Brent Ford walked into the air-conditioned sanctuary that was the Calistoga Fire Department. It was the beginning of June in Calistoga and the summer heat was already in full force. Brent had spent the weekend moving his daughter Lucy back home for the summer. She had been away at school where she was studying journalism. It was going to be good to have his eighteen-year-old daughter back home. She was his little girl and he missed her when she wasn’t there. He was in his early forties, but he and his daughter were also close friends. 

    Conversation swirled around the department as he looked around the group. Aaron, Nick and Kait were relaxing on the couch, watching the news and talking about baseball. Tara was getting herself some coffee in the kitchen and waved when she saw him walk in. “Hey Brent! Welcome home!” 

    “Thanks!” Brent smiled and went to join her in the kitchen. He reached for a mug and then she handed him the coffee pot. “It’s good to be home, but we had a good weekend moving Lucy back.” 

    “Is she happy to be home?” Nick asked. 

    “Yeah, I think so. She’ll be helping out at Trent’s Pub again and doing an internship over at the news office,” Brent said and sipped his coffee. 

    “Television or paper?” Kait asked curiously. 

    “Paper, but I think she’ll be following Finn around a lot anyway.” 

    “Poor Lucy,” Kait rolled her eyes at that. 

    “Are you kidding? Poor Finn,” Aaron chuckled. “I remember before Lucy went off to school she came here to shadow her father for a day… Spent the whole day asking ten million questions.” 

    “Well, she is curious… It’s a good thing for that business,” Brent went to sit down beside Kait. “Didn’t you and Brad go away this weekend too?” 

    “Yeah… We went to San Francisco. Took in a couple of plays... walked down by the waterfront... Did some shopping…” 

    “Sounds romantic,” Tara said and looked down at Kait’s hand as she came over. 

    “What are you looking for?” Kait asked. 

    “He didn’t propose,” Tara said, more as a statement than a question. 

    “Not this again,” Kait sighed and looked over at Brent for help. “Can’t two people date without the pressure of getting married within the first year?” 

    “Generally? Yeah, they can,” Aaron nodded. “But the way you two have been spending so much time together lately...” 

    “What’s wrong with that? We like each other!” 

    “Well, I for one think you should take your time,” Brent said authoritatively. “No need to rush anything and you both seem really happy with where you’re at.” 

    “Finally, someone who’s on our side,” Kait said and gave him a side hug. Since Kait’s brush with a serial arsonist last year threatening her with calls and tying her to a tree in a cemetery, Brent had become more protective of her and even called her his ‘sister’, even though she was a few years younger than him. 

    A man walked into the fire department then and Brent smiled, recognizing the new fire fighter. “Everyone, welcome our newest member to the team. Caleb, it’s good to see you again,” Brent went over to shake the man’s hand. “Caleb will be taking Chris Foster’s spot, as Chris has moved on to be with his extended family in Nevada.” 

    “Great to be here, Lieutenant,” Caleb smiled proudly at him and looked around. 

    Nick was the first one to stand and introduce himself, and Brent knew that the new member would be in good hands. Brent looked over at Kait and put a hand on her shoulder. “Sis… Could we talk in my office?” 

    “Yeah, sure,” she stood and followed him down the hall. Brent closed the door and invited her to have a seat. “What’s up?” she asked curiously. 

    “Well first... how are you doing, really?” he asked with genuine concern. “Did the weekend away help?” 

    “Yeah, it did,” she nodded with a smile. “It was so good to get away and spend some quality time with each other. We’re really happy, Bro... I never thought I could be this happy again. It’s like he just... cares so much and knows exactly when to be there for me and when to just let things go and help me forget.” 

    “That’s great, Sis. You needed that time. You were pretty stressed last week.” 

    “Yeah... Just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, I guess. I don’t think I’ve fully accepted that Ash is gone and that it’s really over. I keep feeling like he’s gonna come back and get revenge for how we put him away for good...” 

    “Well, I might have a way that you can gain that confidence back, and maybe it’ll help you move forward too.” 

    “I’m listening,” she leaned forward with the coffee cup in her hand. 

    “Well, you know how most of the crew is trained in both medic and fire calls now since things have kinda escalated around here... Especially with Chris gone now, we needed the extra man-power on fire calls.” 

    “Yeah... I guess I’m the only one who’s not trained in both...” 

    “Well, I was wondering if you’d be interested in it. That way we’d have four people on the fire and two on the ambo. Nick, Aaron, Caleb, and me on the fire, and then you and Tara on ambo... Or we can switch it up easier if you and Tara want to take a stab at the fire instead sometimes. It would just open things up a little more in case someone calls in sick or has to deal with family stuff during the day.” 

    “You really think I could be a firefighter?” she looked at him incredulously. 

    “Yes, I really do. Kirkland and Chandra think so too, which is why they asked me to talk to you,” he said, mentioning the chief and captain. “I’ve seen how you are with the ambulance and you have a good head on your shoulders. You’re focused and you really care about the safety of your patient as well as their health. I think you would be a great firefighter. Just... promise me you’ll think about it?” 

    “Yeah, I’ll think about it,” she nodded and sipped her coffee. 

    Tones rang out then for an ambulance to go to an address in the residential part of town. Brent nodded to Kait that she was dismissed and she ran out to the lounge. He leaned back in his chair, sincerely hoping that she would take him up on his offer.

2: Chapter 2: Monday, June 2, 2014.

    Lucy Ford sat in the front seat of the grey news van while Finn drove towards the scene of the break-in. Eddie, the disgruntled cameraman, sat in the back seat checking equipment and making sure it was ready. Lucy knew that he was less than thrilled on being demoted to the back seat, but Finn had insisted that it was easier to coach Lucy if she sat up front with him. Riding to the scene of a story was an exhilarating experience, and it was one that Lucy guessed she would never get tired of. 

    Finn continued to explain to her what would happen when they got to the house as they listened to the police scanner. Sergeant Saunders and Detective Portland were talking back and forth with the paramedics, Kait and Nick, as they arrived at the house. 

    “Sergeant Saunders and Detective Portland will meet us there and we’ll have to wait until they talk to the victim after Kait and Nick are done their part. Then when they’re done, they’ll let us go in and talk to them.” 

    Lucy watched as Saunders and Portland, who was also the arson investigator, approached the house. The door opened and a man appeared. His head looked like it had been bashed in and there was blood dripping down the side of his face from a gash in his forehead. He said some words to the officers and then the radio chirped again as the conversation continued. 

    Lucy got out of the car and got her camera out to take pictures of the scene. Sergeant Saunders gestured for Lucy to come over to where they were standing on the sidewalk and Lucy went over to him. He had taken it upon himself to teach her pointers on journalism and crime, and she was thrilled at having such a helpful source of knowledge. Lucy had known the man since she was born and he had always been a close friend of her parents. Lucy knew she was in good hands. 

    Lucy watched as Kait helped the man sit on the steps of the house. She hooked up the cardiac monitor to check vitals. Lucy watched with interest, having heard enough about medical training from her father at home. “99 over 56. Pulse is 84,” Kait announced the vitals to Nick. “Pupils are fine. That gash is gonna need stitches on his head though.” 

    “Yeah, no doubt. Looks like that hurt, eh Mitch?” Nick asked, reaching in his bag for some bandages. Now that they were closer, Lucy recognized the man as Mitch Donovan, who ran Checkers Restaurant. Lucy had been there with her parents last month and had enjoyed their food included anything from Italian to Greek meals. 

    “Yeah, not something I’d relive willingly,” Mitch muttered as Nick sprayed disinfectant spray and wiped up the blood from his wound.. “Just glad you guys came when you did. The guy wore sunglasses and a hat but... he had a tattoo on his neck.” 

    “Oh really?” Saunders asked, interested, and beckoned for Lucy to follow him closer to Mitch.

    “Yeah,” Mitch winced at the pain in his head at the spray and then Nick continued to wrap the bandage around him. “It had three letters. I remember ‘cause it was something I’d never seen before.” 

    “What did the tattoo look like?” Brad asked. 

