Caught in the Middle

Chapter 34

My surprise mirrors that of my fellow firefighters and superiors, averting my eyes when I see the anger enter Chief Ross's. "Excuse me, sir. The fire chief runs the captain exams, and if the LIC exams are replacing it, that means this is my responsibility." I nod my head in agreement with Ross, pointing to the clipboard in my hand that has every step for the day outlined in detail. "That might be the case, Chief Ross, but you've made your feelings over the LIC project clear when you tried having it shut down. This is Bishop's project, and every superior who assisted her is okay with her taking control over this, correct?"

He looks over her shoulder to the battalion chiefs behind her, making sure he's not stepping on anyone's toes. If I haven't spent as much time with Ackhurst over the last few months, his attitude would appear sexist, but he is one of the few people in power in the department who's fair. "This might be her project, Chief Ackhurst, but she's only a lieutenant. She can't possibly know what to look for during an exam like this." The union chief's irritation is clear on his features. Chief Ross might be the highest-ranking firefighter here, but the union has the power to change protocols. It's not Ackhurst's fault that Ross never showed up to the meetings she was invited to join numerous times.

"But I do. I was Chief Ripley's predecessor, if you weren't aware. I ran the captain's exam for more years than you've been in a position of power. And I signed off on every one of Bishop's plans for today. She knows exactly what to look for during these tests, maybe even perfecting some aspects of the scoring system. Which is why we signed off on using the LIC exam as the new baseline when choosing captains." He uncrosses his arms from his chest, asking me to hand him the clipboard so he can show the scorecards to her. I hold my breath as I wait for her to read through them.

"Might I also add that all the records Station 19 still holds stem from Bishop's time as captain. The competition between our trainees was ridiculous. Everyone wanted to top the leaderboard so they'd get the pick of 19 when they graduate. During her tenure, we saw some of the best groups of candidates ever to graduate from the academy. Hate to say that the quality of our graduates has decreased since Bishop's demotion. As great as 19 still is, most of the probies wanted to work under her command. It's still one of the most intense tests we have here, trying to beat Bishop's reaction time."

The fire instructor's praise makes my throat tighten up, and the pride shining in Blackwell's eyes does nothing to help me keep my emotions in check. "Lieutenant Bishop, let's get started then. We're already running behind schedule." Ross hands me back my clipboard, nodding her head in approval before taking a step back. "Attention potential LICs!" Everyone snickers with a laugh when Ackhurst says the acronym as "licks," instead of saying the letters individually. I smirk inwardly as well, thinking about how many times my wife messed up the name in the same way last night.

"I know hearing some of the names on our list came as a shock to you, but I can guarantee you that every single firefighter here deserves this." Everyone on the stairs landing gives the firefighters in the parking lot applause. "You've all been working alongside Lieutenant Bishop long enough to know her for the meticulous pain in the ass she is. So, you can all imagine the detailed reports we've received about her observations during her shifts with you." The potential LICs nod in agreement while the battalion chiefs bump my shoulder on a few snickers.

"The selection process consisted of numerous meetings, hundreds of reports, countless emails, and a few heated discussions between the battalions." The union chief smirks to his side, shaking his head at the battalion chiefs. "We sent out a list with the top 5 potential candidates every week, based on the feedback from Lieutenant Bishop, your captains, and your battalion chiefs. Which means if you've made it this far, your name has hit that list more than once." I take great pride when I see the potential LICs' eyes widen.