|
home | vs home | season one | season two | season three | join dmvs | e-mail us | guestbook |
Arson 1 (season finale) Episode 28 written by
Pammie
|
| Disclaimer: The
characters in the following fan fiction do not belong to me. They belong to CBS and Viacom
and other powers that be. I am only using them for the purpose of writing this story. No
money is being made from this writing it is for entertainment purposes only. And now on
with the show...
The flames could be seen several blocks away. As the woman closed the distance between her and her house, her worst fear confirmed - it was her house that was burning. Having to park a good distance back, she ran towards her house, but slowed at the sight. Where her once neat and trimmed house existed, now stood an orange fiery monster. Flames had broken all the windows and were continuing to devour her house. Remembering that her husband had stayed home because he was sick, the woman rushed to the police line. The cop held her back. Visibly upset, the woman told him, "This is my house. My husband was in there." She scanned the crowd to try and spot her husband. No success. "Please, he was in there." As the cop lifted the police line to let her through, he got the attention of a fireman standing close. The woman looked at him, "This is my house. And my husband was inside. Is he out? The fireman shook his head, "Not yet. But we've got a team looking." The woman stared at the house and barely noticed when the fireman placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. ***** Mark watched the news report - a fire was savaging yet another house. Because of the dangerous location of the house in the mountains, Steve and his special fire unit were called into action-they were one of several teams trained to handle the possible spreading of the fire. As Mark watched the report, he felt the familiar twinge of worry as his son once again risked the chance of injury or death in order to help other people. ***** Steve walked cautiously through the house. Even though it wasn't his job to go through a house searching for victims, he was trained to do it. He had to. Several onlookers had said that someone was inside the house. And with the closest rescue unit four minutes away, Steve and three members of his team had no choice but to enter the rapidly burning house. Four minutes could mean the difference between life and death. After several long minutes of searching, Steve checked the bedroom and found a man lying in the bed-he wasn't moving. Steve quickly radioed to the other men in the house. He took off his glove to check for a pulse. As soon as the other men walked in, Steve told them to prepare to move the man, "He's only got a faint pulse, and he's not breathing. We have to get him out of here now." To try and protect the unconsciousness man from any more smoke, Steve placed his oxygen supply on the man. The four men carried the man outside the house and placed him on the ground a safe distance from the house. By now, there were firemen and policemen surrounding the area-the firemen fighting the fire with water, and the policemen holding back curious onlookers. The paramedics came to the man and began working on him, "He's not breathing and I just lost his pulse." While the paramedics performed CPR, Steve moved back as a coughing spasm overcame him. Another paramedic walked up to Steve and led him to an open ambulance. Steve started to protest, but another coughing fit disabled his ability to talk. ***** The woman saw the men carrying out her husband. She ran over to him and the first thing she heard was, "He's not breathing, and I just lost his pulse." She dropped to her knees, "Please, God, no." As the paramedics performed CPR, the fireman that was initially with the woman knelt down beside her. They watched as the EMTs intubated the unconscious man. After several minutes of CPR, one EMT checked the man's pulse, "Okay, we've got a faint one. Let's get him to the hospital." The woman watched as the paramedics quickly loaded her husband onto a stretcher and then into the ambulance. She followed behind and climbed into the ambulance just before the doors were closed. ***** Steve sat in the back of the ambulance. With his left hand, he was holding an oxygen mask over his face, while a paramedic treated the burns on his right hand. Jesse walked up to the ambulance, "We just can't keep you out of trouble, can we?" Surprised by the familiar but unexpected voice, Steve looked up and lowered the oxygen mask, "Jess, what are you doing here?" His voice was rough from smoke that he had inhaled. Raising the mask back up to Steve's face, he replied, "I'm on a paramedic ride-along." Jesse turned his attention to the paramedic working on Steve, "How bad is it?" "He has a few minor burns on his hand, and some irritation from inhaling some smoke. He'll be fine." "Steve, what happened?" Lowering the mask, he began, "Me and three other guys were scoping the inside of the house..." Jesse interrupted, "Wait. You were in the house?" Steve nodded. "Why?" "Neighbors said there was a man inside, and the closest unit was minutes away, so we had to go in." Jesse nodded, understanding. Steve continued, "After several minutes, we found the man in an upstairs bedroom. I checked his pulse-it was barely there-and we got him down as soon as soon as we could." "How did you burn you hand and inhale smoke?" "Well, to check his pulse, I had to take off my glove, and it got burned on the way out. And since he wasn't breathing, I gave him my oxygen supply." "After hearing the story, Jesse lifted the mask back up to Steve's face. When Steve tried to argue, Jesse stayed persistent, "Just for a few more minutes." After a few minutes had passed, the EMT had finished wrapping Steve's hand, "Alright, ready to go." Stepping down off the ambulance, "Thanks, Jim." By now the fire, although not completely extinguished, had been contained and was under control. Steve and Jesse walked towards the fire chief, "Connor, what do you say?" The 22 year fire department veteran, including 6 years as fire chief, looked up, his face tense with anger, "Steve. Glad to know you're on the case." As he extended his hand to Steve he noticed Steve's bandaged hand, "I heard about you and your team getting that man out. How's the hand?" "It's fine. Any word on the man?" "Heard that he crashed again en route to the hospital. I think they got him back, but his condition is far from stable." Steve's look changed to guilt, and Connor noticed, "Steve it's okay. You went above the call of duty to go in and save that man. You did everything you could." After a few moments of silence, Steve snapped back into work mode, "What are the preliminary findings?" With a look of disgust, Connor replied, "Definitely arson." He looked up to Steve, "And we found the lighter and a letter on the back porch." Steve looked at the chief, "Same MO as the last two fires." It was more a statement than a question. "Yeah, and we've got the same picture drawn on the lighter." For the first time, Jesse spoke up, "What