Page 4 of Sizzling In the Mountains

“You coming, right?” Doug says to Mason who’s wiping down the hood of the firetruck.

“Will I get to see James getting punched in the face?” Mason asks with a grin.

“Nope,” I say as I shift on my feet, my eyes locked on the bag. “But you’ll see this.” I let out a fierce combo, punching the bag six times in a flash and then finishing it off with a hard kick.

“I kind of want to see you getting punched in the face though,” Mason says with a sad look.

“I’m going early to get a table beside the cage,” Doug says.

“Not that long one,” Mason complains. “I got blood splattered all over me last time.”

“Chief, you coming?” Doug hollers.

Graham, the chief of the firehouse, comes walking down the stairs. All us guys are in our twenties, but Chief is over fifty. He’s still jacked though and probably stronger than all of us. He’s definitely got that old man strength, although the ladies of the town think he’s more of a silver fox than an old man. “What?”

“You coming to Fight Night tonight?” Doug asks. “We’re all going to watch James kick some ass.”

“If you’re all going,” he says, staring at him like a father staring at his not-so-bright kid who just said something stupid, “who is going to be working?”

It dawns on Doug. “Oh, right. Shit.”

“I’ll stay back,” Graham says. “You boys go and have fun. Try not to get any bones broken, and you’re all on call, so don’t get too drunk.”

I grab my towel and wipe my sweaty tattooed neck as four kids bike into the fire station like there’s a dragon on their tail.

“Fire!” the tall one shouts, huffing and puffing as he looks around with wild eyes.

Graham steps up to them, all business. “Where?”

“The Children’s Library.”

“Let’s move!” he shouts.

My shift is done, but I’m not missing this. Mason and Doug leap into their suits as Graham starts the truck. It takes about fifteen seconds from the time that kid said fire to the moment we’re rolling out of the station. My jacket is in my locker, so I only have time to grab my boots, pants, and helmet. I’m rocking a white undershirt to this blaze.

Graham hits the sirens and we race down the street. Everyone turns to look at us as we go.

A kid waves to me. I wave back.

“Oh shit,” Mason says when we see the billowing black smoke rising into the sky. I was hoping it was a prank by those kids, but this shit is a real scorcher. “The library is actually on fire.”

“At least it’s the library and not something good like the arcade,” Doug says as he looks out the window.

“Are you serious, dude?” Mason says, shaking his head.

Doug looks confused. He often looks confused so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. “What?”

“Can you even read?”

“Shut up back there,” Graham bellows as he takes a turn so tight I’m pushed against the window. “We have to work fast. That place is a National Heritage Site.”

“Why?” Doug says. “It’s just books.”

“The building, you moron,” Mason says, rolling his eyes.

“Oh shit,” Graham says when we turn a corner and see it. Flames are ripping through the old train station. Big plumes of black smoke are billowing into the sky.

My pulse races as we approach. The thought of running into that burning building makes every cell in my body come alive. I love shit like this. I eat it up.

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