Spot Fire – Part Two
The next day was more conditioning rather than training. Mayday, Blade, Sky, and Dusty met up at the Fill N' Fly to discuss the plan. The Dalmatian sat at Sky's feet, much more relaxed today even when she still stuck by Sky's side.
"All right, Skylar. I have a special training session for you today." Mayday said. "I'm going with Dusty to see how his target practice is going. I want you and Blade to go work on your strength with the pulaski."
"How so?" Sky asked.
"I think your father mentioned something about firewood that needed chopping." Blade said.
Sky rolled her eyes with a sideways grin. "Every time I ask, it seems like he has a chore for me to do. Come on, Spot Fire."
"'Spot Fire'?" Blade repeated.
"The dog." Sky gestured to the Dalmatian as she began walking off.
Blade chuckled as he followed her. "Why name a dog that?"
"Well, she's covered in spots and we found her in a fire." Sky shrugged. "Why not?"
Blade didn't question it after that, simply rolling his eyes with a small grin. As Sky practiced, Blade took some time to watch Spot Fire. The Dalmatian definitely seemed calmer now that the trauma of the fire passed. But if Blade tried to get closer to the dog or looked towards her, Spot Fire would dart away and get closer to Sky.
"She likes you." Blade noticed.
"She does seem to be a little skittish around other people." Sky shrugged, rubbing Spot Fire's ears. "Or maybe your Glare of Doom works a little too well."
Blade chuckled. "Works when I need it."
Sky laughed, resuming her work. She cast smiles to Spot Fire, but reminded herself that this dog probably belonged to someone else. She couldn't get attached in case the owners came by.
A day passed. Then another. Then another, until almost a week went by without word of Spot Fire's owners. Spot Fire finally got used to being in the firehouse with Mayday so Sky could sleep in her own bed. When Sky and Dusty weren't practicing or training, they often played with Spot Fire in the fields and the forest. The Dalmatian still stuck near Sky, but steadily began sniffing the other Propwash Junction residents curiously (even when she did it from a safe distance away).
"She's not gonna be happy should someone come by looking for that dog." Mayday noted, having a cup of coffee with Blade at the firehouse. The two of them could see Sky and Dusty playing with Spot Fire just down the road.
"She really likes animals, huh?" Blade asked.
"Oh yeah. She's always going out into the forest and looking for critters. Used to wear binoculars all the time to birdwatch." Mayday nodded. "She's been taking good care of that dog. But Skipper won't allow her into the hanger."
"Might I ask why Raven is still living with her father?" Blade asked curiously.
"Never saw a reason to move out, I guess." Mayday shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think Skipper and Sparky mind. Sky means the world to them."
Blade nodded aimlessly. "Yeah…." I can understand that. He and Mayday jumped when the phone rang from inside the firehouse. Mayday drove off to answer it. Blade looked back towards Dusty, Sky, and Spot Fire, now coming down the road towards him.
"Hey Blade." Sky greeted.
"What's up?" Dusty greeted.
"Just talking with Mayday." Blade said. "You two have been doing well. Pretty soon I'll have to fly back to Piston Peak."
"What's the place like in the winter?" Sky asked.
"Cold. And snowy." Blade said. "But really beautiful. You two ought to come check it out sometime."
"Sounds awesome." Dusty agreed. Everyone paused as Mayday returned, and they noticed he seemed puzzled and a little miffed. "Mayday? You all right?"
"Well, yes and no." Mayday admitted. "I just got off the phone with Spot Fire's previous owners."
Sky tensed up a little. "You found them? When are they coming to get her?"
"They're not." Mayday said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blade demanded.
"The quaint woman I talked to just gave me quite the interesting story." Mayday explained. "Apparently, her son and his friends adopted that dog from the shelter in another town even when they were told not to. By the time their parents found out, the boys had kept the dog locked in a tool shed beaten and neglected."
"Jerks." Sky scoffed.
"That's not the worst of it." Mayday sighed. "The boys were told to return Spot Fire to the shelter, but instead they just let her loose in the forest. She's now in our custody, so we have to decide what to do with her."
"Well what are we supposed to do with an abused dog?" Dusty asked. "I mean, could she stay here?"