was the picture?" Steve looked at him, "It's a hand-drawn picture of a horse. Not really detailed work, but it's a good drawing." Steve turned his attention to Connor, "What did the letter say?" Pulling out an evidence bag from his pocket, Connor read the letter, "It says, 'The end is coming soon-well not too soon.'" Jesse was intrigued, "What did the first letters say?" Steve responded, "The first said, 'Let the game begin,' and the second said, 'Two down, only you can say how many more.'" Connor continued, "It's like he's playing this game with us. And the vibe I'm getting from these letters is not good. I have this feeling that if we don't catch this guy soon, things are only going to get worse, before they get better." ***** The next day... Steve and Jesse were sitting at the bar of Barbecue Bob's-they were going over evidence from not only the last fire, but also from the previous two fires. Steve had been assigned to help the arson team find answers to who started the fires and why. Mark was talking on the phone. When he hung up, he walked over to Steve and Jesse, "That was Amanda. She said that the man in the fire, Thomas Nolan, died about an hour ago." Steve sighed in frustration, "That's just great. Three fires. One man dead. And no leads whatsoever. With the notes this guy is writing, it looks like he wants us to catch him. But at the same time, he is being careful-taking every opportunity to cover his tracks." Steve was disgusted with the case. The house fires had grown in intensity-the last one bringing death to an innocent victim. The first house fire appeared to have been was planned so that no one would be home at the time. And the second one was a one-story house and the fire was started in the back of the house-giving the inhabitants time to leave the house. Even though the owner did sustain a few deep burns caused from trying to get her kids to safety, her condition wasn't serious. But with this third house, the intensity of the fire escalated-it was a two-story house and the fire had been started downstairs while the man was asleep upstairs. Mark spoke up in an effort to help, "What all do you have so far?" Steve spread out some papers as he spoke, "Well, the arsonist leaves a lighter and a letter after each fire. The lighter has a picture drawn on it-a hand-drawn picture of a horse. Like I told Jesse, the picture is simple, but drawn very well. Then the letters have been left. They say a lot, but at the same time explain nothing. The first is 'Let the game begin,' the second is 'Two down, only you can say how many more,' and the latest is, 'The end is coming soon-well not too soon.'" "Interesting comments," Mark commented, his mind already reeling with possible explanations, "Were they hand-written or typed?" "All three have been hand-written. But as of three hours ago, the analysis of them has showed nothing. We do know it was written with a black permanent marker, but other than that, we have nothing on it. It doesn't match any of the handwriting samples we have on file. So far, we have no substantial evidence pointing the finger at any suspects." Jesse looked at some information on the latest fire, "Now, what exactly are all of the links between the fires?" "Well, we've got the two main things: the lighter and letter left on the porch after each fire. And then there's the fact that the fires have been happening every three days. Whoever this guy is knows how to cover his tracks." Steve turned to his father, "Did Amanda say when she would have the autopsy finished?" "Yeah, she said she would bring it by the house later." "Great. Well, I need to get to a briefing. The arson guys are going to tell us any other details they've found." "Bye, Steve." ***** Connor stood at the front of the small group of people, "Alright everybody. We need to get started." The room quieted within a few moments. "As you may already know, the man trapped in our last fire died earlier today. So, we have a detective from homicide on the case now. Lieutenant Steve Sloan, welcome aboard. Hope you can shed some new light on a difficult matter." "I'll do my best." "I take that you have reviewed the cases." "Yes, I have." "Do you have any questions we can help you with?" "I just want to make sure I've got the main details in order." "Alright, go ahead." "Now, the things that were left include a lighter and a letter. Anything else?" "No, those are the only two pieces of hard evidence we have. And as you probably undoubtedly know, there is a picture of a horse drawn on the lighter." "Yes, I do. Any ideas what that horse could represent?" Connor acknowledged the looks of his men, "No, nothing that we know of." "Any prior cases dealing with anything related to a horse or maybe even another animal?" "No, after the second fire we looked through all past files to see of any possible connection to other cases of arson. We found nothing at all relating to past cases. We even had people go over the files after yesterday's fire just to make sure nothing was overlooked." "And about the victims. Any relation between them? Maybe friends, distant relatives, anything connecting them to one another?" "We can't find anything. As far as we can gather, they are just random hits. None of the victims have a record worse than a few parking tickets." "What can you tell me about the victims?" Conner turned to another man, "Paul, tell us what you've got." Paul Larkin, the arson detective assigned to the case looked at his notes, "Our first victim, Daniel Clements, is 28 years old. Married 3 years, but no kids. He's a lawyer at Hilliard, Parker, and McClure. The fire destroyed his house, but he wasn't home at the time. Neither was his wife. She's a teacher at a private elementary school on LA." "Any known enemies or clients holding a grudge?" "No. No enemies, and what few cases he's had, he's won." "Alright and the second?" "Susan Owen. She is 37, divorced, and lived at the house with her two kids, ages 12 and 8. She's a nurse at a doctor's office. Her right arm and the right side of her abdomen were burned-second degree. She was pulling out her last kid when an explosion occurred and a hot piece of metal hit her and caused the burns. Neither of her kids were injured though." "And what about the latest victim?" "Thomas Nolan. Thirty-five, married for 10 years, no kids. He was the bank manager at the First National Bank. Prelim autopsy report showed cause of death as heart failure due to massive smoke inhalation. Now that could change by the time the full autopsy is ready. His is the first death in this string of arson-related fires." "What about his wife?" "Secretary in an accountants office." "Alright. And my final question-any idea where the next hit will be?" Connor frowned, "No idea. But since he has set the fires every three days so far, we're assuming the next fire should be the day after tomorrow. Steve nodded to show he was finished, so Connor dismissed the meeting, "Alright, everybody. That's all for now. We'll meet again when we have any new developments." Connor walked over to Steve, "Steve, I