Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

  “Can’t they bring in Omaha to work the case?”

  “Apparently not. An agent there ticked off the fire chief, who passed his anger along to his cousin, the sheriff.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Small-town politics,” Kaely said. “And of course whatever we do has to be on the down-low.”

  “I can deal with that.” Noah hesitated before saying, “Hey, I should have asked about your mother before anything else. How’s she doing?”

  “She’s weak, Noah. Looks awful. Too early to tell anything though. She’s just started some kind of experimental treatment.”

  “Okay. Well, you pray for her. You believe in that stuff.”

  Kaely chuckled. “Yeah, I believe in that stuff.”

  “I’ll call you soon.”

  “Okay, Noah. Thanks. Bye.” Kaely ended the call and stared at her phone. She really did miss him—more than she wanted to. She had to be careful. She’d already lost people she’d allowed herself to get close to. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost Noah.

  twelve

  Kaely spent the next couple of days taking care of her mother while Jason took some much-needed time off. When Marcie slept, which was a lot of the time, Kaely went through the information Sam had given her. She finally felt she had a handle on the case. She was certain her theory was right. But how could she convince the fire chief that he had a major problem?

  She made lunch and then got Marcie settled on the couch so she could watch TV and take a nap. She’d just cleaned up the kitchen and was headed back to her bedroom when someone rang the doorbell. She hurried to answer it so it wouldn’t disturb her mother. It was Sam. By his expression, it was obvious something was wrong.

  “Can I talk to you?” he asked when she opened the storm door.

  “Of course,” she said. “Come on in.”

  After saying hello to Marcie, Sam followed Kaely into the kitchen. She gestured toward the table and then asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee.

  “Yeah, coffee sounds great,” he said. “It’s freezing out there.” He took off his coat and tossed it onto the chair next to him.

  She noticed for the first time how tired he looked. “Rough night?”

  He nodded. “Another fire. An elderly woman left a pot on the stove and went to bed. It’s not connected to our other fires though. She’s in rough shape. Not sure she’ll make it.”

  “Oh, Sam,” Kaely said. “I’m so sorry.”

  “According to the family, she had dementia. What were they thinking letting her live by herself? Someone should have been with her.”

  He cleared his throat as she handed him a cup of coffee. She was glad she’d kept the coffeemaker on.

  “It’s hard for children to see their parents as weak or in need of help, Sam,” Kaely said. “I imagine her family truly thought she was okay. And she probably did everything she could to assure them of that. It happens a lot.”

  He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. Guess I’m just looking for someone to blame.” He took a sip of coffee. “But that’s not why I’m here. The chief called me this morning and asked me to bring you to his office.”

  Kaely frowned. “Why would he do that? Did you tell him who I am?”

  “I’m sorry, but I did mention it, yes. He knows you can’t help us officially, and he’ll keep your identity to himself. He’s trustworthy, Kaely. I hope you’ll forgive me, but I can’t stand by while people die.” Sam shook his head. “Tuck is pretty upset. I think he’s finally realizing that we may have a problem.”

  Kaely wanted to be angry at Sam for betraying his promise to keep her out of the investigation, yet she understood his reasons for approaching Tuck. Now that the cat was out of the bag, she didn’t want to spend her time being angry. She needed to find a way to help the people of Darkwater.

  “You’d think the sheer number of fires would alarm him,” she said.

  Sam nodded. “Sometimes he thinks . . . Well, he thinks I overreact.”

  Kaely’s mouth dropped open. “Overreact? How many fires have there been in the last couple of months?”

  “With last night? Five. Four of them suspicious.”

  “How many do you usually have?”

  Sam shook his head. “We had two last winter. Both were electrical.”

  “But he’s only now realizing there’s a problem?”

  Sam dredged up a small smile. “Not everyone sees patterns like you do, Kaely.”

  She could only nod. That was true. She’d realized years ago that she noticed things other people didn’t, even before she joined the FBI.

