Day two of the recruit-class training began with roll call, then classroom instruction. Ian Woodward sat in his wheelchair up front, sporting a serious expression on his face. Tess stood in the back, anxious to see him in action.
“I’m Captain Woodward. I’ll be training you on the fire department’s response to terrorist attacks locally. An entire unit will be dedicated to this later on in your course work, and the same goes for EMS safety. Those classes will cover using universal precautions, aka suiting up in protective gear, like facemasks and gloves for medical calls. I’ll also go into what you’re to do when you arrive at a site which might have a dirty bomb.
“But today, Chief Hennessey asked me to talk about the first two areas of safety listed up here."
Clicking into PowerPoint, Ian called up the first slide on the screen behind him.
1.Fire ground Safety
2.Vehicle Accident Safety
3.EMS and universal precautions—to be included in EMS classes
4.First Responders at Terrorist Attacks—to be included in another unit
He wheeled closer to the recruits, who sat like good little soldiers, stiff and attentive. The April sun slanted in through the big windows, casting their young faces in sharp relief, and for a moment, their vulnerability shocked Tess.
“I’m going to call on people to answer some questions. Relax. Having no idea of what I’m talking about or incorrect answers won’t work against you.” Ian gave them a genuine smile, then peered down at his list. “Recruit Murphy, what would you guess are the dangers at a fire ground?”
Murphy thought for a second. “Going into a building when it’s too far gone to do any good. The text said the term is being fully involved.”
“Right on both accounts. It’s a strict code of the fire department that you listen to the officer in charge about when to go into a fire and when to come out.” He picked up a horn that sat on the desk and blew it. Everybody jumped, including Tess, then the recruits laughed nervously. Ian chuckled. “That’s the evacuation sound.”
When they settled down again, he focused on a different person. “Recruit Cruz, give us another thing that would be considered a safety issue on the fire ground.”
“Gear. Wearing it right. Maybe making sure you have enough air.” Which Tess had just taught them. Good girl that she remembered.
“Those are definitely things to watch.”
Before Ian could call on the next person, Danny Mauro raised his hand.
Ian said, “Yes? The recruit in the back.”
“My brother’s buddy is a firefighter in upstate New York. Some guy torched his sister’s house to lure firefighters there and shoot at them. Two firefighters were killed.”
From the back, Tess heard gasps go through the group as a whole.
Another recruit called out, “Yeah, but that was a fluke. Wasn’t it?”
Ian shrugged. “That particular incident was unusual. But there have been shootings at firefighters of some form in Dallas, Kansas City, Austin and other cities.
“Why?” another recruit asked.
“Because we’re authority figures. Remember that, too, when you enter buildings. Anyone inside could hold a grudge against you and what you symbolize. Early in my career, we went into a house, on a call to pump out a basement. A woman was in the living room, but there were four doors around it, and I had the thought that we could be ambushed easily if somebody wanted to hurt us.”
“Did they?”
“No, but the officer in charge was worried about the gas and electric. We could have been killed if the captain hadn’t been so circumspect.”
Ian looked to her and Olive. “Captain Hennessey, Captain Righetti, do you want to add anything to this part of the discussion?”
Olive sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s a fact of firefighting today that someone might take out their issues, real or imagined, on us. This new phenomenon is just something else we have to deal with.”
Tess strode to the front of the room so she could see the kids face-to-face. “I’m in Hidden Cove temporarily, but I live in the same county as those Webster, New York, firefighters who were killed. The guy who shot them was disturbed. Yes, he set fire to his sister’s house, and to her, too.” Tess remembered those dark days of feeling so bad for her comrades and scrounging for things the department could do for the ones affected. “Truthfully, it was horrendous. All firefighters in the county mourned what happened for a long time. The Webster crews still aren’t over it.”
Olive stepped up to Tess. “There’s only so much you can do to protect yourself from this kind of thing. Being aware and watchful for strangers near the fire ground is the first step.”
