Chapter 25
“S o, things are still going well over on your end with Mon?”
Lucas looked over at me, briefly glancing before returning his eyes to the road. We’d just dropped Lacey off at school and had each barely gotten a wave out of her. Lucas had made sure to blow a kiss at her and yell her name to thoroughly antagonize her. I’d be amused if I’d known I wasn’t going to be the one going home to the repercussions later.
“Everything is good on our end. We still haven’t seen or heard anything from Richard and company. Anything on y’all’s? Surely they’ve gotten citations for something. They’ve never gone this long without one of them serving some kind of time.”
“There hasn’t been anything. It's creepy as hell because you’re right. We’re usually bringing one of the jackasses in on some kind of charge. Or we get a complaint about something they’ve done.”
“Nick is still doing well with Jackson living with him?” I asked. I’d spoken to Jackson and gotten a feel for the kid. He really reminded me of myself. Part of me was terrified because I’d been like a magnet to Monica at that age. Lacey didn’t really seem interested as more than a friend though, and neither did he. He came over for the occasional barbeque at one of our houses but most of the time kept busy with studies and his part time job he’d found.
“They’re doing great. If it makes sense, it's like Nick has some sort of purpose now. He doesn’t seem so gloomy.” laughed Lucas, pulling into the fire station to drop me off.
“That’s good though. We can’t tell Monica and Becks. They’ll never let us hear the end of it. Them being right and all that.”
“No shit.” smirked Lucas, throwing his truck into park. “We’ll see you all later tonight, right? For Nan’s birthday?”
I nodded, grabbing my bag to jump out.
“Have a good day, sweetheart. I love you.” he joked.
I punched his shoulder and climbed out of the truck shaking my head.
“You’re such a jackass.” I muttered, shutting the door. I hiked my duffle further up my shoulder as I heard Lucas pull away behind me. Looking up at the blue sky, I smiled. Things were going great, and this was going to be a wonderful day.
“Did you remember to grab the salad?”
“Mon, baby. I told you four times. It’s in the backseat.”
“Okay, okay. It’s just, Lucas’ Nan is intimidating. It’s her birthday we’re going to. They had me make the salad. Her favorite thing. This is nerve-wracking.”
I started laughing as Monica fretted by my side and reached over the console to lay one of my large hands on her thigh as I drove.
“Mon. That woman loves everyone. She wouldn’t care if you forgot the salad. I promise she has the ingredients stocked in her kitchen at all times.”
“Whatever.” She laid her hand on top of mine and checked her phone.
“Becks wants to know our ETA.” she continued.
“I’d say about ten minutes.” I guessed, squeezing the inside of her leg as she slapped at me.
“Stop!” she exclaimed, dropping the phone into her bag. “Apparently Lucas got a call at the station and had to leave for a bit. We need to step on it. If that pregnant woman gets it in her head to climb on a stepstool Lucas is going to have all our asses.”
I snorted and leaned forward to grab my phone as it rang.
“Damn. We’re popular.” I remarked.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Connor?”
“Jackson?” I listened to the kid clear his throat nervously. “What’s up?”
“Well. I know it’s stupid but I took the bus to the end of town and walked down to my dad’s trailer. I was going to get something I forgot, but he showed up and won’t let me leave. I was wondering if you knew where Nick was? He’s not answering and I need a ride out of here.”
I sighed, glancing over at Monica who was looking at me questioningly.
“Jackson.” I mouthed quietly. I watched her eyebrows draw in, concerned.
“I think there’s something going on down at the station, Jackson. I can come get you.”
“Oh. No, Trevor, that’s okay. I’ll try to walk.”
“Jackson. It’s not an issue. Just give me ten minutes.” I could hear the fear and uncertainty in his voice and that was calling out to a younger version of myself. I hung up before he could fight me on the subject.
“What’s going on?” asked Monica as I turned my truck onto a sidestreet to back up and return the way we came.
“He needs me to come get him. Apparently he remembered something he’d left behind and went to get it. His dad showed up and he needs a ride. Can’t get a hold of Nick.”
“Trevor. We should call Lucas.”
“Mon. It’s just Richard. For real. We’ll pull up, let Jackson hop in, and take off. We’re not going to start anything. Text Becks that it’ll be a little longer.”
Monica sighed and I had to admit a pit was settling in my stomach.
“Fine.” she murmured.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye typing a text before she dropped her cell back into her bag.
“Is it all good?”
“She didn’t answer. She probably set her phone down or Nat is on it or something. I sent the text though.”
As I pulled down the gravel road leading back into the rundown lot that Richard had parked his trailer on, Monica spoke again, her voice shaky.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Mon. Nothing is going to happen. It’s broad-fucking-daylight.”
I watched the road ahead of us, as did Mon, suddenly seeing smoke cresting the hill.
Drawing myself up to sit a little taller, we crested the top of the road leading down to where the trailer was.
Engulfed in flames, sitting in the middle of the field, against a bank of large overgrown trees and shrubs.
“Fuck. Call nine-one-one.” I pressed my foot harder on the gas and gravel spun behind us as I took the road leading down to the trailer faster than was probably safe. Opening my door, I rolled to a stop, and glanced up to see Monica gaping at me.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked. I saw her pulse pounding in her neck and her hands were shaking.
“Mon. I gotta make sure no ones actually in there. I’m a firefighter. Nothings going to happen. Tell the emergency operator the details.”
I got further away from the truck hearing her speaking to someone on the phone. As I rounded the back, giving the trailer a wide berth with the intense heat coming off of it, I waved as the truck went out of my view the further I walked.
“Jackson!” I yelled.
This was a fucking inferno. If he and his father were inside, they weren’t going to answer me. This didn’t make any sense for the trailer to already be this engulfed in such a short amount of time. Things were not adding up. This fire had been set a while ago and left to burn.
I heard a noise behind me, but before I could spin to look, a sharp pain echoed through my skull, and all I saw was black.