The same day.

The two looked around the fire scene.

“If you see anything that could be the cause of the fire or showed how it may spread, call me over so I can snap a photo of it to prove that’s where we found it to keep the chain of evidence legit and have photographic proof,” said Lusty.

Macaroni replied, “Got it. Also, if you got any other nicknames for me. Don’t call me Zennie, Mackenzilla, Kenzie-boo, Macaroon, Kenzoid, Mac-daddy, Zen-master, Kennypenny, Macken-zen, Kenz-bear.”

They looked around, and Lusty had a small black light/UV flashlight and a recon camera.

“Doesn’t the Empire Fire Department have specialists who do this for a living?” asked Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “Only seventy, and all of them are preoccupied with other fire scenes. Or some are on vacation and unlike the rest of the world, we don’t have cell phones, so those on vacation can’t be reached. Also, the FDE, if you have enough days stacked of the days you didn’t take off, they’ll force you to take a vacation to burn off some days, weeks, or months off.”

Macaroni asked, "Do you really think the corporation we discussed is behind this?"

Lusty replied with conviction, "Absolutely. Within a span of just 72 hours, they purchased two blocks and three more the following day. And what happened next? The area caught fire and turned into an inferno. It's not a coincidence, Macaroni. And I'm sure that if OFI does find any evidence, the corporation will simply bribe its way out of trouble. They'll pay off anyone who stands in their way, be it the cops or the DA's office. Honestly, I wish I could teach those corrupt executives a lesson they'll never forget. I'd love to hose them down with gasoline instead of water. I have zero tolerance for corrupt people, including cops who abuse their power. They believe they're untouchable, but they're not."

She continued, "I once had a firefighter working under me whose father was an Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner. But I didn't show him any special treatment just because of his father's position. I told him that where I come from, only children, the elderly, and people with special needs receive special treatment.

"In fact, sometimes even children don't get special treatment when it comes to food. When I was a kid, my mom would tell me that there were starving people in the world who would be grateful for the food I refused to eat. And I had a neighbor who told her son, 'You get nothing, you lose.' That's how the parents are in my old neighborhood. It's either eat what you get or don’t eat at all."

“Like in the Waterson family, while yes we’re a family, if they want each other’s respect they don’t give their respect,” said Macaroni. “To earn each other’s respect they have to work for it, not throw a temper tantrum. My great-grandfather got his respect by joining the British Army at the age of 13 at the start of the Great War. You may be my girlfriend but you don’t have my entire respect. The only respect I give you is because of your job. The other half you haven’t earned. Also no you better not…”

Lusty replied, “Yes yes I know that slow and steady wins the race. I’ve read The Tortoise and the Hare. I’m in no rush.”

“Will you look at this,” said Macaroni, “The fridges while burned and severely charred but they’re still here.”

Lusty replied, “Well, the only three companies here in Little Bird. They build them to be very reliable. I got my parent's fridge after they died and my parents got it from my father’s parents who got it and bought it back in 1959. It still works. It keeps food and drinks cold. It does its job as it was made to do. But here we build things to be reliable and last a lot longer. I guess the companies decided to make them last longer because if stuff breaks down within a few months, then people won’t keep buying things from their company. I wouldn’t buy anything from a company that would rather keep selling things for profit. But some companies, well a lot do a profit over people mentality, with a few having people over profit mentality and the ones with this mentality have a passion and regard for others' humanity rather than putting a price tag over someone’s life.”

“Hey Clare Bear is this something?” asked Macaroni.

Lusty came over and snapped a photograph of a dark spot.

“Could be where the fire was the hottest or where it could’ve started,” said Lusty. “I only took a five-minute arson class before realizing it was arson investigation, not vertical rope rescue. In those five minutes, I learned to identify and collect physical evidence from the scene. And the other was preserving evidence of taking photos and marking the photos of where they are. Not adding have to protect the scene as well. My guess is they used a trailer.”

Macaroni replied, “Shredded newspaper or something else that it’s a way to spread fire from wherever it starts to other flammable materials already there. Like trash, plastic or anything else that’s flammable.”

Lusty walked away keeping her eyes peeled. Then she saw something that caught her eye. She squatted down and opened a switchblade knife she had and used the knife to pick something up.

“You found something?” asked Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “My guess is someone used a staple or some kind of wire like bailing wire to hold a cigarette in place inside of a matchbook until all of the matches were lit. I learned that in the arson class I took five minutes. The instructor said that it’s arson 101 that even amateurs know.”

Lusty put it back and took a photograph of where she found it but had Macaroni to write it down where it’s at.

“Well you know what they say,” said Macaroni, “Knowing is half the battle.”

***

Firehouse 17, Westside, City of Empire.

Before walking in.

“I know that war movies are different because they don’t show gore,” said Macaroni. “And I understand why because of veterans who fought in a war, if kids watch it and if someone is currently in a war and if their parents or siblings watch it and they’ll think they’re brother, sister, mom, dad or a relative is going to fight and die in a gory way.”

Lusty replied, “I’ve seen a few war movies with a narrator saying and I quote ‘Contrary to what you've just seen, war is neither glamorous nor fun. There are no winners, only losers. There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: The American Revolution and World War I and II because of wanting freedom and self-governance for the colonists for the American Revolution and ending nationalism in the First World War and tyranny in the Second World War.

"If you'd like to learn more about war, there's lots of books in your local library and museums or ask a veteran. But I can understand why they don’t show gore because people who fought in wars already have PTSD and already have to relive it in their minds and have it with them for the rest of their life. My dad told me once when he took my mom and me to the movies that if the movie had any gore in it he was walking out.

"But there was a reason though and one night when my parents were sleeping I heard my dad talk in his sleep of him saying both ‘Flame’ and ‘Medic’ and when I asked when he got up he told me he would tell me when I was older. He told me that when he said ‘Flame,’ it was because he was passing the artillery crews either 105mm or 155mm incendiary rounds and when he said ‘Medic,’ was when an artillery crew member got hit by a bullet or a stray bullet even though the correct term would be Corpsman. Still, a group of Army Medics were stationed at the firebase my dad was at.

"Another reason was with Napalm, where he acted as a forward observer even though he had no training in being one, and his job was calling down airstrikes, napalm strikes, 30mm Gatling gun strikes, and unguided rocket strikes from both Naval attack aircraft and Air Force attack aircraft. He saw firsthand what Napalm can do to a person while I never had but I’ve seen some gruesome stuff.”

They entered Firehouse Seventeen, a two-story brick building flying the Little Bird flag and the city of Empire flag, which has the Latin words Hortus urbis ad Oceanum, meaning "The garden city to the sea."

“A nut and bolt house,” said Lusty.

Macaroni replied, “A what?”

“Nut and bolt firehouse,” said Lusty, “It’s where they have another fire apparatus behind one so if that company needs to get out the apparatus has to move it for the company behind them to leave and back up. Out of 34 firehouses in the city of Empire only five of them have it where the companies use the street behind the firehouse and pull into the apparatus bay while the remaining 28 we have to block the street and back into quarters. Can be pretty hectic during rush hour between 3:30-5:30 PM for the 28 that have to back in because out of seven all six out of seven have to stand in the road to block traffic and stand on the sidewalks to block pedestrian traffic.”

Macaroni could see why; there was a car behind Engine 17, and the car belonged to the Fire Department City of Empire, Bureau of Fire Investigation.

“Can you trust this person?” asked Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “If Dave vouched for her that she’s the real deal of investigating stuff, then I’m taking it with a grain of salt. He says that she isn’t a pencil pusher who tries to write off all fires as non-suspicious. She took the job to be an arson investigator to find fires and try to charge the people or person responsible, not whitewash things. I was told numerous times that her life was threatened because she’s the type that if she was threatened, then she knows she’s on the right track.”

They soon came to a makeshift office with a glass and steel wall. The glass door said “OFFICE OF FIRE INVESTIGATION CAPT. VINTION DANIELLA.”

Lusty knocked on the metal door with the side of her hand. It had glass in it. It took just mere seconds, before the door opened, and the two were faced with Captain Vintion.

“Can I help you two?” asked Captain Vintion.

Lusty replied, “Ah yes we want to help out in the arson investigation. Capt. Waterson told me to come to you if you needed an extra set of eyes.”

Captain Vintion had the two come into her office.

“I’ve just been looking at the geography of the fire location,” said Capt. Vintion, “And it speaks for itself.”

There was a map of the West Side where Capt. Vintion drew a redline around five blocks and it’s covered in red pushpins.

“They add up to anything?” asked Macaroni.

Capt. Vintion replied, “No but I think there might be a firebug. I know that the department has experts who handle this kind of thing. And I’m one of them. But this wasn’t caused by someone who fell asleep with a cigarette in their hand with the cigarette ash caught the blanket or carpet on fire.”

“I’d say that it’s Echelon Enterprises,” said Lusty, “I mean put two and two together. They buy up five city blocks worth of land and those who refuse to leave or those who they bought out soon a giant conflagration starts. I even took photographs of things like a staple that’s burnt. I even had them written down on a piece of paper to document where they are. Just gotta get them developed though.”

Capt. Vintion replied, “There’s a photo development shop two blocks from here. They should be developed within an hour. But mark the photos where they were. But the photos will take 3-7 days to be developed though. So come back when they’re done.”

The two then helped Capt. Vintion look around and to Capt. Vintion to her it was better to have another pair of eyes to look around because they might seen something that she or another investigator would miss over overlook.

When they went to lunch at noon on the tv in the restaurant a spokesperson for the Empire Police Department said that the Arson squad for the Empire Police has closed the case and ruled the conflagration fire as an electrical fire that was caused by a wire that threw sparks.

The three knew that it was wrong and incorrect because everything they found points that it was set by someone or a group of people and set deliberately. But it was cut over to the Ninth Precinct. Capt. Asyling Ryan said that she is still going to have her Arson detectives to keep investigating the cause of the fire and that one hundred and nineteen people have died. She didn't believe that it was caused by a faulty wire because of how fast the conflagration spreaded that it engulfed an entire city block before Firehouse 17 even got the first bell to the fire and that the fire call boxes were sabotaged deliberately. People literally had to go to Firehouse 17 and bang on both the apparatus bay doors and doors that people walk in and out of to get the fifteen firefighters' attention to wake them up.

“Even though it was bad timing,” said Capt. Vintion, “It gave the prototype firefighting tank a combat trial well field trial.”

Macaroni replied, “Firefighting tank?”

“A hydro tank,” said Capt. Vintion, “Some are being made to fight fires but give or dishout more water than a deluge gun or a fireboat monitor. It’s supposed to shoot 38,000 gallons per minute. No Lieutenant Johnson, it's not going to be used in crowd control because the pressure is going to kill someone. The police already have specialized carriers with mounted water canons.”

***

Ninth Precinct.

"How is it - no, just keep your mouth shut and listen to me for a second - how is it that you can bring no less than eight suspects into my precinct, conduct extensive interviews, sift through mountains of evidence with O’hara and Connor and kick them all to the curb!” snarled Capt. Asyling, “I know that the Arson desk is considered the most boring and lowly department in the EPD. But the Arson squad has to work alongside the FDE and see if a fire is suspicious, not have it five hours later and say, ‘Case closed, no one did it’ because people lost their homes, possessions, loved ones, and friends. The people there don’t have any insurance. Everything they own is a pile of rubble. This is not a case that’ll go away overnight. Go back and keep looking. Go on, get. Get out.”

Soon Capt. Asyling’s door opened and the Caption for the Arson desk at the Ninth Precinct and eight detectives came out of her office.

“Wrong time but I’m assuming your precinct is investigating the arson as well?” asked Lusty.

Capt. Asyling replied, “Yup until I was stonewalled for some reason. I know the reason.”

“I have a theory and a theory only,” said Lusty, “Me and my girlfriend have been out there twice today, and with Capt. Vintion of Fire Investigation.”

Capt. Asyling replied, “A lot of older tenement buildings have gas heating and use gas for cooking. So my theory involves that someone could with the right training tinker or mess with a valve and don’t have it shut off properly. If you’re going to ask who'll use something in the middle of the night. To me it’ll be night owls who know people who stay up all night or work at night.”

“That’s my theory as well,” said Lusty, “But I’m just going to go and leave.”

As Lusty was closing Captain Asyling's office door, the phone on her desk rang. It was the police commissioner who was chewing Captain Asyling out for reopening a case that had just been closed. But Captain Asyling knew that the case was not really closed, so she refused to close it.

Later that day, both Lusty and Macaroni went to the press with what they had and called out Eplipson Enterprises. Even though the reporter and newspaper editor told them that Eplipson Enterprises would bury the story, they still wanted to inform the public. They believed that if they could get some people to listen or read what they had to say, then at least a few people would be informed.

***

The next day.

“What gave you the bright idea of saying that this is arson!” snapped a higher-up, “We haven’t ruled that it is!”

Lusty replied, “A matchbook, well, the remains of one were near where the fire started. And it was near where the fire started or close to it, and I’d know that you or others would rather look the other way. A lot of people lost their homes and jobs. Go and tell them that a multi-billion dollar corp isn’t behind it. Go tell them that their homes, businesses, and jobs don’t matter because they're poor. So tell me, is the life of a rich person better than a poor person? A lot of people refused to sell their homes and businesses, and shady dirtbags would resort to arson or anything else to force them to sell.

"This jackass would rather watch people suffer than have the decency to let people stay where they are. So in other terms, you’re saying that your mother's, your father, your friend's, your lover, or your spouse's lives are worth less than the money that would cost just to offer someone more money to stay somewhere else or buy them a place to live. We’re living in a society that puts a price on people’s lives rather than helping others.

"Also the fire was even reported as suspicious and suspicious fires are considered to be set maliciously, voluntarily or willfully. My gut is telling it was set willfully, and it’s the people who refused were the victims. Also, have you read the newspaper about what happened and how many people are in the morgue because of the fire? When I read it it said that there are fifty-four people and those are the unidentified where there’s thirty-seven males and thirty-two females so a total of one hundred and twenty-three!”