"If she had a good home, I suppose so." Mayday said.
"But would she be able to adjust to living in a new home? Especially given her abusive past." Blade pointed out.
"She's comfortable in the firehouse." Sky shrugged. "What if we trained her to be a firefighter?"
"A firefighting dog?" Dusty asked with a raised eye frame.
"There are such a thing as search and rescue dogs on fire teams." Mayday said. "But that's something we'll have to teach Spot Fire. Honestly, I'm not sure she can do it."
"Why not?" Sky asked.
"She's so skittish around strangers." Mayday reminded her. "That's not exactly the best trait to have in a search and rescue dog. She may not take to her training very well if she's been mistreated so badly."
"I could train her." Sky protested.
"You have your own job, not to mention your racing." Mayday reminded her.
"Raven, I think Mayday has a point." Blade agreed. "The dog can only be useful if she can be trained, and I don't see that happening anytime soon with her nervousness. She needs a calm, quiet home where she can forget about the trauma of being abused, and the only way she'll find one is by going back to the shelter."
Sky sighed through her nose. Dusty nudged her encouragingly. "Sky, you have to admit it's the best course of action. We have to think about what's best for Spot Fire."
"I know." Sky said. "That doesn't mean I have to like it." She sighed. "I'll take her back to the shelter tomorrow."
Sky spent the rest of the day with Spot Fire before taking her back to the firehouse for the night. Mayday had to stay up a little later than normal to look over some paperwork, so he moved into the office space to work so the dog could sleep.
About halfway through his work, Mayday got the feeling somebody watched him. Reversing and turning, he noticed Spot Fire peering around the corner and into the office. The Dalmatian just stared at the fire truck, so Mayday resumed his work. Minutes later, Mayday heard the clicking of claws on the hardwood floor, and he noticed Spot Fire inching her way towards him. Mayday stayed perfectly still, waiting for the dog's move. Spot Fire stayed in one spot and stretched herself as far as she could towards Mayday, sniffing the air near him. Slowly, she began stepping towards Mayday while still sniffing. Soon, she put her nose right up against his tire, then his fender, sniffing up towards his hood. Mayday glanced over to her, but Spot Fire suddenly jumped back and away from him.
Mayday reversed so he could face the dog. "Come on, now." He spoke softly. "Come on. I'm not gonna hurt you."
Spot Fire stared at him for a while. Then she began inching over to him again. It took who knows how long, but soon Spot Fire came back to Mayday's side and jumped up to rest her front paws on his fender. She put an ear to Mayday's hood and rested her head there, seeming to listen to his engine running. After a minute, the dog gave Mayday's hood a small lick. She jumped down and curled up beside his tire, apparently falling asleep.
Mayday chuckled. "You are somethin' else, Spot Fire."
Sky intended to take Spot Fire to the shelter around lunchtime, but the sound of the siren interrupted her plans. She slipped into her harness and grabbed her pulaski. Sky noticed Max's old firefighting helmet, and after a moment of hesitation she grabbed the helmet and put it on.
"Stay, Spot Fire." Sky ordered, hopping onto Mayday's tailgate and hanging on tightly as he sped off.
"Crophopper 7 to Chief." Dusty's voice said over the radio. "Blade and I are right above you, Mayday."
"Copy that." Mayday replied. "Fire's over at the diner on the highway. Once we get there, you and Blade start hitting it from above. Drop the water carefully to avoid the roof from caving it. Copy that?"
"Copy that!" Dusty and Blade replied. The firefighters arrived at the scene to see the entire restaurant in flames and a small crowd of people outside. The police from another town already arrived to keep everyone a safe distance away.
"Hey Mayday!" one of the police cars greeted. A badge painted on his side labeled him as the chief.
"Hey Parker." Mayday greeted. "Cause of fire?"
"Looks like it started in the kitchen and then spread before anybody could put it out." Parker explained. "Everyone's been evacuated. We're at your command."
"Just keep everyone back for now." Mayday ordered. "Skylar, you're with me. Blade and Dusty, you two start dropping water and be careful!"
"Yes sir!"
"You got it, Mayday."