Tess didn’t let this go. Best they know everything now. “I’ll bet you’re thinking there’s already too much to deal with when you reach a fire, get ready and go inside. But believe me, shootings are a real danger.” At their horrified expressions, she added, “If you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t be here.”
Ian took over again. “Well, to be fair, eventually arriving at the fire ground and going into a fire will become second nature, and you’ll use muscle memory to get ready. You’ll actually have time to assess the situation. Any more questions?”
Somebody raised his hand. Mauro again.
Tess had a feeling Mauro was going to muddy the waters. “Yes?”
“Can I ask Captain Woodward a question?”
Ian nodded. “Of course.”
“You obviously weren’t safe on the fire ground. That’s why you’re in that thing.” He pointed to the chair. “How can you tell anybody they can be safe?”
“You’re out of line, recruit,” Tess snapped.
“No, that’s okay.” Ian’s voice was calm. “I’ll answer that. What’s your name, son? I can’t see your tag.”
“Dan Mauro.”
“To be blunt, Dan, you’re right. You’ll be walking into burning buildings, so you’ll never be safe in the role of a firefighter. And if bombs fall from the sky, we’re all at risk. But there are precautions you can learn about ahead of time and take at the scene. But to answer your question about me, I’ve studied first responders’ procedures during terror attacks, which were developed by national experts. However, it was experiencing them firsthand that gave me insight into what to do, as well as making me highly motivated—that means pissed as hell—so I’m probably better equipped than anyone else to prepare you. One thing you have to learn is to benefit from the experience of those who’ve come before you. And be cautious with your safety. You can’t save anybody if you’re dead.”
Unnerved by the boy’s rudeness, Tess didn’t address him further. She’d ask Olive if they should do anything about the boy’s attitude.
Ian motioned to Tess. “Captain Righetti will now cover safety on heavily trafficked roads when there’s been a car accident.”
She took the clicker from Ian. “Here’s a scene I want you to ponder.” She put up on the screen the video of an accident. “An SUV had T-boned a sedan, and the vehicles were entwined.” The sound of cars whizzing by was deafening, the speed of them, too fast. “Watch the firefighters and how they’re forced to work on the road…”
o0o
Every year, Olive Hennessey held a gathering for the instructors at her house at the beginning of the recruit class. Since she’d had plans with her son last night, the shindig took place on day two. Jack rang the doorbell of her home in a regentrified part of the city, appreciating the brick and mortar that had gone into the place.
Olive smiled when she saw him on the stoop. “Hey, Jack.” She nodded to what he carried. “You’re such a doll, Doc.” She accepted the scotch and sniffed at the pretty yellow daisies. “Thanks.”
“Thank you for having us all. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No worries. Some others just got here.”
He stepped into the foyer. To the left was a large living room with built-in bookshelves, a high ceiling and plenty of windows, where the Academy staff mingled with each other. He scanned the group and zeroed in on Tess, talking to Quinn Frazier. Jack hadn’t slept much after she called him last night, because he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Tonight, she wore a pretty two-piece red dress that swirled at her knees. Her high-heeled sandals made her bare legs look a mile long. Hell, she was feminine as all get out! He’d better be careful he didn’t ogle her in public.
“We’re having drinks in here,” Olive told him. “The enclosed porch in the rear is set for dinner. There’s a cross breeze between the back and front.”
Jack sniffed. “Is that barbeque I smell?”
“Yep, from Sticky Lips.”
“Man, I love that place.”
“Go ahead, mingle. I’ve got to make sure everything’s ready at the same time.”
From across the room, Larissa glanced over, and he waved but went to get a drink at the bar in the corner. Tess left Frazier and came up to him.
“Hi,” he said as easily as he could. Damn it all, she had makeup on, and her eyes glimmered with it.
Her face was flushed. “Hi.”
He took in the red dress up close. It hugged every single curve she had. Clearing his throat, he asked, “So, did you sleep the rest of the night?”
“Yeah. I dozed off while you were talking.”