“Well you’re too soft on your people,” said the higher-up, “And it’s why we have so many headaches involving Squad 141. Like your leadership skills, or that you have a higher priority of helping the lower class people over the higher class. And you mouth off to the press about someone causing the fire! Also that you have twelve firefighters under your command.”

Lusty replied, “I’m soft on my company because they’re humans not robots! I’m soft because it shows to them that I’m approachable and can be talked to without them thinking I’m going to yell at them when they say ‘Hey Lieutenant’. I’m sure when a Man who’s a Lieutenant or a Captain gets nothing but when a woman does it then it’s ‘she’s soft’ I can be an asshole to my company. When they ask why I’m harsh to them, then I’ll say ‘I’m harsh because Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Evan Donald says I’m too soft and babies my company instead of treating it as a military unit with a strict CO!’. Do I favor the lower class over the rich? Yeah, that’s true because the rich if they lose their house they can just buy another one right away, and if they lose anything in a fire, well, they have insurance to replace it.

"The poor if they lose their home then it’s gone, if they lose something they’ll never get it back. The rich got the money so they can replace it by tomorrow and no one will ever notice. Poor people who lose something they’re never getting it back. Have you ever been through a fire and everything you had was gone and it wasn’t getting replaced? No well, I have nine times to be exact. During my seventh fire as a teenager, I actually saved a firefighter’s life by being on my hands and knees. I saw brown smoke. The smoke was exiting underneath small holes in puffs that were found around the edges of the door. I told him not to even though he still opened it, but he got out of the way. Didn’t know what it was then, but I know it was a backdraft, and I’m not talking about the movie.

"The apartment in the tenement I was raised in had a backdraft in it. The family lost everything they had and they couldn’t replace anything in it until two years later. If it was in a rich person's place, they would’ve had everything replaced. Also yeah I did mouth off to the press. Would you say something about a multi-million or multi-billion dollar corporation starting fires to force people out? No, that's what I thought.

"Go to Firehouse sixteen and speak to Capt. Nova about her treating her company soft? No, because she’s a former army soldier and would’ve put your balls in a frying pan in a metaphorical sense or tell you that she’ll come down to HQ and tell you how to treat others. Or talk to Captain David Waterson about him treating his firefighters as human beings? No because he doesn’t care what rank you are and would beat you up in a heartbeat.

"Or go talk to Captain Richter-Waterson on Rescue Co 17. No because her father is a highly respected and highly decorated Battalion Chief and half of her brothers are Captains and Lieutenants and her brothers would ambush you after work and beat you with tire irons, Also the twelve deaths under my watch ain’t my fault. Truck 82 hit us because their Capt wanted to beat us and didn’t care about the consequences.”

“You want to put our cards on the table?” said Deputy Fire Commissioner Evan Donald, “I have one squeaky wheel in the fire department. Your house. So yes I have taken an interest. Does that help clarify things?”

Lusty replied, “I’ve already put my cards onto the table. But in a rude way of speaking sir. But I’ll be damned if someone or anyone else come in here and tell me how or change my way to run my house. If you want to fight then let’s fight. You can bust me all the way back down to Probationary Firefighter and put it where I can’t be promoted again. Then please do so.

"Also to clarify things my philosophy is that this firehouse is a part of this neighborhood and our doors are open to anyone regardless of wealth, skin color, ethnic background, religious views or gender. Or in other terms my dad used to tell me was ‘Well it’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees’ or what he told me that it meant living life by one's own standards and not the standards set by others—even when they try to impose it on. So keep me at the rank of firefighter but my company will still call me Lieutenant.

"I have a former Marine Combat Engineer and a former Army Mountaineer. They call me Lieutenant even when you go tell them or something like that they don’t care what shirt color you are or what rank you are. But you can have different officers who are friendly to you come in here. But the two former military officers I have with me have no problem talking back to their superior officers.

"Honestly, I don’t care if you don’t give me my bugle back or not. The only thing I know is that all the politicians in the department are rising up while all the fire breathers are going down and the department is getting worse because of it. When was the last time you fought a fire? Was it back before the dinosaurs roamed or was it when the Earth was almost entirely molten, a magma ocean?”

***

In the locker room.

“My buddy over on Engine 23 says that Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald is gunning for Lieutenant Johnson. Like both barrels,” said Avalanche, “Thinks that Lieutenant Johnson is a stumbling block.”

Dynamite responded, "Lieutenant Johnson is a resilient person who has encountered numerous challenges in the past, and she will overcome this one too. She's a tough cookie who can handle anything that comes her way. Lieutenant Johnson has already survived multiple fires in the tenement building she lived in, so I don't think a person who dislikes compassion and empathy can change her outlook."

"When I was in the Mountaineers," said Avalanche, "our platoon got a new Lieutenant. The first thing he did was give us all doughnuts - twenty-nine doughnuts, one of each flavor and kind. He even told the platoon that he wasn't the type of officer who always acted tough. To him, as long as the objective was achieved, it didn't matter how it was done. But if someone made a mistake and deserved to be yelled at or written up, he would do it. Overall, he was a chill and relaxed guy."

Dynamite curiosity asked, "Can you tell me what it's like to be a Mountaineer? I've always wondered what kind of adventures and challenges you face on those majestic peaks."

"We received specialized training and discipline to prepare us for the most challenging mountain missions in high altitudes and low temperatures,” said Avalanche, “We underwent Basic Combat Training (BCT) like any other G.I. for the first two and a half months. However, we underwent intensive mountain training for the rest of the six months, especially in snowy conditions. The temperatures were as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, making it hard to enjoy. Our gear was different from the standard G.I. Gear. We wore Arctic uniforms of all white and either white beanie hats or white combat helmets. All of our weapons were submachine guns or carbines because they're lighter than standard firearms with long barrels. We didn't wear body armor because if we had to cross a frozen lake, we needed to be light enough. If we were any heavier, we feared that the ice would break.

"Our overall gear weighed about forty-something pounds, but it depended on the role. Snipers had the lightest gear, though. The Mountaineers we were created after the First World War ended but we earned our baptism by fire in 1943 during the Italian Campaign where during the North African Campaign the Mountaineers were more or less used as both Rear Echelon soldiers and drove trucks on supply lines to supply the regular infantry divisions."

Dynamite responded, "I won't lie, it was tough. As a Marine Combat Engineer, our job was to clear obstacles during the first wave of an amphibious invasion so that landing crafts and tanks could safely land. It was challenging due to the fact that, historically, flamethrowers were only given to Engineers, but the flamethrower operators were actually firefighters, chosen because of their experience with fire and their lack of fear towards the flames produced by the flamethrowers.

"Unfortunately, flamethrower operators had a life expectancy of just four minutes. Earlier today, I overheard Lieutenant Johnson discussing with her girlfriend about the reliability of electronic appliances, such as fridges and stoves. Lieutenant Johnson explained that in many parts of the world, these appliances are transitioning from mechanical to electronic, but electronic appliances are often expensive to repair and not as long-lasting as older machines that were built with stronger materials, such as metal. Additionally, Lieutenant Johnson mentioned her ex-girlfriend's belief that cooking is strictly a woman's job, but Lieutenant Johnson disagreed, stating that many men are great cooks and that cooking is now considered gender-neutral. She also noted that women are often more nurturing by nature and have an instinct to tend to their children's needs, but that there are men who cook professionally as chefs, line cooks, pastry chefs, and sous chefs or cook for their families."

“Yeah, and I hope her ex starves because she probably thinks that making a sandwich is a traditional role,” said Avalanche. “I can make a sandwich blindfolded but I identify as a tomboy, not a housewife. If someone dated me and wanted me to be a housewife, they’d be in an intensive care unit. If someone wants to be a housewife or househusband, then that’s them and good for them. The only reason I can think of two people having jobs and that’s to have extra money or as my deceased mother would say to have spending money. One earns money to pay the bills and rent or mortgage while the other earns money for leisure and entertainment. Unless you're from Lieutenant Johnson’s background of being in an impoverished background, then it more or less needs two people just to pay the bills.

"My mother was a chef in a casino and if Lieutenant Johnson’s ex said about her being a chef and having a daughter, then they would’ve had problems. But my mom loved me and being a cook. I still believed that my dad killed my mom because my mom tried her best to protect me from my dad. But my mom didn’t like it when she was forced to cook for people who were winning at the tables, and my mom explained how the house is rigged because the house always wins. My mother loved to cook, even if she thought about pouring hot, sizzling bacon and sausage grease on my father’s head.

"After my mother’s quote-unquote ‘Disappearance,’ I was ready to cut my dad’s head off because every night and day after and before work the two were always at each other’s throats, but my dad always had to yell and scream like a lunatic. He’d known my mom was going to snap and divorce him in a New York second and take me with her because I was old enough to decide who I would want to live with, and I would’ve chosen my mother. My mother always did her best to shield me from how ruthless my dad was. After my mom ‘disappeared’ he said that he would use the full force of the Las Adventure Police Department to find her but the EOD found her nearly close to my high school graduation, they found a skeleton but the EOD didn’t say.

"Besides, it was from a female. No question it’s my mother because if I wanted to make someone disappear, I’d do it Mafia style of tying a cement brick around their ankles and shoving them off a boat into deep enough water like a deep lake or an ocean. If my mom was a kid, then the Federal Authorities would’ve gotten into the case at hour 25 because after 24 hours, federal authorities and federal services and manpower are brought in.”

They closed their lockers and left the locker room.

“Morning Chief,” said Dynamite.

Avalanche replied, “What’s the special occasion for your visit?”

“Small fire in Nightingale National Park. Code three where it doesn’t require our help,” said Marcus, “Need to talk to Lieutenant Lusty. Is she in?”

Avalanche replied, “Three and a half minutes ago we saw Lieutenant Johnson and Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald tear each other a new one.”

“I bet that’s going on nicely,” said Marcus. “Lusty has a thing for telling higher-ups off, especially if they think that the rich are better than the poor.”

Dynamite replied, “While walking by the officer’s quarters, we heard Lieutenant Johnson tell the Deputy Commissioner that Lusty favors and would rescue a poor person over a rich person any day and how a rich person can replace what they lost in a fire where a poor person really can’t.”

“That’s Lusty for you,” said Marcus, “She hates the rich more than religious kooks.”

Marcus went to go to the officer’s quarters where Lusty was just reading.

“Morning to you Lieutenant,” said Marcus, “You got a minute? Got to talk to you for a minute.”

Lusty replied, “Yeah what is it?”

“Got a Code Three fire at Nightingale National Park,” said Marcus. “The Commissioner wants each firehouse to send three firefighters each or twelve per house for all four shifts combined to help and act as a relief. I’d like to send a few of your company to help out.”

Lusty replied, “Just have the Forest Service use explosives to create an avalanche so all that snow can fall onto the fire. I heard about the fire on my girlfriend’s car radio. They say it’s 43% contained and a mountain range is preventing the fire from going Northwest because the mountain range's elevation is 14,505 ft for several miles where the fire is. Take Glade, Gallow and Irving.”

“How’s the new companies doing?” asked Marcus, “You seem a little stressed?”

Lusty looked at him in his eyes and her eyes were saying that he asked a stupid question.

"Stressed is an understatement, I take it," said Marcus. "I'm guessing the Deputy Commissioner isn't letting up on you. Even though I didn't grow up with your parents, after your first shift, they came to me and told me that they wanted their only daughter to be safe and sound. I promised them I'd look out for you. But your parents and I were born in an era where if someone went after your friend or their child, regardless of their age, then whoever came after them would get dragged into an alley."

Lusty replied, “Where I’m from if someone came after your buddies or your children regardless of age you got dragged into an alley and came crawling out. Where I’m from the people there have each other’s backs but they encourage their kids to get good jobs so they can move out of tenement buildings that are death traps. Where I’m from, if you become a cop you become a black sheep is an understatement but they’ll get stuff thrown at them and get called a lot worse than a pig.

"Where I’m from, all the males over the age of 18 have been in the military and they’re excellent marksmen. When I first joined the fire academy someone told me that what I was doing was that it takes a special breed of a person to run into raging infernos. Especially since fires now are hotter. In the Eastside the contents of homes the household items are made of natural materials such as paper, wood, and cotton but nowadays the same things are made of synthetics or plastics that are oil or hydrocarbon-based which results in much hotter and faster-developed fires. My old neighbors keep anything flammable like air sprays, window cleaners, and cleaning chemicals stored where fires aren’t most likely to start like in a bathroom under the sink or far enough that if a fire starts in a kitchen or living room then it’ll be somewhere where the fire can’t get to them right away.”

“Yeah, I know I was at the scene of a four-alarm fire in Downtown the day before. The fire in the high-rise where we didn’t need a squad company or any SOC units,” said Marcus, “Fire on the tenth floor. Fire reached the commercial area because the building is a mix of residential and commercial. But the office area was rolling so hot that the tube that connects the air tank to the mask started to melt. Fire Investigation says that the fire where it started was almost 2000 Fahrenheit. Surprised that the building didn’t have any structural failure. But what’s next? You're going to say that a factory owner won’t have the necessary repairs done for a firework storage place?”

Lusty replied, “Don’t know. The day ain’t over yet.”

“Alright then but that’s true the day ain’t over yet and the day can be nice and peaceful or all Hell could break loose,” said Marcus. “I’ll go get the three and get out of your hair.”

Marcus had just left when a new officer arrived at Squad 141. However, he was not very friendly and started barking orders like a nasty military officer. Dynamite, who was not one to be easily intimidated, told him to shut up and that she wasn't afraid of any disciplinary hearing, being written up or even being punched. Dynamite was no stranger to discipline, having had seventeen Article 15's written against her, primarily for minor offenses, but she was not one to be easily upset, frightened or defeated.

