TWELVE

FLORIDA, SATURDAY

A strange rushing sound dragged Jenna from a deep sleep. She sat up in pitch black, unsure of her surroundings. She blinked a few times. The readout from the bedside clock was missing and the annoying rattling of the air conditioner had stopped. All the noise came from outside. The promised storm must be wreaking havoc. A howling wind screamed through the night and the shutters on the window rattled like a train going over an old bridge. Rat-a-tat, rat-a tat, rat-a-tat. A tingle of worry crept over her. Kane would wake at the slightest sound and she sensed he wasn’t beside her. The darkness closed in around her and, concerned, she pushed her hands over the rumpled sheet next to her. The bed was empty and cool. “Dave?”

Nothing.

It was so dark and then a flash of lightning sent spears of light into the room for one blinding second. As thunder followed close behind, Jenna reached for the bedside lamp and flicked the switch.

Nothing.

The storm must have caused a blackout, but where was Kane? He wouldn’t leave her alone in a storm. Alarm for his safety gripped Jenna’s chest as she eased out of the bed. “Dave, where are you?”

Nothing.

She’d discussed plans with him over dinner to leave in an emergency. The 7-Eleven had everything they needed for their evacuation pack, and Kane had listened to the storm warning updates all evening. The wind had picked up considerably during dinner and the manager of the restaurant was stacking chairs as they ate dessert. It was obvious he wanted to head for the hills before the storm crossed the coastline but before they left he’d offered them a stack of sandwiches to go. As they’d left the restaurant, they ran into a stream of residents filing out of the building. All elderly, they pushed their luggage in an orderly fashion down to the parking lot, and Mrs. Coats, who’d given them the key to the condo, took them to one side and explained the other residents didn’t want to take the risk of staying. After checking the weather warning at ten the previous evening, they’d decided it should be safe to leave at daylight. They’d made ready to leave, charged their phones, and laid out clothes for a fast retreat and headed to bed. So, what had changed? Jenna felt her way across the unfamiliar floor searching for the nightstand and her phone. Tripping over her boots, she stumbled headlong into the nightstand, bumped off it and landed in an easy chair. Annoyed for being so skittish, she stood slowly. “Get a grip, Jenna.”

The wind howled like a pack of wolves, screaming around the building as if trying every window and door to get inside. The lightning came frequently in blinding crashes, the rolls of thunder a second behind it. In the black interludes, red spots danced across her vision. Spreading her hands wide, Jenna felt all around and eased along the wall to the nightstand. Running her palm over the top until she found her phone, she checked the time. It was almost three in the morning. Using her phone flashlight, she moved around the room. Kane’s clothes were no longer hanging over the back of a chair and his boots were gone. She frowned into the darkness. “Where are you, Dave?”

Unease crept over her, but she tried to remain positive. There was no way Kane would leave her alone unless it was an emergency. She tried to call him, but nothing happened and she stared at the screen in disbelief. “Dammit, no bars.”

The storm must have knocked out the tower, and of course, she didn’t have a satellite sleeve with her. Why should she need one on her honeymoon? The windows shook and shuddered, and things hit the building. Suddenly afraid, she hugged her chest. The hurricane was getting worse. From the reports, they had another twenty-four hours before it was supposed to cross the coast. She chewed on her bottom lip. No doubt, Kane would be trying to get news of the hurricane. Lightning flashed and thunder followed close behind like giant’s footsteps shaking the building. It didn’t take a genius to know the hurricane was heading their way. Would the building be strong enough to withstand the storm or could they outrun it? Hurrying into the kitchen, she searched the drawers for a flashlight. She found two and a pack of spare batteries and grabbed them. Saving power on her phone might be crucial in an emergency. After visiting the bathroom and collecting her things, she dressed in jeans, boots, and a T-shirt. If the storm increased its ferocity, they’d planned to head for the airport. Standing the flashlight on the nightstand, to illuminate the room, she pushed her things into her backpack and placed it by the front door. She turned to search for Kane’s backpack, but it wasn’t anywhere to be found. The emergency kit was missing as well. Where was he? Why would he marry her and then disappear in the night?

