Meg unzipped Mike's coat and slipped it off. "It's getting warm."
Mike looked over at her, but said nothing.
"Do you think that's because the fire's getting closer?"
Mike looked up at the ceiling, and Meg followed his gaze. She saw wisps of smoke, hovering near the ceiling. She sat for a few minutes, watching the smoke swirl around, the gravity of their situation sinking in. She stood up, walking around the room, watching the smoke getting thicker before her eyes. Mike stood up and moved over next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, knowing she had to be scared.
"I love you, Mike," Meg said, turning to face him. "It may sound ridiculous, we only dated a short period of time; but I may never get another opportunity to tell you, and I don't want to die having not said it."
Mike pulled her in for a kiss, pressing her close to his body. "I love you too, Meg. And you know, I thought about it while you slept last night. We've actually known each for quite some time."
"Whatdya mean? We dated less than a month," Meg said.
"Physically dated, but think about it; we spoke on the phone every night I wasn't on shift for two weeks before our first date. Then, when you left to take care of your dad; we still talked on the phone every day I wasn't on shift for the next 6 weeks, until I met Caroline. And we didn't just have phone conversations Meg, we spoke for hours, talking about our hopes and our dreams. You were so vulnerable from dealing with your dad," Mike touched her face. "I got to know the real you."
"And I got to know the real you," Meg whispered.
Meg looked up as the smoke began filtering lower into the room. "And now we're gonna die together."
"There's still time," Mike said. "The guys will find us."
Meg looked over at him, but said nothing.
"But, we need to do what we can to keep ourselves safe," Mike said. "Move over into that far corner, see how there's already less smoke in that area. Keep that coat with you, you'll use it to cover your nose and mouth when the smoke gets thicker. Stay as low to the floor as you can," Mike took her hand, leading her to the back corner of the cellar.
He sat down and pulled Meg into his arms. C'mon guys, where are you? Mike thought.
E
Kate pulled her car alongside the Engine and jumped out. "Where's Captain Stanley?" She asked the man standing at the Engine.
"He's walking the perimeter," the man said.
"I need him right now. Get on the radio and tell him Kate Stryker needs him. It's urgent."
Jack keyed the radio. "Captain Stanley, there's a Kate Stryker here to see you. She says it's urgent."
"I'm on my way," came the muffled response since Captain Stanley had been nearing the house, watching the progress of the brush fire he was in his full gear and had his face mask on. The area was getting really hot and smoky. He started making his way toward the engine.
Chet came up next to Captain Stanley. "Can I come with you?" Chet asked.
"Why?"
"I can't explain it; but something's bugging me."
"C'mon," Captain Stanley said.
They both removed their helmets and face masks as they approached Kate and Eric.
"Did you find Mike?" Captain Stanley asked.
"No, and we can't find Cara Lynn or Kevin either," Kate said. "But, I think I have an idea where Mike might be," Kate said, pulling the article from her pocket.
Roy walked up behind Kate.
"What are you doing here?" Captain Stanley asked him.
"Something's bugging me and I can't put my finger on it. I thought maybe talking to Kate would help me figure it out."
Captain Stanley looked at the article Kate had handed him.
"Are there any buildings in the burn area?" Eric asked, as Captain Stanley skimmed the article.
"Yes, a house," Captain Stanley said, handing the article back to Kate. "But this article, is exactly why I know the building is empty."
"Whatdya mean?" Kate asked.
"After that tragedy, the department created a new process for controlled burns with dwellings. We tape them off, all the doors and windows. C-shift cleared the home yesterday and taped it off. I confirmed all the tape was still intact myself this morning."
"That's it!" Chet shouted.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"The tape. When I set the water bomb for Johnny in the closet, the tape was missing," Chet said.
"Maybe C-shift just put it somewhere else."
"No," Roy said, remembering his dinner conversation with Caroline. "Caroline took it. She asked about it at dinner the other night. She knew it was in the closet and she wanted to know if it was the tape we'd used to seal the house."
Captain Stanley looked at Roy and Chet, the realization that Mike was trapped in that house about to burn settling in.
Roy was already in motion running toward the house as Captain Stanley lifted the handi-talkie to his mouth.
"Marco, Johnny, get to the house. Mike is probably trapped inside."
Chet and Captain Stanley both began following Roy to the home.
Johnny pulled out his knife and slit through the tape over the door of the house. He opened the door, a wall of smoke rushing out to greet him.
He pushed through it, straining to see anything that looked like a human shape in the room. He and Marco quickly cleared the house.
"Nothing," Marco shouted through his face mask. "He's not here."
Johnny looked around.
"Did we miss anything?"
