The Fifth Horseman

PART ONE

Test of Fire

The report of my death was an exaggeration

Mark Twain

New York Journal

June 2, 1897

Chapter One

He was working at Ted Jenkins’s Box Factory again. He had just gone to the box room to get some boxes when he heard the screams. Help me, help me, John, you’ve got to help us. If you don’t I’ll burn to death. How could this be? How could he be back there? He was the President of the United States, not a college student off for the summer. But Linda Pavak, no Linda Kertchbaum, was trapped inside the box room. It was on fire. He was the only one that could save them.

"Well, Mister President, what are you going to do? Are you going in there and try and save her even though it’ll mean that I will burn you to death, or will you let her burn to death in order to save yourself? She saved you twice, risked her life twice to save your miserable life, so what are you going to do?"

It was Robert Johnson. He was standing next to him and holding a can of gasoline and a burning match. He kept asking him the same question, would he save the woman that saved him from burning to death twice and a woman he cared about, at the cost of his own life, or allow himself to die in order to save her?

"You know what she would do, Mister President, without hesitation, Johnson taunted. She’d go in and save your ass, even if it meant she’d burn to death in the process. So now what are you going to do? You’re the President, the most powerful person in the free world, so are you man enough to save her, or will you let her die?"

"You’re dead, Robert! he screamed. They told me you died. You can’t be doing this, you’re dead! You’re dead!"

"Am I Mister President? Did you really see me die? No, I didn’t think so, so what will it be, who will die, you or Linda Mathews?"

"Her name is Kertchbaum, Linda Kertchbaum, and you Robert are dead. You’re dead...... you’re dead......you’re dead......"

Vice President John Thomas awoke from a dead sleep and shouted, you’re dead, Robert, you’re dead!

Beside him, his wife Janet stirred and awoke. The dream, John? she asked, trying to console him and rub his back.

Yes, god damn it, he said, getting up and putting his robe on. The same fucking dream. Robert Johnson making me decide if Linda lives or I live. When I tell him he’s dead, he just asks me if I saw him die. God, I wish I had seen him die. I should have been there in Pittsburgh when they rescued Linda. I should have seen him fucking die!

No, John, that wasn’t your place. You’re the Vice President of the United States. Your safety was more important. Linda knew that, she still does. Anyway, the Secret Service would never have let you go.

Fuck the Secret Service, he said angrily. Do I run the Secret Service or do they run me?

Do you really need to ask that question? Janet asked.

No, he answered, actually smiling. No, I don’t, they run me.

There was a knock on the door. Thomas just turned to his wife and looked at her. The clock next to the bed said it was a quarter to six in the morning. He wasn’t to be awakened for forty-five minutes, not that it made any difference, not after the dream. He’d never get back to sleep, he’d be too afraid. He walked to the door and opened it.

His jaw dropped. Two men stood in the doorway. One was the Director of the Secret Service Abe Tomacheski. The other was the Chief Justice of the United States. What’s wrong? Thomas asked, fearing the worst.

Mister President, Tomacheski said, and Thomas realized that said it all. There’s been an accident. The helicopter carrying President Denzenbaker and the First Lady crashed on the way to the airport. We don’t know why, but we do know that there are no survivors. Mister President, Chief Justice Duff is here to administer the oath of office for the President of the United States to you.

Thomas was in shock. Denzenbaker was dead. Then the Chief Justice said, Mister President, please raise your right hand. And less than five minutes later in his bedroom in the Vice President’s residence, in his robe, John Thomas became the President of the United States.

Mister President, Tomacheski said, there’s something I need to tell you. Something we’ve been keeping secret from you, but now, as President, you need to know. May I come in?

Ya, yes, Director, the new President said, still in shock, both for the death of his friend and the implication his death meant.

Once inside, as Thomas and his wife listened, the Director of the Secret Service told Thomas the terrible story that they had hid from him. When he was finished, the death of Denzenbaker paled in comparison.

Chapter Two

Captain Linda Kertchbaum stood in the apparatus bay of Number Six Fire Station. She still had troubling believing she was really a Captain. It seemed like only yesterday she was a probie fighting the fire at the Harrison. Now she was the Captain on Six Truck.

