CHAPTER 2
By the time Marten got to the station, Roy had gotten Johnny to tell them what Beckman had said. Jack walked in as Johnny was repeating what Beckman had said about needing medical help.
"John, are you sure it was Beckman?" asked Marten.
"Yeah…no…. I don't know," Johnny stammered. "I mean, who else could it be? He made a remark about the first fire, and he said he was watching us tonight."
"Watching you? So then he was close by after he set that fire?"
Stanley walked over and sat on the edge of the table. "Jack, he made threats against my men. We need to do something."
Marten looked up at the Captain. "I'll call the sheriff's department, first off. I want a tap on this line, in case he calls back again. And I'll see what I can do about getting you some protection here."
Johnny grabbed hold of Marten's arm as Jack got up to make his call. "Jack, he knows my name. When I answered the phone, I used my name….he knows who I am now. And it wouldn't take that much for him to find out who Roy is."
Marten sat back down, looking Johnny in the eye. "John, did he say for sure that he knew that you were the ones that tried to stop him that night at the warehouse?"
"Yeah. He asked if I was the one who chased him, or the one he'd fought with inside the building."
"Okay, just take it easy. Let me give the Chief a call, and contact the Sheriff Department's arson detective. We'll work something out."
He headed into Stanley's office, passing Captain Hanson, who was in charge of B shift.
Stanley pulled Hanson aside to let him know what had happened. All the firefighters who worked at the station would need to be told what was going on.
Thirty minutes later, the remainder of B shift was at the station, ready to make relief. They had all been advised of the threats against Roy and Johnny, and each had made it a point to say something to the pair, to let them know they understood.
As Johnny was leaving, Roy walked up to him. "Hey, Johnny. Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, Roy, I'll be fine. I guess it just spooked me, ya know. Coming back from a fire at the same building, then hearing him talk about the flames getting closer. The guy knows about fire, Roy. Marten told me they found out that Beckman was an explosives expert in the military. He knows a lot of different ways to start a fire. Jack figures he'll probably change his tactics. He's in it for revenge now. And he's targeted Station 51. He wants to prove something. And he's gonna try to use us to do it."
"Look, Johnny, if you want to stay with me for a few days, I wouldn't mind the company. Joanne and the kids are visiting her sister. It would give us a chance to talk, ya know?"
"Thanks, Roy, but I'm just gonna go on home. I have some stuff planned for the weekend, and I'm not about to let this guy screw up my days off."
"Okay, Johnny, but the offer stands if you change your mind. I'll see ya on Monday."
"See ya, Roy. And Roy…thanks. I appreciate the offer."
They waved goodbye and both got into their separate vehicles and headed home.
/
Two days later, Roy was on the phone with Joanne when the doorbell rang. He told his wife to hold on and went to find out who was at the door. Jack Marten was standing on the other side of the door.
"Jack, c'mon in, I'm on the phone. I'll just be a minute." He waved Marten into the kitchen, and picked up the phone again. "Honey?...yeah, Jack Marten. You remember me telling you about him?...Okay, I will. Give the kids a kiss for me...Okay, sweetheart. I'll see ya next week. I love you." He hung up the phone. "I was just getting ready to make me a sandwich for lunch. Care for something?" Marten nodded and made small talk with Roy as he got out the fixings for sandwiches and poured Marten a cup of coffee.
"So, what's up, Jack?" Roy asked, as he prepared the sandwiches. "You didn't drive all the way out here just for a cup of my coffee and food."
"No, I didn't. I'm worried Roy. About you and Gage. We've been able to learn more about Beckman's movements the last few years. We ran that partial print through NCIC—the National Crime Information Center. It seems our boy's been busy. On the east coast. Only they know him as Matthew Barton. And he's been putting his explosives expertise to use."
"So, he's been setting fires there, too?"
"Yeah. Setting fires and killing people. It seems he got into a scrape with the law because of some problem with a landlord. He assaulted the guy one night and his victim decided to press charges. When Beckman heard about it, he beat the guy up again. Knocked him unconscious, then started a fire in the apartment building. It killed the landlord. And two other people in the building."
"My God! I take it they never caught up with him."
"No. That was 3 years ago. He apparently left town after that. His movements for the next two years are unknown. He showed back up in California last year, using the name Melvin Blevins. We've talked to the company he's been working for the last year, showed his boss a photo. He verified that the man he knows as Blevins, is definitely Matthew Beckman."
"So, now what?"
"I was able to get a more current picture of Beckman," he said, opening the file he had brought with him. He pulled out a photo and handed it to Roy.