He made the three engage in drills nonstop to demonstrate his toughness. They were only allowed to stop when they received a call. Avalanche pointed out to the Lieutenant that this action would violate the 1954 Little Bird Work Act, which requires all employees to take lunch breaks and rest periods to avoid overworking and reduce stress. Despite this, the Lieutenant was willing to violate the act to prove his strictness towards them.

9:00 AM their first emergency came in even though understaffed by three they still went.

***

At the scene.

Lusty’s Thalassophobia kicked into high gear because their emergency was underwater to rescue some tourists who were touring an underwater that allows people to see marine life closer.

“You alright Lieutenant?” asked Dynamite.

Lusty replied nervously, “It's just my fear of being underwater. I have Thalassophobia since I was a little girl. I was with my grandparents when a truck hit the car, making the car go underwater. My grandparents are what the fire and police departments would call DOA.”

“You know what’s great about fear?” asked Dynamite.

Lusty replied, “Nothing,”

“You’re actually bigger than it,” said Dynamite. “Fear is inside of you, and you're bigger than anything inside of your body. So when you decide you’re the boss, you won’t be entirely afraid anymore. Listen, learning something new, especially when it involves something we’re afraid of but our failures can make us more afraid unless you face your fear and keep trying.”

The Lieutenant replied, “This is an emergency, not a tea party! If she’s afraid of the water, then shove her into the water!”

“It's our mission to protect human lives, and that includes the lives of criminals but we also have to look after our own!” snarled Dynamite, “If Johnson has a phobia of being underwater I’m not going to shove her down into a flooded elevator shaft! The sink-or-swim mentality may work for you, but it doesn’t work for me. I’m not going to hold her hand but I want to help her get over her mentality that doesn’t involve her getting scared and not thinking clearly, which would lead to someone’s death or her own death!”

Avalanche came with some ropes and went to the other elevator shaft. The main power went out, but Avalanche tied two ropes around the top of the elevator shaft, and they used that to repel down. But Lusty was nervous and scared but she just followed what Dynamite said and went down the rope.

***

Inside the underwater Marine zoo.

Lusty’s anxiety and phobia were kicking into high gear and she started to breathe rapidly but it wasn’t until Dynamite put her hand on her shoulder to help her calm her down.

The water was up to their ankles.

“I would have suggested that we put on our diving suits,” said Lusty, “But no, the Lieutenant thinks we’ll be fine in our bunker gear! And without our BA’s we’ll probably drown if this place comes down around our ears!”

Soon the elevator shaft they were in started to flood and they had a small blowtorch on them and they welded the door shut to slow down the flooding.

“We’re going to have to find another way out,” said Dynamite.

Lusty replied, “I want to say that has a ladder to the service.”

Dynamite and Avalanche looked up and saw a hatch with a turning thing and when Lusty tried to open it she couldn’t until Avalanche and Dynamite helped her to open it and it opened and there was a ladder that led to the surface.

They had to move fast because the water was filling up. While it wasn’t going fast enough to fill the interior, they knew that when it got up to their knees or waists, they’d be slowed down by the water until the hallways were completely filled.

Whoever they found, they sent to the emergency hatch, Lusty helped the person up, and the person began climbing the ladder to the surface.

***

At the firehouse,

“You heard about Flurry Mile?” asked Capt. Asyling.

Lusty replied, “Grew up near that street. Heard last night another conflagration and all those people never sold out. They didn’t sell their apartments/tenements and just wouldn’t leave their homes. But a mile all burnt up. The department had to rely on aerial firefighting again with water tankers having to drop water onto the fire. I have a theory and it’s a theory only. I don’t have enough evidence to prove…”

“Just say it so,” said Capt. Asyling.

Lusty replied, “Well, you’re a smart cookie. You have a gas supply, you have a bunsen burner as a pilot light and a regulator valve, and the balloon represents the gas expanding in a room.”

Capt. Asyling put the three pieces together and turned the valve where Lusty used a flip lighter and lit it and soon the balloon filled up and popped because Lusty put a matchbook with a cigarette next to the balloon. When the balloon got filled up the heat because of the lit cigarette would make the balloon pop.

“So that’s how it’s being done,” said Capt. Asyling, “Or that someone does it like this but makes another way.”

Dynamite came and replied, “When I was in the Marines, each Platoon got a box of mosquito coils that’ll prevent people from getting bit by mosquitos. While we were still bit by mosquitoes I was told that they’re common with skilled arsonists because the coils slowly burn down and have a timer of more or less one hour for it to burn out completely. But I think someone is doing this on purpose.”

“Yeah, I say that it’s Epsilon Enterprises,” said Lusty, “But I want to say that they’re already in the process of burying what me and Macaroni said about that they’re buying up land then setting it on fire in an urban area and didn’t care that people refuse to move out for some other reasons. Who knows why, probably nostalgic feelings or because of memories they have in them and lose them in a new building.”

Captain Asyling replied, “These people must be dead inside and have no conscience. One reason I joined the force is that I love taking down these untouchable bastards. Had one suspect in interrogation earlier and his lawyer said that his client has rights and I told him that the people who died had rights and four people ID’d him in a lineup but how since their client after them being ID’d the people who ID them were put in the hospital. My cousin-in-law Mackenzie Smith-Ryan agrees with me.”

“If someone came and tried to burn down my place of residence then they’re going to get a beating that they’ll never recover,” said Dynamite, “It’s not because of my background in the Marines of being a tough gal but I had an uncle who threw away everything I had and burned it. You know what I love about Little Bird? It’s that the working class get universal healthcare because the poor here don’t have access to enough money to afford insurance for medical, dental and vision. I mean you Lieutenant, you know how that feels.”

Lusty replied, “The only insurance my parents had was Renters insurance for $10 a month and that was because the landlord… I mean slumlord only came by to collect rent money and fuck off and any problems we had we had to fix ourselves. The bitch lord just wanted money and if you didn’t have the rent money that day you had 24 hours to get it or he would’ve to to evict you in a New York Second even though by law the landlord can evict someone but the law says they need to give someone thirty days minimum to sixty days maximum to move out not right then and there.

"In the Eastside and Westside the tenement buildings are so worn down and have so much damage from so many fires and water damage that you’re going to say that the city hasn’t paved over the ruined buildings but the buildings are so damaged that people make homemade home improvements. Hell I would help my dad with groundskeeping and I helped him either mow the grass or repair things, especially after a fire when members of Firehouse 47 would shatter the windows and use pike poles to tear holes into the ceiling to look for fires and hotspots or use axes to tear holes into walls to do the same because this was before the invention of TICs aka Thermal Cameras for your question before you ask it, Captain. Also unlike the movies or shows has it no they don't make noise. They don't see through walls. In fact, they can't see through a transparent glass window. They measure differences in heat to form an image, so a hot spot in a wall, for instance, will show up brighter. They do have a limited ability to see through smoke, provided the room isn't too hot. Also, the cheapest one is $10000 which is the second most expensive gear we have following the apparatus we have and the Hydraulic rescue tools we have is the same price as the cheapest TICs.

"Yeah in order from the cheapest to the most expensive we have is the furniture we have with the most expensive being the lockers, our turnout gear being $3,246.00 per firefighter even though the department has been thinking about replacing our gear from 1997 to gear that costs $13,480. Then it’s the saws just the blades alone cost between $2100-3500 bucks a piece whereas the saws alone without the blade costs $2,295.00 a piece. But we have a lot more with the most expensive thing in this firehouse is the four apparatus together with our rescue engine being $300,000, the Airport Crash Tender is $1.5 million, the rear mount aerial truck is $100,000 with the normal engine company being $70,000 and the Mass Casualty Unit being $95,000. Hell, all the equipment we have on the first three apparatus put together costs a million bucks.”

“Is there another theory that you have of how it’s being done?” asked Capt. Asyling.

Lusty replied, “My guess is that they’ll find a way to overload and overwork the wires to cause an electrical fire to fool fire investigators. I mean electrical fires are common in the Westside and Eastside. Eight out of Ten fires in those two districts are caused by faulty wiring where one out of ten is caused by grease fires and one out of ten fires is caused by accidents like someone falling asleep with a cigarette in their hand.”

***

At night.

It was peaceful and Lusty was asleep in the sleeping quarters with the rest of the members of the firehouse in which she missed when she was an officer because officers have their own bed in the officer’s quarter. It wasn’t until 12:00 AM that the fire bell went off.

It’s a fire in a villa in Riverview and the first person who Lusty saw was Macaroni.

“Hey Clare the fire is in the living room, and bedrooms but the windows are security glass,” said Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “Got it Macaroni. Alright, drop two crew. Kinda rhymed though.”

The Lieutenant looked at Lusty with a death glare because he didn’t like it when someone underneath him took over or issued commands. But he was brought in after the other officer was stupid enough to put his hand in the path of a chainsaw. The reason why Lusty was demoted from Lieutenant back down to the rank of Firefighter is brought into question and being demoted due to her seeming inability to keep the empty slots filled.

During the fire, Special Agent Mackenzie Smith-Ryan showed up. She was paged while asleep to come down to the scene even though she had a nice dream when her pager went off but while she was leaving her and her husband’s apartment she was told to go to another fire with several fires back to back. It’s now out of the hands of the Empire Police Department and now it’s in the ballpark of the Little Bird Federal Law Enforcement jurisdiction which has the manpower, resources and different departments to help out in the case. But Mrs. Smith-Ryan knows what’s going on and when she heard that the police commissioner closed the case not within a day she knew something shady was going on.

“Yeah I know how shady Epilion Enterprises is,” said Mackenzie Smith-Ryan, “They think they can do whatever they please. I’ve read the article you gave a story to the papers of you and Ms. Johnson. Oh within an hour of the papers coming out. Epilion Enterprises buried the story and spun the story around. Don’t worry the full force of the Government is going to be brought in to investigate. I’ve had enough of these pricks acting like they’re untouchable!”

Soon Lusty came over and she took off her turnout jacket and put it on Macaroni.

“Whoever started the fire wanted you and your roommates dead Macaroni,” said Lusty, “I’m calling it Arson because no sane person covers their living room, dining room, kitchen, and hallway covered in a mix of diesel and gasoline. Sorry about your house.”

Macaroni replied, “It ain’t my house it’s my granduncle Jimmy ‘James’ Richard Waterson the first and his wife Christina Cadenza-Waterson the fourteenth summer home.”

“Well this got a whole lot interesting guess I got to get ahead of it before World War 4 breaks out,” said Mackenzie Smith-Ryan, “I’m going to need you and your roommates to come in and give your statements.”

Lusty replied, “Can they at least put some clothes on instead of being in their skivvies?”

“Yeah I’ll find them some clothes,” said Mackenzie Smith-Ryan.

Lusty replied, “I got some spare clothes in my locker at the firehouse. Macaroni knows my locker combination. But what I have should fit them.”

As Special Agent Mackenzie Smith-Ryan walked away to her unmarked car.

“We can let Mrs. Smith-Ryan do things her way. But I have my own way of getting information and making people wish they never did anything bad to me,” said Macaroni, “In my family, if someone almost kills another person in the Waterson family then the rest smells the blood in the water. In my family, it’s an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Even if some will resort to much more extreme measures. The males in my family they’re the chivalrous type and to them, if someone harms a woman then the gloves come off. Don’t know if the men in my family are chivalrous to women because there were men in my family who were knights in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Or a lot of them see women as kind and wonderful but can do a lot worse than what a male can do in a fight. Don’t know but members in my family never walk away from a fight where they kick ass, take names, and chew bubblegum.”

The company then went and did an overhaul by moving stuff around and looking for any hotspots. When a part of the ceiling fell down a few bottles fell out of the ceiling and soon there was fire around Lusty’s legs. She got out of the fire and when she started to put out the fire until her legs got hit by water from a firehose that’s being held by Avalanche.

“Looks like homemade fire bombs in the ceiling so either pros or want to make it look like it was made for arson or something like that,” said Avalanche. “Or they want to kill you as well to kill two birds with one stone. Kill Macaroni with either smoke inhalation or with fire and kill you with fire. They probably want to make it look like Macaroni died in her sleep and you died on the job.”

***

In the morning.

Lusty went over to the Eastside but as she was driving she noticed a car following her and she noticed it when she left the firehouse after shift. So recklessly she ran a few stop signs and a red light. But after running a red light it seemed that she lost the car that was following her.

Lusty got out of her car and when she got onto the sidewalk.

“Ms. Johnson, we need you to come with us,” said a man in a tailored three-piece suit.

Lusty replied, “Like hell, I’m not going anywhere with the four of you!”

One of the four people in a tailored three-piece suit came over to Lusty and grabbed her arms.

“HEY LET GO OF HER!” yelled an Eastside resident.

A man in a tailored three-piece suit replied, “It’s none of your business! So stay out of it or we’ll call the cops!” and the same man flashed a handgun at the resident

“Go ahead, call the cops!” yelled the female resident, “We could always use more target practice!”

The same resident got a bolt-action rifle and pointed at the person who flashed a gun at her. But the same woman used the phone on her table and called a few people and soon a lot more windows in the building the guy was facing opened. More people were aiming weapons at them but one of them did go and call the cops but there was a quick burst of gunfire and Lusty was freed because the residence in Eastside is excellent marksmen and sharpshooters not adding some of them were military designated marksman or snipers. But Lusty went and got her daughters and went home.

***

A few hours later.

“Well the good news is that them trying to kill us means we pissed off the right people,” said Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “Yeah and my old neighbors have promised to give us full protection. So far the cops are there conducting door-to-door interviews but no one is telling them what they want to hear. But the cops sent eighty officers to do door-to-door interviews and eight homicide detectives to investigate but there’s no security footage and no one is saying anything.”

“You and your old neighbors are tight?” asked Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “If I was on the run from the police for a crime I didn’t commit they’ll gladly use a 66mm HEAT rocket to take down a police helicopter or to stop a police car or SWAESU Truck. Not to add that the people in my old neighborhood hate the cops more than you can imagine.

