by J. R. Tate
As if the alarm can read my mind, it blares and I take another drink of coffee before climbing on the engine. One of my firefighters opens the front passenger door, motioning for me to get in.
“It’s all yours, Lieu.”
I step up, settling into the chair. It’s like I never left, and my adrenaline kicks in as we pull out onto the street. The siren blares and just like I figure, no one yields the right of way to us. We weave in and out of traffic and I wipe my hands on my pants, trying to rid some of the sweat from my skin. My instincts take over when we spot the town home with smoke pouring out of a second story window.
I hop out before the truck comes to a complete stop and begin yelling out orders to my men.
“Lieu, there’s reports of a kid up there.”
Here goes nothing. Back to real life, back to the real thing. I grab the probie and take another survey of everything. “You ready to get a save?”
He nods and I guide him toward the entrance. I think about what the eerie woman told me – she really thought I didn’t try to save her. My heart aches at that thought, but it makes me push even harder than before to try to get everyone I come across out, even if it seems impossible.
As we get higher up, the smoke gets thicker, and I continuously check to make sure my probie is still with me. Each room is infiltrated with large flames, and I yell out to try and find the kid. I look in the most obvious places a child would hide, and I finally see tiny legs sticking out from under a bed. Crawling, we stay low enough to avoid the heaviest of the toxic air, and I reach out to grab one of her feet.
“Fire department. We’re here to get you out. Don’t be scared.”
At first she doesn’t respond. A heavy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach, but I can’t give up that easy. “Can you hear me?”
Finally, her eyes open and she looks right at me, her stare blank. Shit. Is she dead and I’m seeing another victim? I’m scared to do anything in fear of my probie seeing me lose my mind again. Rather than make a complete ass out of myself, I smile at her, but don’t say anything else as I pull her out and into my arms. If she is really dead, I can chalk it up to the fact that I didn’t pay attention until we were outside.
Cradling her, I stay as low to the floor as I can, finding a narrow exit that has almost been eaten up by flames. Kicking open the front door, the medics greet me and take her off my hands.
“First fire back and he gets a grab!” One of my men pats me on the shoulder, but my focus is in the back of the ambulance. I walk that direction with several concerns on my mind.
First of all, I hope the kid is okay. Losing a victim is never easy, especially when it’s a child. Second, did I see another victim? Is this going to be a recurring thing? I watch intently as they work on her.
“Is she going to be okay?”
The medic looks at me and smiles. “She’s going to be just fine. We’re just putting a mask on her. She took in a lot of smoke.”
I look at the girl and aside from being a bit scared, there isn’t a scratch on her. Letting out a deep breath, I give a small wave and turn back to my crew. The fire is almost out and everyone is accounted for – the best way a call can ever end.
Sitting on the edge of the truck, I take my helmet off and rest my head in my hands. I’m relieved. I’m nervous. I’m not sure what to expect. I hope that I won’t ever see another ghost again. Will I ever be able to go into a fire and not think about the things I’ve seen and the visits I’ve gotten? Is this all truly behind me?
“You’re not hurt, are you?” My chief’s voice pulls me from my daydream.
Looking up at him, I shake my head. “I’m good, Chief.”
“That girl is gonna be okay. Good job, Lieutenant. You really took the bull by the horns and hopped right back to it. It’s good to have you back. The guys have missed your leadership.”
“Thanks. It’s good to be back.”
He leaves me alone, back to my thoughts. I look to the now extinguished building, dripping with water and still smoldering from the heat. Standing, I join my men as we gather to start the secondary search.
Back to interrupted meals and late night calls. Back to long fires with little rest in between. Back to saving people. Back to where I belong. Screw the past – the future looks pretty damn good.
WAYWARD SOULS – THE SEQUEL TO BECKONING SOULS IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wayward Souls (The Sequel to Beckoning Souls)
http://amzn.to/1O9wBOA
Nathan Gallagher thought the ghosts were gone. He did everything they demanded, aiding in their souls passing on to the other side. But it’s not over for him – new visions appear and they’re not leaving until he helps them. Ignoring them only makes them more hostile, pushing Nathan and his son Rusty into a supernatural world of violence and uncertainty that edges them to the breaking point.
Realizing the ghosts won’t go away, Nathan begins to listen to what they need. It requires Dr. Clint - his missing in action therapist from before, and a self-admission to Sunset Canyon - the mental hospital that Nathan fears and swore he’d never return to.
