Page 82 of Hot Zone

“Yeah, but you’re thinking rationally, Samuel. He isn’t. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t long gone, just that you can’t attribute rational thinking to an irrational person.”

“I know you’re right, but it’s just so frustrating. We’re all on pins and needles, worrying about what he might do next. We can’t live like this indefinitely.”

“I know, but in my experience, you won’t have to. He was starting to come undone, and that won’t change because he’s on the run. If anything, that will make him desperate to prove whatever point he was trying to make.”

“He’s done a lot of damage, but up to this point, he hasn’t killed anyone. I hope him feeling cornered doesn’t change that.”

“You worried about your boy?” he asked.

“All the time,” I said honestly. I was sure Don blamed me for him washing out of the academy, and I worried he would try to get back at me by going after Mars.

Hawk chuckled. “Don’t you worry about Mars. Gator is there with him, and he won’t let any harm come to him. Although, I have to tell you, it’s good to see you all tied up in knots like this.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say. You don’t—”

My phone rang, interrupting what I was about to say. I glanced down to see that it was Becca Brooks, one of the paramedics who was on shift today, who was calling, which was odd. Normally, if anyone needed anything, they would simply come to my office.

“Hey, Becca, what’s up?”

“Chief,” she whispered into the phone. “We’ve got a situation up front.”

The frightened tone of her voice was enough to make my heart lurch. “What’s going on, Becca?”

Before she could respond, I heard it in the background—a man shouting, his voice high-pitched with panic. “Don’t come any closer! I’ll do it!”

My blood ran cold, and I looked at Hawk. “I think he’s here.” We both bolted out of the office and headed for the front.

I rounded the corner, and sure enough, there he was, standing in the middle of the bay. He wore a jacket zipped up tight, and his eyes looked frantic. But it was what he held in his hand that froze the air in my lungs.

“Is that a detonator?” I hissed at Hawk.

“Looks like it.”

“Everyone, stay back!” Don shouted, his voice cracking. He reached up and unzipped his jacket, revealing what looked like a homemade bomb. “I’m not kidding! This thing’s real!”

Ford, Kevin, Robert, Ronda, and Simon had formed a semi-circle around him, their faces tense but calm. They had all faced terrifying situations before, and I knew they weren’t going to panic. I didn’t see Becca anywhere, but since she’d been able to call, my guess was she was in the back of one of the ambulances. I also didn’t see Andy and Keith, but they were probably in the kitchen preparing lunch, and if they were smart, they would stay there.

I’d expected him to do something big, but I hadn’t considered a direct attack like this.

I stepped forward, my hands raised, palms out. “Take it easy, Don,” I said, keeping my voice low and steady. “No one’s doing anything here. Let’s just talk.”

The man’s eyes snapped to me. “You,” he hissed. “You did this to me. You’re the one who said I couldn’t cut it. That I wasn’t good enough to be a firefighter.”

“Don, I never said you weren’t good enough,” I said carefully. “You couldn’t pass the SCBA test. It was a safety issue. I had to make that call to protect you and everyone else.”

“Liar!” he shouted, his voice rising to a near scream. “You didn’t even give me a chance! You just wanted me out, and now—now you’ll pay!”

“You’re right. I was the one who made that decision. None of these people had anything to do with it. So why don’t you just let them all leave, and you and I can sort this out.”

I hadn’t had a choice back then, but I knew he didn’t see it that way, and I didn’t want any of my crew to suffer because of my actions.

Andy and Keith slipped in the side door from the kitchen. They were behind him, moving slowly and being extra careful not to make a sound. Here I was, trying to get everyone else out, and those two had willingly walked in.

Of course, what else would you expect from guys who willingly ran into burning buildings instead of running out?

“No. They all stay. Every one of them,” he shouted. His eyes were wild, and his breathing heavy.Coming undone.That was what Hawk had said earlier, that Don was coming undone. It was easy to see why he’d chosen those words because that was exactly how it appeared.

This wasn’t going to end well, and the only thing I could think of was the fact that I’d never told Mars I loved him. I’d thought it, but I’d been afraid it was too soon for me to say it out loud, and now I might not ever get the chance.

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