Chapter 3
LANCE
“Hey,Cortes… you guys take the roof and check it out.”
“No mice up there, bro,” Alec taunted and pounded his hand against Colton’s as the two chuckled easily.
Lance made a face, knowing it was deliberately being childish, but he was the youngest in the group. They were spread thin already, and he knew Colton was going to be stuck on the ground because he was the only one with experience running the truck. The newest captain transferred to another gig, and the engineer just ‘up-and-quit’ one morning with no notice.
In fact, it was getting so bad that Lance put in a request to speak to the chief this afternoon. He wanted on the other truck, because being so short-handed was going to end up getting someone killed.
Climbing the ladder with Alec, following him. The two cleared the roof of the brick building and began using their pikes to test the surface. They weren’t up there for two minutes when he heard a yelp nearby, followed by silence. Alec literally dropped through the roof, disappearing from sight, not two feet from where he was standing.
Lance screamed out a blasphemy so loudly that his voice rattled in his chest. That could have been him! He was tense, trying to move through the rampant fear to get to the other fireman who was about to start screaming in the throes of a horrible death at any moment. He heard Colton yelling from the truck, already aware of the chaos that was happening.
“ALEC! ALEC! CAN YOU HEAR ME?” he hollered, laying on his stomach across the roof and using his pike to reach down into the blackness that was yawning before him as smoke clouded his visor. “Alec! ALEC!”
And he heard Colton coming up behind him, actually leaving the truck to help rescue Alec. The man was barking orders, dragging him away from the opening, and yelling at him in rapid-fire.
“Get back, it’s soft here… I know you are worried, but you can’t help him if you die too,” Colton was snapping hotly, not at him but at the situation. “Look, think, listen… and act! I don’t see flames, but…”
“Ohhh, man,” came a groan from below.
“Alec?! Oh my gosh, man – are you okay?”
“This is not what I imagined the first layer of hell to look like… and frankly? I’m severely disappointed. Where’s the hookers?”
Alec’s voice floated upward and the sheer audacity to ask a stupid question like that caught him by surprise… and Colton too. Lance giggled nervously and looked at the other man, only to see the older firefighter roll his eyes.
“You big nitwit,” Colton muttered loudly. “Are you hurt?”
“Just my pride… There’s either a bed under me, or I landed on a trampoline in the middle of this room.”
“Thank God for it, too… that was probably a ten-foot drop.”
“Felt every inch of it, too. Sir, can I get a new pair of trousers? I think I messed myself.”
“I think Lance needs a set too.”
“Not gonna lie, Fischer,” Lance guffawed nervously, his adrenaline still running high. “That is a distinct possibility.”
“So, three pairs of pants, some baby wipes, a good stiff drink, and I bet you’d like a ladder at some point, Beckett?”
“Ya’ know… we could have a little fun with this. Why don’t I run out the front door screaming so a few of the onlookers mess themselves too?”
“You are one sick puppy…”
“Arf, arf…”
All three men began chuckling in relief and awareness that this was the weirdest conversation to be having on the scene of a fire. Only to have three PASS alarms start sounding.
“Let’s get moving, or it might be four pairs of pants if we include the chief,” Colton grinned, grabbing his radio at his shoulder and looking at Lance. “Look, always check your surroundings, and don’t go rushing into danger carelessly. I like you and really need you not to get yourself killed under my watch – okay, Smartmouth?”
“You talking to me?” came Alec’s voice from below – but Lance was looking at Colton, who was smiling at him.
“Good job spreading yourself like a starfish, that was smart thinking to spread your weight load – but it doesn’t make a rotting roof impenetrable. Look, think, and then act— okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
Hours later,Lance knocked on the chief’s door and hesitated as he looked up from his computer. He hated to bother him but the guy never seemed to mind, but it was intimidating to go talk to the ‘Big Man’ sometimes.
“Chief? Can I bother you for a moment?”
“It’s no bother, Cortes. What can I do for you?”
“I needed to speak to you about something,” Lance began and shut the office door behind him, turning just in tight to see the chief’s expression tighten warily.
“You’re not quitting too – are you?”
“Me? No, sir. I love this job. I fit in, you know?”
“Oh heck… thank goodness,” the man sighed openly, not bothering to hide his relief. “I thought you were about to give your notice and things are already tight on your truck.”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss with you.”
“Oh?”
“I’d like to be placed on the other truck or…”
“Denied.”
