A Hope City Duet

by Kris Michaels

  With that, Chief Evans said his goodbyes and disconnected, leaving Sean, Jonas, and Todd staring at each other in stunned silence.

  Shaking out of his trance, he looked up as Todd ordered, “Go pick him up for questioning.”

  Harper’s muscles twitched, but she tried to force her brain to focus on her surroundings. Pain rocketed through her head. Uncertain what had happened, she remembered seeing Daniel standing at his apartment doorway, lifting his hand toward her. His movements had been so fast, she had not tried to jump away, but it dawned on her now that he must have hit her.

  She tried to move, but her wrists were taped together in front of her. Her splint had been removed the previous week, but now her wrist was aching. Concentrating on her legs, she discovered her ankles were also bound by tape. Blinking several more times, she was aware that her body was lying on something soft, her head elevated by what felt like a pillow.

  Rolling her head to the side, she recognized her apartment. Daniel had obviously carried her in, placed her on her sofa, then bound her wrists and ankles. It struck her that for a man who was trying to restrain her, he had taken the care to place a pillow underneath her head.

  Breathing deeply, she forced oxygen into her lungs to help clear her mind, then swung her legs over the side while balancing herself as she pushed to an upright position.

  She had no idea where Daniel was but scooted to the edge of the sofa so that she would be able to work on standing, then planned on hopping down the hall to the elevator. Before she had a chance to shove off the sofa, her front door opened and Daniel walked in, a cardboard box in his arms.

  His eyes shot toward her, and she could swear she saw regret move across his face. “Daniel.” Her mouth struggled to form words.

  He placed the cardboard box on the coffee table and stood, his hands fluttering in front of him. “Harper, I’m sorry. It was never… you were never… I just…”

  She needed to navigate the minefield of his confusion, at least until she could get away. Keeping her voice soft, she said, “Daniel, I don’t understand. We’re friends.”

  His face crumpled, and he sucked in a deep breath as he backed toward her comfy chair and plopped down. He perched on the edge, leaning forward with his forearms resting on his knees, his hands clenching. Shaking his head, he said, “I like you. I’ve always liked you. You were the one bright spot in my life.”

  “Oh, Daniel, that’s not true. You’re liked by everyone. You do so much for the people in this building and they—”

  With a sharp jerk of his head, he growled, “This fucking building.” Jumping to his feet, he paced. “Do you know who I was? Me? I was a hero. I was the one who raced into the burning buildings. I was the one who battled the fires. I was the one who saved the children or the old people or even the pets. Me! Does anybody remember that now? No, I’m just Daniel, the fucking handyman who only catches the eye of these lonely fucking women in this building.”

  His intense anger and words speared through her, shaking her as she struggled to reconcile the friend she had known for several years and the man standing in front of her. Wanting to keep him talking but terrified of setting him off, she asked, “You were a firefighter?”

  She breathed a sigh of relief as his features calmed, and a slight smile crossed his lips.

  “I was a firefighter for years. It was my life. It was the reason I got up in the morning and the reason I barely slept at night in case I got a call.” He slowly sat back down in the chair facing her. “Oh, Harper, it’s a high that most people can only dream of. The flames call you forward, beckoning you to them. You have to be careful, though. The smoke is a killer, the dangerous fumes that swirl around the beautiful flames.”

  Harper’s mouth opened as though to speak, but no words came forth. He’s not shouting like in the movies. Daniel was calm as though they were discussing what pizza they might order to share for dinner.

  Shaking his head, his mouth pinched into a tight line. “Even Mary couldn’t understand. She knew I was a firefighter when she married me, but she couldn’t adjust to the needs of the fires.” He snorted in derision. “She left me. Me! The hero.” Another calm façade spread over his features as he held her gaze and said, “But like the Phoenix, I always rise again.”

  Phoenix? Oh, my God... this is who Sean is after. Harper remained quiet, now knowing that Daniel had a story to release from deep inside, and not wanting to say anything that might perturb him, she simply continued to focus her attention on him, praying that an escape plan would come to her.

