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“Boss is celebrating becoming an old man tonight. We're going out drinking,” Tiny says.

"You in, Captain?” Deacon asks, humor in his voice.

“Fuck you all. You don’t know what it's like to be old, trust me.” He frowns as he plops down on the recliner, which we all avoid because it's Captain’s spot. “You know I'm too old for that shit, and I got Christine waiting for me at home. She's better than a night of drinking any day.”

Captain and his wife, Christine, are still head over heels in love after thirty-five years of marriage. Looking at him now, I envy his relationship. Up until this point, I haven’t had anything serious. Lots of hookups, yes. A real relationship? No.

It’s not for lack of trying or maybe it is. Who knows? I can’t say I want to get married tomorrow or anything, but I am thirty now. This should be the time I think about settling down. I think maybe the issue, if we can even call it that, is I sleep with them first and get to know them second. Turns out, a lot of the women I’ve slept with aren’t all that interesting. I need someone who will hold my attention for thirty-five years like Christine has done for Cap. They’re like soul mate–level shit.

Maybe Cap was hot in his day but at this point he’s a balding, wrinkly man with a belly that could rival Santa Claus—and his wife loves him more than ever. I need that. The real deal. God knows, these good looks won’t last forever.

Who am I kidding? Of course, they will. Tony Boston ages like fine wine.

The siren sounds loudly.

“All right, ladies, let’s head out,” Captain calls out.

The call center makes an announcement over the PA system, “Truck 12, Squad 6, and Ambulance 21. House fire at 546 Angler Street.”

I jog out to the truck where the probies are already suiting up. I give them a nod of approval. Within seconds, the rest of the unit has their PPE coat, pants, boots, and helmet—also known as their turnout gear—on, and we’re jumping into the truck.

“You ready, boys? Let’s go.” I smack the side of the truck with my palm, motioning for them to hop in.

Captain turns on the sirens and pulls out of the garage. Stokes is our normal driver, but Captain loves to fill in when he’s out. He was the driver back in his heyday and says he misses it.

The house is fully ablaze when we pull to a stop in front of it.

A woman runs up to the truck hysterically crying. “My son’s in there. He was upstairs in his bedroom playing video games. I couldn’t get to him, and he hasn’t come out.”

I squeeze her shoulder. “We’ll get him, ma’am.”

“Tiny, I need you to get the aerial to the roof. Pauly and Montgomery, take the ladder up and vent the roof.” I turn toward the new guys, standing wide-eyed, and shove the one that looks like a prince toward them. “Take him with you and keep him safe.”

“You got it, Boss.” Deacon nods and heads toward the ladder.

“Fly Guy, probie…you’re with me.” I motion toward the front door.

“Hurry, Boss. I don’t like the look of that smoke. It’s getting dark,” Captain warns.

With my Halligan, the metal crowbar tool, I break the hinges on the front door, and the door pops open. “Stay low, hand to the wall to help guide you, and stay close. I’m serious. Five feet away from me at all times. Got it?”

The probie nods and puts on his breathing apparatus.

The three of us head into the house. “Firefighters. Call out!” I yell. “Mom said he was upstairs so let’s try there first.”

A wall of fire engulfs the entire room next to the staircase. There’s a hallway of space before the flames will overtake the stairs. “We have to hurry.”

Head down, I lead the way up the stairs. “Firefighters. Call out!” I shout once we’re upstairs. “You check left, we’ll get right,” I instruct Bennet Abrams.

Shouldering the bedroom door, I knock it open. The smoke is thick, so I proceed on my hands and knees. “Feel around,” I yell back.

“He’s here!” the probie yells.

“We got him!” I yell to Abrams.

The boy lies lifeless but still has a pulse. I scoop him up into my arms just as Abrams jumps across the hall right before the flames overtake the hallway.

“We can’t go back that way,” I say.

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