Page 43 of Hex Appeal

“You know they're going to lose.”

Beau ignores me. I take another drink of beer. “They're down fourteen with six minutes left.”

“Plenty of time,” he says. Forever the optimist.

“They haven't scored since the second quarter.”

“Plenty. Of. Time.”

I shake my head.

We've been watching football together long enough that I know there's no point arguing with him when his team is losing.

Especially when he's drinking my beer while doing it. “You want another?”

He holds up his bottle. I get up from the couch.

My radio goes off before I make it to the kitchen. Habit has me reaching for it before dispatch finishes the first sentence.

Then I hear the address. I stop breathing.

Spellbound.

Possible structure fire.

Smoke visible behind the residence.

“Fuck.” I grab my keys.

Beau is already on his feet. “Spellbound?”

I don't answer. I don't have to. I'm out the door.

I radio dispatch from the truck, calling in the department and requesting all available volunteers.

My hands are steady.

Everything else inside me is chaos.

Possible structure fire.

Smoke visible.

It doesn't mean the house is burning.

It doesn't mean Serena is inside.

It doesn't mean anything until I get there.

I know that.

I've spent years responding to emergency calls. I've driven toward burning buildings while everyone else runs away from them. I've learned how to shut everything else out and focus on the job in front of me.

But none of those buildings had Serena inside.

I call her. It rings.

Once. Twice. Three times.