Born of Fire Read online

“Come on, Caldre. Don’t look so terrified. We’re very proud of you,” Captain Wilson said, his voice booming into the room. “Why the hell didn’t you tell us? We’d have all been there cheering you on.”

  Caldre shrugged. “I think the clause regarding outside activities that might put me in a sling or worse, is the reason why.”

  The men laughed as one by one they patted him on the back.

  “Rule breaker. That’s my buddy,” Draper said, a grin on his face. “I had no idea you’d be that good though. You could have killed that guy. And this match that’s coming up. What’s that guy’s name? Stash? Lord, boy, you know how to pick them.”

  “Bad ass,” Caldre said. The look on Stash’s face was nasty, villainous. And damn if he didn’t want to best the guy in the worst way.

  “Bad ass?” Captain Wilson gave him a look. “Son, he wants to kill you. All of us who aren’t working are going to be there with you. Trust me.”

  Caldre was relieved. A string of sweat raced down his spine. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. I’m just getting my feet wet.”

  “Don’t be so modest, boy. You’re a great fighter.” Captain Wilson grabbed his hand. “Now it’s time to do your day job. That is if the limelight hasn’t swelled your head.”

  “No, sir!” Caldre snapped to attention. “Not at all.”

  “Good man. We have a firehouse to run and a report in from the arson investigators so gather around.” The Captain’s eyes flashed as he nodded toward Caldre and walked toward the front of the room.

  “Shit.” Caldre had a feeling this wasn’t going to be good.

  “Shit is right. Wait until you hear the bullshit,” Draper said as he inched beside Caldre.

  Caldre exhaled, fear trickling into his system. “Do I want to know?”

  “All right, gentlemen. Arson has been proven and the accelerant is the same for six fires.” Captain Wilson grabbed a file from the conference room table.

  “Same owner of the buildings?” A firefighter asked.

  “Nope. That would be too easy and there are no connections that can be made.” The Captain opened the file slowly.

  “But the same person purchased the buildings, right?” Draper asked, giving Caldre a look.

  The Captain shook his head. “That’s where it gets dicey. Two of the buildings haven’t had had a sniff with regard to a purchase. The other two were indeed being considered by out of town investors and not the same ones either. The two that are under contract are also different parties.” He flipped through several pages. “If any of you heard the announcement on the news this morning, Coach Sakima Mato has entered into a contract purchasing an entire block in the middle of the old manufacturing district. The plans are to demolish the existing buildings and erect a pricy sports complex in its place. The only portion of the land purchased that had a suspicious fire, now confirmed to be arson was the very first burn.”

  “Well, there you go,” Draper huffed.

  Caldre was on edge. He was a pretty good judge of character and he just found it difficult to believe Sakima would burn a small portion for a larger piece of the pie.

  “No. From what I’ve been told, the deal for the entire block wouldn’t go through if Mr. Mato hadn’t accepted the burned piece.” Captain Wilson lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

  “The other purchase?” Caldre asked quietly.

  Captain Wilson raised his eyebrow. “A Mr. William Forester.”

  Caldre opened his mouth, the name immediately filtering into his mind. “The ex-business partner of Mr. Mato.” He wasn’t posing a question. He was making a statement. The red flags were waving and sadly, while he knew from the nasty confrontation the night before between the two men, looks could be deceiving.

  “You know something we don’t know, son?” the Captain asked after flipping through several pages. “Because there’s no mention of a connection. Mr. Forester comes from a long lineage of politicians in this town. He’s worth a hell of a lot of money, has more clout in this town than God and has been rumored to be on the fast track to Governor.”

  “Just a rumor, Captain. Just talk.” Caldre thought about the call from his former Coach.

  “I’ve heard he’s dirty. Into all kinds of gambling and running with some pretty bad dudes,” Draper added.

  Caldre raised his eyebrow. The plot might be getting thicker. “Something to check out.”