Lost in thought, Cap? Bill Nicen, the Lieutenant on the Engine asked her.

She looked over at him, oh hi, Bill. Yeah, can’t believe I’m here as the Captain. Seems like only yesterday I was a probie.

I think it’s always that way when someone is talented and ambitious. They rise quickly, but then, so do those that are good at taking tests, the ones with a lot of book smarts.

Is that how you think of me, Bill, ambitious with a lot of book smarts? she asked wondering if she would have problems with the Lieutenant. He was older than her by about six years and had been a firefighter longer. He had been a Lieutenant before she made Lieutenant and now here she outranked him and he would have to take orders from her.

Oh no, Cap, not you, that isn’t what I meant. But it also seems like the ambitious also have self-doubts, especially the talented ones. They’re afraid they haven’t learned enough and will get someone hurt. The book smart ones think they know it all and couldn’t possibly get someone hurt. No, Cap, you are one of the talented ones. From what I’ve heard, you look out for your people.

Thanks, Bill, she said. It was true, she was afraid she didn’t know enough, or have enough experience. She did look out for her people, but did she really know everything she needed to know?

Look, Cap, don’t worry, everyone here will follow you into hell if necessary because we know you’ll figure out a way to get us out of there safely.

She just looked at him. Finally, she said, what does that mean?

Nothing, Cap, nothing at all, don’t get defensive. I’m just saying, from what we’ve seen and heard, we know you’ll protect us, and if push comes to shove, you’ll figure out a way to get us out of danger and get us back to quarters safely.

She sighed. She knew exactly what he meant. Bill, I’m only human, I can’t work miracles.

Maybe, Cap, but you have in the past, he said and smiled.

She shook her head and then sighed once again. I’m not trying to be egotistical, but do you have any idea what it is like to be a living legend, Bill? Do you know the stress of walking into a room of strangers at a fire class or a conference, some of those strangers being from out of town or out of state, and they know who you are and what you’ve done? Some of them aren’t even firefighters, and they know me and my supposed exploits. Some have told me they watched the video from the University Inn fifty times, especially the last three seconds. You have any idea what that’s like?

No, Cap, I don’t, he said, wishing he did know what it was like.

And Bill, then I have to say something, something profound that doesn’t make me sound like a total blond idiot. She shook her head.

Cap, he said, and then stopped...... "Look Captain, I’m one of those guys that’s watched that video fifty times, especially the last three seconds. I’ve heard the stories and I’ve talked to others. You forget where you are. Dave Larsky was on the Go Team, he saw it happen. Vince Wolverton was on the Truck, and he was still outside. He saw the whole thing unfold. We know what happened, Captain. So, in case you’ve forgotten, let me tell you what you did.

"You, with your partner, John Hanssen, entered the Vice President’s suite. There was heavy fire between you and Thomas. All you had with you was a two-and-a-half-gallon water can, a three hundred foot section of rope and the irons. You had no way to put out the fire, and unknown to you at the time, Johnson had blown both stand pipes on the first floor, so you weren’t going to get water.

"You and your partner crawled under that fire, you dragging an SCBA for the Vice President. You shoved your partner into the room because he was faltering due to the heat of the fire. That caused you to falter also, but he pulled you inside.

Once inside, Nicen continued, "you found that Thomas and his wife were naked and tied up. There were also two naked and unconscious Secret Service Agents in the room as well.

I have to tell you, Cap, I’m not sure I would have even tried to save the Vice President. With no hose line and all that fire, I’m sorry, but I might have figured my life was more important to my wife and kids than his, but for now, let’s say that I’d go in the bedroom as well.

"You gave the Vice President your bunker pants. You had John Hanssen give his coat and pants to the Vice President’s wife, and then you put your coat in the bathroom window that you had Hanssen break, to protect the rope.

Now, Cap, he continued, "I can say with certainty that I would never, never have taken my protective clothing off and given it to the Vice President and his wife. Assuming I attempted the rescue, I’d have lowered them down naked. I didn’t make them remove their clothes, so it wasn’t my job to dress them, but you did give them your protective clothing to protect their dignity.

