02.18.2016
Rhy?din Action 7 News:
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you breaking news from Old Temple. Firefighters and emergency services are battling a five alarm fire at DeLancey Heights apartment complex. The first call was responded to at precisely 9:48 PM and crews have been on site since. More now from Darla Brinjak, who is currently on scene.
Thank you, Bill.
Local emergency services along with auxiliaries have been embattled for the last forty-fives minutes, working valiantly in rotation to put out a blaze that is consuming a local apartment building. So far, firefighters and emergency crews have been pushed to their limits, with their best efforts only containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading. The attempt to put it out is ongoing but as you can see, but the building?s poor construction and out of date fire prevention measures are doing more harm than good.
We haven?t yet been able to get a comment or status update from members of Rhy?din?s Fire Brigade but valiant efforts shown have seen a great many of the complex?s residence seen to safety and into the care of first responders, though we can?t even begin to imagine how many people might still be trapped within.
I? I can?t believe this, Bill. Are you seeing this? One of the paramedics is running into the building! Others are trying to stop him but, oh, there he goes! I don?t know exactly what we?re seeing here, but it seems as if? Oh. Oh! Oh, God.
(45 Minutes Earlier?)
?It?s progress,? Will said and shrugged, facing forward in the passenger seat but fixing Ronnie with a sidelong look. ?There?s a few that?re okay, sure. Two weeks tops, I hope, before I?m out of your hair.?
?Uh huh.? Ronnie seemed unconvinced, not unlike a father with a grown son that was expected to move out on his own but always had a reason he couldn?t. The notion was far from his independently-minded partner?s style, but it was fun to rib him a little over it and then change directions. ?What? Sick of me and my old lady already? And after we took you in??
Will feigned an incredulous look. ?Dude. Ronnie. Have you ever listened, like actually listened to you and your wife have sex? A room away you two sound like two greased up gorillas trying to shake bananas out of the trees. And seriously, people only play Barry White during sexytime in bad, bad romantic comedies.?
?Now you?re just askin? for an arse whoopin?, boy? I think I?ll have your pretty little girlfriend do it or me. She looks like she could put a beatdown on you.?
?My? what?? He gave Ronnie a wide-eyed look.
The bigger man just snorted. ?Uh huh. Like I don?t know you?ve been spendin? an awful lot of time with that tattooed girl you brought to the mixer. Long legs. Bright smile. Hidin? at least one blade.?
?Well, I, uh?? He could only hope Nicanora never knew talk of her had rendered him speechless. His partner?s smile was a knowing one. Point, Ronnie.
The banter was interrupted suddenly by the static hiss of the radio and a grainy voice. ?All available units. Fire Brigade responding to 10-80 in Old Temple, DeLancey Heights Apartments. Requesting available 10-45, Code 3. Repeat, requesting all available 10-45, Code 3.?
Both men exchanged looks.
?Ain?t that the place you just got evicted from?? Ronnie asked.
?Yeah,? he replied, nodding. Then sandy brown brows shot up. ?I wonder how big the noise complaint will be for this one.? Will reached for the radio and lifted it to speak. ?Copy that. Forty-two Echo en route.?
?Fire it up, man.?
?Your jokes suck, kid.? Ronnie rolled his eyes and flipped a switch, applying sudden pressure to the gas as the siren began to wail.
?Shit.?
?What??
?I think I still have stuff in storage there??
(Three minutes earlier?)
?There?re still people in there!? Will barked the words harshly at the senior firefighter on the scene. Before them, DeLancey Heights was a five story, rotund pillar of fire, contained but burning still with an intensity that had discomforting applications. They were a small number, in protective gear and EMS jumpers, discussing the options before them heatedly in lieu of making any significant decisions. Everyone standing there understood that the poor construction of the building meant that the fire?s continued burning increased the chance of a collapse, but it didn?t deter him from arguing in favor of taking the chance. ?We can?t just let them burn!?
?The risk is too great, son,? the portly lieutenant replied, shaking his head and frowning through the clear visor of his helmet. ?There?s nothing left we can do and I?m not gonna risk one of my men on a chance.?
?It?s not a chance,? he growled the words and, suddenly, everyone was taking a step back. Will couldn?t say how, but he knew there was someone still in there. Someone was still in danger. The certainty vibrated through his veins like the urgent strum of a guitar?s taut strings, over and over, pushing him towards the mighty blaze. He shot repeated glances towards DeLancey Heights, to a window on the second floor. ?I know. Someone needs us.?