requested that you be assigned to this case. You're a good cop, and I know you'll help us solve this case." "You know I will do all that I can." ***** The next afternoon... Mark, Amanda, and Jesse were sitting at the dining room to be discussing the events of the past week and a half. Jesse took a bite of his sandwich, "So, is Steve officially part of the investigation now?" "Yeah, they assigned him right after this last fire." Amanda looked up, "I know Steve helped at the last fire, but did he help at the others too?" "He did at the first just a little. And then he was called to the second, but when he got there, the fire had already been contained." "Where is Steve now? I thought he was off today." "He is, but he, Connor, and the arson detective were going to the sites of the fires to look for more evidence." Jesse looked at the files of the last fire, "Are they expecting another fire anytime soon?" "Yeah, they think it will happen tomorrow sometime." The three friends heard the door open, and looked to see Steve walking in the house. Mark turned to his son, "How did it go?" Steve's look said it all, "We didn't find a single thing that we didn't already know." Steve sat down, looking annoyed that he wasn't moving the case forward. Jesse, still reading a file, asked, "What started the fires?" Steve looked up, "Well, whoever is doing this is buying small plastic boxes and filling them with what we think are gasoline-soaked rags or paper. Then he takes a long rope that is also soaked in gasoline and puts one end in the plastic box, which is inside the house, and then pulls the other end outside of the house. After getting to a safe spot, he lights the end of the rope and the fire is started. At least that's what we suspect based on the victims' testimonies." Amanda looked at him, "Interesting way to start a fire." "Interesting but effective." "Any leads on where the next target will be?" Steve shook his head, "Not a one. And the next fire is supposed to be tomorrow." Steve paused a minute before asking, "Did you guys find anything?" All three were reluctant to answer no, because the case was already upsetting, but they all shook their heads, "No." Steve was aggravated, "I just don't know. We have a lot, but can't find anything. This guy wants a game. And right now, he is winning. If he starts to lose...," Steve's voice trailed off. He didn't want to think about what would happen if that happened. He couldn't think about it. He had to stop this guy before that happened. ***** Connor and Steve stood back and watched the firemen extinguish the small remnants of the fire. A look of defeat covered Connor's face, while anger covered Steve's. The firebug had hit again, and the department still didn't have any leads. The owner of the house, Charles Newby, had been able to make it out of the fire with only minor injuries. Paul Larkin, The arsonist detective walked up and was undecided about breaking the tense silence. He decided it was important, "Connor, I've got the letter and lighter." "What did the letter say?" "'Better hurry-this is getting boring.'" Already on edge, Steve blew up, "Boring? What the hell has to happen before this idiot enjoys it?" Connor, even though his tone was iced with anger, kept his calm, "Same picture I'm assuming?" "Yeah. And one of my guys told me that they had found the remains of a plastic box inside one of the windows of the back bedroom. As soon as the building's clear to enter, we will get the remains of the box and get it to forensics." "Thanks, Paul." As Paul left, Steve rubbed his forehead with his hand, "This is getting ridiculous. Four fires-we should have something by now." "Yes, we should. But this guy is being extraordinarily careful in covering any links or evidence." "Something should have turned up by now though." "I know Steve. Just be patient. This guy will slip up sooner or later." "I'd rather it be sooner than later." ***** Jesse looked at the pictures at the latest fire. It had devoured the back of the house, and smoke and water had damaged the front part to the point past repair. Mark read the report. After yesterday's fire, a family of three was now homeless. Their house was destroyed, but none of them had anything worse than a few minor burns. When Amanda brought out coffee, she asked, "Where's Steve? I thought he wanted coffee." Mark looked up from the paper he was reading, "He got a call from Larkin. Seems they may have gotten a break." ***** Steve looked in the microscope, "What is this?" Larkin spoke up, "They're rope fibers. The forensics team found them outside the bedroom window where the fire was started." "Do we know anything about it?" Connor sounded pleased, "Yes, we do. It's a type of specialty rope that can only be purchased at those Hollywood Hardware Stores." "Can we get security tapes from the stores?" "We can, but it will take time. There are 14 of those stores around LA. And we have no idea which store the rope was brought." Larkin looked up, "And it's a very popular franchise. Lots of people are in and out every day. Conner nodded in agreement, "I've shopped there. I've even bought that same kind of rope." "Me too," Larkin added." "I know. But maybe we can catch a break. It's worth a shot." Larkin agreed, "I'll get some men on it." ***** Early the next morning, Steve was finally heading home when his phone rang, "Sloan, here." Connor was on the other end, "We've got another fire." "I'm on my way," Steve sighed. ***** "He got an early start this time didn't he?" "That's for sure," Connor's voice was tight with anger. "Any injuries?" "No, family is out of town. No one was at home." "How bad is the damage?" "Severe structural damage, probably beyond repair." "What did the letter say this time?" "Let's see. It's said, 'Are we having fun yet?'" "Apparently, he is," Steve noted dryly. He thought about the events of the past few weeks, and frowned at the fact that 5 homes had now been destroyed, "This has got to stop." Larkin came running up, "Hey guys, we got a witness." Connor and Steve both looked at Larkin as Steve replied, "Who?" "A neighbor. She was up early for work, and she remembers seeing someone near the window of the room where the fire started." Connor got some paper from his car, "Where is she? We need to talk to her." ***** "Tina Nelson?" The young woman turned at the sound of her name. "I'm Lieutenant Steve Sloan, this is Fire Captain Martin, and that's Sergeant Paul Larkin. We need to ask you some questions about what you saw." "Alright, I'll answer the best I can." "Well, first off, can you tell us what you saw?" "Okay, I got up about 5:00 this morning. I went outside to let my dog out, and I saw a man walking around Kim's house. I thought it was her husband, but when I said, 'Hi,' he just ignored me. I figured he didn't hear me. I went back inside and didn't think anything of it. But after a while, I remembered that they were still out of town for their anniversary. So, I ran back outside and saw that her house was on fire, so I went and called 911. When I went back outside, I saw