Then, he said, "you tricked both the Vice President and your partner, and lowered them together. You alone lowered two men down the side of the building, twelve stories to the ground. I doubt I could have done that. I would have had my partner help me, but you wanted to make sure that your partner and Thomas were safe. Then you lowered his wife.

At this point, I would have tied off the rope and repelled down the side of the building. I would have left the two Secret Service Agents go. I’d figure that you can’t save them all, besides it was their job to prevent Thomas from being in that position. If they had done their job, you or in this case I, wouldn’t have been in that bathroom.

He smiled at this point. Now, Captain, here comes the best part.

Linda knew what he was going to say, but then she’d been there. She also realized just how impossible this thing had been, but she didn’t say anything.

You, Captain, he said, devised the craziest, most improbable scheme I have ever known. When he saw she was going to speak, he held up his hand. Yes, Cap, I know, you were desperate, but there was no reason to be desperate, you could have simply repelled down to safety, but you couldn’t do that. You had to save two more people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not making fun of you, this is who you are. Me, as I said, I’d have let them die and saved myself. That is why you are such a good Captain, we know that no matter how bad it gets, you aren’t going to run out and just save your life.

That got a smile from her. It was true. She would die to save her partner if that’s what it took.

"So, Cap, you conceived a plan, but let’s look at what had to happen. When you heard the air horns that signaled everything was ready, you leaped out of a twelfth-floor window with two naked Secret Services Agents tethered to your waist, on a rope that was of no value, but you were prepared for that, the Go Team was going to help.

"All the Go Team had to do was pull the rope into the building and hold it there for about three quarters of a second. If they let go too soon, less than a half second, your momentum and speed would carry you into the aerial your rope was attached to. Your high purchase point was below you and ten yards away, so that meant you would slam into the aerial, probably breaking something and possibly killing yourself and the men you were trying to save.

"If the Go Team didn’t let go soon enough, you would slam into the building or them, so all they had to do was hold the rope no less than a half second, but no more than a full second after you jumped, and they couldn’t see you jump. Hell, what’s so hard about that?

Now, after you jumped, you free fell for about a second before you had any tension on your repel line. Then you had to reach over with your right hand, your brake hand, and slow yourself down or you would hit the ground in three seconds at about sixty-five miles an hour. Hell, you had a whole second to stop yourself! So, with your brake hand, you pulled up on the rope with all your strength in order to stop six hundred pounds of mass moving at over forty-five miles an hour, and you did it. You stopped all that mass five feet from the ground, two and a half seconds after you jumped out of the window, a full second or two ahead of the fire as it flashed over the room, and, Cap, you wonder why people consider you a living legend?!?! Like I said, I’ve watched the video at least fifty times. There is no way in hell I could have done that. I don’t know anyone, anywhere that could have done that. Now, shall I go on with your other feats, like hanging from your hands, eleven stories above the ground in order to save your life and the life of the person that is now your husband?

No, she said a little ashamed.

Or maybe we could talk about your assignment just about a year ago where you had to decide who would live and who would die from the Sarin gas. You went against orders and told your partner to save the lives of three people suffering the effects of that gas, giving up the epi pens designed to save your life if necessary. You did that because you will do whatever is necessary to save someone’s life and protect the life of your partner or crew, even if it means you die in the process.

No, we don’t need to discuss that either, Lieutenant, Linda replied.

So, yes, Captain, you are talented, and these men and myself will follow you into hell, because we know that you will look out for us and make sure nothing happens to us, but if everything does go to shit then somehow, someway, you will bring us home safe and sound.

She just stared at him. Finally, she said, thank you, Bill. I mean it, but you know, you and for that matter the men can call me Linda, I don’t mind.

He smiled at her. After Captain Rose left, as you may know, Captain Blaine came here. He’s the guy you replaced. Well, Captain Blaine had a rule. You called him Captain, or when everyone was bull shitting, you could call him Cap. I was Lieutenant, Loo, or LT. He said we earned our positions, and we should be shown the respect of the rank.

Do you respect me, Bill? she said.

Hell, yes, he answered.

Would you respect me any less if you called me Linda?

No, he answered honestly.

Would you have any trouble following my orders if you called me Linda?

No, he answered.

Who is the worst Captain you have ever known? Linda asked.