The firefighters got to work. Sky hooked up Mayday's firehose to a nearby hydrant, giving him a larger supply of water to work with. Blade and Dusty began their aerial attack, gently raining down the water in their tanks to assist Mayday. Sky did a jog around the building to check for any spreading to the fields or gas pumps they needed to be aware of. But she saw nothing that raised a red flag, and she hurried back to Mayday. Then, Sky noticed a light blue, female BMW X5 talking feverishly with a couple police officers. She looked like she tried desperately to get past them.
"I'll be right back." Sky told Mayday, jogging towards the commotion. "Hey! What's going on?"
"Please, you have to help!" the BMW begged. "M-my daughter and her friend. They were inside the diner. They were playing some video game in the corner and I can't find them and I think they're in there and—"
"All right, all right!" Sky interrupted. "Just stay calm." She turned and hurried back to Mayday. "Chief, we have a mother back there convinced that two kids under her care are inside."
Mayday analyzed the structure. "There'll be too much debris in there for me to move around. You think you can handle it?"
"Absolutely." Sky nodded without hesitation.
"Then go." Mayday ordered. "I'll give you a clear shot through the front door and—" He paused at the sound of barking, and he and Sky turned to see Spot Fire run up to them.
"Spot Fire!" Sky gasped, both shocked and amazed as she knelt down to greet the Dalmatian. "What are you doing here?"
Mayday looked back to the fire at the sound of something crashing. "Sky, you gotta hurry!"
Sky hurriedly slipped out of her harness and used it to tie Spot Fire to a nearby post. "Stay." She ordered, dropping the visor of her helmet and hurrying towards the door to the burning building.
"Be careful, Sky."Dusty said into his radio.
"Copy that, Dusty Storm." Sky replied. She disappeared into the building, and Dusty swallowed nervously. Blade kept his focused glare, but inside he worried for Sky as well.
Just get out of there alive, Raven.
Inside, Sky could see why Mayday said he'd have a hard time moving around. Tables were overturned and parts of the ceiling littered the floor. She had to climb over stuff to look around for the kids. Sky remembered Mayday once talking about how much he hated this diner because of the fire safety codes the place violated. Based on the cramped spaces, Sky could see why. She coughed, and Sky made a mental note to start bringing an oxygen mask and tank with her.
"Hello!" Sky shouted. "Anyone in here?"
"Over here!"
"Help us!"
Sky followed the voices until she reached the bathrooms. The voices came from the women's room, but the door wouldn't open. "Can you hear me?"
"We're in here!" a young girl's voice shouted.
"We can't breathe!" another girl whimpered.
"Is the door locked?" Sky asked.
"No, but it's blocked!" the first girl replied.
"Okay, just stay calm and stand away from the door!" Sky ordered. She leveled the pulaski in her hands and began hacking at the door. All that practice and firewood chopping came in handy; it took seconds for Sky to make a hole at least big enough to see through the door and check out the situation. She noticed the two girls: another BMW like her mother and a young human blonde. They cowered in a bathroom stall, staring at her fearfully and pleadingly. Sky looked around for the blockage, but to her surprise found only a burning wooden beam that fell through the ceiling. One end of the beam leaned against the door, keeping it in place and no doubt scaring the kids so much they wouldn't go near it. The door handle on their side of the door was broken, making it unable to be turned. Sky looked at the door again, and she saw the hinges on her side of the door.
"Get us out of here!" the human girl shouted.
"Just hang on!" Sky ordered. "Stay down and stay back!" The girls nodded in understanding, and Sky moved towards the hinges. She slammed the axe blade against the top hinge first, beginning to break it. After a few more swings, the hinge finally shattered to pieces. Sky jumped back as the pressure of the beam forced the top of the door to jerk forwards. The bottom hinge still kept the door in place, but it creaked terribly. Sky hooked the adze end of the pulaski on the top of the door, pulling it down with a mighty grunt of effort. She knelt down in time for the human child to leap into her arms, the poor child trembling fiercely. The BMW nuzzled her.
"Let's go." Sky urged. "Let's get out of here." She carried the human child while guiding the vehicle child through the flames and towards the door.