"Take a good look Roy. I want you and Gage to commit this face to memory. He told John that he was watching you at the fire the other night. He'll probably continue to do that and I want you guys ready."
Roy carried the food over to the kitchen table, where Marten joined him. As they ate lunch, they continued to talk about Beckman.
/
As Roy carried the dishes into the kitchen, the phone rang. Since Roy's hand were full, he ask Marten to pick it up.
"DeSoto residence."
"Roy? Is that you?"
"No, he's busy at the moment. This is Jack Marten."
"Jack! Just the person I need to talk to! This is John Gage. I heard from Beckman again!"
/
Roy opened the door to a very agitated John Gage. After he called, Marten thought it would be a good idea for the three of them to get together and talk, so Gage had come to join them. As he rushed past Roy, he pulled an envelope from his pocket and set it down in front of Marten.
"The man knows where I live, Jack! I got this in the mail today!" Marten began to carefully open the envelope and pull out the single sheet inside, as Johnny turned to Roy.
"Did you get one of these too, Roy?"
"The mail hasn't come yet today, Johnny." Checking his watch, he said "Probably another hour or so."
Marten was reading the simple note.
REMEMBER, GAGE, I'M WATCHING YOU! AND YOUR BUDDY, DESOTO, TOO. I WILL WIN THIS GAME. THE FLAMES ARE GETTING CLOSER! DON'T GET BURNED, FIREMAN GAGE!
"John, how much did you handle this letter?" Jack asked.
"Just enough to take it out and read it, then put it back in the envelope. Once I figured out what it was, I was careful Jack. But, I didn't know what it was until I opened it. You can see for yourself, there's no return address."
"Roy, do you have a large manila envelope I can put this in?" As Roy went to grab the requested item, Jack continued. "And Roy, if you don't mind, I'd like to stick around until your mail comes, see if you get one of these as well."
"Sure, Jack, that's not a problem. You know, I remember Captain Stanley saying something about Beckman contacting you after that first fire. What was that about?"
"At the time, I didn't know it was Beckman. I got a letter, addressed to the 'arson investigator in charge of the warehouse fires'. Looking at this letter, I'd be willing to bet they're both from the same guy. The lettering looks the same. Mine wasn't as personal though, probably because he hadn't been publicly identified yet. Or he didn't know my name. We'll run both of the letters through the lab for comparison."
As they waited for the postman to bring Roy's mail, they talked about Beckman and the fires-those they knew he set, and some they only suspected. Once the mail arrived, they sorted through the envelopes carefully, finding the one they were looking for. Marten handled it carefully, wanting to preserve any evidence that might be there. He open this letter, and slid the sheet out, reading it out loud to DeSoto and Gage.
FIREMAN DESOTO, I AM WATCHING YOU. YOU AND YOUR PARTNER, FIREMAN GAGE! YOU STOPPED ME ONCE, BUT YOU WON'T STOP ME AGAIN. OH, BY THE WAY, HOW'S THE FAMILY?
The last line scared the hell out of Roy. It was bad enough the guy was threatening him, but he was also threatening his family. Roy was thankful they were out of town, and he would make sure they stayed gone until Beckman was caught.
Johnny was equally shocked at the letter. Joanne and the kids were his second family and didn't want something to happen to them because of this guy.
"Roy," he asked, turning to his best friend, "when are Joanne and the kids coming home?"
"They're supposed to be back next week, but I'll call her and tell her to stay with her sister until this thing is finished."
Marten watched the two paramedics as they discussed Roy's family. He knew something needed to be done quickly, before Beckman hurt anyone else. Especially these two. Marten had spoken with several people about this latest rash of arsons. And every time the conversation got around to DeSoto and Gage, he heard the same thing. Good, solid firefighters. Two of the best paramedics in the county. Two men you could depend on.
Marten wasn't about to let anything happen to them or anyone else if he could help it.
/
When the paramedics returned to work the next day, they found a Sheriff's patrol car parked in the parking lot. As they walked into the kitchen, they saw Deputy Jerry Harrison sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and talking to Stanley and Kelly.
"Hey Johnny, Roy," said Harrison as he noticed the pair enter the room. They both said hello, and Harrison explained that he had been assigned to shadow the squad on its runs and generally just stay close by. There would be a deputy staying with the squad around the clock.
"Marten is taking the threats very seriously," explained Stanley. "And I, for one, will feel more comfortable with the law close by."
"Well, I talked to Joanne," said Roy. "She and the kids are going to stay out of town until this thing is settled one way or another. I just hope it's quick. I don't like having them so far away."
