"Ever wonder what would happen if that big wheel just went careening out into the audience?" Taylor asked as she put a couple chips in her mouth
The rest of the Squad was sitting around the lounge vegetating.
"You been watching Price Is Right too much." DK said
"Well, they'd have to give out more than $10,000 I guess." Walsh laughed
Jimmy controlled the remote. He was surfing through the channels and stopped on The Weather Channel.
"Can we watch something else?" Walsh asked
Jimmy continued to flip through the channels and then stopped on Maury.
"All we need now is some ice cream and someone screaming 'That's my baby's daddy!' and we'll be set." Taylor cracked as she adjusted positions
Everyone laughed about it as Jimmy continued on. He finally rested on The Discovery Channel.
"Polar bears. Now that's the way to go." Lombardo said, as everyone looked at him funny. "They're in the artic, never have to worry about hot weather. They live alone."
"And search hundreds of miles for food." Taylor said
"I'm not too big on the diving into the frigid water to try to catch dinner." DK cracks
"Better than they would be in this sweltering heat." Lombardo replied
"Boys can you quiet down, it's just getting hotter." Taylor said as she fanned herself.
"Sure your highness." Jimmy cracks
"That's more like it." Taylor smiles
A summer thunderstorm was moving in over the city and a hard rain began to fall.
"Wow, it sounds like it's really coming down out there." DK sat up
A bolt of lightning flashes brightly in the room and a loud clap of thunder follows.
"Holy!" Walsh starts as the power goes down and surges back on
"That was nasty." Jimmy said
"Give it about 30 seconds before the alarm goes off." Taylor adds as she sits up
Sure enough the alarm sounded seconds later.
"Squad 55, Ladder 100, Adam 55-3, Boy 55-3 respond for a lightning strike 1184 Riverside."
"Isn't that a warehouse district?" Walsh asks as they make their way to the squad
As the bay door lifts they can see the rain pouring down. Lightning flashes and then the thunder cracks behind it.
"This is going to be fun." DK says as he fastens his coat
Walsh carefully guides the truck out onto the street. Lt. Johnson flips on the sirens and they head off towards their call. Walsh had to fight the rain the whole way to the scene. When they arrived they found a 5-story warehouse showing heavy smoke.
"Alright. Taylor, Jimmy, DK, Joe. I want you all searching for anyone who could possibly be trapped in there." Lt. Johnson ordered before they even pulled to a stop.
Taylor and DK were already tightening the straps on their air packs. Taylor had her mask on and her hood pulled up. When she stepped out of the truck she slipped her helmet on, grabbed a haligan and waited for the others to catch up. Walsh shot her a look of concern before she slipped off into the huge warehouse. Walsh quickly hooked up to the hydrant so that incoming units had water flow to fight the fire.
Taylor and the others searched the first floor for anything; there was no fire, no people. Obviously the fire was on the upper floors. They made their way to the staircase and carefully ascended up to the next floor.
"Lieu, first floor is clear, proceeding to the second." Jimmy radioed
Lt. Johnson acknowledged and continued to watch the exterior of the building for anything suspicious. Walsh was watching the building as well. His friends were in there while he was outside.
Taylor and DK separated off from Jimmy and Lombardo; it would make searching go a lot faster. They had to locate the fire as well. They cleared the second floor and moved on up to the third.
"What was this warehouse used for?" Taylor asked noting the concrete walls
"I think it was an old meat packing plant." DK replied as he shined his flashlight on the ceiling to reveal the meat hooks
"This places is starting to give me the creeps." Taylor said
"Yeah, but we gotta finish the search." DK said
Walsh was watching the building still. The smoke was just rolling out of the top of the building; he saw it puff back in once.
"Back draft." He thought to himself
It was a bad sign. He monitored the radio traffic to listen to their progress. He kept watching the building. He pointed it out to Lt. Johnson.
"Lieu, the smoke over there… it's not right." He said
Lt. Johnson watched and agreed. He radioed it in.
