Where There's Smoke: The Heroes of Hammonds Bend(Romantic Suspense)

by S. D. Bancroft

  As the engine approached the front of a single story ranch house, Annie noticed the fire appeared to be contained in one portion of the home. A discovery that gave her hope they could save a part of it or, at least, some of the irreplaceable mementos inside.

  She stretched a hand behind her back releasing the valve on the air tank.

  As the engine rolled to a stop, Annie bounded from her seat. She unhooked the regulator from the holder at her waist and fastened it to her mask as she moved. For a brief second the typical panic flooded her brain until the oxygen flowed freely into her mask.

  Annie was aware of the movements of the others around her as she hustled toward the back of the engine. One step brought her up onto the side of the engine. She snagged the looped nozzle from its resting place above her before she turned and jumped to the ground. With the nozzle draped over her shoulder she walked the hose out. Annie worked fast careful not to get any kinks or knots in it as she went. Once she had the line deployed almost to the dwelling, Annie keyed the microphone on her radio, and requested water from the engineer who manned the pump on the engine. The line in her hands rumbled with the force of the water flowing from the tank on the fire engine into her hose line. Within a matter of seconds the hose in her hand sprang to life.

  Annie looked around for her partner. Her gaze landed on Mason as he made his way toward her. The pack containing the halogen tool and fire ax was slung over his shoulder. The fierce look on his face had her wondering which she should be more wary of, the fire or the man. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him, clinging tightly to the hose.

  “All set?”

  “Whenever you are,” came the husky growl.

  Annie turned back towards the house and took another deep breath before she advanced. When they reached the porch, they dropped to their knees almost simultaneously. The first team to enter had left the front door standing wide open. Using great care not to cross hose lines with them, Annie entered the darkness.

  They entered into what was probably the living room. The duo moved further into the house. The smoke became thicker until it obscured Annie’s vision entirely. Mason had a tight grip on her ankle. The touch, though firm, was comforting.

  Annie swept the darkness with her free hand until she made contact with a wall. She halted their forward progress and repeated the sweeping motion with the opposite hand. The close proximity of the walls to each other revealed their location.

  “Hallway.” She barked the word over her shoulder.

  They crawled further down the corridor before Annie paused again. The hoseline they had been following from the other team veered off. Her heart rate kicked up, and her stomach felt like it flip-flopped in her gut. The other crew was heading away from the fire.

  But why? Had they gotten turned around?

  “Don’t second guess yourself.” Mason raised his voice so she could hear him through the mask and over the low roaring of the flames licking at their surroundings.

  “I’m not, I’m just wondering about Thompson and Bayers.”

  “Let’s keep going. Maybe they went a different way around. I don’t hear any cry alarms going off.”

  “Right,” Annie acknowledged the last of his comment with some relief. If the cry alarms were not sounding then the crew must be safe.

  Thick smoke engulfed Annie. She extended a gloved hand and picked her way down the narrow hallway to her right. The intensity of the heat grew with every painstakingly slow move. They had travelled a short distance when her hand struck a door frame.

  “Door.” She yelled the single word over her shoulder. Mason’s tap on her booted foot confirmed that he’d heard her.

  Annie pulled up into a crouch on the right side of the doorway. Her hand sought the doorknob, ensuring they were on the correct side of the opening. An audible crackling penetrated the door. Annie glanced up and locked eyes with Mason.

  Adrenaline ricocheted through her body. Once they opened the door the fire would most likely explode out of the confines of the room in its quest for oxygen to feed it. If they didn’t move fast enough, they could fall victim to the enormous heat.

  Mason gave her arm a quick squeeze before falling into position beside her. With one shoulder pressed into the wall, Annie inhaled deep.

  “On three.” She readied the nozzle in her hand.

  “On three.” Came Mason’s acknowledgement.

  “One.” Sweat trickled down Annie’s back. Her free hand moved to rest on the knob.

  “Two.”

  She slowly turned the handle. The latch released from its housing without opening the door.

