January 15th, 1997.
Firehouse 141.
Lusty was sitting on the tailgate of Squad 141 but she’s rubbing her right ankle.
“I think I sprained my ankle while carrying a high-rise pack up the tower or when I slipped and fell while carrying a child out of that apartment fire earlier,” said Lusty.
“CLAIRE GET IN HERE!” yelled Lieutenant Autumn.
Lieutenant Autumn is a reserve LBMC MARSOC Lieutenant Colonel, Lusty thought, He's a very charismatic leader who favors more brutal tactics.
Claire entered the office and saw two other firefighters in white shirts she knew were other officers or higher-ups from HQ. When she was told to sit down, she politely refused and asked them what they wanted.
Lusty learned that the Captain she worked under for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day well the Captain has filed charges against Claire and is going to use everything he can do to make her life a living hell. In the meantime, she’s currently suspended but she is required to attend every hearing that IAD schedules and if she misses one then that’ll be grounds for termination and probably handed to the DA’s office if there’s probably a case.
Lusty knew she didn’t do anything wrong but she went home because she was prohibited to enter any firehouse within the city.
***
Tomorrow afternoon. In the district of Anderson.
Lusty arrived at an apartment block where she went down an alley and saw a man working under the hood of a tango red 1959 Hornet Universe (1959 Ford Galaxie).
“Hey, Dave?” said Lusty, “That you?”
Before the man could reply a woman came up behind her and had her in a headlock.
“Midnight!” said Dave, “No! Let her go!”
The woman named Midnight let her go.
“Sorry about my twenty-six-year-old cousin,” said Dave, “This is my cousin Major Midnight Waterson. First Ranger Battalion. Air Assault expert and the Second Korean War of 1990-1992 veteran.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Lusty.
Midnight replied, “Same to you. Also, I’m not apologizing for almost killing you.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you to,” said Lusty. “Is that Parabellum-Pistole in your holster?”
Midnight replied, “Yeah it’s a Luger P08. A time when companies once made weapons with precision. And it’s a highly accurate weapon. Back in 1905, the Little Bird Armed Forces bought 2700 for Lieutenant-Generals Samuel “Steelhamer” Thompson, Amelia “Specter” Walker, Marcus “Ironclad” Ramirez, Victoria “Viper” Montgomery, Benjamin “Thunderbolt” Johnson, Isabella “Phoenix” Rodriguez, Nathan “Shadowstrike” Barnes, Emily “Raven” Anderson, Alexander “Blitzkrieg” Wagner, Elijah “Serpent” Davis, Sophia “Stonewall” Thompson, Olivia “Stormbringer” Reynolds, Gabriel “Sentinel” Mitchell, Harper “Nightshade” Foter, Daniel “Silent Blade” Lewis, Ava “Wildfire” Carter, Nicholas “Falcon” Edwards, Isabelle “Iron Lady” Morgan, Jackson “Bulldog” Thompson, Grace “Tempest” Anderson, Michael “Warhawk” Martinez, Rachel “Walkyrie” Wilson, Ethan “Reaper” Collins, Sophia “Eagle Eye” Garcia, Jonathan “Barracuda” Turner, Mia “Crimson Tide” Ramirez, and Alexander “Stonewall” Anderson. Of course, the standard pistol cartridge for the Little Bird Armed Forces at the time was 10x9mm from 1887 to 1912 before being replaced by 9x19mm and .45ACP with the introduction of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 in 1911 for the US and it’s been the Little Bird Armed Forces standard issue sidearm since 1927 after trials in 1924 but we manufacture ours under a licensed name which is Phoenix.”
***
After an hour.
“So Captain Ryan filed charges against you for sexual assault and assault?” said Dave, “I’ve seen my uncle Clarke deal with a sexist before. I’ve met Captain Ryan. I can say he’s no fireman. Captain Ryan is a fame and glory hound. Doesn’t help when he was in command of Firehouse 23 well he blamed his crew for not saving a young family back in 1994 even though he ordered them not to but he just saved face by taking responsibility.
"Nearly took an ax to him but that guy ruined more careers for rank-and-file firefighters than actual emergencies. Three years ago ninety-one firefighters were killed in this city by emergencies in 1994 and in 1994 Captain Ryan got four hundred and thirty-eight firefighters arrested over bullshit and more or less got almost five hundred years of experience gone because he didn’t like them.”