    “It said ‘RRR’. I have no idea what it means but I thought I should remember it. If this guy’s in a gang...” 

    “Then there could be more robberies,” Lucy finished for him, then looked down. “Sorry, Portland.” 

    “It’s alright, Ford. That’s a good observation,” Brad nodded to her and looked over at Mitch while the medics finished up. “Why don’t you go get those stitches at the hospital and we’ll come talk to you when you get home. Then you can walk us through what happened. That tattoo is a great start but you should get looked at more before we talk more, alright?” 

    “Yeah... thanks,” Mitch nodded and was helped up by Kait and Nick from the step where he sat. “Can you call my wife? Tell her to meet me there?” he looked around. 

    “You bet,” Brad promised. 

    “Found some prints, Portland!” Saunders said as he’d been investigating the area around the front door. 

    Finn came over and Mitch agreed to film a short segment for the news station. Eddie mounted the camera on his shoulders while taping Finn talking with Mitch as the paramedics looked on in annoyance. Lucy could tell that all Kait wanted to do was get Mitch to the hospital, but they had jobs to do too. 

    When the threesome had gotten back into the news van, Lucy looked over at Finn and said, “I can look into that tattoo and see what comes up.” 

    “That’d be great,” Finn nodded. “It’s definitely an initial I haven’t heard of before.” 

    They continued to talk while they drove through the town and headed back to the news office. 

3: Chapter 3: Wednesday, June 4.

    Brent gathered everyone into the lounge Wednesday morning where Tara had set out a cake for Kait. She had finally decided to start training to be a fire fighter and Brent was thrilled that Chief Kirkland had approved him to be the one teaching Kait. When the doors to the department opened and Kait walked in, applause filled the room. Her eyes filled with emotion and Brent walked over to her proudly. 

    “Finally, she’s here! Can we eat cake now?” Nick asked excitedly. 

    “Wow, nice Nick,” Brent rolled his eyes and gave her a hug. “We know this is a big day for you, Kait, and it warranted a celebration!” 

    “I’m… speechless!” Kait said between tears as he held her close. 

    “Well, I’ll be... It does happen!” Brad walked towards her and gave her a kiss. Brent had invited him over to the department to share in the special moment for Kait. “You’ll be great, honey.” 

    “Coffee’s fresh too,” Tara gave her a wink as she said the magic words. 

    “You guys are crazy, but I love you all,” Kait finally managed and squeezed Brad’s hand as the group went to the counter for cake. 

    “So Kait... Brent finally twisted your arm to be a firefighter, huh?” Chandra joked. 

    “Yup, between him and Tara... I had very little choice,” Kait chuckled and Tara smiled proudly. “Ever since Brent suggested it, Tara’s been trying to convince me to do this. Guess I’ll have to start calling Brent ‘Ford’ since he’s sort of gonna be my boss,” she grinned and munched on a slice of cake. 

    “Oh Kait, we don’t use last names around here unless it’s Chandra or Kirkland,” Brent laughed. “If we were a bigger town, then we might.” 

    “I’m just excited we get cake for breakfast!” Aaron said gleefully. 

    “No one’s stopping you from doing that every day,” Kirkland laughed. “We’re not your parents.” 

    “Yeah, and thank God for that,” Brad smirked as the group laughed. 

    After they had finished the cake and had enough coffee to keep their eyes open for the day, Brent looked over at Kait with a grin. “Well Kait, you ready to get to work?” 

    “Yes sir!” Kait smiled excitedly and hopped up from her seat beside Brad on the couch. 

    “Go get ‘em, Tiger,” Brad smiled proudly. “I should head back to my office and look like I’m doing something productive.”

    “Yeah, shame you can’t just have an office here with us,” Tara smirked. “But then... the two of you would never get anything done.” 

    “Probably true,” Kait chuckled in agreement and then followed Brent out into the truck bay. 

    “Alright, the first thing we want to go over are the hoses,” Brent said to me as we approached the fire truck. There was one firetruck in the garage as well as two ambulances, since there were more medical calls than fires in the small town. “The supply hose, as you probably already know, is what takes the water from the hydrant and brings it into the truck. So it essentially...” 

    “Supplies the truck,” she finished for him.

    “Very good,” he smirked. “Go on and lift that off the truck an attach it to the hydrant outside.” 

    Kait went to lift the big yellow hose and dragged it over to the hydrant. It was heavy, and Brent was proud of how far Kait had come since they’d started their personal trainer workout sessions at the gym lately. She successfully attached the hose to the hydrant and turned the nozzle to start the water flow. 

    “Good job,” Brent smiled at her. “You’re the first girl to lift that hose.” 

    “That’s what he said,” Nick’s chuckle came from behind them. 

    “Alright, enough from the peanut gallery,” Kait glared at him. 

    “So next,” Brent went on as if Nick wasn’t there. “Put on the SCBA tank and your helmet.” She did as she was told and Brent asked, “Do you know what ‘SCBA’ stands for?” 

    “Um...” Kait thought for a moment. “Self Contained Breathing Apparatus.” 

    “Very good!” Brent smirked proudly, giving Nick a look of pride at my knowledge. “When should you use a SCBA?” 

    “When there’s low oxygen levels,” I started, “Like inside a structure.” 

    “Right... Or when you’ve got smoke blowing in your face like with a car fire,” Brent nodded. “If you’re outside a house fire walking around, would you have your mask on?” 

    “I would guess that would be a waste of air when you could just breathe real air, right?” 

    “Correct. You need that gear for when you go inside the building.” 

    “Will the tank tell me if it’s out of air?” 

    “Yeah. See that gauge there? If it goes below that line it’ll beep at you,” he pointed. “When that happens you get out of the fire and replace it with a full SCBA at the truck,” he showed her. “The SCBA tanks usually last fifteen to twenty minutes at a scene.” 

    “Okay,” she nodded. 

    “Make sure that the tank is full before we roll out from the station,” Brent instructed. “Alright so... That’s the supply line and the SCBA... We’ve got an abandoned building we use for practicing attack hoses and such so we can try that stuff out tomorrow...” 

    Tones rang out for a fire truck and ambulance to respond to a fire at the address of the music shop downtown. The crew suited up and Brent instructed for Kait to join truck this time. She did so and he could see the nerves in her, but he also knew that she could handle it. They rolled out to the fire and Brent explained what Kait’s job would be once they arrived. Rolling out to a fire was something that Brent would never get tired of.

4: Chapter 4: Friday, June 6.

    Lucy cleaned another glass and poured some whiskey into it, sliding it down the bar towards Jimmy at the end of the bar. She was working the night shift at Trent’s and Rachel and Kristen were sitting at the bar, keeping her company. It made the time go quicker, especially when it was a quiet night at the bar. It was oddly quiet tonight, and Lucy wondered where everyone was for a Friday night. 

    “Okay seriously, where is everyone?” Lucy asked the girls, looking around the almost-empty bar. “This place is usually crawling with cops and firemen... It’s not that nice out there tonight...” 

    “Maybe they’re all off trying to figure out who set fire to the music shop,” Finn suggested. 

    Lucy looked over at her new partner at work and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that was crazy huh? I mean, who would want to blow up the store? No one can hate music that much, can they?” 

    “Okay so let’s think...” Rachel started. 

    “Do we have to? It’s Friday,” Kristen groaned. 

    “Go with me on this…” Rachel nudged her. “There’s that break-in at the guy’s house who owns Checkers.. Then the music shop owner... What if they’re both connected?” 

    “Well, I don’t know about all three things but...” Finn said, looking around them. “I’m pretty sure the last two might be. I mean think about it... they’re both business owners... and they weren’t killed. If whoever’s doing this wanted them dead, they could’ve easily done that. No... I think someone’s making a statement, I’m just not sure what it is.” He stood then and announced, “I’m going to find out though,” he assured as he headed out of the bar with a determined expression. 