  “Then they took away my reason for living.” He stood and walked slowly toward the kitchen counter, standing with his fist on the surface as his gaze stared into the distance, his mind somewhere else. Suddenly, he whirled around. “They said I was drunk. They said I was drinking at work. They said I was impaired.” Barking out a laugh, he stalked back into the living room, now looming over her. “They should have known. They were like me… drawn to the flames. But they didn’t. They let me go… retirement.” With another growl, he clarified, “Forced retirement.”

  Deflating, he sat down again, his hands clasped in front of him as his gaze came back to rest upon her face. “It was never supposed to end in this way, Harper. You were never going to be involved.”

  She had no idea what he meant, but the fear she felt earlier increased and her body shook. She tried to speak, but her words came out more like a croak. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Daniel, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We can talk. We can get help. We can—”

  He shifted his gaze away from her, his eyes roving about her apartment. “We had a lot of fun here, didn’t we, Harper?”

  Nodding, she licked her dry lips. “Yeah, we did. We’re friends. You and me, Sandy and Bill… we’d share pizza and laughs and old movies.” She observed his shoulders relaxing and pressed onward. “And Sean. You liked getting to know Sean.”

  At Sean’s name, Daniel jumped back to his feet, his jaw tight. “Sean. No, no. He’s smart, that one. He’s already looking around. He’ll figure it out. He’ll know it’s me.”

  “Daniel, we can help you—”

  “Help me? I don’t need help, Harper. I’m the one who’s helping, don’t you understand? Back when we were fighting for all the funds, I showed the city what we could do. How important we were. How we could save people. They gave me a name... a title… Phoenix. The Mayor and City Council finally started giving the Fire Department more funds. I did that. Me. It was hard, and it was stressful, and they kicked me out because of how I coped. After all I did for them they kicked me out.” He closed his eyes as he shook his head slowly back and forth and muttered, “Me. It was all me.”

  He inhaled deeply before letting the air slowly ease from his lungs. His eyes gradually opened. “I can’t be put away, Harper. I can’t let them do that to me. If I can’t have the fire, I can’t live.” He sighed as though the weight of the world were resting on his shoulders and added, “It was never going to be this building. Close, but now I have no choice.” His eyes held sadness. “Phoenix will always rise, though. I can still be a hero.”

  Harper had battled the paralyzing fear, but now it overwhelmed her, and she surged to her feet, unable to run but hoping to take him out. Her body slammed into his, and she brought her connected hands up, hitting his chin. His head snapped back, but not before his arms captured her and he tossed her to the floor. Her head and shoulder hit the corner of the coffee table, and while she remained conscious, pain seared through her.

  Daniel picked up a box and set it on the kitchen counter. Her brain was foggy as she tried to sit up, watching in horror as he held up a large glass jar, swirling it around. Taking newspaper and rags, he poured the liquid over them and set them around the kitchen and dining room.

  “No!” she screamed but to no avail. Her heart pounded at the dread of what he would do next.

  He pulled out matches, struck several at one time and tossed them onto the already smoking r
ags, grinning as they sparked into flames. Looking back down, his face transformed from delight to sadness. “Goodbye, Harper. I truly did love you.” With that he stepped quickly out of her apartment, pulling the door closed behind him.

  Harper rolled to the side and managed to scramble to a seated position again. The fire was already licking up the sides of the wall, fed by the chemicals and oxygen in a continual search for food. She hopped to the door, grabbed the knob and tried to pull it open, but it was stuck. He must have jammed it from the hall. Looking toward the window, she knew it was the only way out.

  34

  Sean insisted on driving, being familiar with the easiest way to get to Harper’s apartment building while avoiding areas of traffic. He had tried to call her, knowing she planned on going back to her apartment at some time, but his message went straight to voicemail. Frustrated that he did not have her work number programmed into his phone, he hoped that she was either at work or driving back to his place. One way or the other, he did not want her around to witness when they questioned Daniel.