Sacrificing everything, Nathan hopes to reveal corruption that stems as far back as the 1800’s. He’s labeled a high-risk patient and thrown into a wing of the hospital where the most brutal patients are locked up, away from society - only to be forgotten and beaten.
With time running out, he and Dr. Clint must come up with a plan to gather indisputable evidence that will vindicate the souls who sought his help. Without it, he’ll be stuck in the mental hospital forever, becoming a wayward soul himself.
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More books by J.R. Tate –
Through Smoke – Firefighter Heroes Trilogy: Book One –
http://amzn.to/1xXrggs
Firefighter Michael McGinnis is no stranger to intense situations. Veteran of New York’s Ladder Twenty-One Company as a search and rescue man, he has seen his share of burning infernos, high-rise saves, and intense emergency situations. Despite McGinnis’ years on the job, nothing can prepare him for getting tangled in his brother’s mistakes as a drug addict and gambler, especially when a blood thirsty bookie gets involved. A romance sparks between him and fellow paramedic, Eva Crisante, catching him even more off guard. Morals are tested, lies are told, and relationships are built and then torn to ruins. The problems ahead are more challenging than any fire McGinnis has experienced. He learns that bravery is not only needed in his job with the department, but also in dire situations away from work. His tough love for his brother is tested, proving that there truly are things more dangerous than a five-alarm fire.
Backfire – Firefighter Heroes Trilogy: Book Two –
http://amzn.to/1rIekJb
Michael McGinnis returns in this sequel to Through Smoke.
While visiting his brother in Texas, he is struck by the devastation wrought by the drought and wildfires. Learning the fire departments are staffed mostly by volunteers, he feels compelled to stay and help. Having little experience with this type of firefighting, Michael is forced to learn the basics quickly, making him vulnerable to the deteriorating situations in the largest and most destructive wildfire in Texas history. Eva is forced to go back home to New York with the constant worry of his safety on her mind.
With danger
closing in on him, Michael comes to terms with what is important and must make a crucial decision that can change the lives of everyone he knows.
Fire Escape – Firefighter Heroes Trilogy: Book Three –
http://amzn.to/1uXyMpA
Michael McGinnis has finally escaped the clutches of alcohol, and with his brother Casey doing well in rehab, for the first time in his life, he dares to hope that what only seemed like a fantasy a year ago - a life with Eva as his wife, a child or two, and a job he was born to do - will become a reality. But Viper reaches out even from prison, and sets out to shatter Michael's dreams. With help from outside sources, he frames Michael for a string of arson cases. Desperate to clear his name, Michael becomes a fugitive, staying one step ahead of the law, but one step behind the real arsonist.
Dangerous Betrayal –
http://amzn.to/1rIeBM5
Lane O'Reily, a Baltimore Homicide Detective, takes on the case of a lifetime when he is handed a murder investigation involving a string of young women. Desperate to solve the case before another victim turns up, he must rely heavily on his only witness, a survivor to the crimes. She begins harassing and stalking him and with his marriage, career, and life on the line, he must decide if the obsessive witness is leading him down a path to the murderer, or down a trail littered with lies, betrayal and ultimately, a dead end.
Reformed –
http://amzn.to/1v5evU1
Ryan Shay wants to forget his past. Memories of an abusive childhood, betrayal from his family, and failure to trust anyone have held him captive his whole life. Afraid to confront his demons, it's a miracle he hasn't wound up a statistic in the war on drugs. Having no real purpose or reason to get better, he has failed several rehab stints and has always gone back to the one thing he finds comfort in - drugs and alcohol. After being accused of stealing from a local dealer, suffering from an overdose, and learning he might have a son, Ryan finds a strong reason to break the chains of his addictive past and end the cycle of his shameful ways. He is determined to become clean, despite the constant negativity sent his way from his friends and society. His success is not only for himself, but for someone who desperately needs him. What could be viewed as a careless mistake to many is possibly the one thing that might save Ryan Shay's life.
Murphy’s War –
http://amzn.to/1yp17K3
Sean Murphy knows all about the dark side of growing up in a violent Irish family deep into gang activity. What he doesn't know about is love, but he wants to learn when he meets Gracie. She's the light to his darkness, but how can he have her when violence threatens his every action? Can he risk dragging the only woman he ever cared for into the middle of his dangerous life? He longs to leave the gang, but his only option out is in a body bag. Will his love for Gracie trump his allegiance to his family? As an all out war with a rival Italian gang rages, he is thrust into the thick of the battle, unable to see an escape from the way of life he's come to loathe.