Rescued Duty (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #5)

Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

A door shut and footsteps shuffled into the firehouse kitchen. Zack set down the bowl of eggs he was mixing and turned to find Naya in the doorway. She wore jeans and a sweatshirt, and she still looked gorgeous. Her black curly hair fell across her shoulders. She might have tried to conceal the bags under her eyes, but he didn’t miss them.

After the events of last night, he’d barely slept. He couldn’t imagine it had been any better for her.

“Thanks for letting me hang around here today.” She pulled out a chair and sat down.

The realization that someone had broken into her house and sabotaged her oven in an effort to create an explosion that could have killed her made Zack livid. Not only that but it’d brought recurrent nightmares to the forefront of his sleep last night.

Except this time, it hadn’t been his parents who’d succumbed to the flames—it’d been Naya, and he’d been helpless to stop it.

That was just a dream.

This was real life.

Zack could do something to protect Naya. He’d comb that mountain again for evidence. See if he could find any more makeshift sandbags. Help her with research. Install a security camera at her house. Whatever it took, he’d have her back.

“How’d you sleep?”

“Okay. I suppose it just hit me.” She bit her lip and blinked.

“You have every right for it to.” Once the police had left Naya’s house last night, she’d tried to call Ingram, but her friend hadn’t picked up. He hadn’t been about to leave her alone, but instead of him staking out on her couch, she’d taken a spare bed in the women’s bunk room at the firehouse. He’d hoped it would help her sleep better, knowing she was safe with the crew. But he thought he’d heard her walking around in the wee hours.

“Ingram’s going to pop over here for lunch later, if that’s okay.”

“I don’t see a problem with it. If there’s a callout, it might be a while until we get back. But the building is always locked and under surveillance.”

“Thanks. I’m going to watch the Sunday worship service online and try to relax.”

“I was making breakfast. Want any eggs?” Zack wished there were a way to erase Naya’s unease.

She was strong, but the events they’d endured would shake anyone. Still, he’d do whatever he could to ease her burden. Especially if that meant being a safe place for her to go.

“When a guy’s willing to cook”—the edges of a smile broke on her face—“I’ll never turn down the food.”

Zack turned on the burner. “I’ve learned a few tricks thanks to Trace and Charlie.” He grabbed the container of oats from the pantry and sprinkled a few into the egg mixture. A secret ingredient that added texture and flavor. “Trace is one of our EMTs. Charlie left last summer to be a hotshot—that’s a wildland firefighter—up in Montana.”

Once the eggs were cooked, he plated the food and sat down across from Naya. He slid the salt and pepper her way.

“Oats in eggs?” She raised her eyebrow. “Intriguing.” She added a dash of salt and took a bite. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“Good?” He took a bite from his plate.

“Better than good.”

Zack could get used to slow mornings with Naya. She’d been the closest person to family he’d had growing up, and the idea of starting their own family together left him wishing for a future that hadn’t been written yet.

There was just one thing that could stand in the way of her ever saying yes to him. He still hadn’t told her the full story about his disappearance from her life when they were teens in foster care. And once she learned the truth, she’d have every right to tell him to have a nice life.

He set his fork down and rubbed his wrist. The red bracelet spun around. A constant reminder of what his actions had cost him.

But after that kiss, there was hope they could move forward, given she’d reciprocated the gesture. Although, right now wasn’t the time to dredge up the past. Not when they both had bigger things to worry about.

Naya set her dirty plate in the dishwasher and pulled out her laptop from her backpack. “Have you touched base with Powells since we met with him the other day?”

Zack moved his chair next to Naya’s and straddled it. “Not yet. I’ll follow up with him today.”

“Great. So we know there haven’t been any incidents at your house.” Naya rattled off details of her attack, his car, the fire truck, and her oven.

He hadn’t had any attacks when he’d been by himself aside from the truck incident at the parade.

“All this makes me think maybe I was wrong and the two cases aren’t related,” Naya continued.

“It could be.”

Naya’s sleuthing skills were top notch.

He didn’t want to tell her what route to investigate, but the incident at the parade made it all feel confusing. “Although, my boys didn’t like that our booth setup would be so close to the Green Warriors. Said they were afraid of getting caught up in the turmoil.”

“Hmmm.” Naya typed a few notes. She had a gleam in her eye.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” She dismissed the question with a hand wave. “If it is the environmental group, why all of a sudden target you?”

“Beats me.” Zack cleared his plate and started a sink of soapy water.

“If we can nail down who our mountain man and mysterious letter guy is, we could have something more to go on.”

“Find evidence on that hat to nab our guy, and I’ll get Basuto to lead the arrest.” Zack scrubbed the skillet. The sooner the person behind this mayhem was in jail, the better.

The alarm intercom blared. “Rescue 5. Ambo 21. Entrapment at Ethos Fire Solutions. Number of victims unknown.”

Zack tossed the pan on the drying rack. “Will you be okay?” He put a hand on Naya’s shoulder, knowing there could be no time to lose. “Truck will still be here.”

“Yeah. Go do your thing.” Naya placed her hand on top of his. “Be careful, please.”