  “You were really upset about that family the other day,” Kaely said gently, sitting down next to him at the table. “Did you know them?”

  Sam looked away and for a moment Kaely thought he might not answer her question. Finally, he said, “It was a little too close to home. I think that’s what pushed me over the edge. The reason I told Tuck about you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Sam clasped his coffee cup as if it were full of something more powerful than coffee. After a couple of deep breaths, he said, “When I was seventeen I got into an argument with my parents. You know, the kind of stupid stuff kids say that doesn’t really mean anything. I told them they were terrible parents. Can’t remember now what I was angry about. Might have been a party that I shouldn’t have gone to anyway.” His lips trembled as he fought to keep talking. “I stormed out of the house and went to stay with a friend. Refused to come home. That night our house caught fire. My parents and . . . my brother died. I was left behind to deal with what I’d said. And with not dying with them.” He slowly looked up, and Kaely could see the pain in his eyes. “After that night, I decided to become a firefighter, just like my dad. Try to help others since I wasn’t there to save my own family. I’ve never really forgiven myself for that night.”

  Without thinking, Kaely reached out and took Sam’s hand. “It wasn’t your fault. If you’d known what was going to happen, you’d have done anything to protect your family.” She shook her head slowly. “If anyone understands guilt, it’s me. Feeling guilty has never made me better. Never made me stronger. Sam, having an argument with your folks doesn’t mean you wanted them dead. Surely you can see that.”

  “No. You don’t understand.” He looked into her eyes. “I know you’re trying to help, but I carry the weight of that night with me every day. I always will.”

  Kaely’s heart raced as she held his hand in hers. “Trust me, I really do understand. I’ve faced the same demons. But you’ve got to fight them. A lot of people depend on you. You’ve saved lives, Sam.”

  “I know you’re right, but so far the lives I’ve saved haven’t been enough to compensate for my poor decisions.”

  “What was it that made you compare that fire the other night to your situation?”

  He smiled weakly. “Two teenage brothers and a space heater. That’s how the fire in my house started.”

  “Wow. That’s awful. I’m sorry.”

  Sam squeezed her hand and was quiet for a few moments. “What do you have to feel guilty about?”

  Kaely gently pulled her hand away. “In my line of work, there are successes but also a fair share of failures. Every one of them stings.” She hesitated before finally asking, “How well do you know Jason?”

  “We haven’t talked that much. Most of it in passing. I like him though. It’s great that he’s here taking care of your mom. He’s a good man.”

  “Yes, he is.” So Jason hadn’t told Sam about their dad. Good. Kaely glanced at the clock on the wall. “When are we supposed to meet with the chief?”

  “He’d like to see us around three this afternoon at the station.”

  “Hopefully he’s come to the same conclusion we have.”

  Sam nodded. “I believe he has. Anyway, I hope so. We may be a volunteer fire department, but Tuck has the power to dismiss me. I love working for the department.”

>   “I guess then you’d have to concentrate on saving all those sweet puppies and kittens.”

  Sam laughed. “Yeah, and I love that. I really do. But fighting fires is my way of bringing some kind of balance to what happened to my family. It means . . . Well, it means more than I can say.”

  Kaely was stunned by the similarities between her and Sam. She wasn’t sure why she felt such a tug toward this tenderhearted hero, but she recognized that she was still damaged too. She wished she could just wake up one day and be whole, but God seemed to want her to face her fears before He delivered her from them.

  She’d once heard a Bible teacher say that feelings buried alive never die. Kaely was beginning to understand that hiding from her pain would never bring healing. Facing it and applying the truth of God’s love and promises was the only balm that brought permanent deliverance. Kaely wondered sometimes how long it would take for her to find true freedom.

  Sam finished his coffee and gave Kaely the address to the fire station. She promised to meet him there at three. After he left, she prayed their meeting with the chief would open a door to finding the person causing such destruction in Darkwater. Sam’s story about his family bothered her since the arsonist might have planted a space heater in the last house. It was an odd coincidence, but she shook it off.