    A group of guys came into the bar then and Lucy looked over to see where Trent was. There was no way she could face four guys on her own. Trent came over and squeezed her shoulder. “One at a time, Lucy. Don’t get overwhelmed by the number,” Trent reminded her in his thick Irish accent. It was the kind of accent girls would swoon over and she noticed both her friends doing just that. 

    “Dang, Lucy... How can you even work in a place with such a hot boss?” Rachel teased. 

    Lucy rolled her eyes and focused on the four men. They were big and tall and kinda scary looking. She wondered if there was a bunch of bikes parked outside. They looked like the type, for sure. “Hey guys, what can we get you?” she asked, trying to hide her nervousness. 

    “Put all of their drinks on me,” said one of them in a thick British accent. He seemed to be the one who all the other guys followed, by the way he carried himself. Lucy couldn’t help but notice how his piercing blue eyes seemed to stare into her soul. 

    The guys ordered their drinks and Lucy and Trent got to work, serving their orders. “So what are we talking about ladies?” the British guy asked as he and his friends took seats beside them on the stools. 

    “Well there’s been a couple intense crimes and stuff lately,” Kristen told him. “So instead of enjoying our Friday night, Rachel has insisted that we become detectives and figure out who did it.” 

    “Oh really?” said another guy. “Well we’re kinda curious about it too. Seems like the town’s too small for that kind of stuff to go on, you know? I’m Eric, and this is Drew, Jesse, and Ryan.” 

    “I’m just surprised Lucy’s not the one asking all the questions,” Rachel shrugged. “She’s the journalist.” 

    “You’re a writer?” the British guy, Drew, looked at Lucy with suspicion. 

    “Well… I’m studying to be one, yeah,” Lucy blushed. “I’m going to school for journalism and I’m interning over at the news office this summer to get some experience.” 

    “That’s very impressive,” Drew smiled at her. 

    The group continued to discuss what they all did for a living and how they liked living in the small town. The four guys said they ran a record company out of their basement and they were really starting to do well with it. Lucy was curious, since she’d never heard of the company before, and decided she would look into it a bit more. Drew seemed to be most interested in her though, giving her more of his attention than the others got. She couldn’t place it but there was something different about the way that he carried himself and how sweet and funny he was. For the first time in a long time, Lucy felt butterflies in her stomach as she thought about the idea of spending time alone with him. 

    Apparently he’d had the same feelings because at the end of the night, Drew pulled her aside near the jukebox and smiled, looking deep into her eyes. “I’ve had a great time tonight, Lucy.” 

    “So did I. You guys are fun to hang out with,” Lucy blushed, very aware that her two best friends were watching them like hawks. 

    “Maybe next time we could hang out with less... of an audience?” Drew wondered, reaching up to push some hair behind her ear that had fallen on the side of her face. 

    Lucy felt electricity shoot through her as she felt his hand on her skin. “That could definitely be a possibility... How have we never met before?” 

    “Oh, I’ve been out of town for a while... Came back when the guys decided to start up this company... Do you sing?” 

    “I... have been known to do the occasional karaoke bar, yeah,” Lucy nodded. “Maybe um... we could...” 

    Drew smiled and pulled out his cell phone, placing it in her hand. “Go ahead and add yourself to my contact list. I’ll be sure to give you a call.” 

    “Only if you put yourself in mine,” Lucy pulled out her own phone and handed it to him in exchange. 

    “That’s what she said,” Drew chuckled and they both laughed as they entered their numbers into the phone. “I’ll give you a call, Lucy.” 

    “I’ll be looking forward to it,” Lucy smiled and took her phone back when he gave it to her. “Have a good night, Drew... I should help close up.” 

    “You bet. I’ll see you soon,” Drew smiled back and turned to join his friends as they headed out of the bar. 

    “What happened?” Rachel and Kristen descended on Lucy as soon as she returned to the bar. 

    “We exchanged numbers,” Lucy grinned as she went to work cleaning up tables. She felt like she was floating on air.

5: Chapter 5: Monday, June 9.

    When Monday morning came, the crew sat at the fire department watching the morning news and reading the paper. Finn was still reporting about the recent events, but he didn’t seem to have any new information about the string of crimes happening lately. He did seem to think they were connected, but then so did Brent. It didn’t take a genius to figure that one out. The question was why, and who was next? 

    Meanwhile, the other guys had decided to continue to test Kait on her progress in training with Brent. Nick, Aaron and Caleb were all asking questions about her lesson on squad equipment. Caleb seemed to be fitting in nicely at the department. He was funny and knew how to make people smile, no matter how grizzly the situation, which was a good quality in a fireman and a paramedic. The plus side was that he also knew how to cook. 

    “Guys, come get your waffles!” Caleb called from the kitchen and the group gladly migrated towards him, looking forward to breakfast. 

    “I love waffles with strawberry sauce drizzled on them,” Tara beamed as she was the first to the counter. “You’ve outdone yourself again, Caleb.” 

    “I try,” he winked at her and took some food for himself. “It’s nice to have people to cook for. Would be a shame for this talent to go to waste.” 

    “Oh... your girlfriend doesn’t like when you cook for her, huh?” Tara asked and Brent couldn’t help but laugh at her obvious inquiry.
    “No girlfriend here. Guess girls can’t accept the fireman life... Always getting called to a scene when they expect you to spend time with them...” 

    “Oh, they can,” Brent promised him, taking his plate over to the table. “You’ve just gotta be patient to find her, but she’s out there.” Brent didn’t miss the soft whisper from Kait to Tara that made the girl go beat red. Brent chuckled with amusement at the two of them. 

    “Alright, alright... time to get down to business,” Aaron said as they gathered at the table. “Kait, it’s time to test your squad knowledge.” 

    Kait sighed and sat down beside Brent while sipping her coffee. “Really? We just went over this Friday... Tell them I was good,” Kait gave him a pleading look. 

    “You’re gonna get tested on it eventually... Might as well perfect that knowledge,” Brent winked at her and gave Aaron the ‘go ahead’ nod. 

    “Okay fine, give it to me,” Kait muttered and started to dig in on her waffle. 

    “What’s the purpose of the squad truck?” Aaron asked.     

    “Squad is used to remove barriers from the fire fighter to the fire. Especially if there’s a victim inside.” 

    “Very good,” Aaron said with an impressed tone. 

    “What are the cutters for?” Nick asked. 

    “To cut through material such as car frames,” she looked at him. “Again, if there’s a victim inside.” 

    “Okay, what about the ram?” Caleb asked. 

    “It’s used to keep the doors open while victims are being extracted,” Kait said tiredly. “In a fire, rams are used to move heavy objects or prop things up, or bend metal.” 

    “What are the spreaders for?” Aaron asked, “And give an example of how you would use them?” 

    She took another sip of coffee and said, “The spreaders, also known as the ‘jaws of life’ or ‘HURST’, because of the company that made them...” A chorus of impressed “Ooooo’s” followed and she continued, “They’re used for prying open a car door or anything including heavy metal or wood. It works the same as the ram or the cutters. When the door is closed,” she explained, “You jam it between the door and the doorframe, making it good and snug, then you gently start to open them.” 

    “Well I’m impressed,” Aaron grinned at her.

     “I’ve just got one more question,” Nick said. 

    “Okay, but that’s all you get,” she looked at him. 

    “What’s the difference between a ‘P generator’ and an ‘E generator’? And what are they used for?” Nick asked. 

    “Pressure versus electrical,” she explained. “They’re useful for when you’ve got a confined space rescue. They’re used after the fire’s out to get breathable oxygen into a confined space where people need to work. Am I done now?” 

    “Alright, fine... You passed with flying colors,” Nick smiled proudly. 

    “Told you she was good,” Brent chuckled proudly as he finished his waffle. 

    As the conversation turned to sports, tones rang out for an ambulance and for squad to go to a car accident. In the interest of education, Kirkland instructed Kait to get in with squad while Tara and Nick took the ambulance. They rolled out to the scene as Brent continued to give Kait instructions.

6: Chapter 6: Monday, June 9.