“I know. I heard you snoring.”
Her mouth fell open. “You did not.”
“Scout’s honor.” Another grin. “I’m glad you called me.”
“I shouldn’t have.”
“Why did you?”
“When I wake up from a nightmare like that, I’m unsteady and I feel…alone, I guess. It’s happened since Joey died.”
“I’m always here if you need me.”
“You’re a nice guy, Jack. I said some not nice things to you in the past and you’re still kind to me.”
“I care about you, Tess.” Reaching out, he squeezed her arm. Which was a mistake. Her skin was as soft as down. “I’ve tried to tell you that.”
She just nodded. “I’m going to go see if I can help Olive.”
As she walked away, he couldn’t help but notice the feminine sway of her hips. Turning away from her, he poured some scotch and downed it.
Dinner was called soon. When he reached the porch, he saw the backyard garden, the crocus and irises blooming in a myriad of colors.
Once people were seated, Olive lifted a glass of ruby red wine. “Okay, here’s the rules. No talk about the recruits tonight. We’re going to binge on fatty foods and get to know each other better or catch up with those you’ve worked with before. No work stuff.”
Jenkins murmured, “Thank God. It’s only day two and I already feel inundated.”
“As they say, eat, drink and be merry.”
Jack would try to follow Olive’s advice.
o0o
Because Wednesday afternoon turned out to be balmy, Jack led the recruits out the back of the Fire Academy to a pavilion that held picnic tables. He’d ordered pizza and soda for them, and it waited on the tables under the roof, out of the sun. Quiet as usual, they found seats in an orderly fashion. He took a place in front of them, sitting on a tabletop so they could all see him. “Hi, everybody. As you know, I’m Jack Harrison. You can be informal and just call me Doc or Captain.” He nodded to them. “And take off your ties. Loosen your collar. Let down some.”
Blank looks. When one finally followed his suggestion, the others did, too.
“You’re here because the department thinks you should have a place to talk about your training experiences and ask any questions you have or share concerns that might arise about your future as a firefighter.”
Some nods.
He told them how he saw the group running, then asked if they had concerns today. None. Expecting this, he said, “Get in groups of five at a table, talk to each other.” They moved, but when no one started a conversation, he handed out slips of paper.
“Since you seem reluctant to speak today, I’d like you to write down one thing you think will be easy for you in your training and one thing that you might have difficulty with. Don’t put your names on the papers. I won’t try to decipher your handwriting, so no worries there. I’ll collect them and read them aloud. If you want to talk about what you said, then we will. If you don’t, at least you’ll know how the rest of you are feeling. Deal?”
Most of them nodded.
“For those of you who haven’t agreed, I’ll tell you right now this is an order.”
They wrote, and after five minutes, Jack collected the sheets.
“Sight unseen, I’m going to read them so you’ll know I’m not censoring anything. First, “‘I was blown away by the discussion of people shooting at firefighters.’”
Jack paused. “Of course you were. It’s a grim reality of the job. Maybe we can discuss that more in here.”
Many of the kids eased back in their chairs, shoulders relaxing. Jack read another. “‘I’m not fit enough. I can tell after only three days.’” Jack smiled. “Then, take Cory Cameron up on his offer of classes three times a week. I guarantee he’ll get you in shape.”
He heard a few sighs.
Other thoughts followed. How they admired Ian Woodward, and if he could still fight terrorism, so could they. Some were worried about the course work.
“You know, learning everything in that monstrous text you’re assigned is always a concern for recruits. I’m going to talk to the chief about some tutoring. I should have thought about it before.”
By the time Jack got to the last paper, he was relieved. Until he saw what was written. But a deal was a deal. He read, “Captain Righetti seems like a real bitch to me.”
And so it began.
o0o
Standing at the edge of the huge indoor pool, Tess grinned. “God, this is fun!”
Beside her, Zach squeezed her neck. “See? You should stay in Hidden Cove forever!”
