Chapter 6
SIX
Z ack’s mind still reeled with the reminder that someone had their sights set on Naya and they weren’t playing nice. Of course Naya didn’t need him to stand up to anyone on her behalf, but it didn’t change the way he’d kept an eye on the window last night while they’d painted. Just in case anyone decided to make an unwelcome appearance.
Zack stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle. The shrill pitch bounced off the concrete walls in the empty bay area of the firehouse. “You’ve got thirty seconds to get into that gear.” He gave the orders to the three teen boys who began to suit up. All three had come to him asking for help to get into a summer camp in Montana that taught older teens how to fight wildfires. A lot of them went on to be hotshots and smokejumpers, but Zack planned to convince them to stick around and be local firefighters.
Protect the place where they’d grown up.
And the people who’d raised them.
“Hurry up, slow poke.”
“I’m gonna smoke the rest of you.” The kids bantered through the drill.
Zack smiled. He wanted to instill in them the importance of protecting those they cared about. Also, making sure they stayed out of trouble.
Something he’d failed to do well at their age.
Especially with Naya.
Inevitably his thoughts returned to her.
Naya deserved to be treated with respect. And if it was this ex-boyfriend who’d left the note—what was his name?—Tucker, then he’d better not cross paths with Zack anytime soon.
He despised people searching for ways to intimidate others. It had happened too often in his foster care days.
Too often to Naya.
Until…
He shook his head.
“Don’t try to cheat now, dude.”
“He’s not evening watching. Probably thinking ’bout a girl.” They snickered.
Zack ignored their comments.
Ever since seeing Naya again, his past haunted him. He needed to share all the details with her, but it wouldn’t change the outcome. What had happened couldn’t be reversed, and he was to blame.
Yet there was a part of him that hoped she’d forgive him once she understood everything. Zack fingered the red bracelet on his wrist, the cord moving in a circular motion.
Except, Zack wouldn’t stir the pot and cause problems unless Naya asked for his help. And the likelihood of that happening was slim. Given he wouldn’t even put the two of them in the friend category anymore.
More like acquaintances.
She said she’d talk with her boss. Zack trusted her to do what was best. He could follow up later to make sure everything had been resolved.
Until then, he had other matters to focus on. Like showing Karson and the other boys the ins and outs of being a firefighter.
Every other week, Zack spent a few hours with some of the boys that his friends the Kirbys were fostering. He took the teens out to lunch, where they chatted about life, then he brought them back to the firehouse to get firsthand experience as a firefighter. Depending on Zack’s schedule, he or Sam Kirby would give the boys a ride back to their house when they were finished for the day.
The opportunity to invite these guys to the firehouse had become a great way for Zack to mentor the teens and show them Jesus while instilling in them the importance of serving the community.
“All set, Captain.” Karson slipped on the helmet and gave a thumbs-up.
Zack folded his arms. “I’m not a captain, kid.”
His stopwatch beeped, and the other two boys had just grabbed their helmets.
“Nice work, guys.” Zack clapped. “You’re making good time with the practice.”
“When are we going to put out a real fire training scenario?” Andrew removed his helmet and frowned.
“As soon as I think you’re ready.” Zack gave him a slap on the shoulder. “Which might be next time you’re here.”
“All right.” The boys clapped in unison and fist-bumped each other. “We’re totally gonna qualify for the summer wildlands firefighting camp.”
“Don’t forget the groundwork is important, though. You have to know your stuff and work as a team.” Zack grinned. He appreciated their enthusiasm, which would make this next exercise entertaining.
“Who’s on cleaning duty today?” Carlos chimed in while he unzipped his turnout gear and stepped out of his boots.
“All of you. I want it scrubbed, cleaned, and restocked.”
“Yes, sir.” Karson nodded. “We’ll have it shiny red for the festival in a few days.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” The boys would join Zack for the New Blooms Spring Festival and get to ride in the truck along the parade route. An event they were already bragging about to their friends at school, according to Andrew.
The boys hung up the gear on the wall hooks and rolled out the hose to the truck in the parking lot. Zack had added a few extra stains to the exterior paint and removed some of the supply quantity inside the truck. He wanted the guys to work together and help each other remember what needed to be done.
The door to the firehouse opened, and Eddie walked into the engine bay. “You making them do your job again?” He winked.
“When I can encourage hard work and train these men up right? Absolutely.” Zack crossed his arms and grinned.
“What you’re doing with these kids is good, man.” Eddie’s face softened. “I heard Karson’s dad got into a brawl again at the pub Friday night.”
“These kids need a mentor. Someone who will believe in them.” Zack pulled over a chair, and the metal screeched along the floor. He sat down by the locker cubbies beside the open garage door. The outside air warmed the bay area. Zack understood the harsh realities of fending for yourself and not knowing who to trust, thanks to his upbringing in foster care after his parents’ death—first, in kinship foster care with his grandma, then in the system with a family he barely knew after his grandma’s move to a nursing home. “I don’t want any at-risk teens getting caught up in trouble. Not when they can be shown how to start out on the right path.”
“I get it.” Eddie shook his head. “Living in foster care is challenging. The road you’ve walked is all the more reason why you’re great with these kids.”
“Thanks, man.” Zack fist-bumped Eddie. The two had hit it off when he’d come to the firehouse. Partly because Eddie had been in foster care himself. Having another guy who could resonate with that life had deepened their friendship. “You don’t think it bothers the lieutenant?” Zack tapped his foot against the ground, his leg bouncing.
