Later
It was nearing nighttime, and it was relatively calm the rest of the day. Spinelli's parents had left around an hour ago, and Andy was already taking her usual nap.
Stella was at her office to sort out paperwork and other things. She was soon done with all of it, but she soon got an unexpected guest. Three guests.
"Ugh, and one would think being Battalion Chief is rewarding, can't say that for the amount of paperwork and files, geez." She closed a cabinet and stood up. She then put on her jacket and zipped it up. Knocking was heard on her door.
"Come in."
The Police Chief came in, along with Vic and Donovan.
"Hello, Chief Shortman." He gave a bit of a suspecting smile. "May I help you? I was just about to leave." She gave an unsatisfied look.
"I just want to quickly meet with you about the other night and what happened. I know there was conflict between our Departments, but that doesn't change the fact we don't work together."
While Dixon kept rambling on about the situation the other night, Stella was giving an unsatisfied look and also had in mind what Olga had revealed.
"Shameless bastard." She thought.
"And well, I want to resolve this situation with you."
"And what do you have in mind, precisely?" She raised an eyebrow. "Come to tonight's press conference at City Hall, so we can tell the world why this was just a minor inconvenience, and that the Police Department and the Fire Department work well together. That's all I ask." Jalen replied. Stella hesitated to answer.
She then exhaled. "Alright. I'll be down at City Hall tonight."
Dixon nodded and shook hands with her.
He soon walked out of her office, Donovan and Vic were rather unsure of this.
"Chief, don't you think this seems rather… skeptical?" Vic asked. "Victoria, I appreciate your concern, but I have no idea what to think at this point. So many things rushing through my head I feel like it'll freakin' explode!" Stella replied as she held her head.
"Alright you two, I know both of you are on shift. Vic, get back toward your shift, and Donovan, yours will start soon."
They only nodded as Stella soon walked out of her office. They followed behind.
"If I have to sing that STUPID SONG one more time!…" A young man complained. A young woman approached him. "Oh, cheer up! No one's gonna be lookin' at you, they're most likely gonna be taking pictures of their kids! So cheer up, have a smile on your face, and let's do this!" She encouraged her colleague. He only nodded as he lit a matchstick for the birthday cake. He lit the candle on top.
He blew out the matchstick and threw it in the trash. He exhaled as he walked out with his coworker.
Very faint smoke would be seen coming from the trash can…
"Pheebs? What are you doing here?" Spinelli opened the door to find Phoebe had come over from her shift.
"Hey, Spinelli! How's it goin'?"
"Well, just more or less bored." She replied. Bandit then walked over to them slowly and sat down. "Aw, isn't he cute?" Phoebe noticed Bandit sitting on the floor. He started to whine.
"Oh, he just wants his chew toy. Hang on." Spinelli grabbed the chew toy from her pocket. She had picked it up off the floor before opening the door.
"Fetch!" She threw the chew toy. Bandit immediately ran after it. "Well, Pheebs, come in! What brings you by?"
"I wanted to drop by and see how you guys were doing, I haven't seen you guys in a while! Where's Arnold?"
"Working a shift, that's why I feel so bored." She replied and closed the door after Phoebe walked in. "You guys have a weight room around here?"
"Uh yeah, why?"
"I think I found a way to cure your boredom for the time being. Could you show me where the weight room is?" Spinelli nodded as they soon walked toward the indoor gym.
"One more rep, Trav!" Arnold was spotting for Travis, who was lifting thirty-pound dumbbells.
"There!" Arnold grabbed the dumbbells from his hands. "If I get a hernia soon, I'm blaming you!" Travis chuckled as he drank the rest of his water bottle.
Arnold merely rolled his eyes while smirking.
"Stop lookin' at your phone like a teenage girl and c'mon!" Phoebe urged. "Just give me a sec! I'm just sending Arnold a heart." Spinelli texted Arnold a heart.
Michelle soon walked in and Arnold soon saw the text message.
"I spot with my little eye… Someone in love like a high school girl." She smirked as she walked over. "Oh, c'mon." Arnold also smirked. "How do you always know I'm on my phone?" He chuckled. "I guess a little instinct." She shrugged with a smile.
The station alarm started to go off.
"Engine 55, Truck 55, Engine 42, Truck 42, Engine 24, Engine 23, Ladder 23, Aid Car 55, Aid Car 23, Aid Car 24, respond to strip mall fire in 275 Southwest Ave."
The dispatcher continued as everyone immediately headed to the engine room to gear up.
Within a minute, everyone had their gear on and truck doors were being closed as truck sirens flashed inside the station.
The sirens started blaring as Engine 55 was the first to roll off, Ladder 55 took off after it, and the Aid Car would follow behind as cars started making way for the trucks.
The trucks rushed through the streets, while back home…
"There you go! Hit it!" Phoebe was holding the punching bag still, while Spinelli was in a ribbed tank top, with mixed martial arts gloves (AKA MMA gloves).
