Swiftly, Nash shucked off his gear and clothes. Brock snuck a look behind his shoulder. Through the thin haze of trees the scene of the fire was still clear. The paramedics were rushing over to their truck with one of the bodies they had found. Maybe they had resuscitated him. Lord knows he and his team needed some hope.
Brock turned back toward Nash and stepped closer. The reflective tape along his firefighter gear shone through the dense brush. His clothes were all in a pile next to him. Nash began his transformation, and in half a minute he was a bear. Slowly, his animal lowered its snout to the whimpering dog. The dog's cries turned into a tiny whimper as the large burn on its side started to heal. Flesh and skin and fur grew back, making all signs of the injury disappear as it restored thanks to Nash.
Brock lowered himself to the ground. No one was around, but if anyone from the team saw him in the woods they might come over to speak to him. Which meant they would see Nash too. Or rather, Nash's bear. That was fine for Toby and Jax, also shifters, but no one else on the fire crew could know.
He waited until Nash changed back to his human form before he stepped in to take a look at the dog.
“You shouldn't have done that.”
Nash furrowed his eyebrows, still looking down at the animal, now back in his arms. “You could have stopped me.”
“True.”
“I’m glad you didn’t try. I’d have to be insubordinate again…but this time it’d be worth whatever discipline I’d have coming to me.”
“It’s fine. Let’s get back.”
“Can we take the dog?”
“It’s got a collar. Someone owns it. The cop on the scene can get animal control over here.”
“Okay.”
“Are you weak?”
“I’ll be fine. He’s a tiny little thing. Healing him didn’t take much of my energy.”
The dog rested contentedly in Nash’s arms. All of its brown fur was restored as though it had never been burned. Its back rose and fell, each breath deeper and more peaceful until it slept. It was a relief to see the animal was all right. Still, Brock couldn't help but worry about Nash and his rash decisions again. What if Brock hadn’t followed him? Nash could have just risked being seen by a human member of the crew, or a curious bystander.
“I had to do something,” Nash insisted.
Brock rubbed his aching forehead. “Be more careful next time.”
“I will.”
“You're not the only person at risk.”
“I know.”
Brock thought about chiding him some more, but bit his tongue. He was just as responsible. He let Nash release his bear and heal the animal. He’d probably do it again, if no one was around to witness it. Nash could be impulsive sometimes to the point of thoughtlessness, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
The second ambulance truck was wheeling the second burn victim to the back door of the ambulance when Brock and Nash returned. Brock walked up to Haverty, who stood talking to a young male officer. Their two shifts often coincided, and so Brock tended to see a lot of the man.
“Another meth lab?”
Haverty zeroed his dark eyes in on Brock. “Looks that way. Can you believe this crap?”
“I can’t.” Brock gazed at the smoldering wreck of the structure in front of them. His team would be on scene until the fire completely died down, and soon would enter with the Hazmat team and fire investigator to pick through the ashes.
“By the looks of it, this one was staffed by two college kids.”
“What did the medics say?”
“The kids didn’t make it.”
“Are you sure? The way they raced out of here with them, I was sure they might have found a pulse or something.”
“I saw them call the time of death. They were probably dead the second the place exploded.”
Brock shook his head. These kids probably didn’t know what they had been getting into or had any idea about the risks involved. No doubt they figured they would score easy money. A part time job like this would pay a hell of a lot more than flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant or working part time on campus. Someone lured them into this job, and made it look like a win-win. No one won today though. They were probably told no one would ever know. Except now not only would everyone know these kids had paid the ultimate price for someone else to profit. Their lives were over. In a few days their families would be saying goodbye forever, holding funerals, giving eulogies, gathering around the caskets of two young people whose lives were thrown away for the sake of illegal financial gain.
“What about the guy you mentioned the other day?”
“Rhys Dillon?”
“Yes.”
Haverty grunted. “This could be one of his. As far as we know he's the only one suspected to be running labs in this area. It's a damn shame. He's making a killing in his ivory tower and these kids are paying the price.”