“Why would it?” Eddie raised an eyebrow.
“We are on shift right now. I already get the sense he thinks some of my choices are questionable.” Zack valued this team, and the thought of them seeing him as less than because of something he did or didn’t do gripped his chest. Like being in a room starved of oxygen with a faulty breathing apparatus.
“Bryce wouldn’t have said yes to you having these kids here if he didn’t respect you. You wouldn’t even be on the team.” Eddie shifted and stuck his hands in his pockets. “You don’t have to do anything to earn his approval, man.”
“Sure, but I don’t wanna do something that could jeopardize things, either.” Zack leaned forward in the chair and propped his hands on his knees.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with the hazmat training, does it?”
“Let’s just say it’s proving to be more complex than I anticipated.”
“You have to take it head-on, man. Don’t shrink back.”
Zack still needed to finalize some details for the festival so the boys knew what to do. He pulled out his phone and made a reminder to jot down his notes later. Okay, maybe he was avoiding the report. Finding ways to do anything else but face the details of his parents’ deaths.
“Those kids,” Eddie said as he pointed at the boys cleaning the truck, “they’ve had a tough life. But you’re teaching them how to work as a team. To face the pain and conquer. You’ve got it in you, man.” Eddie jabbed a finger against Zack’s chest. “You’re not alone, either. Even if it takes longer than anticipated or you run into a few hiccups along the way, it doesn’t mean it was the wrong move.”
Zack appreciated Eddie’s input, but all it did was solidify that even with the right intentions, a choice could end up being a very, very wrong move.
Naya’s demeanor around him yesterday was proof of that. Even when he’d tried to do the right thing for her all those years ago and save the one thing that mattered most to her.
That red corded bracelet.
Zack had wanted to give her hope and hold up the promise he’d made. Instead, everything had gone haywire, and it’d not only cost him a friendship but brought the unwanted, hurtful opinions of others.
And just like these boys he was helping now, Zack had spent years of his life attempting to show people he had something valuable to offer and wasn’t just a troublemaker. That he wouldn’t just cause more problems for people.
The boys finished cleaning the truck, and after they left, he grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen and took his parents’ file from his bag. Zack sat on the couch, and this time, he flipped through the pages to read the findings in detail.
Kerosene accelerant located on site and around perimeter of house.
Outside doors barred shut.
Burn pattern and fire indicative of arson.
Zack inhaled and held his breath. This couldn’t be right. He ran his pen along each word again until it hovered over the last sentence.
Arson.
He circled the word. The red ink could have burned a hole through the page.
His parents hadn’t been the victims of a tragic accident.
Zack’s fingers tightened around the pen until his hand cramped.
They’d been murdered.
He closed his eyes, willing the images to stay at bay, but instead they engulfed every inch of territory, leaving no room for escape.
Powells’s red face and loud voice filled his mind. The fire chief back then had made one thing clear. Zack was to blame for the fire that burned his home down. If only he’d done his homework the first time and not needed to stay after school. If only he’d gotten home sooner.
If only.
His grandma had told him it was an accident, but it’d done nothing to save him from the night terrors that had woken him up whenever he’d tried to sleep. Ones that still knocked on his subconscious on occasion.
Arson.
R, son.
Just remember the most important word in your vocabulary. So important I had to tell other people about it. R, son.
Zack’s throat tightened and he blinked. A few tears trailed down his cheek.
Zack pulled in a shaky breath thanks to the memory. His dad had been the most patient teacher, assuring his son he wouldn’t have a speech impediment forever. That Zack would eventually be able to say his r ’s properly.
R, son. It’s important. There’s a lot of sentences you can make with r-words. Like this one: rats only go empty’n rivers.
Zack would wrinkle his nose and giggle at his dad. Tell him it was the silliest thing ever.
Wats don’t go to the bathwoom in wivers, Daddy.
Even though the sentence never made sense, his dad’s goofiness regarding the matter had helped Zack master his r ’s.
Zack just wished his dad had been around to witness it.
He had helped Zack in countless ways in the few short years they’d had together. And now, Zack would do everything he could to help his dad get the justice he deserved. Both of his parents deserved it.
The alarm blared through the intercom system, and the dispatcher stated the details. “Rescue 5, Truck 14. Vehicle entrapment. Gasoline leak.” Zack bolted from the couch and dropped the file in his bag and threw the bag in the bunk room before racing to the truck.
“Let’s go, people,” Bryce hollered, and the door slammed shut behind him.
Eddie jogged over and hopped into the back of the engine. Ridge hit the gas and they peeled out. He tossed Zack a water bottle. “I have a feeling this is going to be a long one.”
Actually, it was going to be a long couple of days. Because Zack didn’t see how he could rest until he solved his parents’ case.
Lord, why did this happen? I don’t understand. Zack cracked his fingers. God had seen fit to bring challenges of many sorts into his life. And he didn’t have all the answers. But who was he to question God?
Zack sighed.
It was his job to trust the Lord to work—even when it didn’t make sense.
Right now, he needed to stay focused on the call at hand.
Then he would get in touch with his dad’s friend, the former fire chief, across town. Find out why Powells had hidden the truth and made Zack the scapegoat.
Part of Zack wanted to ask Naya to do some digging of her own. But could he risk the outcome of Naya getting caught in the crosshairs? She already had enough on her plate.
How could he add one more troubling find to her load?
He couldn’t.
Not if his request would stir the coals of a fire that a killer thought they’d snuffed out long ago.