“Great to have you here, Tess.” Jenn stood next to her two brothers. Tess wore one of her cousin’s bathing suits, a modest black-and-white thing. Jenn’s was red. Zach’s trunks, of course, were wild and loud. “We have these fundraisers all the time.”
The Hidden Cove Fire Department knew how to have good times as well as fight fires. Since it was too cool yet to swim outside, this fundraiser for Hale’s Haven had been planned at the Hidden Cove Y. They had to hold it on Thursday night, though, because the Y couldn’t close to their membership on weekends. The pool was Olympic size, with Jacuzzis and kiddie pools surrounding it. For a twenty-dollar donation, families or single people would stream in from six to ten o’clock, eat, swim and support a good cause.
Mitch approached them, and the three cousins exchanged nods—just before they picked her up.
“What the f—”
“One,” Mitch yelled as they swung her back and forth over the water.
“Two.” Zach now.
Even Jenn participated. “Three.”
She went flying through the air and hit the water with a big splash.
Zach cupped his hands. “Your initiation, babe.”
She came up sputtering from the unceremonious dunking. “I’ll get you all back.”
Mitch guffawed. “Just like old times.”
Only it wasn’t. She’d missed years of this camaraderie. The strong chlorine scent reminded her of swimming with the Malvasos at the neighborhood pool when she’d come to live with them. Their antics made her remember how they treated her like a little sister. How she liked it.
Tess swam to the side of the pool, braced her arms on the concrete and observed one of the kiddie areas. She loved watching the little ones. Zach and Casey’s kids, Jason, Nicky, Lindsay and Shannon, had volunteered to be in charge of them. “Geez, Zach, your kids are so grown up.”
“That’s what I been tellin’ ya, girl. You missed too much.”
As she watched the smaller ones, Bella and Ben caught her eye and waved. A little girl clung to Zach’s son. She was about two. “Who’s the tow-headed one? She’s got eyes for Nicky.”
“That’s Beck and Lela’s daughter, Cami. Not sure if you met them, but you should.”
Watching from the pool, Tess wondered if any of the others had lost a parent and would be going to the camp Tess had heard so much about over the years.
“Come on,” Jenn yelled around cupped hands. “Let’s play volleyball. I’ll be a captain of one team.”
“Me, too,” Grady offered. “You’re on, sweetheart. We’re gonna whomp your butts.”
They decided on eight people per side. Four teams agreed to play. Tess found herself with Connie, Paulie, Beck and Lela, whom she had met, Cory and a couple of others she didn’t know.
Against her team were Mitch, Zach, Jenn, Noah and Eve, Quinn Frazier and two others.
In the server’s position, Zach tossed up the ball and punched it over the net. Right to Tess, who jumped up and popped it back into the air. Paulie slapped it over to the other side. He high-fived her. Connie served next. Right into the net, unfortunately. “Get the hook,” Mitch called out.
Connie stuck her tongue out at her big brother.
They batted the ball back and forth until the score was tied at fourteen. “Win by two,” Noah announced as he served. The ball went high and was coming right toward Tess, who’d moved to the front line. “Mine,” she yelled and spiked it down to the water of the opposing team.
“We changed our mind, Teresa.” This from Mitch. “You can go back to Rockland.”
In the end, Tess’s team won. She was energized by the play and swam to the steps. Where she found Jack, holding a towel out for her. It was the same color blue as the one she wore the night they made love, and from his expression, he remembered, too. But he said easily, “You looked good out there.”
Hell, he looked good. He wore a black suit with red stripes and a red T-shirt to match. The color did great things for his complexion. And she’d forgotten how muscular he was. His biceps and pecs and chest were sculpted.
“Like what you see?” he asked, amused.
She was in a good mood; he’d helped after a nightmare, so her smile was broad. “I never made any bones about that, Doc.”
His gaze turned hot as he looked down. She wrapped the towel around her waist only. Her chest was exposed, and though the suit was one piece, it was cut high at the legs and low at the top. “Watch yourself, Doc.”