"Chief to Riley." Mayday's voice crackled over Sky's radio. "What's your status, Skylar?"
"Just got the kids." Sky reported. "Heading towards the door now."
"Copy that." Mayday said.
Sky finally saw the door and herded the BMW child towards it. But a loud, low creaking sound emitted from the ceiling, and Sky knew at once what would happen. She shoved the car child forward and then gently yet quickly tossed the human child out the door after her. Not a second later, a shower of debris fell between Sky and her only way out of the building.
Mayday jumped at the loud sound, but hurriedly drove forward and herded the children away from the building. "What about that firefighter?" the human child asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of it." Mayday assured, ushering the girls to the waiting paramedics. He turned back to the fire, switching on his radio. "Skylar, come in. Do you read me?"
"I read you Mayday." Sky replied after a moment. "Are the kids out?"
"They're fine." Mayday assured. "What about you?"
A moment of static. "No good. Door's blocked by debris and fire."
"You have to find another way out, Sky. Search for a window or something."
"I'm looking, Mayday, but there's nothing." Sky reported. "All the windows are blocked."
"Keep trying." Mayday urged. He wouldn't be much help, even if he could bust the door down. But if Sky could find an opening that's at least a little clear, he could hose it down to help.
Inside the building, Sky looked all around for a way out. But heavy amounts of debris blocked every possible exit. She wondered if she could hack at a wall or something with the pulaski, but that would take too long. Then, she noticed something.
"Mayday, I think I found something." Sky said into her radio.
"What is it?" Mayday asked.
"A back door in the kitchen." Sky reported, making her way towards said door. "It's clear for now. I can get out there!"
"Just hurry! This thing's gettin' hot!" Mayday urged.
"I'm going, I'm going!" Sky assured. "I'm almost—"
Sky skidded to a halt, frozen in the spot. The back door was still clear, but somebody stood in the doorway right in Sky's path to the exit. He looked so familiar, from his casual firefighter uniform to his dark green eyes. He held out his arms in a gesture that told Sky to stop, his face full of worry.
"Max?" Sky barely breathed the name.
"Sky? Skylar answer me!"
Sky jumped, realizing that Mayday, Blade, and Dusty all shouted at her over her radio. "Uh, yeah? What?"
"Are you out yet?" Mayday asked.
"Almost." Sky said, starting towards the door. "I'm right—"
Suddenly, the figure of Max jumped forward and tackled Sky a split-second before a loud explosion erupted.
Everyone outside jumped at the explosion, and Mayday thought he'd lose his hearing for sure. Flames rolled from the windows, shattering the glass.
"Sky? Skylar, come in!" Mayday called into his radio.
"Sky? Can you hear us?" Dusty called.
"Come on, Raven, answer us!" Blade practically ordered. But Sky didn't answer, and the rest of the firefighters knew she might not make it out if they didn't think of something quickly.
Inside the building, Max berated himself. He managed to block the explosion from the gas stove, but the blow still knocked Sky unconscious. Now what could he do? Every other entryway was blocked. He couldn't just carry her out in fear of someone seeing him, especially Mayday.
"Just hang on." Max breathed, putting a hand to Sky's cheek. "Just hang on."
Mayday wracked his brain for an idea. He had no idea where Sky would be, and he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to find her if he risked going through all that debris. Dusty grew more and more anxious with every passing second, and a part of him wished he could just dive in there and search for Sky himself. Blade tried again and again to get in touch with Sky, to no avail. But he could feel through their Soul Connection that she was still alive. Unconscious, most likely, but still alive.
Now how to get her out of there. Blade wondered. He then became aware of a loud, repetitive bark, and he glanced down towards Spot Fire. The Dalmatian fought to get free of the harness that tied her to the post, barking at the fire. Blade analyzed the dog's behavior for a moment. "Mayday, I think I have an idea."
"What's that?" Mayday asked.
"Set the dog loose." Blade ordered.
"What?" Mayday asked, Dusty echoing the confusion.
"The dog! Spot Fire! Let her loose!" Blade repeated.
Mayday looked to Spot Fire, confused by Blade's order. But the way Spot Fire lunged towards the fire and kept barking perked the fire truck's interest. So he wasted no time in pulling the harness off Spot Fire's neck.
