as we share a look. Before the fear can truly take hold, though, calmness descends, and everything stills as if nothing even happened.

I exhale.

“Is it over?” Teddy asks.

We all look to Captain Valentine, who shifts forward and peers out from under the truck. “I guess we’ll know if the bells start chiming.

As if on cue, the alarm blares, and dispatch comes over the speaker. “Station One-Thirteen. Jiyū Sushi Bar. Structural collapse. Medical assistance required. Possible search and rescue.”

Before the announcement even finishes, we’re all scrambling from under the rigs and rushing to get into our turnouts. Once Nancy is upright, she pulls Rocky away from the vehicles by his collar to keep him safe. Looking quickly around, it doesn’t seem like there’s been any damage to the station. I guess we’ll get an idea of the event’s magnitude as we drive through town.

I’m just hopping into the ambulance as a rapid click-clacking out front makes me pause. “My goodness!” Mrs. Bloom cries as she skitters to a halt with Miss Margot Fonteyn trotting beside her like a nimbus cloud on a leash. “Is everyone okay?”

“All good here, Mrs. Bloom,” the captain calls out to her from the side of the truck. Dray is already behind the wheel, ready to go. “Are you okay?”

“Of course, of course,” she says, waving us off like we’re starting a drag race. “Go on, get going! Nancy and I will take care of the animals and make sure nothing’s fallen down or cracked in half.”

“You’re the best, Mrs. B!” Sawyer yells, giving the engine’s horn a toot.

After that, we don’t waste any time hitting the road, sirens blaring.

Nowhere in this town takes more than fifteen minutes to get to, so we arrive at the restaurant in closer to five. On the way, we see plenty of damage, but all things considered it’s quite minimal. Mostly toppled telephone lines, some broken windows, and a shit ton of roofing tiles that have shaken loose.

The sushi bar is somewhat out on its own, however, and there are more cracks and potholes as we approach, signaling that this area got it worse. The engine and truck get there first and park as close as they can to better use the equipment on the damaged structure, but I stop the ambulance right behind them.

There are probably other buildings that felt it as bad as this one, and I hope my teta and Colt are okay. Selfishly, I also think of my art studio. I would never normally even consider myself in a situation like this, but Colt put such an incredible amount of care and attention into it, I’d mourn it if it was destroyed after only getting to enjoy it for a couple of weeks.

But that would be nothing compared to any loss of human life, so I’m immediately focused on the scene in front of me again. The restaurant seems to have suffered a partial collapse toward the back left, just like dispatch told us. I’ve never been here before, so the sight of an enormous blossom tree poking its branches out through where the ceiling used to be throws me for a second. Then I realize it must be artificial with a steel core to be tougher than the wood and tiles of the roof.

The walking wounded have filled the parking lot, and thankfully most of them just seem to be covered in dust with a few scrapes. Teddy is already hauling out a pallet of bottled water from the bed of the truck to hand out. I see someone who looks to have a compound thigh fracture and some others cradling broken arms and head wounds. The fact that all these people have made it out of the structure bodes well for them, though.

We need to establish if there’s anyone still trapped inside who needs us more.

“Thank heavens you’re here,” and older man says, rushing up to the One-Thirteen.

“Are you in charge?” Captain Valentine asks, letting the rest of the team continue with their assessment and triage. Yara and I are already treating the compound fracture guy. He doesn’t appear to have any other immediate issues, which I’m grateful for.

“Yes,” I hear the man speaking to the captain say. “I’m the manager. We got as many people out as we could, but I didn’t think it was safe for anyone to go back in until you got here.”

“You did the right thing,” the captain assures him, but the manager still sounds distressed.

“We had eighty-nine covers in for lunch,” he continues, “as well six in the kitchen and twelve wait staff. Including myself, that’s a hundred and eight people, but I’ve only counted ninety-five out here. A couple could have left without me noticing, but?—”

Captain Valentine clasps his shoulder. “Thank you, sir. That’s incredibly helpful. My team will check the rubble now. Del! You’re with Flores and Foster. Hendrix, you wanna give them a hand to clear the building?”

“I’ve got this,” Yara tells me, referring to the broken femur, and I don’t doubt it.

“Yes, sir!” Dray cries, joining up with Teddy and I as we follow Lieutenant Flores through what’s left of the front door.

This was probably a really nice place twenty minutes ago, but even though the quake really shook it hard, I hope they can patch it back together easily enough. The most substantial damage is in the back left corner where the giant fake tree has fallen. A considerable amount of the ceiling has come down around it, blocking off that part of the restaurant and exposing the kitchen.

“Fire department, call out!” the lieutenant yells as we fan across the space. Teddy quickly finds a woozy waitress under a flipped over table and helps her to her feet. She doesn’t appear to be gravely injured, so I leave him to escort her to safety. That’s one out of a potential thirteen, at least. “Anyone here?” Lieutenant Flores tries again.

The building is creaking and there’s a pump spluttering noisily from what I guess was a water feature before the blossom tree threw itself on the ground, so it’s difficult to hear anything. And as I move through the space, I see that there’s more damage than I first appreciated. The floor has cracked substantially where the tectonic shift sent shockwaves right underneath where we’re standing.

The lieutenant shakes his head. “I don’t think we’re getting through this debris easily from this side. I want to see if we can gain access from out the back. Let’s do a final sweep and then?—”

Luckily, we’re already moving toward the front again when the explosion rips through the kitchen. I dive forward and cover my helmet as a new wave of crap rains down on us. After a few seconds, it seems to settle down again.

“Everyone okay?” I call out.

“Yeah,” Dray groans from somewhere to my left.

I push myself up and look around. The heat already alerted me, so I’m not surprised to see that whatever went boom has now started a blaze around the most destroyed area. Gas from the ovens mixing with cooking oil, most likely.

“I’m good,” Lieutenant Flores says, already on his feet and waving us out as he activates his radio. “We need a hose in here,” he tells the guys outside. “I’m heading out back with Hendrix and Delacroix. We think there maybe people trapped under the rubble.”

“Got it, Lieutenant,” Captain Valentine says as we’re already running through the doors and around the building. “I’ll have Foster join you again.”

“We might need more hands once the fire’s out,” the lieutenant warns.

“Copy that.”

We’re almost at the blazing kitchen when I stumble to a halt, my heart dropping to my boots before my brain can even realize what it’s processing.

“Del, what’s wrong?” Teddy cries as he runs up behind me.

The lieutenant and Dray pause to spin and look at me. Their eyes dart to the building, but that’s not what’s stopped me in my tracks.

I’m looking at the other half of the parking lot.

“That’s Colt’s car,” I manage to croak.

“Your friend Colt from the beach?” Teddy asks, swiveling his head as if he might see him.

“My boyfriend Colt,” I correct, not thinking what I’m saying, mouth dry, limbs trembling, vision going blurry. “That’s definitely his car…”

And if he wasn’t outside with the rest of the restaurant’s patrons…

Does that mean he’s still inside?

Or underneath?

Is he even still alive?