I don’t know, from what I heard, it probably would have been Captain Elbert.

Would you respect him any more by calling him Captain Elbert? she asked.

He laughed, hell no.

That’s my point, Bill. You respect the rank, but that doesn’t mean you respect the person. Like you said, some people are book smart and get promoted. They don’t get a lot of respect, but you still respect the rank. I’d rather you respect me for who I am, not my rank. So, I don’t care if you call me Linda or anything else. Then she smiled, okay, maybe there are a few names that would really piss me off, but otherwise, I don’t care, and if you want to leak it to the men, that’s okay also. I don’t know Chief Logue that well, so if he doesn’t like you and the men calling me Linda, then don’t do it around him, and of course in formal situations, I have to be Captain also, but otherwise, call me Linda.

All right, Linda, he said, and welcome to Number Six.

That was over eight months ago. Now she was standing outside the apparatus bay where Six Engine was housed, staring into space once again. Her rig, Six Truck, was in a separate bay in the basement. Six Engine faced Fortieth Street, while Six Truck faced Penn Avenue. The others were doing the morning chores. She could see the Truck on the driveway. Wolverton had the ladder up slightly and was checking everything out before he washed it.

Lost in thought again, Linda? Bill asked.

Yeah, Bill, I still have trouble believing I’m here as a Captain, and not a firefighter.

We’re glad you’re here, are you happy to be leading us?

Hell yes, she said. Everyone is just top notch, she said.

You know, Linda, I’ve talked to the Chief. He wants you to teach the whole Battalion that trick where you repel out of a twelfth story window with two naked men on your hip just a second before the room flashes over. Only we want it to be two big busted naked women instead.

Men! she said.

No, Linda, women, big busted women that’s what we want, he said and smiled.

Well, I’m big busted but don’t plan on seeing me naked any time soon.

You mean I have to give the money back? he said,

What money? she asked seriously.

The money everyone has paid me to watch you take a shower, he said.

Oh, that money, she replied. No, that’s business, just don’t forget I get sixty percent because I’m doing all the work. They both smiled and laughed at the idea of doing such a thing. Now as for the big busted women thing, well, I’m not into big busted women.

Does that mean you are into small busted women, then? We can make that part of the shower show also and make even more money.

She looked at him and just shook his head. Men! she said again. Sorry to disappoint you, ain’t gonna happen, none of it.

He smiled back at her and then changed the subject. It’s a shame to hear about President Denzenbaker, Bill said. Helicopter crash that killed him and his wife. He was shaking his head. But now your buddy is President.

My buddy? she said.

Sure, Linda, just how many times have you and Thomas had some kind of a meal together?

It’s hard to keep track, she said. He was over just last week. He needed some advice, so he stopped by for dinner. I made hamburger helper. He brought big busted women for me and Kertch.

Well, it’s nice to see you don’t cook any better for us than you do for him, he said.

Hey, she exclaimed, my talent is firefighting, not cooking. That’s what I have you men for. You guys have to be good for something. They both laughed at her joke, it broke up the sorrow that came from being reminded of the President’s death. As they laughed, a long alert tone sounded.

Channel Six structure fire, she said.

Attention all Companies, the dispatcher began. Zone Three-Two is now working... Nicen began to head for the Engine, but Linda stopped him. They needed to hear everything.

......for a structure fire with entrapment. Caller states his house is filling up with smoke, he’s trapped on the second floor and someone else is trapped on the third floor. Address is...... Then the dispatcher was giving the address and what companies were responding, but by the time she got to responding rigs, Linda and Bill were both moving inside toward their rigs.

Bill, Linda said, as he was gearing up. Leave room for the Truck and take a hydrant when you get there. We’ll be right behind you.

Chapter Three

The address was in Lawrenceville, about a mile from the station. Linda knew that the Engine would arrive first, followed by the Truck. The Engine would get there first mainly because Wolverton had the aerial raised, and the rig was in the basement. So, the engine would get out of quarters faster.

Six Truck in service, Linda said into her microphone a few minutes from the time of the broadcast. The truck pulled into the street with Linda on both the siren and air horn, to make sure traffic was cleared. They turned left down the hill at Fortieth Street only ten feet away from the driveway and headed to Lawrenceville. The Engine in front of them had just reached the intersection of Fortieth and Butler and was turning right onto Butler.

