Joy In Hell
by GCS
Chapter Two
"Hey, are you in charge?" A man in coveralls ran over and grabbed Captain Stanley by the arm.
He spun around, "Yes," he paused, waiting for the man to continue.
"I'm the building super. I've tried to see if anyone is…is…" He waved breathlessly at the burning structure. "There's a small office…third floor…north end…maybe five people…" He coughed out the words.
"Take it easy, five you say."
"Not sure…maybe…five people work there." The man bent down and put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Stoker, get the oxygen." Hank helped the man over to the squad and helped him sit on the bumper. He pulled the HT to his mouth. "HT 51." He waited for response.
"HT 51." Roy yelled through his facemask.
"We have report of possibly five people in an office, third floor, north end." Hank repeated the location. "Third floor, north end."
"10-4" Roy and Johnny met eyes and with understanding turned to the stairwell.
There was a slight twinkle in the vacant eyes. He'd overheard that sorry man that fired him last week. He'd told the fireman there were five people still inside. One corner of his cracked, dry lips tilted upward. Revenge can be sweet, but just how sweet was yet to be seen. He moved back into the crowd. He didn't want the super to see him, recognize him. Not yet. Not until the building buckled and fell to the ground. Not until the bodies were brought out. Then he would finish what he'd started. Then he would seal the super's fate. It was his self appointed job. It was his turn to pull the rug out from under the man. Take away his life, his world, his livelihood.
He'd staged this spectacle, planted everything in place to make it look like negligence on his former boss' part. That man would suffer; suffer like he had or worse. He'd seen to that.
In the small office on the third floor the group of occupants struggled to keep it together. The petite brunette receptionist let out a whimper as her shoulders sagged and her head fell against the office manager's shoulder and tears began to track down her soot covered face. His arm pulled her closer and his cheek rested on the top of her head. She'd only started working there last week. He didn't even know her very well, but now he comforted her as though she were family.
The heat grew intensely as they waited, pressed snuggly against the wall, each thinking of the people they would leave behind; each fearing the flames that must be inching toward them, each praying for their souls, humbly calling out to a higher power to spare their lives, to spare them from pain.
Johnny and Roy took the stairs two at a time as they raced up to the third floor. They both knew by the heat of the fire that time was limited. Sweat poured down their backs making their blue uniform shirts stick against their overheated skin.
Stopping at the top of the stairs, Johnny pulled off his glove and felt the door. It was warm, but not hot. He slid his slender fingers back into the glove and grabbed the door handle. Pushing it slowly open enough to peek through the crack, he saw the flames on the far end of the hall creeping up the decorative wall paper and across the ceiling. Paint bubbled and burst sending hot pieces sifting down to the tiled floor melting dents into the surface. He stepped into the hall with Roy at his heels. Time was running out.
Johnny pointed down the hall at the storage room door, at the pooling flames that poured from the crack between the tiles and the base of the door. Then his finger tracked up the side along with the flames that trickled from the frame. This fire was no accident.
They knew what the young man on the sidewalk had known. Only he knew how many storage rooms had been doused with the elixir that now sent the fire racing throughout the building. Only he knew what lay ahead for them.
With a new resolve they moved to the office they'd been directed to. If this fire was arson, then there could be more surprises. "Hello! Anyone in here?" Roy yelled. Johnny moved about the small reception area checking under the desk. He looked up to Roy and nodded. The two men moved into the small hallway meticulously checking each office as they moved along.
"Hey! Anyone here?" Johnny pulled off his facemask and yelled. He pushed it back into place before taking a deep breath of canned air.
"Here! We're back here!" A frantic scream could be heard from the back room. Both men ran down the short hallway and pushed open the door. Johnny tripped over the jacket that had been stuffed under the door and nearly fell. Roy caught him by the elbow as they entered the room. "Thank God!" Five people scrambled to their feet.
"We need to get out of here." Roy pulled off his face mask and explained the plan to the frightened group. They would keep their damp cloths over their mouths and escape to the roof. Roy would take the lead and Johnny would follow up last. "HT 51 to Engine 51"
"Engine 51."
"Cap we have five people. We're headed to the roof."
"10-4"
"Cap, this was no accident." Roy looked at his partner.
"Repeat."
"There's evidence of accelerant."
"10-4 HT 51. Evacuate to roof. I'll call for a chopper. We'll get you off by air or snorkel. Engine 51 out."
Brown eyes met blue just before their assembled group headed back out into the fire drenched hallway. The rescuers silently understood the urgency to get these people to safety. That's what they did. That's why they were here. Johnny reached out and grasped Roy's shoulder. Roy nodded his understanding. Johnny wanted him to get everyone out no matter what happened behind him. Johnny smiled at his best friend. Roy winked back at him. Johnny knew that Roy would do everything in his power to make sure he got out as well, but they had a job to do, and they knew the risks.