Terrible loneliness crawled over her, making her heart ache. Her mind was working overtime and fear gnawed at her. Everyone had left the building and she’d never been through a hurricane before. Where could she go? The next second, a gust of wind roaring like a freight train grabbed the shutters on the bedroom window. Transfixed by the surreal sight between each flash of lightening, Jenna stared as they flew open and banged against the outside wall, flapping around like trapped butterflies’ wings. Thunder shook the building and the shutters screamed as high winds tore them from the hinges and carried them away into the darkness. The next instant, the glass smashed into a million pieces, spilling like diamonds over the floor. Rain pelted into the room and, borne on a gust of wind, a tree branch flew past her shoulder and speared into the wall. “Dave where are you? We have to get out of here.”

Terrified, Jenna picked up the flashlight, grabbed her bag and jacket, and then bolted from the bedroom, slamming the door. Behind her, lamps toppled and smashed as the wind destroyed the room. As she looked frantically around to escape, the wind seemed to taunt her, rattling the shutters in the family room with its deadly fingers. One thing for sure, it wasn’t safe near any windows. She ran to the front door, flung it open, and stared into the darkness. Apart from the roar of the wind and the rain beating down, nothing stirred in the dark hallway. Where could she go? Should she stay here and wait for Kane or go look for him? What if he’d gone out in the storm and been hurt? Heart racing, she pulled on her jacket and backpack. After dragging an easy chair across the room and wedging it into position to keep the door open, she moved to the stairs and sat on the top step. Made of concrete with steel handrails, they looked sturdy enough, but was it safer to be in a stairwell in a hurricane or was that an earthquake? Indecision crawled over her. Should she stay or go?

Jenna wrapped her arms around her and peered into the darkness. It seemed like an eternity of doubts and fears assailed her before a light bobbed in the stairwell. “Is that you, Dave?”

“Yeah.” Kane’s voice echoed up the stairs. “Are you okay?”

Springing to her feet, Jenna headed down to him. “Yeah, but the bedroom is wrecked. The window smashed.”

She rounded the top of the next flight and her flashlight moved over him. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of a man in a black slicker, a cowboy hat, and rubber boots. “Where did you get the slicker?”

“From the size. I’d say it belongs to Wolfe.” Kane stopped beside her dripping water on the steps, removed his hat, and leaned in to kiss her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I went to use the bathroom at two and the wind had picked up. The phones were dead, so I went down to the parking lot to listen to the radio in the sedan. It’s bad news. We don’t have time to get out before it hits. Driving in a hurricane is suicide. I recall Wolfe telling me this building has weathered them before, so we’ll be fine, but once it passes the roads will be in bad shape. It will be easier to travel by motorcycle. I went to the garage and pulled out the Harley, gassed it up, and brought it inside. It’s in a utility room under the ramp on the first floor. I found helmets and a couple of leather jackets in the garage and stashed them in there too. If it floods, that should be high enough to be safe. There’s another slicker in the apartment if we need it in the morning.”

Jenna gaped at him. “You pushed a motorcycle up the ramp to the first floor?”

“Yeah, well, it’s made for wheelchair access, so it wasn’t that difficult.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “We’ll be riding it down.”

“Okay. You’re not filling me with confidence, Dave.” Walking beside him up the stairs, Jenna stared at the black rubber boots. “Where are your things?”

“Already stashed in the saddlebags. My boots are under the kitchen table.” He turned and gave her a long look and shook his head. “You didn’t think I’d leave you here, did you?”

Jenna couldn’t hide the worry in her expression. “I admit I was kind of scared when the tree branch came through the window and missed stabbing me by an inch. You should have woken me.”