"Phoebe, while I find this to be satisfying, I still don't see the point of this." Spinelli had her hands on her knees. "A little boredom reliever, and it'll make time pass by faster. The longer you can keep going, the faster time will go by and you get to see Arnold again. Just imagine this bag as your worst enemy and you'll see it'll be a game changer!"
Spinelli took a deep breath and thought about the arsonist who wants to kill her child.
She pounded her fists together and immediately got into her boxing stance again.
Back at the strip mall, many fire trucks were already there. Sirens were blaring as Ladder 55 was coming to a stop. The interim Captain-slash-Lieutenant, Shortman, hopped out of the truck.
He shut the truck door as he tightened his air tank straps.
"Dispatch, this is Truck 55, this is escalating to a three-alarm, I need all available units to the strip mall."
"Copy that, 55. Striking out a third alarm." The dispatcher replied as people came from the strip mall coughing.
"Montgomery! You and Donovan keep the hoses hooked up and charged! We'll need a two-and-a-half inch!"
"The big one, you got it!" He ran to the rear of the Engine.
A woman came out coughing and had stains from the smoke.
"Twenty clear. Forty-two.." Inaudible radio chatter was heard.
"Easy! Easy! Easy! Deep breaths! Smith, get this woman treated! Get a triage set up, we may have more people inside!" Bright red siren lights reflected off them.
"Engine 55, search and rescue! We got minutes before this building is completely unsafe!" Arnold radioed his Engine company as he started putting on his mask.
"Watch the gauges and the hydrant."
"Got it!"
Hoses were being deployed as many firemen came out with victims. Many rushed around the area. Truck 23 was already in place and had its ladder extending to the roof.
Many search and rescue units were rushing inside to search for more victims while hose lines were being laid out by the respective Engine companies.
Later
"Entry points are blocked, stairs are engulfed. All units, pull out! Prepare for a defensive attack." Lieutenant Shortman radioed.
"The hell are you doing? There are still people inside!" Officer Tanner said. "It's too dangerous to keep going back in. Part of the ceiling has already collapsed." He replied as a member from 42 was climbing the ladder.
Tanner started to walk off and toward the entrance.
"Hey! Wait!"
"Get off!" Tanner shoved off Arnold, who tried to stop him.
"You see all that smoke?! Huh?! It's all toxic! You don't have the appropriate gear for this! You'll be dead in 2 minutes! The building is on the verge of collapsing!"
A very bright orange-whitish flashed at them as a crash was heard.
BOOM!
CRASH!
Fire flared from the entrance.
"This is Shortman, get the perimeter back 20 feet!" He radioed. "Isn't there anything we can do?" Tanner asked as the fire was spreading.
"Unless we hit it with water to keep it from spreading, we lost the building." Arnold looked at the raging flames.
Tanner soon went with his fellow officers. "Alright, back up! Everyone, back up!" Tanner started securing the area.
"Fifteen, Seven, I need you two to hit from the delta side. Surround and drown!" Arnold told the other Lieutenants from Stations Fifteen and Seven.
The Battalion Chief soon arrived.
"What's going on?" Stella asked. "Strip mall fire. The flames were briefly contained before it started spreading and eating up the entire place." Her son replied.
"Alright, don't let me keep you. *radio static* I want status reports now!"
"Lines all set up inside!" Johanssen replied. He was with Warren inside.
"55, how's the big line coming?" Arnold asked. "We're in position!" Pep replied. "Charge it! Now!" Travis shouted.
The hose was charged and water started spraying at the entrance.
A civilian crossed the barricade. "Hey! Behind the line!" A police officer exclaimed. "Non-rescue personnel behind the line!" Arnold walked over as Stella was behind him.
"But what about her?!" A man pointed up at a balcony.
A baby cry was heard with his mother.
"Good God…" Arnold and Tanner looked up.
"Clemente! Montgomery! Try and knock down the flames from spreading to them, buy us time!"
"On it!" She soon aimed the big hose where the fire was being contained for now.
"Smith, get the ladder in there right now, we have no other choice!" Arnold told Dean.
"Arnold, the truck's blocked in, we have to get everyone to move!" Dean replied. "Well, we're gonna have to go from here." Arnold replied as he took off his air tank. "The truck is blocked! We can't set the riggers down on the sides! And without them, the truck will be unstable! And with the recent issues of the ladder, it's too dangerous!"
Arnold threw his air tank. "I said I'm goin' up! Now get me up there, NOW!" He shouted as he climbed up to the turntable.
The flames were crackling loudly as the ladder was being extended, without the riggers being on the ground.
Arnold strapped himself to the ladder as Dean started to control it.
"WHY'S IT GOIN' SO SLOW!?" Tanner yelled. "IT ONLY GOES ONE SPEED DAMMIT!" Pep shouted.
Tanner opened the Engine door of Fifty-Five and got a random coat from inside and put it on.
The ladder was extending to the roof toward the mother and her child. Arnold then noticed Dave on the ground.
"Tanner, what the hell are you doing?!" Arnold shouted. "Drop your baby to me!"
