Joy In Hell
by GCS
Chapter One
Smoke billowed throughout the building filling every crevasse, every empty space.
The office workers on the third floor had no warning before the fire consumed the hallway outside. Now they huddled against the far wall in a rear office, as far from the fire as they could get, waiting and hoping someone would find them before it was too late. They had drained the water cooler soaking shirts, scarves and handkerchiefs to cover their mouths trying to siphon out some of the smoke before it reached their oxygen starved lungs. Fear was etched on their faces and gripped their hearts. One hand held the fabric to their faces; the other wrapped around the person beside them. A group of co-workers, some friends, some acquaintances, were now bound by terror and possible death.
The fire had started on the first floor and spread quickly, fueled by paper and wood, sheet rock and draperies that disintegrated into flames quickly. Screams could be heard through the crackling fire almost drowned out by the roaring, living monster. People panicked and ran from the offices and into the street without calling for emergency assistance leaving the others in the building unaware of the impending danger, unaware of the trap that had been set during the night, or the accelerant poured in the storage room where the beast had begun its hungry siege.
Had it not been for the bank of windows in the occupied conference room across the alley offering a full view of the horrible sight, no one would have known.
Alarmed at the smoke that suddenly filled the morning sky the members of the meeting immediately called for help and began the arduous task of evacuating their own building. They would leave none of their workers or friends prey to the fire that would likely jump across to attack the structure they were in.
Sirens could be heard in the distance.
People milled around outside, littering the streets with onlookers standing around staring; trying to get a glimpse at disaster.
"Will you look at that!" John Gage stared open mouthed out the windshield of Squad 51. Smoke filled the sky and hovered around the top of the four story building obscuring any view of the roof. "Man, I hope everyone got out of there."
"Doubt it." Roy sighed. "We'll have to be fast." They both knew they would be sent inside to be sure everyone was accounted for. "We may have to evacuate to the roof."
"I can't even see the roof." Johnny said softly as he leaned forward over the dash trying to get some idea of how bad the fire was on the top floors.
Roy stopped by the hydrant; Johnny grabbed the door handle without thinking. He knew he needed to be ready to hook the feeder hose from the engine to the hydrant. "I don't feel too good about this." He said to his partner and best friend as he slid from the seat and slammed the door. Roy closed his eyes in silent prayer as he hesitated long enough for Johnny to grab his gear before pulling closer to the rapidly deteriorating structure.
Mike slowed the engine to a crawl, not completely stopping as Johnny grabbed the hose and wrapped it snugly around the base of the hydrant. Wasting no time, Mike continued down the street and pulled up next to the squad. Chet and Marco were out of their seats and moving toward the back of the engine anticipating Captain Stanley's orders before he could even open his door. They grabbed hoses, pulled them off the hose bed and stretched them along the street behind the engine in silent acceptance of the battle that waged before them. Captain Stanley radioed for another full alarm. Mike signaled to Johnny and adjusted the gauges on the side of the rig. These men had worked together for some time and knew their jobs well. Before the linemen had the hoses in place and nozzles attached, Johnny had joined his partner beside Captain Stanley and waited for instructions. They both had their air bottles on, and the facemasks hung loosely over their shoulders. "I don't have to tell you guys to be careful." Hank looked at his men.
"No Sir." They said in unison.
"Make it fast." Hank pointed to the building. "Keep your HT handy. I'll see if I can find someone who might know if there is anyone left inside. Kelly, Lopez, back up John and Roy." He glanced over and instructed his linemen; turning back to the paramedic team he continued his directions to them. "Probably need to skip the first floor. I don't think anyone could still be alive in that. Go directly to the second. If it's too hot skip to the third. I'll get a ladder to the roof as soon as I can."
"Right Cap," Roy answered for both of them. Johnny was already donning his facemask and moving toward the entrance. Roy jogged along behind him pulling his own mask into place. They hesitated, only for a second, before entering to be sure they were both ready. Brown eyes met blue, and they relayed much in that split second contact. 'Be careful, make it fast, get in, get out, no heroics, let's go.' A quick glance to Chet and Marco for the go ahead and they were moving inside.
As the crew from 51's entered the mouth of hell, people poured from the surrounding buildings and gathered on the sidewalk. Sirens rang out in the distance, growing louder as additional fire fighting apparatus converged on the scene.
Among the pedestrians who lined the sidewalk across the street watching the horrible sight unfold before them, stood a disheveled looking young man of about twenty two, brown hair, and empty eyes. No one paid attention to him. They all assumed he was one of the out of luck street dwellers that slept in the alleys and store fronts. Only he knew different. Only he knew of the rage that drove him to his actions. Only he knew that today he found revenge.
