Page 40 of Catching Fire

“Redemption Public Library.”

“Ivy! I'm sorry it took so long but I wanted to call you back. What was the important thing you found?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kalan could feel everything tensing, even his skin. It had been an hour since Seline had called and asked if he could join her and Maggie—quickly. It had taken most of the hour to find Patrick Kelly to sub for him, then for the man to show up at the station house.

There had been a discussion of pulling both him and Sebastian, but when only the new captain had been available, Sebastian had merely turned and said, “You go. I trust you, man.”

Kalan couldn't remember the last time he'd been so relieved. He’d been worried about Seline and Maggie all day. He hoped Marina was dead and gone and out of the hands of the killer who’d gotten her. And he wanted to hold onto Seline and keep her safe.

As Patrick walked through the bay doors, bag in hand, Kalan heard the alarm go off behind him.

Thank you, God, he thought.

He fist-bumped the older man as an unofficial tag-out. The Chief waved him off and Kalan felt odd heading out the back door and climbing into his car as the crew rushed into action behind him. They stepped into pants already draped into boots. And he sat for just a moment with his engine running, waiting for the trucks to pull out in front of him.

He was just an observer as they headed down the street, bouncing rhythmically from the gentle curb at the front of the station. As they turned out of sight, Kalan peeled out of the back lot and headed the other way.

He pulled up to the curb relieved to see Maggie and Seline well and healthy but surprised to find them already sitting in her car.

“Get in!” they both called and waved him over frantically. Everyone had been waiting.

“I can't.”Shit. “I have to change.”

“No, you don't!” Seline protested, the French accent tilting her words again. This time the lilt was not sweet but frantic.

“I have to,” he explained. “This is official Redemption Fire Station firefighter gear and it indicates that I'm on the job.”

She muttered something that he was relatively certain translated to a swear. What she said that he understood was, “Go.” She climbed out of the car and motioned him up the porch steps, her key in hand. Not the warm welcome he’d hoped for. The porch light just above his head mocked him.

Jamming the key into the lock she flipped the bolt then stepped aside to let him and his bag through the door. At least he was a firefighter; he could do quick changes better than anyone.

He was headed back out the front door in moments. Seline waited in the hallway and as he went by, he brushed against her soft skin. She seemed not to notice as she entered a code into the box on the inside of the door, then pulled it shut and locked it behind her with the key. The old Victorian certainly had a high-tech front door.

Kalan still had his bag in hand out of rote habit rather than for any reason. He was sliding into the back seat as Seline started the car. For a moment, they all settled in, but he didn’t even know what was going on. He only understood that they had somewhere to be. “Where are we going?”

Seline made the tires squeal just a little as she pulled out onto the main street. “We got a call. A woman told meshe's still alive.And Watson traced the call to Stromburg. She’s right now pulling footage from the grocery store there in hopes that they get a shot of Sanders interacting with this woman.”

“That would be amazing.” Kalan didn’t clarify which part. All of it would. The pieces she’d given him clicked together in his brain. “Maybe they can see which direction he went, and they can follow him. Maybe they can find Marina if she is still alive.”

He regretted saying that last part. Clearly, from Seline’s excitement, and the way she and Maggie were pedal to the metal, they did believe that Marina could survive. He didn't want to take that away. He figured Sanders would accomplish his own goals soon enough. If that meant keeping Marina alive, he would. If it didn’t, it didn’t. They clearly weren’t in control here. “So, where are we going?”

“Ivy called me. Remember she found all the maiden names in his family?”

“Here,” Maggie said, plugging her phone into the car. “Let’s call her back.”

Kalan watched from the back seat as Seline looked at her friend oddly.

“Have Ivy explain it to him. That way we don’t make any mistakes.” Seline was starting to nod along as Maggie spoke. Maggie turned around and talked to him this time. “We got on board really fast with this. We’re already literally on the road.”

She swayed as Seline took a turn at a slightly higher than necessary speed and Kalan grabbed for the door handle even as he automatically checked that it was locked. Maggie was still talking even as she managed to hit buttons on her phone. “Let's make sure we have all of our information double-checked and correct. I think we were so excited the first time we heard it, that we just started making plans!”

He didn’t want to burst their bubble, so he didn’t say anything. Whatever had happened to Marina, the FBI would stop it, not them. But he was in the backseat and not in charge of this little mystery mission. Maybe he was just the hired muscle.

They were down the road, getting on the interstate, his curiosity well piqued before the library volunteer managed to get Ivy on to the line.

“Oh, hi Mr. Smith!” Her always cheerful voice was comforting when not much else was.

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