Fire of Your Soul Teaser

 The drive to The Stockyards seemed to take forever. Charlie was in no shape to drive. He was an anxious mess. Edward sped through the streets of Seattle to get to the condo complex. People were not moving over as the Battalion Chief’s SUV siren blared and lights flashed. Edward laid on the horn, screaming in frustration at the stupidity of people.

Didn’t they know that they needed to move over to the right for emergency vehicles?

Arriving at The Stockyards, Edward parked the SUV haphazardly. Both he and Charlie threw on a turnout coat and picked up helmets from the back of the SUV. They didn’t have full gear. Pants and oxygen masks were not inside. They didn’t think to grab them when they flew out of the station.

All that mattered was getting to Bella and Renee.

“Do you think we should take the elevators?” Edward asked.

“I don’t want to risk it,” Charlie frowned. He pushed into the lobby and they ran to the stairwell. The fire alarms were going off and there were people running down the steps. “Where’s the fire? What floor?”

“Penthouse,” coughed one person.

“No, not there,” said someone else. “I live on the penthouse level and the air was clear. It was around the tenth floor.”

“Thank you,” Charlie said, pushing past them and he began running up the steps, taking two at a time. As they ran up the steps, the air grew thicker and smokier. When they hit the eighth floor, they could barely see inches in front of their faces. They checked the hallway, seeing if they saw flames.

Once they reached the tenth floor, the smoke was noxious and the sounds of flames licking the walls was deafening. Edward really wished for an oxygen mask and a full set of gear. Charlie was probably wishing for the same. They both were coughing, but they couldn’t stop now.

Bella and Renee … they needed them.

Fire of Your Soul Update

FOYS Ch. 15 on FFn

FOYS Ch. 15 on AO3

FOYS Ch. 15 on HeartForTwilight's Blog

FOYS Ch. 15 on Stars

FOYS Ch. 15 on fanfiction.online

FOYS Ch. 15 on Wattpad

Edward dialed Bella’s number for the hundredth time since they returned back to the fire investigation lab. It went straight to voicemail. He frowned, hanging up without leaving a message. He tried it again and again, each time going to voicemail. “Damn it. Chief?”

“What is it, Edward?” Charlie replied.

“Have you tried calling Bella or Renee?” he asked. “Have you called the cops?”

“I’ve called the cops and they’re sending someone to talk to me regarding the coffee shop fire,” Charlie answered. “Rose is still on the phone with the commissioner.”

“Try calling your wife, Chief. I’ve got this sinking feeling that something’s happened to Bella and Renee,” Edward choked out.

“Okay, Edward,” Charlie agreed, nodding as he took out his cell phone. He dialed Renee’s number and it also went to voicemail. “She’s not answering.”

“Not answering or going straight to voicemail,” Edward pressed.

“Voicemail,” Charlie snapped. “What’s the difference? They were going to a spa today. Their phones may be off.” Edward gave his boss an exasperated look. “You’re freaking out.”

“You should be doing the same,” Edward muttered. “Someone is targeting your family, Chief. Your wife, your daughter, my girlfriend … are a part of your family. Something’s not right.”

As Edward said that, a pair of detectives came walking into the lab. “Chief Swan?” asked the male detective. Charlie nodded. “I’m Detective Jacob Black and this is my partner, Detective Leah Clearwater. We’ve been assigned to the fire at La Marzocco.”

“Yes, thank you for coming by,” Charlie said, shaking their hands. “This is one of my best and brightest, Lieutenant Edward Cullen. He started the investigation at the coffee shop. My other lead investigator is in my office, on the phone with the fire commissioner, Lieutenant Rosalie Hale. Do you have news about the victim found in the fire?”

“We’re still waiting for the autopsy results,” Detective Clearwater said, reading from a small notepad. “The remains were horribly burnt. Dental records will probably be used to identify the victim. However, the only thing that the coroner said was that they were certain that the victim was male.”

“Did they die before or after the fire?” Edward asked.

“Before,” Detective Clearwater answered.

“So, obviously with that death, this is a criminal investigation,” Detective Black said. “And, on your call, you mentioned that you believe that a number of fires are connected. What do you think that connection is?”

“Chief Swan,” Edward replied, blinking to his boss.

Fire of Your Soul Update

FOYS Ch. 14 on FFn

FOYS Ch. 14 on AO3

FOYS Ch. 14 on HeartForTwilight's Blog

FOYS Ch. 14 on fanfiction.online

FOYS Ch. 14 on Stars

FOYS Ch. 14 on Wattpad

After Edward dropped Bella off at her parents’ home, he drove to the location of the latest fire. He parked his Bronco next to Charlie’s department vehicle in the staging area across the street. He pulled on his Seattle Fire Department jacket and grabbed his kit. When he turned, he blew out a breath. The coffee shop where Edward and Bella began their relationship was a pile of smoldering rubble. His heart was shattered.

A part of their history had been erased.

Along with the life of an innocent victim.

God damn it.

He saw Charlie, wearing his turn-out coat, standing on the sidewalk near the coffeeshop. He made his way toward his boss. “Chief,” he barked. “What happened? When did this happen?”

“I don’t know what happened until we can get inside,” Charlie sighed, his eyes haunted. “The call came through a couple of hours ago. They just struck it. There were some issues with the gas main shut off. They couldn’t get it to move and the gas obviously fueled the flames, resulting in this.”

All that remained of the once vibrant coffee shop was a pile of ash and a skeleton of steel beams. Steam radiated off the still-hot debris. The smell of burnt plastic, charred wood and ozone permeated through the air. There was also a hint of burnt flesh mixed in. It was a pungent, unpleasant scent.

The scent of death.

The scent of destruction.

“You said there was a fatality?” Edward choked out.

Memories of that horrific night flashed in Edward’s memory; the night where he lost Angela and she plummeted to her death. The heat from the flames licking his turn-out gear to the heavy pants of his breathing while he searched for survivors pierced his memories. His thoughts were cyclical until he got to the point where he lost his grip of Angela’s hand. Her screams as she fell would forever be seared into his brain.

“Edward, look at me,” Charlie said calmly, stepping into Edward’s line of sight. “Deep breaths, son.”

“I’m okay, Chief,” Edward muttered, shaking his head and clearing it of the nightmarish memories.

“Are you sure, Edward? You look like you saw a ghost,” Charlie asked.

He blinked slowly. In a way, I did, Chief. Taking another deep breath, he tried to give Charlie a reassuring smile. “Just a flashback,” Edward said.