He spun around, "Yes," he paused, waiting for the man to continue.
"I'm the building super. I've tried to see if anyone is…is…" He waved breathlessly at the burning structure. "There's a small office…third floor…north end…maybe five people…" He coughed out the words.
"Take it easy, five you say."
"Not sure…maybe…five people work there." The man bent down and put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Stoker, get the oxygen." Hank helped the man over to the squad and helped him sit on the bumper. He pulled the HT to his mouth. "HT 51." He waited for response.
"HT 51." Roy yelled through his facemask.
"We have report of possibly five people in an office, third floor, north end." Hank repeated the location. "Third floor, north end."
"10-4" Roy and Johnny met eyes and with understanding turned to the stairwell.
There was a slight twinkle in the vacant eyes. He'd overheard that sorry man that fired him last week. He'd told the fireman there were five people still inside. One corner of his cracked, dry lips tilted upward. Revenge can be sweet, but just how sweet was yet to be seen. He moved back into the crowd. He didn't want the super to see him, recognize him. Not yet. Not until the building buckled and fell to the ground. Not until the bodies were brought out. Then he would finish what he'd started. Then he would seal the super's fate. It was his self appointed job. It was his turn to pull the rug out from under the man. Take away his life, his world, his livelihood.
He'd staged this spectacle, planted everything in place to make it look like negligence on his former boss' part. That man would suffer; suffer like he had or worse. He'd seen to that.
In the small office on the third floor the group of occupants struggled to keep it together. The petite brunette receptionist let out a whimper as her shoulders sagged and her head fell against the office manager's shoulder and tears began to track down her soot covered face. His arm pulled her closer and his cheek rested on the top of her head. She'd only started working there last week. He didn't even know her very well, but now he comforted her as though she were family.
The heat grew intensely as they waited, pressed snuggly against the wall, each thinking of the people they would leave behind; each fearing the flames that must be inching toward them, each praying for their souls, humbly calling out to a higher power to spare their lives, to spare them from pain.
Johnny and Roy took the stairs two at a time as they raced up to the third floor. They both knew by the heat of the fire that time was limited. Sweat poured down their backs making their blue uniform shirts stick against their overheated skin.
Stopping at the top of the stairs, Johnny pulled off his glove and felt the door. It was warm, but not hot. He slid his slender fingers back into the glove and grabbed the door handle. Pushing it slowly open enough to peek through the crack, he saw the flames on the far end of the hall creeping up the decorative wall paper and across the ceiling. Paint bubbled and burst sending hot pieces sifting down to the tiled floor melting dents into the surface. He stepped into the hall with Roy at his heels. Time was running out.
Johnny pointed down the hall at the storage room door, at the pooling flames that poured from the crack between the tiles and the base of the door. Then his finger tracked up the side along with the flames that trickled from the frame. This fire was no accident.
They knew what the young man on the sidewalk had known. Only he knew how many storage rooms had been doused with the elixir that now sent the fire racing throughout the building. Only he knew what lay ahead for them.
With a new resolve they moved to the office they'd been directed to. If this fire was arson, then there could be more surprises. "Hello! Anyone in here?" Roy yelled. Johnny moved about the small reception area checking under the desk. He looked up to Roy and nodded. The two men moved into the small hallway meticulously checking each office as they moved along.
"Hey! Anyone here?" Johnny pulled off his facemask and yelled. He pushed it back into place before taking a deep breath of canned air.
"Here! We're back here!" A frantic scream could be heard from the back room. Both men ran down the short hallway and pushed open the door. Johnny tripped over the jacket that had been stuffed under the door and nearly fell. Roy caught him by the elbow as they entered the room. "Thank God!" Five people scrambled to their feet.
"We need to get out of here." Roy pulled off his face mask and explained the plan to the frightened group. They would keep their damp cloths over their mouths and escape to the roof. Roy would take the lead and Johnny would follow up last. "HT 51 to Engine 51"
"Engine 51."
"Cap we have five people. We're headed to the roof."
"10-4"
"Cap, this was no accident." Roy looked at his partner.
"Repeat."
"There's evidence of accelerant."
"10-4 HT 51. Evacuate to roof. I'll call for a chopper. We'll get you off by air or snorkel. Engine 51 out."
Brown eyes met blue just before their assembled group headed back out into the fire drenched hallway. The rescuers silently understood the urgency to get these people to safety. That's what they did. That's why they were here. Johnny reached out and grasped Roy's shoulder. Roy nodded his understanding. Johnny wanted him to get everyone out no matter what happened behind him. Johnny smiled at his best friend. Roy winked back at him. Johnny knew that Roy would do everything in his power to make sure he got out as well, but they had a job to do, and they knew the risks.