Lusty replied, “What kind of firefighters or specialists have the jackass gotten fired?”
“He has gotten specialists,” said Dave, “Well firefighters who were specialized in HAZMAT, Wildland, ARFF, Technical Rescue, Marine, USAR, Smokejumpers, Air Operations, Dive team, Underwater Search and Rescue, Fire Investigators, Fire Prevention Specialists, and Scouts.”
Lusty replied, “Scouts? Never heard of them.”
“Firefighters who are light enough,” said Dave, “And can use grappling hooks in areas which a ladder can’t go or reach and well they wear an orange turnout jacket to show they’re lighter than the average firefighter and are highly trained individuals to reach areas that an average firefighter can’t.
"The average male on Little Bird weighs between 166.3 pounds to 191 pounds whereas the average female weighs between 100 pounds to 140 pounds so being a scout means you're at least 25% lighter than the average weight. They were founded in 1945 post World War 2 by firemen and female firefighters who were Army Rangers who used rockets attached with grappling hooks with rope to reach places like cliff tops as the American Army Rangers reached the top of Pointe Du Hoc on D-Day in ‘44 with rope ladders as well.”
Lusty replied, “You know what this department needs? Fewer politicians and more people who did this job. I’ve been to HQ last week and the people there, well I’ve looked in their eyes and it looks like they haven’t fought a fire or crawled a smoke-filled hallway in their life. Looks like they've been desk jockeys or bureau workers since day one.”
“I know how you feel,” said Dave. “They’re more interested in saving face and saving the department face than being there for their rank-and file-firefighters. If a rank-and-file firefighter gets in trouble then the ones at HQ try to do everything to prevent their rank-and-file firefighters from getting legal help. If they face charges even though they think that we’re miracle workers, not normal people. When they do station inspections they think everything should be in order not to try. One time a jackass from higher up from HQ inspected Firehouse Sixteen and because of a rolled-up hose that wasn't rolled up all the way due to the coupler being off by one inch he dinged the entire firehouse for it and gave an hour-long lecture on how to be perfectionists. Dumb jackasses don't think that not everyone is a ‘perfectionist’. Perfectionists don’t exist in my book and everyone makes mistakes.”
Midnight replied, “I met a perfectionist in the Little Bird Marine Corps before I was recruited into the Little Bird Army Rangers. My size eight and a half-combat boot met his testicles.”
“What did the guy want?” asked Lusty.
Midnight replied, “Oh the guy just claimed to be an officer who never made mistakes even though he has gotten two companies' worth of marines killed by the KPA because he always received faulty intelligence, which, unfortunately, led to the massacre of Dog and Echo Companies of the First Marine Division, First Regiment, Second Battalion. He also told me that he could keep saying good things for me to become an officer if I performed sexual acts on him. Didn’t happen. Alright, I’m going to go.”
Midnight then left.
“Can’t believe that the city approved the construction of a nuclear power plant,” said Lusty. “Not like anything happened. Sorry for blabbing about something else.”
Dave replied, “Yeah I can’t stop thinking about it. So about Captain Ryan?”
“Oh yeah,” said Lusty, “Captain Ryan wanted me more or less to stay at the firehouse just acting more or less stay-at-home mom for the team.”
Dave replied, “Which violates the 1942 Wartime Fair Work Act and 1947 Fair Work Act. The act also says that ‘A man cannot treat a woman any differently than how he wants to be treated’ it also says that ‘A woman cannot treat a man any differently than how she wants to be treated’. I know what they’re going to try to do…”
“What?” interrupted Lusty, “What are they going to try to do?”
Dave replied, “Flip the script and cook the books. Captain Ryan is going to dishonestly save face like jackasses like he always does. He and whoever his union attorney or lawyer is will try to make you look like you’re the one who tried to come onto him and said sexist stuff to him.
"A lot of fire company officers do the same by making fake quarterly run sheets trying to get the mayor or fire commissioner to see that they’re a busy company in reality. Squad 525 Lieutenant Jerboko did that in the 1980s until he got caught, fired, and arrested for lying on government forms. In 1987 every fire department across the country of Little Bird added both analog and digital computers until 1994 when they just decided to use analog-digital hybrids. But since 1987 the moment a call goes out to a fire company it’s automatically put into the computer.”
