Flames of Passion: Chapter 1

Fire Chief Richard Hasting of the Richmond Fire Department, searched through the crowd that gathered around the third fire of this nature. Crowds on one side of the street cheered as angry faces from the other side of the street stared at him.

“This is getting old, Chief,” Remington Hobbs expressed as he began stripping out of his gear. “Same neighborhood.” He looked around, “same gang. This is going to lead to trouble if we don’t catch who’s setting these fires.”

Richard knew his friend Remington, who he called Remy was right. Though he wasn’t particularly upset to see the houses in question go up in smoke. The crack houses had been a burden on the neighborhood for far too long. The police would close down one crack house only to have another up within twenty-four hours. Recently, the houses were being burned to the ground within hours of them reopening for business. He wanted to cheer with the neighbors but knew what his job required.

“Make sure we’ve cleared any hotspots,” Richard ordered. “Then we’ll go inside to investigate.”

“Chief!” an angry voice yelled out.

Richard turned to see King Jackson and a few of his crew standing behind him. “What can I do for you?”

“Three of my properties have been burned down in the last two weeks. What you gonna do about it?”

The man standing in front of him was known as the King of Washington Heights. He controlled everything from 2nd street to 5th Ave in the neighborhood of a few hundred families. Richard had little tolerance for men like King, who fed off the weakness of others. Over the years, they had established a hate-hate relationship. As long as King took a wide path around Station House 61, which was in the middle of his turf, Richard wouldn’t break his neck.

“The same thing I always do about fires. Put them out.”

He took a step to walk away when King yelled out, “You know who’s behind this. If you don’t put a stop to it, I will.”

Richard turned back on King so fast, Remy had to reach out to stop him. “Chief no. Hold on.”

Standing a good 6’2’ Richard towered over the 5’9’ King. King’s boys circled him quickly, as firefighters near the interaction circled the Chief, pushing the younger men away.

“You’re asking for the ass whipping your father never gave you, King.”

“This is costing me money. You stop her or I will!” King yelled into Richard’s face.

Before he thought better of it, Richard’s hands grabbed King by the throat.

Guns were drawn by the young men surrounding Richard.

The firefighters, including Remy, jumped in front of the chief. “Man, you don’t want to do this,” he said to King. “Let us do our job then we’ll be out of your hair.”

Richard pulled his hands away. “If you go anywhere near her, I’ll take you out with my bare hands.”

“Let’s make one thing clear. I run the streets around here. What I say goes. One more house, and the source will be eliminated,” King spat in the Chief’s face.

Neighbors looked on as King threatened Richard. A few of them broke through the line to put their support behind the Chief and the other firefighters.

“Burn the whole block down,” one bystander yelled.

“Just let it burn to the ground,” another added.

King stepped back and looked around at the crowd. A few backed off as he stared them down. King’s boys lowered their weapons, as he threw his hands in the air, turned then pushed his way back to the curb.

“Chief?” Remy shook his head. “You can’t do that around here. Our station house is smack in the middle of his turf. You start a battle here and it’s my men who will have to pay the price.”

Richard knew Remy was right. But he also knew King Jackson had no filters. He would take out anybody who looked at him wrong. Yes, he heard the rumors just like everyone else on who was behind the fires. He also knew if King went anywhere near her he would send him to the depths of hell.

“Chief?”

“I hear you, Remy,” Richard replied as he kept his watchful eye on King Jackson.