Rescued Duty (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #5)

Chapter 10

TEN

B efore Naya could entangle herself in Zack’s life any more, she limped to the parking lot. She needed time alone to decompress from the day, and a yawn escaped from her lips. The last rays of the setting sun dipped behind the cloudy sky. The streetlights were her only guide.

Why had she shared her suspicions about the attack on the mountain with Zack? She had the story from her boss to focus on, and it was proving to bring more trouble with it than she’d bargained for.

She didn’t need to add any tension with Zack. He’d made it clear what he thought of her.

His little sister.

But how could she even be that to him after the way he responded? He’d basically shut her out, telling her to go to the police. Like he didn’t want to take on the role of big brother. She’d act cordial and professional around him, but that was the extent of their relationship. Especially when there was a greater issue at play.

A lack of trust.

When had it all gone wrong? How had their days of promises to one another turned into a series of qualms?

Right now, it didn’t matter. Naya had something else to focus on.

Working hard.

Just like her dad used to say. Hard work will pay off in the end if you keep at it, sweet pea. One foot in front of the other.

Except the life he’d fought to build for their family hadn’t panned out the way any of them had hoped.

Naya blinked several times to clear the haziness and scanned the parking lot. Where was her car?

She rummaged in her purse for her phone and came up empty-handed. It must still be on the trail.

With no way to contact Ingram to pick her up, she headed back to the hospital entrance. There had to be a pay phone or someone’s cell she could borrow. The last thing she wanted to do was bother Zack when he should be waiting for news on his partner.

The doors to the emergency room whooshed open, and another family rushed inside. “Excuse me. Sorry.” The dad held his young daughter in his arms. The mom refused to let go of the little girl’s hand.

Naya ducked to the side and made eye contact with Zack.

“Is something wrong?” Zack’s gaze darted between her and the rest of the crew.

She waved her hand and stepped toward the foyer. “I need to call for a ride.”

Zack’s radio buzzed. Fire at 270 Cobblestone Court. Victim trapped.

Naya froze. “That’s the address from my research.” None of the crew moved from their seats. “That’s the CEO’s house. For Ethos.”

Zack ran his fingers through his hair. “And you want to go investigate it.” He scrunched his brow.

“I can call Ingram.” Naya scanned the foyer for a pay phone.

“Lieutenant.” Zack walked over to his boss. “I’m gonna go take a look. Off the clock.”

“Don’t forget the team, Stephens. I better see you back here soon.”

A muscle twitched in Zack’s jaw, but Naya refrained from asking what Bryce meant.

“Come on.” He extended his arm to let her through the sliding doors first.

Naya raised her brow. Now Zack wanted to help her? After he’d been adamant about her going to the police instead. If she wanted to get to the scene of the fire, there was no time to argue.

Naya slid into the passenger seat of Zack’s car.

Buildings and trees blurred past them, and Naya tapped her foot against the floorboard. “This could be a big lead.” The spark needed to write this story. And she was about to be the first on the scene.

“You think this was intentional?” Zack sped through a green light.

“Something warranted the start of the blaze. I want to know what.”

They pulled up to the scene, and fire trucks and police cars blocked the several hundred feet surrounding the house. An orange ball lit up the front porch while gray billows spewed into the air. No one was getting in or out of the front door.

Naya closed her door, then followed Zack to the curb. The house was tucked on its own piece of property, but two other four-car garage houses sat back in the distance with enough space to provide privacy for each owner.

Naya and Zack approached the front entrance and walked around the blue police barriers. The flames crackled and snapped. Even from forty feet away, the heat warmed Naya’s face. The gated cobblestone driveway provided limited space for entering, and Ramble stood at the gate, arms crossed, keeping onlookers at bay.

“I’m here to help the crews.” Zack nodded to Ramble.

Naya flashed her press badge.

“Let the guys do their work.” Ramble ushered them through. “This is an ugly one.”

Dark, thick clouds of smoke enveloped the area, and the breeze carried them through the air. Gushing water pounded against the roof, combating the flames.

Naya let out a cough. “Zack. Wait.” One wrong move and someone could get seriously hurt. Naya gulped. The reality of the situation sat like the thick smoke on her chest.

Firefighters in full turnout gear whizzed past her. Zack spun around. He had one foot on the grass, the other still on the driveway. He turned to the commotion behind him.

“Let’s get the ladders ready!” one of the firefighters yelled while the crew raced around. He must be of higher rank given the different uniform he wore. “I don’t want this becoming a three-alarm call.”

“Be careful. Please.” She stepped forward and took a breath to steady herself.

Zack focused back on Naya. “I’ll be fine. I just want to see if they need help.”

This was what Zack did every day. Put his life on the line.