    The pub was buzzing with conversation and activity that night. Everyone was talking about the car accident that had almost taken the life of the well-liked movie store manager, Adam Hudson. Lucy was finding it difficult to keep up with all the customers that had flocked to discuss the current events. When she saw Sergeant Saunders and Detective Portland walk in to join the crew from the fire department, Lucy went over with their usual drinks and took her much-needed twenty minute break. 

    “I knew there was a reason we came to Trent’s. The bartenders always know what we want before we even order,” Saunders smiled and gave Lucy a side hug. “Hey there kiddo.” 

    “Hi! I’ve been wanting to talk to you guys all day, but then things got crazy busy here tonight,” Lucy said as she set the drinks on the table and smiled at her father who was sitting next to Kait. “I’ve been doing some research today,” she announced. 

    “Oh really?” Brent looked at her. “Do we dare ask what kind of research?” 

    “Well okay… it’s about the stuff goin’ on with that tattoo that keeps showing up,” Lucy looked at Saunders for permission to continue. 

    “Well go on… We’re all on the same team here. The fire department knows everything we cops do,” Saunders smiled at her as he took a sip of whiskey.

    “Alright so… Finn and I talked to Joe Hadley, who witnessed the whole thing and talked to you guys, right?” Lucy referred to the lawyer who’d talked to them. When Brad nodded, she went on. “He saw a sticker on the back of the Sedan with the ‘RRR’ letters on the window like a bumper sticker. Joe said that the Sedan had stopped long enough behind the Jeep for him to see the sticker. And since it had been in the news… he recognized it immediately.” 

    “Right,” Brad nodded to her. “And Finn already put in his broadcast today who the victim of the Jeep was…” 

    “Yeah… Well it’s a small town hon. News about that was gonna spread fast anyway,” Kait put a hand on his. 

    “I know… Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Brad muttered. 

    “Right but… either way this is the third person targeted by this RRR thing. And they’re all business owners,” Lucy went on, getting closer to her point. 

    “Okay but… what is this RRR all about?” Nick asked from beside Brad. 

    “Well… twice is a coincidence but… three times? That’s a pattern, right Sergeant?” Lucy looked over at Saunders. 

    “Yes, you’re right, Lucy… But what have I told you about calling me Pete?” he winked at her. 

    “Well, it’s just weird,” Lucy shrugged. “I’ve always called you Sergeant Saunders since I was a kid.” 

    “You’re not a kid anymore,” Pete smiled at her. 

    “That’s for sure,” her father muttered and Lucy looked over at him. 

    “Something wrong, Dad?” she chuckled and sipped her rum and coke. 

    “A man came by the store looking for you.” 

    “Oh?” Lucy perked a bit, wondering if it was Drew. She hadn’t seen him since they’d met Friday night, though they’d texted and talked on the phone most of the weekend. 

    “You were going to enlighten us on something,” Pete reminded her. 

    “Oh yeah,” Lucy nodded. “So… I think I know who might be behind this, or at least why.” She took out a piece of paper she’d printed from the computer that afternoon and set it on the table. “I was able to find out the meaning of the tattoo through some extensive research in the gang database this weekend. The three R’s stand for ‘Respect, Revenge, Reputation’.” 

    “Interesting…” Tara commented. “So they’re looking for revenge from something… They want respect and they want reputation. Well, they’re getting reputation by going after prominent people in town. I’m not sure how they’re going to gain the respect they want.” 

    “I just wish we could catch them on a security camera or… something,” Brad sighed. “We did collect fingerprints from the break-in incident but… it didn’t match anything in our database.” 

    “That just means they’re not stupid,” Brent reflected. “If they wanted revenge for a past crime then their fingerprints would have matched up, right?” 

    “Can’t any of the witnesses give us a sketch or something?” Lucy asked curiously. 

    “Not until the people doing it stop wearing masks,” Brad muttered. 

    Lucy’s phone rang then and she looked at the number. Lucy put the phone to her ear and headed to the lounge. “Hello?” 

    “Hi Lucy, it’s Drew,” the voice made Lucy’s heart pound and she wasn’t sure why. She excused herself from the protective eyes of her father and his coworkers and walked over towards the jukebox where she had first met the man on the phone. 

    “Hey there,” she said when she felt she was being less watched. “How’s your day going, Drew?” 

    “Oh, pretty good. I can’t seem to focus on anything though…” 

    “Why’s that?” 

    “Well, I keep thinking about this girl I met last week and how much I want to see her again.” 

    “Hmm… Anyone I know?” Lucy blushed. The truth was, she’d been thinking about him a lot too. 

    “Well, yes you might, seeing that it’s you… What are you doing tomorrow night?” 

    “Uh… nothing really planned. I’ve got tomorrow night off from Trent’s. Did you have something in mind?” 

    “I was thinking we could go out for dinner. Maybe I could pick you up and take you out for a night on the town?” 

    Lucy smiled widely and nodded, “That sounds perfect. I get off at five o’clock ‘cause I’m at the news station all day. Um… Dad said you stopped by the bookstore this weekend…?” 

    “Oh, that was your dad? That explains the protective stare-down I got when I asked for you…” 

    “Yeah, he’s kinda like that,” Lucy couldn’t help but chuckle. “I live above the bookstore though. My mom runs that store.” 

    “Oh really? I’ve always loved that place. It’s always got great books.” 

    “You like to read?” Lucy couldn’t believe her luck. 

    “Something we’ll be able to talk about over dinner then. What if I pick you up around five-thirty? Will that give you enough time?” 

    “Sure, that sounds great. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, Drew.” 

    “So am I. Have a good afternoon, Lucy,” Drew said and hung up the phone as she said goodbye. Lucy put the phone back in her pocket and went back to the bar to continue her shift. She felt like she was floating on air. 

7: Chapter 7: Wednesday, June 11.

    A couple of days later, Brent was working alongside his wife at the bookstore she ran. They had decided to focus on selling classic novels, so all of the authors that they sold books from were already dead. It gave them a unique market, especially in a small town that prided itself on historical preservation. Brent was proud of Mary for keeping the business going successfully for twenty years now. They lived above the store in a two-bedroom apartment, but it was big enough for them. Especially since Lucy was at college for most of the year. 

    Brent sorted the Anne of Green Gables series in order and sighed, thinking of his daughter. Lucy was a lot like Anne… She was stubborn and independent and didn’t care what anyone else thought. If she had something in her mind, she would be determined to get it done. He knew she would be a great journalist; that wasn’t the part that worried him. It was the man who had been coming around lately that was Brent’s major concern. 

    Drew Hudson wasn’t the first boy to pursue Lucy. She’d dated enough in high school, but nothing had ever turned serious. This time though, Brent felt something different towards the man. Brent was genuinely worried. There was something about him that Brent didn’t trust, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Maybe it was just the fact that she was in college now… Either way, the man’s British accent made Brent nervous. He knew how much the girls swooned over accents. He’d seen it enough at Trent’s.

    “Are you okay, Brent?” Mary looked over at him. “You seem distracted.” 

    “I’m just… Thinking about Lucy.” 

    “She’s not a little kid anymore, you know,” Mary put a hand on his shoulder.

    “Yeah, you don’t have to tell me twice. What do you think of her new boyfriend?” he asked, wanting her honest opinion. 

    “I think she’s young, and it’s about time for an adventure with a man from a foreign land.” 

    “England isn’t all that foreign,” Brent rolled his eyes. “Besides… I can’t place it but there’s something… oddly familiar about him.” 

    The bell chimed above the door, signalling that someone had entered. Brent looked over and tensed the second he saw the two men entering. They wore ski masks and Brent couldn’t help but notice the RRR tattoos on their shoulders. 

    “Go upstairs,” Brent ordered Mary immediately. He didn’t want her to get caught up in whatever these guys were there to do. His whole body was on high alert and he felt his heart start to pound. 

    When Mary obediently went up the stairs to the apartment, Brent looked over at the two men. “What do you want?” he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. 

    “Well, we wanted your little woman, but you’ll do,” one of the men said. Brent tried to recognize his voice, but he couldn’t quite place it. 