“English David,” said Lusty.
Dave replied, “Since the 1980s when a fire company is dispatched then it goes into the computer. Everything even if a company gets dispatched then canceled and told to return to quarters. Each firehouse across the city has different numbers of how many times they get called out per year. For example, in the firehouse I’m in, which is firehouse sixteen we get 28480 calls a year of which 2835 of which are all-hand fires or higher. Squad 141 their annual calls are 165590 a year. So even if you give a progress report annually well it’s going to get fact-checked for every shift and all four shifts combined. I wouldn’t suggest lying on a government form is a fifteen-year prison sentence… What are you thinking?”
Lusty zoned out for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Sorry, just thinking about how my old neighborhood nearly started a riot more times than I want to admit.”
Dave replied, “Why? And how?”
“Racist cops for starters and sexist cops,” said Lusty, “Had even a 0.1% ‘suspicion’ like having a shirt untucked then that was ‘Good’ enough for the police to gun you down. But why we didn’t throw riots is because that’ll give the Empire Police to come in with X16s, Semi Automatic Service Garands, Automatic Service Garands, Garand rifles, Shotguns, and CT759mm SMG’s and all loaded with Match grade, Soft Point and Hollow pointed bullets with shotguns having twelve gauge double ought buckshot, twelve gauge magnum shells, and slug shells. And if that didn’t work but just caused a bigger riot then the City of Empire Militia or the Third Marine Division or the Twenty-First Airborne Division would just be deployed and do the same with live ammo.”
Lusty sat down on Dave’s bed because he lives in a small studio apartment. Dave sat on a wooden chair and Dave gave Lusty some questions that IAD might throw at her and just get her mentally prepped. He also warned her that they’ll try to make her feel like she’s the bad girl and that it was her fault and not the other way around.
Lusty asked about what would happen if she confronts Captain Ryan but Dave told her that is not a great idea and would strengthen his fabricated lies and make her look like the bad guy.
***
Five thirty PM.
Lusty was at home making steaks for dinner. She wasn’t paying attention and gave herself a second-degree burn. At the same time, she was cooling the burn under cool water for about ten to fifteen minutes. Zofia came in.
“Oh you’re home,” said Zofia. “I thought you were still at the firehouse on shift. Everything okay?”
Lusty replied, “Captain Ryan he made a lie and filed false charges with IAD, and due to I’m a Probationary firefighter I’m already on the line between being fired and just staying suspended indefinitely. Hell, they can keep me suspended for the next forty-something years and not clear me and just have me stay at home not working just collecting money for not doing nothing.”
“Alright where does he live?” said Zofia, “Going to kick that guy's ass!”
Lusty replied, “No you’re not Zofia. You assault him then it reflects on me which strengthens his false case against me. You assault him then I can go to jail or prison for assault.”
Lusty dried the water off of her hand with a towel and put a non-stick gauze over the burn.
“So we’re going to play this by the book and follow the law,” said Lusty. “Even though I do want to crack a few cops' skulls then I won’t be any better than the ones I want to hit. Tomorrow evening I have a disciplinary hearing at 6:00. Going to lay everything on the table about what happened… But.”
Zofia replied, “Since the prick is a Captain, the ones at IAD and HQ are 90-99% in favor of protecting officers rather than helping their rank-and-file firefighters. Is that it?”
“Captain Ryan got more firefighters fired,” said Lusty, “Than firefighters getting killed on the line of duty.”
***
January 18th
At the Fire Department City of Empire, HQ.
“Captain Ryan says you came onto him and kept asking him out and trying to flirt with him,” said an IAD Firefighter, “And kept trying to woo him and trying to sleep with him off shift.”
Lusty calmly replied, “All of that’s fake, it never happened. He tried to come onto me from time to time on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I told him no multiple times and I told him that I didn’t care what rank he is or what color shirt he is. Last time I checked that if a man or a woman asked another man or woman out but if the woman or man says no then they mean no. I told him no several times and after the first time he sexually assaulted me because to him the word no doesn’t compute in his brain. He should be in trouble because no means no!“
“Yet he claims that you were persistent,” said an IAD Firefighter, “Trying to crawl into his pants.”