the guy again. I never got close to him, though, so I can't really tell you any details of his face. I'm sorry." Inwardly Steve groaned, but he continued, "That's alright. Can you tell me if he was doing anything when you saw him?" "Well, the first time, he was crouching outside the back window. He had something in his hand-like a rope or something. But I couldn't tell what he was doing with it." "What about the second time-see him doing anything?" She shook her head, "No. He was looking at the fire, then waved to me, and then took off towards the field behind Kim's house." Steve finished writing some notes, "Now, what about what he was wearing?" "Oh yeah, I remember that. He had on a long black coat, black jeans, boots, and a hat. Now, his coat opened a little and I saw a red shirt under the coat," she paused a moment, "and he had brown hair under the hat." "Anything else you can think of?" Tina thought a minute, "No, that's all." Steve stood, "We thank you. And if you remember anything else, just let one of us know." Steve handed her a card, "All of our numbers are on here." "Thanks, I will." ***** Two days later... Steve was working on recent files when Mark and Amanda walked in, "Steve, I didn't know you were home." "I'm not here for long. I just had to come to back and get some papers I forgot this morning." Mark studied his son for a minute-he looked tired. The stress of the case was showing. Five fires and they haven't gotten any solid leads as where to find the man responsible. Only after the last fire has they been able to get a witness, even though she wasn't able to relay much information to the investigating team. Mark was worried about Steve. He was determined to solve these fires, even if that meant putting himself in danger. "How's the search from the hardware stores going?" Steve looked up, "Slowly. There are so many stores and we have no idea how far back to track transactions. Plus we have no idea who we can eliminate or even any groups of people we can eliminate because we have absolutely no idea who is responsible or what the motive is." Irritation was evident in the way he listed the details. He knew that somewhere on those tapes was the man responsible for all these fires, but short of guessing, there was no way to pick him out. "Do you need any help?" "Nah, I was just about to leave. Conner and Larkin have that witness looking at mug shots of known arsonists." "But I thought she wasn't able to identify him?" "She didn't see the face, but she saw him and maybe something will click if the person looks familiar. It's a long shot, but right now it's the best bet. The next fire will be tomorrow if we don't find him." Mark could hear the weariness in Steve's voice. He wondered to himself about how much sleep his son had gotten in the past couple of weeks, but decided against asking Steve. "Well, I've got to get going." "Any idea when you'll be home?" "Not sure. Probably late though. We're trying everything and using all our resources to get to the bottom of this thing." As Steve walked to the door, Mark patted him on the shoulder, "Bye." "Bye, Dad." Mark turned to Amanda, "I sure am worried about him. This case is beginning to take its toll on him." "I know Mark. But I think they're getting close to finding some answers though." "I know. That's what worries me the most. He is putting so much of himself into finding this guy that I'm afraid he's going to get himself hurt." "He's a good cop. He will do everything he can to protect himself." "But he's exhausted. He's not thinking as clearly as he should be." "Mark, he'll be fine. Everything will be fine. You just have to believe that." "I know Amanda. But it's getting harder with each fire." Without saying another word, Amanda enveloped Mark in a comforting hug. ***** He watched the rope burn as it edged itself closer to the house-his sixth. This had been so easy. No one was able to stop him, and only one person had ever seen him. But no worries there-she hadn't been able to give any details about him. Taking the time to plan all these fires had been worth it. Each fire had gone on as planned. Well, almost all of them. The man in that third fire surprised him. No one was supposed to be home. He wasn't supposed to have been killed. But that was that-nothing he could do to change that now. Now all he had to do is plan a few more fires. Because if they didn't catch him after this one, then he would continue burning houses until he was caught. ***** The fire had been doused, and the area was clear to search. Connor and Larkin slipped on the protective gloves and began looking around the starting point of the fire. Steve came from the front of the house holding an evidence bag. Larkin looked up, "Is that the letter?" Steve nodded his head, "Yeah, it is. 'Extinguish me if you can.' This guy is having fun. People's lives are being turned upside down, and he's just laughing at it." Steve was furious, "Killing one man wasn't enough, I guess, so this time he had to put a five-year old kid in the hospital." "How is the little girl, by the way?" "I haven't heard since they left in the ambulance." "Well, I do have a bit of good news." Steve snapped his attention back, "What is it?" "A boot print and it looks like I can make a plaster of it too." "Stay right there with it. Don't let anyone or anything near it. I'll be back with a plaster kit in a minute. We don't want anything to alter what might be a very important piece of evidence. ***** Jesse and Amanda were sitting in the kitchen as Mark prepared breakfast. Amanda stood to help Mark. She got the dishes from the cabinet and began setting the table. "Thanks, Amanda. I appreciate the help." "No problem Mark. Unlike other people, I like to try to help out when I'm invited over to eat." Jesse looked up as Mark and Amanda glared in his direction. "And just what are those looks supposed to mean?" his sheepish grin hard to hide. "You could help set the table. Or you could help Mark put the food on the table." "Well, all you had to do was ask," Jesse replied as he got up to help. Just as Jesse got up, the doorbell rang, "I'll get it." As Jesse headed to the door, Amanda asked Mark, "Are you expecting anybody this early?" "Not that I know of." Before they had any more time to wonder about the identity of the unexpected guest, Jesse came into the kitchen, followed by Connor. Mark dried his hand and extended it to the fire chief, "Connor. Is everything all right?" "Oh yes. I just wanted to talk to Steve. Is he around?" "Yeah, but I think he's sleeping." Connor looked towards Steve as he topped the stairs, "Sorry, Steve. Didn't mean to wake you." Steve shrugged it off, "Is there anything wrong?" "No. In fact, I was just bringing by the report of the footprint plaster." "Was forensics able to establish anything?" "Yeah. It's a size 12-work boot. According to the impression, this guy weighs about 185-200 pounds. And according to our witness, the suspect was of average build but on the muscular side, so that puts our guy at 5'9" - 6'2"." "Well, that sounds like a slim ray