    Brent stood straighter and looked firmly in the man’s eyes as the customers quickly exited the building. The other man came up towards Brent and drew a gun on him.“Open the register,” he ordered. 

    When he’d done what was commanded, the gunman guarded him closely while the other one went to unload the register. Brent knew there wasn’t much there; it had been a slow day. But it wasn’t the money they were after. They wanted to make him be afraid and lose control. Brent wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction though. He ran into buildings that were engulfed in flames for a living. It took a lot to scare him.

    It was at that point that the gunman shoved his gun into Brent’s side, glaring at him through his ski mask. “You had this coming, Lieutenant. This is our town now.” 

    Brent looked into his eyes firmly and then noticed another man outside. He was spray-painting RRR on the window. “Your town, huh?” Brent finally allowed himself to speak. “You’re claiming your territory, are you?” 

    “Shut up,” the gunman shoved him into a bookshelf, making Brent fly backwards. He felt the shelves poke him in the back as books fell all around him. Books he’d just organized. The man took a few punches at him and Brent knew better than to fight a man who had a gun on you.     When he’d sufficiently made Brent crumble to the floor from weakness, the gunman and his partner headed for the door. However, they didn’t leave before the gunman turned around and took a shot at Brent’s leg, making him cry out in pain as the sirens approached the store. Brent had never been prouder of his wife for taking the initiative to call 911 as the incident was occurring downstairs. Brent writhed in pain as he waited for help to arrive. Brent was feeling the energy flowing out of him, as the puddle of blood on the floor grew bigger. The walls seem to move around him, and a distant voice was shouting his name as the room went dark.

8: Chapter 8: Thursday, June 12.

    Lucy tried to focus on the article she was writing. Her father was still in the hospital after being shot in the robbery yesterday, and it was all Lucy could think about. She wanted him home and she knew that this was going to mean he’d have to take time off of from his normal duties at the fire department. She wanted to find whoever had shot her father and make him pay. She knew that it was the RRR gang; Saunders and Portland had confirmed that to the press. They were using every means possible to figure out who these guys were and what they wanted. 

    The phone rang and Lucy reached over to answer it. “Calistoga News,” she answered into the receiver. 

    “Hey Lucy, it’s Pete. How are you doing today?” 

    “I… It’s been a rough morning, I guess.” 

    “Listen… I was wondering if we could get together for coffee? I need your help with something.” 

    “My help? Sure, we can meet somewhere. Um… The Roastery? On Lincoln Avenue?” 

    “Sure, that sounds great. I’ll meet you there soon,” Pete said and hung up the phone. 

    Lucy told Finn where she was going and then headed out of the office with curiosity. If Pete needed her help, that meant that maybe they had a lead or something. She hoped that was the case, because not knowing anything concrete was starting to drive her crazy. 

    The Roastery was a small coffee shop just down the street from The Nook. Lucy loved going there to read a book and watch people mingling with each other. She and Drew had been there last night, since he’d wanted to comfort her after her father had been shot. He’d then dropped her off at Kristen’s house for the night because her parents were staying at Brad’s place out of safety, since the bookstore was now a crime scene. 

    Lucy shook her head as she passed the yellow tape around her home and walked into the coffee shop. Pete was already there and waved as she went straight towards him. She didn’t even want a coffee, she just wanted to know what he had to tell her. “Who shot my father?” she asked as she sat down. 

    “You look like you didn’t sleep much,” he observed, looking her over. 

    “Is it that obvious?” 

    “The dark circles under your eyes kinda give it a way, yeah. Plus… I’m a detective,” he winked at her. “You want to talk?” 

    “You called me down here just to talk?” Lucy asked with a bit of annoyance. 

    “I’m worried about you,” he said, sipping his coffee.

    “I’m fine,” she lied. 

    “Yeah right. Your father was shot and your mother’s bookstore was robbed. I wouldn’t be fine if I were you.” 

    “I couldn’t stop dreaming,” Lucy shrugged, not wanting to relive the nightmares. In most of them, her father hadn’t survived. 

    “What did you dream about?” Pete looked at her with concern. 

    “Dad getting shot… It ending… differently,” she sighed, pushing the images away. Far away. “What are those?” she asks, looking down at the pictures on the table in front of him. 

    “I took some pictures from the security camera of the store. The ones inside were wearing masks but the guy outside wasn’t. I was hoping that you could help us identify him.” 

    “Why me?” she asked, leaning forward. 

    “You see a lot of people at Trent’s and on the street when you’re working for the news. I thought maybe you’d recognize him.” 

    “Okay,” Lucy nodded and took the pictures to study. She saw the two men with masks inside the store and shook her head, knowing one of them had shot her father. 

    “Focus on the outside,” Pete suggested and slid over a picture of a black sedan parked in front of the store. There was an unmasked man spray painting the three letters on the window.         Lucy looked closely at the picture, but her eyes were first drawn to the vehicle. “Pete, look. A black Sedan. Like the one that Joe said had done that hit and run when Adam Hudson got hit by it in his Jeep!” 

    Pete leaned over and nodded, “Yeah, you’re right. Good observation. Hold on…” Pete searched through the pile for a closer image of the van and pointed to the back window. “What do you see there?” 

    “The RRR sticker…” Lucy peered close. “Right where Joe said it was in the hit and run. What about the license plate? Does it match too?” 

    “Let me send it to Brad and we’ll find out in about two seconds,” Pete said and took a picture with his phone. He sent off the license to Brad and they continued to look at the pictures while they waited for Brad to reply. When he did, Pete nodded to Lucy. “Same van. Not the smartest group,” he rolled his eyes. 

    Lucy continued to study the pictures and then when she got to one where the camera showed the full face of the man who’d been outside, Lucy felt her heart stop. She swallowed hard, taking a few deep breaths, staring wide at the picture. 

    “Lucy?” Pete put his hand on her wrist. “Do you know him or something?” 

    “Yeah I… Yeah,” Lucy shook her head, looking down. She couldn’t believe it. There was no way. 

    “Who is he, Lucy?” 

    With a shaky hand, Lucy pointed to the man in the picture. “That’s… That’s Eric.” 

    “How do you know him?” Pete leaned back calmly, though Lucy could tell the wheels were spinning in his mind. 

    “They’re… friends of Drew’s…” she finally admitted. “I met them at Trent’s last week and they keep coming back with him for drinks.” 

    “Drew… The guy you’ve been dating?” Pete sat up straighter. 

        “Yeah… How could he… He wouldn’t be wrapped up in something like this…” Lucy tried to convince herself. “He’s been nothing but sweet and caring and it’s been a lot of fun hanging out with him.” 

    “Lucy… do these guys have tattoos? Did you ever see them?” 

    “I…” she tried to think back. “No… Not unless they’re under their sleeves or something. They always come in the evening. Even when Drew and I have hung out we… I mean I never…” 

    “Tell me.” 

    Lucy bit her lower lip and looked down. “I’ve never seen him with his shirt off, Pete. Any of them. But… I know this is Eric.” 

    “Do you know any last names?” Pete squeezed her hand.

    “Just Drew’s… Drew Hadley. It’s short for Andrew…” 

    “Have you been to his place yet? Has he been to yours?” 

    Lucy swallowed hard, squirming in her seat. “No, Pete. I… We’ve only been going out not even a week. Coffee shop, the beach, public places. That’s it, I swear.”

    “Hey…” Pete looked into her eyes. “You’re not being interrogated here, kiddo. I just… I have an idea for how we might… Figure this all out. But it’s gonna put you in the middle of things a bit more.” 

    “More than I already am?!” Lucy exclaimed. “My new boyfriend is friends with guys who are in a gang. For all I know he could be IN the gang!” 

    “Lucy,” Pete sighed. “Listen… I want you to go on a date with him. At his place. I’ll drive you there and wait in the car while you’re there. I’ll have take-out dinner or something. You have dinner with him, talk to him, try to learn more about his friends. See if you can get anything out of him without being too obvious.” 

    “And see if I can find a tattoo on him?” Lucy asked incredulously. 

