Burn: Chapter Two

Burn: Chapter Two

Chapter Two


The station was more crowded than either Kieran or Jaime had ever seen it. They entered and looked around, immediately spotting the news reports hovering in the corner. They looked over expectedly.

“Great,” Kieran muttered. “What the hell do they want?”

“They look determined,” said Jaime observantly. “I wonder if they heard something about our Jane Doe.”

“I don’t see how,” Kieran said, raising an eyebrow at the men. “We haven’t ever released any information about the girl, it’s too soon. So why are they here?”

“I think I can answer that,” said a voice. “They’re here to talk to me.”

“You?” Jaime asked, surprised. “What for?”

Chloe Jacobson scowled at him. She ran a hand through her long brown hair. “They need to ask me some things,” she replied. “What’s it to you?”

“What do they want?” Kieran asked her. She shook her head. “Sorry, I was just curious.”

“Want to get me some coffee?” Jaime asked.

“Get it yourself,” she snapped. “I’m not your maid.”

Kieran stared at her, frowning. “Did something happen? You’re not usually like this.”

“I’m sorry,” Chloe murmured, thrusting a shaky hand through her hair. “I’m just a little on edge.”

“Is everything alright at home?” Kieran asked softly. “I know you were having some issues with your parents.”

“No,’ she muttered, glancing at Jaime as if he had asked the question. “They’re fine, Kieran.”

“That’s good,” he said. Then his eyes narrowed as he looked away from her. “Fuck, they’re coming over here.”

“Should I go?” Chloe asked.

“Aren’t they-” Jaime began.

“Actually,” she murmured, glancing at the floor. “They’re here to see the two of you.”

“Us?” Kieran said as he raised an eyebrow. “But you said-”

“I lied, okay?” Chloe said, looking slightly ashamed. “I knew if I said they were here for you – Kieran would become all pissed off and Jaime would turn into a nervous little smart mouth.”

“I do not!” they said in unison.

“Well, it was nice of you, I guess.” Kieran shrugged. “Jaime, shut up and let me do the talking, huh?”

One of the men stepped forward, handed Kieran a white card, then they both disappeared.

“That went well,” Jaime said as he watched them.

“What happened at the scene?” Chloe asked. “Bailey didn’t mention anything when he came back.”

Kieran shook his head. “It wasn’t good.”

Jaime was staring at the card in Kieran’s hand. “Aren’t you going to call them?”

“No,” Kieran replied. “I have nothing to say to them. Plus, they have no reason to be snooping around here, do they, Chloe?” he asked, eyeing her.

“They wanted to know about the murder,” Chloe murmured. “I said they had to talk to you.”

Jaime suddenly glanced over at Kieran, his eyes wide.

Kieran hadn’t moved a muscle. He was staring across the room at nothing. At least that’s how it looked to everyone around him.

“Kier?” Jaime’s voice was slightly distant. “Are you okay?”

The man stared at Kieran as he stood in front of the filing cabinet next to one of the desks on the other side of the precinct; skin pale, lips thin with a slight purple coloring to them. He wore a grey suit, his white oxford shirt splattered with blood.

“I’m sorry,” he said apologetically. “I can’t hear you.”

“Can’t hear-? Kieran-?” Chloe muttered.

“Oh Jesus,” Jaime breathed.

“What’s wrong?” Bailey asked as he wandered over to them. He peered closely at his friend. “He doesn’t even look like he’s here.”

“Someone needs to get a hold of Devin,” Jaime said. “She can help him.”

“But what’s wrong?” Chloe touched Kieran’s shoulder, and then suddenly drew her hand back. “He’s so cold.”

Kieran could feel his pulse race. He watched as the man’s fingers twitched and then he raised his hand to point outside, his hollow eyes filled with a strange urgency.

Something is going to happen.

Just as the words registered, the precinct trembled violently, causing the desks and chairs to crash to the ground. The sound that followed was more terrifying than the sudden explosion itself.

Screams rang out in the air as several people groaned and got to their knees, Kieran included. He looked around to find Jaime, Bailey and Chloe on the concrete floor, their faces masked in dirt and blood.

