Yeay. I am sure I speak for many when I say that I am grateful this year is coming to an end. It was way too much to bear. While I can't complain about the farm and all the new customers we gathered, my heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones this year, or who are stuck in lockdown, fighting with isolation and the demons that come with it, as well as many of my friends who are on the verge of losing their business. Let's all hope next year will be better!

He could see the smoke billowing from the third story apartment long before they ever arrived.

As multiple units responded to their call to arms, a small force of patrol and unmarked police cars, along with a group of fire trucks was slowly singling in on the building in question.

Traffic had begun to bypass the area as debris from the burning complex showered the sidewalk and adjacent road with glass and bricks alike. Gapers were gathering across the street, willfully oblivious to the terrified tenants rushing out of the apartment building.

As soon as he saw the mint green Galaxy parked near a bank, Mike slammed on the brakes, carelessly stopping in the middle of the road, and got out. Glancing up at the burning apartment for a brief second, he drew in a deep breath, his heart hammering in his chest for fear of what they might find.

Somewhere in the back, the wailing of an approaching fire truck pulled him out of his terror and he met Haseejian's stern eyes, the Armenian detective's expression intentionally neutral, as he pointed his chin at the fire.

"I don't see either one of them down here. They might be upstairs. Do you want to wait for backup, Lieutenant?"

"The hell I will.", Mike barked and ran across the street, Norm right on his heels as they pushed past some of the tenants fleeing the fire, many of them trying to salvage their belongings in pillow cases and garbage bags.

He could smell the smoke all the way in the stairwell, the white hue quickly turning into squalls of gray and black the higher they climbed. The burning fumes made Mike cough, hurting his lungs and making his throat sore.

The steady traffic of people disappeared completely by the time they reached the second floor, and temperatures rose significantly, making him sweat in his thick overcoat and suit.

"We gotta be careful!", Norm cautioned from behind, as they entered the stairwell to the third floor, the noise of snapping and sizzling building materials accompanying the roar of the out-of-control fire.

The hallway to the top floor looked as though they had entered the gates of hell itself, as thick black and gray clouds of smoke obscured their vision.

"Steve! Dan!"

Coughing more violently, Mike ducked the flames that were crawling along the ceiling, sending pieces of burning wallpaper to the ground, where they burnt holes into the carpet.

"Steve! Dan!"

Despite the smoke, he could see the large flames ravaging the last apartment on the right, popping noises here and there signaling materials expanding and combusting from the heat.

"Steve! Dan!", he tried again and walked deeper into the mess, feeling the intense heat of the fire on his cheeks.

"Mike, we can't go in there. It's too dangerous!", Norm called out from a few feet away, a stern warning even he had to agree with, albeit unwillingly.

As their vision deteriorated to mere inches, Mike was getting ready to get on his knees to further check out the area before the fire would force them to retreat, when his foot touched something.

Partially blinded between the smoke and the heat and with his eyes burning from the toxic materials gone airborne, he used his hands for guidance, his heart skipping a beat when his fingers traced the expensive fabric of a custom-tailored suit.

"Norm, I've found Steve!", Mike yelled over the roar of the fire, temporary startled when pieces of the door frame down the hall collapsed, causing an eruption of flames.

"He still alive?", the Armenian detective asked worriedly when he arrived by his side, one hand on Mike's shoulder.

"I don't know…", he yelled back and reached inside his partner's suit coat, detecting faint movement that felt like desperate gasps for air, "I think so. We gotta get him out of here and look for Dan."

"I'll grab him.", Norm suggested and carefully pulled on Mike's elbow, "We gotta get out of here, Lieutenant. It's not safe. We wait any longer, and our escape route is going to get cut off. If Haley is in that apartment, he's long gone. He's my partner. He wouldn't want us to get killed trying to save him."

Recognizing the sad truth behind Haseejian's words, Mike slowly took a step back, careful to avoid the burning walls, as he made room for the Armenian detective to scoot by.

"Come on, kiddo, let's get you outta here.", Norm mumbled between coughs and went down on his knees, before gently pulling the young Inspector into a fireman's carry, "Lieutenant, you guide the way."

Grunting under the extra weight, Haseejian slowly got back on his feet, a faint groan of pain escaping his lips as he straightened out his knees and wrapped his left arm around Steve's wrist and leg to hold him in place across his broad shoulders.