“Sir,” Lance said nervously. “Look, I’ve gotta be honest… I’m scared. It’s a big joke that I don’t like rodents, and everyone has their fun, but I would rather be trapped in a room with Chuck-E-Cheese than see someone die before me… or for me to turn into a human kabob. I always ask myself, WWDGD - and this time, I think I got an answer. We’re spread too thin. While I’m not a probie, I’ve still got a lot to learn – and I’m fully aware of that. Alec is amazing and goes in without any hesitation, but Colton teaches me, and I need that,” Lance said passionately, putting a hand over his heart. “I need someone who is willing to talk to me, teach me, or knock me upside the head if I’m about to do something stupid.”
“I see… and I think I understand. Maybe?”
“We need Colton on the front lines, sir… and we desperately need a captain or a different engineer. I don’t want to sabotage the man’s career, and I know he wants to be a captain – but I can’t do this if I’m scared that I’m going to fail my team or cause someone to die because we are short-staffed.”
“Lance, take a deep breath,” the chief said softly, leaning forward and looking at him. “I hear what you are saying – and I agree.”
“You do?” he croaked openly, feeling a massive surge of relief wash through him. Sitting back in his chair, he nearly began crying and put his head down into his hands. It wasn’t two seconds before the chief was coming around his desk, patting him on the back.
“Listen, it’s okay to be overwhelmed sometimes or even scared. Today was rough with Alec’s fall. This is a tough job, and it takes a team to pull it off on a daily basis…”
“I’m sorry, it’s just…”
“Don’t apologize, Lance. Do you think I haven’t had a breakdown before in my chief’s office?” he offered quietly, and Lance looked up in surprise.
“I’m not having a breakdown,” he denied quickly and saw the other man’s little smirk. “I’m not. I just didn’t think anyone would listen or care – and I wasn’t expecting any of this.”
“Well, I guess I need to do a better job explaining my position, then,” Reese said quietly. “My job is to make sure you come home at the end of every shift, and as a former firefighter – I take that very personally. I’m not perfect, always learning, but if you don’t tell me when something is bothering you, how am I supposed to fix it?”
“You won’t tell anyone?”
“No. Everything said here is in confidence and if you need to talk, my door is always open.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, I’ve already got something in the works – but do you think you can hold on a few more days until I get things hammered out and I’m ready to unveil my plan?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, and I have something for you,” the chief said quickly, snapping his fingers… and tossed something tiny onto his desk. Immediately, Lance yelped, jumping bodily into the chair he had just been sitting in and was now crouching… only to see it was a tiny stuffed mouse – and Reese was grinning like an idiot.
“That’s not funny!”
“Oh, it actually is – I assure you, it’s hysterical.”
“You guys are seriously messed up…”
“Probably,” Reese laughed and dropped the tiny plastic mouse back into his desk drawer before reaching for something else… and Lance braced himself. “Relax, Cortes. Someone dropped off a filter for you.”
“Blythe was here? She came by already? What’d she say? Did she leave her number or…”
“Whoa, calm down there. Are you dating the woman?”
“Noooo!” he blurted out emphatically and hesitated. “Did she tell you we were dating?”
“No. Not at all. In fact, I asked her if she wanted to leave you a message, and she said ‘no,’… so what is going on?” Reese asked openly in confusion. “You’re not dating, not leaving messages, but acting like you are interested. Why don’t you just ask the woman out?”
“Uh, hard pass.”
“Is she not your type?”
“Oh, she’s definitely my type, but she’s drama.”
“Why?”
“She’s needy.”
“How so?”
“She wants to go on dates, do dumb chitty-chatty stuff, mentioned relationships and junk… and no offense, but at twenty-seven – I still wanna have a little fun.”
“You are talking to a man who didn’t get married until he was forty-five,” Reese grinned. “I understand.”
“I’m gonna collect my money from Alec!” Lance announced excitedly, fist-pumping the air. “I bet him fifty bucks you were… a… never mind.”
“Oh no – please do finish your thoughts.”
“Well, I told him I figured you to be a player with the ladies…”
“Nice.”
“And he said you never dated anyone at all.”
“Alec would be correct,” Reese smiled gently. “I never dated anyone really until I met Eileen – and then it took forever for me to ask her out.”
“She wanted to go on dates instead of foolin’ around?”
“I would never disrespect my wife by fooling around with her outside of a relationship. There is a lot to be said when you meet a person that interests you, and you decide to step up to the plate.”
“Nothing wrong with swinging that bat either,” Lance winked, grinning.
“True, but someday the game will be over, and you need to decide if you are ever going to run to first base – or if you will be stuck still swinging the bat, alone, and everyone else has gone home for the night.”
“Oh.”
“Have your fun, just keep an open mind… and here’s your filter.”
“Thanks,” Lance began and hesitated, looking at the chief. “Thank you for everything, actually. The talk, the advice, all of it.”
“You are very welcome.”
“And keep that mouse away from me.”
“Will do, Cortes.”