    “If it comes to that naturally… yeah,” Pete nodded. “Look, I’m not saying sleep with the guy. Just… I need your help here, Lucy. I know you like him but if this guy…” 

    “I know,” she sighed. “If he’s in the gang, you’ve gotta take him in too. Which means I probably shouldn’t date him. I probably shouldn’t because he’s friends with gang members too though,” she ran a hand through her hair. 

    “Will you do it?” 

    “I don’t have much choice, do I?” she looked up into his eyes finally. 

    “I’ll be right outside, kiddo. The moment he gets suspicious, or you feel uncomfortable, you can tell him you’ve got a call and have to go. Or you can excuse yourself to the bathroom, text me, and I’ll come in.” 

    Lucy looked in his eyes and nodded, knowing she had to do this. She needed to know for herself, not just for Pete. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she knew it needed to be done. She shakily reached for the phone and dialled Drew’s number. 

9: Chapter 9: Friday, June 13.

    It was Friday morning and Brent was sitting beside Kait and Nick while the crew watched the news on television. Finn was reporting a story about the local school holding a fundraiser. Caleb had made pancakes for breakfast and we were enjoying his culinary talents yet again as the group of hungry firemen surrounded the television. 

    “We really need to have an event with the kids soon,” Brent pointed out then. “Let them come tour the department, ride a fire truck, something…” 

    “That’s a great idea!” Kait smiled as she sipped on her coffee. “They can see what it’s like to be a fireman!” 

    “I could make mini pizzas or hot dogs and stuff for the kids too!” Caleb was starting to get excited. “They would love it!” 

    “And we could send them all home with fire safety stuff!” Nick agreed. 

    “Brilliant!” Tara nodded with enthusiasm. “We could even teach them how everything on the ambulance works and… Wait…” she stopped, looking at the television. “Turn the TV up, Aaron.”

    Aaron turned the TV up as we listened to Finn’s broadcast. He had turned suddenly solemn and said, “Folks, this broadcast will be cut short as it’s just been reported to me…” 

    Tones went off for a house fire and they all groaned, wanting to know what Finn was about to say. As the address rang out for the location of the fire, Kait stopped in her tracks and looked at Brent. “Wait… That’s Finn’s house.”

    They turned briefly back to the TV and saw Finn getting pulled off screen by someone with a concerned expression on their faces. Kait suited up with the others and got on the truck while Tara and Aaron got on the ambulance. 

    Driving up to the house, they saw the flames raging already. The whole house was engulfed and the police car was pulling up as they arrived. Saunders and Portland got out and started taping off the area. Brad gave them a quick nod before calling orders to the crew. 

    Kait connected the supply line while Chief Kirkland and Nick took two attack lines into the house first. Brent set up the truck hose to attack the fire from above. Kait and Caleb waited outside, ready to go in when the other two came out to replace their air tanks. Brent could see Kait’s nerves all over her face and walked over to put a hand on her shoulder. 

    “We’re going into that?” Kait couldn’t help but answer. 

    “You ready for this?” he looked down at her. 

    “Don’t have much of a choice, do I?” Kait looked back at him. 

    “You’ll be fine, I promise,” he said. “You’ve been training really well. I’m very proud of you, Sis. This’ll be a walk in the park.” 

    “Yeah, walking through an inferno,” she said and they both chuckled. “I’ll be fine.” 

    “Just remember… Stick close to Caleb. Shoot at the base of the flames. When the SCBA vibrates, tell us you’re coming out for a replacement.” 

    Kait nodded and Brent squeezed her shoulder assuredly. On the sidewalk, Brent noticed Finn running over to talk to Saunders and Portland. He was understandably in shock, panicking. It wasn’t long before Kirkland and Nick came out of the house and Brent sent Kait and Caleb in. He watched proudly as Kait went in like a pro, communicating on radio as they went. 

    It took a few rounds of rotations before the fire was put out, but eventually they were able to douse the flames. When they had finished, Nick and Brent went in to do overhaul. Sure enough, Brent found the same arsenic as the fire at the music shop, and they knew that this was officially arson. Brent came out to report the news to Portland as he had come over to talk to Kait. 

    “Arsenic found, Detective. We’ve got ourselves another arson,” Brent announced grimly. 

    “This is RRR again,” Portland looked between Kait and Brent. 

    “Based on what?” Kait swallowed nervously, and Brent was glad that both Kirkland and Chandra were nearby to hear the news. 

    “‘RRR’ was painted with black spray paint on the side of Finn’s mailbox,” Portland said simply. “But that’s not the worst part.” 

    “What’s the worst part?” Brent asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer. His leg was still tender from being shot by that gang of thugs, which had been why he had stayed outside during the fire. 

    “Finn looked in his mail, in case they left him a note or something…” Portland hesitated and then said, “There was a note inside. It said, ‘Sucks to lose everything, huh?’” 

    “What does that mean…?” Kirkland blinked, confused. “That sounds… personal.” 

    “Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” Portland nodded. “We’re taking Finn back to the office to talk with him about it. He’s pretty shaken up.”

    “No doubt,” Kait sighed, sipping more water as she told Portland she would call him later. The others had already begun to pack up equipment. “Guess you get to do your arson hat job now.” 

    “Sure do,” Portland nodded and looked at Brent. “Ready for me to head in there?” 

    “She’s all yours,” Brent nodded and followed Portland and Kirkland into the house, leaving Kait and Chandra to wonder more about the curious message left behind for Finn. 

10: Chapter 10: Friday, June 13.

    The sun was setting as Lucy rode in the front seat of Pete’s truck towards Drew’s house. Lucy had set up the date with the unassuming Drew the night before and she was immensely nervous. Tonight would prove whether or not he was the innocent, sweet man she thought he was, or if he was playing a game she didn’t want to be apart of. Pete was coaching her on how to act tonight so that Drew wouldn’t be suspicious. Lucy felt her nerves growing as they approached the house. She had never been there before, had never been anywhere private with him before. What should have been an exciting night with butterflies in her stomach was now a night that could change everything. 

    Pete pulled up in front of the house and Lucy looked over at him. “I don’t know if I can do this…” she finally admitted. 

    “It’s the only way to find out if he’s involved in this or not, Lucy. We know for sure his friends are… I don’t want you caught up with this guy if…” 

    “I know,” Lucy sighed and looked out the window. “I just… I should be thrilled about going to his place for the first time. Now… I’m nervous as heck.” 

    “You’ll be fine,” Pete reached over to squeeze her shoulder. “I’ll be right out here waiting for you if you have any problems. Just excuse yourself to the bathroom and text me, okay? Then I’ll call you and act like I need you to come home or something.” 

    “Alright…” Lucy opened the car door hesitantly. “Wish me luck,” she said before heading down the pathway to knock on Drew’s door. 

    Drew invited Lucy in and she followed him as he showed her around the house. It was a nice enough place, but Lucy was distracted. She nodded to his comments about the pictures on the wall of his friends and him on various sporting and traveling adventures. Lucy wished it was all for real. 

    “So… shall we get comfortable on the couch?” Drew asked eventually. “I can get us some drinks. You said you already had supper with your parents?” 

    “Yeah… They’re still staying at Brad’s until the place is fixed.” 

    “That was a real mess, huh?” Drew asked as he went over to the kitchen to mix their drinks. “You’re staying with your friend Kristen, yeah?” 

    “Right. It’s kinda like an extended sleepover, I guess,” Lucy shrugged. “Whatcha makin’?” 

    “Rum and coke. I remembered it’s your favorite drink at Trent’s.” He poured the drinks and then brought the glasses over to the table in front of the couch. As he sat down beside her he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you okay? You seem a little nervous.” 

    “I’m fine,” Lucy lied and reached for her drink. “It’s just the first time I’ve been here and all…” 

    “Ah yes, I suppose that’s true,” Drew smiled. “You don’t have to be nervous of me though, sweetie.” He took a sip of his own drink and asked, “So… how is work going? I guess this thing at your parents’ got people’s attention, huh?” 

