Chapter 2

Completely enraged, Vince raised his hand to slap me.

I didn't dodge.

The slap never landed.

Lieutenant Larry Morrison rushed over and grabbed Vince's arm, holding it fast. "Captain, calm down! Blake's just too worked up!"

Larry turned back and shot me a look. "Blake, quit talking back and follow orders!"

I knew Larry was looking out for me.

But I couldn't do it.

I could almost hear Diane crying out from inside the fire.

Three years ago, when she broke up with me, she'd cried just like that.

She'd said, "Blake, I don't want to live like this anymore, always on edge. I'm scared that one day you won't come home."

"Vince, if you try to stop me today, you'll regret it," I said, biting out each word.

"Is that so? I can't wait to see what you'll do about it."

Vince shook off Larry's hand and straightened his collar, a sick kind of excitement on his face.

He pulled out his phone and dialed.

"Hello, Director Prescott? Yes, it's Vince Hudson from the fire department... Yes, yes, your niece is right across from me. I've got everything set up for her, the absolute best camera angle."

He was bowing and scraping, his voice so obsequious it was nauseating.

"There's just one small problem. One of my men doesn't know his place and insists on going in right now. It might interfere with your niece's filming... What do you think, sir?"

I couldn't tell what was said on the other end.

But Vince's back instantly straightened.

He hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

"Blake, you hear that? Director Prescott says his niece's livestream comes first, above everything else."

He walked up to me and jabbed a finger into my chest.

"Director Prescott also said that if you dare make any more trouble, I'm to hand you straight over to Internal Affairs!"

"A firefighter who loses control over an ex-girlfriend and refuses to obey orders. Take a guess how Internal Affairs is going to deal with you."

I was shaking with rage.

The guys around me all kept their heads down. Nobody dared look at me or say a word.

They all knew Director Prescott was the top official over our entire fire department.

Crossing him meant torching your own career.

I stared at the burning building, and a crushing sense of helplessness swallowed me whole.

"Help!"

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the night sky.

The crowd stirred.

My head snapped up. At a window on the twenty-eighth floor, a man was shouting with everything he had.

Half his body was blackened by smoke, his voice hoarse.

"Please, I'm begging you! Save us!"

Flames licked out of the window frame behind him and set his clothes on fire.

"Quick! Get the air cushion out!" I roared, already moving to run over.

Two of the guys instinctively moved with me.

"Stop right there!" Vince bellowed. "Anyone who moves an inch is out of a job tomorrow!"

The two firefighters froze in their tracks.

I turned around and glared at Vince. "Someone's about to die! Can't you see that?"

"I see it. So what?"

"You..."

"Blake, did you forget who put you in that uniform?" He sneered. "Me! I'm the one who pulled you out of the reserves!

"I put you up there, and I can bring you right back down!"

He was telling the truth.

Three years ago, I'd been a green kid. He'd noticed me and fast-tracked me out of a whole pack of rookies.

I'd always thought he genuinely saw something in me.

Only now did I understand. All he'd ever needed was an obedient dog.

"Captain! Please! Let's save the people first!" Even Larry was frantic now, practically begging.

"Shut up!" Vince ignored him completely.

He watched the desperate man at the window with obvious interest.

"Look at him. Poor guy. But what can you do? Director Prescott's niece is livestreaming."

He turned to me with a cruel smile. "Blake, tell me. Isn't this just fate?"

I ignored him.

I took off my helmet and threw it on the ground.

Then I started stripping off my turnout gear.

"Blake, what are you doing?" Larry was horrified.

"If you won't save them, I will."

I pulled off the heavy jacket until I was down to a thin T-shirt.

"Without orders, I can't go in there as a firefighter. But as a man, I can't stand by and watch someone die right in front of me."

With that, I turned and made for the building entrance.

Vince's face twisted into something ugly.