Marco shook his head no.
Roy moved into the house. "Did you find him?"
Marco and Johnny both shook their heads. "There's no one here," Marco shouted.
"He's gotta be," Roy insisted, beginning to move through the house.
Johnny and Marco moved room to room again, opening doors, and feeling in corners since the smoke was getting so much thicker.
The three moved outside of the house as Captain Stanley and Chet made it into the clearing. The men came together.
"There's no on in the house," Roy told Captain Stanley.
"We checked every inch of that place," Johnny confirmed.
Captain Stanley looked at the house. It reminded him of his grandparent's old farm house, he thought. And then the thought came to him. "The cellar, do you check the cellar?"
"What cellar?" Roy asked.
"My grandparent's farm house had a cellar under the house. There was an entry in the floor by the back door."
The men all quickly moved back into the house, stomping on boards, trying to find a cellar entrance.
Mike and Meg both looked up and then at each other.
"Here! We're down here!" Meg yelled jumping into a standing position, and then began coughing as the smoke filled her lungs.
"In the cellar," Mike yelled out. "The door is in the kitchen floor!"
"Help!" Meg yelled, starting another coughing spasm.
"Keep the coat over your nose and mouth," Mike said, lifting the material to her face.
"Guys, cellar door in the kitchen!" Mike continued to yell, his lungs a bit more used to smoke.
"Shh, listen," Johnny shushed the guys.
Everyone stopped pounding on the floor, their ears straining to hear any sound.
"tchen floor," came the muffled words.
"Kitchen floor," Captain Stanley said, moving toward the kitchen. He quickly located the hatch, pulling it open.
Captain Stanley bent down and looked in the cellar, as Mike appeared, holding Meg's hand.
"Get us outta here," Mike said.
"Johnny, Roy," Captain Stanley said, moving back away from the hatch.
Johnny and Roy moved forward looking down the hole. Johnny slipped the rope off his shoulders and quickly tied a foot loop. He dropped it down the hole. "Have Meg put her foot in the loop," Johnny yelled down. "We'll pull her up." Johnny threw the remaining rope to the guys. Everyone grabbed the rope and waited for Johnny's signal.
Mike secured the rope around Meg's waist. "Put your foot in the loop," Mike instructed. Mike helped her get situated. "Hold on tight," Mike leaned in and kissed her before tugging on the rope so the guys knew Meg was ready.
They quickly pulled her up. Mike kept a hold on her until she was too high, then he watched until he saw Johnny grasp her waist and pull her up to safety. Johnny quickly untied the rope and moved Meg back to Roy.
Roy slipped off his helmet and face mask, slipping it over Meg's face. When she doubled-up coughing, Roy slipped his arm around her waist and started heading her out of house.
Johnny dropped the rope back down the hole. Mike didn't bother tying it around his waist, he just slipped his foot in to the loop, grasped the rope and gave it a pull. The guys quickly pulled Mike up.
Captain Stanley removed his face mask, handing it to Mike as he stood up. Mike took a couple of deep breaths and coughed several times. "Where's Meg."
"The same place where headed, outta here," Chet said, starting to head out of the house.
The fire was getting close to the house. Mike hurried up to catch up with Roy and Meg. He slipped his arm around Meg's waist, taking over helping her walk from Roy. Roy took a moment to slip the air tank off his back and helped Mike get it on. Mike and Meg buddy shared the air as they headed toward the engine away from the flames and smoke.
E
"Let me get this straight, Caroline isn't Caroline?" Mike said, trying to understand everything Kate and Eric were telling them.
"No, her name is Cara Lynn, C-A-R-A-L-Y-N-N. She was a psychologist; until she lost her license due to an inappropriate relationship with a patient. Kevin Costas."
"Are you kidding me?" Mike said, shocked at what he was hearing.
"He was ordered to see a psychologist after an incident where he'd set his boss's office on fire. Cara Lynn was his court ordered psychologist. She helped convince him that his problems were all due to the people in his past," Eric explained.
"And those were the people's homes he was burning down when I saw him before."
"Exactly," Kate said. "Kevin and Cara Lynn kept in touch while he was in prison and must have decided that you were the cause of all their troubles this time. Kevin was in jail because of your testimony and it was the investigation into Kevin that revealed their relationship and cost Cara Lynn her therapy license."
"Are they still out there?" Meg asked.
"We'll find them," Kate assured her.
"We need to check them out; can the rest of this wait?" Johnny asked, carrying over his equipment.
"Sure. We've got an APB out on Kevin and Cara Lynn. All the units are looking for Cara Lynn's car and the rental car that Mike had. I'll keep you posted," Kate said. She stopped and put her hand on Mike's arm. "I'm glad you're both okay."