He felt weakness flood his body as he tried to move. A slow, dull pain swept through his leg as he shifted slowly.

“Kieran!” someone shouted. “Kieran, where are you?”

“Here,” he croaked, lifting his hand. His head ached as he focused on the voice, on the person crawling toward him. “What happened?”

“An office building exploded down the street,” Jaime said, gasping for air. It was thick with smoke. “Come on, we’ve got to get the others and get over there.”

“Where the hell are Bailey and Chloe?” Kieran asked as he sat up. He looked around, trying to see through the thick, grey smoke.

“They’re fine,” Jaime reassured him. “They’re outside waiting for you. Come on.” He pulled Kieran up.

As they stumbled outside the first thing Kieran spotted was a woman hunched over, staring at the debris that littered the streets. She turned her head, her sunken eyes fixated on him.

“Hey!” Kieran shouted. He stood a step forward just as he heard a voice.

“Jesus, are you two alright?”

“We’re alright, Bail,” Jaime said pushing the hair from his eyes. “How are you and Chloe?”

“It’s more important that we find if there are any survivors first,” Bailey said, frowning. “Chloe is trying to clear the way for us. Let’s go.”

As they hurried forward, Kieran turned his head and caught a glimpse of the woman again; her blonde hair was tied up, and she was looking over at the building, shaking her head.

“Stop!” he shouted.

All at once, their heads turned and they stared at him, eyebrows raised.

“There’s no one left,” Kieran said, shaking his head. “They’re all dead.”

“How do you-” Bailey started.

“It doesn’t matter how I know,” said Kieran, holding up his hand. “The point is that I do. Now, there’s no reason for us to be out here. Let the paramedics take care of everything.”

“What are you talking about, Kieran?” Chloe muttered, glaring at him. “There are more people in that building!”

“No, there aren’t,” he said. “Where are you going?”

But she hadn’t heard him before she disappeared down the street and into the building.

“Chloe!” Jaime shouted. “Kieran, what the fuck is going on?”

Kieran stared at the boy next to him, his eyebrow raised. “She’ll be alright,” he said.

Something cold touched his cheek, then, and he glanced at the woman once more. She stared at him, the skin on her hand rotted as she took a hold of his face. He shuddered and gagged as the smell of her decaying flesh got to him.

“No,” she whispered, her voice full of agony.

“No?” he replied, blinking.

The dead woman nodded, and then dropped her hand.

“Why did you let her go?” Jaime snarled. “Do you want her to fucking die, Kieran?”

“She’s not-” he began, his eyes focused on Jamie’s. “She’s not coming out alive.”

The impact of Jaime’s fist against his face barely fazed him. Instead, he rubbing his cheek lightly and said, “I didn’t ask her to fucking go in there.”

“You could have stopped her!” shouted Jaime.

“Why didn’t you?” Bailey asked.

“Why didn’t you?” Kieran shot back angrily. His eyes widened suddenly. “Fuck,” he whispered.

The blood-covered man stood by the building, and as the smoke had begun to clear, he turned his head and put up his other hand.

There was nothing there.

It looked as though his right hand had been surgical removed, the tissue and muscle of his wrist dark and withered.

Suddenly, the building erupted again. The glass from the windows exploded outward, falling to the ground below.

Several people screamed, and it was a horrible, terrible sound to hear.

“What do you want?” Kieran hissed to only what he could see.

“Move aside,” someone said.

“Why?” Jaime snapped, wiping his dirty face for the first time. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to put out that out,” said the man. “Then, maybe if I’m not too tired from saving people, I’ll jam this hose up your ass.”

The truck had stopped beside the police station. Flashes of yellow obscured Kieran’s vision for a brief moment as the firefighters passed him.

“Get back!” someone shouted. “You - why are you still standing there?” the man said to Jaime as he looked behind him.

He didn’t reply as he turned around and walked back toward the precinct. The noise of running water filled his ears instead of the anguished cries that made his skin crawl.