"Don’t ask how some of my old neighbors have access to military Anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Some questions are better left unasked. Eastside we may be an outline on a map and an eyesore to the rich. Eastside it’s full of pride, and hope but beneath that, it’s fear and anger. It runs half on whisky and rage but the people there never back down. A majority of the weapons they have the weapons have extended magazines, perfectly tuned scopes/sights, with both Hollow Point and AP rounds.

"But to them, the biggest weapon ain’t worth a damn if they can take it away from the person who has it. But I think everyone in my old district is the child of Lucifer though because my dad joked that I was the daughter of Lucifer because the people in the Eastside are prideful and never walk away from a fight. Hell, the city of Empire can send in the Empire Militia to clean up Eastside if Epilion Enterprises buys the whole district and pays off city hall to send in the militia to force everyone out but the people would literally fight the militia in urban combat not adding the militia would be hesitant to use APCs and tanks in an urban area because they can become bogged down and be easy targets and the people there how since they served in the military they know to target the lead tank and rear tank or APCs to make the rest of them become fish in a barrel because the others can’t move.

"Actually, during riots and civil unrest, it may seem unrealistic but in the Eastside it’s usually unscathed during riots but that’s because the people there form roaming patrols to deter rioters with live ammo. Oh, I’m dead serious too the one thing that the people of Eastside hate more than cops is rioters.”

“Ah okay then so they’re protective of each other in other terms,” said Macaroni. “I bet if Epilion or whatever the company is called I bet they were told to fuck off when they had people go and try to buy people’s tenements for. How much is $5000? If you say it is really true that if need be that the residents of Eastside will take a 66mm HEAT rocket from an RPG to defend someone then I know they don’t care about a multimillion-dollar mega corp.”

Lusty replied, “Some of them were automatic riflemen, riflemen, in assault teams, in machine gun teams, in Heavy Weapon Companies, as Snipers, in other military roles mostly in combative roles. Including as Aircraft Hunters or Aircraft Killers.”

“Aircraft Hunters?” asked Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “They carried either unguided Anti-tank weapons or an man-portable surface-to-air missile system that uses passive infrared homing to track its target. Even though they were formed back in World War 1 of soldiers who just manned a machine gun pointed at the sky with a special sight to block sunlight so the gunner could shoot at enemy planes without melting their retinas.

"It wasn’t until the prelude of World War 2 that in 1938 that we experimented with armored cars and the chassis of light tanks with a 40mm auto cannon until 1940 the 40mm was replaced with a 75mm auto cannon that was advanced mobile flak gun with greater reach and firing capacity, to combat even the fastest and highest-flying enemy aircraft. But they patrolled behind friendly lines but made sure they kept their range within friendly units to deter any aircraft from the Regia Aeronautica Italiana, Luftwaffe, or the Imperial Japanese Air Force. But it wasn’t until the final days of the Battle of the Bulge that a new type of mobile AA vehicle was made where it was just an Half-track but with six .50 Cal MGs into a devastating vehicle that was highly deadly against aircraft and infantry. But I think a machine gun that fires a mix of tracer-incendiary, tracer-explosive, incendiary, and explosive rounds will do that.

"But their job was two fold of protecting allies and to shoot down or rout any enemy aircraft also to assist allied fighters in dogfights in aiding them in downing enemy aircraft but that was phased out because the aircrafts fighting could’ve been hit by a stray bullet or something like that. It wasn’t until the mid to late 1960s when man-portable surface to air missile systems were given to one soldier in the squad and his or her job was two fold of the first being an automatic rifleman/riflewoman and an Anti-Air soldier.”

“Alright we’re getting off topic I just know that whatever the pricks are thinking of doing next,” said Macaroni, “Of them trying to kill me they just started a war between the Watersons and the asshole Enterprises or whatever the pricks have their company called. So Mrs. Smith-Ryan better get a move on before a war breaks out. Yes the males in my family see that women can take care of ourselves but if someone tries to harm us then all bets are off and the gloves come off. In my family when the gloves come off then there are no rules and the rules of engagement are weapons free.”

Before Lusty could reply there was a knock on the door so Lusty answered it and it was Special Agent Mackenzie Smith-Ryan who came in to keep the two updated in which she thought they’re right and that one of three heads had anger issues and yelled at her and screamed at her to get out. She told that prick that yelling means they have something to hide and the company that after what Lusty and Macaroni told the newspapers and the media that after what they said came out that the corporation used money and had the story buried. To them that means they know that the company is involved but want to act like what they’re doing is good regardless of what happens.

Macaroni excused herself because she had to get to work but borrowed one of Lusty’s handguns for protection but when Mackenzie Smith-Ryan asked if she either had a gun license or knew how to use a gun. Macaroni told Mrs. Smith-Ryan that she had been shooting guns since she was a little girl because her father taught since she was five and she knows how to take apart an United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14 while blindfolded.

“You should get back out into the field and nail the bastards to a wall or something like that,” said Lusty, “From what Macaroni told me is that since those rich pricks tried to have her killed it just brought her family into the fight. It’ll make things worse so do whatever you have to do and move fast. So they tried to kill Macaroni by fire and smoke so they’ll do the same. But how since she told me that they’ll take the gloves off this time they won’t do the eye for an eye tooth for a tooth thing but they’re baying for blood.

"It’ll be 1968-1972 all over again but not the Waterson-Falcon Mafia war because a jackass in the Falcon mafia family loved the eldest daughter of Jimmy Waterson the first and wanted to marry her. She was already engaged and married a mechanic and the prick killed her husband on their wedding day as they were walking out of the church. I can see a higher body count than the ‘68-72 Mafia War. If Macaroni is right that the ones who are on the way here have elite military training then they’ll strike using covert warfare, they strike swiftly, silently, and invisibly. If they do then they’ll put the ‘I was never here’ card if they don’t leave any evidence of them being here.”

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Mackenzie Smith-Ryan replied, “I’ll find someone and get them to flip and open up the door.”

“Yeah well it better be by the time you get someone to flip then it’ll be somewhat too late,” said Lusty. “From what I know about the Waterson family is that they mess with one of them in the wrong way. The rest what they’ll do ain't pretty. So if they tried to kill one with smoke and fire then the Watersons will strike back doing the same.

"I mean when the guy who killed Jimmy Waterson the first son-in-law when the guy stuck back trying to kill his eldest son his eldest son and his father buried the guy alive in an unmarked grave as payback. Then when the don for the Falcon family had the second eldest son beaten up by baseball bats then Jimmy Waterson the first responded by having a Lieutenant in the Falcon mafia family get beaten up by baseball bats and crowbars outside of his daughter’s birthday party then had him set on fire with homemade napalm that not even the cops could ID the person not even with dental records. Oh dear lord if there is a lord.

"When one Lieutenant of the Falcon mafia family had the second eldest daughter kidnapped what the Waterson family did was one when they found an legitimate business that the Falcon mafia had well it met a 66mm Incendiary-High Explosive rocket and the second was that the second eldest son for the don of the Falcon mafia family was kidnapped and the police found his body so badly beaten that all of the bones were shattered every inch.

"If what Dave told me is right then when they strike back then those responsible won’t get a swift and merciful death but a painful one. Actually what I was told was that when Cadenza Christina Waterson the 15th was having a funeral for her husband when the jackass came that her father told him to walk away but he didn’t.”

Mackenzie Smith-Ryan replied, “Yeah I know what they did. But I got an army of field agents out doing their job. Oh fuck I forgot too. I forgot that since the Vietnam war that every helicopter has a minigun or a tri-barrel minigun on the side so I’d bet a member of Macaroni and Dave’s family would use that too. So I’m just going to go.”

After a few minutes of Special Agent Mackenzie, the phone rang. It was Macaroni who’s on a payphone who asked Lusty if it was okay if she could send a few family members to her to protect her. She told her that it would be better if she has others to help her defend her and knows that Lusty can defend herself but it’ll be better if she has others who can also watch her back. Lusty allowed it and Macaroni told Lusty that they won’t be coming to the front door but they’ll be coming in through the roof because they have wingsuits.

To Lusty at first she thought it was Macaroni just pulling on her leg but Macaroni wasn’t joking and Lusty met Macaroni’s cousins once removed Alice, Joshua “Bulldog” and Josh “Bud.” But Macaroni warned Lusty that Alice is an Army sniper who favors making her target suffer, Bulldog is a no-nonsense non idle chat marine officer and Bud pulls what the army calls “reckless stunts” to save any infantry squad behind enemy lines even if an area is covered in triple-A anti-aircraft guns and SAM sites. But that was the last thing they were planning on doing on their furlough.

***

The next day.

At the firehouse.

Lusty was at a table in the apparatus bay on the table she had seven SCBAs on the table and she was testing each one to make sure they were in working order and made sure there wasn’t anything wrong with them.

“Damn saw, guess second shift broke it!” said Avalanche.

Lusty replied without looking up, “Then send it to maintenance and fill out the proper paperwork here and over at maintenance. I’ll tell Lieutenant ‘Stick up his ass’ where you went.”

“Last night was a huge fire over in Westside again so big that it required every single Engine, Ladder, Foam, and Squad company including all six of the volunteer stations in the city to fight the fire but after an hour into the fire the department to use planes and helicopters again,” said Dynamite, “I swear this is getting out of hand. If it was just one fire then a lot of people would think it was just someone who did it once but it got out of hand and refused to do it again. But did it three times and that’s adding your girlfriend’s villa to the list. Someone probably doing this for real estate development.

"Feels like something out of a movie of a hero or something like that has to stop a corrupt asshole from doing what the fuck he pleases because the guy or gal has a shipload full of money. Every firehouse minus the two Rescue Squad firehouses had to be filled by fire companies from the Blister Canyon Capital of Port Sernia to occupy the 31 firehouses and with some others to help fight the fire. I think it’s called Mutual aid or something like that.”

Lusty replied, “I heard a cop got punched when he told someone that he couldn’t enter the tenement building saying that it’s unsafe but the person said that he was going to enter regardless of the consequences. In the Eastside the people formed roving patrols and they implemented their shoot-on-sight policy to defend their homes from anyone who comes to set fires. After the first major fire in Westside they formed some kind of patrol and kept an eye on the streets but now they’re patrolling on foot or by car. A lot of people are going to say that the main reason the fire spread so fast is that the furniture that’s made of synthetic materials like plastic or particleboard, which burn much quicker than, say, solid wood. The Government will fine me $250 bucks for parking seventeen and a half feet away from a fire hydrant but no one is doing any oversight on what furniture is being made of.”

“It’s because these corporations have the money to pay off government inspectors and whatnot to lower the safety features,” said Dynamite, “Half of my furniture dates back to the 1940s or 1930s. I actually got a five hundred dollar fine yesterday for parking too close to a fire hydrant even though I was fifteen and a half feet from it and next week I have to go to court and dispute it. Should’ve assaulted the traffic cop but that would’ve opened a new can of worms I didn’t want to have to face.”

Lusty replied, “I would’ve said something but I would’ve told that cop off too. Law says fifteen feet. I’ve smashed a few vehicle windows to get to hydrants”

Lusty went and put the breathing apparatus back onto Squad 141 until Avalanche came back with a ping-pong table.

“Is that a ping pong table?” asked Marcus who just arrived.

Lusty replied, “Yeah it is. I guess it’ll be good enough for them to pass the time.”

“Just don’t repeat the ping-pong incident of 1974” said Marcus.

Lusty replied, “What happened in 1974?”

“During C Shift the members found a ping pong table to play where at first it was nice to keep the guys occupied and to do something until the bell rang or lunch or dinner was served or when they didn’t do drills,” said Marcus. “At first things went fine until some took the game a little too far or would hit the ping pong ball a little too hard and it either broke a window, glass, photo or something. At first Capt. Morningstar let these things slide as long as they cleaned it up and paid for the repairs out of their own pocket instead of it coming out of the department's pocket. And to him it wasn’t like any game had no fight.

"I mean the previous year in 1973 had a football/soccer riot between two teams and their fans where one team had a beer fall on him by another person by accident. Soon five hundred and forty-seven people were arrested for a riot or the year before in 1972 at a Gridiron football game there was a riot because of a guy spilling beer on his winning ticket because of sports bets on which team would win and for a $2000 ticket too and for the winning team I would’ve done the same. And I mean a 2 grand ticket is a lot of cash and every now and again I just either do the $10 to $50 and that’s a lot of money right there. But after a month of them getting out of control and stuff breaking Capt. Morningstar got rid of the ping pong table after they unintentionally broke one too many windows.”

Lusty replied, “Ah okay then, I’ll make sure they don’t do anything to break anything and I’ll give them one chance. But I’ll even talk to Donald Evans as well and tell him what’s what and I’ll tell him that I’m not scared of him and what not and just having me demoted shows he doesn’t tolerate people who show others compassion.”

Soon the fire bell went off for both Squad 141 and the airport crash tender which is finally getting its baptism by fire ever since Squad 141 was reopened. It’s for a downed helicopter.

When they got there they fought the fire but around the helicopter, they saw people in

beige police shirt with a black tie, silver police badge, gray trousers, and a black cap with the words "Security" and a man in a black casual suit with all of them having bullet holes in their heads but they were set up as if they were shot down and trying to defend the crash site from an approaching enemy.

They had no idea what brought it down but whatever it was it was powerful enough to bring down the tail rotor of it and they found the tail rotor of the helicopter a few hundred feet away, but that’s up to the EOD to figure out what happened. To them it doesn’t look like it fell off at random but to Dynamite she theorizes that someone shot it off with a powerful enough weapon but it’s just her theory and could be wrong but with the bodies with bullet holes in the head she thinks someone or a group of people set up an ambush site with one using a powerful enough weapon to bring down the weapon and the other wait for someone to a group of people waiting far away with long-range weapons to take the rest out then leave. But it’s common Anti-aircraft combat in the Little Bird Military of using infantry to bring down man-portable anti-aircraft weapons.

