Page 57 of Ink and Ashes

Colson

I t’s happening all over again.

After Ellie died, I vowed to never let someone I love die in a fire again. Yet here I stand, losing the one person who’s made me feel anything since her the exact same way.

And I have no idea what to do to stop it.

I pace back and forth while everyone chats around me, trying to come up with a plan. But Whitlock gave me nothing—I have no clue where she could be.

When Dom runs back into the bay, everyone stops talking. I freeze, turning to look at him. On an exhale, he says, “We’re getting calls for three separate wildfires that have popped up in the past hour on the outskirts of town.” Shifting his gaze to me, he adds, “He’s fucking with you.”

I swallow, my jaw clenched together. “Holland has to be trapped in one of them.” I blow out a breath as I run my fingers through my hair, cursing myself for leaving her here alone.

For letting her out of my sight for even a moment when I knew it was a firefighter who was responsible. I shouldn’t have trusted anyone .

Better yet, I should’ve known it was Whitlock from the start.

“Fuck!” I shout, feeling myself losing control. I can’t gather my thoughts, and the last thing Holland needs right now is for me to be unfocused and distracted.

She needs me to save her.

I need to save her.

“Col, take a breath. We’re going to find her,” Beau mutters, gripping my shoulder. “Here’s what we’re going to do?—”

He cuts himself off as his gaze shifts to something over my shoulder. Looking up, I see Ollie standing there, his arm still in a sling.

My eyes widen. It’s only been a month since Ollie was released from the hospital, and he hasn’t been permitted to return to work yet.

“Cass texted me,” Ollie says when he notices the question in my eyes.

I turn to my sister.

“Don’t give me that look,” she says simply. “We need all the help we can get, and we don’t have time to call in neighbouring crews.”

Right. Because Holland’s life is on the line.

Swallowing, I tell Ollie, “Thanks for coming.”

He nods. “He really has Holland?”

I nod back, my jaw clenched tight.

He rolls his lips together. “Well, I brought more backup.”

At his words, a massive crowd files through the garage door, including the rest of the team who were off shift today. Half the town fills the bay right now, and it warms my heart to know Holland has made enough of a home here for herself that we’re all willing to risk everything to save her.

I blow out a breath, jerking my head at Ollie. He knows what I’m trying to say.

“Okay, everyone, listen up!” Beau says, getting everyone’s attention.

I’m relieved he’s taking the lead on this.

“There are three fires, each measuring about 25 kilometres outside of town.” He swallows.

“Chief Whitlock’s the one who called each of them in.

Fires are always unpredictable, but these ones are even more so.

He’s playing games with us, and we don’t know what we’re walking into.

Proceed with extreme caution. I’m not losing another life today, unless that life belongs to Pierce Whitlock. Understood?”

Everyone nods.

“Okay. The first one is north of Elmwood Crescent. Dom, take Langley, Monroe, Turner, and McAllistar and head toward that one.”

“You got it, Lieutenant,” Dom says as he begins packing up his gear.

Beau keeps talking. “The next one is east, down in Creighton Valley. Hart, Morgan, Campbell, and Adler—that’s where you’re going. Newman, Carver, Chambers, and Sharpe, you’re with me at fire three, on the south side of town. Everyone else, split yourselves up.”

Noise increases as people do as they’re told, then Beau starts speaking again.

“I want you all checking the perimeters for any signs of life, whether it be Whitlock or Holland. Only the fire crew should be going deeper into the flames, and I’m trusting you guys to be smart about it.

Do what you can to keep the fires from growing, but I’m not concerned with getting them put out right now—our goal is to find Holland.

” Beau’s voice turns firm as he continues.

“If you find Whitlock, let the cops handle it. We’ve already informed them of the situation and there will be officers at the scene of each fire. Let’s go.”

My mind races as everyone starts moving, but I can’t.

I’m frozen, stuck on the idea that we’re missing something.

Whitlock has us running in circles, and Holland could be in any one of those fires.

I’m not willing to take a wild guess and hope we make the right decision.

There has to be an easier way to figure out which one she’s trapped in.

And that’s when it hits me.

“Wait, did you say there’s a fire in Creighton Valley?” I pause, grabbing Beau by the arm.

“Yeah, why? ”

“Where in the valley?”

Beau turns to Dom, who says, “Coordinates point just south of the Welland Ranch.” Dom’s eyes widen. “That’s not a coincidence.”

“No, it’s not.” I race back to the conference room where all of Holland’s things remain. I grab the stack of paper on the table, flipping through and hoping something catches my eye. I could’ve sworn there was new information about Welland Ranch in here.

“Col, what is it?” Beau asks from the doorway.

I shake my head, throwing the pages down. Moving to her computer, I type in her password, and sitting on the screen in front of me is exactly what I was looking for: a picture of Joseph Welland next to a sketch of someone who looks exactly like Pierce Whitlock.

I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.

The original picture is thirty years old, but there are definite similarities between our chief and the oldest Welland child. Not enough that someone walking down the street would recognize him, but looking at the pictures side-by-side, it’s obvious.

I turn the computer toward Beau.

“What is this?” he asks.

“That’s the proof we need.” I race back out to the app floor. “Campbell, Hart! I’m coming with you.”

Beau is hot on my heels, stopping me before I can get on the truck. “You sure about this, Colson?”

I glance at where his fingers wrap around my arm before meeting his eyes. “As sure as I am that I’m in love with her. Joseph Welland never died. Pierce Whitlock is him.”

Beau grinds his teeth together, and I can see the wheels turning in his mind.

“I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her, Beau. I’m not wrong about this.”

“Okay. New plan, everyone,” he calls out, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “Redirect all resources to the fire in Creighton Valley.”

I nod at him, then get into my turnouts. Hart is sitting in the driver’s seat when I open the passenger door of the engine, taking my seat.

“Drive.”