  “We’re not investigators so can it, but if you know anything you need to tell the internal boys. There’s already some pressure to shut down the investigation, if you boys understand what I’m saying. Whether or not Mr. Forester is dirty, he has strong family as well as political ties in this town. The good ole boys won’t let one of their own go down. I assure you of that.”

  Caldre eyed his Captain. The political maneuvering in Cleveland was considered brutal and worse than the massaging done in Washington. If the Forester family wanted to find a scapegoat for contrived illegal activities, they would. Perhaps Coach Mato was the prime candidate, given their past business relationship. Maybe Mr. Forester was in this for more than just winning a championship. If the situation goes south, what a perfect way to get exactly what he wanted. Revenge. “I will, Captain. Not sure I know anything worthwhile.”

  “Well, just keep your ear to the ground, boys.” Captain Wilson closed the file, patting the top. “And remember, we have a fight to go to Saturday night.”

  “Here. Here.”

  “Yes.”

  Caldre felt heat rise on his face. “Aw, shucks.”

  “You’re such a piss head. Come on. Let’s get some grub.” Draper grinned as he slapped Caldre on the back.

  As Caldre followed the men toward the kitchen, he had a terrible feeling there was going to be another fire. But where and for what reason?

  The meeting had been brutal and Sakima was in a nasty mood. The investors were all over his ass with questions and innuendos given the veiled accusations regarding their investment in the warehouse space. Someone was pushing hard and he had a gut feeling the questions and innuendoes were all about William and his contacts. What exactly William wanted he could only surmise. He’d known all along the fires were suspicious and given he’d been coerced into accepting the one burned out space, he was a smart enough businessman to suspect there was something dirty going on. Now, he was certain someone was out to get him. And damn, if he didn’t know in his heart who the hell it was.

  Christ, to think he could trust any politician was ridiculous. They were all as crooked as the men he’d worked with decades before. William’s gambling problem was the tip of the iceberg. What Sakima knew was that William’s connections with an exclusive group of men in town were the bane of his real problems. Getting in deep hadn’t boded well for the man. William was running on empty and allowing fear to rule him, including his increasingly impetuous decisions.

  As he walked through the dimly lit parking garage toward his car, he thought about the very reason he’d gotten involved with William Forester in the first place. Clout. The man’s family had influence in town, something he needed moving into a tightly knit community. Sakima wasn’t merely an outsider. He was a true foreigner with a remaining accent, a questionable past and no real backers. He’d purposely selected Cleveland for various reasons, including the investment opportunities, as well as the climate for Mixed Martial Arts fighting. The subtle echo of his shoes hitting the dense concrete matched the rapid beating of the limited blood coursing through his veins. He was going to have to feed soon, his growing rage eating up the last remaining nutrients in his body.

  For a little while the business relationship with William had been beneficial for both of them. While William had been the black sheep of the influential family already, his ideas were damn good and he had a group of friends who were ready to follow William into any business venture. The man was also as ruthless as Sakima, merely human in his rather dubious methods of getting what he wanted.

  Now he wondered whether San Diego, or Chicago or he
ll, anywhere else would have been better. He hoped he’d convinced the investors to allow the contract on the buildings to go through. The deal was lucrative for everyone, including the two hundred employees that would be hired on a permanent basis. Everyone employed was a win-win. If William didn’t fuck it all up. Poor William owed a hell of a lot of money to a group of men in town who certainly didn’t play nice when it came to terms of money. No, they killed first and asked questions later.

  There was motive and a true win for William if he secured his own deal, thereby paying off his debt, and then some. Maybe more. If his sources were correct, the men William was working with wanted a large piece of the town and they’d set their sights on the very area Sakima and his investors were trying to develop. The tangled web everyone was weaving.

  As he tugged out his keys, flipping the button for the lock, he instantly felt a presence behind him. Inhaling, William’s stench filled his mouth with bile, forcing the tips of his fangs past the surface of his gums. He continued walking as he listened to what William was thinking, what he was plotting. Just as he reached the car he laughed. “Playing games seems so beneath you, William.”

