Kiss Her Goodnight (Detectives Kane and Alton)

FOURTEEN

FLORIDA

Wind whistled through the cracks in the door, and Jenna buried her face in Kane’s chest as they huddled inside the broom closet seated on upturned buckets. Water pooled around their feet and seemed to drip from every crack and cranny. The noise outside had eased some but the creaking and grinding terrified her. Sweat trickled down her back. The humidity inside the claustrophobic closet had made it a very unpleasant night, but in truth, she’d been too terrified to notice it. The thought of dying on her wedding night had dominated her thoughts. Her jaw ached from keeping her mouth shut although she’d wanted to cry out in terror. The hurricane had hit with such force and so fast they’d barely thrown themselves into the broom closet in time. From the ripping and grating sounds, followed by thumps and screaming as the wind tore into the building, they’d been lucky to survive the terrifying onslaught. “Has it gone by yet?”

“I figure the worse is over. The quiet time was the eye going over us and then it started up again. It sounds like the wind is still high but it’s moving away.” Kane untangled himself from her and grabbed a bottle of water. “Drink your water. We’ve been sweating for hours. Dehydration is a killer.”

Nodding, Jenna lifted a bottle to her lips and drained it. “Now what? We can’t sit in here all day.”

“We’ll go take a look, but the wind gusts are dangerous and things are going to be flying around like missiles. Let’s hope the building isn’t too damaged.” Kane drained his bottle and tossed it into a bucket by their feet. “I’ll check our supplies.” He opened a bag. “We’ve four bottles of water and cookies. If the motorcycle made it through, we have the energy bars I purchased from the 7-Eleven stashed in the saddlebags.” He stood and stretched. “We’ll take the climbing gear. We’ll need it to find a way down to the next floor. The stairs were toast before the storm hit, so it won’t be pretty now.” He tossed the climbing gear over one shoulder, picked up the bag, and then placed one hand on the door handle. “Ready? Stay close.”

Heart thumping, Jenna took the long coils of rope from the hook and looped them over one shoulder. “Go, I’m right behind you.”

She heard Kane’s sharp intake of breath before she blinked into the light and gasped in horror. How had they survived? The apartment was little more than a shell, the kitchen and bathroom the only rooms left standing. The interior walls of the apartment had vanished, leaving a brick skeleton with strips of silver insulation and twisted metal waving in the wind. She stared through the gaping holes to the beachfront and way into the distance, and dismay engulfed her. All along the beachfront was apocalyptic. Roofs ripped off and tossed in all directions, walls half standing. People’s belongings, clothes, drapes, toys thrown around or piled up against remaining walls like colorful snowdrifts.

Sand covered the blacktop in a golden hue and water ran through it like newly made rivers. The storm had littered the beachfront with palm trees and debris. An orange sofa, turned upside down and half buried in the sand, sat with foamy waves lapping around it. She gripped Kane’s arm as she turned toward the gaping hole where the front door had been. She swallowed hard. They were stuck on the top floor of a wrecked building in no man’s land. An uncontrollable tremble went through her. “Sweet Jesus, thank goodness we survived, but how the hell are we going to get down from here?”

“Very slowly.” Kane scanned the area and then looked at her. His face had changed into combat mode and that made Jenna feel much better. He held out his hand. “Hold my hand and don’t let go. The floor is a concrete slab over a steel frame. Unless the structure is damaged below us, which I doubt because I don’t see any cracks, we should be able to get to the stairs. They’re the strongest part of the building and we can use the ropes to drop down from there.” He moved forward, testing his weight on the floor. “Step by step. Watch your footing. There’s debris all over.”

Taking his hand, Jenna followed. Under her feet the building seemed to sway, and with each gust of wind, salty rain wet her face. Her boots crunched over broken glass as she followed slowly behind him. They reached the hallway and dismay swallowed her. Most of the walls had vanished and flapping sheets of soaked siding and gaping holes surrounded her. Rubble covered the stairs, making them impassable. As far as the eye could see, personal effects littered the ground. What was left of the hallway looked like a landfill. A photograph album lay open in a pool of water, the images distorted and curling at the edges. Clothes, pots and pans, paper—so much paper was strewn everywhere. Wind whistled through the hallway buffeting them. Apart from the roar of the ocean and the building remnants flapping in the wind, deathly silence surrounded them. No traffic or other signs of life drifted from the streets below. Concern gripped Jenna as she stared through the open walls to the flattened sidewalks. “I don’t see anyone moving around out there. What if there are casualties? Should we take the time to search the area?”

“I won’t sugarcoat it, Jenna. Right now, we should be worrying about our own survival. If we can get down from here, we’ll keep a look out for anyone in trouble on our way back to the airport, but most people would have left before it hit. Locals who live here are overcautious, and search-and-rescue teams will be on their way.” Kane straightened. “Right now, we’re in danger of this building collapsing and my priority is getting us to safety. Let’s hope the airport is still standing, but from what I can see, the main damage is to this strip of the coastline.”

Jenna swallowed hard. “What if it’s toast or the crew hightailed it out before it hit?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get you home. There’re airports all over Florida.” Kane squeezed her hand. “I need you to concentrate on getting down from here first.” He leaned over the railing. “There’s a ton of damage to the building and wind gusts will be a problem, but this is the only way down. I can see the first-floor ramp and it looks intact. We’ll drop down to there and hope the Harley made it through the storm. Or we’re walking back to the airport.”

