Desire Me If You Can [Novel] - Chapter 33

He couldn’t help but scoff, remembering the fortune teller’s words, the very he’d gotten himself into this ridiculous mess. Nothing special about it. Fortune tellers always deceived people with their nonsense.
Fire, huh? Not entirely wrong.
Grayson narrowed his eyes, thinking,
I’ll burn that fortune-teller down.
***
By the time they arrived at the scene, thick black smoke was billowing high, shrouding the sky. As soon as the truck screeched to a halt, they jumped out and assessed the situation with their own eyes.
“Damn it.”
Someone cursed under their breath. And for good reason-the fire had grown far worse than when they’d first gotten the call. The house where it started was already completely engulfed, and the flames had spread, setting three neighboring houses ablaze.
Wilkins shouted to the people who were standing at a distance, anxiously watching the fire,
“Are the owners of these burning houses here? Anyone?”
It was likely that the houses were empty, as it was the time most people would be at work. After confirming that no one stepped forward, Wilkins hurriedly surveyed the fire scene. Meanwhile, the firefighters under his command moved swiftly and efficiently.
Grayson watched them unload and set up the equipment in a practiced routine as if it were none of his business. Which it was. He had no intention of getting involved and running around like an idiot.
“Miller, hey! Get over here!”
Wilkins, who had been giving orders left and right after roughly assessing the situation, suddenly called out to Grayson. Standing idly amidst the bustling firefighters, Grayson didn’t budge even at the call, remaining rooted in place as he asked,
“What is it?”
Wilkins felt a surge of anger but suppressed it, remembering the situation. Extinguishing the fire was the top priority.
“We need to create a firebreak to stop the fire from spreading. You’re in charge of this area.”
Grayson didn’t reply, just furrowed his brow.
Make a firebreak?
He had never even heard the word before. Seeing Grayson just standing there blankly, Wilkins sighed deeply instead of getting angry then grabbed his arm, dragged him over, and explained.
“So, from here to here, you need to remove anything that might catch fire. That includes electrical appliances or anything flammable. Understand?”
Wilkins explained in the simplest terms possible, as if talking to a preschooler, and looked Grayson directly in the eye. Grayson, who had been silent until then, glanced to the side, then down at the ground, scratched the back of his head, and sighed as if annoyed. Thankfully, he started moving without complaint.
Wilkins felt a slight relief as he watched him. In a situation where they needed all the help they could get, this was a good thing. He immediately turned his attention back to the scene.
The sounds of collapsing houses, gushing water, shouting people, and the grating buzz of various equipment filled the air.
Passing DeAndre, who was cutting through a garage door with a chainsaw, Wilkins headed towards the next burning house, quickening his pace as he shouted continuously.
“Lower! Raise the hose higher! Spray the water up! Higher, higher!”
“Is the second floor completely gone? Damn it, the roof’s completely burned too.”
“Who’s gone inside? …Good, no one’s been found yet? Alright, keep searching.”
He directed the operation, offering corrections and encouragement as needed, then circled back to Grayson after one full round.
“Oh.”
To his surprise, Grayson had completed his task perfectly.
One might think it was just moving and clearing things, but as with anything, it was common for people to struggle with it if it was their first time, so Wilkins had braced himself to some extent. Yet, seeing the firebreak neatly organized, he saw Grayson in a new light.
“Good job. You’re not bad.”
Wilkins gave him a light pat on the arm and turned to leave, but at that moment, he spotted a staff member about to enter the house. Wilkins furrowed his brow.
“Dane! Dane Striker!”
At the call, Dane, who was about to go inside with a hose, stopped and looked back at him. Wilkins hurried
over and asked,
“Are you going in alone? No one else with you?”
“As you can see.”
He replied indifferently, as usual. With the massive fire, everyone was already stretched thin, struggling with their own tasks.
“Backup from another station should arrive soon. Why don’t you wait and go in with them? Going in alone
is dangerous…”
Just then-
“Aaaaagh! Agh!”
A man suddenly screamed and tried to rush into the house. Dane quickly caught him, but the man continued to thrash without paying attention.
“No, Charles! Charles!”
Tears streamed down his face as he repeated the same name. Wilkins rushed over and asked,
“What’s going on? Are you the owner of this house?”
The man nodded through his tears, his voice choked with sobs. Wilkins continued, his tone calm but
urgent,
“I’m Darius Wilkins. What’s your name? …Alright, Mr. George Wright. Are you single? Any other family?”
“Charles, Charles’s inside, Charles.”
“Calm down, we’ll help you… Who’s Charles? Are they inside the house right now?”
The man sobbed and nodded repeatedly.
“Charles always waits for me alone, and right now, he’s probably in there waiting for me. L-Let go of me! I
have to save Charles! Charles!”
“Alright, alright! Calm down!”
Wilkins restrained him with a firmer tone than before. He watched the man sobbing helplessly for a
moment, then asked again,
“How old is Charles? Is she your wife? Or your partner?”
“Twelve… years old… a beautiful blonde…”
“Your daughter?”
Wilkins finished his sentence, seeing the man struggling to speak through his sobs, but the man shook his
head, crying.
“No, he’s a dog… Charles’s a dog…”
Dane and Wilkins exchanged a quick glance. They soon learned that Charles was a golden retriever.
“And? Is there anyone else? Any chance there might be someone else inside?”
At Wilkins’ continued questions, the man shook his head.
“Charles is my only family. Please save my Charles, I only have Charles… please…”
The man collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. Wilkins patted his shoulder comfortingly, then quickly
scanned the area. There were still no available firefighters in sight.
Except for the seemingly useless Grayson Miller.
Meeting Wilkins’ eyes, Grayson flashed a grin. It was a practiced, meaningless smile, a pure social gesture.
Wilkins grimaced and immediately turned away. He looked around again, searching for someone to go in
with Dane, but he couldn’t find anyone suitable.
“Damn, this is bad. I can’t send him in alone.”
The fire was too big now. Sending someone in alone, with no one to help if they inhaled too much smoke or ran into trouble, was far too risky.