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“Your secret's safe with me.” He headed into the administrative building.
Olivia joined the group of trainees, ready to get started. What really surprised her, however, was the sight of Jackson and his lieutenant, Luke Shane, as the lead instructors for the class. Wearing his crisp firefighter uniform, Jackson stood with an air of authority, talking to the recruits and offering instructions. Beside him, Luke radiated experience and knowledge, plus a bit of ego.
“Welcome, everyone! I'm Captain Jackson Reynolds, and this is Lieutenant Luke Shane. We'll be guiding you through this intensive training along with some of our best instructors. Unfortunately, the weather isn’t being cooperative. It’s already eighty-two degrees. Summer has returned. We have extra water available, so stay hydrated. Ready to get started?”
Olivia's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she managed to stifle a grin. It seemed fate had an interesting way of intertwining her life with Jackson's once again. It never occurred to her he may have arranged it.
The fiery heatwave hadn't subdued the candidates, especially not Olivia. Jackson, leading the grueling Candidate Physical Ability Test, seemed to be watching her intently. Once he slipped his sunglasses on, she sighed with relief. At least she couldn’t see he was watching her.
Her mom must have called Fred. Jackson was watching her. Michael wanted her babysat. Standing at just five-foot-two and weighing a hundred pounds, she was the smallest among the forty candidates. She’d also recently spent time in the hospital for smoke inhalation. Her promise to herself? She’d prove them all wrong.
As the physical tests commenced amidst the sweltering heat, Olivia stood out, not just for her petite stature, but for her grit. The classwork was a breeze; her grasp of fire dynamics and firefighting techniques matched her education. Her degree exempted her from many of those classes. But the physical challenges were arduous, especially during the oppressive heat. The Firefighter I physical portion of the training included SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) emergencies, tools, search, victim and firefighter removal, ladders, hose handling, fire behavior, and vehicle fires.
Under Jackson's guidance, the tests unfolded, each challenge pushing the candidates to their limits. Olivia kept the promise she’d made to herself.
“First skills test, a stair climb. Three flights up and down wearing a fifty-pound weight vest in three minutes or less.” He sent the candidates up at staggered times.
Liv tucked her chin and started up the steps at a steady pace. She quickly made it to the candidate who started ahead of her. “Come on, you can do this.” She helped him up the steps and still managed to finish well within the three minutes.
The lieutenant demonstrated the hose drag. Liv’s muscles bunched dragging the fully charged forty-five-pound hose in under thirty-five seconds. She felt eyes on her. She also easily made it through the seventy-five-pound equipment carry, the forcible entry, ceiling breach and maze crawl.
The ladder raise came next. She raised a seventy-five-pound, twenty-four-foot-tall ladder in thirty seconds.
* * *
She’s a force of nature, Jackson thought.
“Okay, folks, I know you’re tired, but one more task. You have a minute and thirty seconds to go up that flight of stairs, make entry, find and carry one hundred sixty-five pounds of Timmy the Dummy down the stairs,” Jackson said. “Then you can hit the showers, and we get to have some more fun tomorrow. Remember, if you pass the test today, you will not have to repeat the test at the end of the class. If you fail a station, you need to repeat the entire test.” Jackson looked down at his clipboard and frowned. “Of the forty, twenty-eight have failed at least one station.”
Liv, so far, was number two in the group, not missing one station. The final task, the simulated rescue, loomed ahead. Sweat poured down her face, but she showed no sign of exhaustion. Foster White was the candidate sitting in the leader position.
Jackson hit the stopwatch, and Foster took off at a hard run. He came down the steps and hit the finish at one minute, twenty-nine seconds. Panting, he bent over, his palms on his thighs. He nodded when another candidate handed him a water bottle.
“I think I got you, Olivia,” Foster called.
“My only competitor is me,” she said as she stood on the starting line.
“Alright, go,” Jackson called.
She raced with a cheering crowd. The chief and others working at the academy had come out to watch her.
Liv took off at the same steady pace she set for each activity. Jackson watched her jog up the steps in her gear. The thought of what she might look like naked briefly crossed his mind. He watched her head into the tower. Soon she had retrieved the dummy, a dummy that outweighed her. She smartly carried it across her back to distribute the weight.
As she hit the level ground, she picked up her pace and crossed the line. Laying the dummy down, she turned to Jackson.
“One minute, twenty-seven seconds.” He smiled broadly.
Jackson acknowledged her achievement before wrapping up the day's events. Olivia's triumph echoed through the cheers and congratulations of her peers, cementing her place as a formidable candidate in the grueling training program.
Jackson tucked his clipboard under his arm. “Hit the showers. See you tomorrow at 0730.”
* * *
Jackson finished up for the day at the academy. On his way home, he worried about Olivia. He couldn’t resist calling her. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she choked out.
“Are you alright? You did incredibly well today,” he said.