As Six Truck turned onto Butler, Linda heard Six Engine saying that there was a lot of smoke and that they were taking a hydrant. When she heard it, she said into her headset so the others could hear, Vince, you and Marko have ventilation. Fred, you’re with me, on the search. Marko, start by giving us a ladder to the second floor. I’ll lead the search, Fred.

These orders didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. This was the way Linda did things. She divided the Truck down the middle. Vince Wolverton was driving, so he and Mark Columbo would do venting and laddering. Linda and the person sitting behind her, Fred Mandelman would do any search that was needed. If no search was needed, Linda would have command until the Chief arrived and then ladder the building.

The Engine had stopped so Doug Fotinos could take the hydrant. When it did, the Truck closed the gap between them, but the Engine still beat it to the fire. It passed up the house so the Truck could stop in front of the structure. After the Truck stopped, Linda got out and looked up at the building and then keyed her mike.

Six Truck on the scene. We have a three-story wood frame house. Heavy fire on the first floor on Side ‘B,’ with smoke on the second and third floors. I have exposures on Sides ‘B’ and ‘D.’ Give me a second alarm. Six Truck will have command until the Chief arrives.

She turned to Mandelman, Fred, change of plans. You and Marko put a ladder to the second floor and a ladder to the third floor Side ‘D.’ By that time, the Chief should be here and we’ll do the search."

Fotinos had charged the five-inch supply and was headed back to the Engine. Nicen and the other firefighter, Gavin Holmes were masking up and getting ready to pull an inch and three-quarter hand line to the fire blowing out the Side B window, the one on the right side of the building. The house next to the one on fire was beginning to smoke, and Linda knew they had to act fast.

Bill, she yelled, protect the exposure. I’ll send Seven in the front door.

Got ‘ya, Nicen said to her through his mask.

This wasn’t Linda’s first multi alarm fire under Chief Logue, since she took command of Six Truck, but normally he was the one asking for the extra alarms. She didn’t see much in the way of options. The fire was moving too fast.

Dispatch, Forty-Sixth Street Command, Linda radioed. Give me a third alarm.

As she said that, she heard Seven Engine approaching. Seven Engine to Command, where do you want us?

Seven Engine, come in from Plummer. Take a hydrant and then take a hand line off Six. Then seeing that a ladder to the second floor was in place, she radioed Eight Engine. Eight Engine from Command, I want you to take a line into the second floor. I’m heading into the second floor with my partner for a search. BC Three will have Command upon his arrival.

After she said that and realizing that Logue should be on the scene in a minute or less, she put on her mask and started to climb the ladder to the second floor with a pick head axe. At the top of the ladder, she stuck her regulator into her mask and took a deep breathe, causing her regulator to open up and flow air. She took her axe and hit the window as high as she could. It shattered inward and smoke began to billow out. She used her axe again and hit the window low to break any remaining glass. After that she cleared all the glass from the window and stepped inside, keeping her head outside so Mandelman could see her.

About thirty seconds later, she saw him climbing the ladder to the second floor. Then he stepped inside. Right hand search, she yelled.

When she stepped in, the first thing she did was shine her flashlight under the smoke to see if the victim was in that room. He wasn’t. She could see the room and no one appeared to be in it. After her partner joined her, she put her right hand on the wall and as soon as she felt his hand on her boot, she began to crawl along the wall.

The quick look that Linda gave the room was enough for her to see that it was a bedroom. She headed around the bed, crawling deeper into the smoke. She came to the door to the hallway quickly. Now she was totally in the smoke and blind. As she exited the bedroom, she could see an orange flicker heading upward in front of her, she could also feel an increase in the heat.

That told her the steps from the first floor were right in front of her. From what she could make out of the building, it should mean that they were on her left and the fire was rising upward from the first-floor fire up those steps. She yelled to her partner and told him to stay to the right and straight behind her.

Eight Engine from Six Truck, Linda’s muffled voiced came over the radio.

Eight Engine, Cap.

Eight, we have fire coming up from below on the steps. The steps are at the exit from the bedroom we entered. How about hitting that fire to protect us?

