Valerie Hansen - Nightwatch

Acting from years of training and experience, he shoved his personal dread aside and raised his radio. “Engine three on scene. One industrial building on fire. Other structures threatened.”

As the first officer to arrive, Mitch was automatically in charge. “Engine two, follow me in. Engine one, lay a hose line and cover the rear.”

“Engine two, copy.”

“One copy.”

“Chief,” Mitch added, hoping and praying he’d get a quick answer, “are you responding?”

“Affirmative,” Jim Longstreet replied. “I’m right behind you. ETA less than one.”

“Be advised, we’ve got a rescue operation. Will you assume command?”

“Just pulling in now. I’ll take over.”

Tamping down the fear of what they might find if they were already too late, Mitch broadcast, “Thanks. A family of five lives here. We’ll lay a safety line and make access.”

“They got kids in there?” the engineer beside him shouted above the howling of the engine’s siren.

“Yes,” Mitch replied. “Three.”

Jill Kirkpatrick had formed the habit of monitoring local police and fire calls. It gave her more peace of mind when she knew what was going on in the country surrounding her isolated farmhouse, especially after dark.

Besides, she admitted to herself with a smile, she often listened in order to keep close tabs on Mitch Andrews. He was a very special person, the first and best friend she’d made in Serenity. They’d met when his fire department rescue squad had responded to the call for medical assistance after her husband’s fatal accident, and Mitch had remained her anchor in the stormy days that had followed.

Being new in town and widowed so suddenly, Jill didn’t know how she would have coped without his compassionate support and that of his fellow church members.

As she leaned closer to listen to the scanner, her long, blond hair swung against her cheeks and she tucked it behind her ears. She’d felt a strange shaking and heard a boom right before the radio had come alive. Something terrible must have happened. Not only was there a scary description being given of a fire, she could hear anxiety and dread coloring Mitch’s voice as he broadcast to his crew. No matter how much he might deny it, he was definitely worried. Therefore, so was she.

Her initial response was to grab a jacket and her car keys and head for the door. Pausing, she almost changed her mind before peering out the window. Her blue eyes widened. The whole northern horizon was painted orange, yellow and red. Billowing clouds of smoke were lit from below as they formed a plume that blotted out the stars and rising moon.

One hand fluttered at her throat. “Oh, dear.” That settled it. She had to go.

Quickly crossing the yard she climbed into her battered, well-loved red Jeep and started toward the glow in the sky.

Soon, acrid smoke was filtering in through the air vents. It carried pungent, unidentifiable odors that reminded her of melting plastic combined with household chemical cleaners.

“Lord, be with Mitch and whoever else is in danger,” Jill prayed softly, fervently, her hands clenching the steering wheel. “Please, please, please.”

She saw official vehicles converging at the far end of the one-runway airport so she pulled off the main road, parked where she wouldn’t be in anyone’s way, then proceeded on foot.

The closer she got, the worse the inferno looked. It had never occurred to her that any blaze could generate such a frightening roar. The noise reminded her of a crackling, pulsing jet engine and drowned out every other sound. Her eyes smarted. Her throat felt raw.

Knots of bystanders had gathered at the perimeter of the airfield. Men in yellow turnouts were busy shooting streams of water onto a house, apparently in an effort to save it from the encroaching flames.

Several of the closest casual observers were familiar to her from church so she greeted them with a somber look and a nod.

“Anybody seen Mitch Andrews tonight?” she asked, working to control her tone so no one would suspect how concerned she was. “I heard his voice on my scanner.”

One of the elderly men hooked a thumb toward the burning home. “Yeah. He came outta there with two little kids, then handed ‘em to the preacher’s wife and went back inside.”

Jill’s heart leaped. Raced. Fluttered. There were children in that fiery death trap? And Mitch was in there rescuing them?

The urge to do something, anything, was so strong she nearly forgot herself and ran toward the fire. Only her respect for Mitch and his work kept her rooted to the more distant spot where she could safely observe.

Where was he? Could he be in trouble? Flames were licking up under the eaves in spite of the deluge from the hoses and it looked as if the entire house would soon burst into flames.

Jill’s hands were fisted, her breathing shallow. “Come on, come on.” It was barely a whisper, yet it carried the intensity of a shout, the passion of a prayer.

Suddenly, a familiar figure came hurrying out the front door. She instinctively knew it was Mitch in spite of the black-edged breathing mask covering his face and the shadows cast by the brim of his dripping helmet.

Arms laden, he raced off the porch, through the cascading waterfall from the fire hoses and out onto the sparse, wet grass. Using his body to shelter the child he was carrying he whipped off his mask while the rescued victim in his arms kicked, screamed and fought him.

Mitch looked up, made eye contact with Jill as if he’d sensed her presence and gestured frantically.

She whirled to check behind her, assuming he’d been signaling a fellow firefighter. There were none close by. Pointing to herself, she shouted, “Me?”

His nod was quick. His meaning clear.

She reached him in mere seconds. “What can I do to help?”

“Take him.” Mitch’s voice was a hoarse shout. If she hadn’t noticed the moisture in the fireman’s hazel eyes when he’d shoved a squirming, pajama-clad boy of about seven at her, she might have believed he was angry.

“Are there others? Should I wait?” Jill asked, holding tight to the thin, wriggling body of her new responsibility.

“No. I already gave Paul and Megan to Becky Malloy.” He raised his radio. “Chief, we got all three kids out. No sign of the parents.”

Jill waited until he was done speaking to ask, “What happened?”

“Don’t know,” Mitch said brusquely. “Just get Timmy out of here.” His gaze softened and lingered on her face for mere moments, yet she could sense his special concern even before he said, “Take care of yourself, too, Jill. Watch your step. It’s dangerous around here.”

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

Seeing Mitch slip his mask and helmet on and turn, she blurted, “Wait! Where are you going?”

“Back inside. There are two more people to find.”

“No!”

One look at the leaping, licking flames and she could hardly catch her breath. Mitch was going back into that?

Her first instinct was to grab his arm and hold tight to stop him, yet she knew that would be foolish. This was what he did, what he’d trained for. Interfering was very wrong, no matter how scared she was for his well-being.

“I have to. I’ll be all right.” His gaze rested for an instant on the child in her arms. “Just take good care of Timmy for me.”

“I—I will.”

As Mitch jogged away, Jill felt a burgeoning concern that left her weak in the knees. It wasn’t only the firefighters she was worried about. She’d realized belatedly whose house this was. The Pearsons were members of Serenity Chapel as well as close friends of Mitch, so the adults he was still searching for must be the children’s parents, Rob and Ellen. How hard this must be for poor Mitch—for all the local firefighters and police.