Jenna peered into the abyss and shuddered. It was such a long way down. “You want us to climb down there?”

“Yeah.” Kane handed her the bag and took the coiled rope from her shoulder. “We have two harnesses and safety gear. I’ll lower the bag down as our anchor and we’ll follow it. There’s enough rope to play out for one trip. He looked deep into her eyes. “You do trust me. Don’t you, Jenna?”

It had been a long time since training, and she hadn’t repelled down a mountain or anywhere else for a very long time. “You know I do, but I haven’t done much mountain climbing.”

“You’ve dropped from a chopper though, haven’t you?” Kane gave her a confident smile. “This is much the same, but you’ll be on my back.”

Swallowing the fear, Jenna gaped back at him. “On your back? What if my hands slip?”

“You won’t slip. Oh, don’t look so worried. Come here. It will be okay, I promise.” Kane pulled her close and kissed her hard. “I love you and I’d never let you fall. All you have to do is relax, keep your eyes open, and I’ll do all the work.” He stepped back and shrugged into a harness and went about arranging the ropes. One end, he secured to the handrail, the other he tied to the bag of supplies and Jenna’s backpack. Dropping them over the railing, he lowered them down to the ramp on the first floor. He handed the second harness to her. “Get this on and climb onto my back. I’ll attach you to me. I won’t let you fall.” He dragged a pair of gloves from his pocket and pulled them on. “It was as if Wolfe had a premonition something would happen. I found gloves in a bag with the harnesses.”

Hands trembling, Jenna stepped into the harness and Kane checked the fastenings before turning his back on her. She grabbed his shoulders and jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Hold on to my straps, not around my neck.” Kane hooked up her harness to his. “There, you’re attached to me and you won’t fall. It’s the same as if we were skydiving in tandem.” He took hold of the rope and stepped over the railing, balancing on the narrow edge. “Keep your eyes open and don’t look down or you’ll become disoriented. Lean into me. Hug me tight.”

Gripping white-knuckled to the straps of the harness, Jenna’s stomach went into freefall. They hung over the drop as he balanced on the very edge of the cement slab. When Kane stepped off and they hung in midair, Jenna’s heart raced. She wanted to screw up her eyes and hide but forced them open and pressed against Kane’s back. The wind gusts around them sent papers fluttering around them like bats caught in an updraft and then they dropped. As Kane fed the rope out, they fell faster than Jenna would have liked. Heart in her mouth, she held her breath, and in seconds, Kane landed softly on the ground.

“You okay back there?” Kane unclipped her. “Jenna? You can get down now.”

Frozen with fear for a second, Jenna unclasped her death grip and slid from his back. “That made my stomach turn over. I wasn’t expecting to drop so fast.”

“A fast drop means survival.” Kane turned and helped her from her harness. “The wind gusts are carrying all kinds of projectiles.” He unfastened the harness and tossed it over the railing. “I’ll be sure to replace Wolfe’s equipment when we get home. I sure hope his mom is insured.”

Jenna untied the bags and nodded. “I’m sure she would be.”

Scanning their surroundings, she gasped at the destruction. “There’s water on the ground floor. I can’t tell how deep.”

“It’s only surface water, look it’s lapping at the door. We’ll get out okay, but I’ll have to clear the broken shutters from the ramp. The utility room is over there.” Kane pointed to a door tucked in under the ramp and then headed down the slope. Screeching echoed up the stairwell as he hauled the twisted metal away. “Okay, we’re good to go.”

Kicking pieces of broken wood and tree branches to one side, Jenna headed for the utility room under the ramp. Sand had piled up outside, preventing her from opening the door. She grabbed a tree branch and dug at the sand as Kane came up behind her. “Almost done.”

“Here, let me. You’ll get splinters.” Kane held out one hand for the branch. “I’m wearing gloves.” He made short work of the wet sand and tugged open the door. Water had seeped under the door, but the Harley stood glistening on its stand. “There she is.” He smiled at Jenna. “I hope she starts.” He ducked inside the room and wheeled the motorcycle onto the landing. “Here goes nothing.”

Saying a silent prayer, Jenna collected her backpack and the supplies. The next moment a deafening roar filled the confined space and she heard Kane whoop for joy. She stowed the supplies in the saddlebags and waited for Kane to go back into the utility room to retrieve the helmets and leather jackets. She took the jacket he offered her and slipped into it and then pushed the helmet onto her head and fastened the strap. “I feel like I’ve gone back in time and we’re heading for Route 66.”

“You look kinda cute in leather, but I prefer you in a cowboy hat and wearing a gun.” Kane flashed her a white smile. “Let’s see if we can find a way out through this mess.” He straddled the Harley and pushed on his helmet. “You know, I might buy myself a new hat. My Stetson has been buried in mud and now pushed into saddlebags soaking wet. It’s going to be wrecked. Although, it does clean up really well and I do like the lived-in look.”

Jenna snorted. “We’re stuck in the aftermath of one of the worst storms in history and you’re worried about your hat.” Giggling, she climbed on behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. As usual Kane had found a way of breaking the tension and making her relax with his strange brand of humor. “It’s great to see you have your priorities right.”

“A man’s hat is like… well, like an old friend. At first, it’s all new and a bit stiff around you, but after a few years it has a comfortable familiarity.” Kane revved the motor and kicked up the stand. “Hang on tight. This is going to be a rough ride.” The Harley shot down the ramp and out into the daylight.