of hope." "Yeah it is. It's something anyway. We've got all available men working this case. It's taken a while, but we're getting there." "Let's hope so." Connor stood to leave, "I've got to head back to the station." "I'll be there in a little while." "Alright. But no rush. Take a couple hours break. But when you do come in, just bring back this report." "Will do." As Steve made his way back to the kitchen, he poured himself a cup of coffee, "How is that little girl?" "She's going to be fine. The burns are healing just fine," Jesse remarked as he stood. Mark began dipping out food, "Breakfast is warming on the stove. Who's hungry?" Amanda and Jesse each took a bowl to the table and sat down as Steve replied, "I need to get going." Mark sighed, "Steve you need to eat." "I'll be fine. I'll grab something on the way." "Steve, come on. You've been going non-stop for days. Relax for a while. Sit down and eat." "Amanda, I really need to get to work." Jesse walked up beside Steve, "I know you want to solve this, but work can wait 30 minutes." Steve finally gave in and sat down to eat. He thought back and realized he hadn't been home for a meal since this ordeal had began. No wonder all three had been so insistent on him staying. He realized they were worried about him. And as he thought about it, he realized he had been doing something he always did-shutting out the people around him when he became focused on a case. While his father served the food, Steve studied him-he looked tense. Coming to the realization that he was the cause of his father's worry, he stood and motioned Mark to the other room. "Yeah son, what is it?" "I know you're worried about me." "That obvious?" Steve nodded and smiled slightly, "Yeah, I'm afraid so. And I just want you to know that I'm doing okay." "I know you are. But you are trying to do so much by yourself to solve this case, and I'm just worried that you'll be too exhausted and your instincts won't be as sharp." "Dad, I'm not going to do anything stupid. I may be tired, but I'm still a good cop." Mark put his hand on his son's shoulder, "I know you are. I just want you to be careful. I can't seem to say that enough even though I know you get tired of hearing it. I just don't want anything to happen to you." Steve nodded in understanding, "I'll be careful." "Good. Now get in there and eat." "Yes, sir," Steve said as he suppressed a grin. ***** Steve entered the station and headed to Connor's office. He hoped he was in there. He wanted to discuss any new details that might have been found since the day before. However once, he made it to the office, Connor was not there. Steve laid down the report on the desk and was about to leave when he noticed some drawings on the wall. He walks closer and sees a name written at the bottom of each of the three pictures, "Sarah Martin, 1977." "Pretty aren't they?" came a voice from the doorway. Steve turned at the unexpected voice, "Yes, they are." "Not going to ask me who drew them?" "Figured you'd say if you wanted to." "My daughter drew them. She loved to draw-she took that after me. I taught her how to draw." "I didn't know you had a daughter." "Well, it was a long time ago. She died in 1978." Steve was shocked, "I had no idea." Connor took a seat at his desk, "That's why I became a fireman. My wife and daughter were both asleep one afternoon and a fire started. They were trapped and by the time help got to them, they were both dead. I wanted to try and help people during house fires. That's why I want to find this idiot so bad. His hits remind me too much of what I went threw 25 years ago. And about those pictures-Sarah drew them the year before she died. They're all I have left of her." ***** "You're kidding?" "No, I'm not. Connor was married over 30 years ago. His wife and daughter were both killed in a house fire 24 years ago." Mark took a sip of his coffee, "How can a man keep something like that kid for almost 25 years?" "I've been thinking about that. And about the fact of why he would try to hide it. You know it's taken an enormous about of energy to keep something inside for that long." "The grief has got to be heavy. Not talking about something that tragic can eat away at a person." "Yeah I got that impression. His expression changed while he was talking about them. His demeanor was not that of the Connor I know." Mark nodded in agreement, "Well I have a feeling that these new fires aren't helping matters any." Steve nodded, "Speaking of," he looked at his watch, "I've got to get back to the station. They've brought in all the evidence from all the fires, and we're going to go over it again with a fine toothed comb." As Steve left, Mark considered the events of the past 3 weeks: 6 cases of arson and all of them house fires, same MO, no major leads, no suspects, no end in sight, and no idea where to look next. Steve had been put in charge of the investigation after the third fire, and he was getting frustrated. So far, the evidence only showed that it was the same person-it didn't show who it was or why he was doing it. And that worried him. Time was running out and the fires were only getting more intense. Something had to be done before the next fire happened. ***** Early the next morning... Mark walked into the dining room and found his son engrossed in his work. The table was covered with files and folders in seemingly unorganized piles. But to his son, the files were apparently in some kind of understandable order. Steve didn't even notice as Mark walked in the room, "Son, how long have you been at this?" Steve looked up, exhaustion evident in his face, "Not sure. But I just know I'm missing something-something simple. I know these files forwards and backwards, and I just have this feeling..." "Want any help?" "I wish you could. But I don't even know exactly what I'm looking for." "I understand. But why don't you..." Steve interrupted Mark, "Wait, look at this picture." Mark walked over and looked at a blown-up picture of the horse that had been drawn on the lighters, "What am I looking at?" Steve pointed to the picture, "I've seen something like this before." Thinking his son obviously wasn't thinking clearly Mark gently added, "Steve it was left at all the fires." Steve was concentrating hard, "No, not there. That's not what I mean. It's something I've seen before and not during the fires. I don't know what it is that looks so familiar to me." Steve again became engrossed in his work and didn't notice when Mark walked into the kitchen. After about an hour had passed, Mark heard Steve swear. Knowing something was wrong, Mark walked back into the dining room, "Steve, what's wrong?" Anger replacing his exhaustion, Steve looked up, "I found something," his voice was cool, but etched with anger. "What is it?" "I was looking at the victims names, knowing there had to be a connection, even though we hadn't been able to establish one. Well, as I wrote down the names, I saw another name being spelled out. Here look at the names." Mark looked, "Daniel Clements, Susan Owen, Thomas Nolan, Charles