?No.? The lieutenant said with a passive finality. ?No one goes in. We just try to keep it contained until it burns itself out.?
?This is bullshit.?
?You have your orders.?
Crack!
It was a heavy sound, reverberating off of the surrounding buildings and carrying even to the fringes of the perimeter. The first of the timbers that helped hold the structure up was starting to give. They were out of time. The lieutenant took a step back and began to yell to the others. ?Everyone back! Back! Get everyone behind the? son? Son, get back here! Damnit!?
Will had taken off across the pavement, vaulting the prefabricated wooden barricade like an Olympic hurdler and sprinting towards certain death. He ignored the shouts of those around him, giving the music some small modicum of control and letting it fill him until every other sound was drowned out. Someone tried to grab him and he dodged to his left, then juked to his right to avoid another set of hands. A quick leap sent him into a controlled slide across the hood of a sedan and he gained his feet immediately after without missing a step. The intensity of the music propelled him forward and made him heedless of the half-collapsed door frame.
He blew through it like it was paper.
The last things Will recalled were sprinting up the stairs, the sudden rock of the building as it began to collapse, and a sharp dirgeful note, before the world suddenly faded into black.
When he awoke a short time later, it was to the sound of voices. His skin burned, but didn?t hurt, and he was dimly aware that he was holding something. His surroundings were hot, choked with dust and ash, and most certainly not on fire. Shattered glass lay around him on the floor like a halo, fallen in jagged, uneven pieces but a perfect circle. It was about then that he became aware of two things. One, he wasn?t in DeLancey Heights anymore. A glance out the window showed him what was left of his old apartment building, a pile of smoldering rubble that reached as high as the second story window he had crashed through. It had to have been a twenty to twenty-five foot jump, at least, and bearing weight at that. Bearing weight? Second, he looked down again. Really looked down. There, clutched tightly in his arms was a child. Unconscious but breathing. The voices were growing closer, heavy bootfalls making a cacophony of sounds on the stairs.
He looked down again.
No burns.
The music was just a dull hum at the back of his head, present but not insistent.
?What in Heaven and Hell is going on with me??
Rhy?din Action 7 News:
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you breaking news from Old Temple. Firefighters and emergency services are battling a five alarm fire at DeLancey Heights apartment complex. The first call was responded to at precisely 9:48 PM and crews have been on site since. More now from Darla Brinjak, who is currently on scene.
Thank you, Bill.
Local emergency services along with auxiliaries have been embattled for the last forty-fives minutes, working valiantly in rotation to put out a blaze that is consuming a local apartment building. So far, firefighters and emergency crews have been pushed to their limits, with their best efforts only containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading. The attempt to put it out is ongoing but as you can see, but the building?s poor construction and out of date fire prevention measures are doing more harm than good.
We haven?t yet been able to get a comment or status update from members of Rhy?din?s Fire Brigade but valiant efforts shown have seen a great many of the complex?s residence seen to safety and into the care of first responders, though we can?t even begin to imagine how many people might still be trapped within.
I? I can?t believe this, Bill. Are you seeing this? One of the paramedics is running into the building! Others are trying to stop him but, oh, there he goes! I don?t know exactly what we?re seeing here, but it seems as if? Oh. Oh! Oh, God.
(45 Minutes Earlier?)
?It?s progress,? Will said and shrugged, facing forward in the passenger seat but fixing Ronnie with a sidelong look. ?There?s a few that?re okay, sure. Two weeks tops, I hope, before I?m out of your hair.?
?Uh huh.? Ronnie seemed unconvinced, not unlike a father with a grown son that was expected to move out on his own but always had a reason he couldn?t. The notion was far from his independently-minded partner?s style, but it was fun to rib him a little over it and then change directions. ?What? Sick of me and my old lady already? And after we took you in??
Will feigned an incredulous look. ?Dude. Ronnie. Have you ever listened, like actually listened to you and your wife have sex? A room away you two sound like two greased up gorillas trying to shake bananas out of the trees. And seriously, people only play Barry White during sexytime in bad, bad romantic comedies.?
?Now you?re just askin? for an arse whoopin?, boy? I think I?ll have your pretty little girlfriend do it or me. She looks like she could put a beatdown on you.?
?My? what?? He gave Ronnie a wide-eyed look.
