Title: When The Heat Is On (16?)

Author: Angela Penfold

Email: PG-13

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, not going to make any profit by writing about them.

Notes: This story is set the summer after Bobby's shooting. In this storyline he's survived.

Chapter 16

Jacob Nova Lovavich. Born February 23rd 1977 in New York city to cop Mike Nova and housewife Irena Lovavich, now deceased. Over the years Jake had got himself into a fair number of scrapes, building a little juvenile record of petty complaints, mostly vandalism but by the time he'd headed off to Chicago for college he seemed to have cleaned up his act. Now it was obvious he'd just got better at covering his tracks, a double major in chemistry and forensic science had helped there. Without his recent slip-ups and Sullivan's one-in-a-million chance recognition they might never have caught the guy. He'd been tracked down now and Jake Nova, intelligent pyromaniac, murderer and general scumbag was gonna be put behind bars for life.

Holding her breath Amelia crept along the hallway behind the four armed officers. Doing this sort of thing wasn't part of her job, she was supposed to deal with science and logic rather than going out to arrest a dangerous criminal. Begrudgingly the detective who'd been assigned to the case had agreed to let the uniformed officers handle the take down, she'd had to beg Sullivan to get in on it too. Ever watchful of the safety of civilians, Sully had ordered her to the back of the group where he and the other three could protect her if things went wrong. Amelia wanted to take an active role in taking down the guy who'd hurt her, who'd nearly killed Jimmy and Boscorelli but she wasn't suicidal, letting the officers lead this was fine by her.

Up ahead, Sullivan paused outside an apartment door and held up a hand, silently signalling them to stop. They'd reached the apartment, the place where Jake Nova had holed up the last few months, coming up with his sick little plans to devastate the fire department. The hallway itself was now quiet but the sound from a TV echoed inside the apartment. As agreed Amelia stayed tucked behind Faith as Sully and Bosco took up flanking positions either side of the door. Soon as everyone was settled in place, guns held at the ready, Sullivan raised a hand and knocked on the door. Amelia's breath froze in her lungs as she waited to see if the knock would be answered. Was Jacob Nova Lovavich really that stupid, or that arrogant? Was he that unworried about being caught that he'd just face up to the police like that?

Obviously not, Amelia thought as a minute ticked by with no response. This guy would remain on the streets at any cost, wanted to stay free to continue creating havoc in the city. She wasn't gonna give him the chance.

Once again Sully rapped a bulky fist again the door, this time calling out too. "NYPD, open up!" For a moment the situation remained unchanged, no movement, no sound other than the TV. Proved to be the calm before the storm though. Suddenly the peace was shattered, glass broke within the apartment, the crash making Amelia jump. It was the scream that followed that was the worst part though, an anguished, pain filled cry that echoed through the building. Even while Amelia was still coming down from the shock, swallowed hard to tamp down her own unexpected fear, the cops were moving. At a single nod of agreement from the three officers with him Sully took a quick half step backwards then he burst forward. One solid kick had the door flying inwards, the four officers moving in together, guns drawn.

Amelia followed at a far more sedate pace, creeping into the apartment in the wake of the others as they swept through the cramped space. Her wide eyes darted around the place, as if expecting the guy to rise like a spectre out of a corner. The only sounds around her as she crossed the living room floor were her own hoarse breathing, the buzz of the TV and the hushed voices of the four cops. It only took a few moments to clear most of the apartment, just one closed door left now. Bosco was just reaching for the door handle when Amelia laid a hand on his arm.

His brow furrowed, a tough of anger in his eyes as he turned to her. The woman had a right to be in on the case but she was only here right now because she'd agreed to hang back and let them do their job. "What?" he snapped.

She made a big show of sniffing the air before gesturing to the bottom of the door and the thin cloud of grey sliding beneath it. "Smoke," she said softly. "And heat. Can you feel it Officer Boscorelli?"

Bosco nodded grimly, his weight shifting as he eased a step back from the smoke obscured door. The blaze now burning was becoming more obvious with every passing moment, heat rolling out like that closed off room had become a blast furnace. "I can feel it," he muttered softly, free hand already reaching for the cell phone on his belt. For all he cared the entire place could go up but he wanted Nova safe, wanted him alive so they could go for round 2. This time he'd get the upper hand, get a little payback.

Further warnings from Amelia weren't needed, they'd all worked with the fire department enough over the years to learn the main warning signs. When a door radiated that much heat you didn't open it, that was just inviting a fire storm of trouble. As one they backed away past Amelia, each of the four officers clearing a path out of the danger zone. Faith's eyes flicked to Amelia but still the woman didn't move.

"Amelia…" Sully warned softly. "If he's still in there, it's over."

Still she stood her ground, head shaking in denial while her eyes remained on the now burning door. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, this wasn't the plan she'd set out in her head during all those hours of physiotherapy, he wasn't paying for his crimes. "No," Amelia growled, her jaw tightening. "It's never going to be over." Even if Nova had burned himself with one of his creations there wouldn't be an end to this. Jacob Nova Lovavich's crimes would live on in the grim nightmares he'd left them and in the scars he'd left on their bodies. The only sort of closure she'd get would be to see him rotting behind bars.

Even as her mind screamed at her to step back and wait for the engines to arrive, her heart had her stepping forward, her hand stupidly reaching out for the red-hot handle of the doors. Inches from it the world erupted – voices yelled, people rushing in behind her to haul her to safety, those high wailing screams emerging once more, ringing in her ears moments before the door finally exploded outwards and fire boiled around her.

For a moment it all seemed to freeze in time, seconds becoming an eternity as she stood at the core of an inferno, then with an almost audible pop it snapped back into focus. A ball of flame rushed for her, the once human figure it'd engulfed reaching out for her. Searing air filled her lungs as she gasped, a scream boiling up from somewhere deep inside her chest but then the hands were there, frantically grabbing at her jacket and then they hauled her away. Amelia stumbled back, her body writhing as Ty and Sully's hands beat at her, trying to extinguish the flames that'd made the leap to her clothing. Tears blurred Amelia's vision but still she tore herself free, ripping her jacket away, tossing it to the floor.

Bosco reached for her, tried to pull her out of harm's way but she just sank to her knees, her body wracked with shuddery sobs as she watched the flaming figure writhe and then fall still in the corner. Whatever life had been left to drive the man out of that room was gone. Mutely Amelia watched the flames on the body spread, catching the side of the couch.

A strong hand gripped her upper arm, remained in place as she was hauled to her feet. Somehow Sullivan's soft voice broke through the ringing in her ears, broke the suicidal, bleak spell that'd settled around her. "Amelia, it's over." This time it was, before they'd had the chance to bring Jake Nova to justice, he'd been killed by the thing he'd loved the most, his beautiful fire. "The fire's spreading, we need to get out."

Silently Amelia let them lead her away. Her mission was over, everything she'd fought for in the last few years snuffed out.