Newby, Kim Everett, and Peter Rogers." Mark studied the names for a moment, "I don't think I'm seeing anything." Steve pointed as he read, "Look at the first letter of the last names. C-O-N-N-E-R." "Conner. What does that mean? A target maybe?" Mark questioned. Steve rustled through some papers, "That's what I first thought. But as I kept looking through stuff, the horse picture still bothered me. I took it back out, and the more I looked at it, the more I just knew that I had seen something like that before, but I couldn't figure out where I had seen it. Then it hit me. The drawings at Connor's office." Mark was confused, "The ones his daughter drew?" "Yeah." "Steve, she's dead. She couldn't have drawn them." Irritated, Steve replied, "I know that. It's not her I'm talking about. Connor taught her how to draw." "His daughter had drawn the horse?" "No, none of her drawings were of horses-one was a bird, another was a cat, and the other was a dog." "Steve..." "I'm getting to the point. All of the pictures-Connor's daughters 3 drawings and all of the horses-have similarities. All of his daughter's drawings were similar in the way they were drawn-including the way she drew the tails of the animals. Each tail had a kind of hook at the tip. And now look at this horse," Mark looked at it, "the tail is hooked too. Back when I saw those pictures, he said that he had taught his daughter a few techniques in how to draw some things." The realization hit Mark, "That means Connor has started all these fires." "Yeah and he's been able to relish in the after-effects because no one had any reason to question his presence at the sites." "Any idea if he's planning any more fires?" "Not sure, but if he is, then according to his MO, it'll happen tomorrow-it will have been 3 days since the last fire." After a few minutes of silence, Steve continued, "I need to talk to Captain Newman. Want to come?" "Sure, let's go." ***** Steve and Mark sat before a very distraught Captain Newman, "Let me get this straight-you're telling me that Connor Martin has been setting these fires?" Steve nodded, "I'm afraid so." "That's just hard to believe. Are you sure?" "As sure as I can be. I mean look at what we've got-his name is spelled out by using the first letters of the last names of the victims, and then there are the pictures. They were definitely not drawn by the same person, but the similarities are too close for it not to be true." The Captain looked like he had seen a ghost, "Where is he?" Quietly, Steve replied, "He was at his office a few hours ago." "Let's go then. We need a warrant." ***** Later that day... Steve, Captain Newman, and Mark walked into the fire station where Connor was stationed. When they reached his office, they found it empty. Upon starting their search, Steve found a letter, "Hey listen to this. 'Steve, I knew that you would figure it out sooner or later. And I knew for sure that you would know after seeing Sarah's drawings. But a word of warning to you-it's not over yet.'" Steve looked to Captain Newman, "He's still planning. And I have a feeling he's going to make a big impression this time." ***** Jesse opened his apartment door and was met with a knee in his stomach. He fell to the floor in pain. He looked up and saw Connor, "Connor, what the..." Connor cut him off, "Shut up, and just get up." Jesse struggled to his feet. And as soon as he was upright, Connor pulled his hands behind his back and bound them. After getting in a few hard punches and solid kicks, Connor throws Jesse against the wall. Unconscious, Jesse falls into a lump against the wall. Connor started pouring gas around Jesse's apartment, and when he had emptied the container, he lit a match and threw it on the couch. Before leaving, Connor called Steve. "Sloan, here." "Steve. How are you?" Steve gripped the phone, "Connor. What the hell is going on?" "I could tell you, but I would think you'd prefer to take the time to get to that doctor friend of yours." Steve clenched his jaw, "What happened to him?" "Oh nothing much just yet, but the fire could cause him some problems real soon." Connor cut off the call. ***** Steve swore as the call was cut. Already outside, he jumped in his car. As he started the engine, he told Captain Newman, "Get the nearest fire units and police to Jesse's apartment. 316 Jones Valley Lane. Connor was there." Without waiting for an answer, Steve drove off. Mark came out of the fire station and saw Steve driving off, and Newman on the phone, "What happened? Where is Steve going?" Newman hung up the phone, "Connor called him. Dr. Travis is in trouble." Mark and Newman got in the Captain's car and sped off. ***** Steve beat the fire engines to the scene. Several bystanders had already exited the building. He could hear the sirens, but didn't hesitate running into the already smoke-filled, fiery building. He bounded up the stairs to the second floor towards Jesse's apartment. He knocked down the door with strength powered by his worry and anger. The smoke was heaviest in this room, obviously the place the fire was started. The smoke almost choked Steve as he searched the apartment. "Jesse, where are you?" ***** Jesse came to when a coughing spasm shook his already injured body. His hands were still tied, and he could see no more that two feet in front of him. After several unsuccessful attempts to free himself, Jesse stopped-the effort too tiring. Breathing was harder and the smoke burned his throat as he breathed it. On the brink of unconsciousness, Jesse heard Steve. His swollen throat allowed only a small moan. ***** Newman was talking on the phone on the way to the fire, "Is everyone out?" The answer on the other end was hesitant, "There are two people inside according to bystanders-one a resident and the other was a man who went in after the other guy." Captain Newman was mad, "Well, get some people in there now! We're on our way." ***** Somehow, Steve heard the muffled sound. He ran
towards the sound and found Jesse slumped against the wall. Steve bent down to Jesse and
quickly untied his hands. He picked up the half-conscious man and dragged him out of the
room towards the stairs. Before getting too far, an explosion ripped through the back
room, knocking Steve and Jesse through the upstairs window. They landed hard on the ground
