Page 113 of Burn

He glances my way quickly, before turning his attention back to the road, lips twitching as he loses himself to a thought I’m not privy to. “Four,” he eventually tells me. “You’ve met Evan and Kellan, right?” I nod. “Then there’s Gavin. He’s a firefighter too, and Taylor. He’s a probationary firefighter.”

“Wow, all firefighters except for Kellan? I bet that makes for some interesting conversations at Christmas.”

He laughs. “For sure.”

The weather station called for a snow storm tonight, but I wasn’t expecting it to hit while we’re driving to Scarlet’s apartment.

Seattle doesn’t get much snow, and in a matter of thirty minutes, at least two inches have formed on the already frozen streets, leaving them a mess. Everywhere I look, cars are colliding with guardrails and other parked cars.

Some people even stop and get out of their cars, leaving them in the middle of the road, as if that will solve the problem.

“What a bunch of fuckin’ assholes,” Caleb grumbles, pulling around a Mercedes that’s stopped in the left lane of the two-lane street.

When we reach Capitol Hill, that’s when we see the worst of it. Two buses have collided with each other and smashed into a guardrail, and now had one wheel over the edge of the bridge.

Caleb reaches for the center console to retrieve his phone.

He dials 911, but I’m too stunned to understand what’s happening. My eyes focus on the bus in front, teetering dangerously close to the edge of the bridge. Bystanders watch, gawking, rendered silent as they slowly approach it, but I don’t think anyone knows how to react.

Caleb does and reaches for the door handle.

My face clouds with uneasiness. “What are you going to do?” My voice shakes.

Immediately, his hand finds mine in the dimly lit truck. “I’m going to go help who I can. Stay here.”

“There’s no fire,” I point out, becoming increasingly uneasy about him getting out of the truck. “How can you help them?”

“There doesn’t have to be. I do more than run inside burning buildings.” His remark is kind of sarcastic, but I can tell he’s in work mode now. He wants to save those people.

“I’m scared, Caleb,” I admit, my hands grasping his forearm.

He pauses with one foot out the door, the other on the steering wheel as he twists away from me. “Don’t be. I’m not. I’m just going to go over there and make sure everyone’s okay. I’ll be right back.”

I sigh with no relief. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

“Stay in the truck.”

There isn’t a chance in hell I’m getting out. It’s cold out there.

Nature rages outside, the tires of the nearby cars making a crunching sound as they fight for control on the slick hills of Seattle. Dozens of vehicles lose control, slamming into other ones all around us, some barely missing his truck, and Caleb’s now standing near the bus.

Once the fire trucks and ambulances start to arrive, I can hear Caleb outside the truck, helping the passengers as they lie on the ground just feet from me. The wind had picked up, snow swirling as if it’s dust, constricting my view and, I’m sure Caleb’s.

It’s a surreal experience to see him working up close and personal. Wanting to hear what he’s saying, I crack the window.

“Can you feel your fingers and toes, buddy?” Caleb asks a kid lying on the snow-covered pavement.

“No.” The kid, who looks to be a teenager, starts to cry. That’s when Caleb removes his jacket and drapes it over the kid’s chest. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“Get a neck collar and a long board over here!” Caleb hollers over his shoulder and then turns back to the kid. His eyes catch mine, and he looks at me for just a split second, sighs, and then focuses back to the boy. “What’s your name, buddy?”

“Lance.” The boy sniffs, everything from his waist down completely still. I can only assume he’s broken his neck.

“Lance, my names Caleb. We’re gonna get you on this board and get you to the hospital where they can help you out.” He places his hand on the kid’s chest, speaking softly. “Just stay calm.”

One by one, Caleb assists the passengers off the bus and then gets them all the help they need.

I’m in awe of him and what he does, but also scared when I see other cars driving passed the accident with very little control, two or three smashing into the guardrail only five feet from him. Caleb’s risking his life for the sake of others. People he doesn’t even know.

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