Dave replied, “By how you’re talking this is completely one-sided! This is supposed to be a disciplinary hearing, not a trial. You’re supposed to ask questions not say or sound like every other IAD Firefighter throwing a rank-and-file firefighter under the bus and like always siding with an officer.
"If she first filed a complaint then you three would still side with Captain Ryan because he’s a Captain. Ever since 1810 the Internal Affairs Division of the Fire Department always sided with officers and always threw the average rank-and-file firefighter under the bus. It’ll never end and it’ll keep on going.”
“To be clear,” said an IAD Firefighter, “You’re speaking to a Lieutenant. One more outburst like that then you’ll be out of a job.”
Dave replied, “I’ll get another job soon if you do fire me but on the other hand you won’t. But you three are indeed going to side with Captain Ryan anyway.”
Lusty knew that Dave was right that no matter how hard they tried, IAD would just side with Captain Ryan because he’s a Captain.
“I know who you three are going to side with,“ said Lusty in annoyance, “I’ve done my research. To be honest I don’t give a damn if you three decide to fire me over a damn lie. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Captain Ryan came to me because I’m female. I told him multiple times that I’m not interested in him. Told him not enough times to write half of a book.”
***
An hour later at home.
“How did it go?” said Zofia, “Was it as I imagined of it all being one-sided?”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Lusty replied, “Damn straight. It all was one-sided. They asked me if I led myself on to him, did I ask him out and other bullshit trying to make me look like the bad guy as if I did something wrong.”
“Well you always got two other options,” said Zofia, “Always get yourself a lawyer and sue the fire department and Captain Ryan or go to the press and voice how the fire department is willing to protect a sexist but when a rank and file firefighter says something. Then say how they're never believed by the higher-ups but the ones at HQ or what not are always willing to defend each other instead of doing their jobs.”
Lusty replied, “And? The moment I do either or I’m going to be the black sheep across the city’s firehouses. The moment I do either or well if I get hurt or trapped somewhere and radio that I need assistance the others would just leave me to die. So I’m in a lose-lose situation Zofia. Also if I do something I have to think about the potential blowback that the jackass Captain Ryan and the other higher-ups would use against me. Hell if I sneeze they can use that against me!”
“I’m just saying,” said Zofia, “I got an idea. Find all of the firefighters who had or still have a problem with Captain Ryan and have them help you. I’m sure they’re willing to lend a hand to someone that needs help.”
Lusty replied, “Yeah I’m sure that’s not going to be hard!”
“No need to get snippy and sarcastic,” said Zofia, “Ask your male friend to help you. I’m sure he can help you find them.”
Lusty replied, “Yeah sure. I can ask but no promises though. I also can’t believe that the city approved of a nuclear power plant.”
“There’s nothing wrong with nuclear power,” said Zofa, “It’ll provide the city with additional power.”
Lusty replied, “Nothing wrong? Look at the Windscale fire in 1957, the Kyshtum disaster in 1957, SRE partial nuclear meltdown in 1959, K-19 nuclear meltdown in 1961, SL-1 nuclear meltdown in 1962, Three Mile Island in 1979, and Chornobyl in 1986. If it does have a meltdown well about half of the city will be uninhabitable if not an entire city uninhabitable. Look at Chernobyl and Pripyat; they're deserted due to radiation. Back in the Fifties to the early Eighties this city always did nuclear attack drills. The cops are the cops who will restore order by using deadly force and both civil servants and civil defense agents because the potential nuclear fallout is so high, all civil servants and civil defense workers would wear hazmat suits. Of course, the police will use their 9mm, .45, .44 MAG, .357 MAG, twelve gauge, eight gauge, 5.56x47mm LB, 7.62x51mm, and 7.62x52mm LB rounds to keep the rioters, looters, and raiders down or at bay. Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a high group of raiders in an area of the city of a potential nuclear meltdown then the air force would probably carpet bomb the area to kill the raiders. I’m just going to go and lay down and go to bed.”
Lusty did after getting dressed for bed but spent most of the night unable to sleep due to anger and frustration.
***
Tomorrow morning.
