by Nicola Rose
That night, after Mullet-man, I’d spent hours online researching magical beings that can summon the elements. If Google was to be believed then I was a warlock, or a witch, or psychotic — all amusing notions that I should continue to ignore.
I plucked out my cell sneakily whilst I went for a piss and sent Zac a message.
Jess: Yes, Master. I love every delicious drawl from your lips. So where the hell are you? You best come find me before someone else comes along and takes advantage of how damn horny I am. Come stamp your mark on my ass.
I spent the next few hours humming with anticipation and skittering about all over the place. But always one to disappoint, Zac didn’t arrive. He hadn’t replied to my last message either. Were we really continuing the cat and mouse? We hadn’t agreed on where to meet, but he’d agreed tonight and surely this was the place he’d expect to find me?
My earlier happiness wore off fast. I couldn’t stay out too late, I had a 24hr shift coming up in the morning. I wouldn’t be going in hungover any more.
Zac was missing his chance. Each ticking minute that went past made me angrier that he wasn’t there. Screw him. I wasn’t going to wait the entire night like a lost puppy. It was humiliating. I’d go and sulk somewhere else instead.
“Why don’t we try out the bars on the other end of the island?” I asked Anna. “I’m bored of the same old faces here.”
She looked at me quizzically, “Except one face?”
“Yes, well that face isn’t here, once again, so he can kiss my ass.”
We took a cab to the South side, which lasted all of a few minutes. I dusted off potato chip crumbs from a chair before dropping myself down in between a pack of frat boys and… oh yes, more frat boys. I was surprised by how much they were starting to irritate me. Perhaps older, more mature binge drinkers would be nicer. Easier to relate to.
“You think the North is wild?” Anna shouted at me above the din. “It’s nothing compared to this side.”
She wasn’t wrong. It was lingerie party night. If only I’d had the invitation I would have made the effort to wear matching underwear and stripped off. My silky pants were cute, but..oh, who was I kidding. The scar on my back would always inhibit me from stripping off in public. There was a reason I always wore clingy t-shirts instead of strappy vests.
No one else seemed to care what their undies looked like, though. They went right ahead and removed the little clothing they were wearing, prancing around in an array of thongs and bras. The guys dutifully performed a few acts on those girls that ought to belong in more private places. I could probably have had fun here if a vital piece of the equation wasn’t missing.
Or was he? An electric heat flashed behind my ears and I scanned the crowd to find him watching. That was happening a lot. Finding his penetrating stare bearing down on me out of nowhere. My heart stuttered every time, the way only he could make it.
Except today it was different. Very different. The same sensual lips, the same high cheeks, damn, it was almost the same face, but his hair was a little longer and darker, almost black – kind of messy, tousled, instead of spiked up. He was more muscular, too. I mean, Zac is seriously ripped, but lean like an athlete. This version of him had bigger muscles and a broader chest. Not hardcore body builder style, that kind of shit grosses me out, but definitely someone who’s spent tough hours at the gym. A body like that didn’t come without commitment.
A thin silver scar ran along his left cheekbone. It didn’t detract from his unearthly good looks, it enhanced them. I wanted to study it further, but he was too far away for me to see clearly, and besides, the woman that was glued to his hip was now planting her lips all over his face.
So this was Alex Elwood.
His hands gripped tight onto the girl’s waist, holding her firmly against him, fingers digging into her flesh. She found his lips and their tongues worked furiously at each other. He fisted a handful of her hair and she jumped to pull away, but he mouthed something into her ear and slowly, hesitantly, she leant back into him, head tilted.
He licked along her jaw, ending up below her ear, where he kissed and sucked. Still holding her hair, his other hand rubbed her ass. She visibly melted under his kisses, her body wilting and submitting to him. After what seemed like an eon, just as I was overcome with a totally irrational and jealous urge to go and slap her away from him, he raised his head to look at me once more.
The room wobbled as I clutched at a few ragged breaths in my throat. The side of his mouth turned up in a lopsided, seductive smile. Her lipstick had rubbed off on him; his full lips were a bright, blood red against his pale skin. He let go of her hair and her head slumped limply into his shoulder. Then he snapped his fingers in the air, his gaze never leaving mine, and two men stepped forward from behind him.
One put his arm around the girl and pulled her, so that she was now leaning limp against him. I guess the alcohol, or drugs, had kicked in too much for her. They half guided and half carried her away out of a side door.
He held my gaze way beyond the comfort zone. A lazy, amused smile etched permanently across his face. Blood hammered in my ears, making black spots swim in front of me. I always thought of myself as pretty confident, but the dizzying mess that these brothers left me in was ridiculous.
Memories came to me of the poor missing girl that we’d found, confused and drugged out. My heart pounded heavier. This was my chance to approach him about it.
I somehow managed to break away from his stare to find Anna, to tell her what I was doing. The moment I did so my heart crashed against my chest and I needed to have his gaze on me again. The pull towards him was too great to ignore, like every part of me needed his eyes.
I scanned the corner where he’d been just a second before, but he’d vanished.
Jesus H. Christ. They were too alike.
