took me.
* * *
Shadow
My phone buzzing on Posey’s nightstand pulled me out of a dreamless sleep. It was a 9-1-1 text from dispatch, so I called immediately.
“This is Nolan Grant,” I said and rattled off my station numbers.
“Hi, big brother.”
“Hey, Cat, what’s goin’ on?”
“Four-alarm at the Bowery. They need all hands on deck. I’ve called Doom.”
“Shit,” I breathed out. “I’ll be there in ten.”
“I’ll let your captain know.”
I hung up, pulled on my station uniform which I kept with me at all times, then grabbed my keys just as Posey padded out from the bedroom. “What’s going on?”
“Fire, honey, I’ve been called up.”
She pulled me in for a hug. “Be safe.”
“I will. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
“Okay.”
I headed to the station, kitted up, then a group of us took one of the smaller trucks to the site. Pulling up to the building, the whole thing was forty percent engulfed, so I rushed to my captain for orders.
“Go with Marxx and do a sweep. Start at the penthouse.”
“On it,” I said, and found Doom helping an old woman into a chair on the grass.
“Do not move, ma’am. EMS are on the way.”
“Cap wants us to do a sweep,” I told Doom. “Penthouse first.”
“We’ve cleared the top two floors,” he said, then radioed the captain.
The captain replied, “Start where you left off, over.”
“Roger,” Doom responded, then waved his arm. “Come on.”
I followed him up the stairs to the fifth floor and we began to bang on apartment doors, clearing the upper floors relatively quickly. We reached the second floor and I decided I wanted to check on Posey’s old neighbor just to be sure.
“Got your back, brother,” Doom said, and followed me to Sharon’s door.
Smoke was billowing so we had to make this quick. I banged on the door and bellowed, “Savannah Fire Department, call out.”
I banged again, but no answer.
“She must be out,” Doom said.
My skin crawled and I just couldn’t let it go, so I popped her lock. “Sharon? Fire department, call out.”
“Here!” a tiny voice called, then coughing.
Doom and I moved into the small place now engulfed in smoke, finding Sharon on the floor of her apartment. “We’re gonna get you out,” I yelled, and Doom and I lifted her to her feet.
“I twisted my ankle,” she said. “I can’t walk.”
“Okay, sweetheart, I got you,” I said, lifting her and rushing her down the stairs and out to the ambulance.
“Hey, Shadow,” Marney said.
“Hey, Marn. This is Sharon.” I set the elderly woman on a gurney. “She’s done somethin’ to her ankle and may have smoke inhalation.”
“Thank you,” Sharon said, shakily.
I smiled. “Marney’s gonna take good care of you.”
I left Sharon in good hands, then Doom and I cleared the rest of the building.
* * *
Posey
Once Shadow left, I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I prepped for my class that started at nine. It was early and I was exhausted, but it wasn’t like I could drink a glass of wine to relax me.
As I was scrolling through social media, my phone buzzed, and I saw Jane was calling. Rabbit had removed all the spyware from it, made it so Carl would never be able to find it again, along with destroying the GPS tracker on my car. “Hey, lady.”
“Your building’s on fire.”
“What?”
“The Bowery. It’s totally wrecked.”
That must have been where Shadow was rushing. “Oh my god, seriously?”
“Turn on WJCL,” she ordered, and I grabbed my remote, flipping on the television and changing the channel until I got to the local news. My old building was completely consumed by flames.
“I saw your man on the television,” Jane continued.
“You did?”
“Yep. He was carrying an old woman out of the building. Total hero-style.”
“Did they say who the old woman was?”
“No,” Jane said.
“I need to call and check on Sharon,” I said.
“Okay, honey. Do you need me to take over your class this morning?”
“You have a job.”
“I can call out sick,” she offered.
“You’re the best friend in the world, but no. You need to keep your job.”
I didn’t point out her husband was a loser who refused to get one, but I’m pretty sure I was too tired to hide my tone of inference.
She sighed. “If you change your mind, let me know.”
“I will, honey, thanks.”
We rang off and I tried to call Sharon. Her phone was out of service, no surprise there, considering the building was on fire. She didn’t own a cell phone, so I was stuck. I didn’t want to text Shadow because he was obviously