Lusty made breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast which she and Zofia ate but they didn’t say one word to each other because Zofia would and just wanted to continue the conversation from last night. Lusty didn’t but she did call Dave as he was about to walk out of his apartment and he did promise to send her a list of the firefighters that Captain Ryan had fired because of his lies.
Lusty just felt bored because of her suspension and she’s used to not watching TV because of her poverty as a child and teenager so she just waited for Dave to send her a list of firefighters whom Captain Ryan got fired.
Lusty moved on for a while but by noon there was a knock on the door. She answered it and saw a woman with dark brown hair, and emerald green eyes, and she was wearing a tailored three-piece suit. She handed Lusty an envelope after asking Lusty if she was Claire Johnson and she took the envelope and opened it after the woman left.
Lusty looked at the front of the envelope which says in bold words:
BUREAU OF INTELLIGENCE, LITTLE BIRD INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, CITY OF CHOCOLATE, LITTLE BIRD. SEMPER VIGILANTES, SEMPER AUDIENTES, PATRIAM AB EXTERNIS MINIS CUSTODIRE
Latin is not like everyone uses it anymore, Lusty thought, The motto in Latin said, “Always Watching, Always Listening, To Protect a country from foreign threats.” Doesn’t sound scary.
Lusty opened the envelope and found a few sheets of continuous form papers and each one had what happened to the firefighters who got fired by Captain Ryan and where they ended up.
***
At a department store in Highwood.
These all-white uniforms are hurting my eyes, Lusty thought, And white tiles and the skylight reflecting off the tiles. Someone used too much wax or whatnot while polishing the floors. If I spend one second too long in here I think I’m going to go blind! Damn, the rich want their floors to be shiny and clean enough to eat off of.
When Lusty asked where she could find Michael Anderson but to her it felt like they knew that she was from an impoverished background. One employee did tell her that she can find Michael Anderson on the third floor because he’s working today but he’s a janitor.
To Lusty, she didn’t care about what he was doing but she did find him just cleaning a display case.
“Michael Anderson?” asked Lusty.
The guy replied, “Yeah? Who’s asking?”
“I’m here asking if you can help me against Captain Ryan,” said Lusty.
The guy replied, “Well I’m Michael Anderson. Can’t help you. The last person I helped was my sister and got fired for trying to help my sister. Also I can’t talk about it. I was forced into signing a non-declaratory and confidentiality agreement.”
“Well I checked with a criminal court,” said Lusty, “And they really don’t care for those agreements. Also, I think it’s about time that the people that Captain Ryan screwed over got payback.”
Michael Anderso replied, “I would love to but now I can spend more time with my wife and her and my three kids. My wife doesn’t have to worry about me. My wife and my kids don’t have to get mad at me when I miss their little league baseball, little league soccer, and little league Gridoniron football games.”
“By the sound of your voice,” said Lusty, “You miss being a firefighter but you’re happy to have a happy life. Well sorry for disrupting you.”
Lusty then left the department store and got into her car.
One down seven to go, Lusty thought, Alright, who’s next?
Lusty took a blue ballpoint pen and made a line through Michael Anderson. The second one is Sarah Collins who once was a Dive Rescue and Water Rapid Specialist for the Fire Department City of Empire but now she is a swimming instructor for children and teenagers.
When Lusty met Sarah she’s the opposite of Michael Anderson, Sarah is interested in getting payback on Captain Ryan who got Sarah fired due to her refusing to sleep with him and he would’ve put in a commendation for her to be an officer even though for a firefighter to become an officer. They have to take an exam without someone putting in a good word. Firefighters are appointed and promoted under civil service not putting in good words with others.
Lusty then visited the other five who are:
Mark ‘Phoenix’ Ramirez was once a Firefighter for the City of Empire and was part of a Brush unit that fights fires in remote, marshy areas to fight fires involving weeds, grass, and other flora until Captain Ryan reprimanded him for no reason.
Emily ‘Spark’ Thompson was once a member of Engine Company Eighty Two and she was an expert in handling electrical fires but now she finished her engineering degree and works as an electrical engineer designing and implementing safe electrical systems for buildings and infrastructure projects.
Jason ‘Axe’ Cater was once a Firefighter who specialized in collapsed structures and he was a part of Squad 525 in Uptown. He got fired because part of an axe red paint got chipped off but he now is a construction engineer and ensuring that buildings are structurally sound and meet safety standards.