10
Jess
Anna wasn’t at all surprised when I told her who I’d seen. I was still looking around anxiously, trying to catch another glimpse, hoping he’d return.
“This is his side of the island, he’s here all the time,” she said with a casual wave of her arm. How could she dismiss his presence as nothing unusual? Everything about him was exceptional.
“How are you not in awe of him?” I asked.
She grunted. “I was, years ago, when I first came here. But after all the times I tried to get his attention, and Zac’s,” she looked away. “Well, eventually the spell wore off and I gave up. I started to see them for what they really are. And they’re not nice men, Jess. I suggest you stop thinking about the gorgeous brother of your gorgeous, freaky man. Seriously, ditch any ideas of either of them before you get into trouble. Find yourself a decent guy for a change, like Danny.”
“You tried it on with Zac?”
She huffed and pushed away the petite ass of a girl that had perched on the arm of our sofa.
“I’m not jealous. That’s not why I’m saying this. I just think someone like Danny would make you much happier, and be a more calming influence on you. He’s genuine, thoughtful. A fireman! Every girl’s dream.”
“If he’s so perfect, why aren’t you with him?” I asked bitterly. Fucking calming influence. How patronising.
“He’s practically my brother. I’m not stupid enough to go down that road.”
“He’s my Chief! That’s not a stupid road? But of course I always make the stupid choices, right?”
“Jess, don’t be angry. I only want you to be happy.”
“Then quit playing matchmaker and support me being with Zac.”
Was I with Zac? And if so, what the hell was I doing on the other side of the island, lusting after his twin brother – who may, or may not, be responsible for a spate of missing persons?
A scream ripped through the room, coming from deep within my core, consuming the space around me with the sound of helplessness. I awoke from the nightmare drenched in sweat, my hair plastered to my face, still hearing their screams in my head. My mother’s
screaming, mixed with my own.
The usual dream had changed. This time, amongst the flames, there was visions of cascading sand, pouring into open mouths, clogging and overflowing. I could smell the burning flesh as my father barrelled out of the door after me, a walking fireball, reaching out to grab me.
The shiny, puckered skin across my back felt extra constrictive and taut over my spine, pulling and itching, wrapping me in a claustrophobic layer of anxiety. I reached round to scratch it.
When the alarm went off I leapt from bed, showered and got to the firehouse without allowing myself a moment to think.
I walked in and was immediately summoned to Danny’s office, much to the amusement of Meat and the other guys. They all cracked jokes as I walked past about what happened in the office to naughty girls.
“You must get called in there all the time then, right Meat?” I smiled.
He whooped with laughter and slapped my back.
“Chief,” I said, closing the door behind me.
“Firefighter Layton. Take a seat,” he nodded, folding his hands on the desk and waiting for me to sit. “One day, Jess.”
Fuck-a-duck. No. Please no. I cast my eyes to the table.
“I’m so sorry,” I mumbled.
“Look, I get it. I live on the number one party hot spot in Texas. I don’t have a problem with you indulging in what this place has to offer. But you have to be careful, OK? I’m worried for you. Can’t you see the warning signs with the Elwoods?”
“Yes, I can. That doesn’t mean I’ll heed them though.”
He rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation.
“I can’t force you to stay away from them, but I’ll keep trying. When you’re on my time, I need you one hundred percent on the job. You’re my firefighter, with no fuck-ups. Outside that time, well, that’s yours. But you need to separate the two parts of your life, draw a line between them. And even off duty, if you get involved in more trouble that reflects badly on this department, then… I’ll have to deal with it. Go ahead and do your wild shit if you must, but either off the island, or in private. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” I shifted sheepishly, not happy about the way his authoritative, yet protective tone was making me horny.
I hear you Chief, really I do. But all the warnings do is make me want to tear up this island and dive headfirst into the Elwood drama…
The firehouse alarm broke the uneasy tension, causing the whole crew to scramble to the truck.
“It’s an actual fire,” yelled Meat. “Must be the first one in eight months! Over at the Requiem bar.”
Danny threw a heated look my way, “Speak of the devils. This will be interesting for you, that’s an Elwood property.”
11
Jess
Faint traces of black smoke wisped into the blue sky, swirling and drifting on the sea breeze. The crowds were going wild, held back by the beach patrol unit who were already there. We leapt into action, with Meat getting the crosslay lines out. The beach patrol had already done an initial assessment. One of them rushed over to tell Danny that all the doors were locked.
“What the hell? There are no windows on the ground floor?” I scanned the building, watching as several firefighters attempted to kick through the doors. No windows downstairs meant the only indication of a raging fire within that level were the delicate threads of smoke that had escaped through the gaps and air vents in the building, and the thick, swirling masses of dark grey that fogged the upper windows.
“They’re all locked,” the patrol guy repeated himself. “Heavy-duty steel doors. Chief, I can hear people screaming inside, we have to get in quick.”
Danny was a machine when he was in action. He launched straight into the chaos and started giving out orders. I watched as they scurried this way and that, following his commands. The police had also arrived and he exchanged a brief, animated conversation with them.