"What?!" The mother yelled.
"Please! There's no time! You have to trust me, I'll catch him! I promise!" The woman was crying as she held her baby.
"THE ROOFS ABOUT TO GO!" Dean yelled. Arnold looked back and looked toward the woman.
"YOU SEE THAT FIREFIGHTER ON THE LADDER? WHEN HE GETS TO YOU, YOU'LL HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE RAIL AND JUMP TO HIM. AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT WHILE HOLDING A BABY. YOU WILL MISS AND FALL, AND YOUR BABY WILL FALL! PLEASE, YOU HEARD THE OTHER FIREFIGHTER, THE ROOF IS ABOUT COLLAPSE. PLEASE!" Tanner pleaded to the woman.
CRASH!
The fire was spreading slowly and crackling loudly.
"Ma'am! What's your name?" Arnold called out.
"Allison!"
"And the kid?"
"Jacob!" She looked at her baby. "Allison, please listen to my friend, Dave! You can do this, please!"
She looked at Dave.
Spinelli was repeatedly hitting the punching bag, mostly leaving Phoebe surprised at how hard she was hitting.
"Son of a…!" She kept hitting the bag with all her strength.
"LET GO! PLEASE, IT'LL BE OKAY." Tanner shouted, pleading.
Everyone in the area, firefighters, police officers, and civilians all watched the dramatic scene.
Her baby boy was crying, and Allison looked.
"Mommy loves you…" She cried her eyes out, left with no choice.
She tossed her baby.
Everyone gasped.
Tanner ran toward the baby and soon caught him while falling to his knees.
Everyone clapped and cheered as they saw the baby safe. Tanner gave a sigh of relief and took deep breaths himself.
CRASH
The fire was still spreading as time ticked on the roof collapse. Tanner soon comforted the child as paramedics ran over.
The ladder moved as close as it could.
"Alright, you can do this!"
"I can't!" Allison cried. "Yes, you can! You can do this! You have to jump! You got this!" Allison started climbing over the railing.
All the attention was now on Arnold and Allison.
Everyone watched while terrified. Even his mom was scared of what would happen next. Stella gulped as she clenched her radio.
Arnold had his arms out. Allison was over the railing as the fire spread.
"AAAH!" She jumped.
Everyone gasped.
Loud clanging from the tip of the ladder was heard as she landed the jump. Arnold yanked her arm and pulled her into a hug. The woman whimpered.
"Alright Dean, get us out of here!" Arnold looked back. "Please don't fail on me now!" Dean moved the lever. Nothing happened.
"C'MON!" Dean hit the panel.
"Smith!… Get us out!"
The ladder finally started moving back and retracting as fire flared near them as it had spreaded to where Allison was.
Within minutes, the ladder was back in its neutral spot, and Allison soon climbed off the ladder to see her baby boy. Tanner still had the baby in his arms as he was at an ambulance.
Arnold hopped off the turntable and took off his helmet for a moment to wipe off the sweat from his forehead. He soon put his helmet back on and turned off the flashlight on it.
Arnold soon walked over to his Engine truck, Stella was standing near where the ladders were kept.
"That's my son. Great job." Stella smiled as she shook his hand. She soon pulled him into a hug. Arnold hugged her back.
Pep had shut off the hose and backed up with Travis as they had no choice but to let the building burn. The hose teams inside had also backed out minutes before the big rescue. Firefighters, police officers, and civilians backed up as the entire strip mall was now engulfed in flames.
Firefighters soon watched the building burn.
Stella rubbed Arnold's back as they hugged. They soon let go and looked at the burning strip mall.
KA-BOOM
CRASH
BOOM
WHOOSH
The roof had collapsed as a giant fireball shot up into the air.
Spinelli kept hitting the punching bag but was slowing down, and Phoebe was just now concerned.
"Stay… Away… From my… Daughter!" Spinelli exclaimed as she soon collapsed onto her knees after missing a right hook. Phoebe immediately kneeled to her. Instead of seeing her being dehydrated, Phoebe was shocked to find Spinelli now crying her eyes out.
"Spinelli, what's wrong?" She put an arm over her. She couldn't even answer as she was now crying over Andy.
Surprisingly, Diesel walked in with a sealed bottle of water in his mouth. He soon walked over and handed it to Phoebe.
"Calm down, just take deep breaths, please…!" Phoebe rubbed her back as she kept crying.
Tanner soon looked at the fire, and Arnold walked over.
"Hey. Tanner. Helluva save today." Arnold complimented. "Helluva save yourself."
"Thanks." Arnold quietly replied. The two soon shook hands. Arnold soon walked to his mother.
Arnold soon approached his Battalion Chief while red siren lights reflected off them and flashed around the area. "I know your father is proud of you right now." Stella smiled. "I know he is." Arnold smiled as he slightly nodded. He soon unstrapped his helmet strap.
Fire poured from the entrance as fire from the roof flared up to the nighttime sky.
Stella soon looked at the Ladder truck, in concern. She then looked over at her son and then smiled.