At the scene, Lusty for the first time actually took the time to read the side of the airport crash tender in which it just says in bold white words FIRE DEPARTMENT CITY OF EMPIRE CLASS 4 CRASH RESCUE but if it was at the airport then it would’ve said in bold words FIRE DEPARTMENT CITY OF EMPIRE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CLASS 4 CRASH TENDER. Even though she has been on the job for almost a decade she has no idea what the different classes are besides Class 1 being water and Class 2 being foam, unlike the rest of the world where Class 1 is more common in cities while Class 2 is more common in the suburbs. But on Little Bird Class 4 means it’s an airport crash tender while on the rest of the world, a Class/Type 4 means it’s a wildland engine.

“What is going on here?” asked Lusty.

Dynamite replied, “Don’t know, don’t care but these rich assholes are finally got their just deserts or something like that.”

“You hate the rich like me?” asked Lusty.

Dynamite replied, “Have you ever gone out to the movies while your parents were out working overtime and when you come home your home has been destroyed and you lost everything that’s irreplaceable? Have you ever had a trophy from Little League sports be destroyed and you can’t get Little League trophies or be in Little League sports because of being in the eighth grade?

"Everything more or less in the house was the type of once it’s gone you’re not getting it back again. Like my parent's wedding photos or the photo of my mom holding me after I was born, those photos are gone forever. If you’re going to ask Lieutenant I was in both Tee-ball and Little League Baseball. I played baseball, not softball. My mom got me into sports but what sport was my choice and I chose Baseball. Used a Baseball bat made of Mahogany maple wood.”

***

Eastside

10:28 PM.

Lusty ran over to where Marcus and Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald Evans were arguing. Marcus wanted the city to drain the reservoir so they can get more water because the hydrants are running dry but the Deputy Fire Commissioner said that he’s thinking about the rest of the city that needs water only for Marcus to say, “Everything on this street is on fire. I don’t give a shit about the rest of the city because the rest of the city isn’t on fire!”

When Marcus said that he wanted to use the water in the city’s reservoir which made Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald say. “What about the city’s drinking water?”

Marcus replied with, “There won’t be a city if we can’t put this fire out!”

“I don’t know how many men we should keep putting in front of this conflagration,” said Deputy Fire Commissioner Evans.

Lusty soon came over. “We’re going to put enough people as it takes. Listen up everyone. If we pull back now. Just north of us are residential tenement buildings. Just homes. No more stores, no more commercial buildings, just homes. People if we turn and back up now then they’re gonna be defenseless. If you don’t like my plan that’s good but don’t tell me or Battalion Chief Marcus that we’re backing out.”

Donald replied, “Now she wants to act like a leader.”

“So Deputy Commissioner if your old neighborhood was on fire and burning down,” said Marcus, “You’re saying you’ll tapdance on the ashes of your old neighborhood then you’re a nutcase. To Lieutenant Johnson this is her home and the residents here aren’t just her old neighbors and old friends but they’re her family. She doesn’t want to see her old home be destroyed by a conflagration caused by a multimillion-dollar corporation to pave over the ruins and build new high-rise apartment buildings but have the rent high enough that the people here can’t afford it!”

Lusty replied, “Should’ve said it beforehand but there’s a gas station north of here and if that goes then the whole northern side of the Eastside is gone.”

“If you acted like that throughout the entire time then we wouldn’t have problems with you,” said Donald. “But now you want to act like a leader because of your childhood nostalgia now you have a change of tune.”

Lusty was going to say something but decided to keep her mouth shut not because she would be back talking an officer but because she would’ve called him out and said a lot of hostile things not because it would’ve hurt her chance of being repromoted back to Lieutenant but she would’ve most likely been unable to be repromoted again.

Marcus then used his walkie-talkie and asked the dispatcher to dispatch several police helicopters and several police cars to drive around the areas near the fire and for several miles around the district of Eastside to issue an emergency evacuation and the type of emergency evacuation that the people have to leave now and don’t have time to pack up what they have but only could bring their necessities like IDs, Driver Licenses, Birth Certificates, Passports, Marriage certificates, Death certificates, and Medications. But the rest have to stay behind.

But after a few minutes, the people who were in the path of the fire they evacuated and it was a lot more coordinated but on Little Bird schools conduct a fire drill once per month, and the residents of Eastside conduct drills for evacuation in case of major emergencies once per month so they can be more coordinated and make it easier for emergency services to move and navigate the streets without the streets being congested with emergency services trying to get to the emergency while people trying to leave. But it’s mostly because the community leaders in Eastside were military officers who always ran their squads, platoons, companies, battalions, regiments, or brigades to be prepared for anything and a lot of seniors who were officers in the Second World War planned for counter attacks for any Axis offensive like the Battle of the Bulge far before what the Little Bird military labeled as The Belgium Campaign- European Theatre September 2nd, 1944- March 24th 1945. Even though the former officers whom Lusty talked to who were there they called the Battle of the Bulge as “Wacht Am Rhein” aka Watch on the Rhine even if it meant Little Birdens who could speak German did their version of the German Operation Greif.

But when Lusty was a teenager she asked if they brought frontline soldiers home for Christmas and sent recruits to replace the battle-worn soldiers and she was told as a child and teenager that the answer was yes and no. They brought soldiers who fought in the North African and Italian Campaign was sent home to train recruits for the France Campaign and before Dec 16, 1944, the soldiers who fought in France and Belgium were sent home while soldiers who fought the Italians and Germans in North Africa and Italy were sent to relieve the shellshock soldiers on the frontlines and replace them for Christmas.

But they took their wartime experience and made plans for the unknown like now with a massive conflagration that’s going on now. Not adding that during the early half of the Cold War, they used their wartime experiences to predict and make wartime plans if they had to go to war against the USSR which was later readvised in 1956 when the Warsaw Pact was established in 1955 or if they had to go to war with the United States which was readvised in 1950 after NATO was established in 1949. But they even made battle plans for both offensive and defensive battles against countries that they considered not really much of a threat.

They considered the US to be more of an enemy than the Soviets because on Little Bird their political system and military system do the saying of keep your enemies close but your friends closer and believe in that the meaning of my enemy of my enemy is my friend that it cuts both ways even though it’s been rumored that during the Cold War that if Little Bird was at war with the US but the Soviets were at war with the US then both Little Bird and USSR would enter and make some kind of non-aggression pact.

Even though Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald is there but it seems that Battalion Chief Marcus was ignoring his orders but that’s because Donald doesn’t have what it takes to be a smoke eater and tried to send other companies to other parts of the city and have them be on standby to be sent to other parts of the city. Marcus got there when it became a second alarm fire he ordered that it’s an all hands fire meaning everyone will be working and that he needs everyone to be fighting the fire.

After an hour of trying to prevent the fire, Battalion Chief Kai Richter took over, and Marcus used his walkie-talkie to coordinate the air tankers and to both chiefs it reminded them of when they were in the Marines of their Forward Observers using their radios to call down CAS strikes. But Marcus had the planes drop their water tanks onto the fire on the buildings even with the risk of collapse. But once when a water taker dropped their water load they then return to base because reloading the water tanks from the ocean from a moving plane at night is prohibited because the pilots can’t see and could make a mistake and either crash the plane in the water or not fly low enough to get water so they have to return to base and return to operations at dawn. They allowed nighttime operations if the situation called for it but usually prohibited them. But helicopters on the other hand are prohibited but can be used at night but can hover above the water and take off again but they primarily don’t for safety concerns for the pilots and limited visibility.

To Lusty, she had it all the way up to the top of her head of these arsons caused by Echelon Enterprises where they’re burning down buildings to make way for new residential apartments and condos for people of the upper middle class and the rich. She also knew that to the people of Eastside the Empire Police Department and the Elite Operations Detachment, their time to stop these arsons just terminated and they’re going to have to do it themselves.

The people there ain’t holding the fire department responsible for the conflagration because they tried to stop it even when they had every single company in the city even the off duty firefighters to come in to help in to fight it but couldn’t without water tankers to stop it. Even though the use of firefighting planes are prohibited in urban areas, in these massive conflagration the rules were relaxed for them to be used even though city officials hope they don’t have to do it for a fourth time.

To Lusty, it was personal this time because her first job, her part-time job when she was a teenager was burnt down, the playground where she got a scar on her leg was gone, the abandoned tenement building where she made friends and they rough-housed was gone. Not adding that where they made their final stand at the intersection of Flurry and Cadenza Streets two tenement buildings down were the tenement building she was raised in and if that got burnt down to a pile of rubble then all hell would break loose and when Lusty lets all hell break loose out of her then nothing will stop her.

Lusty had a look on her face when Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald was about to say something.

“I wouldn’t say anything Deputy Commissioner,” said Dynamite, “She has that face that says to leave her alone or whoever interrupts or disturbs her is going to get a tomahawk to the side of the throat. From what I saw in her eyes that on the inside she’s holding herself responsible for not being able to prevent this. And this place is her home and to her she feels like she failed to defend her home.

"She grew up here, and she knows everyone but to her she feels like she failed them in doing her job of protecting property. She knows that she and we can’t protect and save everyone and their property but we tried. But how many blocks of Eastside burned? Air Ops says 12x12 or twelve blocks by twelve blocks or in other terms a hundred something people lost their businesses and their livelihood.

"A lot of these buildings were built at the start of the 20th Century. To her she’s beating herself up. But I wonder how many people are going to be implemented for causing this? I say it’s Echelon Enterprises.”

Donald replied, “It’s not them.”

“How do you know that chief?” suspiciously asked Dynamite, “Did they pay you off to whitewash their mistake?”

Donald replied, “Innocent before proven guilty.”

“In the LBMC it’s the culprit shot by his or her own squadmates if there’s no MPs around,” said Dynamite. “Put two and two together Deputy Commissioner. They buy the land even if people refuse then a mass conflagration starts. I bet a newborn could figure it out. But these people once they lose something they’re not getting it back. These businesses have been around since the year 1900 and have been family-owned for generations and now they’re gone.

"Everything they had burnt up and gone with no insurance to replace what they had so once it’s gone like now there’s nothing they can do to get it back even if they rebuild it won’t be the same. Also it’s guilty until proven innocent if someone doesn’t make bail or is released on their own recognizes because they’re kept in cells unless if made bail or ROR then it’s guilty until proven innocent unless if they make bail or ROR’d then it’s innocent until proven guilty. But they keep people in cells so until the process plays out, they have to keep tabs on you so you don't flee the state or country or commit more crimes. Yeah, I say state not State or County or Borough.”

Soon Dynamite went over to Lusty to Lusty being herself and got no time for games she talked with the news on the scene and she publicly declared that Echelon Enterprises done it because they bought the land then set fire on it even though the land was and still is considered private property of the people who live here. To her she didn't care if they bury the story again or not but to her if people are willing to listen then start asking questions then it’ll be enough for some people to demand that law enforcement take action.

It also wasn’t long for Capt. Vintion to get there in which she turned on the TV she has and instead of going right to the firehouse she works out of. She put on her station gear and bunker gear and came down right to the scene with a strawberry doughnut with sprinkles. But Capt. Vintion believed there is a connection though not because of research and evidence.

But it was there on her computer all backed up but her computer doesn’t have all of her backup evidence but she thought it’s just a system error but not even the department's few IT members could figure out what was going on and suggested either keeping it off for a few days or resetting it. But not even the physical evidence is gone as well.

***

Firehouse 17, 10:22 AM.

“I can tell you that whoever knows what they’re looking for knows where to find it,” said Mackenzie ‘Jellybean’, “I can tell you that and I’m not accusing anyone but whoever knows the system knew what they were looking for?”

Capt. Vintion replied, “So a hacker?”

“This ain’t a movie,” said Jellybean. “But the total opposite. Inside job. The files have been wiped from the whole system. Surgical strike.”

Capt. Vintion replied, “Well not a lot of people knew about it. Only me, Lusty, Macaroni, Dave, OFI Lieutenant Johnny Weston, Deputy Fire Commissioner Evan, and Fire Commissioner Raleigh Clay.”

Jellybean reached for the phone.

“Wait?” asked Capt. Vintion, “What are you doing?”

Jellybean replied, “I’m calling the Precinct.”

“You think sending the cops to go to them is a good idea?” asked Capt. Vintion.

Jellybean replied, “They’re going to have to account for their whereabouts. You’re talking about theft of City Records and a Criminal Investigation. Which are already felonies and how since we’re at war it’s bumped up to Capital Punishment because it falls under Espionage. You want to look the other way on that?”

“No I don’t,” said Capt. Vintion, “But you can take Dave and Lusty off of the list because they were at that conflagration from 10:14 PM to 7:30 AM. Also, Lieutenant Johnson strikes me as the type she’ll break a computer before learning to operate one,”

***

Maxwell Supermarket, Riverview, City of Empire.

Macaroni was around back loading stuff off of a pallet and onto a pushcart and taking it into the supermarket.

“Can I help you?” asked Macaroni.

The guy replied, “Empire Police Detective. Need to ask you a few questions.”

“Alright, ask away,” said Macaroni.

The Detective replied, “Where were you last night between 9:30 PM to 5:30 AM?”

“Out with some classmates at Nightclub.” said Macaroni, “We went to Nightclub in Uptown. Had a few drinks, danced a bit and dealt with someone who got a little handsy and someone who tried to spike my drink. The club is in a high rise and is called Firestarter. It’s at 3452 Macdonald Ave. It’s on the top floor. You can ask the bartender and bouncer. Here I still have the receipts too.”

Macaroni reached into her pocket and had four different receipts in which the first receipt shows that Macaroni ordered a round of Whisky for her and her few classmates, the second shows they upgraded to Wine and the third showed they got a round of Vodka but with a classic sandwich that consists cheese and ham.

