Feel the Fire (Hotshots 3)

“Let me call in first,” he said to Luis, who was already scrambling into clothes. His message was from Garrick.

“I’m on the way,” he told Garrick as soon as he had coordinates for the fire. Another early-morning blaze near a hiking trail had to mean the chance of it being their arsonist was high. However, whatever the cause, Tucker needed to get crews on the ground and get Luis to the scene so he could do what he did best and predict the spread of the fire. “And I’ll...uh...pick up Rivera along the way since I’ve got the better vehicle for those dirt roads.”

“Uh-huh.” Garrick chuckled. “I’m not going to tell if he’s right there now. Your sleeping arrangements are your business.”

“Thanks.” He pulled on a work shirt and dug out his good boots. His hard hats and other gear was still in the SUV from the last callout. “I’ll contact my crew chiefs while you call everyone else in.”

“Get me the plans as soon as you have them.”

After some logistics talk, Tucker ended the call and went to search out Luis, finding him already pouring coffee into travel mugs.

“Thanks. We make an efficient team.” He accepted the cup, noticing that Luis had hit the perfect milk-sugar-caffeine ratio for him. “Told Garrick I was picking you up on the way.”

“Technically true.” Luis offered him a sleepy grin. “And I did warn—”

“I’m not caring who figures out that we’re more than coworkers. Trying to keep it professional for both our sakes, but I’d give that advice to anyone else regardless of gender. Ready to hit the road?”

“Yup. Let’s do it.”

The site was something of a drive, and as Tucker navigated the back roads there, they took turns making the calls they needed. Tucker made sure he had ground crews on the way to dig fireline and coordinated with the interagency folks and hotshot crew chiefs. Meanwhile, Luis got the latest data and an update from the investigation.

“They’ve detained a suspect,” he reported during a break between calls. “This was one of the areas we were closely watching, and law enforcement was able to quickly move in at the trailhead.”

“Your theory was right.” Tucker hadn’t expected anything less because Luis was that brilliant. “Are you jealous that you don’t get to make the arrest and do the questioning?”

“Maybe a little.” Luis shrugged. “I enjoy the hands-on firework, but you never know. Maybe someday. And maybe if I stay—”

“I wasn’t hinting at that. I meant what I said last night. I’m willing to be the one to move, so don’t go job hunting yet.”

Luis made a dismissive gesture. “Right now, we have a fire to fight. And an arsonist to catch. And then we can go back to worrying about the where part of our future.”

“Yeah. I know.” And he did get it—they needed to focus on the present and work, not keep going around with questions they weren’t going to answer right then anyway. He tried to take some solace in the our that Luis had so easily tossed off there. Whatever the answer ended up being, they’d be together.

However, those questions were still in the back of his head as they arrived on site and he got to work discussing with the various crew chiefs and Adams about whether they’d need a formal fire camp. The red danger level warning meant that rapid spread was possible, but early response was promising. Still, Tucker had crews out digging more line in case they needed to do a burn to remove fuel from the fire, and additional air support was on standby too.

“We certainly moved fast.” As the frantic pace slowed, Adams strode over to Tucker. “Good job getting your crews here.”

“Thanks.” Tucker accepted the praise, but his attention was over at a clearing where Luis was deep in discussion with some investigation personnel. Tucker was hopeful that Luis would get to see a culmination to the case before he had to depart in a few days.

Adams didn’t seem in any hurry to move on, stretching his shoulders. “I’m getting too old for these early morning surprises.”

“You? Old? Never,” Tucker teased. He’d known Adams for at least fifteen years, through grandkids and health crises and department changes, and considered him something of a friend and mentor in addition to his boss.

“Ha. I don’t know how many more seasons I’ve got in these old bones. Soon enough it’ll be you in charge, I reckon.”

“Me?” This wasn’t the first time that Adams had made an offhand remark like that, but the seriousness to his tone made Tucker’s back tense.

“No one better suited to it,” Adams said firmly.

Tucker squinted, trying to picture that future. Meetings. Lots of meetings. Agency politics. Further from the field. Was that what he wanted? All that routine makes you old before your time. Wasn’t that what Luis had said when they’d discussed how he’d had to give up his smoke jumper dream as a young man?