The office workers on the third floor had no warning before the fire consumed the hallway outside. Now they huddled against the far wall in a rear office, as far from the fire as they could get, waiting and hoping someone would find them before it was too late. They had drained the water cooler soaking shirts, scarves and handkerchiefs to cover their mouths trying to siphon out some of the smoke before it reached their oxygen starved lungs. Fear was etched on their faces and gripped their hearts. One hand held the fabric to their faces; the other wrapped around the person beside them. A group of co-workers, some friends, some acquaintances, were now bound by terror and possible death.
The fire had started on the first floor and spread quickly, fueled by paper and wood, sheet rock and draperies that disintegrated into flames quickly. Screams could be heard through the crackling fire almost drowned out by the roaring, living monster. People panicked and ran from the offices and into the street without calling for emergency assistance leaving the others in the building unaware of the impending danger, unaware of the trap that had been set during the night, or the accelerant poured in the storage room where the beast had begun its hungry siege.
Had it not been for the bank of windows in the occupied conference room across the alley offering a full view of the horrible sight, no one would have known.
Alarmed at the smoke that suddenly filled the morning sky the members of the meeting immediately called for help and began the arduous task of evacuating their own building. They would leave none of their workers or friends prey to the fire that would likely jump across to attack the structure they were in.
Sirens could be heard in the distance.
People milled around outside, littering the streets with onlookers standing around staring; trying to get a glimpse at disaster.
"Will you look at that!" John Gage stared open mouthed out the windshield of Squad 51. Smoke filled the sky and hovered around the top of the four story building obscuring any view of the roof. "Man, I hope everyone got out of there."
"Doubt it." Roy sighed. "We'll have to be fast." They both knew they would be sent inside to be sure everyone was accounted for. "We may have to evacuate to the roof."
"I can't even see the roof." Johnny said softly as he leaned forward over the dash trying to get some idea of how bad the fire was on the top floors.
Roy stopped by the hydrant; Johnny grabbed the door handle without thinking. He knew he needed to be ready to hook the feeder hose from the engine to the hydrant. "I don't feel too good about this." He said to his partner and best friend as he slid from the seat and slammed the door. Roy closed his eyes in silent prayer as he hesitated long enough for Johnny to grab his gear before pulling closer to the rapidly deteriorating structure.
Mike slowed the engine to a crawl, not completely stopping as Johnny grabbed the hose and wrapped it snugly around the base of the hydrant. Wasting no time, Mike continued down the street and pulled up next to the squad. Chet and Marco were out of their seats and moving toward the back of the engine anticipating Captain Stanley's orders before he could even open his door. They grabbed hoses, pulled them off the hose bed and stretched them along the street behind the engine in silent acceptance of the battle that waged before them. Captain Stanley radioed for another full alarm. Mike signaled to Johnny and adjusted the gauges on the side of the rig. These men had worked together for some time and knew their jobs well. Before the linemen had the hoses in place and nozzles attached, Johnny had joined his partner beside Captain Stanley and waited for instructions. They both had their air bottles on, and the facemasks hung loosely over their shoulders. "I don't have to tell you guys to be careful." Hank looked at his men.
"No Sir." They said in unison.
"Make it fast." Hank pointed to the building. "Keep your HT handy. I'll see if I can find someone who might know if there is anyone left inside. Kelly, Lopez, back up John and Roy." He glanced over and instructed his linemen; turning back to the paramedic team he continued his directions to them. "Probably need to skip the first floor. I don't think anyone could still be alive in that. Go directly to the second. If it's too hot skip to the third. I'll get a ladder to the roof as soon as I can."
"Right Cap," Roy answered for both of them. Johnny was already donning his facemask and moving toward the entrance. Roy jogged along behind him pulling his own mask into place. They hesitated, only for a second, before entering to be sure they were both ready. Brown eyes met blue, and they relayed much in that split second contact. 'Be careful, make it fast, get in, get out, no heroics, let's go.' A quick glance to Chet and Marco for the go ahead and they were moving inside.
As the crew from 51's entered the mouth of hell, people poured from the surrounding buildings and gathered on the sidewalk. Sirens rang out in the distance, growing louder as additional fire fighting apparatus converged on the scene.
Among the pedestrians who lined the sidewalk across the street watching the horrible sight unfold before them, stood a disheveled looking young man of about twenty two, brown hair, and empty eyes. No one paid attention to him. They all assumed he was one of the out of luck street dwellers that slept in the alleys and store fronts. Only he knew different. Only he knew of the rage that drove him to his actions. Only he knew that today he found revenge.