  “Three.” Annie shoved the door wide. A huge fireball erupted from the room with a mighty roar a split second after she flattened herself back against the wall.

  The temperature in the small space tripled in less than a second. Annie’s grip tightened on the nozzle in her hand. With a slow, precise motion, she opened the nozzle and aimed the fog stream of water directly at the devil that had exploded from the room.

  They made a slow advance into the room, extinguishing flames as they moved. Annie scanned the interior of the room. Dim light from a window on the far side of the room filtered through the dark smoke. Flames engulfed the bed in the middle of the space, spreading to the curtains and floor below. The brilliant yellow-orange fire danced in and out of the smoke.

  Annie aimed the spray of water at the bed. The glowing monster spit and hissed before it surrendered to the liquid. Annie struck the floor in front of her with the heel of her hand. Satisfied that the flooring had suffered no significant damage, the pair crept forward. A split second later the unmistakable cracking of wood splintered the air. The floor heaved beneath their combined weight.

  Annie froze in fear. Her mind whirled. A sudden rush of movement behind her pulled her from momentary blankness. Mason was pulling backward, and dragging her with him. He had barely cleared the doorway when the floor gave way. A scream tore from Annie as she hurtled headfirst into the darkness. She braced her body for the impact. An instant later she opened her eyes. Annie gathered her bearings in an effort to understand what had halted her downward plunge. Instead of crashing headlong into oblivion, she was hanging precariously by one foot.

  ~&~

  “Hold still damn it.” Mason struggled to maintain his hold on her boot. His heart slammed against the walls of his chest. He welcomed the sensation since seconds earlier he was sure it had stopped beating completely.

  Mason tightened the hold he on her ankle. He leaned backward, and pulled with every ounce of strength left in him. Annie’s foot flexed inside her boot, and Mason prayed it wouldn’t slide out before he could haul her up to safety.

  Mason keyed the radio microphone on his shoulder.

  “Andrews went through the floor! Get someone in the basement now. I’m not sure how much longer I can hang onto her.”

  An inaudible response crackled through the static in Masons ear. Had they heard his call for help?

  “Hang on Annie,” he yelled into the darkness, “and for God’s sake quit squirming!”

  “Sorry, but it’s kind of hard to hang from your foot and stay perfectly still. Although I’m sure you would be capable of it!”

  Surprised by the smart-ass retort, Mason cracked a smile.

  “Yeah well there’s a lot of things I’m capable of doing,” he shot back, “maybe when we get you out of this mess I can show you a couple of them.”

  Mason thought he heard a chuckle from the darkness, before he felt her weight slacken on his arm. He clenched down even harder on the boot in his hand.

  “We’ve got her.” Steve Lawson yelled over the radio. Mason was still reluctant to release his hold on her. “Let her go Ramsay!” Lawson shouted once more.

  ~&~

  Annie felt like she had been hanging there for hours when in actuality it hadn’t been more than a few minutes. A moment of panic gripped her as they lowered her to the floor. She slumped forward and rested her forehead against he
r raised knees as the dizziness assailed her.

  After a minute, Annie pushed to her feet. Her intention was to thank her rescuers. All she managed to get out was “Thanks LT.” Before the floor spun up to greet her.

  Annie slowly opened her eyes. Why was she lying on the lawn stripped of her gear? Panic rocketed through her as she did a quick mental assessment and found she was still in one piece. Annie cautiously pushed up onto her elbows in an effort to avoid repeating the sudden movement that had landed her on her back in the middle of the yard. After several seconds she deemed it safe to sit the rest of the way up. She blew out a relieved breath just as someone shoved a bottle of water into her hand.

  Annie’s attempt to focus on what remained of the house was thwarted by a hulking form in turnout gear. Her gaze trekked up the menacing figure until they locked with Mason’s. Instead of the anger she expected to find, fear etched the darkened orbs. Lord help her, but he was a handsome man.

