Page 35 of Dandelions and Smoke

Before I’ve even parked the vehicle, I’m assessing the scene, knowing the crew is going to look to me for orders. The pressure is all on me as smoke wraps around their home like a serpent choking its prey. The flames snake up the sides, ripping through everything they touch, while the pop of shattering windows rings through the air. The ambulance arrives as my truck door slams, and a sickening crack reaches us.

“He went in for her,” Tom calls out, his voice straining as he fights to keep it together, pointing to where the sound came from.

Through the smoke, I hardly make out where Levi has fallen through the porch boards with Tris in his arms. The sound was of the porch boards snapping in half beneath their weight, trapping them.

Time to move.

The fire roars so loudly I have to shout to be heard.

“Billy, Mark, with me.” I know what I need to do, who I need to save. “Get Levi.”

I’m already moving, yelling out orders for the rest of the crew to start a Blitz Attack on the exterior of the duplex and stay defensive. The smoke is thick, and the flames flicker closer as I reach Levi, stretching my arms out, instantly urging him to hand me Tris.

“I got her!” I assure him, because the only reason a trained firefighter runs into a fire, risking his life with only half his gear on and not even a face mask, is to save the woman he loves.

Billy and Mark work fast, helping Levi as I carry Tris to the ambulance. I almost stumble when a voice cuts through the percussion of the crackling flames and the hissing of the high-pressure hose as the water fights the flames.

“Tris!” Rory sobs, struggling to get to her feet from the ground, where she looks scared and small.

My stomach drops. I don’t want her to see Tris like this. Tris is coughing and weak, barely able to lift her head in my arms. I move faster until she’s safely in the ambulance, connected to oxygen.

That’s one.

Brows furrowing, I look around, making sure that the area is secure. Angela has charged the line, and Maria is advancing, fighting the fire while Angela manages the pump panel. Once Billy and Mark free Levi, he makes a break for the ambulance.

That’s two.

I take a breath of relief that they’re both out. Everything else can burn. Things don’t matter. Their lives do.

“Levi!” I call out, demanding that he pause. “Oxygen!”

He nods, understanding this isn’t a suggestion.

As Maria works to move the hose and fight the fire, recognizing her struggle, Mark drops behind her on the line. He wraps his arms around the heavy fabric to help her drive the nozzle forward while Billy manages the friction points, making sure the line doesn’t snag on anything.

I step back, watching my crew, my team, as they make quick work of putting out the fire. The ambulance pulls away, followed by Tom in Levi’s truck with their dog Ellie. My eyes scan the scene, making sure there are no more threats before we go. Rory’s standing, her arms wrapped around herself, staring blankly in the direction that the ambulance has disappeared.

“We’ve got this handled, Chief,” Billy says, grabbing my arm and nodding his head toward Rory. “She needs you now.”

I hesitate, uncertainty pulling at me and keeping me in my place. All my life, my job has come first, no matter what. It was the same with my dad, and I resented him every day because of it, even as I was proud of him. The fire may be out, but there’s more to be done.

There’s always more to be done.

“We’ve got it, Garrett,” he says again, this time as my friend.

I nod, and he goes back to helping the crew, but instead of joining him, I walk in the opposite direction.

Away from the job, and toward her.

I expect to feel like I’m doing something wrong, a prickle down my neck or a sick-to-my-stomach feeling, but instead, I can’t reach her quickly enough.

“Rory, come on. We can meet them there,” Ainsley says softly, as if she’s speaking to a frightened animal.

While tears have stained Ainsley’s face, they’re still streaming freely down Rory’s. She doesn’t answer Ainsley. She doesn’t even look at her. In fact, it’s like she isn’t seeing her at all.

My jaw tightens as worry coils inside me. Her breaths are shaky, and she sways slightly. I walk up to her slowly, gently placing my hands on her arms. She flinches at my touch, her body trembling beneath my fingers.

“Rory,” I say carefully, staying calm, more for her sake than my own. “Rory, can you look at me?”