Chapter 2

" Stephens. In my office." Bryce popped his head into the kitchen at the firehouse. "We need to chat." The man's gruff voice boomed.

Zack's muscles stiffened. Whatever conversation loomed, it would be from boss to employee, not friend to friend.

Zack shoved the rest of his midmorning chocolate donut in his mouth, then set his coffee cup down on the dining table.

Trace, one of the EMTs, slapped him on the shoulder. "Have fun, Trouble."

Zack winced.

The rest of the guys sat around the table. "Who's ready for another round?" Eddie fanned a pack of cards and shuffled the deck.

"I've got a strategy you can't beat." Izan, one of the firefighters, flexed his fingers.

The crew's voices faded, and Zack walked down the hall to Bryce's office. All he wanted was to be part of the team.

Once more, he wasn't included.

He hated being pulled away from the guys. He didn't want to be known as Trouble.

Still, he seemed to have a knack for finding it. Which meant once again, he needed to figure a way out of it. He didn't have to hide that reality. God already knew. And He'd saved Zack from his mistakes. Made him a new creation. He didn't have anything to prove to God, but he sure needed to earn the favor of the squad.

Zack hadn't discovered how to solve that case. It was easier to rappel down the side of a building and save someone's life than it was to insert himself for good as a member of the Last Chance County Fire and Rescue team.

Before he could reach Bryce's office, the alarm echoed in the hall. "Sumner Bridge collapse. Civilians involved. Rescue 5, Truck 14, Ambo 21," the dispatcher read.

Zack's shoulders loosened and he sprinted to the engine bay. The interrogation with his boss would have to wait.

He donned his attire and equipment and hopped up into the truck seconds before Ridge peeled out of the drive. He held his helmet in hand and stared at the picture of his parents wedged inside. A loss he refused to be overtaken by. The reminder propelled him further. He might be loaded down with gear, but the chance to save a life made the burden light.

"Rescue 5 en route. ETA six minutes." Bryce spoke over the radio comms.

A few seconds later, the radio crackled. "Copy. Thirty-plus victims trapped in the river among the collapsed bridge. Officers already on scene."

They pulled up to the edge of the park where half a dozen people waded out of the river, screaming and splashing. The bridge had buckled, the middle section sunk into the river. Civilians still on the unstable structure clawed at the beams, seeking a refuge from the water below.

"Eddie, grab the ropes. I want you and Zack pulling people out." Bryce slammed his door. "Ridge, set up an area for those who need medical assistance."

Zack jogged down to the embankment and took a moment to assess the area. Those precious seconds of familiarizing himself with his surroundings could mean life or death for anyone involved. Rocks and dirt lined the steep slope that led to the water's edge. Wooden slats from the bridge floated in the water. A few were caught on rocks and jutted straight up.

A woman with jet-black hair grabbed on to someone's arm and helped pull them out of the river. They made their way over to Zack, both sopping wet.

He pointed to Ridge. "Head over to the grass by the swings. Someone will help you."

"Help. My leg's stuck."

"She hit her head!"

"I can't get up. The rocks are too slippery."

Chaos swirled around him, all the voices blending into a wash of noise. Focus.

Eddie dashed over to Zack and slapped him on the back. "One at a time. Let's go."

Zack forged ahead through the water, ignoring the icy temperature stabbing his legs. He grabbed a flailing woman's arm, righted her, and held her tight as he led her out of the water to Amelia by the medical tent. "Here you go, Lieutenant."

Eddie shoved a broken beam aside and hefted a woman into his arms. Blood matted her hair. "If you can swim, head to shore."

"I'll grab the others over here." Zack pointed to his left, upstream.

Eddie nodded. "I'll take the two up there."

Zack glided his feet along the rocks and worked his way upstream, careful not to take big steps and risk slipping. He pushed several wooden boards out of the way and tossed a few onto the embankment.

Zack cupped his hands over his mouth. "Fire Department. We're here to help."

"My foot is stuck under the debris." An older man waved his arms in the air from his crouched position on a rock. A woman bent low next to him, her business suit sopping wet and plastered to her frame. She worked on freeing him and now fought to yank on something below the water's surface.

"Here, let me help." Zack came up beside the woman and extended his hand.

She turned to face him, and her dark brown eyes bored into his. Zack's mind rushed him back to another time and place. Between her black hair, held back in a wet and matted ponytail, and her melanin-rich skin, there was no mistaking who stood beside him.

"Naya." Her name came out in a whisper, and Zack cleared his throat.

"Zack." She glanced down at his soaked uniform and pulled her hand from his grasp. "This man needs help."

Zack turned his attention to the guy. "What's your name, sir?"

"Jay. I was just trying to support a good cause." The man groaned, his face pinched. "Now look what happened." He waved his hand, but his balance teetered. Zack grabbed the man's upper arm to stop him from falling back from his crouch.

"We're going to get you out of here, Jay." Zack studied the water below, which was murky, given all the debris, but still clear enough to see what trapped the man.

Naya pointed. "This rock rolled over, and it's pinning his foot down."

"Can you spot him so he doesn't fall, and I'll try to move it?" Zack shifted to Jay's right.

Naya nodded, her eyes dark. She blinked and lifted her lips in a polite smile for the man. "How long have you been with this group?"

Zack tuned out their conversation and crouched, feeling around the boulder. No time to go back to the truck for tools, but rolling it would hurt the man for a moment. "Hold your breath on three. Ready?"

Jay nodded.

Zack got the rock over, using the current of the water to send it downstream. Jay let out a groan. "Thank you."

"Stephens!" Bryce stood by the embankment. "You got it under control over there?"

The comment shouldn't bother Zack, but the underlying accusation swelled over him faster than the current he stood in.

