"Stretch a 2 1/2" hose with the Assault nozzle," the captain ordered as Engine Seventeen arrived on scene. Even though the fire was six stories above them in the high-rise apartment structure, the scene was buzzing with noise down on the streets below. People were yellling and screaming amid the incoming sirens and horns as if the firemen didn't understand the levity of the situation. The fire was deep seated and traveling fast, showing signs of lighting the whole sixth floor up at any moment. Most of the fire was on the west end, blowing out the hall window and the end apartment windows. Some of the occupants hung out their windows, desperate for air. Davey King and his partner, Joe Hardeman, grabbed the hose and tools they would need to make this attack and started for the stairs.Davey followed behind Joe a few paces as they rushed to the front door, and watched in awe as his friend crumpled to the ground on his left side, spilling the neatly flaked hose into a confused pile. The sharp crack of a shot rang out a split second later, echoing off of the old downtown buildings. Davey recognized the sound as that of a large-caliber rifle, but still, it didn't make sense being in this setting. He remembered the feel of the gun in his hands and the hefty kick of its recoil as his grandpa pointed out a nice buck deer to harvest in his youth. Still in shock, Davey went to help his friend up as asphalt exploded right next to Joe's thigh, sending black, tarry shrapnel stinging both of their faces. Another shot rang out. Suddenly, Engine Seventeen's driver came rushing up out of nowhere. "Find some cover, King," he barked seriously. "We've got a shooter up there."Davey tried to help his driver get a grip on Joe to haul him to safety when he heard a wicked hiss of an incoming missile. He felt a tug on the side of his coat and a slight burn as the bullet narrowly missed its target, penetrating only his turnout gear. This time the boom from above seemed to wake him up out of his dumbfounded state. "I'll take care of Joe," his driver shouted at him. "You just get to cover."Davey bolted to the cutout of the front doorway of the building on fire. His lungs heaved as the adrenaline kicked in. He watched in horror as his driver dragged his limp, best friend to the safety of the fire truck. "Why would anyone want to hurt us?" he wondered. "We are firemen, here to help, no matter what is going on." You are a part of Me, an extension of My hand. The voice brought peace to Davey's frazzled nerves. He was glad to know He was still with him. "What am I supposed to do, Lord?" Davey prayed. "How can I get by this one? He's got an elevated position to take me out if I get into the open."I am the Lord, your God. Nothing is too hard for me. He has no hold on you, for you are hidden in Me. He wants to draw you out in the open and engage you in a battle that has already been won. You need to decide whom you want to please the most, Davey. Who will it be?Davey battled the thoughts in his mind. The fear of losing his life on one side and pleasing God by doing what he was supposed to do on the other. His left hand found its way to his side pants pocket where he kept his stone. It was as if he found it unconsciously. He knew it had the word "Remember" on it, so he closed his eyes to focus. "He who wants to save his life, shall lose it, but he who loses his life for My sake, shall find it," he remembered the verse of Matthew 16:25. And then it hit him like a light coming on in a dark room, "You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col. 3:3). "That's it!" Davey fired up. "I believe in You, God. I trust You to finish the work You started in me. You called me to intercede for people in their time of need. That's why we have such opposition. Our enemy hates any extension of Your love. Now I call on You, Lord. Send Your power in me to do what I need to do. Let's do it."You got it, my son. Now go.Suddenly, there was an explosion from above as the fire took in a big gulp of oxygen it desperately needed sending glass raining down to the pavement below. A pressurized smoke plume followed, drifting over the scene, creating a black blanket over Davey. Protected from the sniper's view, he sprinted to the hose and grabbed the tangled mess in one swooping motion of his arms. Joining another hose team that had come in from the side entrance, they attacked the fire with avengeance. Davey ran the nozzle as other members of the team assisted with maneuvering the big hose. As they reached the end of the hall to the main room on fire, the fight was intense, but no match for the 250 gallons per minute output of the Assault nozzle. The drenching water penetrated through the heat, squelching the fire's intentions to destroy the building. Three people were saved from certain death by their stopping the production of the poisonous smoke pouring into their rooms. Davey mopped up the last remaining flicker of flames and pushed the bale closed on the nozzle. He looked up through the slowly clearing wisps of smoke and steam he peered out of the west window opening. There, on the same level as he, but on a different building roof top, his eyes met another's. A figure dressed in black, armed with a rifle resting on a bipod looked directly at him from behind a dark shawl, masking all features except his eyes. Davey's own eyes narrowed as he stared into the face of evil. He could feel the fury burning deep within as he remembered the sight of his best friend crumpling to the ground from the hand of this assasin. Davey had never felt such hate before in his life and he didn't know if it was coming from inside of himself or if it was being translated across the distance from this vile creature staring him down. One thing was for sure: Davey King had never felt so much power in his whole life as he stood there ready to fight, only armed physically with a 2 1/2" hose. But he knew what he had inside him."Who do you think you are?" Davey gritted his teeth at the devilish creature. "You're going down. You'll never win."With a change of wind, a cloud of smoke covered the window opening for a moment. By the time it cleared a few seconds later, the man had disappeared. 