  “Do you think this guy has set more fires than what we know?” Jonas asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’ve got a feeling that he may have been setting fires for years.”

  Nodding his head slowly, Jonas surmised, “So, a possible hero complex when he was working for the Fire Department and revenge after he was forced into retirement.”

  Focused on his driving, he turned down a few streets to avoid lights. “That would be my guess, but until we get a chance to talk to him and look into his apartment, I don’t want to hazard too many assumptions.”

  “Captain James is working on obtaining a warrant, but with the exigent circumstances, we can search.”

  “If he’s got phosphorus and carbon disulfide in his apartment, we’ve got to handle everything with extreme caution.” The idea that Harper might be nearby cut through Sean, and he prayed she was not in the vicinity. Mumbling, he added, “I just hope Harper still isn’t around.”

  “Was she there today? I thought she’d already moved into your place.”

  “She had a couple of boxes to give away that she was going to leave for Daniel. I tried calling, but it goes to voicemail. I’m hoping she’s either back at work or in her car.”

  “I know she considers him a friend,” Jonas said. “If she’s there, I’ll take Daniel while you let her know that she needs to leave, and you can call her later.”

  “Appreciate it.” This job needs a fuckin’ good partner. He and Jonas understood each other without having a lot of explanations needed.

  When they were still a few blocks away, Jonas received a call from Beth. “Miller.”

  “A 10-70 was called in. Smoke has been reported coming from the address that you’re heading to. Jonas, you’ve got to tell Sean, but the Fire Department is at Harper’s building.”

  “Shit. Step on it, Sean. Harper’s apartment building is on fire.”

  Heart stuttering, he pressed on the accelerator as he swerved to avoid other vehicles. Squealing around the corner, he looked ahead and could see flames shooting out of the side of a third-floor apartment, the HCFD trucks already in front, two ladders moving up. Slamming on the brakes, he jerked to a stop, barely throwing his SUV into park before bolting from behind the wheel. With Jonas on his tail, their footsteps pounded the sidewalk, flashing their badges as they made it past the initial firefighters and police on the scene.

  “Sean!”

  Jerking his head around at the sound of his name, he saw Bill in full uniform making his way toward him. “We’re going up around the back. Your brother and Blay are on the ladders.”

  “Harper?” he ground out, the blood rushing through his ears drowning out the commotion all around.

  “Don’t know,” Bill said, his voice anguished. “Flames are coming out of her apartment.”

  Bill turned and pushed his way back toward the front of the building. Sean had watched firefighters in action for years, always interested but never emotionally invested. Staring up at the building in desperation, he jolted when one of the glass windows exploded, other bystanders dropping to the ground while he rushed forward, his heart lodged in his throat.

  “Jesus, fuck me,” he breathed, forcing his body to suck oxygen into his closed lungs, the acrid smell of smoke pouring from the building.

  “They’re working it, Sean, they’re working it,” Jonas said, one hand clamped onto Sean's shoulder, halting his progress as the two men stared upward.

  Several firefighters had gone through the front door, escorting residents out of the building and onto the sidewalk.

  The hydraulic ladder moved to the third floor, its hose attached to the fire hydrant and water blasting through the window. The flames quickly died, followed by thick, choking, black, billowing smoke. “She can’t be in there. Please, dear God, don’t let her be in there.” He prayed in desperation as he pushed his way toward the firetruck.

  He watched as another ladder extended toward the side of the building, two firefighters climbing up. One disappeared into the blackened hole of her apartment, and his breath halted in his lungs again as he stared in despair to see what would happen when they emerged.

  A moment later, the firefighter stuck his head out and waved his hands toward a second firefighter climbing the ladder. A few seconds later, the first one assisted a female body out the window, long auburn hair blowing in the wind.

  “Harper!” Sean bellowed, racing toward the ladder truck, unheeding the hands around that tried to halt him. Jonas pushed through, staying right with his partner.

  “She’s alive, she’s alive!” Jonas yelled, giving Sean a shake.

