I'm about to head back inside when my phone vibrates. Dispatch.
"Structure fire, Harbor Street near the cannery. Heavy smoke visible."
Another one.
I'm moving before conscious thought kicks in—engine roaring to life, pulling out of the lot. Four fires becomes five. The pattern accelerating.
Radio crackles with updates as I weave through traffic. Fully involved. Multiple origin points suspected. Commercial warehouse.
Brotherhood-connected?
Has to be. Five fires, same methodology, same targets. Whoever's doing this isn't stopping.
I hit Harbor Street and smoke column rises black against the morning sky. Mira's hatchback appears in my rearview—she must have heard the call on her scanner. Following me to another scene even though we just parted on hostile terms.
Professional dedication or obsession with proving her fraud theory?
Doesn't matter. We're both about to see another fire.
4
SHAW
The warehouse is already gone by the time we arrive. Flames punch through the roof in angry orange bursts, and that deep roar hits me first—the sound fire makes when it's found everything it needs to consume. Engine crews have lines on the building, water arcing through shattered windows, but they're fighting for containment now. The structure is lost.
I pull my truck into the staging area and kill the engine. Captain Jensen stands at the command post, coordinating response with practiced efficiency. Fully involved, smoke pouring from every opening. Total loss.
Mira's hatchback pulls in behind me. I get out of the truck and grab my turnout gear, pulling on the heavy coat and securing the helmet. Muscle memory takes over as I check my breathing apparatus and tools. I'm halfway to the command post when Mira catches up.
"Stay behind the perimeter." I don't break stride. "Cross that tape, you'll be removed by force."
"Understood."
I leave her there and head for Jensen. He's on the radio, coordinating ventilation with the roof crew. When he sees me, he gestures me closer.
"Riley. Thank fuck." Jensen's face is streaked with soot, exhaustion carved into the lines around his eyes. "This one's bad. Started fast, spread faster. Building's gone, but we got everyone out."
"Origin point?"
"Ground floor, northwest corner based on witnesses. Someone saw smoke before the fire broke through." He hands me a radio. "Fire marshal's en route. Witnesses heard glass breaking right before ignition."
Forced entry. Someone broke in to set this fire rather than using existing access. Planning, intent, familiarity with the layout.
I move toward the building, staying clear of the crews. Water meets flame, steam rising. Heat radiates from the street, the kind that comes from multiple fuel sources burning hot. My eyes catalog burn patterns on the exterior—V-shapes indicating upward travel, smoke color variations suggesting accelerant.
Through broken windows, I see the interior consumed. Charred debris, structural collapse, methodical destruction. But the pattern is wrong. Too uniform, too complete. Natural fires spread organically, following fuel and air currents. This fire moved with purpose, precision that indicates multiple ignition points.
I pull out my phone and start documenting. Photos of burn patterns, window damage, smoke characteristics. Building the foundation that will prove what I already know.
Someone set this fire. Someone skilled.
Mira stands behind the perimeter tape, watching. I feel her attention tracking my movements, cataloging everything.Observing me as much as the fire, still trying to decide if I'm competent or complicit.
Let her watch. Let her see how this is done.
The fire gets knocked down gradually. Crews work methodically, extinguishing hot spots, ensuring stability. I coordinate with Jensen on evidence preservation—origin area protected from water damage and foot traffic. When the all-clear comes, I'm first through the door.
Interior devastation. Charred walls, collapsed ceiling, debris everywhere. But underneath the destruction, evidence tells its story. I move carefully through the space, documenting pour patterns on the concrete floor. Someone used accelerant here, poured it in deliberate trails connecting multiple ignition points. Methodology matches the previous fires—spacing, execution, professional precision.