Mike looked over at Meg, as Roy was wrapping a BP cuff around her arm. "Me too."
E
Cara Lynn pulled the car off the shoulder of the road and got out as Kevin pulled in behind her. "Is this a good spot?" She asked.
"Perfect. With the water below, they'll think that Mike went off the road and was thrown from the car."
"It'll at least buy us enough time to get outta town," Cara Lynn said, wrapping her arms around Kevin.
A police cruiser came around the bend and spotted the two cars off the road. The officer slowed down, and flipped on his right turn signal, so he could pull off the road behind them.
"LA, this is Squad 29. I'm pulling off PCH, just north of mile 24, I have two cars off the road. I'll be stepping out of the vehicle to investigate.
"You folks having car trouble?" the officer asked.
"No, she just had a flat tire," Kevin said. "I've already changed it."
"Well that was nice of you. Is it the front passenger tire?" the officer asked, observing that none of the three tires he could see where spare tires.
"This is my wife," Kevin said. "I'd actually been planning on changing her tires this weekend and have a set at the house. I just brought one with me." Kevin slowly moved toward the trunk of the rental car they had taken from Mike. "I can show you the old tire," Kevin unlocked the trunk, lifting the lid.
The officer started to step forward, but stopped when his radio went off.
"All units, we have an APB out for a white male, 26 years old, brown hair, brown eyes, 5'10", he has a scar over his left eye. Second suspect is a female, 25 years old, red hair, green eyes, 5' 6". Suspects are believed responsible for multiple fires and explosions over the last few weeks. Also for kidnapping and attempted murder. Suspects are driving a brown pinto and/or a green toronado. Approach with caution, suspects are considered dangerous and highly educated in the use of explosives."
The officer looked toward his car as the radio came on with the all-points bulletin. He looked up realizing he was facing the suspects that had just been described on the radio.
Kevin reached into the trunk of the car, as the officer pulled his gun, pointing it at the couple. "Put your hands where I can see them!" The officer ordered.
Kevin's hands were already in the trunk, Cara Lynn raised her hands.
"Put your hands up, now!" The officer ordered Kevin.
Kevin had his hands on the dynamite pack, but he hadn't been able to grab the detonator. He pulled out the bundle of dynamite Meg had been holding earlier hoping the mere appearance of the explosives would have the officer backing off.
"You don't want to do that, man," the officer said, moving a step closer to Kevin.
"Don't come any closer; or I'll blow all of us up," Kevin said.
"Are you willing to kill her?" The officer looked at Cara Lynn.
Kevin looked over at her.
"I don't wanna die," Cara Lynn whispered.
"Would you rather go to prison," Kevin barked at her.
While they were talking the officer moved even closer. He noticed the bomb did not appear to be activated, but he didn't have enough experience with explosions to be positive about that assessment. He pulled his radio off his belt, and keyed it.
"LA, this is Squad 29, I've got APB suspects, and they have a bomb. Send bomb squad and back-up."
"Hey, put that down!" Kevin ordered, holding out the bomb. "She and I are getting back in our car and we're leaving. If you try to stop us, I'll detonate this!"
The officer shook his head. "I can't let you leave."
"You wanna die?"
"I don't think the bomb is active," the officer bluffed, moving closer to Kevin.
"Stay back," Kevin ordered, but he took a step back away from the officer.
The officer continued moving forward. "Give it up, man. The bomb squads gonna be here any minute. This place will be surrounded. You can't get away."
Cara Lynn and Kevin both looked down the street as the sound of sirens in the distance became audible.
"Very slowly, bend down and put the dynamite on the ground and put your hands in the air," the officer ordered.
Kevin looked over at Cara Lynn, who still had her hands in the air. She nodded slightly.
Kevin slowly bent down and put the packet of dynamite on the ground, slowly standing back up and putting his hands in the air. The officer just kept them standing like that until another squad arrived; those officers moving forward and handcuffing the duo.
E
A few weeks later
"Ainsley just called, she and Johnny are on their way down," Joanne called out.
"Have we heard from Mike and Meg?" Roy asked, coming down the stairs in his TinMan costume.
"No, but you look adorable," Joanne smiled at her husband.
"I still woulda preferred to be the wizard," Roy said.
"Jenny wanted to have the TinMan, Scarecrow and Lion walking with her," Joanne said, reaching over for the silver hat for Roy's head.
"She's just lucky Chris agreed to go along with her recent Wizard of Oz fascination," Roy said, looking in the mirror to put on his hat.
"I think Chris likes the lion costume I made for him," Joanne said.
