Benjamin beat his hand against his chest. The look in his eyes appeared as if he were a million miles away, reliving that memory.
“One day, I snuck away from school to go to the firehouse instead. I thought maybe those firefighters would feel as upset as I did over my brother’s death. Do you know what I saw when I got there? They were laughing and joking. Like nothing ever happened. Like Russell’s life didn’t matter.”
I shook my head at his misinterpretation of what he’d seen. “You were a child. You don’t know what you saw.”
“He was my little brother! They should’ve cared more about his life. They should’ve been as angry and as sad and hurt as I was, but they weren’t. They went on like nothing happened. I decided right then and there that I would be a firefighter and show them how to be responsible and do their jobs correctly.”
“Then I became one, and I saw it from the inside. They never took shit seriously. They laughed at everything like life was one big joke. Played pranks on one another even right after coming back from a fire. I knew then I had to take matters into my own hands.”
“So, you started killing mothers with their children.”
“Those whores deserved it! All of you whores deserve it, but then I saw that my mistake was not taking care of Rescue Four first. I have to get rid of them. Starting with your boyfriend.”
He stood and walked backward, staring me down.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting rid of this filthy building. With you, your boyfriend, and anyone else who wants to join inside.”
He bent to pick up one of the gas cans, and I watched in horror as he opened it and began splashing the stacks of newspapers.
“This doesn’t have the finesse of some of my other work,” he said, looking at me over his shoulder, “but it’ll get the job done. The old wooden structure and the synthetic fibers of the furniture I’ve put in the other rooms will burn up quickly. Nobody gives a fuck in this neighborhood. You and your lover boy will be burned up by the time anyone thinks to call 911.”
He emptied the first can on the newspapers and raised another. “I’m going to prep the floors below. You wait right here.” He smirked, but there was no humor in it. “See? I can make jokes too.”
His face turned into a scowl just before turning and exiting the apartment.
“Think, Jocelyn,” I implored, trying to analyze my situation. I fought and tugged at the tape that bound my wrists. He’d tied them up pretty good, and I couldn’t free myself, but I continued to try.
After long minutes of trying, I grew frustrated and let out a yell. Angrily, I jolted my body, trying to loosen some of the restraints. The movement caused me to fall over.
I grunted as I landed on my right shoulder, my face narrowly missing slamming into the ground.
“No, no, no,” I pleaded when I smelled the familiar odor of smoke and burning wood. I swallowed and pushed through the tears that formed in my eyes.
“C’mon, Don,” I begged in a whisper, not knowing what else to do.
Don
“You shouldn’t be going in there by yourself,” Cameron had said before I’d left Jocelyn’s office.
“I won’t be by myself. My squad is on their way,” I’d assured him even though I didn’t know if that was true.
I’d left my father and Cameron with Hallease, making sure they would take her to get medical care. After finding those news clippings on Benjamin James’ background, I knew exactly where he’d be. The apartment building where his brother died remained standing.
The old landlord had even repaired the apartment after Russell’s death. A few tenants had lived in that same apartment since then, but a couple of years later, the landlord ran out of money and eventually abandoned the building. It had been left standing ever since.
That building was where all this began for him.
I prayed the entire way over there that Jocelyn was still alive. It was up to me to save her. I wouldn’t let another woman I loved die on my watch.
When I turned onto the street where the apartment building sat, I saw smoke already billowing out of a few windows on the lower level.
“Fuck, no,” I growled.
The tired on my truck skidded as I slammed on the brakes across from the apartment complex. I grabbed my gloves, flame-resistant jacket, and a mask to cover my face before I jumped out of my car and sprinted across the street.
I felt for the knob for the main entrance of the building. It was warm but not scorching. I covered my face with the mask and threw on the jacket and gloves before pushing through the door.
