When I got there, people were working to sandbag the doors, just like some of the other shops on the street. That end of Broad, the one that runs up against the aquarium at the water’s edge, is up on an embankment that helps protect it a little, but not much. The sandbags weren’t going to do any good and I think everyone knew it. But if you didn’t fill the bags and push them into place, what else could you do?
There isn’t any overhanging shade at the coffee shop, so when I beat my hands against the glass I was standing outside being rained on, as if I even felt it anymore.
Inside there was a crowd. I saw a few people I knew, and a lot of people I didn’t.
I saw Jamie’s girlfriend Becca, with sticky wet strands of dark blond hair plastered down over her shoulders. She saw me too, and waved. She gestured, and when she reached back through the crowd, her arm pulled Jamie forward.
“Let me in!” I demanded.
The people stacking sandbags yelled something back, but we were all yelling and no one was understanding much. I think they were saying something about trying not to open and close the door. Whatever it was, I disregarded them and pushed my shoulder against the entrance.
The door shoved two or three people back and there were complaints all around, but people eventually made room and I came in.
It was miserably hot in there, and crowded like I couldn’t believe. Back down by the roasting room I heard the manager trying to make himself heard, but it wasn’t working for him. He was saying something about wanting to clear out the store and lock it up, which meant he didn’t have a very good idea of what was going on outside.
He wasn’t going to get these people out, not without a shotgun—and maybe not then.
Jamie took one of my hands and dragged me towards him, around a pair of quivering college girls. “Hey, glad you could make it. ”
“I always do, don’t I?”
“Just a little late. ”
“I ran into some difficulties. ” I nodded at Becca, who nodded back. Together we crowded into a front corner beside a fake plant and watched the madness around us.
“Say, you haven’t seen—” I started to ask about Harry and Malachi, but it wasn’t a good idea and they wouldn’t have known who I meant, anyway.
“Who?”
“Never mind. ” I unzipped my bag with a series of faltering jerks. The zipper was clogged with grass and mud, and the bag was dripping a nasty-looking puddle there where I stood. But inside the zippered compartment, wrapped in the discarded chip bag, my cell phone was dry enough to dial.
I flipped it open and started hitting buttons.
Harry’s number came up and I pressed Send. When the call connected, the signal was bad and I was surrounded on all sides by people shouting into cell phones.
“Where are you?” he answered without a friendly preamble. He was shouting too.
“Greyfriar’s—downtown. Where are you?”
“With your brother, at a Waffle House on the south side of town. What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know,” I said, but I offered him what I could. “Something about a dam, or some locks. Something’s gone wrong and bad. They’ve shut down the bridges over the river. And I’ve got to tell you, it can only get worse. ”
“No kidding,” he agreed. “But you made it downtown? How? What did you do?”
“Long story. Not important. You two are going to have to get out of here—I think that’s the main thing. Get out. Go back to where you came from and we’ll reschedule this little date with no hard feelings. ”
Malachi whined something in the background, but I didn’t catch it. “Easier said than done, sweetheart. Traffic is blocked in both directions, from the ridges to the 24/59 split. There’s no way out, north or south. We’re stuck here, and I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do with Mal. The police are everywhere. ”
“But they’ve got other things to think about right now. I wouldn’t worry abou
t that. I guess you should just . . . hole up someplace safe. And we’ll have to wait this out. ” At least they were all right. That’s what I kept telling myself; at least they were all right. “Listen, I’m going to go. Lu and Dave have called . . . ” I checked the display, “eight times in the last hour. They’re going to kill me if I don’t get back to them ASAP. Just stay where you are, or find a safer spot if you need to. ”
“Thanks,” he said, but I think I heard a pretty distinct eyeball rolling. “I’ll do my best to follow that advice. Do you have any recommendations? We can’t hang out here forever. ”
“Recommendations?” I thought about it, but didn’t know what to suggest. I had a good idea of which Waffle House he meant, but I didn’t know the area well. “Maybe back across the interstate and up. You’re there by East Ridge, aren’t you? Near the interstate?”
“Yeah. ”