Even though she’s a little bit hungover she still got up and came to work because she decided to go out and stay up all night and only got two hours of sleep before going to work even if she’s tired and hungover and wants more sleep but she should’ve made tea or coffee but didn’t want to be a mooch to Lusty and take advantage of her kindness of letting Macaroni stay with her. The Detective gave the three receipts back to Macaroni who put them into her pocket.

“Do you know how to use a computer?” asked the detective.

Macaroni replied, “I’m from the United States. I got my first computer on Christmas Day 1998 both a desktop and a laptop even though the laptops were bulky then today even though laptops are fat nowadays. But they get the job done. In short terms, the answer is yes because my dad bought them for me to be on the honor roll in the first quarter of the ninth grade. Short answer the answer is yes I know how to use a computer.”

“Alright just asking for the process of elimination,” said the detective. “If I have any more follow-up questions then I’ll come back.”

What the fuck are the cops coming and asking me questions for, Macaroni thought, Should’ve asked what it’s about but at least round one out of who knows how many rounds there will be of questions is over with. But they’ll be back. My mom is going to hate me for not dating a guy to give her grandchildren though but I don’t care what she thinks.

Macaroni then went back to work stocking the shelves but she bought herself an energy drink to help fight her hangover.

***

Lusty was home reading a book and she remembered one medical call she went on a week after Marcus went from Lieutenant to Battalion Chief and Lieutenant Autumn came, she remembered that someone slammed a vending machine which caused it to fall on the person, causing death by Blunt Force Trauma for the person.

There was a knock on her door so she answered it with caution and it was a police detective who asked her the same questions as another detective who asked Macaroni questions but Lusty was on shift and as Capt. Vintion said that Lusty she’s more inclined to break a computer by mistake while using one.

She was at a massive conflagration at the time when someone stole what was stored about the arson spree not adding that while Lusty may hate and abhor the cops and law enforcement and the judicial system but she’s more inclined to help them when the time and situation calls for it and how since there were two massive conflagrations in her old neighborhood she would gain nothing from getting rid of it but she’ll gain something for putting the people behind bars.

When the detective left and Lusty went back to read her book, there was another knock on her apartment door and another woman wanted to introduce herself as a new neighbor. Lusty didn’t care but welcomed her to the apartment building.

The police then checked out the rest of those who knew about the case but everyone who Capt. Vintion mentioned had solid alibis and had evidence to prove where they were so they were at a dead end. Lusty said that someone from Echelon Enterprises could’ve paid someone to hack into the computer and delete or get rid of the files but to her, that’s not far-fetched because they have the money and resources and they think they’re untouchable because of their money and connections. Lusty also went to her class for leadership even though when she does become a Lieutenant again she ain’t changing her ways because she ain’t letting someone tell her to act or how to treat others.

***

Seven hours later.

When Lusty got home, her phone rang and to her, it was amazing timing because the moment her apartment door opened was when her rotary dial phone started to ring so she answered it. It was Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald Evans who wanted to talk to Lusty face to face so she went to his office while Macaroni sat on her couch doing some school work.

When Lusty went and met with the Deputy Fire Commissioner and well she got what she wanted and that was getting her rank of Lieutenant back but that’s because Lusty’s girlfriend was very “persuasive” to him to make Lusty to become a Lieutenant again not adding that Macaroni asked a cousin to help her and told the Deputy Commissioner that she was going to exercise her individual liberty and ask her cousin to take him outside with a gun to the back of his head.

Lusty didn’t confront Macaroni about it but when Lusty got home she saw Macaroni make homemade lasagna. She was following her dad’s recipe of making it extra meaty and extra cheesy in which she calls it her father’s recipe because it was one of those things that her dad made when her mother was being a stuck-up bitch so he would’ve made it for Macaroni.

“Do you have any other drinks besides Sparkling Cola and Root beer?” said Macaroni, “Even though I do like the red bottle design with white words on the Sparkling Cola. It reminds me of those and the bottle resembles glass soda bottles that were used in the 1950s. Oh wait, never mind I found sports-protein drinks.”

Lusty replied, “I should go and get some more drinks that are non-alcoholic.”

Soon there was a knock on Lusty’s apartment door so she answered it and it’s her new neighbor who told Lusty that she accidentally locked herself out of her apartment and thought that she left her stove and oven on so Lusty kicked the door in and allowed the woman to enter the apartment.

***

Another hour later.

While eating the homemade extra meaty and extra cheesy lasagna. There was another knock on the apartment door.

“Who could it be now!?” said Lusty, “Can’t have a good dinner with my girlfriend.”

Lusty answered it and it was a Burglary Detective who wanted Lusty to come in down to the precinct to answer a few questions even though she ain’t in trouble but Lusty went to get it out of the way voluntarily.

***

Empire Police Department Tenth Precinct, Downtown, Empire.

In an interrogation room.

“Ms. Morgan asked for your assistance, correct?” asked the detective.

Lusty replied, “Yes I did.”

“Kicked her door in?” asked the detective.

Lusty replied, “At her request. Like you I’m a civil servant. People need help, I don't hesitate.”

“Did you touch Ms. Morgan at that time?” asked the detective, “Threaten her in any way?”

Lusty replied, “No I didn’t. Are we finished here?”

“Put it this way,” said the detective, “Your account doesn’t exactly jibe with the call she made to us after what happened.”

***

Back at the penthouse.

“This is nuts I say you’re being set up,” said Macaroni, “I even saw that you just kicked in the door so she could check to make sure her stove was off. That Detective should come and talk with me.”

Lusty replied defensively, “And say what Macaroni? How since you’re my girlfriend that detective will just say that since you’re my girlfriend you’re covering for me and will say anything to defend me. A lot of cops and detectives here on Little Bird have the mentality that the victim is always right even if evidence says they’re wrong.

"So if you like to go down and talk to the detective he won’t believe you because we’re dating. Didn’t mean to sound defensive but if you want to go waste your breath at the detective then go for it but when you get done then you’re going to come to the conclusion that you should’ve stayed here and not wasted your breath on him.”

“I should call someone,” said Macaroni.

Lusty replied, “I don’t want to have your family get involved in this. I know your family, they're the type that’ll tell the Detective that his case is over and if he comes within a hundred feet away from me then he’ll be put in the hospital.”

“You’re right with that,” said Macaroni, “But how since you’re friends with Dave and dating me then the rest of my family see you as an ally. But if you don’t want me talking to the detective or asking any of my family members for help then your options are severely limited. Me not say anything to the detective because he wouldn’t believe me and not ask my family for help because a lot of my family members would just take a sledgehammer to knock the detective’s leg out underneath him, break his leg with the sledgehammer then hit him under the mouth with it or use a Trench Gauntlet or a Hatchet or a World War 1 trench raiding tool.”

Lusty replied, “I’m going to heat up my plate then going to go to bed because I had a long day.”

Lusty did and before she went to bed she went to take a quick shower then she went to bed.

***

In the morning.

Lusty dropped her daughters off to be watched and she went to the firehouse.

She had her company do their daily inspection of their 1967 Rescue Engine and check the tire pressure and to inspect the manual and automatic tools as well but it’s part of their daily inspection. She was also happy to have her rank back again even if Macaroni had a “pleasant” conversation with the Deputy Fire Commissioner and forced her hand to make him reinstate Lusty back as a Lieutenant even though she still has to take the classes for troubled leaders even if she’s already 28 hours in out of 100 hours but their classes are once you’re in you have to wait until it’s over.

But Lusty hates it because there are people who really need the class and when she said that's why she’s there. They actually felt sorry for her because she’s being nice but someone being a dick and said that she’s too soft on the people under her command but that’s because she’s being nice to them not being a tyrant dictator.

Soon a car came which got their attention and it was the same detective who wanted Lusty to come back in to answer a few more questions but when Avalanche said “What’s going on” the Detective told her, “back off and stay out of it.”

“I’m getting the Ax,” said Avalanche.

The Detective replied, “Either come in peacefully or I’ll have a couple of uniformed officers bring you in.”

“I got nothing else to say,” said Lusty, “Send as many uniformed officers you want but I’m not going. I don’t give a damn about Little Bird Police State. Cop hits me, I’m hitting back.

"I don’t give a damn and I don’t buy that bullshit of ‘The policeman is your friend he never lies he always tells the truth’ yeah that’s great if it’s pre-1960s because disagreeing with a beat cop that’s a sure fine way of getting hit by a truncheon or put in a chokehold then getting charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. But send as many as you want because I’m not coming in voluntarily.”

The detective left but after five minutes had passed two police cars came a patrol car and a police cruiser and one of the four officers was Lusty’s ex-girlfriend Zofia. Zofia was the first one who she tried to persuade Lusty to go in voluntarily but Lusty told her to fuck off and be a hypocritical prick like normal woman who believes that if a woman does something that was once a traditional role then she’s up in arms about it. Even if some of it is basic human instinct for survival like cooking or being hygienic or cleaning. To Lusty she doesn’t care what someone does regardless of gender, race and ethnic background.

But Lusty is only like that because she’s not hypocritical and she doesn’t believe that she has higher standards than others but to her she has lower standards than the rest. Not adding that Lusty may identify as a tomboy but has no problem wearing either male or female clothing but prefers the latter to keep her body cool after working a 24 hour shift.

Since Lusty refused to go voluntarily she was brought to the Tenth precinct anyway.

***

Tenth Precinct… Again.

In an interrogation room.

“You know this could’ve been better if you just came in silently and voluntarily,” said the detective. “Well CSU found your fingerprints on the door frame and on her wall that’s in her apartment.”

Lusty didn’t even say a word.

“You think because you say nothing... You are strong?” said the detective, “You are not strong, you persistent bastard.”

Lusty continued not to say a word.

“What I think what happened is that she let you in but you took it as an invitation to put your hands on her,” said the detective. “But she told you to leave. When you got outside where your blood was boiling and in your mind you figured you’d teach her a lesson so you kicked down her door and attacked her.”

Lusty replied, “If that gets your dick hard then go for that idea. But it won’t stick. But I already said my peace of what happened. If you don’t want to believe that or you want to be that detective who’s always a good cop and believe the victim then face facts that really happened and push for what happened then that’s you. Also come within fifty feet of me again then I’ll sue you and the police department for harassment.”

Lusty then got up.

“Sit down!” said the detective.

Lusty turned around and when she reached for the door she gave him the finger before leaving the interrogation room and the Tenth Precinct where she just hailed a taxi cab and went back to the firehouse.

***

Squad 141 firehouse.

“You alright Lieutenant?” asked Dynamite.

Lusty replied, “A neighbor told me that she thought she left her stove on but she unintentionally locked herself out of her apartment so I kicked in the door. Now I’m facing both assault and battery and breaking and entering. I said my side of it and got nothing else to add to it.

"Told my side of the story but when my girlfriend wanted to back up my side of the story I told her that she can but she’ll be wasting her breath because a lot of cops here think the victim is always correct and that if a trillion people tell the cop or detective that the victim is lying and whatnot but no a lot have the mentality of thinking that the victim didn’t deserve it and whoever did it is at fault even if the victim is an asshole who deserved it. Either way I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.”

“You think it might be connected with Echelon Enterprises?” asked Dynamite.

Lusty replied, “My gut is saying that is it.”

“I believe you,” said Dynamite, “One of them has serious anger issues. I told two out of three higher-up dicks that they don’t have enough security guards to kick me out. Every security guard has had to go to the hospital to either get an arm cast or a leg cast or both and that’s just me on a good day if it was on my bad day or when I had a mood swing or on my period or on PMS then all of their security guards would’ve needed close casket funerals.

"Actually, one security guard hit me with a taser and he got both of his arms and legs broken and that was me being generous. Before you say it Lieutenant I have Bipolar 1 Disorder. When I joined the marines they said I would have to attend counseling for my disorder but after I became a Combat Engineer I said ‘I’m trained to build bridges then blow that damn bridge sky high when a King Tiger crosses it’ Yes I know that the King Tiger stopped seeing service after the end of the Second World War but you get the idea.”

Lusty replied, “I know about the Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B. I believe that they just have the money and resources to get full immunity by the Beauru of Law”.

“What does your girlfriend think?” asked Dynamite.

Lusty replied, “She’s on board with my idea of it being set by Echelon Enterprises. While eating breakfast this morning she also suggested that Echelon Enterprises either hired or had a female worker or associate to move into an apartment in the apartment building we live in then frame me for aggravated assault or assault and battery.

"Macaroni told me that how since I’m a firefighter and those who get arrested and goes to trial how since people trust firefighters more than cops I’ll be able to paint a bigger picture and tell the jury and how people already see me as an hero for my line of work then I’ll be able to convince a jury or a grand jury more easily than the prosecutor or a cop. I mean it’s true, have you read yesterday's newspaper where they did a poll of who people trust more where it says seven out of ten people trust firefighters, half of one trusts politicians who lie.

"Two out of ten trust cops and another half of one trusts all of the above. But now I’m thinking that Macaroni might be right because if I was a rich corporation and if I committed a crime that any expert they bring to the stand I would use any resource. I would use to my advantage with the last one being of getting full immunity from the Beauru of Law even though Macaroni called it the Department of Justice even though she corrected herself even though I told her that both the US Department of Justice and our Beauru of Law is more or less equals and do the same. I even told her that the Bureau of Law is biased as hell and told her that if a poor person does a felony then they receive most likely the maximum sentence for a crime but if a rich person does a felony then they just get sentenced to five years in prison but do a month and a half before getting released on parole.”

***

At night.

The fire bell went off for another conflagration in Eastside and they raced to the scene where this time they had to try and prevent the fire from burning into the residential area part of Eastside where by the time Squad 141 got there the tenement building that Lusty grew up in was now burning. It’s two blocks south of their current location but they were going to make a stand and make a final effort because if the fire comes up five blocks north where there’s a gas station then the entire northern half of the Eastside will be gone up in fire, and smoke.

While fighting the fire Lusty was moving an 2 ½ inch attack hose around. But she heard.