"Happy Halloween!" Johnny called out, walking into the DeSoto home.
Joanne and Roy turned to see Johnny in is scarecrow costume, Hunter dressed as a flying monkey and Ainsley had made Grace look like a munchkin. They both took in Ainsley's outfit and started laughing.
"The yellow brick road," Roy laughed. "Classic."
"Oh my gosh, you guys are so cute," Joanne said.
"We need to get one of the first trick-or-treaters to take all of our pictures," Ainsley said, taking in Joanne's wicked witch costume.
Chris and Jennifer came running down the stairs.
"Mom, I need my ruby slippers," Jenny said.
Joanne moved to the closet and pulled out a pair of canvas tennis shoes that she had died red and then spent hours gluing on red sequence so the little girl could have ruby red slippers that she could walk in all night.
"Aren't my shoes beautiful, Aunt Ainsley?"
"I love them, Jenny. If I could fit in them, I'd borrow them for sure."
"What are you trying to fit in?" Mike asked, coming into the house, Meg right behind him.
"How come he got to be the wizard?" Roy asked, taking in Mike's costume.
"Be grateful you're not Toto," Joanne said.
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you're Glinda the Good Witch," Jenny said, looking at Meg's costume.
"Your mom said you needed a Glinda to round out the cast," Meg smiled at Jenny.
"I love it," Jenny said. "We have everyone from the Wizard of Oz!" Jenny grabbed her picnic basket with the stuffed dog sticking out that was being Toto for the evening.
"I think we need to get one of our neighbors to take a picture," Joanne said, going to find her camera.
When the first group of trick-or-treaters came up, Joanne got the parent to take a picture of their group. As Johnny went to get the red wagon out of Roy's garage and Roy and Joanne moved around trying to find the buckets for the kids to carry their candy in, Mike pulled Meg aside.
"Doing okay?"
They'd met with Kate earlier that day to discuss the case against Kevin and Cara Lynn. The prosecutor had offered them a deal for pleading guilty. He dropped the attempted murder charge, if they pleaded guilty to arson and kidnapping. Both Cara Lynn and Kevin would be behind bars for a very long time.
"I'm great," Meg said, tilting her head, so Mike could drop his head and give her a kiss.
Meg wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Mike."
"I love you too, Meg. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."
Meg smiled. "It makes me appreciate you even more, because I almost lost you."
"And I almost lost you. I'm just glad you didn't decide to try to make it work with Joe."
"I didn't tell you. I ran into him yesterday at the grocery store. He got engaged."
"What? He was just pursuing you a month ago!"
"I guess he wasn't kidding about wanting to get married and have kids."
"Any second thoughts? I mean, you could be planning a wedding right now?"
Meg kissed Mike again. "I wouldn't change a thing."
"Me either," Mike said, resting his forehead against hers.
"Mike, if you're done playing kissy-face we're heading out to get candy," Johnny called out.
Mike blushed. "Shut up, Gage."
Mike, Johnny and Roy headed off trick-or-treating with Chris, Jennifer and Hunter.
Ainsley smiled as she watched Johnny holding Hunter's hand so he could walk the first few houses. Mike pulled the red wagon behind him knowing that after house number 2, or 3 tops, Hunter would just be riding in the wagon.
"Can you believe it was 3 years ago today that Johnny and I found each other again and he found out I was pregnant with Hunter?" Ainsley asked.
Joanne shook her head. "And now you're married, with two little kids."
"A lot has happened in 3 years. Including a new addition to our 51 family," Ainsley said, wrapping her arm around Meg's shoulders.
"And I couldn't be happier. Mike is the most amazing man I've ever met and I love him more every day. It's hard to imagine it was only a few weeks ago that I felt completely alone and now with all of you and Captain Stanley and Beth, Marco and Chet, I feel like I've got a huge family."
"So when will we be hearing wedding bells for the two of you?" Joanne asked.
Meg laughed. "That's up to Mike."
"Oh, that reminds me," Ainsley said, slipping off her wedding ring. "I'm supposed to find some subtle way of getting you to try on my ring to help figure out your ring size."
Meg laughed harder. "I love your subtle ways," Meg reached over for Ainsley's ring, slipping it onto her left ring finger.
"It's a good fit," Meg said, holding out her hand.
"Okay, that oughta help him."
"Do you know something I should know?" Meg asked, as she handed Ainsley back her ring.
Ainsley smiled a sneaky smile and shared a look with Joanne. "Nope."
"Not a thing," Joanne copied Ainsley's smile, but shook her head.
Meg just laughed. Whatever Mike had planned, whenever he had it planned, she knew her answer would be yes.