“Look, I’m just wondering, if Emma started this fire then why is thatyousmell like a gas station?”
Just when I think her eyes can’t get any wider, they do, and her jaw locks like she’s trying not to bite someone. The cops move toward Ginger.
Idorecognize her.
“Ginger Riley?”
Her angry eyes flick to me.
“You know that Emma’s not the one who prevented you from becoming a firefighter…We are.”
I can practically feel Luke’s thick chuckle beside me.
“We’ve been training and testing to biome the fire chief and part of that is being the final say on potential new recruits. Us. Firefighters. Not the daughter of one.”
“We unanimously agreed you weren’t a good fit,” Luke says.
“It doesn’t seem to us like you know anything about fire.”
“Oh yeah?”
Gingers pitch echoes, somehow.
“I know nothing about fire, huh? Look behind you, sweetheart! I knowa lotmore about fire than you think!”
Bingo.
“Ma’am, we’re going to need to talk with you.”
An officer has his grip firmly on Ginger’s arm, guiding her toward their car.
The crowd, and us, take a deep breath as Ginger is hauled away. Emma sits on the back of the ambulance, having her vitals checked as the flames completely die down. It feels like things may finally be looking up, but when I look at Emma, my worries increase.
She doesn’t look so good. Her once tanned skin is pale underneath the layers of dirt and soot. She looks like she’s struggling to keep her eyes open and air in her lungs.
The fire Marshall approaches Luke and I, quietly
“Well, the delay mechanism seems to be a bit shorter but this one fits the M.O. of the rest. You fellas did something amazing here tonight.”
The fire Marshall pats our shoulders and nods toward Emma.
“Great kid, Emma. I’m glad that the Martins’ good name can finally be cleared.”
Those words are all we need to flee the scene and get Emma straight to the hospital.