"Jimmy, Taylor we're watching the exterior, you got a possible back draft building." He said
"Copy that Lieu." Taylor radioed back
"Okay Lieu." Jimmy radioed in reply
They reached the fourth floor and were greeted by the smoke. Taylor looked around suspiciously.
"This doesn't seem right to me." She said
DK agreed. It was starting to get suspicious. Taylor kicked something that made a loud ringing type sound on the floor. It was a can. She bent down to pick it up. LIGHTER FLUID was on the outside of the can.
"Okay, this place has been out of business for years right?" She asked DK
"Yeah." He replied
"And it was a meat packing warehouse?" She asked
"Yeah." He replied again
"I don't think this was lightning." She said as she handed the can to DK.
"Arson?" DK looked at Taylor as she nodded her head
They then searched for additional clues.
"Lieu, I don't think this was a lightning strike." Taylor paused, "Forth floor, west side, found a can of accelerant. Looks like arson."
Lt. Johnson looked at Walsh who was still watching the smoke pouring from the west side of the building.
"Okay, be careful, find that fire and report back to me." Lt. Johnson said
"Sure thing Lieu." Taylor said as they continued their search
It was starting to get warmer and the smoke was starting to thicken.
"I think we're headed on the right track." DK said
They stopped and checked each door for heat. They were in the northwest corner of the building. Taylor felt the door.
"It's hot." She said as she surveyed the scene
"Lieu, northwest corner, I think we've found the fire." She radioed
"Okay." Lt. Johnson ordered the ladder into the position.
DK went to open the door to survey the situation.
"Taylor, DK hold your positions." Walsh radioed but it was already too late.
DK had opened the door when the back draft blew him across the hallway.
"DK!" Taylor screamed out as she moved away from the wall she had been protected by
He slowly rolled to his side. Taylor quickly drug him back down the hallway and away from the fire.
"We got heavy fire, northwest corner, 4th floor. Firefighter down." Taylor radioed
"We're on our way." Jimmy radioed as he and Lombardo rushed to their location.
"DK talk to me." Taylor said
"That wasn't good was it?" He said in pain but still managed to smile a bit
"No, it wasn't." Taylor laughed as she watched the smoke filling the hallway; soon the orange glow was taking over the hall as well. "Where are you hurt?"
"Think I beat up a rib or two." He said as he tried to stand up
"Careful." Taylor said as she watched
DK finally got himself upright and Taylor helped him towards the stairs. Jimmy and Lombardo met her in the hallway.
"You got him?" Jimmy asked
"Yeah, we need to get a line up here." Taylor said
"It's on its way." Jimmy said
Walsh paced anxiously outside the building. He was waiting for his friends to come out of the building. Now he could see flames erupting through the roof. He finally saw them emerge from the building. He could tell by the size difference that Taylor was all right.
Kim and Levine quickly helped DK onto their stretcher. Taylor took his airpak and his coat and helmet from him. Lt. Johnson was right there.
"What the hell happened in there?" He asked
"Back draft." Taylor said
Lt. Johnson was disappointed in them, but he didn't say a word. Back drafts could be avoided.
Taylor put DK's gear in the squad. She readjusted her own gear as Walsh walked up to her.
"You okay?" He asked
"Yeah, I'm fine." She said as she quickly wiped her face.
The rain was still falling around them. Some drops fell off of Taylor's helmet. The arson investigator, Doug Maple, walked over to her and Walsh listened as she told him what she noticed. The fire was quickly brought under control. And soon he would begin his investigation of the inside.
One other firefighter had to go to the hospital after falling. But no one was seriously injured. That was what counted.
Lt. Johnson awaited word from Maple. When he finally made his way back out of the building he held up a couple of bags that were marked "EVIDENCE."
"It's arson alright." Maple said, "But it's not a very experienced arsonist."
It was now planted in the back of everyone's mind that they could have an arsonist on the loose.
"This the first one?" Walsh asked
"Yeah." Maple replied
"Why do I get the feeling that this one won't be the last though?" Taylor asked
Everyone just looked around at each other. But no one said a word in reply.