Chapter 3 — Into the Flames

Alex Carter

The fire roared like a living beast, its heat palpable even inside the fire engine as Alex Carter and his team sped toward the Hillside Neighborhood. The Santa Ana winds whipped embers across the road, sparks bouncing off the windshield like tiny meteors. Alex’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white and weathered. His jaw was set, his piercing blue eyes locked on the horizon where the fire devoured the hills, inching ever closer to the sprawling mansions perched atop them.

“Cap, visibility’s getting worse,” Sal muttered from the passenger seat, squinting through the haze. His voice carried a note of unease, though he tried to suppress it.

“We’ll manage,” Alex replied, his tone clipped but steady. He leaned forward slightly, as if sheer will could propel the truck faster. Behind them, the other firefighters clutched their gear, their faces grim but focused.

As they crested a hill, the neighborhood came into full view—a tableau of chaos. The fire’s orange glow reflected off towering glass windows, casting distorted, flickering shadows. Smoke hung thick and low, blurring the lines between sky and earth. Some homes, dark and silent, had already been abandoned, while others buzzed with frantic activity.

“Jesus,” Rodriguez whispered from the backseat. “They’re still trying to pack up.”

Alex’s stomach tightened as he spotted figures darting in and out of driveways, dragging suitcases and boxes toward luxury cars. The time for packing had long since passed.

The engine screeched to a halt, tires skidding slightly on the ash-coated road. “All right, listen up!” Alex barked as he jumped out, his boots crunching against the scorched pavement. Smoke clawed at his lungs, but he ignored it. “Split into pairs. Sal, you’re with me. Rod, Parker, cover the west side. Get people out, check for embers under eaves, and call in any structures past saving. Move!”

Without waiting for a reply, Alex adjusted his helmet and jogged toward the nearest mansion. Behind him, Sal struggled to keep up, hauling a fire axe and a heavy hose.

The mansion loomed above them, a modernist monstrosity of glass and steel with artfully landscaped grounds now reduced to brittle, brown patches. Alex pounded on the front door with the butt of his glove. “Fire department! Anybody inside?”

No answer. He hit the door again, harder this time, and yelled louder. “Fire department! Evacuate immediately!” When silence greeted him once more, he reached for the thermal camera strapped to his gear. A quick scan revealed no heat signatures—at least none inside.

“Clear,” Alex said, nodding toward Sal. “Let’s move to the next one.”

As they jogged down the driveway, a frantic voice called out from across the street. “Help! Over here!”

Alex’s head snapped toward the sound. A woman in a bathrobe stood on the porch of a sprawling villa, clutching a small child to her chest. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with panic.

Alex and Sal sprinted toward her, their gear clattering. “Ma’am, we need to get you out of here,” Alex said as they reached the porch. His voice was firm but not unkind. “Where’s the rest of your family?”

“My husband—he’s inside, trying to get the dog!”

Alex exchanged a grim glance with Sal. The mention of a family trying to save each other tugged at something deep inside him, a flicker of a memory too painful to dwell on now. “Sal, get them to safety. Now.”

“What about—”

“I’ve got it. Go!”

Sal didn’t argue. He guided the woman and her child down the driveway, his bulky frame shielding them from the swirling embers.

Alex turned and stepped into the house. The heat was oppressive, radiating through the walls like an unwelcome guest. Smoke curled along the ceiling, its acrid tang stinging his eyes. “Sir! Fire department! Where are you?”

A faint voice answered from deeper inside the house. “In the kitchen!”

Alex followed the sound, his boots pounding against the hardwood floor. He found the man crouched by an island counter, struggling to coax a trembling golden retriever out from under it.

“Sir, this isn’t a choice,” Alex said sharply, crouching to grab the dog’s collar. The animal resisted, its body rigid with fear, but Alex’s grip was firm. “Take the dog and move!”

The man hesitated, his eyes darting nervously between Alex and his dog. Then he nodded and followed, stumbling slightly as Alex led them back toward the front door.

The second they stepped outside, the heat seemed to intensify. The flames were closer now, licking at the edges of the property like a predator circling its prey. “Get to the fire engine down the street,” Alex ordered, shoving the man toward safety. “Go!”

Without waiting to see if the order was obeyed, Alex turned back toward the street, his gaze sweeping for the next target. That’s when he saw her.

A petite blonde woman stood on the driveway of a nearby mansion, surrounded by haphazardly packed suitcases and plastic tubs. She was frantically shoving items into a designer tote bag, her movements erratic and desperate.

“Hey!” Alex yelled as he approached, his voice cutting through the roar of the flames. “What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!”

The woman looked up, startled, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she registered his presence. “I’m not leaving,” she snapped, her tone defiant.

Alex stopped short, momentarily stunned by her audacity. “What do you mean, you’re not leaving?” he demanded. “The fire’s at your doorstep!”

“I just need a few more minutes,” she insisted, her voice trembling slightly despite her bravado. Her hands trembled as she clutched the tote bag, the designer logo smudged with soot.

“Minutes you don’t have!” Alex snapped, stepping closer until he towered over her. “You can’t save your house. You sure as hell can’t save your stuff. Get in your car now.”

“These aren’t just things!” she shot back, her voice cracking. “They’re all I have left!”

For a moment, Alex froze, her words hitting an unspoken nerve. A flash of memory—his brother’s room, untouched after the fire that claimed him, the keepsakes he couldn’t bear to throw away—surfaced before he shoved it aside.

“Lady, listen to me,” he said, his voice softer but no less firm. “If you stay here, you’re going to die. Is that what you want?”

The woman hesitated, her defiance faltering as her gaze flickered to the fire. But before she could answer, a deafening crack split the air. Alex turned just in time to see a massive branch, engulfed in flames, break free from a nearby tree and crash onto the driveway mere feet away.

“Enough!” he barked, grabbing her arm. She struggled briefly, her protests drowned out by the fire’s unrelenting roar. Alex didn’t let go. Dragging her toward the street, he ignored her insults and pleas, his focus unyielding.

They were halfway down the driveway when the mansion behind them exploded into flames. The intense heat surged forward, slamming into them like a physical force. Glass shattered as the windows burst, sending shards raining onto the ground.

Alex flung himself over the woman, shielding her with his body as they hit the pavement. The sudden impact sent pain shooting up his arm, sharp and searing, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to let it slow him down.

When the initial blast subsided, he pulled her to her feet, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. “Move!” he shouted, shoving her toward the fire engine that was now barely visible through the thick smoke.

This time, she didn’t argue. Together, they stumbled down the street, the fire snapping at their heels.

By the time they reached the engine, Alex’s arm throbbed in time with his racing heartbeat. He barely noticed. His attention was on the woman, who stood trembling beside him, her blonde hair streaked with soot and her green eyes wide with shock.

“You’re insane,” she muttered, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

“And you’re welcome,” Alex shot back, his tone tinged with exhaustion and irritation. He turned back toward the fireline, his mind already calculating his next move.

But as he walked away, he couldn’t shake the image of her clinging to those suitcases, her desperation written in every frantic movement. He didn’t know her name, but something told him this wouldn’t be the last time their paths crossed.

And as the flames continued their relentless advance, Alex Carter braced himself for the battles still to come.