Backfire

by J. R. Tate

  Michael ducked his head. It was a family who had failed to evacuate a mobile home park. When they had arrived on scene, most of the trailer houses had already been burned to the ground. Theirs was still there, but the smoke damage was so bad that the house was on the brink of collapse.

  “Which kid?” Michael asked.

  “The boy. Said he just took a turn for the worse and there was nothing else they could do. I really thought we got them all out in time. They all seemed to be okay when we got them on the ambulance.”

  Michael chewed on the inside of his cheek and leaned against the doorframe. “Apparently not.” It felt like what little energy he had left inside of him had been drained. Staring in the mirror, he ran his finger down his cheek, leaving a streak through the soot.

  Lawton patted him on the back before leaving the bathroom. “I know this won’t make it any easier, and I know you know this, but it happens. We got them out. God just wanted him more.”

  Michael didn’t have anything to say in response, so he nodded his head and shut the door behind Lawton. After his shower he had to run water to clean out the tub. The white porcelain was a grey color and it took him about twenty minutes longer than usual to feel clean. He couldn’t get his mind off of the boy. It was so strange. He had seemed fine and even cracked a smile as they got him to the ambulance.

  His phone buzzed on the counter, causing him to jolt. He quickly pulled a shirt and sweat pants on and answered it, surprised that his mother was calling so late.

  “Hey Mom.” Michael gathered up his belongings and put them back in his room. The bathroom was as clean as it was going to be for now. He had no more drive to do anything but lie on the bed and do nothing. Falling back, his body nestled into the mattress, and for a split second he felt as if he had fallen asleep with the phone up to his ear.

  “Sorry for calling late, but I figured this would be the best time to catch you. How are things going? It’s felt like forever since we’ve talked.”

  Turning on his side, he flicked the lamp off and laid in the darkness. The only light shining through was from the light in the front yard of the house, peeking through the slats in the blinds.

  “It’s okay. I was about to go to bed here in a bit, but I can talk for a few. Things are going okay. Still getting used to some stuff, but I’m learning fast.”

  “That’s good, son.” There was some hesitation in her voice and Michael could tell that she was worried about something. “I’ve been watching the news. Is it really as bad as the media is portraying it to be?”

  Sighing, he switched the phone to his other ear and tried to pick his words wisely. Regardless of what he said, both she and Eva were going to worry. “I haven’t really been watching the news to compare it, Ma. You know how the news is. You shouldn’t be torturing yourself like that.” Before he had come down to Texas he thought the news was overdoing things on the drama of the situation, but now that he was on the front lines, they honestly weren’t giving it justice. Of course, he’d never say that to her.

  “I’ve also been reading about stuff. It’s so easy to get lost and split up from the group. Please tell me you are sticking together and partnering up.”

  “Yes, we are taking all the precautions. They are very strict about that stuff.” He stretched his legs out and tried to stay calm with her. “I’m just as safe here as I am back on the ladder up there. Stop worrying so much. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  “Easier said than done, Michael. I’m your mother. It’s my job to worry. I love you, Eva loves you, and we can’t wait to see you again.”

  “I love you guys too. I’ll be home soon.” Michael wondered how much truth was in that statement about soon. It seemed as if they weren’t even making a dent in the flames and with each day that passed, the fire grew even more out of control.

  ***

  The next morning they started fighting early again, this time in a lesser-populated area where they planned on building tons of firebreaks and lanes. The fire was rushing to that area and the strategy was to get a jump on it a few miles up. The area was the most desolate range that Michael had seen since being there. There were a few houses, but they stretched for miles. The landscape was hills covered in thick trees and brush with no sign of a town for long distances. It was as if they were on a different planet.

  “McGinnis and Lawton, you’ll head off search and rescue again. I’ve received report that there might be a family in one of the houses that refused to comply with the mandatory evacuation. We need to get in there and get them to safety if so. Inform us of what house you are going in to, and keep constant contact. The smoke is thick and it’ll be easy to get disoriented.”

  “You got it, Lieu,” Lawton replied as he gathered up some tools to carry along their way.

  Something seemed different to Michael. It was as if Lieutenant Harlan was more on edge than usual. This was one of the most intense jobs that the Manor Fire Department had been sent on since he had volunteered to help and he could tell it from the way the other men were acting.

  “In fact, we should probably send more than you two to do this. We are just so low on man power, I need men in different spots to cover this.” Lieutenant Harlan looked frustrated. He pulled Michael and Lawton aside, his brow creased with concern. “You two stick together at all times. Always keep the fire engine in your view. We’ll be in this area, setting up firebreaks. Quickly check those few houses out and get back. I mean it when I say keep constant contact with us, you hear?”

  “Yes sir,” they both replied.

  “It’ll be a pretty good hike, but if you hurry you’ll beat the fire. I usually don’t go for this idea of splitting the crew up, but we gotta make sure there’s no civilians in danger and we are extremely short handed. If I have to I’ll call out the search and rescue company out of Austin.”

  “Lieu, we got this. We’ll run a check and be back here shortly. The fire is coming and the longer we stand around and justify the decision, the less time we’re gonna have,” Lawton said. “We’ve got canteens and stuff. We’ll see you here in a bit.”