Naya bit her lip and nodded. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” There’d been a time when they had promised to always stand by each other. But the hope of that happening had caught fire and burned a long time ago. So why was her heart yearning for it again?

“I’ll be back in a few.” His eyes widened. “Watch your back too.”

Naya gave him a thumbs-up. Hazards came with the territory of her job. Every reporter understood the risks. But it didn’t mean Naya had an excuse to shrink away.

She hobbled over to a clearing where a lone tree grew in front of the sidewalk. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Zack was talking to an officer.

Focus.

Tall oak trees dotted the property. If any of those caught fire, she didn’t want to imagine the aftermath.

She needed to figure out who to talk to.

A pungent smell swirled through the air and gripped Naya’s nostrils. She let out another cough and held her fingers to her nose. “Why does this fire smell like spoiled fish? Is that normal?”

In the midst of the chaos, a host of voices rose in volume. She needed to get closer. While Zack was occupied with his hero duties, she set off toward the sound of people chanting.

Naya walked around the trucks, back toward the front gate. “Sorry.” She ducked around a firefighter. “Excuse me.” She brushed past a few onlookers.

On the other corner of the house, a group of people stood with signs, hoisting them in the air, yelling, “You can’t hide. Give it up. Save our land.”

More police officers planted themselves around the perimeter, fingers hooked around their belt loops.

Sylvia stood on the outskirts of the group, and Naya waved to get her attention.

The woman stepped away from the crowd and crossed her arms. “It’s you again.”

So much for a hello. “Do you know anything about what happened?”

“There’ve been rumors floating around. That one of our own had something to do with it.”

Naya’s jaw dropped and she stared at Sylvia. “What?” The protestors believed there was someone in their group that had started a fire at this man’s home? That was a serious escalation from peacefully making a noise on the street out front.

The woman’s face remained stone cold. Okay, so she wasn’t joking.

Naya said, “What makes you say that?”

“Good ole barrel of fish and oil sent this place up in flames.”

Naya’s fingers shook. So that’s where the smell had come from. She couldn’t believe someone could have caused so much damage. Ideology was one thing, but this took it to a misdemeanor. Maybe even a felony.

This group might have crossed the threshold into ecoterrorism if they were really behind this attack. “Why retaliate in this way?” Naya focused on keeping her expression neutral. If their agenda was truly to save the planet, this message counteracted their goals. That’s what Naya wanted to tell Sylvia. But given the woman’s nonchalant attitude, that may not go over well.

“It might finally get the point across,” Sylvia huffed.

“Do you think this will change Ethos’s response? If they believe their employees are reachable at their own homes, they won’t feel so superior. This could incite real change.” Naya’s voice cracked, but she cleared her throat. Did Sylvia realize her speculation warranted Naya’s need to report the incident? Although, the woman could also open up and say more if she thought Naya was sympathetic. “So you think it will move the needle to real change?”

“It better, that’s what I say. We’re fed up with Roger’s playing dumb.” She rolled her eyes. “They are killing off our ecosystem and people are sick.”

“How much further is your organization prepared to go to get results? Are you fighting back with legal action? Or getting a petition signed?” Naya hadn’t heard anything new from Ingram on that front. As far as she was aware, the environmental group still had until Friday before Ethos proceeded with legal action. Naya said, “It won’t be long before they’re making trouble for you in response.”

“We’re not going to let them do that, hon.” Sylvia lifted her chin. “And if I were you, I’d watch your back and who you talk to.” Sylvia pointed at Naya’s arm. “You don’t need any more injuries.”

Sylvia sauntered off.

Naya’s eyes darted to her left and right. The hues of flashing lights played off the shadows of the darkening sky and made her head spin. A cold weight squeezed her chest as if the array of people on scene were pinning her down.

There was no way Sylvia could know the cause of her injury.

Right?

No way she could know her sprained elbow was related to all this.

She was just being paranoid, reading something into what Sylvia had said. This was just the outcome of a life where she’d been hurt one too many times. Pain had left marks like tattoos she hadn’t consented to on her heart. That, and a host of memories even time hadn’t been able to fade.

Naya turned to see the status of the fire, but it was all just chaos to her. Where was Zack? He could explain where they were at with it.

“Help!” A scream curdled the air and drowned out the noises around her.

A gray-haired woman in a robe dangled from a piece of wood off the side balcony. Flames licked inches below her bare feet. A firefighter perched on the ladder that extended up to the window, but it was just out of reach.

“That’s my wife.” A man with gray-peppered hair and who still wore a business suit shoved past Naya and ran to a firefighter staring at the scene from the ground. “What are you doing?” he barked. “Don’t just stand there. She’s going to fall!”

Naya weaved her way through people running about and followed the same route he’d gone. She approached the man and touched his arm. “Mr. Callahan?”