  It took several seconds for Jonas’ words to penetrate, but as the two firefighters on the ladder worked, he could see that they were assisting Harper, who looked dazed but not unconscious.

  A scream from a bystander caused his gaze to jerk around, seeing a woman across the street pointing toward the roof. As though in unison, everyone looked up.

  “Jesus Christ!” Jonas cried out, his shout echoed among the other rescue members that were around.

  Another hydraulic ladder was swinging toward the roof, but Sean knew the man standing in front of them would never come down. His attention swung from Harper being assisted down the ladder to Daniel standing on the edge of the rooftop. “Daniel isn’t looking to be rescued. He’s looking to die.”

  Almost on cue, Daniel threw his arms up in the air, and screamed, “It was never supposed to end this way! But I will rise again! I am The Phoenix!” With that he upended what looked like a bottle of liquid, pouring it over his body.

  “Goddammit! What’s he doing?” the attending Fire Chief yelled.

  Jonas, leaving Sean's side, hustled over. “That’s our serial arsonist.”

  Before other firefighters had a chance to go up the ladder to get Daniel, he lit a match and dropped it at his feet. Screaming as the flames engulfed him, the rescue workers, first responders, and bystanders watched as he became a human torch before the ladder could reach him. A few seconds later, the firefighters were able to douse the flames on Daniel, but Sean no longer cared. He raced to the ladder truck, climbing upward to where Harper was being assisted down. Oh, Jesus, oh, Jesus. He pulled her from their arms, taking her weight, allowing his brother’s hands to help get her to the ground.

  “Sir, we need to check her out,” a paramedic called out, attempting to take Harper from him.

  A growl was his only reply, refusing to give her up, but Rory hopped down beside them and stared into his brother’s eyes. “Sean, let them do their job.”

  Blay stepped to the other side of Sean and the two firefighters moved with him to the ambulance. He reluctantly stepped back as they strapped an oxygen mask on her face and lay her on the gurney. Soot covered her from head to toe, tear trails smearing the ash on her cheeks, and the scent of smoke clung to her. She had a bruise on her forehead and sliced duct tape on each wrist and ankle, indicating she had been bound befo
re Rory got to her. Sean wanted to scream and rail but swallowed deeply instead, forcing his outer appearance to remain calm.

  Her eyes were open and never left his even though she had not spoken. Squeezing between two of the rescue workers, he held her hand. “I’ve got you. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

  She tried to speak but coughed instead. He tried to tell her to remain quiet, but her hand clawed at the oxygen mask. He lifted it gently, just enough for her to croak, “Daniel. It was Daniel.”

  “I know, babe. It’s okay.”

  “I found… the jars… carbon disulfide and phosphorus… front closet.”

  “We’ll get it, Harper. We’ll take care of it.” He knew that she had no idea of the tragedy that had just occurred on the roof of the building, and he had no intention of explaining now.

  “Sir, we’re going to take her in. We’ll be at HC General Hospital.”

  “I’m going with you. I just need to give my keys to my partner.”

  “No,” Harper croaked, now holding the oxygen mask away from her face, her head shaking back and forth and her eyes holding his gaze. Sucking in a deep breath, she said, “You have to stay. You need to investigate. Please, help Daniel.” As though she could see him about to protest, she held onto his hand with both of hers, squeezing. “Sean, I’m fine. I’m okay. I know you want to be with me, but right now, you need to be here. As soon as you’re finished you can come to me.”

  “Sir, we’re leaving now.”

  He bent over Harper, ignoring the soot and smoky scent filling his nostrils, and kissed her forehead before leaning down and kissing her lips. “This is not the way I envisioned telling you the first time, but Harper, babe, I love you.”

  Her weak smile gleamed from a soot-covered face. “I love you, too.”

  Pulling out his phone, he called his dad. Watching the ambulance move down the road, he said, “Dad, I need you and Mom to get to General Hospital to be with Harper. She’s okay, but Rory pulled her out of an apartment fire today.” He listened for just a few seconds, then added, “Yeah, Dad, we know who the Phoenix was. It was Harper’s neighbor.”