"Better out of state, then here where Beckman can hurt them though, Roy," stated Gage.
"Yeah, Johnny, I know. I just miss them, ya know?"
"Understood, partner. How about some coffee?" DeSoto nodded and Johnny walked over to pour them both a cup. Then they sat down and spoke with Harrison about what to expect if Beckman was spotted. Jerry explained that all the officers in the area had been made aware of the situation at that morning's roll call. And subsequent roll calls would get the same information. Beckman's picture was posted and all the deputies who would be doing the duty with the squad would carry his photo with them as well. They would also advise all patrol units when the squad and engine responded to a fire. Any available units would patrol through the area in case Beckman was spotted.
The shift was relatively quiet. No contact came in from Beckman, and no warehouses burned. Everyone was quietly hoping that the presence of the deputy had discouraged Beckman from making a move against the paramedics. But no one really expected that to be the case. Beckman had challenged them, and from everything Jack Marten had told them about the suspect, they didn't expect him to just fade away. But they were grateful for the reprieve anyway, even if only temporary.
As Gage drove home the next morning following his shift, he thought about the man that had threatened them. He hoped that Beckman was caught soon. Maybe he would get too confident, and make a mistake. He's already made one, by almost getting caught that night at the warehouse. Hopefully, they would be able to catch him next time. Johnny was so deep in thought, that he didn't notice the smoke at first.
When he did finally see it, it took a moment for him to realize that the smoke was coming from his apartment building. As he got closer to the building, he saw the fire engine and ladder truck, and saw flames from the end of the building where his apartment was.
He stopped his Land Rover along the curb, and jumped out, heading for the building. Looking around, he noticed Captain Henderson, from Station 18, standing by the engine, directing the firefighters. As he headed that way, Henderson looked up and saw him walking toward him. Henderson said something to the engineer next to him, then headed over to meet Gage halfway.
"Gage, thank God!" he stated, "We were afraid you were inside."
"Cap, what happened? How'd it start?"
"Don't know yet, John, but Jack Marten's on the way."
"Marten? Wait a minute, you think it was arson?!" Gage looked at the building again, only then realizing that the fire was in his own apartment! "Oh God! Beckman? Did Beckman do this?"
"We won't know that until we get in there. Luckily, we arrived before it spread to any other part of the building. I'm not sure what the extent of the damage is to your apartment though, John."
Thirty minutes later, the fire was extinguished and Henderson and Gage went to check out the apartment, following Jack Marten, who had arrived just a short time before. Marten wanted to check it out first, to preserve any evidence. Johnny had called Roy, to tell him what happened, and warn him to be careful. If Beckman had started this fire, there was no reason to think he wouldn't target DeSoto as well.
Once Johnny was finally able to check out the damage to his place, he was glad to see that it wasn't too bad. It looked like the fire had started in the kitchen. As he, Marten and Henderson surveyed the damage, the phone rang. Hoping it would be Roy, Gage went into his bedroom to pick up the phone, having noticed that the phone in the kitchen had been destroyed by the fire.
The others were still searching the kitchen when they heard Gage's voice, raised in anger.
"You bastard! You could have killed everybody in this building! If you want a piece of me and my partner, why not face us? Or are you too much of a coward?! Beckman? Beckman! Damn it!"
Marten ran into the bedroom, just as Gage threw the phone against the wall.
"I take it our friend made contact," Jack said, quietly, hoping to force Johnny to calm down.
"That son-of-a-bitch! Jack, he could have hurt a lot of people here! Do you know how many senior citizens live in this building?!"
"Yeah, we were lucky. But maybe Beckman just made his first big mistake, Johnny," Marten said, a smile beginning to form on his face.
"What do mean?" Marten didn't answer, just looked over at the phone, now laying on the floor. Gage followed his gaze, understanding now. "You have a trace on my phone, don't you?"
Jack just nodded, still smiling and turning back out of the bedroom. As they walked back out into the living room, Roy DeSoto came running in.
"Johnny, are you alright?"
"Yeah, Roy, I'm fine," Johnny assured him, looking around at his home. "But I won't be staying here tonight."
"You can stay with me," Roy told him. "Grab some clothes. From the looks of this place, you won't be back here for at least a week."
As Johnny went to pack some things he would need, Marten and Roy talked about the chances that Beckman would come after him.
"Ya know, Jack," Roy said, thoughtfully, "maybe this is for the best. With Johnny and I together, he may make his move against us. And at my house, nobody else will get hurt if something does happen."
Marten agreed, but told Roy he was still going to make arrangements for police protection for them off-duty as well as at the station. Beckman was getting too close.
/