    “I just wish we could figure out who’s doing it… They’ve obviously got a message. They’re going after business owners but… why?” 

    “I guess you’d have to ask them,” Drew traced a finger around her neck, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the  lips. Lucy leaned into the kiss, forcing herself to act like she was into it. She needed answers, and now was the time. 

    Drew set his cup on the table and slid his hand back up her thigh, kissing her more deeply. Lucy leaned into the kissing, trying to think of where the tattoo would be if he had one. She slid her hands up his shirt and he lay her back on the couch, sliding his hand up under her shirt too. Lucy felt herself getting turned on, even though she didn’t want to admit it. She gripped the waist of his shirt and looked in his eyes with a grin. He smirked and lifted his arms so she could lift the shirt up over his head. As she threw it on the floor, Lucy continued to kiss him and slide her hands around his back. She leaned down to kiss his shoulder and then froze at what she saw tattooed there. RRR. Her heart started to pound and she tried to hide it as she kissed back up to his neck. 

    “Would it be okay if I go um… freshen up…?” she whispered to him, sliding her fingers around his waist. 

    He moaned and pulled her closer, as if not wanting to let her go, and Lucy leaned her forehead against his. “You’re plenty fresh, baby…” Drew whispered back, kissing her lips hard.

    “I just… I need…” she gripped his sides, knowing she needed to get out of there. 

    “Shh… it’s okay, Lucy,” Drew slid a hand down to her waist. 

    “I just… don’t wanna go too fast,” she said honestly and stood slowly, smiling down at him. “Restroom is down the hall?” 

    “Sure is. Don’t be gone long,” he winked at her and she headed for the bathroom.

    While behind the closed door, Lucy texted Pete as had been pre-planned. She walked back out into the living room and her phone rang, on cue. She looked at Drew apologetically and said into the phone, “Hello?… Oh, hey… Yeah, sure. That’s great but I… Right, of course. See you soon,” she said and hung up the phone. 

    “What’s wrong?” Drew stood from the couch and walked over to her. 

    “I… have to go. There’s been a break in the story and Finn wants to talk to me. I’m sorry, Drew…” she went over to give him a kiss goodbye. “I’ll… We’ll talk soon?” she asked, not even sure if that would really happen. Not that she knew for sure he was apart of the gang. 

    “A break? In the story? Give me a call tomorrow then,” he reluctantly led her to the door. 

    “Yeah,” she went to open the door. “I’m sorry I have to run but… well with my parents being the latest targets…” 

    “Of course, I understand, hon. Just stay safe.” He kissed her once more before she walked outside and down the pathway towards Pete’s truck. 

    Lucy opened the passenger door and her hand was shaking. She sat down in the front seat and let the tears flow. Pete reached out to pull her close, wrapping his arms around her. 

    “I’m so sorry, Lucy…” he sighed against her, rubbing her back. 

    “I didn’t want it to be true but I… It was there… on his shoulder…” she shook against him. 

    “Let’s… get out of here,” he leaned back and squeezed her hand before starting the car. “Do you want me to take you to Brad’s place where your parents are?” 

    “Yeah… I don’t… want to go to Kristen’s tonight.” 

    “I don’t blame you,” Pete nodded and started to pull out into the street. Lucy reached for the phone to call her father and let him know they were on their way. She continued to cry as her biggest fear had become reality. 

11: Chapter 11: Saturday, June 14.

    The week was finally over and the crew was hanging out at Trent’s, as they usually did on Saturday nights. Trent had procured the roof of the bar and had begun rooftop parties there with a live entertainer and a DJ to fill the air with music while patrons talked and enjoyed the pub food and drinks. It was now officially Brent’s favorite part of the week. At one point of the evening, they even had a part where the DJ played an Irish jig, and some girls got up to tap dance and encouraged people to join in. 

    It was a small gathering tonight, however. Brent, Brad and Kait were the only ones who'd been able to be there. Brent continued to watch his daughter like a hawk as she worked the bar in the corner of the roof. Lucy held herself confidently while serving customers, but Brent could tell that she was on the verge of tears if anyone said anything offensive or threatening. Brent couldn’t really blame her for being upset. The man she’d been dating had turned out to be involved in a gang that was targeting business owners, including Brent and Mary themselves. He was still spooked and recovering from his injury, though the leg seemed to be getting stronger by the day. Brent wanted so badly to go over and hug his daughter and remind her that everything would be okay, but he knew she had to put one foot in front of the other and focus on her work tonight. Besides, she was in a room full of cops and firemen. She was safe here. 

    “How’s she doing?” Brad asked him while nodding towards Lucy. 

    “It’s been rough,” Brent sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know what to do, Brad. She doesn’t want to talk about it with anyone. It’s like she feels guilty about something but… how could she know who the guy was?” 

    “I wish we didn’t have put her in that position,” Brad shook his head. “If he figures out that we’re onto him and his group…” 

    “Honey, it’s not your fault or Pete’s,” Kait put a hand on his shoulder. “If she avoids his calls and stops seeing him, then it’ll have just been a relationship gone bad in his mind.” 

    “Unless he…” Brad stopped short then as Finn Flanagan walked over to their table. “Finn… How’s the reconstruction going at the house?” he asked. It was only a day after the house fire at Finn’s and the man looked exhausted. 

    “It’s supposed to start Monday. Been a busy day of investigating though.” 

    “Oh yeah?” Kait looked at him as he sat down on the bench beside Brent. 

    “Yeah. There were some prints on the note in the mailbox… and actually on the mailbox too. They came up with a match in the system.” 

    “When did this happen?” Brad asked with confusion. “No one told me.” He took out his phone and I looked over his shoulder to see there was a voicemail. 

    “Perhaps if you turned on your ringer, baby,” Kait chuckled and squeezed his knee. 

    “Who was it, Finn?” Brad looked at him, all business. 

    “You ready for this one? Ty Flanagan.” 

    The whole table froze and looked at him in shock. “That’s… your brother?” Brent was the first to speak. 

    Lucy walked over then and looked around the table. “What’s going on?” 

    “Finn just told us they ID’d the guy who left the note in his mailbox,” Brent told her. “Kiddo you might… want to take a seat.”

    Lucy pulled over a chair and set it up at the end of the table. She looked around and asked, “Okay, who is it?” 

    “My brother. Ty Flanagan,” Finn looked over at her. Brent could see Lucy’s shock since everyone in this town knew each other and friends felt as if they were related to one another. “I haven’t seen him for a few years though… he was rejected when he put in his application with the fire department.” 

    “Do you have a recent picture of him?” Kait asked then, since she had no idea what the man looked like. “I mean, you guys all know who he is but… I’m still sort of new.” 

    Finn took out his phone and searched through his photos to a picture of his family. He pointed out Ty and said, “That’s him.” 

    “Let me see,” Lucy reached for the phone. Brent watched her cautiously as she studied the picture and then almost fell off the stool. “No…” 

    “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Brent asked his daughter with concern. 

    “If you… If you take away the glasses… and… Change his… hair…” Lucy said with surprise. 

    “And add a British accent…?” Brent guessed, looking over at her as he understood. “Yeah… he kinda does look like Drew now that you mention it.” Brent couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid… He’d only seen the man a couple of times when he came looking for Lucy, but he’d never felt right about him. 

    “Who’s Drew?” Finn asked then, looking around the table in confusion. 

    “Drew is the guy who’s been dating Lucy,” Brad swore under his breath. “Kiddo… I’m so sorry… I don’t know how I didn’t see it…”

    Brent reached over to take Lucy’s hand. “Sweetie… breathe…” He could see she was going into shock at the news. She reached for his hand, but then fell off the stool and onto the floor before he could catch her. 

12: Chapter 12: Monday, June 16.

    Lucy walked down the street Monday morning, reluctant to go to the news station. She knew that today would be the day that the cops would be tracking down members of the RRR gang and arrest them. Knowing that Drew was not only apart of the gang, but was in fact someone she’d known for most of her life living here… It only made Lucy feel stupid for falling for his act. 