outside. Steve moaned and opened his eyes. He gasped for a breath, and after what seemed like minutes but was actually only a few seconds, he was breathing in a few ragged breaths. Just as he was about to move, a paramedic appeared in his line of sight, "Just lie still." Steve tried to resist, "No, help Jesse. He's hurt bad." The paramedic gently pushed Steve back down, "He's getting help. You just relax." Knowing that his friend was getting the help he needed, Steve did as he was told and laid back. He closed his eyes as the paramedic checked for injuries. A dark fog began to take the place of Steve's thoughts. He felt himself being rolled to a backboard and then he felt a c-collar being fastened around his neck. He wanted to tell them he was fine, but he couldn't form the words. An oxygen mask was slipped over his nose and mouth just before he was lifted up onto a stretcher. ***** Mark and Captain Newman pulled up in time to see Steve being lifted from the ground to a stretcher. As soon as the car came to a stop, Mark jumped out and ran to Steve, "Steve!" Steve opened his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice, "Dad," the sound was muffled by the oxygen mask. Mark leaned over the stretcher so Steve could see him, "Son, what happened?" Steve reached up and grabbed the oxygen mask and pulled it down. "An explosion. We fell...window." One of the paramedics helped explain, "He was inside trying to pull out that man over there," Mark looked in the direction and saw Jesse being prepared to be moved to another ambulance. "Before they got down, an explosion occurred on the second floor and they were thrown through the window and they fell to the ground. Mark flinched at the thought of them falling so far, "How are they?" "Not sure about Dr. Travis, but your son should be fine." Mark looked to Steve, "I'll be along soon. I'm going to check on Jesse." Steve opened his eyes and mumbled an "Okay." Mark watched the paramedics lift Steve into the ambulance, and when he was sure they were on their way, Mark turned and walked towards Jesse. The paramedic nodded when Mark asked if Jesse was conscious. Mark leaned over the stretcher, "Jesse." Jesse rolled his eyes towards Mark. "You're going to be just fine." "Connor..." Jesse managed to whisper, though unable to finish. "We know it's him. They're looking for him." Jesse relaxed and closed his eyes as he was loaded in the ambulance. Mark climbed in behind the stretcher. ***** After Mark's phone call, Amanda rushed to the emergency room, and now she was waiting for Steve to be brought in. The doors opened and Steve was wheeled in. One of the paramedics called out Steve's condition: BP is 90/60, pulse is 105. He's on 2 liters of oxygen. Some smoke inhalation and several flash burns from the explosion. Tenderness of the back and neck from the 20-25 foot fall." "Move him to trauma 1. On my count we move him. 1...2...3." Amanda let the other doctors assess Steve's condition, while she stood at the head of the bed, listening to comments on Steve's condition. "I want a chest x-ray, c-spine, abdominal CT, and a head CT." Steve opened his eyes and looked straight up into Amanda's face. "You're going to be fine, Steve. Just relax." Seeing that Steve was awake, the doctor leaned over Steve, "I'm Dr. Rawlings. Can you wiggle your toes for me?" Steve responded by doing so. And Amanda breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the simple task showed that there was no immediate cause of a spinal cord or neck injury. "Good," Dr. Rawlings replied as he checked Steve's eyes, "I know that neck immobilizer is uncomfortable, but we'll get it off as soon as we know all is clear." Steve acknowledged the best he could. Amanda was above Steve's head, "Amanda." She looked down and moved the oxygen mask so Steve could talk, "Yeah, Steve, what is it?" "His voice was low and rough, "Jesse? Is he okay?" Amanda nodded as she replaced the mask, "Yeah, he's on his way here. Mark said he was stable." Steve closed his eyes, but he was aware of the doctors and nurses checking him for injuries. He felt the stretcher moving but didn't have long to wonder where he was going because Amanda answered the unspoken question, "We're taking you to radiology for some x-rays. ***** Meanwhile, the ambulance carrying Jesse cane into the ambulance bay, and Jesse was rushed to another trauma room. The paramedics gave Jesse's vitals to the waiting doctors. "Throat is swollen from smoke, 2nd degree burns on both arms, and a probable fracture of the left leg." Mark followed closely behind the stretcher, but allowed the other doctors to care for his friend. As Mark watched, he heard a nurse warn the doctor, "His pulsox is dropping." "His throat is swelling up. Get me an intubation tray." The doctor inserted the tube down Jesse's throat and a nurse hooks it to a respirator. Mark listened as the attending ordered several types of x-rays and scans in order to rule out neck and spinal injuries. Mark could see from where he was standing that Jesse's leg was almost for sure broken-it had already begun to bruise and swell. As the doctors continued to assess Jesse's condition, Amanda walked up to Mark, "How's he doing?" "Okay. They had to intubate because the smoke caused his throat to swell. He's got some burns on his arms, and probably a broken leg," Mark paused, "Where's Steve?" "Up in radiology. I came down to check on you and Jesse." Mark smiled at her concerned look, "I'm fine, Amanda." A few minutes later, Mark saw Steve being wheeled out of the elevator and into the room next door. Amanda saw too, "Go. I'll stay here with Jesse." Mark walked into the room and at the nod of the attending doctor, Mark made his way over to his son. Steve was still on the backboard, and his neck was still immobilized by the c-collar. "Steve." At the familiar voice, Steve slowly opened his eyes and blinked against the light. He rolled his eyes over so he could see his father. The oxygen mask had been replaced with a nasal cannula, so Steve could speak more clearly. "Dad. How's Jesse?" His voice was rough, irritated from the smoke he had inhaled. "He's going to be fine." Mark looked up as another man entered the room, "His films are back." Dr. Rawlings hung the neck films on the reader. Mark walked over and studied the pictures. Rawlings was the first to speak, "Neck is clear. Let's check his back." He switched pictures and looked at them, "And his back is clear." Rawlings and Mark walked back to Steve. Dr. Rawlings began to remove the collar, "Steve, your neck and back are both clear. There will be some bruising, and you'll be sore, but you'll be fine." And with the help of the nurses, Steve was rolled to his side and the backboard was removed. A nurse elevated the head of the bed slightly, "Better?" Steve nodded, "Yeah, thanks." Rawlings walked to the side of the bed, "As soon as we get these cuts stitched and the burns dresses, we're going to move you upstairs." Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Mark interrupted him, "Don't argue. You're staying." ***** Amanda and Mark stood outside an ICU room. "They're only keeping him in the ICU for tonight. The swelling in his throat has gone down, but they want to keep a close watch on it." "Still on the respirator?" "Yeah, but they were planning to take him off later tonight." Mark walked into the room and turned to Amanda, "How bad are the other injuries?" "A broken leg from the fall, burns on both arms, smoke inhalation. And apparently from a struggled before the fire-a slight concussion and few bruised ribs." As Mark and Amanda talked, Jesse's doctor walked in. "Mark, didn't expect to see you. A friend of yours?" Mark extended his hand, "Yeah he is." "Well, I was just about to extubate him. The swelling has greatly reduced and he can breath on his own." A nurse gently nudged Jesse awake, "Dr. Travis, we're going to take the tube out now." Jesse slowly opened his eyes as the nurse draped a sterile cloth on Jesse's chest. The doctor unhooked the tubing from the respirator and told Jesse to exhale. Jesse did and the doctor pulled out the tube.. Jesse coughed when the tube was removed, and the wracking effect of the coughs shook his sore and battered body. Jesse moaned as he laid his head back against the pillow. After making a few noted on the chart, the doctor said his good-byes and left the room. Mark and Amanda moved closer to the bed. Amanda laid her hand on Jesse's, "Hey, how are you feeling?" Jesse rolled his head so he was looking at her and smiled slightly, "I've been better." His voice low and hoarse. "How's Steve?" "You know he asked the same thing about you," Mark smiled. Jesse gave a weak smile back. "He's fine. A little sore, but okay." "Good," Jesse seemed relieved. "And you're going to be fine too," Amanda added with a pat on his hand. "Should be interesting around here for the next few weeks-me having to get around the hospital on crutches." Amanda smiled, "That will be interesting alright." Jesse yawned, and Mark saw that Jesse was struggling to keep his eyes open. "Jesse, we're going to get going and let you get some sleep." "Okay," Jesse replied-his eyes already closed. Amanda moved towards the door, "See you tomorrow." "Bye," came the quiet response. Amanda and Mark left the room and headed towards the elevator. "Are you going to see Steve?" "Yeah he wanted to know how Jesse was doing." As they approached Steve's room, Mark quietly opened the door. Steve was sitting up in bed, reading something. He didn't acknowledge the door opening. "Steve, you should be resting. What are you reading?" Steve looked up, "The file on today's fire." Mark took a seat in the chair by the bed, "Anything interesting?" Steve looked angered, "Yeah. He's getting more intense with these. Now that he knows that we know, he's got nothing to lose. This time he set a small bomb. That explosion wasn't just a fire. It was a small fire bomb, set to go off before anyone in that room would have time to get out." Mark closed his eyes, "Oh my goodness." "He was trying to kill people. These other fires were set so that no one was supposed to get killed. I honestly don't think he meant to kill that man. He was careful in setting the fires, and if he wanted to kill more people, he knew how to have done that. And we have no way to know where his next target is. And I wouldn't hold out hope that he's going to stick to his 3-day MO." Mark got up and took the file, "You are supposed to be resting. Lay back and do so. Doctor's orders." Steve tried to protest, but Amanda was already lowering the head of the bed. "Double-teaming against me. Now is that anyway to treat an injured man?" Amanda smiled, "No, I guess not. But if it works...why not?" Steve couldn't help but smile. And he hated to admit it, but lying down actually felt pretty good. His muscles were stiff and sore, and sitting up in the bed only stressed them more. "I'll see you tomorrow Steve. Hope you feel better." "Thanks, Amanda. Bye." Steve turned to Mark, "How's Jesse doing?" "Good. They took the tube out a few minutes ago, and he's in good spirits." Steve was relieved. He still hated the fact that he wasn't able to get Jesse out sooner, but he was glad Jesse was going to be alright. Steve noticed his father settling into the chair bedside the bed, "Dad, go on home. I'm going to be fine. And I promise I won't leave." "I think I'll stay right here. I don't feel like driving home this late anyway." Steve nodded. He'd rather have his father sleep uncomfortably than fall asleep while driving home. Soon both men had fallen asleep. But the sound of a phone ringing woke them up. Steve found his cell phone lying on the side table, and wondered briefly who had put it there. He didn't remember even turning it on, much less leaving it there. He picked it up and sleepily answered, "Hello?" "Hope you and your friend are feeling okay." Steve snapped awake and Mark noticed Steve's expression change, "What do you want, Connor?" "Oh nothing. Just good old fashioned revenge will do." "What are you talking about?" Steve sat up, ignoring the pain that accompanied the quick movement. "They never got the bastards that caused the fire that killed my family. I want other people to know how that feels." "How what feels?" "Having your whole world taken from you, and then not even having the satisfaction that the person who caused it go free and unpunished." "Why make others feel the pain that has ruined your life?" This statement apparently angered Connor, "Because it ruined my life. I was nothing after they died. Everything had been taken from me. I have nothing to lose. Even if I do ever get caught, I can be just as miserable in a jail cell as in my own home. The pain is still very real for me, Steve. You have no idea." "That's because you hid it for so long. You should have talked to someone." "I had no one. No one had time to listen. They were all too busy with their lives. They didn't care about me or my problems. So I hid them down deep, and it finally occurred to me to make people listen. And I thought it fitting, if not ironic, to make my sentiments known by starting fires." Mark saw the anger lines etching Steve's face. This conversation was only making matters worse. "You've made them known. There's no need to hurt anymore people." "Oh, Steve of course there is. And I have the perfect target. Gee, I wonder who it could be," Connor was playing with Steve. "What are you talking about?" "Oh I don't know. Let's think here. Your little doctor friend is in the hospital. And so are you for that matter. And your dad is there with you. Who's left?" "Leave Amanda alone." "Oh I'm not planning on getting anywhere near her-at least not anymore. I think I've already done enough to take care of that." "You son of a..." "Think you can get to her in time like you did with that other guy earlier? If so, you'd better hurry. Explosions can happen in the blink of an eye, and fire can spread just as quick." The phone went silent. Steve pushed the covers back, while Mark tried to push him back to a sitting position. "Dad, leave me alone. We've got to go. Amanda's in trouble." Mark didn't hesitate a second more. He helped Steve with his shirt, and they raced out the door. The drive to their friend's house seemed to take forever. Once they arrived, they didn't see any flames or smoke. However, Steve rushed towards the door. He had to get her out just in case. Before he made it to the door, an explosion sent him careening backwards and to the ground. He sat up, dazed, and looked at the building. The second story was alive with flames. As Mark ran towards Steve, they heard sirens in the background. Both stunned at seeing the building burst into flames, neither man could move-Steve sat on the ground, new wounds already bleeding. And Mark stood beside his son-his expression one of shock and horror. To be continued...
|