Bryce would never say it to his face, but the lieutenant didn't think Zack could hold his own and not cause more problems along the way. Just last week he'd been vacuuming, and the motor had overheated and almost started a fire thanks to the dust bag not having been emptied. He'd wanted to help, and it had backfired.

Zack was determined to prove Bryce wrong and show the whole rescue crew they needed him on their team. They were supposed to be his family, but he still floundered like a fish out of water.

"Never better, Lieutenant." Zack plastered on a smile and swung Jay's right arm over his shoulder. He gripped the man's torso. "Can you stand up fully for me?"

Naya had positioned herself on Jay's other side. Jay let out a groan and stood to full height. A frown filled Naya's face.

"Good?"

She nodded.

"Okay, on the count of three, we're going to move to that path over there." Zack pointed to the smooth dirt area about five yards away that led up to the grass where Bryce waited.

"One, two, three."

"Keep your weight on us," Naya added.

Zack began to trudge toward the water's edge. Naya was really helping him? He was surprised she hadn't turned her back and gone to find someone else to assist, given he'd been the one to leave her all those years ago. Disappearing from her life with no explanation. He wouldn't blame her for reciprocating the gesture, except she didn't know the truth of what had actually happened.

The shuffle of their feet kicked up dirt and clouded the water. There was no way to tell the extent of the injury to the man's foot, but the sooner they got him to Trace and Kianna, the better.

"We're almost there." Zack pushed forward, taking on most of the man's weight.

Bryce maneuvered his way down the path to the edge of the water. "I've got him now." The lieutenant took hold of the man's arm.

"I can take him to the ambo." Zack stepped up onto the grass, still holding Jay's other arm.

"I've got it." Bryce's eyes narrowed. "Go do what you were ordered."

Zack's jaw tightened. He'd done what was asked of him and done it well. Why couldn't Bryce recognize that? "Yes, sir." Zack let go of the man's arm, and Bryce took the lead.

"Thanks for your help." He turned to Naya. "Hey."

She had walked right back into the water, her arms outstretched to maintain her balance. Blood caked her forearm, but it didn't appear to be bleeding anymore.

"Naya." He jogged to her. "You're hurt."

"I'll be fine. I need to find my notepad."

"Paper or a tablet?" Zack stayed close to her side. "Because paper is going to be wet and illegible by now."

"Just give me one second to—" Naya started to fall to the side, and her arms flailed.

Zack grabbed her arm and shoulder to steady her while his own heart pounded. "Easy. These rocks are slippery, and you should really get that arm looked at." He pointed to the bloody area.

Her gaze trailed down to his wrist and the red corded bracelet he wore.

Once her red bracelet.

She stepped out of his grasp, her body shivering.

Was she really so surprised? "Naya?—"

"Fine. No notepad. Let's go." She trudged through the water, each step spraying droplets around Zack. He followed behind her until they were on dry ground. "I'll see myself out from here." She headed toward the medic area.

Eddie clapped him on the shoulder. "Focus up, man. There're more people to save."

Zack turned away from the past and got back to work.

Three hours later, back at the firehouse, Zack was all done filling out the reporting form from the callout. He leaned back in the chair and raised his arms above his head, stretching out his shoulders.

Eddie walked by, holding a burrito. "Bro, lunch has been ready a while."

Zack stood.

"Also, the lieutenant asked to see you in his office."

So much for food. Zack wandered down the hall and rapped on the lieutenant's door.

"It's open."

Zack took a seat across from Bryce's desk and offered a grin. "We got the job done today. No fish left floundering in the water." Maybe if Zack started off with what had gone well, Bryce would forget anything that he didn't approve of.

"We needed all hands-on deck. It certainly wasn't a joking matter." Bryce raised his brow. "But you're right. We got the job done."

"Of course. I agree." He remained rigid in his chair, unsure where Bryce was going with the conversation.

"I reviewed your application and see you want to get your hazmat certification."

Zack made eye contact with Bryce but couldn't figure out how his boss felt about the request. "I want to follow in my father's footsteps. He was a chemist."

"You like that stuff?" Bryce studied him. "I was worried this was about joining the bomb squad."

"I'm not crazy." Zack shrugged. "But I like reading his journals and figuring out what he was working on. It's like a puzzle. I started the coursework four weeks ago to get ahead." Assuming Bryce would give him the green light for pursuing the certification.

Bryce slid a manila folder across his desk. "As part of your ops training, I want you to take a look at this file. Work through the report and see what you can find on the chemicals used and the protocol taken in the investigation. See if you find anything overlooked. It's a cold case now, but fresh eyes never hurt."

Another puzzle to solve. More like a test to prove he had what it took for the team. "And if I find anything?" Zack took the folder.

"Write it up so we can add it to the police report. I want it back on my desk in a week."

"Yes, sir." He hopped up out of the chair.

"How far are you into completing the forty hours?" Bryce steepled his fingers.

"Halfway sir."

"Good. Once your finish the hours and if you pass the certification exam, we'll talk more. This could be a good opportunity for you. We need more guys on hazmat."

The underlying implication was still there. If he passed. Zack wouldn't make it optional. He would succeed.

He headed to the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cereal to hold him over until dinner, then slid into a chair and opened the file.

He'd bring his A game.

His eyes perused the front-page details and froze at the names of the victims listed. Douglas and Callie Nelson.

His hand dropped to the table and hit the edge of the cereal bowl, tipping it over. Milk and soggy grains splashed across the surface, running in every direction.

Zack yanked the papers into the air.

This wasn't just any cold case he'd been given to solve. He'd wanted to learn hazmat so he could feel closer to his father and prove to the squad that he belonged. Not reopen the incident that killed his parents.