Trainwreck of Hearts

8

Racing Against Time

As the firetruck screeched to a halt at the scene, Evan's heart sank at the sight before him. Police cars lined the street, their flashing lights casting an eerie glow over the desolate landscape. Officers hurriedly secured the perimeter, their tense expressions betraying the gravity of the situation.

Evan's hands shook as he climbed out of the firetruck, his mind reeling with fear and uncertainty. The air was thick with tension, each moment stretching out like an eternity as he struggled to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him.

Captain Ray's expression was grim as he approached a stern-faced police sergeant, his jaw set with determination. Evan's heart pounded in his chest as he watched, a sense of dread settling over him like a suffocating blanket.

"Sergeant," Ray shook the hand of the slightly shorter male. "Captain Raymond Smith of the 118." He introduced himself.

"You're a long way from your jurisdiction cap," The sergeant tried making light of the atmosphere, or he was going to lose his mind. "But nevertheless, we need all hands on deck." He clarified. "I'm Sergeant Wilson."

"I could say pleasure to meet you too Sergeant but, the circumstances don't allow me," Ray grimaced. "What's going on, sergeant?"

The sergeant reluctantly relayed the situation to Captain Ray, his words punctuated by the weight of their implications.

"We don't know yet, Captain. It appears the train was hijacked. Communication with the train has been sporadic at best. We're doing everything we can to ensure the safety of the passengers, but it's a volatile situation."

The fire captain shut his eyes as he grimaced. How was he going to relay this to Evan?

"Thank you, sergeant, I'll brief my team on the status. In the meantime, anywhere you need us?" Ray knew they would have to set their interest aside and work for the greater good of the passengers.

Hijackings can be quite unpredictable. It could also be terrorism. Which is arguably worse than a when it's just a few criminals trying their luck.

"A few cruisers and negotiators are on their way to where the train was parked, it would be nice to have fire and rescue in case things go south," The sergeant relayed, causing the fire captain to nod and turn back to his team.

Turning to face Evan, Captain Ray's eyes were filled with sorrow as he delivered the devastating news. "Kim, I'm sorry. The train has been hijacked. I'm assuming that this is Taehyung's train, and we don't know what's happening inside."

Evan felt his world shatter in an instant, the weight of his brother's peril crashing down upon him with crushing force. Tears welled up in his eyes as he struggled to contain his emotions, his heart breaking with the knowledge that Taehyung's life hung in the balance.

But there was no time to grieve, no time to wallow in despair. They were firefighters, sworn to protect and serve, and they had a duty to fulfil. With a heavy heart, Evan wiped away his tears and steeled himself for the task ahead.

As they loaded back into the firetruck, Evan's mind raced with a million thoughts, each one centered on the safety of his beloved brother. The journey to the site of the hijacking was filled with a tense silence, the weight of their mission bearing down on them like a leaden weight.

His teammates kept secretly glancing at him, but never addressing him nor the situation.

The rig was silent, and tension-filled.

Not only did they not know what to say, but they wanted to give the youngest amongst them, some time to process the news.

They knew how close the firefighter was to his little brother. Taehyung was Evan's entire world. Partly because Taehyung was the last born, but mostly because the younger Kim had health issue the minute he was conceived, and he nearly didn't make it.