Rachel ‘Flash’ Mitchell was once a firefighter who specialized in high-rise building rescues but now she works as a safety coordinator for a large corporation and training employees in emergency procedures and ensuring workplace safety.
Alex ‘Smoke’ Bennett was a wildfire specialist in aerial firefighting areas. He was once a Little Bird Marine Corps Communications Specialist and was once a Forward Observer during the Vietnam War from 1968-1971. Now he’s just a vehicle inspector.
Daniel ‘Rescue’ Sanchez was once an Urban Search and Rescue firefighter and saved many lives in collapsed buildings and other disaster scenarios but now he works as an Emergency Medical Technician for a private medical company.
The rest when Lusty met were on board and in the same boat as her but all had the same problem which is they all had to sign non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements. When Lusty told them that criminal courts really don’t care for those agreements because those are usually between the plaintiff and defendant. She also told them that what Captain Ryan did it’ll fall under unlawful termination because Captain Ryan retaliated for no reason which violates their civil rights.
They were happy to hear that because they didn’t know that and now they can sue for wrongful termination if they do that they know what’ll happen which is that the Fire Department City of Empire would want it to be swept under the rug and just rehire them and assigned them back to the companies they originally at and act like nothing happened.
***
Firehouse Sixteen, 2:45 PM.
In a conference room style room in which every shift goes for assignments.
“My cousin Mackenzie told me she delivered the papers to you,” said Dave, “So did you visit them and talked to them?”
Lusty replied, “Yeah I talked to all but Michael Anderson doesn’t want to get payback or whatnot he’s happy having a janitorial job. Also, that woman was your cousin? Damn, I was going to jump her.”
“Well don’t,” said Dave. “She has been through a rough two years.”
Lusty replied, “What do you mean Dave?”
“Back in 1995 Alderman Steven,” said Dave.
Lusty replied, “Real scumbag,”
“Yeah, he was,” said Dave, “He had my cousin Mackenzie kidnapped and raped. He wanted to get back at me because I wouldn’t be afraid of him. Asshole got what he deserved.”
Lusty replied, “How did he go down?”
“Friends they helped.” said Dave, “Captain Asyling Ryan she’s the Captain of the Ninth precinct, her sister Mackenzie Ryan, and their cousins Darick and Sonata Ryan. They’re not related to Captain Ryan who’s after you.“
Lusty replied, “Ah thanks. Sounds like they’re from an Irish descendant. Also what Captain Ryan did to Emily well she says she reported what Captain Ryan did to her but Emily said that ‘IAD ignored it but let Captain Ryan work in the same firehouse as me after I told them and gave them evidence of what he did to me’. Unbelievable that even getting evidence of what he did to her they just ignored her and kept him working in the same firehouse.”
“What did he do to her?” asked Dave.
Lusty didn’t want to say it and when she tried she got tongue-tied not adding that where she’s from that if a guy did anything criminal to a woman or a girl then they’ll get an unusual punishment like getting tarred and feathered or flogged enough times that they’ll lose more skin and after. Or they’re usually banished and if they set one foot back in the district of Eastside or Westside then they’re shot on sight.
“Sexual assault?” asked Dave.
Lusty replied, “Yes, but worse.”
“Worst?” said Dave, “He forced himself onto her?”
Lusty nodded.
“So Emily reported him to IAD,” said Dave, “They didn’t take any action against Captain Ryan that makes those IAD members are accessories to rape because they knew about it but they ignored her and swept it under the rug. Now this is not my jurisdiction.”
Lusty replied, “What do you mean ‘not my jurisdiction?’ You’re not going to help?”
“I’m going to help,” said Dave, “But due to what he did to Emily is a felony then it falls under the police department and district attorney’s office. I’m just a Union member, not a criminal defense lawyer. Get the seven in here and I’ll talk to them.”
Lusty did get the other seven to come into the firehouse. While Lusty did that Dave used the payphone.
***
Fire Department City of Empire HQ, IAD room.
Captain Ryan was sitting at a table with his Union attorney sitting next to him and Captain Ryan was just pulling lies out of his ass about what Lusty did to him until the wooden door opened. Three females and one male in a uniform that’s dark blue and consists of a shirt, tie, trousers and cap.