  Kaely also hoped their appointment with the chief wouldn’t affect Sam’s work with the fire department. She remembered the pain of being asked to leave Quantico when the Bureau found out her father was a serial killer. She wouldn’t wish that kind of grief on anyone. Especially Sam Lucas.

  thirteen

  Noah was irritated with himself for not catching the code used by the traffickers earlier. It was a rookie mistake. He’d been trained to watch for just that kind of scenario. How could he have missed it? Of course, he knew the answer to his own question. He was distracted because Kaely was gone, and it was hurting his work for the Bureau. He had to get himself together. If Solomon ever guessed he wasn’t operating at his best, Noah would probably never work with Kaely again. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

  He’d informed the case agent about the unusual order placed by the company. He didn’t mention Kaely, and Noah knew she’d never bring it up. He felt guilty about it, but he wasn’t willing to let anyone know he’d missed such clear signs. Now the Bureau would set up surveillance, request search warrants, and try to bring down the operation. By Thursday afternoon, Noah’s part in the case was done. This morning he’d put in for vacation, fairly confident it would be approved.

  He was trying to catch up on a few things that had gotten pushed aside by the surveillance assignment when Grace, Solomon’s administrative assistant, called him to let him know the boss wanted to see him. Noah left his desk and hurried down the hall. Had Solomon discovered the truth about the surveillance? He felt sweat break out on his forehead. He wiped it with the back of his hand before he pushed open the door to Solomon’s outer office. Grace smiled at him as he entered.

  “Good to see you, Special Agent Hunter. He’s expecting you. Go on in.”

  Noah nodded in acknowledgment and entered Solomon’s office. He was hunched over his desk with a file open in front of him. He closed it when he saw Noah.

  “Have a seat,” he said amicably.

  “Thank you.” Noah slid into the chair in front of Solomon’s desk, trying to look relaxed even though his insides were tied up in knots.

  “Good job on the trafficking case.”

  Noah swallowed hard and bobbed his head up and down, guilt making him jumpy. He wiped his hands on his pant legs even though they weren’t sweaty. He hoped Solomon couldn’t read people the way Kaely did. If so, Noah had just sent a message that might cause his boss some concern.

  Solomon leaned back in his chair. It squeaked loudly. Noah wondered why someone didn’t oil the stupid thing. It was as if Solomon couldn’t hear the irritating noise.

  “You put in for vacation, I see,” Solomon said suddenly.

  Noah’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had several weeks of vacation saved up, but HR usually handled vacation requests. “Yes,” he said hesitantly. “Is there a problem?”

  Solomon’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile but couldn’t quite push it through. “No, there’s no problem,” he said finally. “I’m glad you want to take some time off. Your whole life shouldn’t be your job. I just find it odd that at the same time you request vacation, Agent Quinn is in Nebraska taking care of her mother. I assume you know that?”

  Noah felt his cheeks grow hot. “Yes, I do.”

  “I looked up Darkwater, Nebraska. It appears there’s an unusual string of fires occurring there.”

  Noah stared at Solomon, who met his gaze and didn’t look away.

  “Kaely thinks they have a serial arsonist,” Noah said finally. “It seems that neither the fire chief nor the sheriff are willing to look into it.”

  “Are you going there to help her?”

  Realizing it wouldn’t do any good to deny the truth, Noah just nodded.

  “You have no authority there. Neither does Kaely.”

  “We understand that. We were planning to work behind the scenes—”

  Solomon held his hand up like a cop stopping traffic. “Too risky. You could get yourself in trouble and cause problems for me.” He picked up a pen on his desk and pointed it at Noah. “Omaha is working a drug case involving MS-13. They’re bringing in heroin laced with fentanyl from Mexico. The Bureau knows the gang has it, but the Omaha office is going after the person or persons behind the operation. They haven’t been able to find strong evidence against the leader yet. There are several suspects they think might be working with him. They’re under surveillance in North Platte, which is a little over one hundred miles from Darkwater.”

