Page 1 of Aspen Heat
PROLOGUE
Aspen
I'm off to the side of the house where the fire isn't as intense. I can still hear the mother screaming about her missing son and my heart almost bursts with anguish for her and her little family. My squad leader, however, will not budge and no one is going into that house.
That's why I know I have to go in and find that boy. Even if my actions mean I'll be demoted after just becoming a full firefighter. A life is worth more than that. So I keep searching around the house and finally at the back I see a window I can break to get in.
With all my gear on it's an easy feat to break the window. Once I'm in I start to feel the intense heat. I scream my presence so that if the boy is somewhere near I can help him out. I shout my name and that I'm here to help, but no other sound than the roar of the fire exists in this house right now.
I search methodically, the way I've been trained to do and start clearing rooms. The closer I come to the front of the house, the hotter the flames are and the thicker the smoke. Will I find this woman's son in time?
Time seems to have slowed down while I'm inside this inferno and the sound of the flames is eerie. I don't stop my search, though. I have to find this child. Then finally I hear a noise coming from what looks to be a closet.
I hurry to open the door, forgetting all of my training and am thrown back. I gather myself once again and see the young boy lying on the floor holding something in his arms. The smoke has increased in the room and I search for a towel or a bedsheet to cover the child in.
Luck is on my side, and I find a big towel and use it to cover the boy. He's not fully conscious and when I take him into my arms I see he's got a puppy in his embrace. I cover them both as well as I can and start making my way to the place where I entered the house.
The flames are blazing now and my back is getting the brunt of the heat. When I get close to the exit I see that my friend Bastian is already there waiting for me. He knows me better than anyone and probably figured out I went inside the house against the squad leader's orders.
"Give him to me."
I carefully transfer my delicate cargo into his arms and feel a sense of relief that I got him out. I should have known those seconds of relief were a bad omen, because the house starts to fall apart on top of me and all I can see is black.
When I wake up in the hospital the guys in the unit seem happy to see that I'm finally awake, but there's a sense of unease when they talk to me. Finally, my squad leader, Jace Barlowe, comes in with a stern look on his face.
I guess I'm being demoted to rookie firefighter after all.
ONE
MELISSA
I tryto focus on the papers I'm grading, but my attention is scattered. I reach for the tiny radio I have and turn it on again. I have it set to the local radio station, and they give constant updates on what's happening with the current fires.
It's not like I'm oblivious. I can scent the smoke from my refuge, but I'm too stubborn to accept that I will have to leave my home and let it be consumed by flames. There are constantly fires this time of year on the mountain. I have nothing to worry about.
The radio is still playing a song, so I go back to my grading. The kids are doing well and I'm so proud of them. Learning a second language is not easy. I was lucky to be born into a Spanish speaking household. My students had a hard time at first, but with my encouragement they've started to blossom.
My phone rings, startling me. I put down my pen and reach for it, seeing that it's Maisie, a teacher from the school and a dear friend.
"Hey Mase."
"Where are you, Melissa?"
"I'm at home. Where else would I be?"
"They say the fire is close to you. You have to leave!"
"Nonsense. I can barely smell the smoke."
"Are you willing to put your life at risk? For what?"
"This place is special to me. Its my…"
I'm at a loss for words. I don't know how to properly describe what this cabin in the Black Timber Peak Mountains means to me. The words refuge, safe haven and sanctuary move through my thoughts, but my musings are interrupted by my friend.
"People are being sent to the school's gym, but maybe Ms. Flora has some room for you. Bring all your papers so you can keep working. Stop being so stubborn."
Maisie knows me well. We've worked together for five long years, since I relocated here. I don't want to think about my life before that, so I shut those thoughts away in a tiny compartment in my brain.
