Tares City

27. So, What Now

~

Naomi, Avery, and the firefighters work the scene, rescuing and treating everyone. In the end, only five of sixteen people were seriously hurt. Everyone else with only minor injuries.

Back at the firehouse, Naomi and Avery find themselves in the chief's office once more - An investigating officer from internal affairs there as well. Their chief gestures for them to sit as he begins speaking. "It seems that Mrs. Evans-Joseph has dropped the case. A big misunderstanding," He informs them.

"What?!" Avery says out loud.

"Yeah. The ring is no longer missing," The guy from internal affairs speaks. "They've apologized for the misunderstanding of course."

"You have got to be kidding me. I can not understand these people," Naomi mumbles out.

"Consider this a good thing ladies. Things could have gone worse for you two." The internal affairs representative says to them.

"So, what now?" Naomi grumbles out.

~

YARA ROSEWOOD

"I still can't believe this!" Yara growls as she steps through the rubble of the restaurant. "That he would stoop so low and burn down an entire restaurant to get back at us! You know what, I think I could believe it. I could, he's that kind of person!" She rants angrily looking at the charred remains around her. Her shoes crunch against debris as she walks up to Clayton.

"He didn't just mess with me. He ruined other people's lives too. This job was their only source of income! Now they're jobless. Thank goodness none of them were seriously injured!" She continues. "And the nerve of him to not even be in the damn city! That coward! Why run!"

Stopping her pacing, she sighs sadly, eyes glowing brightly. "This place was beautiful. I loved working here."

"I know," Clayton says softly as he comes to wrap his arms around her.

"The owner says that the insurance company is covering everything, so there's that I guess," She says sadly. "But she's not looking to rebuild the place... so, what now..."

"What?" Clayton says softly in shock.

"She doesn't want to rebuild," Yara repeats with a defeated shrug. "She's even looking to sell the land and all that."

The two stand in silence a moment before Clayton speaks again. "Let's buy it," He says simply.

"What?" Yara asks, scrunching her eyebrows.

Grabbing her by the shoulder, Clayton spins her to face him. "Let's buy the land and build you a restaurant," He says confidently with a smile on his face. "You already have a construction crew at your disposal. My men and I could finish this in a matter of days. And you could hire everyone you worked with!"

"My very own restaurant," Yara says out loud in thought, wonder in her voice.

"This spot is perfect and already well known. You already know the industry. You know how to work the books, you have suppliers and other contacts at your fingertips. There's nothing stopping us from doing this," Clayton says to her.

"What about  Marshall? What's to say he won't come and burn this one down as well?" Yara asks.

"If this continues, and we have to, I'll deal with Marshall myself," Clay answers, a slight growl in his tone.

~

DEAN STRAKEN

Dean lets out a soft groan as he repositions himself on the uncomfortable chair. Using his arm that wasn't broken, he shifts the chair slightly, moving slowly so as to not rip his stitches again. Leaning closer to the hospital bed, he rests his hand gently on top of Calvin's. Alive but in a coma, his friend looked frail with all the wires and tubes connected to him. The steady beep of the heart monitor and the noises the ventilator made reminded Dean that his friend was still alive - Even though he looked otherwise.