  “I’m fine guys.” She turned her attention to the other firefighters who stood like sentinels behind Mason.

  “Sit the rest of this one out, Andrews.” Steve Lawson ordered. “When we’re done, if you’re not feeling in tip top shape, we’ll run you into the emergency room.”

  “I’ll be fine, LT.” Annie had been completely geared. Other than one hell of a sore ankle, she would be fine.

  Frustration burned through her as she watched the others reenter the burning home. The first time in a month she gets the nozzle and this had to happen. She shoved a hand through her tangled hair. Cracking open the water she took a long drink.

  Mason hadn’t said a single word, but he scrutinized her every movement. She puffed out a breath and turned her head until her gaze rested on Mason’s.

  “Um… thanks Mason.” Would he notice the quiver in her voice? Her insides shook uncontrollably. She had come way too close to falling over nine feet and landing on her head. There was no doubt she would have sustained plenty of injuries. A shiver coursed through her. If she had landed on her head, the damage would surely have been much worse.

  Mark Flynn crouched beside her with the jump kit in hand, and concern evident on his face.

  “I’m fine guys.” Annie insisted even as her voice came out with a croak.

  “LT’s orders, Andrews.”

  Annie sat patiently while Mark took her pulse and blood pressure. He jotted the numbers down next to her name on the rehab sheet attached to the clipboard.

  Mason’s gaze skimmed over her body from head to toe. Her skin heated every place it touched.

  “Everything checks out fine, Annie.” Mark’s statement broke into her thoughts.

  “See? I told you. All this fuss for nothing.”

  Annie stood and gingerly gathered her gear. She braved a glance in Mason’s direction again. The concern on his face warmed Annie more than she was ready to admit.

  “I’m fine really.”

  “If you say so.” He smirked, but the emotion didn’t reach his eyes. “Now I guess the real fun begins.” He gestured toward the rubble where the others were busy poking the remaining walls with pike poles in search of any fire hidden deep inside waiting for an opportunity to rekindle.

  Annie breathed through another bout of wooziness. Mason slid a hand beneath her elbow as he fell into step beside her. She shot a look of appreciation in his direction.

  “Judging by what I saw when we made entry into the bedroom, it looked to me like the fire originated on the bed.” Mason stated.

  “Yeah, definitely not where you would expect it to be when the house is empty and has been for almost eight hours.”

  “Any thoughts?”

  Mason scanned her face, and Annie knew he was looking for any signs she might not be up to traipsing through the burned out scene.

  Hell, she wasn’t even positive if she was up to the task, but she’d be damned if she told him. A tremor raced from the hand at her elbow, and through her arm. Her attention turned to his face. Concern flourished in her. Had anyone thought to tend to him? Was he going into psychological shock?

  “Are you okay Mason?” The worry carried over to her voice.

  “Yeah I’m fine.”

  Relief raced through her.

  “Good grief, Ramsay,” she scowled, wrinkling her nose as though smelling something very unpleasant, “For a second there I was afraid I was going to have to carry you back to the ambulance.”

  Before Annie could see it happening, Mason’s hand slid to her upper arm. He propelled her the final few feet to the end of the house and one of the few walls still standing. She was effectively trapped between his powerful well-muscled body and the structure.

  ~&~

  Annie’s heart thudded in her chest. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Mason close the distance. His head dipped, and his mouth closed over hers. Tremors raced through Annie. Afraid her legs would not hold her a second longer, Annie reached out blindly, and grasped a handful of tee-shirt. Her pulse quickened as muscles rippled under the thin material.

  Fabric rasped against the suddenly sensitive skin of her palm sending another wave of desire through her. Instinctively she leaned into the warmth beckoning from beneath his turnout coat. Her tongue mated with his with a hunger Annie hadn’t known existed in her. A low groan rumbled up from somewhere inside the impressive chest beneath her hands. The vibrations urged her on.

  Just when Annie feared she would drown in the pool of desire, Mason pulled back. He kissed first the end of her nose, and then her forehead before resting his chin on the top of her head.

