Blue Smoke

Fire is born in heat and smoke and light,

feeding on what has given it life.

It takes what it wants, without remorse,

without mercy.

A terrible beauty that changes everything in one instant,

and once it touches you, you are never the same.

- The maze looks bad today. - I bet you say that to all the girls.

You don't have to do this.

Yes I do, if I want to be able to go in while the fires are still burning.

Like any sane person would want to.

Like putting them out doesn't screw the evidence all to hell.

You know, it's a miracle this old cop ever solved a single case before he met you.

You're a great arson investigator.

You set the bar real high.

Not this high.

A year out of the Academy, you just made detective,

now, you've got to get certified a smoke-eater.

I'm gunning for your stripes, John.

Hey, Hugh!

- I thought you were at work. - I just finished my shift.

Figured I'd swing by, see if you needed a little mouth-to-mouth.

Okay. I'll take some of that.

Yeah?

Hey, you two. There's cadets over here.

Where's Gina?

She's actually at Sirico's with your mother.

Too scared to watch. You really ready?

- Can't wait. - You can get killed in there, Reena.

- You don't want to go in cocky. - Fine then, I'll just come out cocky.

- Then we'll go in with you. - Okay, okay.

That's enough. Stand by, now.

Now, listen to me.

We're detectives. We work in our heads.

- Looking, thinking, analyzing. - Flip it.

But this is not the place for it.

It's physical. In and out.

You got thirty minutes' worth of air.

That's all. You lose focus, you get in trouble.

You get in trouble, you fail.

Don't lose focus.

Stay here. Stay now.

Don't forget, this place is deadly.

Radio check.

Talk to me.

When I come out, I'll really be your partner:

You're my partner already.

Not until I'm a smoke-eater like you:

Reena!

Here and now.

Go!

I've been waiting a long time to walk into a fire,

to see flames beckoning from behind a door:

To touch the door

and feel the breath of the beast behind it,

and to open it anyway

and let it out:

I'm going in:

What do you see?

Okay, the room is fully engulfed:

Flames are all over the ceiling:

It's really powerful:

I first met fire

on a cold November night 15 years ago,

when I woke up with a stomach ache

and saw the dancing lights

in the window of my family's restaurant across the street:

They looked so pretty:

Fire!

Fire! Fire!

Reena? What's going on? You stopped moving:

- Talk to me, Reena: - Yeah:

Twenty-six minutes: Status?

- Five by five: - What's your way out?

Yup:

Tunnel: Tunnel ahead:

Then get moving: You've got a long way to go yet:

Got it:

Of course it was blocked:

I never really thought it was going to be easy:

I knew it even that night,

when I first saw the firemen fighting for Sirico's

and losing:

Our restaurant burnt to the ground,

but it was so beautiful:

I felt it almost like a pain inside me:

Flames everywhere, sometimes violent,

sometimes teasing, but always dancing:

And I wondered what it was like inside the fire,

where the firemen went:

And then I saw my dad was crying:

And so was my mom:

And I felt ripped in two,

that something that filled me with so much wonder

was hurting the people I loved:

And that would become the story of my life:

Reena!

Got it: Okay John, tunnel's clear: Okay, I'm moving:

Looks like a narrow, very steep roof surrounded by fire on all sides:

Starting up:

How much time do I have?

You're down to 17 minutes:

That's not bad, right?

It's not great:

And no more dropping off on me:

You know I'm alive:

I sound like The Little Engine That Could, here:

I can hear when you're stopping:

It's called assessing the situation:

It's called getting lost in your head:

As I walked out that night among the fire-fighters,

as those brave men took those little cups from my tray,

there was no other place that I would rather have been:

And now, no other place I would rather be:

We both know there are dark places in there, Reena,

but you can't go there now:

I'm moving: I'm moving:

Reena, come in! Come in, Reena!

Reena! Damn: I lost contact:

But darkness always follows fire,

and in the morning, Sirico's was a dark, sad shell of its old self:

I'd grown up there: I'd learnt how to crawl on its floors:

It had been the heart of my family, the whole neighborhood, really,

and now our heart was gone:

And then I saw him:

He walked right into the wreckage like this was where the work began:

He would make sense of this:

He would fix this: I knew he would,

and I wanted to be just like him:

- What are you doing? - Don't move. Not another step.

You shouldn't be in here. It's too dangerous.

Neither should you.

You could fall right down into the basement. You could break a leg.

You should have a partner. All the other firemen had a partner.

- You noticed that? - Yes.

- What else did you notice? - Reena!

- No! - Busted.

Get out of there!

Sir, please don't enter. I'm bringing her out.

Watch your head.

- I'm assuming this is yours? - Yes. My daughter, Reena.

Minger. Detective John Minger. Baltimore P.D.

Reena, talk to me:

- Talk to me, Reena: - I'm here, John: I'm okay: It's a drop floor:

Bastard!

I'm sending the team in now, Reena:

No! I'm okay: I'm just winded, is all:

They're coming in: We're bringing you out:

Do not bring me out: It's my call: Call off the team:

They're standing down:

Status?

I'm in a box: Is there supposed to be a false wall

or a hidden door or something?

Slow your breathing: You're using too much air:

Less than ten minutes: Slow down:

Come on, damn it! Come on:

- Lf you can see it, follow the smoke: - Okay:

Here, this wall's hollow: I can feel a hole here:

Okay: Got it!

Now I can see a tunnel connecting to an open room:

I'm taking my tank off:

I can't get through the tunnel with it on:

Reena, you don't have much air: You're down to seven minutes:

That's not great:

John, I'm trained to do this: I'm doing it:

It's the only way to get out: I have no choice:

Okay, but get moving:

Heat rises. I learnt that at school.

That's right.

Would you like some more lasagne?

Oh, thank you. No, ma'am. It was amazing.

Thank you.

But, since you're here, I have one more question I'd like to ask you both.

Is there anyone who might have a grudge against your family or your restaurant?

God, no. Bianca grew up here. Sirico's is an institution.

Are you saying this was on purpose?

Well, as Reena noticed, the front door was open.

The smoke detectors were disabled. Gas was poured on the floor.

There were trailers to combustibles. Someone knew what he was doing.

Who would do that?

Competitor? Former employee?

A customer you or one of your employees might have argued with?

- No. - Dad...

Reena, not now. We run a family place.

The neighbors have been calling all morning. Nobody hates us.

Joey Pastorelli hates me.

Joey doesn't hate you.

Why do you think he hates you?

After school he knocked me down and hit me and tore my shirt.

Okay, we're closing in on it now, John:

Closing in on what?

What do you see?

Fire:

And I knew for all its beauty,

fire is the color of anger:

Fire is the color of hate:

Yeah, but I'm thinking, if some kid, some boy, roughed up my daughter,

I'd have a few words with him and his parents.

Oh, I did.

Reena was...

Well, Reena was a mess.