Sure enough, Roger turned around at his name. If she could distract him long enough to let the rescue crew do their job, maybe he wouldn’t panic and get in the way.

It was worth a try, at least.

“Naya Michél.” She extended her hand, except he stared at her without reciprocating the gesture. “This crew will work hard to get your wife out safely, but they need you to hang back so they can get their job done. It’s what they’re trained for.”

“Trained to stand around and watch while one guy lets my wife burn alive. Same with the cops. Doing nothing while those protestors cause havoc on my street.” His face reddened. “They’re the reason this is happening.”

“Sir—”

“If it wasn’t for those protestors, my wife wouldn’t be in danger.” He huffed, not even watching the firefighter lift his wife to safety. “My house wouldn’t be in ruins.”

“These people are well within their rights to stage a peaceful protest on public property.” Naya stood her ground despite Roger closing the gap between them. His close proximity might make her appear smaller, but she wouldn’t take the bait. “You have quite the power, Mr. Callahan, to make a difference. How do you plan to remediate this situation and these people’s concerns regarding the products your company puts on the market?”

Callahan took a step toward her and lowered his stature until he was at eye level. “With legal action,” he sneered.

He thought she would back down?

He hadn’t met her.

“Why not simply take your products off the market until they’re tested? Give everyone peace of mind.” Naya kept her voice steady. “Surely that would defuse this volatile situation.”

“You listen here, little lady.” Callahan jabbed a finger in her face.

Okay, now she was getting mad. “Mr. Callahan—” She clenched her teeth.

“We have our best practices, and regulators monitor everything we do. I don’t need to answer any of your questions. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He took long strides to the edge of the grassy area.

Naya shook her head. Zack stood at the base of the fire truck, spotting the firefighter who had Mrs. Callahan nearly to the bottom of the ladder.

“You firefighters aren’t doing your job. Hurry up.” A few expletives spewed from his mouth. “Get her over here. Now!”

Two officers raced to his side and blocked his way.

“Let me get to my wife.” He shoved at them.

Naya headed in Zack’s direction. Her eyes blurred, and she blinked.

“You seem to have a keen sense for following trouble.”

Naya spun around at Tucker’s voice. Of course he’d find her amidst the crowd. She took a step to the side to keep from falling over. That wouldn’t be a good look in front of her work nemesis.

“And it seems to like you too.” He dipped his chin at her arm sling. “What happened?”

“You should know better than to think some malicious force targets people. And you should know I don’t believe that either.” Her mission wasn’t to spread gossip or uncover secrets only to splay them on the page for the whole world to gawk at. Of all people, Tucker should know her.

He blinked. “Right. The God thing. How could I forget?”

Naya might not have picked up on it initially when they’d been together, but the telltale signs were there now. His pride wouldn’t let it go any other way than to see her crash and burn.

To get her riled up so she spun out.

And abandoned her goal.

Giving him the joy of victory without a fair fight.

“If you’ll excuse me.” Naya stepped up onto the sidewalk to get out of the way, but someone brushed against her back, and she stumbled forward. Her ankle twisted, and she winced.

A hand grabbed her arm, and Naya let out a cry.

She was done. Today had been too much.

She spun, ready to push away whoever it was.

“Whoa. It’s just me.” Zack stood in front of her, holding her. “I thought I told you to watch your back?” His brow creased. “You don’t need another injury.”

“I was doing my job.” She shifted to favor her good leg and rose to her full height. Was he going to reprimand her, thinking she couldn’t hold her own, just like the other men she knew? “I’ll be fine.”

“But you’ll put yourself in jeopardy to do it?”

He thought she was doing that on purpose? “If I recall, you stepped into the crosshairs tonight too.”

“I’m just looking out for you.” Zack’s jaw twitched.

Naya stayed quiet for a moment. Was that really his motive? She didn’t know whether to believe him or not. Regardless, she wasn’t going to let him deter her from doing her job. “Actually, the information I gathered could keep others from being put in harm’s way.” Of course, he wouldn’t understand her full reasoning. She’d never told him the whole story of why she did what she did.

“Good. Then you’re done?” He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes for a brief second.

There wasn’t any use explaining her why at the moment. “Yes, I’m done.”

All that mattered was that she’d uncovered valuable insight from Sylvia and Callahan.

Now she needed to figure out who was behind this attack tonight and what exactly Callahan’s best practices were. She’d just skimmed the film off the top of a murky lake, and Naya intended to dive deeper to discover what lay beneath.

“Great. Let’s go.” Zack turned, and his firm hand on her back escorted her to the car. He opened her door and stood there, as if to help her in.

Naya stared back at the fire a second before getting in the car.

He closed the door and rounded to the driver’s side. Given her throbbing arm and the flames still licking the house in the distance, how many more people would suffer before she got to the bottom of the truth?