I stood watching, my feet rooted to the sand, my bunker gear suddenly feeling like it was five sizes too small and weighed a ton. I didn’t know this crew yet; the routine didn’t come naturally to me. I felt paralysed, unable to contribute. They told me fires rarely happen here. I wasn’t prepared for one of this scale.
A window shattered on the second floor and a huge, black plume billowed out. Shadowy figures passed by the glass, moving too fast, blurring with the smoke. Shrieks erupted from the onlookers as another window shattered.
A face came close to that window. It was Alex, I was sure of it. Then he vanished, back into the whirling gloom.
Meat got the ladder out, ready to climb up to the windows. The police attempted to kick down the main door, whilst some of my crew made work on the other one, but they wouldn’t budge. Kick after kick… nothing. An officer pulled out his gun and cleared the area, firing several shots to try and breach the door. Still nothing. Others arrived with sledgehammers, hydraulics and disc cutters.
A few moments later they had it open. The second it swung wide the flames surged out. No way through without damping it back first – the fire looked like it had already spread throughout.
The screams were the first thing to hit me, followed closely by the smell. I knew that smell… burning flesh. Terrified shouts, mixed with wails of pain. The open doorway had released those horrific noises to batter my senses and all I wanted to do right then was run away.
“Firefighter Layton!” Danny dragged me from my immobility. “Get up that ladder with your crew and find a way down, the doorways are no good.”
I cast a glance at the water being pumped through the open door, before scrambling to join Meat on the ladder. Each step upwards had my chest growing tighter. Meat looked back at me with a reassuring smile as he climbed through the open hole where a window had been.
I burst through after him and was met with a wall of searing heat and thick smoke. It was impossible to see beyond my own hands as I stuck them out in front. Alex was here somewhere, I’d seen him, and others. We yelled out to them, but no one came.
I yanked the hoseline along with me and followed Meat through an internal doorway, along a hall and down stairs, always keeping a wall against our left hands so we couldn’t get lost. We came to the bottom and Meat started cursing at another locked door.
The sound of banging fists on the wood lined my stomach with ice. People kicking, and screaming. So much screaming.
“Stand back,” Meat shouted through the door, bringing his leg up and kicking it.
“Wait,” I yelled. “We don’t know what we’re opening up on to, you should test the door first.”
“No time for that,” he said, and with a couple more kicks it flew open.
The heat blasted me in the face and surging flames shot straight over our heads. I dropped to my knees, along with whichever crew members were behind me. Meat cried out as a blazing figure tumbled through the doorway, falling right into him.
“Shit!” he barked, rolling around in the confined space, trying to get them off.
The flames. The smell. The screams.
Buzzing exploded through my head, deafening me. Meat was yelling, I could see his lips moving, but I couldn’t hear a word. Someone pushed past from behind me and started spraying them with the second hoseline they’d brought.
Beyond the lapping flames I could see into the main room of the bar. So much fire. People everywhere. But unless it was my lack of hearing, I thought the screaming had dulled. Most of them were now overcome with smoke inhalation, coughing and whimpering, or completely passed out. The few that still stood, with clothing pressed to their faces, were flailing and trampling the bodies that littered the floor.
If I could just forget that night, forget the sound of the explosion, the sound of my mother’s screams. Forget the smell of her burning flesh, of my burning flesh. Forget the pain, searing into my back, temporarily blinding me with the agony.
This is not that night. Those are not my mother’s screams. That’s not the smell of my family’s flesh. I don’t fear fire.
I own it… I don’t fear fire. I own it.
I caught my breath and drove the memories from my mind. Blasting water from my hose, I aimed it through that door and began tackling the inferno.
But this was no longer a rescue operation. The screams had completely quieted.
There was no one making it alive out of that room.
After I’d done all I could I left the building with Meat and slumped against the fire truck in a heap. The sweat under my bunker gear felt like it was literally dripping down me, pooling into my boots. I ripped off my coat and shoved the suspenders over my shoulders, heaving deep breaths as the air hit my slick skin.
I watched as part of the crew continued pumping water through the front door. They’d made progress, most of the blaze was under control.
We couldn’t save them though. We’d been too late. It had spread so fast, and with the doors locked, valuable minutes were lost.
Trapped. They’d been trapped. And burnt alive.
“No survivors,” Danny said into a phone, standing next to me.
After a brief conversation that I couldn’t focus on, he tucked the phone away and dropped down next to me, rubbing his face.
“What about the people that were upstairs?” I asked. “They got out on our ladder, right? So there were some survivors?”
“There was no one upstairs, we searched the whole place.”
I twisted round to face in him confusion. “That’s not right, I saw them. Alex was there, and others.” I jumped to my feet, grabbing my coat. “We have to get back up there. They’re in there, somewhere.”
“Jess, the other team are still up there. Trust me, they’ve checked everything. There was no one on the upper floor,” Danny took my hand to pull me back down.
Then I saw him from the corner of my eye, sauntering towards us without a care in the world. Walking along the beach like it was a normal day, like his bar hadn’t just burned out with everyone in it.