  “Games? I suppose you would know and understand about games, wouldn’t you?”

  He was weary of the bullshit, but sensed William was on the edge. He could hear the tremor in his voice. William was terrified. Someone had obviously threatened him and no doubt because of the visit from the arson investigators. “What do you want?”

  “What do I want? What I’m owed.”

  Sakima turned sharply, narrowing his eyes and allowing William to see anger flash across his face. “You speak of things you knew better about, William. You decided we needed to keep our involvement together on the down low. I wanted nothing to do with your questionable tactics.”

  “I brought you into my regime, the upper echelon of society.” Sweeping his arms out, William tipped back his head and railed to the heavens.

  William had been drinking. While Sakima could smell the bourbon from where he stood, see the glassiness in his eyes, he also sensed William was at a crossroads. “You had it all yourself, my friend. Why you threw it all away on greed, money based on murder and espionage is beyond me. You had everything I ever wanted and you allowed the hunger for money to sweep you to the dark side.”

  “The dark side? As if you don’t know a thing or two about the dark side! Shit, I know all about your past.” William snapped, taking two giant strides toward Sakima.

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning I had you checked out thoroughly and if you don’t think I know who and what you are, you’re sadly mistaken. You’re not the great man you try and allow everyone to see. In fact, you’re no better than I am so don’t give me the holier than thou bullshit. It ain’t gonna fly with me.”

  There was desperation in every word, the distinctly terror filled tone in William’s voice. Sakima heard the creaking of his gums, the elongating of his fangs he was unable to stop. The tremor in his right hand he fought back, refusing to succumb to the beast. “You know nothing about me. Nothing.”

  “I know enough. You’re a dangerous man, hell bent on taking more from this town than you want anyone to know about. I know your secret and guess what? You’re not going to be immune from the scrutiny. As a matter of fact, I’m going to make certain everyone knows the truth about the man hiding behind the plastic smile and expensive clothing. I’m going to expose you for the monster you truly are.” William smiled as he tilted his head and glanced down from Sakima’s eyes to his chest and back up. “And trust me. Exposing the freak you are will bring me sheer joy.”

  The flash was instant, his hand wrapped around William’s throat. Dragging his limp body off the pavement, Sakima slammed the man’s body into the steel pole.

  Bam!

  “Ah!” The strangled hiss floating into the air, the instant William’s back hit the cold steel, he gasped, his arms flailing out.

  Roaring, he lifted William another six inches, allowing his nails to dig into the man’s neck. His eyes were barely able to focus and he dragged the tip of his tongue across his fangs before sticking his tongue out, flicking the end like a snake and hissing.

  William’s eyes bulged as he used both hands to grip around Sakima’s wrist, moans and bubbles oozing from his lips. He kicked out, the back of his heel clanging against the pole.

  For a split second his old blood lust slipped into his system. He wanted nothing more than to rip out William’s throat. A low growl emitted from his throat, his entire body shook as the thought of ravaging the man’s body filled his soul, dragging him into the most delicious pits of blackness. It had been a long time since he’d wanted to destroy a human this much. He heard the beginnings of his body changing, his hunger racing off the charts. His bones and muscles were on fire, screaming as they stretched and moved. There was a part of him that no longer wanted to fight what would become the inevitable.

  “Wha…” Unable to speak, William gasped as his face turned red, every part of his body shaking violently.

  Don’t do it.

  Hissing, he tilted his head, the concept of stopping barely attainable. As he lowered William’s body down, allowing his feet to barely graze the ground, he twisted his hand, digging his sharp talons into William’s skin. Even the way the villainous man’s face turned white wasn’t a deterrent. He was ready to deface the man. Leaning over, he nuzzled into William’s neck, sniffing. The fear was delicious indeed.

  “Oh… I... No!”