That’s affirmative, Cap, the Lieutenant from Eight said.

About two feet out of the bedroom and into the hallway, she came to a closed door. She opened it and went in. Inside the smoke was less. She shined her light and saw a guy on the floor by the window.

They crawled over to him and Linda keyed her mike. Six Truck to Command, she hoped, Logue would have arrived.

Six Truck, he radioed back.

Command, we have a victim, second floor, Side ‘D,’ middle bedroom. We need a ladder to the window, we can’t take him out the front.

I understand, Six Truck, he said. Then he motioned Wolverton and Columbo to lower the ladder from the third floor to the second. As they did that, Linda was busy checking the window. It had been opened by the victim, so Linda didn’t need to break the glass.

When the ladder was in the window, Wolverton climbed to the top while Linda and Mandelman gently placed the victim on the ladder so Wolverton could lower him. The victim’s legs and arms were outside the rails of the ladder. Wolverton had his arms under the victim’s arms, and his leg between the victim’s legs. With each step down, the victim followed Wolverton down as well with the firefighter’s body ensuring that the victim remained on the ladder.

Six Truck to Command, Linda’s muffled voice came over Logue’s radio.

Go Six Truck.

Command, we are going to search the third floor for the other victim now.

Affirmative, Six Truck, keep me advised.

They left the door open to help vent the floor. As Linda crawled out of the bedroom, she could just make out the three firefighters from Eight attacking the smoke….. and therefore, the fire with over a hundred gallons of water a minute.

Careful, Cap, she heard on her radio. We have steam blanketing the hallway from the fire.

Affirmative, Linda radioed back and told her partner that they were just going to have to suck it up and crawl through the hot steam as quickly as possible.

As Linda was about to exit the bedroom, she realized she had no idea where the steps to the third floor were. She figured it was on the other end of the second floor and extended upward over the steps leading up from the first floor. She hoped there would be a door so they could keep some of the heat from rising. It would be bad enough crawling up steps where the fire might be right underneath them. It would be worse if it was also racing them to the third floor.

Linda and Mandelman crawled to the opposite end of the second floor. The steam was hot, but their bunker gear protected them. They could still feel heat through their gear but not enough to really hurt them. Then they were out of the steam. It didn’t mean they were out of danger, just out of the steam.

When they reached the end of the hall, they came to another door. Linda opened it and shined her light in that room. It was another bedroom and it looked empty. According to the dispatcher, the caller had said one victim on two and one on three. She had to make a decision, so she closed the door and continued on, looking for the steps to three. If the victim that was supposed to be on three was in that bedroom, Linda might have just sealed his or her fate, but if the victim was indeed on three, then searching that room could also mean they would rescue a corpse. A victim without any breathable air only had so much time before their brain was just too deprived of oxygen.

The steps were where Linda thought they were, and luckily there was a door that was also closed. As she opened it to head up to three, she heard Eight Truck inform Command they were on the scene.

Eight Truck, Logue said, head up Six’s aerial and give me a nice big hole in the roof so we can get some of these gases out of there.

When Mandelman was on the stairs, Linda told him to close the door behind him. The smoke was lighter here than it was on the second floor, but the smoke was still seeping into the stairway from the second floor and possibly from the walls as well.

At the top of the steps, Linda found a bedroom in front of them, as on the second floor. This door was open and she crawled in and shined her light. She could see below the level of the smoke. There was no bed. It appeared to be an office or something like that. No victim was in sight. Still they entered the room on hands and knees.

A quick right-hand search brought them again to the door way. As they passed the windows, Linda stopped and broke them. Again, it was to let the smoke, heat and gases out. Above her head, she could now hear a chain saw operating.

Command from Six Truck, she radioed.

Go Six Truck.

Command, let Eight Truck know we are on the third floor so they don’t drop that roof on us.

Command, Eight Truck is aware that Six is somewhere on the third floor, the captain of Eight radioed back. Then he said, where are you now, Linda?

Heading into the middle bedroom, on the Sector ‘D’ side.

We are on the Sector ‘B’ side now, probably in the same area. I’ll let you know before we drop the roof on you.

Thanks, she said and headed into the next bedroom.