Page 11 of Colton’s Inferno

The need to make sure everyone was safe was essential to Aiden. It came to him like taking a breath. “But Lucy,” he began, “was going to get something out of one of those barns.”

“I saw her a minute ago,” said Ted.

“You sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

Aiden wanted to see her for himself. But right now, that didn’t matter. So long as Ted knew she was safe, he would be content.

“The best thing we can do is create a perimeter and make sure that nobody gets too close to the building,” said Ryan.

He was right. Aiden glanced over his shoulder. People from the fair were wandering toward the fire, trying to get a better look.

Lifting his hands in the air, he said, “I need everyone’s attention. My name is Aiden Colton. I’m a member of the Red Grove Fire Department.” He projected his voice so everyone could hear him. “Emergency Services have been contacted, and responders are on their way. I need everyone to stay calm and keep away from the fire. Stay off your phone so that the cell service doesn’t get overwhelmed. Wait for the emergency vehicles to arrive before leaving. We don’t want a traffic jam when the fire truck is trying to get through. If you start to feel lightheaded or dizzy, have someone let me know. We’ll get you medical attention.” He paused, wondering if there was anything else he should add.

That’s when an older man rushed forward. He had white hair. An adult-sized bib with the word Judge printed in black letters and had been tied around his neck. “My granddaughter,” the man said. “She tried to call me, but I didn’t hear the ringer. She said she’s in the barn and there’s a fire. She can’t get out.”

“You wait right here,” said Aiden. “I’ll find her.”

“Wait,” Ted called out.

But he was done waiting. Aiden wouldn’t leave a little girl to die in the fire. He sprinted toward the building. Heat rolled off the burning structure, stopping him like he’d hit a wall. His nose and eyes dried out. His face felt as if he’d been out in the sun for hours.

Ryan sprinted toward the barn as well. Ted was right behind. Light from the inferno created planes and shadows on their faces. Everything was tinged with orange and left both men with a ghoulish appearance.

“That’s quite the fire,” said Ryan.

The front door was partially open. Aiden was thankful for small victories. It meant that he could look inside without oxygenating the blaze. Using his forearm to shield his face, he approached the door and peered inside. It was a single room. Flames burned up the walls and crept along the ceiling. It wouldn’t be long until the whole building collapsed. From where he stood, he couldn’t see a body. He took a step closer. The hair on his arm started to smolder. Without protection, he could go no farther.

He backed away from the inferno.

“She’s not in there,” he said to Ted and Ryan, yelling to be heard over the popping wood and the groaning flames.

“Thank goodness,” said Ted. “Let’s back up.”

The old man approached, holding on to Emily’s arm. “Where is she?”

“Your granddaughter,” said Aiden, “isn’t inside.”

“Are you sure?” Using the Judge bib, he wiped perspiration from his forehead. “She wasn’t in the back room, either?”

Back room? Had Aiden missed the back room? He brought back the image of the fiery space into his mind’s eye. All the walls were wooden. There was no open door. “The back room,” he repeated. “As in at the back of the barn?”

The old man nodded.

Without another thought, he raced around the side of the building. The structure was wider than he originally thought. So far, the rear wall hadn’t caught on fire. But there were no other doors. No windows, either.

“What are we going to do?” Ryan asked. Ted was at his side.

“We’ve got to find a way in,” said Aiden. The thing was, he didn’t know how.

Ted stood a few feet away. He held the phone to his ear. “I’m talking with dispatch,” he said. “The fire truck is less than five minutes out.”

They didn’t have that much time. The roof could collapse any second. He stared at the wall for an instant. And then, an instant more. That’s when he noticed something he hadn’t seen before. A cloud of smoke billowed out from near the ground. It meant one thing. There was a break in the wall. To Ted and Ryan, he said, “I need an axe or a crowbar. Something I can use to pry a board loose.”

“What are you going to do?” Ted asked.

Aiden didn’t have time to explain. “Just find me a damned axe.”