“Hey man my street’s on fire,” said someone, “You got some trucks up there.”

Marcus replied, “What street?”

“What street?” said the person, “Reach street over in High Wood”

Marcus replied, “As soon as we get this under control.”

“There won’t be any houses left by then,” said the man.

Marcus replied, “Look I’m sorry but we’ll get to it when we can.”

“I’m talking about people’s houses,” said the man, “You all are just saving a bunch of eyesore buildings.”

Soon Captain Asyling came walking over.

“You want to get this guy off of me?” asked Marcus.

Capt. Asyling replied, “Hey!”

When the person went to face Captain Asyling.

“Let me see your hands,” said Captain Asyling.

The person replied, “You got to be…”

“Give me your hands!” said an irritated Captain Asyling.

The man replied, “Get your goddamn hands off of me.”

Soon Captain Asyling’s cousin Sonata Ryan came running over.

“Hey Captain what’s going on?” asked Sergeant Sonata Ryan.

Capt. Asyling replied, “He’s harassing a firefighter.”

“That’s a lie,” said the man, “I was asking that guy for help.”

Sonata replied, “You know that this is stupid let him go.”

Soon Marcus went over to Lusty.

“What’s north of here Lieutenant?” asked Marcus.

Lusty replied, “More tenement buildings, a convalescent home, a clinic, a nursing home, and a big gas station. Not adding playgrounds, multiple community gardens, and a history museum. I know this place like the inside of my hand.”

“Captain get over here,” said Marcus.

Captain Asyling went over to Battalion Chief Marcus and Lieutenant Claire “Lusty” Johnson.

“Get as many spare patrol officers as you can to do an emergency evacuation,” said Marcus, “We’re going to try and hold on as long as we can. If the wind picks up some more then we’re going to have to… fallback to another block. Not what I wanted to say but with the wind blowing strong the use of helicopters and water tankers is grounded until the wind dies down some more.”

The fire jumped their line of ashes landing where the water from their hoses couldn’t reach due to buildings being in the way so they had to back up. But how the local hospital is in danger but when Marcus was delayed she had it where anyone in Eastside would go to that hospital thinking it was far enough from the fire.

“There are a couple of thousand patients,” said Marcus, “They’re doing surgery as well. We can’t possibly save everybody,”

Lusty replied, “I know. I sent them all over there along with my girlfriend.”

Marcus then looked at Lusty with a sincere face because of her being a Lieutenant she’s the go to IC until a Battalion Chief arrives and that chief is on the scene or not busy. So before Marcus got there she radioed that all injured from the fire and smoke would go to that hospital.

“Uh, I…” said a confused Lusty, “I-I don’... I don’t know what to do.”

Lusty then looked around. “What about an urban fire break?”

Capt. Asyling replied, “A what?”

“An urban fire break,” said Lusty, “A fire break. also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail. A fire break is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. But instead of a wildland situation it’s in an urban area.”

Marcus replied, “Are you serious?”

“Yes I’m serious,” said Lusty, “All these buildings combined have to be at least fifty thousand tons of bricks, steel and concrete. Will that work?”

Marcus replied, “We’re gonna knock down eight city blocks worth of buildings.”

“Will it work?” asked Lusty.

Marcus replied, “I think it might. I think it might.”

“Wait, you want to bring these buildings down on the lots they’re on?” said Captain Asyling.

Lusty replied, “Absolutely.”

“That’s a precision drop or a pancake collapse if done right,” said Capt. Asyling, “That takes days if not weeks or months to plan.”

Lusty replied, “Set a speed record.”

“So you want to blow up the street and knock down buildings in what twenty or so minutes?” asked Captain Asyling.

Lusty replied, “In case of massive fires that cannot be put out normally or after a major disaster like an earthquake. Then both the Police and Fire Departments can use dynamite and other types of explosives to create a gap between the fire and untouched buildings and to get rid of buildings in the path of the fire. But only members who have been trained in using explosives can use them. Dynamite! Captain Waterson get over here!”

Soon Dynamite and Dave came over.

“You two know how to use explosives right?” asked Lusty.

Dynamite replied, “When I was in the Corps I would’ve said to my Marines when placing explosive charges was ‘Check connections on these democharges! I don't want any misfires!’ So yes I know how to use explosives. Hell I disarmed more explosives than planted said explosives.”

“I can disarm a thermonuclear warhead while blindfolded and with a paperclip,” said Dave sarcastically, “The short answer is yes.”

Lusty replied, “Well we need to destroy eight almost nine blocks worth of buildings to create an urban fire break.”

“Probably better to get my uncle on the line and see if he can order a multimillion-dollar long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. To carpet bomb the blocks to create a firebreak. Just kidding even though we’re at war but how since we’re in an urban area but you need to get permission from either the Mayor or the governor. Because it’s an urban setting.”

Marcus replied, “I’m already on it.”

“After this, I need a fricking drink,” said Lusty.

When ten minutes passed Marcus returned. The Governor of the County/Borough/State of Mountain had given them the green light to use explosives. Marcus then told Lusty to return to her company but Dynamite didn’t. She and Dave with the help of the Empire Police Department Bureau of Special Operations (aka SWAT) and the Empire Militia placed the explosives behind their location. When the fire jumped their line they went back by two blocks and when they were accounted for, Dynamite she used a handheld military manual blasting machine and turned the handle three times.

Since the wind was blowing north and with now the fire break in the city the fire had no way to spread because the ashes were cooled off and didn’t start any new fires. At sunrise when the fire was fully put out. Lusty went to the tenement building she was raised in but only the skeletal remains of the building where the wooden floors, walls and doors burnt up and the without the support of the walls and floors it only made the exterior walls come apart and fall down.

Lusty just shifted through the ash, rubble and ruin of the destroyed tenement building that she was raised in. To her while it was a hellhole and felt like it should’ve been torn and and replaced but it was home even if it was decrepit and ratty. But she had some good times in the building like when Lusty’s mom gave her a short rundown of her tribal heritage though and explained her tribal tattoos on her legs and arms. Lusty never understood how her mother could be so quiet that even when carrying grocery bags her mother never made any noise while walking even when wearing heels.

But Lusty did remember her mom telling her that in the Nightingale tribe that after the Second World War that the Nightingale tribe had to change their stance on females because pre-world war 2 that women who weren’t married had to answer to a male relative while a married woman answered to her husband but after World War 2 that was lifted because either their male relatives or husbands were killed in the war. Even before then the women had free will as well because they could date and choose who they want to be with and help their tribe anyway they could help like how Lusty’s mother used to go out and hunt for meat from bears and deers even though her mother wanted to hunt a Mammoth even though by the time her mother was born in 1952 the Mammoths have been extinct about 1650 B.C..

When they were fighting the fire earlier they knew that the fire was hot and that even with the mightiest of streams even with the use of the deluge guns the water would evaporate before hitting the fire. But while they knew those buildings were gone but defeat wasn't taken well they continued the fight against the fire but Lusty’s idea of an urban fire break was met with mixed opinions even though it worked.

***

Lusty’s penthouse.

“The only thing I know is that Echelon Enterprises is behind it,” said Lusty, “Because what they’re doing is good but at the same time it’s horrible. I mean their way is to buy up the fire-torn properties at a fraction of their cost and turn it all into ‘glass towers, clean streets and nobody at the poverty line.' I can respect that but with fire and brimstone way then hell no. And Eastside and Westside is fire and brimstone when it comes to raging infernos. Echelon Enterprises is making it rain fire and brimstone.”

Macaroni replied, “Like Gomorrah and Sodom. They were two biblical cities destroyed by God for their wickedness and their story parallels the Genesis flood narrative in its theme of God’s anger provoked by man’s sin. Does or did that museum y’all saved have any Hieronyum Bosch stuff?”

“Who?” asked Lusty.

Macaroni replied, “Hieronymus Bosch. He made artwork well; his artwork deals with man’s inclination toward sin in defiance of God’s will.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” said Lusty.

Macaroni replied, “Oh. But just saying. Well, I’m about to go and head to Arcane. Don’t want to do my classes because I have a couple of teachers who are a real b-i-t-c-h and the only reason I broke it up into individual words instead of it being said at once is because your infant daughters are in the other room.”

Macaroni then went and put her notebooks, composition books, ring binders, and textbooks into her bookbag. But she left her book bag on the couch but she went into Lusty’s bedroom to retrieve her cell phone from the charger that’s in Lusty’s bedroom.

Before Macaroni could unplug her phone the apartment door opened by force in which it was the same detective again with a few uniformed officers to do a search via a no-knock warrant but they came and took a few stuff including Macaroni’s backpack and her cell phone because of it being in Lusty’s penthouse at the time. The detective being a dick didn’t care if Macaroni couldn’t turn in her schoolwork now and more or less told her that it was her problem not his but Macaroni made it clear that there is a first time for everything like her going to assault a police detective who’s a jerk. But Macaroni also warned the officers that if they break her cell phone trying to figure out how to operate it then she’ll personally sue them for the destruction of private property.

After a few minutes the detective and cops left.

“I’m getting my stuff back,” said Macaroni, “I’m not going to fail a class because I got a professor who has a 27 ft 6 in barrel from a 240mm howitzer M1 stuck up his ass. I’m going to make a few calls.”

Macaroni used Lusty’s rotary dial phone and called some family members who were on furlough but when Macaroni hung up, she explained to Lusty that the Waterson family they have each other back and whoever gets called for help they’ll get a few others as extra muscle. The Watersons are famous and infamous for their non-lethal and lethal takedowns but the lethal ones involve stabbing their enemies with combat knives, choking them out/strangling them/snapping their neck, or beating them to death with their guns, But their non-lethal takedowns leave people in pain when they wake up. But Macaroni also explained that they’re very sufficient and don’t have any problems finding weapons and with weapons with extended magazines, perfectly tuned sights/scopes, silencers, suppressors, demolition charges, any type of bullets and that’s just to name a few.

Even though she was going to be late for the University first class which her first class well her schedule is:

Monday: Fire Science 8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Mathematics 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Technology Class 2:00 PM-4:00 PM

Tuesday: Art 8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Mathematics 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Fire Science 2:00 PM-4:00 PM.

Wednesday: Gym/Physical Education 8:00 AM-10:30 AM, Mathematics 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Fire Science 2:00 PM-4:00 PM

Thursday: Fire Science 8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Mathematics 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Gym/Physical Education 2:00 PM-4:00 PM.

Friday: Mathematics 8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Fire Science 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Culinary Arts 2:00 PM-4:00.

But she has no idea why she has culinary class only on Fridays but it’s the class she likes the most though with fire science being the second most favorite class she likes. But the University administration would tell her professor and is going to mark her for being two hours late.

“I’m getting my stuff back regardless of what that dick wants,” said Macaroni, “Oh when I mean dick I don’t mean the slang for a detective.”

Macaroni also left but she went to go and talk to the detective, face to face and as Lusty warned her about it was a waste of her time and a waste of breath but Macaroni also told the detective that his case is closed but mocked that there’s a series of arson that he can help investigate but when Macaroni went to go get her backpack and cellphone back she had to carry all of her school supplies and school material in her arms but she put her cellphone in her pocket and from how the cops were looking at her phone she knew that they were close enough to break it before learning how to operate it.

When Macaroni walked out of the Tenth precinct the Detective came after her but her family had her back. The detective flashed his police badge at them, one of her cousins took the badge and called it “a half an inch of metal” and that they’re not afraid of it and threw the badge too. They even told the detective to leave Macaroni and Lusty alone and that he should do his job of investigating the crime and not pester one person who didn’t do anything about it.

They even told the cop that a law enforcement officer has to protect and serve not be a bigot with a badge and that officers like him enforce the idea that the bad guys are. The cops make it hard for cops who do their job the right way a lot more difficult because of the cops who think they can do whatever they want because they have a badge. Those who follow the rules and do the job by the books have a harder time because the corrupt or gone rogue cops paint a picture that all of the cops are like that.

Macaroni then went to Arcane University and she got there half way when her first class was half way over but she had to stay after class to catch up on what she missed but at the same time in between class time is one hour and that gives students time to prepare for the next class or socialize with their friends or to get lunch between 1-2 PM. But when one of Macaroni’s cousins escorted her to the University she told him that where her girlfriend is from, that they each have different skills and qualities and they appreciate those differences instead of comparing and not making a wedge but the people in Eastside always make a compromise. She even told her cousin where her girlfriend is from that it reminds her of the Waterson family as a whole of being there for each other even when some have a rivalry with others.

***

As the sun hovered midway in the sky, Lusty was in Eastside, lending a hand to her old neighbors and former colleagues. The devastation was palpable, but so was the resilient spirit of the community as they began the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch.

The relative calm was shattered by the familiar sound of police sirens. An unmarked police car and a patrol car pulled up, and the persistent detective stepped out. He commanded Lusty to assume the arrest position on the hood of his car, but she ignored him. When she turned around, he lunged towards her to make the arrest.

"You and your boys just signed your own death warrants," Lusty retorted, her voice icy cold.

***

Back at the Tenth precinct... for the fourth time.

After twenty minutes languishing in the lobby, the detective was engaged in a deep conversation with the Captain of the Robbery unit. Suddenly, a commotion at the entrance drew everyone's attention. The officers who had been dispatched to Eastside to restore order were returning, beaten and bruised. They had chosen to retreat, preferring to avoid escalating the situation into a full-blown conflict.

The detective directed Lusty to an interrogation room, but she remained silent, her lips sealed like a vault. Her mother's words echoed in her mind, "Silence is golden." She had a history of landing in trouble for her impulsive remarks, and she had no intention of repeating that mistake. She didn't request a lawyer; her past experiences had left her with a distaste for the profession.

"Want something to eat or drink?" The detective tried to break the silence.

Lusty remained unmoved.

"I can be patient," the detective huffed, "Just tell me where you've hidden Ms. Morgan."

