Page 1 of Rescued Dreams
ONE
Whoever said the truth was like a flame got it wrong.
Lies were the real fire. One moment there was a tiny flicker. Then it grew and spread, destroying everything until there was nothing left but ash.
From that destruction, Amelia Patterson had rebuilt her life. Come hurricane or high water, she was determined to do whatever it took to keep it.
No one was going to take from her ever again.
“Single file. Keep it steady.” Amelia stood on the landing between two floors, ushering residents of this fourplex down to the ground floor.
An older man stumbled. His shoe slipped off a step, and he started to fall.
She braced her weight in a squat and caught him, bringing him up to standing height. “You good?”
“Thank you.” His face flushed, a little embarrassed.
“It’s my job.” She led him to the next set of stairs, where he grabbed the rail. “Everyone keep it steady.”
A young mother and her little son came down, moving fast. The woman had a stuffed-full tote bag over one shoulder, despite the fact they’d instructed everyone to leave their belongings. Even the kid had a tiny suitcase behind him, decorated with a children’s cartoon about puppies. Amelia said nothing.
At the top of the stairs, one of her firefighters emerged from the apartment to the right. Four doors, two on each side that faced each other. Della Nixon said, “Lieutenant, apartment 2-A is clear.”
The other female on the team, Zoe Lewis, came on the open radio channel. “1-B is clear. Working on the others now.”
Amelia’s radio hung between the open sides of her turnout coat, clipped to a strap that went from one shoulder to the opposite hip. “Copy that.” She pointed across the upper floor, and Della nodded before heading there to clear the apartment and make sure no one had stayed behind. “Collins, status.”
Izan, the only guy now on Truck 14 after years of Amelia having mostly guys or all guys, was clearing the area where the fire had originated. A hot pan of frying oil had caught alight, burning the resident trying to cook their chicken.
The ambulance at the curb had the injured victim inside already, the EMTs of Ambulance 21, Trace and Kianna, treating their patient.
They wouldn’t be here long unless something else happened.
“Collins!” she called out, shoving the front door of the apartment. It bounced back toward her, and a man emerged, moving at speed. Had he jammed the door shut? She caught sight of dark facial hair and a thick hood in the split second before he shoved her and she went down onto her backside.
Amelia cried out. “Hey!”
She could only watch him race away, the wind knocked out of her. What had that guy been doing inside the apartment that was on fire? And where was Izan?
Amelia clambered to her feet and headed for the door again. She stepped into the hallway of apartment 1-C. Black smoke had filled the air, rolling along the ceiling in the hall. She turned and ran back to the truck, tore off her helmet, and crouched to get her air tank and face mask on. Radio situated.
She replaced her helmet as she pushed off the ground, launching from the crouch, and went back to the apartment. “Izan! Dixon, Lewis, on me. The fire is spreading! Get me foam extinguishers.” A grease fire wasn’t going to be put out by water, and this one had kicked things up a notch. She shoved through another door to the kitchen. “Collins!”
Izan had come in here less than ten minutes ago, armed with a fire extinguisher, to subdue the small fire. Now the thing was close to being out of control. Where had he…
She spotted a boot and the hem of a turnout coat leg. “Izan!”
To her left, the fire raged on the stove, now spreading across the floor, melting the linoleum where the grease had splashed. Flames licked up to the ceiling, scorching whatever popcorn texture had been sprayed up there by the construction workers. Now it was dripping onto the floor.
She ran an assessing eye across the room as Dixon and Lewis ran in. “Get the fire smothered. I’ll get Izan out. The gas should be off, but I’ll check it.”
“Yes, Lieutenant.” Della aimed the fire extinguisher hose at the base of the flames.
Amelia went to Izan, unconscious and lying on the floor beside the breakfast bar counter. His fire extinguisher had rolled under the dining table.
She ducked her head, lifted his upper body, and stood with him over her shoulder. Amelia gritted her teeth and headed for the door. She walked through the entryway and out to the grass in front of the apartment building, where she deposited Izan on the soft, muddy earth. She ripped off her helmet and air tank. “Medic!” She shouted as loud as she could. Trace stopped what he was doing and ran to her. Amelia sat back on the grass, breathing hard. “We need another bus.”
Trace stuck a stethoscope in his ears so he could listen to Izan’s breathing. “Give yourself a second.”