He read between the lines. She was just as curious about the callout to Ethos.

Zack bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. A peppermint scent wafted from her hair and provided a comforting feeling, but he couldn’t linger right now. “I’ll be back.” He raced out of the room and down the hall, then grabbed his gear from the cubby.

Zack hopped in next to Eddie, and Bryce took the front seat with Ridge at the wheel. “Rescue 5 is en route. Seven minutes out. What’s the status?” Bryce released the radio button.

They took the turn onto the street so hard Zack had to grab the handle at the top of the door. They all swayed, and Eddie bumped his shoulder. “You think Green Warriors has upped their antics?”

“If that’s the case, I hope the police catch whoever is responsible.” Zack braced one boot against the front seat to keep from being jostled along with the truck.

The dispatcher’s information crackled over the radio intercom. “Forklift drove into an office wall. Unknown number of people trapped in the room.”

Bryce pulled into the fire lane at the front of the building, and the guys grabbed their equipment.

Trace and Kianna parked the ambulance behind them and followed the crew inside.

A young woman with a pencil skirt and heels waved them through. “I was working at my computer when I heard a crash.” She scurried down the hall with them and wiggled a doorknob, but it wouldn’t open. “And I came to find this.”

Cries echoed from the space. “Get us out!” A man in a suit banged on the window.

“She’s bleeding.” An older man in a polo pointed to a woman curled up on the ground.

“Please hurry.” More cries came from the room.

Zack was surprised to see so many employees here on a Sunday. Didn’t they realize taking a day off work never killed anyone?

Eddie stepped up to the door and knocked. “Rescue 5 is here. We’re going to get you all out soon.”

Dust coated the carpet floor. Zack peered through the window into the room. “The wall on the left is collapsed in.”

Bryce turned to Zack and the crew. “Get struts off the truck to shore the building.”

The receptionist grimaced and rubbed her forehead. “This headache just isn’t going away,” she said, smacking a piece of bubble gum.

Zack frowned. “We need to get the gas shut off. Where’s the valve?”

The receptionist pointed. “Around the corner and out that door.”

“Let’s go.” Bryce hollered. “I want this place vented stat.”

“Copy that.” Eddie ran for the truck and Ridge went with him while Zack bolted out the side door.

He scanned the wall for the gas line then let out a groan. The metal pipes and wheel were bent and mangled. “No. No. No.” He gripped the wheel and tugged, but the mechanism didn’t budge.

“I’ve got no way to shut off the gas,” Zack radioed in. “It’s been compromised.”

“We need to move.” Bryce’s voice came through his earpiece. “Circle around the hall and cut into the wall on the other side and stabilize as you go.”

“Shores are in place,” Eddie replied.

Zack sprinted back into the building. Eddie handed him a pick, and he hefted the axe up and slammed it into the wall. Wood chips and dust flew to the ground.

“We need everyone to stay in the far back corner.” Eddie cranked the saw and bored into the wall.

The noise reverberated through Zack’s skull.

Zack kicked the wood with his foot and brushed away the plaster. The exertion left him winded, and he paused to let his breath even out.

“We’ve got a woman down,” Trace yelled, and grabbed the receptionist, who’d crumpled in his grasp.

Zack wiped the dust off his goggles. “We’re in,” he shared into the radio. Zack glanced down at his four-gas meter. The CO levels were climbing. They needed everyone out minutes ago.

He and Eddie ducked into the brightly lit room. Pain pricked at the edges of Zack’s brow, and he swiped at his forehead. He couldn’t succumb to the odorless gas—not before he got the other civilians out safely.

“If you can walk, go through the hole and down the hall.” Zack pointed to the makeshift entrance. Two men and women held on to each other’s arms and limped out of the room.

Zack took the hand of an older gentleman and helped him stand up. The man swayed, and Zack grabbed his forearm. “Easy there. Come on.” He swung the man’s arm over his shoulder and walked him into the hall. “Medic!”

Kianna raced to the man’s side and escorted him down the hall.

Zack turned around and held out his hand to another woman. “I’ve got you. Follow me.” He pulled her up, and she let out a cough.

Zack’s pulse throbbed in his head. The hole in the wall blurred, and he blinked several times to clear away the haziness.

He ducked through the hole behind the woman but misjudged the opening and slammed his shoulder into the corner. That was going to hurt later. His nerves shot off tingles up his arm.

“I don’t feel good.” The woman turned to him, and her frame wilted. Zack held on to her and lifted his hand to his radio. “I need backup.” Nausea swirled in his stomach.

“Everyone out. Now,” Bryce yelled into Zack’s earpiece.

“That was the last one.” Eddie rounded the corner. “I can—” He dropped face first to the ground.

“Firefighter down,” Zack yelled into his mic.

He couldn’t leave his buddy, but the room started to spin, and Zack stumbled to the side. He had to get out of here. He’d promised Naya he’d be back. He couldn’t repeat the past and fail her again.

Oh Lord. I need Your help.

Zack fell to his knees while stars danced in his vision.

A few seconds later, his world went black.