Lusty finally broke her silence. "You can go fuck yourself," she snapped, her right hand flipping off the detective. It was a clear sign of her growing frustration at being constantly targeted as the prime suspect.

But her resistance led nowhere. After a futile interrogation, the detective gave up. Lusty was released after a few minutes in the cell, Macaroni having bailed her out. As they left, Lusty made it clear to Macaroni that this was far from over. If the police were only interested in pestering her instead of doing their job, she would take matters into her own hands. Macaroni tried to calm her, reminding her of Special Agent Mackenzie Smith-Ryan's ongoing investigation, cautioning her against rash actions. But Lusty was past caring. She had crossed a threshold of tolerance, ready to fight her own battle.

Brimming with audacity, Lusty strode defiantly into the heart of Echelon Enterprises Empire Branch HQ, undeterred by the high-rise walls and the specter of power they represented. She cornered two of the three top brass, accusing them outright of their destructive arson spree. They retorted, labeling her as delusional, a lunatic who belonged in a straitjacket, not in their polished boardroom.

But Lusty didn't back down. She stood firm, her voice resolute, "I fear neither you, nor your hired thugs, nor your covert spies, nor your corrupt police cronies. I fear none of you."

The executives, rattled, called in Security. Two hefty guards advanced on her, but Lusty's fist met them first. One punch, two punches, and the guards crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"Is that the best you've got?" Lusty taunted, her lips curling into a smirk. "You're playing a dangerous game. You're running with wolves now. And these are our woods."

Before leaving, Lusty stumbled upon an unlocked side office. Her keen eyes spotted confidential files carelessly left in the open. She swiped them and retreated back to her penthouse, where she found Macaroni crafting a sandwich from baloney and peppered turkey.

"We've got a smoking gun now," Lusty declared, holding up the stolen files.

Macaroni looked up, "What do you mean?"

"Echelon Enterprises left their dirty secrets out in the open," Lusty explained, "I should leak these to the media, but they'd likely bury the story. Maybe Special Agent Mackenzie Smith-Ryan would find them more intriguing."

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Macaroni opened it to find the same relentless detective. He demanded to arrest Lusty, but Macaroni stood her ground.

"Do your job properly," she retorted, "A detective is supposed to solve crimes, not harass innocent people!"

Threats of arrest for obstruction danced off Macaroni's shoulders. "You think that scares me? Do me a favor, leave my girlfriend alone. It's your job to find Ms. Morgan, not harass someone who didn't do it! One more step, and I'll sue you for harassment!"

The detective retreated, and Lusty promptly dialed a number - Special Agent Mackenzie Smith-Ryan. A rendezvous was set at a park in the Eastside, thirty minutes from now.

***

EOD Building.

"What on earth is Claire doing?" Special Agent Mackenzie wondered aloud, her police scanner buzzing in the background.

"All units on all frequencies stand by," a dispatcher's voice echoed, "10-Adam-86 is in pursuit of a suspect vehicle heading southwest on Heliconcisa Blvd. Suspect vehicle belonging to Claire Johnson..."

Mackenzie's eyes widened. Lusty was on the run, and she needed help. She dashed to her unmarked car, catching sight of Lusty's vehicle making a sharp turn, pursued by a police car and a vintage police van. She pressed down on the accelerator, joining the chase.

"All units Chief reports that the suspect is armed and extremely dangerous, repeat, extremely dangerous," the dispatcher's voice continued.

Mackenzie intervened, ramming the pursuing police vehicles off the road. But more police cars joined the chase, their sirens wailing, their guns firing.

"All units, all units of a new suspect car has been reported," the dispatcher announced, "It's shop number 1-7-5-4-3... a second suspect vehicle... aiding suspect Claire Johnson."

As they neared the Eastside, the police radio crackled with an order from the Empire Police Chief - deadly force was authorized to stop them. The game had turned deadly.

***

At the park on the Eastside.

“Alright what do you want me to meet you for?” asked Special Agent Mackenzie.

Lusty replied, “Found something you would love to see. Files and sensitive information about them not caring about the law and just doing this for the thrill of fires and they’re going to build their apartments and condos to be nothing much but fire sticks.”

Soon some cars came and not to Lusty’s surprise it was the cops with the police chief as well. Mackenzie told the corrupt chief that the cat is out of the bag now and that if the police or the Elite Operations Detachment try to come in and take those files back then it’ll result in bloody and brutal close quarters and hand to hand combat not adding that if people in Eastside fight then it’s usually to give someone a beating they won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

Not adding these people they never walk away from a fight ever. But when Special Agent Mackenzie told the police chief that he’ll be starting an unwinnable fight and that it’ll be better if he retreats before an all out war begins and the people of Eastside knows every inch of the district like the inside of their hand.

Lusty also gave a whistle and soon some of the tenement buildings opened up and the people in them had weapons dating back to the First World War. Their faces more or less say that if they want to cause trouble then they’re going to get it but they won’t be walking away from it so they decided to do the smart thing of backing out and not starting any trouble.

“They’ll be back,” said Lusty, “To try and reclaim the files. But my old friends and old neighbors they’ll guard them with their lives to make sure those pricks go down. But my gut tells me that one of the two owners of the Echelon Enterprises, Empire Branch, either called the Beruru of Law and got full immunity.”

Mackenzie Smith-Ryan replied, “My mother will make sure they don’t.”

Not going to lie to you but I don’t believe that for one minute,” said Lusty, “The rich and powerful will throw a little bit of money here and a little bit of money there, and boom they’re untouchable. I bet five seconds ago they both became immune and can’t be prosecuted for any crime. I know their type. Something bad happens to them then almost everyone gives them their condolences and feels sad for them but happens to a poor person then it’s ‘shut the fuck up’ and to me, I hope the rich can go away painfully.”

Mackenzie replied, “You hate the rich?”

“That’s an understatement,” said Lusty, “But damn straight. When I was seven I remember the city promised to use millions of dollars to fix up the Eastside and Westside. They wanted to use the money to repair the roads, the power lines, and whatnot including renovating the schools in both the Eastside and Westside. Where'd that money go? It went to Highwood to renovate a swimming pool park and used the money to renovate things that didn’t need to be renovated. A building built in 1985 doesn’t need to be renovated if it was built seven months before renovations started.

"The schools I went to had faulty HVAC systems and if the AC was turned on there was always a grinding sound and 99% of the time it would cause electrical fires. So it got hot and oh sweet Goodness after Gym class a lot of students refused to put on deodorant and it got ripe and terrible in classrooms even though we used to take showers after gym.

"Not adding that the windows when it rained the rain could come in and during heat waves or during the summer or hot days we would just melt because the AC and HVAC system wouldn’t work. But as long the rich got their renovated swimming pool park. We’ve always been… An afterthought wouldn’t do it justice but we were more or less told to fend for ourselves and if our tenement buildings caved in then no one at City Hall would bat an eye but if Highwood was out of power within a hour then everyone at City Hall would get their powered restore in a heartbeat. Oh power goes out in Eastside or Westside then City Hall won’t care but we would care especially if Football was on especially how a lot of people here in Eastside only watch Football for the cheerleaders or to see who’ll get a concussion or a torn muscle in the game.”

Mackenzie replied, “When was the last time you even watched Football?”

“Several months ago,” said Lusty.

***

At night.

Lusty was walking down the street in Eastside and just seeing the ruined buildings it reminded her of the textbooks she read in history class and it reminded her when learning about both World Wars of how cities laid in ruins because of Strategic bombings from both the Central Powers, Triple Alliance, Axis, and Allies. But to Lusty, she felt like she let her old community down by not being able to protect property and the stuff that had been in their families for generations.

It wasn’t long until two police cars came in which Lusty was arrested again even though there’s no crime she has committed. But when her old neighbors saw they went ballistic and threw any brick they could pick up and threw them at both the police cars and officers and the officers knew that it was time to high tail it out of there but a lot of cops say that breaking up a bar fight is more easier than breaking up a fight in Eastside.

But the people now reached their breaking point in which some would go down to the Tenth Precinct, some would go to Echelon Enterprises Empire branch HQ and finally to the homes of two out of three heads of Echelon Enterprises Empire Branch. But the group that went to the Tenth Precinct brought gas masks with them to fight against teargas.

***

At Lusty’s penthouse. Macaroni was messing with Lusty’s fire department scanner that she had to listen to calls in which she found it funny that the two mansions and the office building that Echelon Enterprises own. To her it’s funny that they’re on fire and resorted to arson to burn down buildings and to build on top of the rubble to gentrify the two poorest neighborhoods in the city of Empire but to her it’s funny that they’re fighting fire with fire.

But as Lusty predicted the two were given full immunity against prosecution because of their connections but to Lusty’s old neighbors that didn’t stop them from forming mobs to capture them but their wealth and connections in the Government or in the Little Bird political machine.

But Ms. Mackenzie “Jellybean” she used her skills as an expert hacker and hacked into Echelon Enterprises and was able to move some things around even did an illegal act of stealing money and routed them to both Eastside and Westside to start rebuilding the tenement buildings and commercial buildings and when the people received the money the people used bricks, cement, masonry, mortar, glass, and steel to rebuild and to Lusty that made her happy that the people just started to rebuild but all of the ones who lost their homes and businesses they lost everything and everything they lost is irreplaceable and the irreplaceable stuff was once in a lifetime item like trophies, wedding photos, baby photos or family heirlooms that been in families in generations and that they won’t have the nostalgic memories.

When the files got to the media it was run 24/7 and as what Lusty wanted it hurt Echelon Enterprises as well where no amount of money they could throw at the media could make them bury the story because it was one of those stories that made the entire country of Little Bird intrigued about how an almost billion-dollar corporation stooped so low to get rid of some buildings to build condos and high-end apartment buildings. Another thing is that Macaoni the cousins she sent to protect Lusty they were able to find Ms. Morgan hiding somewhere secluded but the trio used their military training to get her but didn’t turn her over to the cops because knowing corruption she’ll end up going missing again so Lusty could still be a “suspect” but when the three interrogated her and instead of good cop/bad cop it was bad cop/worst cop/no rules cop with each one being worse than the last. But when Macaroni asked if she talked, her cousin “Bulldog” replied “They always talk.”

When she did talk she mentioned how she was paid to set up Claire because she was digging too close to something she wasn’t supposed to know and how Lusty would’ve done a lot worse because of being from the Eastside. When Eastside caught fire and the tenement building she was in went away they hoped it would lower her morale so she would leave them alone but in reality it had the other effect of just making Lusty more irritated and more pissed off.

The people in the city of Empire even pressured the police department into giving a response that wasn’t a lie on why they didn’t investigate the arson spree when they had to. But the police chief or anyone else really couldn’t give that answer besides Captain Asyling and she straight up told the people that it was because they were paid to look the other way even though she refused an order from the higher-ups and kept her detectives looking for the individuals responsible.

Lusty’s old neighbors and old friends they told her that she ain’t helping them rebuild Eastside not being rude but to them, she should spend time with her daughters off work and not just keep adding stress and keep working herself and that while they do see her as an as a daughter, sister, niece or cousin they never had and they appreciate her help but to them, she should spend more time with her family than helping out her old community were the already proud of her being a firefighter and told her that it already takes a special breed of person to run into a raging inferno. But to Lusty, it takes a special breed of people to storm a beach or drive a tank, or to jump out of a plane behind enemy lines.

Lusty took her old neighbors advice and did not help out and when not working or taking dumb classes she spent time with her toddler daughters and her girlfriend. But her old neighbors told her that they don’t care who Lusty dates as long her new girlfriend doesn’t turn to be another version of Zofia but Lusty and Macaroni actually love each other and Macaroni don’t mind that Lusty is a firefighter but she gained of the non worrying because her father was in the 82nd Airborne Division and her grandfather was in the 82nd Airborne Division in World War 2.

To Lusty it was entertaining that the Director of the Beauru of Law she revoked the two higher-ups of Echelon Enterprises immunity because while she was elected and selected by the president to replace the former Director and the one who replaced the former director in 1995 she has a thing of wanting to hold others accountable for their actions regardless of their wealth or their political connections. She did that and revoked their immunity more quicker than a New York second and she worked her way up the food chain from a policewoman to detective to DA investigator to Elite Operations Detachment Agent and got into the Bureau of Law to work.

Macaroni told Lusty as well that Echelon Enterprises is lucky that the Watersons didn’t get to them first because of Echelon Enterprises trying to get rid of Mackenzie “Macaroni” Waterson but if they got to them first then it would’ve been an all out war because they’re protective of each other picking on one is picking on all of them were messing around with one in a friendly way then they won’t do anything but picking a fight or nearly killing one is enough for the rest to step in.

Even though the arson spree was now over, the damage had been done. While to Lusty her old neighborhood was beyond repair and while she did grow up in poverty and in a neighborhood that was on the line between poverty and below the poverty line but it was now worse. But she remembered of how some students in high school would pick on her and those who usually picked on her for being poor usually got punched and met the tiled floor and to her she’s proud of coming from an impoverished background because it made her value things she had and don’t have and made her respect her income and given her respect on the things she has. It gave her forbearance, discipline, and basic life skills of working with her hands that she gained when working with her father as a groundskeeper in the tenement building. But her mother always told her to never buy into the “and 99 cents” because that’s the first thing she learned is that they’re going to add 6% tax to it so that doesn’t mean anything if they’re going to add eleven cents to the bill.

Macaroni told Lusty that she actually likes Little Bird because of the vintage cars and she thought about getting a house on Little Bird and Lusty told her that an house cost between 2,938 to 11,900 or in other terms she can work for a few years and save up and have enough to buy a house. Lusty also explained why things on Little Bird are cheaper than the rest of the world is because President Orange's combination of low taxes, balanced budgets, and public spending allowed the economy to prosper at the start of 1946 without adding consumerism grew in the 1950s. Not adding, she told Macaroni that Little Bird doesn't have any debt because well Lusty puts it as “Little Bird believes in paying off its debts.”