The bigger man just snorted. ?Uh huh. Like I don?t know you?ve been spendin? an awful lot of time with that tattooed girl you brought to the mixer. Long legs. Bright smile. Hidin? at least one blade.?
?Well, I, uh?? He could only hope Nicanora never knew talk of her had rendered him speechless. His partner?s smile was a knowing one. Point, Ronnie.
The banter was interrupted suddenly by the static hiss of the radio and a grainy voice. ?All available units. Fire Brigade responding to 10-80 in Old Temple, DeLancey Heights Apartments. Requesting available 10-45, Code 3. Repeat, requesting all available 10-45, Code 3.?
Both men exchanged looks.
?Ain?t that the place you just got evicted from?? Ronnie asked.
?Yeah,? he replied, nodding. Then sandy brown brows shot up. ?I wonder how big the noise complaint will be for this one.? Will reached for the radio and lifted it to speak. ?Copy that. Forty-two Echo en route.?
?Fire it up, man.?
?Your jokes suck, kid.? Ronnie rolled his eyes and flipped a switch, applying sudden pressure to the gas as the siren began to wail.
?Shit.?
?What??
?I think I still have stuff in storage there??
(Three minutes earlier?)
?There?re still people in there!? Will barked the words harshly at the senior firefighter on the scene. Before them, DeLancey Heights was a five story, rotund pillar of fire, contained but burning still with an intensity that had discomforting applications. They were a small number, in protective gear and EMS jumpers, discussing the options before them heatedly in lieu of making any significant decisions. Everyone standing there understood that the poor construction of the building meant that the fire?s continued burning increased the chance of a collapse, but it didn?t deter him from arguing in favor of taking the chance. ?We can?t just let them burn!?
?The risk is too great, son,? the portly lieutenant replied, shaking his head and frowning through the clear visor of his helmet. ?There?s nothing left we can do and I?m not gonna risk one of my men on a chance.?
?It?s not a chance,? he growled the words and, suddenly, everyone was taking a step back. Will couldn?t say how, but he knew there was someone still in there. Someone was still in danger. The certainty vibrated through his veins like the urgent strum of a guitar?s taut strings, over and over, pushing him towards the mighty blaze. He shot repeated glances towards DeLancey Heights, to a window on the second floor. ?I know. Someone needs us.?
?No.? The lieutenant said with a passive finality. ?No one goes in. We just try to keep it contained until it burns itself out.?
?This is bullshit.?
?You have your orders.?
Crack!
It was a heavy sound, reverberating off of the surrounding buildings and carrying even to the fringes of the perimeter. The first of the timbers that helped hold the structure up was starting to give. They were out of time. The lieutenant took a step back and began to yell to the others. ?Everyone back! Back! Get everyone behind the? son? Son, get back here! Damnit!?
Will had taken off across the pavement, vaulting the prefabricated wooden barricade like an Olympic hurdler and sprinting towards certain death. He ignored the shouts of those around him, giving the music some small modicum of control and letting it fill him until every other sound was drowned out. Someone tried to grab him and he dodged to his left, then juked to his right to avoid another set of hands. A quick leap sent him into a controlled slide across the hood of a sedan and he gained his feet immediately after without missing a step. The intensity of the music propelled him forward and made him heedless of the half-collapsed door frame.
He blew through it like it was paper.
The last things Will recalled were sprinting up the stairs, the sudden rock of the building as it began to collapse, and a sharp dirgeful note, before the world suddenly faded into black.
When he awoke a short time later, it was to the sound of voices. His skin burned, but didn?t hurt, and he was dimly aware that he was holding something. His surroundings were hot, choked with dust and ash, and most certainly not on fire. Shattered glass lay around him on the floor like a halo, fallen in jagged, uneven pieces but a perfect circle. It was about then that he became aware of two things. One, he wasn?t in DeLancey Heights anymore. A glance out the window showed him what was left of his old apartment building, a pile of smoldering rubble that reached as high as the second story window he had crashed through. It had to have been a twenty to twenty-five foot jump, at least, and bearing weight at that. Bearing weight? Second, he looked down again. Really looked down. There, clutched tightly in his arms was a child. Unconscious but breathing. The voices were growing closer, heavy bootfalls making a cacophony of sounds on the stairs.
He looked down again.
No burns.
The music was just a dull hum at the back of his head, present but not insistent.
?What in Heaven and Hell is going on with me??