He pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt, grabbing a hoodie from the back of his chair. It was time to consider moving and there was a potential property that had just gone on the market that would be a sensible investment; within walking distance of the town and a good bit of land that he could do with what he wanted. Room for a big dog or even a couple of stables as there was an adjoining field that could be bought.
Feet stuffed into old trainers, he headed out onto the main street and smelled smoke. There was no reason for fire at this time. Farmers in the area would occasionally have fires and god knew the town loved its bonfires, but four o’clock on a Sunday morning was not the time to be setting them.
Following his nose, he set off at a jog in the direction he’d worked out from where it was coming. The jog became a run, one with his phone in his hand, listening to the ringing out of Jonny’s mobile. He didn’t know whether he was on shift or not; this was looking like a house fire.
Canon Street, Weybourne Street. He started to run. This was where Keren lived. Smoke billowed into the dark sky, it’s plumes even darker. He could hear the shouts of people and the crackling of fire. A fire engine passed him. He looked into the cabin and saw Jonny and then his run became a sprint.
Keren lived in at the end of a short row of terraced houses that backed onto a field. Usually, the peaks were visible behind her house, but now the only thing that anyone would notice were the flames that were licking greedily at the stone building.
There were residents out, standing well back under the instruction of Tay Richards, one of Jonny’s shift managers, but Scott didn’t notice what he was doing.
“Where’s Keren?” he said. “Where the fuck is Keren?” The second time it was a shout.
He couldn’t see her standing in the street, so he ran round the side shouting her name, dialling her number.
“You need to stand back.”
Jonny’s arm became a blockade.
“Keren…”
“Is in the house. She’s upstairs. We’re going to get her out.”
“Let me help.”
Jonny released his arm and gripped his shoulders instead. The sounds of the other firefighters surrounded them. They were all good people, men he knew, several were on the search and rescue team as well.
“Okay. But you do exactly what I say.”
“She’s at the window!” Scott heard someone shout. “And the window’s open. We can get her out.”
There was a loud crash, then a cacophony of screams. The roof was starting to collapse. Next door’s roof – Lena’s aunt, Jean Rowley’s had dropped completely at the front.
“Fuck. Get the ladders round, bring her down. Scott, go with and get ready to take her when she’s down. Keep back. There’s going to be debris falling.” Jonny left, heading back to the front.
Scott rubbed his face, the chill air of the early morning helping to give him the whack to his common sense that he needed. Now was not the time to be a hero. He needed to stay back and wait for them to bring Keren down.
Ladders were already up at the window that was open fully. Her bedroom was at the back and she slept with the sash window open a crack no matter what the temperature was. Now she was standing with the window fully open, smoke billowing through.
“We’re going to get you down, Key!” He shouted loud enough so she would hear him above the crackle and commotion.
“I can’t jump!”
He heard the panic in her voice. She was gripping the side of the window and he recognised from her stance and the words she was calling that she was in a state of panic.
“Take this.” One of Jonny’s crew passed him a coat, one which offered protection against falling hot debris. “Get closer to her. We need to get her down fast. If she sees you, she might find it easier.”
“You don’t need to jump, baby.” He’d never called anyone baby before. Fuck knew where the word had come from. “We’re going to bring you down.”
One of the firefighters was up there already. Scott didn’t know who it was, couldn’t make it out through his equipment and the lingering darkness.
“I can’t let go!” She was clutching on, panic weighing her down. There was another crack and he heard a loud crash. The roof was unstable throughout the row of houses, the worst effected Jean Rowley’s and her neighbours’.
“You have to. They’ll get you down. Just hold onto him.”
“What if I fall? I can’t fall… I can’t fall, Scott. I can’t…” He could hear her sobbing.
The firefighter left the ladder and climbed into the room. More smoke rushed out. Her belongings were going to be ruined, if not by the fire, then by the water being launched into the building. But none of that mattered. Just her.
