Disclaimer: The following chapter is the non-edited draft of what was written during NaNoWriMo 2018. My apologies in advance for plot holes and other inconsistencies.

~~~

Hastings sat in the front seat of his vehicle fuming as he stared out into the darkness beyond cab. He felt more frustrated than he had in months and had to fight the urge no to punch something in his vicinity.

"We've found no trace of them, sir," his lieutenant said through the open window. Hastings wasn't surprised. When they had encountered the increasing winds as the left the city and headed north, he all but expected to lose track of Captain Graber. He had just been hoping that the next city they encountered would at least have provided some clue to their whereabouts. Even the most obvious place, the stadium, had been a bust.

"Understood. There's nothing more we can do tonight. Arrange for a guard detail and distribution of the appropriate rations. Wait, scratch that, make it double rations." After a day like today, they all needed a morale boost.

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant replied and then disappeared.

Hastings picked up the tablet on the dashboard in front of him and sighed. He knew Hamil was expecting a report. It wasn't going to be good but he might as well get it over with. Waiting until the morning was pointless. It wouldn't delay the inevitable. He tapped in the address and waited for Hamil's image to appear.

"Colonel."

"Commander. I trust your meeting with the Council went well."

"I'll get straight to the point, Colonel, if you can't. Where are we with the apprehension of Captain Graber?"

"Unfortunately, the weather has turned and erased the traces of their travels we found earlier in the day."

Hamil looked at Hastings for a few moments, his facial expression blank.

"Like I said, it was an impossible task."

"With all due-"

Hamil held up a hand. "Don't, Colonel. The fact of the matter is simple. You've failed and there's really not a whole lot you can do about it. Tomorrow, I expect you to-"

Hamil was interrupted by a large explosion. A fireball shot to the sky just a few blocks to the east.

"What was that?" Hamil demanded, eyes wide.

"I'm not sure. I'll have to call you back," Hastings said and tossed the tablet aside while he stepped out of the truck his eyes on the remnants of the fireball. Guards around the perimeter of the stadium were already running towards the fireball, guns raised and ready.

"What was that?" he shouted to the tech.

"Not sure, sir. It looks like some sort of explosion," the tech said and tapped away furiously at the terminal keyboard in front of him. "It's a couple of blocks east."

Hastings nodded and motioned for half a dozen soldiers waiting behind his personal vehicle to follow him. Hastings pulled his weapon from the holster on his hip and followed the other soldiers east as quickly as his legs would carry him. Although he felt uneasy about what he had just seen, one thing he was certain off: it had to be Graber. There was no-one else out here.

He turned a corner stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him, a building was on fire. Or rather, the remains of what once had been a building was on fire. Although he was half a block from the inferno, he felt the head beating his face and he instinctively brought up his arm to shield his face. He caught sight of his own troops ahead of him advancing slowly in a similar position.

"Fall back, fall back," he yelled towards those in front of him as well as those behind him. Hastings retreated towards the corner he had just come around and regrouped with his troops while he waited for everyone to assemble.

"We need to establish a perimeter around the building," he said when the soldiers were all accounted for. "Secure each side of the building while the fire burns."

After dispatching the soldiers, he moved forward and sheltered behind an older retaining wall that once had been used to provide space for a dumpster. He shielded his eyes as he gazed at the fire, unsure what to think. The fire was huge, large enough by now to consume not just that one building but also those around it. He knew there was a risk that the fire would grow out of control. It would be a disaster.

At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what the purpose of the fire was. Was it an accident and once they fired died down, they would find the charred bodies of Graber and the prisoner? Perhaps, but he felt it was unlikely. It was more likely to be a distraction of some sort, but for what?

He clenched his fist as he stared at the fire that now had spread to the building next door. The situation was suddenly becoming dangerous for him and his men. The whole city was a tinderbox of old dilapidated buildings, ready to catch on fire. The breeze that had come and gone throughout the day was likely to make the situation even worse. It was at that moment he realized that it didn't matter if the fire had been intended to be a distraction or not. His men were his primary responsibility and the safety of them was more important than finding Graber.

"All units, all units, this is Colonel Hastings. Fall back to the staging area and prepare for evacuation. Suspend all search activities immediately." Hastings retreated from the retaining wall and as soon as he was safely behind the corner of the building behind him, he began to run towards the vehicle staging area, a few others behind him. As he approached his command vehicle, he saw others converge on it, some ahead of him, some behind him.

Hastings slowed to a brisk walk when he noticed a group of men hunched over by the tanker truck. "What's going on?" he demanded as he approached and squeezed his in between two of the men. On the ground was the tanker driver and guard, a gash across his temple. The unit medic was busy patching him up but the man was still unconscious.

"What happened?" Hastings repeated.

"Not sure," the medic replied. "He was found knocked out like this just moments ago."

Hastings felt a rock at bottom of his stomach as he walked over to the tanker and reached for the nozzle and held it to his nose. It had a fresh smell of gasoline. He was here. Hastings had no doubt that Graber was responsible for what he saw before his eyes. Desperately, he turned and scanned the outskirts of their immediate vicinity. There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary.

"All right, everyone, pack it up. We need to evacuate the area," he finally said to the growing crowd of men around the tanker driver. "This place is about to erupt and we don't want to be here when that happens. All units, head west of the city immediately. We'll regroup once we're at a safe distance."

The soldiers dispersed and ran to their vehicles. Hastings returned to his and told his driver where to go while he dialed Hamil back.

"Everything all right, Colonel?" Hamil said as soon as their connection had been established.

"Not really, sir. There has been an unexpected turn of events."

"How so?"

"There was an explosion."

"Explain."

"I'm afraid there's not much to tell. One of the old buildings a couple of blocks away burst into flames and it's spreading."

"Graber?"

Hastings nodded. "Most definitely."

"Were they in the building?"

"I don't think so, sir. When I returned to the staging area, we found the tanker driver knocked out and someone used the fuel nozzle. I'm fairly certain it was Graber, sir. The fire was a diversion," Hastings said and then paused.

"I sense hesitation," Hamil said and leaned closer.

"The fire is spreading. Per protocol, we were planning on spending the night here but we're now evacuating east. The fire needs to be put out, sir. Immediately."

"Agreed. Keep your scouts on the lookout for Graber. He can't be far but otherwise, contain your troop movements while a firefighting brigade is dispatched and the fire is put out. I need eyes on the ground to ensure the fire is out. You understand the ramifications of a fire not put out?"

"I do, sir," Hastings said and nodded. "We'll stand by as needed."

"Very well."

Hastings looked out at the spreading fire through the rear-view mirror and sighed. As much as he hated suspending his search for Graber, the fire was now their primary focus. It had to be contained, at all cost. 

~~~

Quite the distraction, huh? What do you think? Will Lincoln and Marie be able to take advantage of the chaos and put distance between themselves and Hastings?

As always, vote and comment if you like what you see so far!