  “Be careful, men. We’ll be right here. If you need a hose or help, let us know immediately.”

  Michael understood Lieutenant Harlan’s predicament. One of the first things taught in the fire academy was to not split the team up. Keeping the company together was important in not leaving men behind, making sure everyone was out of harm’s way, and being one hundred percent certain that no one got lost. In fires, it was amazing how confusing situations got, and how quickly things changed. It was as if they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. They did have a search and rescue unit based out of Austin designed just for this reason, to deploy and come out to help check for civilians, but with the way the fire was rapidly burning in their direction, by the time they got to their destination, it would be way too late.

  While this wasn’t the most desired decision to be made in regard to everything, it was the best that they could do with the manpower they had. Michael took one last glance in the direction of where the rest of the crew was, taking a mental note of the surroundings. It was all about getting the civilians to safety, and he had to continue to tell himself that to gain the courage to separate and do what his superior had ordered.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Michael’s heart was pounding as they ran up a hill toward one of the houses. If he remembered correctly, they were about forty miles away from the nearest town, and it was a small town at that. He continued to look back with the goal to keep the fire engine and vehicles in sight. With the hilly terrain, there were times where it wasn’t visible. Sweat poured down his brow, stinging his eyes. The smoke was burning his lungs with every breath in, but he wanted to preserve his air for as long as he could.

  For a split second he had flashbacks of being trapped in the basement. Quick images crept into his memory of the poisonous air that was slowly killing him and Casey. The worry couldn’t come at a more inconvenient time. He forced himself t
o think of other things. He tried remembering tactics that Dr. Bowen had taught him when his posttraumatic stress caught up with him. He kept his mind on the civilians who needed help. They were the important ones. His psychosis needed to be put on the back burner.

  The dry grass crackled under his boots. It was no wonder why the fire was moving at record speed. The shrubbery was just about as flammable as if the ground was saturated with gasoline. The house was near and appeared to be an old farmhouse up against a line of thick trees. It appeared to be vacant from where they were, but in times like these, everything looked deserted, regardless of what really was happening.

  Lawton stopped jogging when they reached the top of a hill, slapping his hand against Michael’s in an attempt to get him to stop too. Pointing, he motioned toward the northeast, where the fire was coming from. The flames appeared to be taller and more out of control than just forty-five minutes before.

  “We gotta move fast. That is headed right for us.”

  Without responding, Michael picked up the pace and felt as if he were sprinting. With the many pounds of gear they were carrying, their speed was hindered. The uneven ground played nuisance to their efforts but they both pushed through and took a quick break when they reached the porch of the home. The smoke hovered at eye level, lending a ghost like appearance as it gathered around the doors and window frames. Despite the wind blowing around forty-five miles per hour, the smoke still stayed in its shape, unmoving, offering an even more haunting appearance.

  The house was small with just a few bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. They ran through quickly, each one calling the rooms clear. They met back up in the living room.

  Michael queued his radio, remembering that Harlan wanted constant contact. “Firefighter McGinnis reporting to Manor FD.” Static replaced the sound on the radio, and after a few seconds, he repeated himself. “Manor FD, do you copy?” There was still no response. “Firefighter McGinnis reporting that house one is clear. Lawton and I are progressing to house two located southwest.”

  “Hopefully they got that. At least we’ll still be in the vicinity if they don’t know the location.”

  “Maybe we should go back to them and report we are moving.” Michael knew it probably wasn’t the wisest thing he ever said, but something made him nervous in not getting a response from base camp.

  “You think you can run that fast? The fire is literally nipping at our heels. I say we go clear these other houses and get our asses back. The longer we take, the worse it gets. Let’s just do it and get it done.”

  Nodding, Michael was out of ideas. He’d never be able to live with himself if a civilian had gotten killed because they had taken time to go back. “I’ll just keep trying to get into contact with them. Maybe when we get back out there we can have better communication.”

  “Good idea. The next house is about a half mile away.”

  It felt as if the harder they ran, the farther the house would move away. The boots that were a little loose on his feet were beginning to rub blisters and his lungs felt as if they were on the verge of exploding. Pushing through the pain, he called back to Lieutenant Hogan and still got no response. What was the issue with the communication? Was the signal knocked out due to the heavy smoke? He took a quick puff from his mask, savoring the fresh air. Pulling it away, he knew he had to save it for as long as possible due to the deteriorating situation.

  The next house was a bit bigger, but still a farmhouse nestled up against a thick wooded area. All of the horse stalls and livestock areas had been cleared out. The carport didn’t have any vehicles. Again, it appeared to be vacant. Michael grunted as he climbed up the front porch stairs and into the house, eyes quickly scanning. He called out, taking the staircase three steps at a time as he went to the second story. He pushed open doors and made as much noise as he could in hopes to alert anyone if they were around.

  He instantly stopped in his tracks when he saw a young boy crouched down in the back corner of a bedroom. Was Michael’s mind playing tricks on him? Was there really a kid there?