    Lucy remembered Ty Flanagan as the rebellious kid of their family. Always living in the shadow of his older brother, Lucy could remember Ty acting out in school just to get noticed. She couldn’t help but wonder if the years of being “Finn’s little brother” had worn on him to the point of breaking. 

    Lucy had shared these thoughts with Finn that morning and he agreed that it definitely sounded like motive. The current problem was that no one knew where Ty was located. It felt so strange calling him that name… It just reminded her of how stupidly gullible she was. 

    The phone rang and Lucy sighed as she answered it, reading Pete’s name on the caller ID. “Hey Sergeant,” she sighed, knowing he would be on duty that morning. 

    “Lucy? You okay?” he asked with concern. 

    “I’m fine,” she lied, turning another corner onto Grant Street. She could see Mount Saint Helena Golf Course on the left and wished she could just go out on the course and escape in a round of golf. 

    “Yeah, you sound fine,” Pete replied and she could almost see him rolling his eyes. “Stop beating yourself up, Lucy. We all got fooled this time. Right now, we need your help. Where could he be hiding?” 

    “You obviously searched the record store already?”

    “You mean the fake record store that was more of a clubhouse than a business? Yeah, no one was there. It’s like they knew we were onto them.”

    “Well yeah… the way I ran out saying there was a break in the story… It's no wonder they got spooked.” 

    “Hey… he knew you were working this story the whole time, Lucy,” Pete reminded her. “It’s probably why he was dating you… to keep tabs on how far along you were and then the second you figured it out, they would split.” 

    “And that’s supposed to make me feel better how?”

    “We’ve got the upper hand here. We know who they really are. We’ll find them.” 

    As Lucy was talking to Pete, she hesitated when she saw two people at a picnic table that was set up on the side of the tenth hole. She swore and said, “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” When Pete asked what was going on, she told him what she saw and he promised to be there soon. He ordered her not to get any closer and Lucy hung up the phone, watching from a distance as the two continued to argue. Luckily, for now, neither of them noticed her presence. Finn Flanagan was sitting on the bench of the picnic table while Ty stood in front of him, holding a gun to his forehead. 

    Lucy heard the ambulance and police car approaching as she nervously hid behind a tree so the boys wouldn’t see her. She was within range of hearing them, but she didn’t want either of them to know she was there, or that she’d been the one to call the cops. Pete and Brad pulled up close to where she was standing on the street and Lucy looked over at them with worry while listening to the conversation between the brothers. 

    “You think you can just get everything, huh?” Ty was saying as they approached. The fake British accent was gone and Lucy tried hard not to beat herself up. “You get all the fancy cars, the big house, the great job where everyone knows who you are. What do I get?” 

    “Ty, come on…” Finn looked in his brother’s eyes with fear. “It doesn’t have to be like this. What do you want? I can get you a job at the newsroom if you want…” 

    “You think this is just about a job?” Ty snapped back. “This goes deeper than you getting the big job. You think I like living in your shadow?” 

    “Ty, put the gun down…” Pete finally interjected then, looking at him firmly. 

    Ty blinked and spun on Pete, pointing the gun at him. “I’m not putting this gun down. Not until he suffers like I had to. Now he gets to live under my shadow for a change.” When he saw Lucy leaning against the hood of the car he froze and said, “Lucy… I’m sorry…” 

    “Yeah, I’ll bet you are,” Pete rolled his eyes. “You’re sorry you lied to her and used her?” 

    “Ty, it’s all over. You might as well just drop the gun and surrender,” Finn said then and Ty swung the gun back on him. “You can’t walk away from this now…” 

    “Don’t you dare tell me what I can’t do,” Ty growled at Finn. 

    “Lucy, go to the ambo. Now,” Pete ordered her, keeping his gun pointed at the two brothers.

    Lucy nodded, no longer wanting to be so close to Ty anyway. It was times like this when she wished she had her own gun and could shoot him down for all he had done to her. She obediently went over to the ambulance and Kait got out, bringing her back around. As they were walking, though, gunshots went off. Lucy and Kait both spun around and watched as Finn fell on the bench and then Ty fell down on the ground. Lucy blinked in shock, looking from Pete to the others as Brad rushed out to assist him. She watched as Pete put cuffs on Ty and Kait and Tara rushed over with the stretcher to address the gunshot wounds. Lucy felt the whole world spinning in front of her and she leaned back against the ambulance to keep herself steady. 

    Pete walked over as the paramedics worked on the wounds and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey… Lucy… look at me.” Lucy tried to look at him but she shook her head, looking down, close to tears. “I’m sorry, Lucy…” he said simply then and just wrapped his arms around her protectively, not saying another word. There were no words to heal the shock Lucy felt. She knew the only thing that would heal her hurt and anger was time. 

13: Chapter 13: Friday, July 4.

    Fireworks lit up the sky as the city of Calistoga gathered together to celebrate the Fourth of July. The Napa County Fair was in full swing with live music, entertainers, an antique truck and tractor show, pony rides, and a carnival. A parade had entertained the town during the afternoon with floats from local businesses and marching bands filling the air with music. 

    Brent held Mary in his arms as they stood and watched the colors fill the sky. It was the perfect day; one this town needed. After weeks of arrests and trials, Calistoga Police were able to find and arrest all members of the RRR gang. Evidence gathered at the crime scenes as well as eye witness reports were crucial in finding each member guilty in court. Both Lucy and Finn had been key witnesses in each case. Brent was proud of how his daughter had handled herself, in spite of the shock and hurt of being caught in the middle of the whole turn of events. Brent’s leg was still recovering from getting shot at, but he was working towards getting back to normal duty at the department. 

    Their family had moved back to their home above the bookstore, now that the renovations had been completed. Lucy and Kait had been spending a lot of time together, and Brent was glad that Lucy had an older woman to look up for as a mentor. She needed that, especially now as she continued to beat herself up over what happened with Ty. Lucy still worked at Trent’s pub and was thriving at the news office. Finn often told Brent how impressed he was with her writing skills. Brent couldn’t have been more proud. 

    As they watched the fireworks, Brent and Mary stood amidst the group of fire fighters and police officers. Music played as the explosions lit up the sky in perfect rhythm. Brent looked over at Kait and Lucy who were standing nearby with Brad. “So did you guys hear… Kait passed her fire fighting training!” 

    “She did?!” Lucy exclaimed excitedly and hugged Kait. “Congratulations!!” 

    “Thanks guys! I couldn’t do it without your dad’s help!” Kait smiled and hugged Brent. 

    “You were the perfect student,” Brent chuckled and winked at her. 

    “Yeah well… I had a good support system too,” Kait smiled and leaned back into Brad’s embrace. 

    “You’ll make a great fire fighter, baby,” Brad kissed her and Brent smiled as he watched them. He leaned down to kiss his own wife, feeling happier than he had in a long time. 

    “You guys keep saving my life,” Finn said as he walked over then. “I swear I should just start paying rent at the hospital.” 

    “Well if you’d stop getting yourself shot, maybe we wouldn’t have to be superheroes all the time,” Tara laughed from beside Brent.

    “I have no problems with you being my superhero, sweetheart,” Finn insisted, and Brent couldn’t help but laugh. Finn was still insistent on flirting with every female he saw, no matter what tragedy had happened. Brent wished he could compartmentalize just as easily. 

    “Did you know how much I’m proud of you, dear?” Mary asked, tracing her fingers around Brent’s wrists as he held her. She was his whole world. Brent had no idea where he would have been without her by his side throughout everything that had happened with Lucy and the department over the past few months. 

    “Me? I haven’t done anything but get shot,” Brent shrugged it off, shifting his weight onto his other foot. 

    “You’ve helped run a fire department while walking around on a cane and doing light work. You’ve helped me raise our daughter and bring her through a dangerous situation. You helped me when those robbers came to the store and…”

    Brent leaned down and kissed her lips firmly. He loved her, more than words could say. He couldn’t have been more proud of the department for how they’d carried themselves lately, and he knew that no matter what came, they would tackle it together as a family.