The Call of the Flame

On top of the rooftop of the fire station, stood a young firefighter named Levi Goldstein. As he looks down in the night sky, the night air cool against his skin as he surveyed the city skyline. His hands rested on the railing, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the first hints of dawn began to paint the sky with soft hues of orange and pink.

As a firefighter, Levi always felt a sense of purpose in his work, a calling to serve and protect his community, which could be attributed to his childhood. He had faced countless dangers and devastation wrought by fire, and each time, he stood bravely.

But tonight felt different, different in a way where he doesn't understand. "Man, this is a bit of an uncomfortable feeling" he claimed. Tonight the tension of the air was getting thicker.

Suddenly, all his feelings was thrown out the window once it was interrupted by the shrill sound of his pager, breaking the silence of the night. With the call of urgency, Levi reached for the device, and quickly reads the message displayed in the screen.

"Emergency at the old warehouse district. Possible explosion. All units respond immediately."

Without hesitation, Levi was filled with adrenaline and sprang into action, racing down the stairs and joining his fellow firefighters as they scrambled to their trucks and sped off to their destination. As they arrived at the scene of the emergency, Levi couldn't help but look with awe. Levi was a huge fan of fires, and that was one of the reasons he became a firefighter. Though he has seen many fires, this one made him look in complete awe.

"Firefighter Goldstein! Stay focused, we got a job to do. Keep moving" His captain instructed him. "Yes, captain!" responded Levi as he snapped back to his senses. "Levi, come hurdle in here real quick!" Fire chief Solomon called out to Levi.

As Levi arrived, they thought of a strategy to put out the flame. "Alright everyone, we've got a fire at the ole' warehouse. It's fully involved, we need to act fast. Lieutenant Hector, I want you to establish a command post and coordinate resources" the chief instructed. "Yes, Chief. I'll set up command post and get in touch with dispatch for additional support" after saying that, the lieutenant hurried to do what he was asked.

"Chief, what's our strategy?" Asked the captain. "Captain, for now, we're going defensive. We need to contain this fire and protect the surrounding structures. Let's focus on setting up defensive lines and preventing further spread" the chief responded. "Chief, what about the hazardous materials inside the warehouse?" Levi asked. "Good question. We need to be cautious. Keep a safe distance and avoid direct exposure to the flames. If we can identify the type of materials involved, we'll adjust our tactics accordingly, got that Goldstein?" The chief said, "Yes Chief!"

"Alright, let's get to work. Captain, deploy hose lines and set up master streams. Lieutenant, coordinate with neighboring departments for additional manpower and equipment. And everyone, stay safe!" The chief instructed. As the lieutenant calls dispatch. "Dispatch, this is Lieutenant. We need mutual aid from surrounding departments. Send all available units to assist with firefighting efforts at the old warehouse on the 5th street", "Copy that, Lieutenant. Mutual aid units are en route to your location"

"Hose line set up and ready to go, Captain!" Levi screamed out. "Good work, Goldstein. Let's start dousing those flames and protect those adjacent buildings. Keep an eye out" the captain responded. "Keep up the good work, everyone. We're making progress. Stay focused and keep safe. We'll enter the factory after this gets under control.

As the firefighters were dousing the flames with water, the chief could see that the coast was clear for entry. "Attention all units on scene. We're assessing the situation inside the warehouse. I need status report on structural stability and any hazards inside the warehouse." The chief ordered. "Yes, Chief. Firefighter Goldstein, Firefighter Jones, you're up for reconnaissance. Assess the structural stability and any hazards inside the warehouse." The captain ordered. "Understood, Captain. We'll proceed cautiously and report back. You ready Levi?" Jones asked.

Levi took a deep breath and said, "Let's do this"

"Lieutenant, have the rapid intervention team standby for immediate deployment in case of emergency. And keep a close eye on the situation inside" the Chief stated loudly. "Roger that, Chief. Rapid intervention team standing by" the lieutenant responded. "Recon team, once you've assessed the situation, report back with your findings. If conditions allow for safe entry, we may need to conduct search and rescue operation. Use extreme caution and prioritize firefighter safety" the chief uttered to the recon team. "Copy that, Chief. We're moving in now" responded Jones.

Once Levi and Jones entered the warehouse, they entered with extreme caution. "Levi, this place is a mess. The structural integrity looks compromised. We need to be extremely cautious" Jones warned Levi. "Agreed, I can see cracks in the walls and sagging beams. This place could come down any minute" responded Levi. "Let's keep our movement limited, and stay close to the exits, I can't lose you here buddy" says Jones in great worry. "Got that, you don't gotta worry Jones" responded Levi.

*concrete cracking*

"We gotta report back to the command post ASAP. This building is highly unstable, and we shouldn't risk any further exposure, I'll radio the command post" says Jones, as he was to radio the command post, Levi was mesmerized by the flame that circled the center of the factory. Jones seemed to also noticed and can't help but be in awe as well, but he kept his composure and kept warning Levi. "Levi, go away from there, the building is highly unstable!" Jones warned.

Levi was highly intrigued by the flame, it was as if it was alive, and it was talking to him, it's as if it could understand him. Levi was slowly but surely getting close to the flame. "Levi! Let's go!" Jones screamed out. "This is Chief. What's the situation?", "There's a flame circling in the center of the factory, the structure is unstable and Levi is oddly in awe about it" Jones responded. "Hurry up and get out of there" The Chief responded.

"Levi, let's go!" Levi wasn't listening and instead got close to the flame, as he touched the flame Levi fell unconscious. "Levi!" Jones ran and grabbed Levi. Due to Jones running, the factory slowly crumbled and fell, luckily Jones managed to escape. But Levi was now left unconscious.

....

At the Hospital...

Levi was slowly waking up. "J-jones, w-what happened?" Levi asked weakly. "You're finally awake!" Jones rushed to hug Levi. "Man, don't do nothing like that ever again, I can't be losing you man" Jones said in worry of his friend. "You won't be losing me buddy" responded Levi. When Jones pulled away, he told Levi "By the way, some people wanna see ya, just call me when you need me okay? I'll let them in now" Jones said. As he left 3 dudes all in black stepped in.

"Hello? You said you needed me?" Levi asked. "Close the windows" as the man that has white hair and black suit ordered to the other two, they quickly complied. "Well, hello there Mr. Goldstein. I'm Agent Wilson. I work in the field of national security and intelligence" the man said. "Are you CIA?" Levi asked. "How would you come up with that conclusion?" Asked the same man. "The get-up is obvious", "I understand your observation. However, I cannot confirm neither deny any affiliations, I simply came here to tell you the looming threat the world is under"....

To be continued...