Jan Hambright - On Fire

The glow of flames against the night sky shook him like an earthquake, opening a deep crevice on his normally smooth facade.

His mom was spending her first night in the building.

A helpless sensation pooled in his chest.

Rolling up to the scene, he assessed the response to keep his sanity.

The top floor of the two-story building was ablaze. Flames licked out of blown windows, acrid smoke turned the night sky blacker. Shaken, soot-covered residents milled on the lawn, but his mother wasn’t among them.

Panic constricted his gut as he jumped out of the car and charged toward the incident commander standing near the ladder truck.

“Fisk?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s the status?” The ladder truck was fully extended, and Kade lifted his gaze to the corner apartment.

His heart stopped.

His mom stood on the balcony of her apartment, waving her arms.

He jetted toward the ladder, biting back a curse, but Fisk blocked his path and shouted an order above the noise of the pump. Strands of fire hose snaked along the ground, hissing and bulging with water. A couple of firemen opened the hose valve and turned the stream on the flames.

“That’s my mother up there!”

Fisk turned his gaze to the balcony.

“I’m going up!”

“No way!” The IC didn’t budge.

Rage blasted through his veins as he stared into Fisk’s sweat-streaked face.

“Turnouts. Where are they?”

Fisk grabbed his shoulder. “I can’t let you go.” Was it pity he saw in the veteran’s eyes, or concern? He didn’t know, but it did little to squelch his anger.

A fireman in full turnout gear bound up the ladder, moving toward Kade’s mother in quick increments.

Kade let out the breath he’d been holding and stepped back, focused on the man doing the job he’d done so many times he could do it blindfolded.

The fireman covered the distance and reached the balcony in a light spray of water from below that cooled the air around them to a breathable temperature.

His emotions settled the instant he saw his mom climb onto the ladder.

In a matter of minutes, she was being helped down and into his arms. “Thank God you’re all right. What happened?”

“I went out on the balcony and the door locked behind me. I couldn’t get back in, then the fire started. I don’t know how the door got locked.”

Uneasiness edged up his spine. “I’ll check it out, Mom.” He glanced up as the EMTs approached to assess his mother’s condition, but when he looked past them, his rage exploded.

There she stood, nightgown and all.

Savannah Dawson.

“Take good care of her.” He handed his mother off and charged toward Savannah like a man on fire, his flaming emotions barely contained inside his body.

Was she responsible for this? He’d get it out of her, no matter what.

THE WORD STARTED in a low monotone, grinding against Savannah’s eardrums. Over and over the sound repeated, until it turned into a single word.

Clarity flooded her brain and washed her into full consciousness in one jarring instant.

“Savannah! Savannah!”

She pulled free from his grasp, whirled and charged forward, only to come face-to-face with a wall of heat.

Stumbling backward, she slammed into his chest and turned to face the embodiment of her nightmare. Kade Decker. But she wasn’t dreaming. She pulled in a breath and nearly choked on the smoky air.

“Where am I?” Her skin tingled as he held her shoulders. She focused on his face in the glow of the flames, the fire in his eyes as emblazoned as the building behind them.

His anger was palpable. She could taste the bitter words on the end of his tongue, feel the excruciating pain that radiated from deep in his body, enraging his nerves to the point of disintegration.

She backed away, severing the physical bond between them, but it left her weak.

“How’d you do it, Dr. Dawson? Do you have an accomplice? Someone to torch the place while you stand outside in your nightie and watch?”

He stepped toward her.

She backed up, lifting her chin, daring him to continue with his tirade. He was judge, jury and extinguisher.

“You’ve lost it, Decker. I’d never hurt your mom or anyone else.”

Her words acted like a slap against his stubbled cheek and he sobered, taking another step toward her.

“You admit you know this is her building? Where’d you get the information?”

She swallowed hard, aware that she’d said too much, drawn his suspicions around her like a strait-jacket. Escape was impossible; he’d never believe she’d gotten the facts from his own mind, from his own thoughts. But the connection worked both ways for some unknown reason, didn’t it?

She stared up at him, focusing a statement over and over. I’m innocent, I didn’t do it.

“So who did?”

His verbal answer to her silent question sent a shiver up her spine.

She turned and bolted through the crowd, racing into the street, hoping for a moment to think. A moment out of his turbulent thoughts, but she could feel him behind her.

She slowed her pace, listening to the decisive slap of his shoes against the asphalt, accentuated by the thud of his cane.

It wasn’t any good. She could never mentally outrun him. She stopped and turned to face her tormentor.

KADE SLOWED UP, staring at Savannah Dawson where she stood under a streetlight, haloed in illumination.

She was no angel, even if she looked like one now, but he was about to clip her wings. She had too much information, too many answers for someone with no knowledge about the fires.

He stopped in front of her and squared his shoulders. A hint of mercy stirred in his veins.

She raised her gaze to his, her eyes glimmering in the shallow light.

His breath caught as he stared into her face, seeing her clearly for the first time tonight.

Her eyes were blue. Ice-blue. The color of heaven. But why did she hide them behind colored contact lenses?

Suspicion quickly replaced his surprise. “You know you have to come down to the station?”

“Yeah. I know. I only hope it proves I didn’t start this fire, or any of the others.”

“How’d you get here, Savannah?”

“I must have walked, but I don’t remember doing it. I don’t remember anything until I looked up at you a moment ago.”

He wasn’t sure he believed her, but she’d certainly been out of it when he’d spotted her. He must have yelled her name half a dozen times before she acknowledged him.

“I’ve heard of sleepwalking crimes. They’re rare, but stranger things have happened.”

“You think I started this fire while I was sleeping?”

He couldn’t answer her outright. It was a bizarre idea and he didn’t believe it to be a fact. Suspicion fisted in his gut. “Let’s go. Forensics needs to process you.”

“Wait a minute. I’m not an object—”

“But you are a suspect.” Fear flared in her eyes and he felt her helpless reaction for an instant, then the odd sensation vanished. “They’ll take your night gown and robe, check for residue. Chances are you’ll be home before dawn.”

“Great. Let’s get it over with, prove I’m innocent.” She swallowed, and he felt her apprehension. His heart softened. “It’ll work out. It’s a simple procedure, painless.”

“I know.”

“There’ll be a squad car to take you downtown.” He grasped her elbow as they started back toward the scene. A tingling sensation worked its way up his arm, but he didn’t let go of her. He couldn’t risk losing her this time.

“I need to check on my mother.”

“She’s going to be fine. She was rescued in plenty of time.”

He wanted to press her further. Her information was too strong to be coincidental. It sounded more like firsthand knowledge.