  Annie inhaled an erratic breath marveling at the hammering of his heart that matched her own. The mix of smoke and man she inhaled was far more erotic than any cologne.

  “You scared the hell out of me, Annie,” he whispered into her hair.

  “I’m sorry, Mason.” Tears clouded her gaze. “I don’t get it. That floor was solid. Why did it give out like that?” She pulled back enough to meet his gaze. “The fire hadn’t reached floor level yet.”

  Hot tears slipped down her cheeks.

  “Ah, sugar.” Mason clasped her body tight against his, and gently rocked her back and forth. “It’s okay. Let it out.”

  Annie buried her face against his throat. She didn’t need any more words of encouragement. The floodgate opened and Annie found herself helpless to do anything but ride the wave of sobs that racked her body.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Annie gathered herself enough to straighten in his embrace. Her fingers trembled as she brushed away the last of the tears. Annie turned her face upward half expecting to meet a mocking gaze. Tender concern gleamed in the depths instead.

  Annie dropped her gaze to the sexy grin on his lips. An answering smile found its way through her haze of uncertainty.

  “Well now, this is just a little embarrassing.” A self-conscious laugh escaped her.

  A calloused finger beneath her chin lifted her gaze back to Mason’s. “There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about, Annie. It would have been a terrifying event for any of us.” His smile broadened. “But we macho men wouldn’t dream of holding each other while we cry. So we let our emotions out in other ways.”

  “Yeah, I’ve witnessed some of those ways first hand. Maybe I should try using the heavy bag in the gym, too.” She blew out a ragged breath. “What’s your favorite method, Mason?”

  “Before five minutes ago?” He stroked rough fingers along her jawline softly. “Running was my release. Now, I’m seriously rethinking that method. Definitely need to rethink that.”

  A delicious heat stole through Annie. His confession was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. It could be too easy to get lost in the warmth of his gaze.

  “Well when you make a decision be sure you clue me in on what it is will you?” She watched his pupils dilate. It was a definite turn on.

  “Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that.” Mason dropped his hands to his sides, and took a step back. “In the meantime, I was out of li
ne when I kissed you. That wasn’t my intention.”

  Electricity bounced around on the air currents between them even with the distance.

  “Well I guess you can’t be held responsible for it then.” She struggled to keep the hurt from her voice. “In the meantime, what do you say we get some pictures of this mess before they trample all over any evidence there may be?”

  “Where’s your camera?”

  “It’s on the truck, under the front passenger’s seat.”

  “I’ll grab it.” He turned toward the engine idling at the curb, and stopped short. “How much do you know about Flynn?”

  “Mark?” Annie searched the group mingling around until her gaze landed on the man in question. “He’s a good guy. Kind of a loner, but never been in trouble as far as I’ve heard. Always shows up to work when he’s scheduled and sometimes even when he’s not.” Her glance darted from Mark to her acquaintance. “Why?”

  “I get the feeling he doesn’t like me.” Mason’s gaze flicked to her. “Especially when I’m with you.”

  “You must be imagining things. Mark and I are co-workers, and nothing more.”

  “Maybe for you there’s nothing more, but take it from a man, it’s not because he isn’t interested.”

  “Is that all men think about?” Annie laughed up at him. “Weren’t you going to get a camera? I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be here all night.”

  “Take my word for it Annie,” The seriousness in his eyes gave her pause. “You need to be careful around Mark Flynn.”

  Annie watched Mason jog across the lawn. He moved with an ease that attested to his level of fitness. The memory of his well-muscled chest burned into her mind. Even through his clothing she could feel every ripple and bulge. Her hands itched with the desire to test the subtle nuances of his body minus the thin barrier of clothing.

  His turnout pants hugged his well-formed butt as he ascended into the cab. The movement sent shivers through her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so aware of a man.

  Annie leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes in an attempt to dispel the spell this handsome stranger had cast over her.