“If you don’t want people to look, don’t wear something like that.”
“Touché.”
Cory Cameron came up to them. “Tess, want a hot dog? They’re cooking them in the kitchen.”
“I would.” Nodding to Jack, they left.
Jack stood where he was, confounded by his feelings about Tess walking away from him with another man. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“You’d better stop staring like that, Doc, or somebody else is gonna catch on.”
Turning, he found Sophia Ramirez behind him. Wearing a ruffled bathing suit, she resembled a young Sophia Lauren so much she was breathtaking. Jack said, “I have no idea what you mean.”
“I’ve been watching you since you got here. You keep looking for the prodigal cousin, and when you find her, you stare. When did all this happen?”
He wouldn’t lie outright to Sophia. “Oh, God, don’t tell anybody.”
Her laugh was sultry. “I won’t.”
“I, um, knew her in Rockland when I went to take the recruit class.”
“You going for it?”
“No. Professional ethics and all.”
“Hmm.”
A whistle blew, and Noah Callahan asked for everybody’s attention. “Food’s on in the other room, but if you want to be in a diving contest, do it before you eat.”
A flurry of activity—soon, all the Malvasos were lined up at the diving board, including Tess. The family loved each other but were super-competitive, too. They let Tess go first.
So, as if he needed this, Jack had to watch her climb the steps to the high board. Stride to the end, and bounce. Once, twice. She leapt into the air, bent her body in a perfect jackknife, glided downward, then hit the water almost without any splash.
Fuck, was there anything the woman wasn’t good at?
“Come on, Romeo, let’s go get food,” Sophia said dryly and tugged at his arm.
o0o
Tess was familiar with RTE’s, Recruit Training Evaluations, though each department did them differently. At the Anderson Fire Academy, the staff would meet on Friday afternoon while the recruits spent the end of the day with Jack. Tess liked the evaluations, mostly because everything was brought out in the open.
Olive nodded to a pizza on the table. “Jack Harrison got some pie for the recruits, and he bought one for us.”
Briefly, Tess wondered about the familiarity of sharing a meal with students. It was customary to maintain structure and distance at first. Dismissing the idea, she took a piece and bit into it. Hmm, cheese, pepperoni, spiced sauce.
After everyone had a bite to eat, Olive rose and stood by the white board. “Listed up here are the recruit names. Each of you will give them a grade, on a scale of one to five, five being the best. We’ll discuss their ratings. Let’s do it orally. Since there’s been no EMS, Larissa isn’t here today.”
The first name up was Anita Cruz. Tony said, “Three.”
Jenkins gave her a four.
Tess said, “One.”
All gazes focused on her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“We don’t give ones, Tess,” Tony told her.
“She practically fainted on the first day.”
He shot her a questioning look. “But she’s done well physically the rest of the week.”
“Huh. I guess you don’t grade as hard here as we do in Rockland.”
“As a matter of fact, we grade hard.” Olive smiled at her. “But we don’t give ones. We found doing that too demoralizing to the recruits. And discouraging.”
“Okay, I change mine to a two.”
Next up was Dan Mauro. Scores were 4/5/5/4/3/2.
Again, everybody looked to Tess. “Hell.” She shook her head. “I just don’t get it. This guy, for example. He’s a hotshot.” Like Joey had been. “He’s arrogant.”
“He’s aced every single written and physical test we’ve given him.” This from Jenkins.
Tony sighed. “I agree with Jenkins.”
Frazier shook his head. “I gave him a three. I agree with Tess. Something’s off about that kid. When he challenged Ian, it was almost like he was asking to be called out.”
“I have a suggestion.” Olive spoke with authority. “Let’s outline what we’re basing the evaluation on.”
They hadn’t done that in Rockland. Scores reflected more of a general impression.
Olive looked to Tess. “What do you think?”
“I guess so. I’m clearly on a different page from most of you.”
“Then, let’s see if we can start a new chapter.”