When Ashes Fall

ve spent their whole lives in innocent ole Maine. The thought of me being in this big city terrifies them. And that's where my place has

t city emp

her wa

stood Alix'

re you?"

right thi

es

of the firehous

rea of where that firehouse was located. I just didn't know

ven block

nge line to Downtown Crossing. I'

to get on the train

today, one that started in fifteen minutes. Two of them were conference calls with the West Coast office, and

n a whim

before she said, "Oka

L

SEN

house, making it easy to walk there. As I put on my jacket, I wondered what Rose had to

to a

posed to call her when I got home from work

arefully walking down the steps, I took out

you five more minutes before I called you and chewed your ass

w. I'm

e forg

arify something really q

is it

that had caused me to put on several different outfits before I

, "I honestly

going out; let's leave it at th

ked down as I passed a large group of men. "Skinny

glass of wine

int in my life when she stopped askin

d you would celebrate even if

another

e believed

it, so I changed topics and said, "W

ich was about the same time I'd met Dylan. When things turned serious between Terry and R

s later, I'

hile Rose was telling me what their pl

e I could

n tuned in

nd of someone

ource. There were two men just steps inside the mouth of the alley up ahead. One was sitting

a second to asse

nds trembling to the point wh

shaking the unconsc

ill no react

would only get worse with

then he needed to be b

ss I was quite

d to help him, I did

d to pull my

my breathing and stop

rt, I

a

standing in the cen

oz

e moving by me i

essed against my ear, an

e two men, and I forced myself

'll order s

o go," I said,

d hold. Then, I willed my body to loosen enough that I could rush over to

g quickly looked up at

nstead, I slid in next to them and lowered myself until I was a

Mar

used a sharp, stern voice. "Joe, can you open your eyes and l

lot of