They arrested Captain Ryan right then and there and told the IAD firefighters there that he is no longer between firefighters but now it was a police and criminal case now. Of course now because it was out of Dave’s ballpark now, Lusty and the ones who got wronged by Captain Ryan now had to deal with an ADA who quickly looked over it and decided that there was a case right then and there but it would take some time until a court and trial would start.
***
Three weeks later.
At a Criminal court in downtown the city of Empire.
When Lusty got out of her car the first things that she saw were both wooden and steel of course the wooden ones are blue that says “POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS” while the metallic ones don’t. There were also police officers there in their dark blue uniforms which showed their city police and Island Patrol officers in their light blue short-sleeved shirts with dark accents and black ties, dark blue trousers with yellow side stripes, and black shoes. Both have police caps or 1960s-era riot helmets and some have shotguns and semiautomatic rifles. In contrast, others just have their twenty-three-inch wooden batons or twenty-four-inch side-handle polycarbonate nightsticks drawn out.
Lusty thought that the cops with shotguns and rifles just had live ammo, not wooden, wax, rubber, and plastic rounds and the shotguns not having rock salt or bean bag rounds.
She entered the courthouse but she’s the only one wearing her fire department dress uniform but the seven that Captain Ryan screwed over they’re wearing either dresses or casual suits.
The trial lasted for three weeks even though Captain Ryan had the best criminal defense lawyer he could afford. When his lawyer tried to convince or get Lusty and the other seven get tongue tied but it backfired because they saw through it or just answered by saying what happened truthfully.
The trial lasted for another three weeks. But when the trial was about to come to an end the jury was told to go to the jury room to come up with their verdict and after three hours the jury came back with a guilty verdict.
In the aftermath of the trial Lusty was still placed in suspension but she was labeled as a black sheep in the fire department by the higher-ups the rank-and-file firefighters don’t because she did what the higher-ups and the ones at HQ wouldn’t do and she got him fired and arrested for crimes that Captain Ryan put others through for no reason.
It wasn’t until another two months until Lusty was able to return to active duty at work but until she was able to return to work she just did her side job as a musician even though she earned three times as much just singing a day than she made per week as a firefighter and she only makes one hundred and twenty dollars per week as a firefighter. While singing for the rest of her suspension she made three hundred and sixty dollars a day which she put into a savings account or donated to charities after paying bills and going grocery shopping.
When Lusty was able to return to work she was temporarily reassigned to Firehouse Thirty Three in the district of Anderson which was and is a district that’s notorious for its electrical fires due to the buildings being built in the American Civil war era to the turn of the century. The wiring in the buildings date back to the prelude of World War One and the electrical fires are caused by that the wiring can’t handle being overworked by refrigerators and television sets and anything “modern” by 1960s standards.
Lusty didn’t care for the inspections they did in the district of Anderson because they wanted to prevent the electrical fires. But that’s nearly impossible because a majority of the landlords who own the tenement buildings just come by to collect rent at the beginning of the month and leave.
She learned some new stuff like that if she has to turtle up instead of putting her top half inside of a building which she should have her waist down on the inside because the fire won’t cook her besides just severely burn her but if she put her face and top half of her body inside then she’ll die over just getting burned.
Lusty knew that each company was different but when she was temporarily reassigned to Ladder Company Thirty Three the only gear they have is for ventilation, forcible entry search and rescue, and overhaul. She’s just used to having and using equipment for Hydraulic Rescue Tools, various specialized cutting and lifting equipment,emergency medical services equipment, rope rescue equipment and other tools and equipment, ground extension ladders, and an assortment of basic firefighting and rescue tools.
Some emergencies that Lusty responded to were in the neighboring district of Factory District because of industrial accidents and industrial fires. She knew that every district of the city has different emergencies and what not but everywhere is different from others she also knows that any day anything can happen on any given day and that it’s their job is to help others.
When Lusty first showed up to Firehouse Thirty-three she at first was frozen out but what she did was that she made a hole for ventilation from the inside of a burning building and her turnout gear got burnt by fire and the intense heat and she save an nozzle team, and a family of five and twin babies on her first day at firehouse thirty-three. What she did showed that she isn’t a female stereotype of dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. She showed that she’s brave and heroic as the rest of them.
