The firefighters work fast and efficiently tackling both the trees and the building simultaneously. One tall firefighter directs the crew, moving between the hose teams and the ones working inside. Time seems to drag and it feels like no matter how much water they pump into the building, it just keeps burning.
Eventually they make some progress, although it takes a long while. Once the fire is mostly contained, the guy who’d been giving orders pulls off his helmet to wipe his forehead. I catch his scent then, and beneath the smoke and sweat, there’s something familiar in it. The same baseline as Liam’s, but different. I know instantly he has to be Liam’s brother, not only from the scent but because he has the same height, build, dark hair, and eyes.
Most of the looky-loos have thinned by the time Jack comes over to Liam and me. Up close I definitely see the family resemblance. Jack smiles at his brother, although he looks tired. His turnout gear is streaked with soot and water, and his face is flushed from the heat.
“Jack, this is Jude,” Liam says. “He’s my new partner.”
“Howdy.” Jack tugs his gloves off and shakes my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Jack.” I force a smile even though I don’t feel like smiling. All I can think about is getting inside my apartment to see if anything is still left.
Jack smirks. “So you’re the poor guy partnered with my lazy-ass brother, huh?”
“Hey.” Liam elbows his brother’s stomach. “Knock that shit off. I’m the hardest working cop named Liam on the GPPD payroll.”
Jack laughs.
“You guys know how the fire started yet?” Liam asks.
“Yeah,” Jack says, directing his words to both of us. “It’s fairly obvious it was an electrical fire. The wiring in this building has been a concern for a long time. Ellie’s been trying to bring everything up to code, but looks like she ran out of time.”
“Hopefully insurance will cover everything.” Liam grimaces, giving me a concerned look.
“Any idea how long before the place will be habitable again?” I ask, meeting Jack’s gaze. I’m no fool. I know it’s going to be a while, but I just want a ballpark. “I… uh… I was staying here.”
Jack winces. “Oh, damn. Sorry.” He glances back at the building. “The east side has significant structural damage. Second floor took the worst of it, but there’s smoke and water damage throughout. Given how old the wiring is, they’re going to have to gut the walls and rewire the whole building. That’s before you even get to the structural repairs, water damage, smoke remediation. To be honest, this is more of a partial rebuild than a renovation. I hate to say it, but something this major could take four to six months.”
My stomach drops like a cement brick, but I try to hide how gutted I am. “I was afraid of that. Appreciate you being straight with me.” I let out a shaky breath, feeling dazed. “The important thing is everyone got out safe.”
Jack nods. “Agreed. There were no fatalities, which is a miracle. Some smoke inhalation, nothing critical. EMS is handling it. Could have been worse if you two hadn’t gotten the Ellie out when you did.”
“She didn’t want to leave.” Liam shakes his head. “She’d have stayed if we hadn’t dragged her out.”
Jack smiles. “Sounds like Ellie, all right.”
“Maybe Ellie missed her calling. She should have been a fireman.” I glance at my ex-landlord who’s bitching and swatting at the paramedic trying to put a blanket around her bony shoulders. “Or perhaps a boxer.”
They both laugh, but then someone calls Jack’s name and he starts the walk away. “Looks like my break is over. I’ll see you later, Liam.” He gives me a affable nod. “Nice meeting you, Jude.”
“Thanks, you too.” I quickly add, “Hey, do you think I could get inside my apartment to grab a few things?”
If anything is left.
Hesitating, Jack turns back to me. “Uhh… what apartment were you in?”
“2C.”
He nods. “You can go up. Your end of the hall didn’t take direct fire damage, but don’t stay long.”
“I won’t.” It’s not like I want to hang out inside a smoldering building.
“You want me to come with you?” Liam offers, starting to follow me.
“I’m good.”
Liam frowns. “You sure? I don’t mind.”
“No, I got it.”