  “Lawton?” Turning to the kid, he realized his voice had startled him and he raised his hands up to try and calm him down. Michael moved toward him slowly, trying to force a smile. “I’m here to help you. I’m a firefighter, and we need to get you out of here, okay?”

  The boy didn’t respond and tried to push himself farther against the wall. He had his legs tucked into the bottom of a dirty t-shirt. His shorts were frayed and dirt was caked across his face and hands.

  Michael heard Lawton run up the stairs and stopping at the threshold of the door. “Is he the only one?”

  “I don’t know. I stopped the search when I found him. The first three rooms have been cleared, but I haven’t gotten the two on the west end of the house yet.” He turned back to the child. “Where’s your parents at?”

  Again, he didn’t respond, and scooted back as if he couldn’t get far enough away from Michael. A small whimper escaped his throat. Establishing trust with the kid would be beneficial, but at the moment they didn’t have time for any type of talk. The temperature around them was getting hotter, meaning the fire was that much closer to trapping them inside an inferno they were likely never to escape from.

  “Look, kiddo, I know you don’t know me, but we really should get up and get out of here, okay?”

  “Other rooms are clear. He appears to be the only civilian here,” Lawton replied as he called in the information on the radio. “Still not getting any response from base camp either.”

  Cursing under his breath, Michael didn’t want to just reach out and grab the boy, so he knelt down closer at eye level. He looked to only be about four or five years old. How did he get separated from everyone? He was so scared that there was no way of estimating just how long he had been alone.

  “Can you come with us?”

  He shook his head no. At least Michael was no getting a response out of him.

  “Why not? We’re here to help you.” He took his helmet off with the thought that he might look intimidating with so much gear on. “We’re not gonna hurt you.” He looked up at Lawton who was restless. Time was precious. “Can you tell me your name?”

  He shook his head no again and quickly crawled toward his bed. He grabbed an action figure toy and gripped it tightly.

  “Is that Bumblebee from Transformers?” Michael crawled the same way the child had, getting a safe distance away. “I love the Transformers.”

  The boy’s eyes lit up underneath all of the dirt. He held the toy out for Michael to grab.

  “You’re gonna let me hold it?” The boy shook his head yes and Michael slowly reached out to take it, moving some of the parts around with his gloved hand. “That’s really nice of you to share your toy with me.” He did a few other things with it and scooted it back to him. “See, now if I was a bad guy, I would’ve hurt Bumblebee, and I didn’t.” He knew Lawton was behind him and had to wonder if maybe he was intimidating the child, but the boy smiled and slid toward him, clutching the plastic toy against his chest.

  Michael looked up at Lawton, noticing the other firefighter’s uneasiness. Time was ticking and the fire was still raging out of control outside. Michael had lost all track of time and was sure that the fire was even closer now. He tried calling back to base camp again, only to receive the same crackling response as the times before.

  “Will you come with us?” He asked the boy, holding his hand out again, this time taking his gloves off. With all of the gear he was certain they looked like villains out of a comic book.

  “Mommy told me not to go with strangers.” Finally, the boy spoke, his voice shaky as he returned back to the frightened boy that Michael had stumbled across.

  Again, the question arose in his mind as to where this child’s family was. Why was he the one left behind? Michael sat down completely, picking up another action figure near them that he wasn’t familiar with. Inside he was panicking. On the outside he was trying to mask it to not psych the
boy out even more. He felt he was doing a miserable job at it. It was no wonder the kid didn’t want to go with him. He was probably feeding off of the tension shooting through Michael.

  “My name is Mikey. What’s your name?”

  With some hesitation, the boy finally answered him. “Trevor.”

  “I know your name and you know mine. You let me play with your toys. We aren’t strangers anymore. I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m gonna get you out of here and in a safe place, away from this nasty smoke and fire, okay?”

  “What about the other guy?” Trevor asked, pointing in Lawton’s direction.

  “That’s my friend and he’s here to help too. He’s one of the good guys.” Lawton waved and flashed a smile. Trevor returned a grin and stood up.

  “Can I take Bumblebee with me?”

  “Of course you can.” Michael scooted toward the dresser. “We need to find him some clothes.” He grabbed a long sleeved shirt and some jeans. “Put these on. I know it’s hot out there, but it’ll protect you better than anything else, okay?”

  Trevor put the clothes on, grabbed his toy, and grabbed hold of Michael’s leg. Looking up at him, he appeared distraught. “Is my house going to burn down?”

  Squatting back down at eye level with him, Michael sighed and tried to pick his words wisely. The last thing he wanted to do was lie to the boy, but he also didn’t want to upset him even more. “There’s a bunch of people like Lawton and I out there who are working hard to try and not let that happen. We’ll try our hardest, but the important thing is we make sure you’re safe first. Your toys and your house can be replaced. You can’t.” He pointed his index finger into Trevor’s chest.

  “I miss my mommy.”

  Michael wanted to ask Trevor where they were, but it was time to move and get out. It was even hotter than seconds before, and crackling could be heard in the near distance. “Is that my imagination, Lawton?”

  “No, what you’re hearing is right. I just went out on the porch to look around. The fire is right up on us now. The path we came in on is completely blocked.”