  The screech was short lived. Sakima twisted his hand until he heard a sharp crack. Licking down the side of William’s face, Sakima nipped his earlobe before whispering, the sound clear and calm. “You will die by my hands my way. There is nowhere you can hide from me. Be prepared to meet the real monster.” Leaning back, he opened his mouth, allowing William to see his fully exposed fangs. He was surprised there was little additional terror, only a fleeting look of reverence. Cocking his head, he breathed out across William’s face and down to his neck before dragging the tips of his fangs in a diagonal move, marring William’s skin.

  Seconds later, he heard a subtle noise coming from the back of the garage. They were no longer alone. Snarling, he jerked his face toward William, allowing him to see more of his beast. “Remember, I am coming for you.”

  Whoosh! Bam!

  “Fuck!” Caldre screeched through his mask, beads of sweat dripping into his eyes. He’d never seen a house fire so damn hot in his life. Swallowing hard, he barely ducked in time before a portion of a wall collapsed. He felt his body swaying back and forth, almost paralyzing him. Gripping the hose tightly in his hand he jerked forward, trying to weed through the mounting debris.

  “Gotta keep moving!”

  He heard Draper screaming just behind him and a hand pushing him forward. Why the hell was he having such a difficult time today? This was just a fire. Granted, the explosion as soon as they’d arrived shocked the hell out of all of them. The combination of the two engine companies called hadn’t been able to contain the fire. The blaze had roared through the front part of the home leaving only charred remains by the time they’d arrive.

  Trudging through what was left of the kitchen, they continued to look for any signs of survivors, but given the rapid expansion of the fire, he seriously doubted anyone could have survived the blaze.

  “Look out!”

  The voice was muffled, the sound from behind a blackened wall.

  The men around him barely had time to react before a fireball showered over them, sending ash and a raining torrent of blazing material.

  “Fuck! Get out of the way!”

  “Move. Move! The building’s going down.”

  Caldre was frozen as a flame licked all the way up the side of a closed door. He was mesmerized by the single flame as a billow of smoke pushed out from under the door. He inched closer, blinking until he could focus. His heart was racing, sending a ragged thump into his ears.

  “What are you doing?” D
raper screeched as he wrapped his hand around Caldre’s arm, yanking him back.

  “Someone might be in there!” Caldre roared and continued to move closer.

  “No way.”

  Crackle! Slam! Boom!

  “Fuckin’ Jesus! We gotta get out of here.”

  Help me!

  Caldre stopped short, tilting his head. Had he really heard a voice? “What was that?”

  Draped yanked his arm. “Come on, man.”

  “Somebody’s in there.”

  Please God. Help me.

  “No. There’s no one here!” Draped insisted.

  But Caldre continued forward.

  Please. Please!

  My God. There was someone behind the door. Caldre took a giant stride, breaking Draper’s hold.

  Whoosh! Boom! Bam!

  “Fuck!”

  Another shower of fire rained down on them and Caldre stopped short, his breathing becoming more and more ragged. He had to press on. What if someone was alive?

  “Caldre!”

  He ignored the calls and made it to the door, darting his eyes around the entire perimeter. This was a dangerous situation.

  Caldre could hear Draper’s plea but he had to move closer, he had to know. Popping and cracking noises surrounded him and he was smart enough to know what was happening. The entire place was becoming a backdraft. He had one chance to do this if the final process didn’t begin. He placed his gloved hand on the door, but was unable to feel any heat. Panting, he glanced around the room, unable to see anything but patterns of smoke filtering throughout the room.

  “Caldre! Come on.” Draper flanked his side, yanking the hose out of Caldre’s hand. “We have to get out of here. There’s nothing that can be done.”

  “No!”

  “Don’t. We have to go.”

  The words were getting muddled in the growing chaos and Caldre blinked furiously, every part of his body shaking as adrenaline raced to his very core.

  Don’t leave me!

  “I can’t leave him.” Caldre wasn’t even certain if he’d said the words out loud.