From time to time Lusty would run into Battalion Chief Marcus, the same one who taught her while he was a Lieutenant on Squad 141 and he always tells her that he’s proud of her because she’s the most friendly firefighter he has met who’s always polite and kind. But she’s also the most aggressive firefighter he ever had the privilege of working with and trained in the time they had together.
Before Lusty left to return back to Squad 141, Lusty left a lasting impact on firehouse thirty three she was and still is nice and kind and friendly. Lusty also had a special something about her that made children open up around her and what not and that she’s a really friendly person and Lusty had a special connection of women who experienced sexual crimes and if the people are enslaved, abused, or traumatized by bad people. Some of Lusty’s friends work at or run at places called ‘safe houses’ for people who are abused, traumatized or enslaved like or are by bad people or criminals.
When a criminal threaten Lusty while she and Dave were out talking and having fun as friends Dave defended Lusty and told the criminal that if one criminal harmed Lusty then whatever gang or whatnot the guy belonged to won’t face the Bureau of Law but would have to face the the War Department and a eight round semi automatic pistol won’t beat a M16A1-style rifle or a six shot revolver won’t beat a .50 Caliber Heavy Machine Gun with incendiary rounds.
Zofia at times thought Lusty is having an affair with Dave. But she isn’t because Dave already has a girlfriend whom he’s loyal to and that they’re just friends with nothing romantic happening between them. They’re just friends and that’s what they are, they're just co-workers, fellow firefighters, and off shift they’re friends. She knows that Dave that firefighting wasn’t just 96 hours per week but it’s 24/7 that’s because his father is a Lieutenant firefighter in the town of Clearlake Fire Department on Ladder Five, his uncle is also a Lieutenant firefighter in the town of Clearlake Fire Department on Engine Five since 1967 and his grandfather was a New York City Firefighter on Engine 24 in Manhattan from 1921-1942, 1945-1950, 1953 to his retirement in 1966.
Lusty was happy that she was able to meet four cops who actually do their job of ‘To Protect and Serve’ over ‘Intimidate and Terrorize’ but she still doesn't like the cops for their heavy handed riot control tactics. To Lusty she's glad she doesn’t have to deal with Captain Jack Ryan anymore because if she did then it would be a homicide or his face would be severely bruised and beaten.
It wasn’t until April of 1997 that Lusty was able to rejoin Squad 141. Zofia also voiced how Lusty was spending too much time with Dave and thinks she’s having an affair on her but Lusty told her that it’s wrong for her to assume she’s having an affair. She and Dave are just friends and hanging out as friends and he’s teaching her electrical stuff like how to override a computer and whatnot so they don’t have to wait for a technician or an electrician to show up.
Lusty told Zofia that the Fire Department City of Empire out of nine hundred and sixty firefighters not adding eighteen arson investigators, two hundred and seventy one Captains and Lieutenants that only 3% or only thirty seven firefighters across the city know how to work around electricity and how to shut off substations and what not.
Zofia was told by Lusty that making assumptions and always jumping to the wrong thing causes relationships to end. If one partner always thinks if one goes out if that partner always jumps to the assumption that he or she’s having an affair. Lusty also told Zofia that she doesn’t care when she goes out with friends because Lusty doesn’t care what Zofia does as long as it's not illegal.
Zofia voices how she doesn’t like how Lusty works in one of the most dangerous occupations in the world and how she’s willing to love her coworkers as brothers and sisters and willing to put her life on the line to save a fellow firefighter she never met. She doesn't understand how she’s willing to put her life on the line to save someone who probably wants to harm her. Lusty told her that it’s her job as a firefighter to save anyone even if they’re complete scumbags or if they’re serial killers, arsonists, scumbag politicians, jackasses, child molesters, wife beaters and other people who are assholes who deserve to get hit by a train.
Lusty also told Zofia that it’s not her choice on who she wants to save or to die while society would hate her if she saved a guy who beats his wife or someone who beats children but she has to save them. Even if she doesn’t want to save them but has to because she, like any other firefighter, has sworn an oath to save lives and property even if the person deserves it.
Zofia apologized for assuming she was having an affair which Lusty let slide this time,