Chapter 2 Ashes of the Peace

The ringing in his ears was loud, blocking out the noise of the chaos around him.

Van stood in the middle of the street with the phone still in his hand, his mouth agape. He was looking at the wreckage that once was his house. The suburban building, the green lawn where Noah practiced football, the garden Laura had made, that he watered every morning before going to the garage all reduced to a pile of debris.

His mind was drawn back to the present. He could not see them anywhere around. He let go of the phone in his hand and started moving towards the wreckage. Slow steps, then he increased his pacing, pushing people out of his way while searching for their familiar faces. The red and blue lights from the ambulances, police cars and firetrucks overlapped.

He searched the ambulances first, hoping to find them wrapped in blankets because the evening air was becoming cold. Nothing. He turned to the wreckage. He was hoping what he was thinking wasn't true. He was at the part that once used to be his driveway. He stopped moving, looking at the debris now with a closer view. He paid no attention to the smoke even though it was trying to choke him.

He took a step forward and someone grabbed his arm. He turned to look at the person, it was a firefighter. The man's face was covered in soot and he was saying something Van couldn't hear. His ears were still ringing.

“Sir, you need to step back. It's not safe” Van could hear the man now.

“Where are they?” Van said not moving.

“Sir” the firefighter said firmer “there's nothing left in there you need to step back or I'll get the police”

Van looked at him, then past him.

“Laura?” His voice came out rough. “Noah?”

The firefighter tried to pull him back again

“Touch me again,” Van threatened but the firefighter's eyes did the job. The look of pity, the shift in his posture.

Van shoved past him

Two firefighters who noticed the squabble moved in. One grabbed his other arm while the other grabbed his chest from behind.

“You can't go in there” the first one said “the structure is compromised”

“My family is in there” Van tried to pull free but they held on.

“Let us do our jobs” One of the second men said.

At that moment a second explosion rang out. It was not as intense as the first but enough to knock them all of their feet. The men fell backwards as the shockwave spread out, vibrating the ground.

The firefighters got on their feet and helped Van up by pulling him back. This time he didn't resist. He was breathing too hard, still staring at the wreckage in horror. Two explosions. No one could survive a double explosion, he thought.

They pulled him back into the street behind the yellow tape. The street was chaotic. Someone was screaming but Van didn't scream even though he wanted to. He had every reason to.

He just watched.

The first stretcher came out. It was small. Van's chest caved in.

Another stretcher came out a few moments later. This one was adult size.

He counted two. Two stretchers from his building or what used to be it.

His hands were beginning to shake so he put them in his pockets.

“Are you Mr. Zero?” A policeman approached him with a clipboard “Are you the homeowner?”

Van nodded slowly.

“I'm sorry” the police said “but we're going to need you to-”

“Were they alive when you found them?”

The police stopped “Sir, I can't-”

“Were they? Please answer me” Van was looking at the police now.

“I don't have that information”

Van looked back at the wreckage. Firefighters were still going in pulling debris out.

A lady was on the curb crying, a man was just on his knees like he was praying. A kid's shoe lay in the gutter. It was not Noah's size. It was too small.

Van stared at it until someone moved it. That was when the SUVs pulled in.

Two of them, no sirens, tinted windows and military plates. The same kind he had seen behind him in traffic.

Four men got out. They wore tinted shades, black jackets, showed no visible ID and had military haircuts.

They didn't speak to the fire chief or police lieutenant. They walked to the wrecked house.

One of them glanced at Van with no expression.

Then they disappeared inside the wreckage.

The fire wasn't even out. Forensics hadn't arrived. But the military had.

Before Van could even understand why they were here somebody called his attention

A female rescue worker waved him over. She was in front of two body bags.

Van stopped in front of her. He was holding his breath.

“Mr Zero” she said quietly

Van did not answer.

“I'm sorry, I need you to identify the bodies”

The words hit him like a blow to the head. It even hit him harder than the explosions. He did not want to bring himself to believe it. That they were truly dead, that his wife and son were gone. He could not bring his hands to open the bags . He wished it wasn't them but then again wishing had never changed anything.

There were no alternative explanations left. They were gone.