Mike hesitated for the fraction of a second, his mind unable to comprehend the abstract scene, his overwhelmed senses turning the fear for his partner's life into utter shell shock, as the fire began to engulf their location. Then, as he exchanged a faint nod with Norm, he turned back around and slowly headed for the stairwell, tears brought on by the toxic smoke making his vision blurry, the skin on his face burning incessantly.

A few feet into their retreat, he turned around to make sure that Norm was still with him, the sight of Steve's lifeless body curled around the Armenian detective's shoulders making the blood freeze in his veins.

When he received an approving nod, he continued toward the stairwell, the sound of crackling and popping following them along, as pieces of the ceiling collapsed behind them, causing another wall of fire to rush through the corridor.

Behind him, Haseejian groaned under the strain of carrying Steve, his coughs becoming more frequent and violent, as they descended toward the second floor.

"Hang in there, Norm!", Mike begged, grateful when the air cleared somewhat, allowing them to see several feet ahead, "We're almost out of here."

"Easy for you to say.", the Armenian detective grunted and paused a moment to readjust Steve's body.

By the time they reached the stairwell to the main floor, flames were raining down on them from the ceiling up above, as peeling paint and wallpaper turned into a deadly drizzle. Mike caught one of them landing on his shoulder and quickly brushed it off, but couldn't avoid it from burning a hole into his black overcoat.

Alarmed by other police officers who had noticed their absence, two fire fighters greeted them at the main floor, their worried faces taking in the dramatic scene.

"Are you Lieutenant Stone?"

Nodding at the young man as they reached the main foyer, Mike pointed at Norm.

"We need an ambulance. And we have another detective unaccounted for."

"We understand that, Lieutenant. Ambulance has been called in already.", the older of the two fire fighter said soothingly and held the door to the outside open for the detectives, "But the top floor is in severe danger of collapsing. We must evacuate the building now."

Sliding out into the fresh air, Mike made room for Norm to squeeze through the door with his precious cargo in tow, breathing and coughing heavily.

Risking a glance up and saying a silent prayer that Dan wasn't in that apartment, Mike suddenly found himself in the middle of his nightmare again, his active mind recreating the terrifying scene of parts of the outer wall coming down on them in the midst of rendering CPR.

"I gotta put him down, Mike, I gotta take a break…", Norm cried in pain and stopped on the sidewalk, ready to drop to his knees.

"Not here, Sergeant, it's too close to the building.", he urged, one hand on Hassejian's lower back while keeping an eye on the fire three stories above, "Come on, keep going, please."

"Mike, I swear to you, I can't…"

When the two fire fighters noticed Norm's struggle, they moved to his side, wrapping their strong arms around his waist to help him to the safety of the opposite side of the road.

"We're almost there.", Mike cheered him on, putting a hand on Steve's back as if it would help take some of the weight off the Armenian detective's shoulders.

Brusquely pushing the callous onlookers aside, when they blocked their path, Mike led the convoy to the sidewalk along their unmarked police cars, hoping the vehicles would shield them from any explosions.

"Here, you can put him down now.", he nudged Norm between a coughing spell, his angry glare enough for the crowd of gapers to back up and give them room to work.

With the help of their support crew, Norm went down heavy on his knees, letting out an excruciating moan, his legs and arms shaking severely from the strain, as he handed Steve over to the two fire fighters and watched them place the young Inspector on the sidewalk.

"Easy…careful guys."

Mike clenched his jaws when he saw the red line around his partner's throat, causing his stomach to churn at the terrifying nightmare coming to life.

A loud eruption caused all of them to flinch for a brief moment and he looked up at the building in time to see parts of the outer wall come lose and crash down onto the sidewalk next to the entrance, crushing several parked cars parked nearby, their horns sounding off in protests of the caved in roofs.

Swallowing hard, Mike felt his racing heart skip a beat, realizing that it would be the first time that reality deviated from his terrifying nightmares, that they'd dodged a bullet by moving locations. With a shuddered breath, he clenched his fists, praying that it wouldn't be the only change of outcome.

As they gathered their bearings again, the younger of the two fire fighters pulled off his safety glove, before reaching for the side of Steve's neck, his somber eyes meeting Mike's as he looked up from his crouched position.

"I don't feel a pulse, Lieutenant."