The Town (Book 1, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 43 - Fire

CHARLIE

Something like this never crossed my mind. Not at the fairgrounds. Not at the place where we grew up and where we always felt safe. I was supervising the prep work in the concessionary kitchen to make sure we were ready for when the fairgrounds opened. I heard a noise but didn't think much of it, the accident left me with tinnitus in an ear and sometimes I hear non-existing peeps or whistle sounds. Until an employee came into the concessionary shouting there was a fire in a ride and to start the emergency protocol.

The kitchen personnel began immediately to close all the gas bottles and to turn off all the power breaks. One of my chefs supported me to walk a bit faster as we all rushed to the emergency exit. Once outside we joined the rest of the employees at the meeting point. I counted my personnel and we were complete. 

Chaos surrounded us. People ran around and yelled instructions on walkie-talkies. I saw Lewis through the crowd and walked towards him.

"What's going on?" I asked him as we watched the dark smoke in the distance.

"Seems to be a fire in the storage behind the Love Tunnel, but something tells me it might have spread," he said in a low voice, likely not to make everyone around us more nervous. "We heard the alarm quite soon as the pastry shop is close by, but then the smoke clouds coming out weren't that large."

"Where is Brian?"

We turned to see Fiona running towards us. Her face changed from worry to panic as she snatched a walkie-talkie from a guy.

"Where are you Brian?" She asked in an authoritative voice.

"I need to get two people out. They were doing maintenance," his crackled hurried voice replied.

Protocol forgotten, many people ran towards the ride wanting to help in any way possible. Lewis helped me as we walked closer and then I could see three guys from the security team going into the building. Minutes seemed like hours, and I felt slight relief when I saw firemen approaching. One of them had a fast chat with an emergency team member and then motioned to his colleagues to go ahead. The rest of them evaluated the source of the fire as they prepared their equipment to combat it.

The first of the security guys came out the building carrying a girl who seemed to have fainted but looked unharmed. She was promptly taken care of by paramedics. One of the firemen followed with the second security guy who had a serious burn on his arm and coughed badly, kneeling on the ground the moment he could get fresh air. Two other firemen brought a guy outside who looked as if he would faint at any minute.

"Brian come out of the damned building!" Fiona shouted into the walkie-talkie in a strained voice, eyes full of tears.

After receiving no answer, more firemen entered the building and the police started to push us back as strong streams of water hit the ceiling. The clouds of smoke gave them a fight back and there was still no sign of Brian.

"I need to reach my son!" Fiona screamed as the police tried to keep her out of harm.

"The firemen are inside, ma'am. We are doing our best to get him out and keep you all safe," one of the policemen tried to reassure her.

Voices spitting codes came out of many devices simultaneously and paramedics ran inside with a stretcher. I prayed silently for Brian's safety while more firemen kept spraying water. Eventually they came out carrying him on the stretcher and my heart sank to my feet when I saw the scorch marks on his clothes and the blackened skin showing through the fabric of his jeans. My throat closed on me as I fought the tears as the paramedics placed the stretcher on a gurney and an oxygen mask over his face.