summons had included permission to appear wearing street clothes.
She entered the hallway, her heart banging harder and faster. She felt like a kid on her way to the principal’s office, not that she had much experience with trouble. That’d been her brother Dashon’s role when they were kids.
She neared the Battalion Chief’s open doorway, rubbed her palms against her jeans. Get it over with she told herself, then stepped into his office.
Battalion Chief Mieger looked up and put the paper he was holding down. He had craggy features and piercing blue eyes, blond hair that was shading to gray though he was still a man’s man. Someone who could join the fire line and hold it.
He waved her to a chair in front of his desk. The red padding made her think hot seat .
She sat. He leaned back in his chair like a guy wanting to distance himself from disgrace. “What’d you do to draw the attention of Homeland Security and IRE in particular?”
Saffron flushed hot but couldn’t exactly answer, Slept with one of their agents .
Her thoughts pinged from the callout to the supernatural fair to the beach.
Tell him about one of the encounters with Taine? All of them?
Admit to all three and the personal involvement with Taine was going to come out. Not that it should matter but…
She’d worked too damn hard to have her career and her reputation tanked because she’d gotten laid.
“I didn’t know I had drawn the attention of IRE,” she finally answered, aware that it’d taken too long to respond and now she needed to counter that impression.
“Last night I was on the beach when a kid started to drown. I went into the water, got to him first, but right after me was a guy who turned out to be an IRE agent. Taine something. I didn’t get a last name.”
The Battalion Chief subtly relaxed. “You must have impressed him.”
She didn’t breathe a sigh of relief but she managed a shrug. “I appreciated his assist. Weird coincidence, the last callout of the day was a Maserati he was driving.”
BC Mieger snorted a laugh and further relaxed. “Those Supernatural Ops guys have a reputation for destruction. You’re aware of the warehouse fires last night?”
“Heard about them on the news. They’re estimating damage in the millions but there were no casualties or injuries.”
“IRE was on scene.”
“I hadn’t heard that.” Why hadn’t Taine told her the callout was a fire?
“Word traveled down from the powers that be. IRE wants a firefighter temporarily assigned to them as a consultant. They want you.”
“Me? Wouldn’t an arson investigator or someone higher up be better?”
The BC appreciated the response. His smile was warm now that it was clear she wasn’t a political animal capitalizing on connections.
“Hard to say who the appropriate personnel would be since what’s going on is need to know and need to know doesn’t extend beyond Homeland.” His expression turned grim. “All I got was that there’s a chance that last night’s fires might be the first wave of them.”
Saffron didn’t like the sound of that, not when last night’s incident had gone multi-alarm. But it didn’t explain why IRE needed a consultant, much less her.
She wasn’t an arson investigator, couldn’t fight a fire single-handedly or tell them anything about fires that a fireman arriving on scene couldn’t tell them, and even a kid could call nine-one-one.
The Battalion Chief leaned forward, pushed a sheet of paper toward her. “Here’s where IRE is headquartered. I’ve squared your absence with your captain.”
“When do I report?”
“Now. The guy in charge over there is Maksim. Don’t know if that’s a first name or a last.”
She grasped the paper and stood.
The BC asked, “What do you know about Supernatural Ops and IRE?”
“Nothing for a fact. I’ve probably heard the same speculation you have.”
“We’ll talk when the assignment ends.”
“Yes sir.”
She made it to the car without
She entered the hallway, her heart banging harder and faster. She felt like a kid on her way to the principal’s office, not that she had much experience with trouble. That’d been her brother Dashon’s role when they were kids.
She neared the Battalion Chief’s open doorway, rubbed her palms against her jeans. Get it over with she told herself, then stepped into his office.
Battalion Chief Mieger looked up and put the paper he was holding down. He had craggy features and piercing blue eyes, blond hair that was shading to gray though he was still a man’s man. Someone who could join the fire line and hold it.
He waved her to a chair in front of his desk. The red padding made her think hot seat .
She sat. He leaned back in his chair like a guy wanting to distance himself from disgrace. “What’d you do to draw the attention of Homeland Security and IRE in particular?”
Saffron flushed hot but couldn’t exactly answer, Slept with one of their agents .
Her thoughts pinged from the callout to the supernatural fair to the beach.
Tell him about one of the encounters with Taine? All of them?
Admit to all three and the personal involvement with Taine was going to come out. Not that it should matter but…
She’d worked too damn hard to have her career and her reputation tanked because she’d gotten laid.
“I didn’t know I had drawn the attention of IRE,” she finally answered, aware that it’d taken too long to respond and now she needed to counter that impression.
“Last night I was on the beach when a kid started to drown. I went into the water, got to him first, but right after me was a guy who turned out to be an IRE agent. Taine something. I didn’t get a last name.”
The Battalion Chief subtly relaxed. “You must have impressed him.”
She didn’t breathe a sigh of relief but she managed a shrug. “I appreciated his assist. Weird coincidence, the last callout of the day was a Maserati he was driving.”
BC Mieger snorted a laugh and further relaxed. “Those Supernatural Ops guys have a reputation for destruction. You’re aware of the warehouse fires last night?”
“Heard about them on the news. They’re estimating damage in the millions but there were no casualties or injuries.”
“IRE was on scene.”
“I hadn’t heard that.” Why hadn’t Taine told her the callout was a fire?
“Word traveled down from the powers that be. IRE wants a firefighter temporarily assigned to them as a consultant. They want you.”
“Me? Wouldn’t an arson investigator or someone higher up be better?”
The BC appreciated the response. His smile was warm now that it was clear she wasn’t a political animal capitalizing on connections.
“Hard to say who the appropriate personnel would be since what’s going on is need to know and need to know doesn’t extend beyond Homeland.” His expression turned grim. “All I got was that there’s a chance that last night’s fires might be the first wave of them.”
Saffron didn’t like the sound of that, not when last night’s incident had gone multi-alarm. But it didn’t explain why IRE needed a consultant, much less her.
She wasn’t an arson investigator, couldn’t fight a fire single-handedly or tell them anything about fires that a fireman arriving on scene couldn’t tell them, and even a kid could call nine-one-one.
The Battalion Chief leaned forward, pushed a sheet of paper toward her. “Here’s where IRE is headquartered. I’ve squared your absence with your captain.”
“When do I report?”
“Now. The guy in charge over there is Maksim. Don’t know if that’s a first name or a last.”
She grasped the paper and stood.
The BC asked, “What do you know about Supernatural Ops and IRE?”
“Nothing for a fact. I’ve probably heard the same speculation you have.”
“We’ll talk when the assignment ends.”
“Yes sir.”
She made it to the car without
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