Page 10 of Colton’s Inferno

Aiden wanted to find Lucy Harris again. Ted’s warning about her past notwithstanding, he’d been drawn to her. His hand still held the memory of her palm pressed against his.

The Ferris wheel stood at the end of the midway. Spokes of blue and red lights flashed as the large wheel turned and lit up the night sky. “What do you think about going up in that thing?” he asked, using the other Aiden’s stuffed mitt to point.

Sammy’s eyes got big. His smile was bigger. “Will I be able to see my house from up there?”

“I don’t know, kiddo,” said Ryan. “We’ll have to check it out.”

“And will we all get to ride together?”

“There’s plenty of room for everyone,” said Matti. She leaned on Ryan’s shoulder and ruffled her fingers through Sammy’s hair. Aiden was happy to see his sister happy.

But he couldn’t stop the tightening in his chest and the underlying question. When will it be my turn?

Immediately, Lucy’s face flashed through his mind.

The group stepped forward. A turnstile bar blocked them from the ride. “Looks like we’re next,” he began. Whatever else he was going to say was lost. Beneath the scent of motor oil and fried food, and the body odor of hundreds of people, was the acrid scent of smoke. “Something’s on fire,” he said.

“What?” asked his mom. “How do you know?”

“I can smell it,” said Aiden.

“I don’t smell anything,” said Ryan. And then, “Oh, wait… I do.”

Aiden pushed past those in line behind him. He rushed to the nearest picnic table and climbed onto the top. He looked around. There were colors and lights and people. Then, he saw it. A cloud of gray smoke floated in the sky. He scanned the horizon. Orange flames leaped from one of the barns. He jumped to the ground. “Mom. Matilda. Call 9-1-1. Tell them there’s a fire at the Five Steers Ranch.”

“Where?” asked his mother.

Aiden pointed. “It’s in one of the outbuildings.”

Then, his heart ceased to beat. Lucy had gone into one of the barns. A worker from the carnival had asked for something—he couldn’t remember what, and it wasn’t important now. He scanned the crowd. He didn’t see her. Was she still there?

“I’m going to check it out,” said Aiden.

“I’ll come with you,” said Ryan. To Matti, he said, “Find whoever is in charge and make sure nobody goes near the fire.”

“Will do.” His sister placed a kiss on Ryan’s cheek. “Be careful. Both of you.”

Matti pulled her phone from a small backpack that was slung over her shoulder. He knew she was calling Emergency Services, but he also knew they were damn near twenty minutes out. With Ryan at his heels, Aiden ran toward the burning building. People at the fair were starting to notice the smoke. Some stood in groups and looked at the billowing cloud in the sky. Others covered their noses and mouths with their shirts.

He scanned every face that he passed looking for Lucy Harris. She wasn’t there.

The lights of the fair gave way to the darkness. The burning building was one hundred yards away. “Aiden. Ryan. Wait.”

Skidding to a stop, he looked over his shoulder. Ryan stopped, too.

Ted jogged to where the two men stood. “I called 9-1-1,” he said. “The fire department is sending a truck to take care of the blaze.”

Aiden imagined that the switchboard was inundated with calls. Matilda had reached out as well. “I need to make sure that nobody is trapped inside,” he said, thinking only of Lucy.

“I was told that those are abandoned buildings,” said Ted. “Right now, they’re just used for storage.”

Fire rose through the roof, crackling and sending sparks into the air. Even from where he stood, he could feel the heat from the blaze. He started to sweat.

Still, something started the inferno. And it was most likely caused by a person. “I have to get inside and look.” He took a step toward the burning building.

Ted dropped a hand on Aiden’s shoulder, squeezing tight. “I don’t want you to die trying to save a bunch of junk. You don’t have any of your gear. No Kevlar coat or pants. No boots or oxygen tank. Hell, you don’t even have a helmet. What if a beam or something falls?” He paused. “You’re my brother.”

Ryan said, “Ted’s right. There’s no reason for us to think that someone’s inside.”