  Solomon fell quiet. Noah was pretty sure he knew what was coming.

  “You and Kaely are on temporary assignment to Omaha,” Solomon said. “They’ve asked that you take part in one of their details in North Platte. You’ll be on surveillance from eleven at night until four in the morning. You’ll be busy with paperwork before you head out.” Solomon began absentmindedly tapping his pen on his desktop. “Just remember you’re there under Omaha’s jurisdiction, so watch your step. Omaha’s not working these arsons, but they know you’ll be poking around. You’re covered by them as long as you don’t step over the line. Understand?”

  “Yes, I understand. When do I start?”

  “You and Kaely will check in with Omaha on Monday at one in the afternoon. Once you’re briefed, you’ll go to North Platte. You should be able to start on Tuesday night.”

  “Okay,” Noah said slowly. “How long do you think—”

  “No way to know,” Solomon said. “This is just a temporary assignment. Like I said, I’m setting it for thirty days, but if things wrap up quicker, I’ll do my best to bring you both back. Omaha will have the final say.” He leaned forward in his chair and stared at Noah, his expression serious. “The SAC in Omaha is John Howard. He’s a friend. I’ve been candid with him. If you find anything of importance related to the fires, you have to turn it over to the local sheriff. He’ll decide the extent of your involvement, so don’t cowboy this thing. It could blow up in your face.”

  Noah nodded again, concerned he was beginning to look like a bobblehead doll. He stood up and extended his hand to Solomon. The older man got to his feet and shook it.

  “You both need to be careful out there,” Solomon said. “Your assignment in North Platte will pit you against a very violent gang. You and Kaely may also be putting yourselves in the cross hairs of a serial arsonist. You two watch your backs and stay safe. Okay?”

  “You have my word, Solomon,” Noah said.

  His boss handed him a packet that included his plane ticket and other important case information.

  Noah thanked him and left the office. He hurried back to his desk. Although he appreciated Solomon’s efforts to help him and Kaely sniff out a possible arsonist, he worri
ed that doing it this way would affect Kaely’s time with her mother. Conducting surveillance for Omaha and working a case in Darkwater would take a lot of effort. Was this what Kaely wanted . . . or needed?

  As he cleaned up his desk, he reminded himself that once Kaely was on the track of evil, she was like a dog with a bone. She’d be obsessed with catching and stopping this UNSUB. Noah could try to reason with her, but in the end, it wouldn’t do any good. Kaely didn’t see what she did as a job. That title was too mundane. Too normal. Kaely lived to track down monsters, and nothing would ever stand in her way—not even friends and family.

  He clocked out and drove home, trying to stay somewhat close to the speed limit. He had a lot to do in order to get ready for this assignment.

  Solomon’s words kept ringing in his mind. “Your assignment in North Platte will pit you against a very violent gang. You and Kaely may also be putting yourselves in the cross hairs of a serial arsonist. You two watch your backs and stay safe.”

  He had every intention of protecting Kaely Quinn, although she didn’t think she needed it. Even as he packed his suitcase, he wondered why he was willing to drop everything and follow this woman. She was incredible. And she was selfish. She had great insight into everyone except herself. But with all her flaws, for the first time since she’d left, Noah felt a twinge of anticipation. Was it because of the case?

  Or was it because he couldn’t find happiness without Kaely Quinn in his life?

  fourteen

  When Kaely and Sam arrived at the station, several men stood in the engine bay. They nodded at Sam, but Kaely could see the tension in their faces and in the way they held their bodies. The fires were obviously taking a mental and physical toll on them.

  Sam led Kaely to a door in the back of the bay. He pushed it open and stepped aside so Kaely could enter first. Sam cocked his head to the right. “The chief is this way,” he said.