“I didn’t want to drag you out in a storm for no reason.” Kane glanced at his phone. “It’s three-thirty. The hurricane will be making landfall anytime soon. We need to hunker down and ride it out. Soon as it’s safe, we’ll head back to the airport. I’m guessing if the phones are still out, we’ll find a payphone there to contact the flight crew. While we’re waiting to leave, I’ll contact the rental people to go and collect the car, and then see if I can arrange to have the Harley shipped back to Black Rock Falls.” He shrugged. “They might even take it on the jet. There’d be enough room in the cargo hold.”

Jenna relaxed at Kane’s calming influence until the flashlight picked up the tic in his cheek muscle. She’d known him long enough to recognize he was concerned and trying to hide it from her.

“We’ll need to grab what we can and get downstairs. I don’t know how long it will take to pass over.” Kane tossed the easy chair to one side and entered the apartment.

Water spilled from under the bedroom door, soaking the carpet. Avoiding the puddle, Jenna followed him to the kitchen. “Okay, give me the bad news.” She dumped her bag on the kitchen table and propped up the flashlight.

“It’s bad.” Kane leaned against the counter and rubbed his chin. “It’s heading our way faster than anyone realized. I had no way of knowing, but over the last hour it increased speed, and the announcer on the radio said destructive wind gusts of over one hundred fifty miles per hour, and it’s massive. We’re in the direct line. We’re in danger, Jenna, and there’s no way out. Already roofs and trees are flying around. If this building caves in, our chances of getting out alive is slim to none.”

Trying to make light of the situation, Jenna nodded. “Okay. You’ve survived worse situations, so what do we do to keep safe?”

“We find a small room, with no windows. Eat food if we have it and wait.” Kane went to a cupboard in the hall. He handed her a slicker. “You’ll need this.” He pulled out two aluminum folding chairs. “We’ll grab the sandwiches and cookies we purchased and head down to the utility room under the stairs. I figure it’s the safest place to hole up.” He went to the refrigerator, pulled out the food, and dropped it on the table. “Pass me the bag hanging on the inside of the broom closet door handle. I’ll take the water as well. I don’t know how long we’ll be holed up. I’m hoping the hurricane will break up into a rain depression once it hits land. Rain we can handle but I’m not risking the high winds.”

Jenna aimed her flashlight into the broom closet and raised an eyebrow. It was deeper than she’d expected and held hooks with various types of equipment hanging from them. “Does Wolfe’s mom climb mountains? There’s all kinds of ropes and pullies in here.”

“Not that I’m aware.” Kane took the bag from her and peered over her shoulder. “It’s rescue gear. Probably another of Wolfe’s sidelines. Being a military chopper pilot, he’d likely be called on to help out in an emergency.” He sighed. “Believe it or not, I know very little about Wolfe’s life before Black Rock Falls. I knew about his wife and that he was a field medic. He flew into many dangerous situations to evacuate wounded soldiers, but we don’t discuss past lives. He knows nothing about me. At the time, I was Ninety-eight H to him. Just a number in a team.”

Jenna noticed the change in Kane’s eyes and squeezed his arm. “I doubt you’ve ever been just a number to him, Dave. From the little you’ve told me, he got you out of hell, even with his wife dying of cancer. He never let you down, did he? That’s a true friend, even if you didn’t know each other’s names.”

“Well, he did call me Dave in the end, and it kinda stuck, didn’t it?” Kane smiled at her. “Let’s go.” He hoisted the bag over one shoulder and urged her toward the door.

As they hurried down the steps, the building trembled beneath their feet. Jenna gripped tight to Kane’s hand. A sound like metal being dragged across the blacktop filled the stairwell. A ripping sound and the tinkle of glass smashing came seconds later and then a massive chunk of metal crashed onto the landing below them. The wind rushed up to meet them in a gush of rain, and debris like fingers pulled at her hair. Horrified, she gaped at Kane speechless.

“Oh, that can’t be good.” Kane turned and pulled her back up the stairs. “Run.”

Tags: D.K. Hood Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net