"Be careful." Mayday ordered. Spot Fire glanced to him, then darted off and ducked into a hole in the debris blocking the door. Mayday continued applying water to the building, paying special attention to the front door so Spot Fire and Sky had a way out. Everyone waited with baited breath, staring at the smoking door hopefully. Blade hovered, at the perfect angle to stare at the door. Dusty kept circling around, dropping water on the fire and then coming back to check for signs of his friend.
A few long minutes passed.
Suddenly, some of the debris in front of the door fell away and scattered across the welcome mat.
The firefighters stared in anticipation.
Spot Fire came out, Sky holding onto her fur as she half-walked, half-dragged herself from the fire.
Most of the civilians cheered, and Dusty laughed in relief. Blade let out the breath he held in a sigh, ultra-relieved at the sight of Sky alive; singed, but alive. Mayday helped guide Sky and Spot Fire to the paramedics, thankful they were both all right. Once Sky could sit down on the gurney, her pulaski dropped from her hands. She panted and coughed, fresh air rushing into her lungs. She looked to Spot Fire, raising a shaky hand and resting it on the Dalmatian's head.
"Good dog." Sky rasped.
"For the last time, I am fine." Sky droned.
"The only reason you're fine is because of that dog." Skipper reminded her. "Now pipe down."
Sky huffed and rolled her eyes. "I never should've let Mayday tell you what happened at that fire." She, Skipper, Dusty, and Sparky made their way to the firehouse to check in with Mayday and Blade. After a successful firefight at the diner yesterday, Mayday had to make a few calls to the police chief and the girls' parents to get updates on the situation. Skipper insisted that Sky ride on his wing since she got hurt, despite her constant reassuring that she was fine. Sky still felt a little wobbly now and then from dehydration, but secretly she attributed most of her shaking to the fact that she saw Max. Well, she thought she did at least. It hurt her head and heart to think that she saw the ghost of the firefighter. For now, she just chalked it up to smoke inhalation making her hallucinate.
When they arrived at the firehouse, Sky noticed Spot Fire at the door munching on a hamburger. "Now where did you get that?"
"One of the residents brought it by for her." Blade explained, resting next to the dog. "I think she's starting to enjoy this attention."
"She's a hero. I don't blame her." Dusty chuckled.
"Good news." Mayday announced as he came out. "No other civilians were found in the fire, and the girls have minor injuries but nothing serious."
"That is good news." Sky sighed.
"And how are you doing?" Mayday asked.
"Perky as ever if she would drink her water like she's supposed to." Sparky said.
"Sparky, if I drink any more water, I'm going to have to go to the bathroom like a dozen times." Sky protested. Everyone else chuckled at her expense.
"So that's it?" Dusty asked. "Is that all you needed to see us for?"
"Well, that and we have some news for you and Skylar." Mayday said.
"First off, I'm returning to Piston Peak tomorrow." Blade announced. "Mayday and I agreed that you two are cleared for building and wildfire firefighting."
"That's good." Sky nodded, though inside she felt a little sad Blade would be leaving.
"The other bit of news relates to you, Sky." Mayday said. "What happened at that fire convinced me and Blade that maybe Spot Fire could be a good search and rescue dog."
"Really?" Sky asked excitedly.
"If she could run into a fire to get you, maybe she can do the same for someone else." Sparky guessed.
"That will require some training." Mayday assured. "But if you're up for the job, we can teach her and she can live in the firehouse."
"Absolutely!" Sky nodded excitedly. "You just tell me what she needs to know."
"She does seem to be up for it." Dusty noted, looking to Spot Fire. "I'll bet she can learn to trust other people now that she has a better home."
Spot Fire barked, as though to confirm this, and she darted over to jump onto Dusty's wing and start licking his canopy. Dusty tried to shy away, but couldn't avoid the onslaught of puppy love. Everyone else laughed at him.
"Hey, come on!" Dusty whined with a smile. "Sky, call her over!"
"Sorry, can't." Sky shrugged, coughing into her hand. "I'm sick, see?"
"Oh come on!" Dusty groaned.