The window gave out three hours into the storm. Glass spilled in to the room like tiny bullets. Theo was glad his group was smart enough to be positioned along the side walls and that he hadn’t been foolish enough to make another attempt to peek outside.
The storm powered on for endless hours. Theo for once was grateful for the limited food that had become the rule on the island. His stomach could tolerate the endless hours of waiting. Finally, the winds reduced to a level of howling that allowed for his thoughts to form properly in his mind.
“I think it’s slowing down,” said Bill, already standing up. “I want to go out there and see what we can do to help.”
“I’ll come with you,” said Theo, stretching as he got to his feet.
“The hell you will,” said Bill. “You’re our general. You don’t enter the fray.”
“Yes, I do. I’m coming along to help. Anything happens to me, I’m looking at a room full of people who can rise to the challenge. You’re all just as capable as me. Now let’s go.”
Chapter 22
It had not yet been a whole year since the Event. Though in many ways a lifetime had transpired in the months since, any time Theo thought back to that night and its immediate aftermath the emotions felt raw and fresh in his mind as if only a handful of days had passed.
Now, as he and Bill stepped out into a dark, wet night, Theo felt every bit of that fear and upset come rushing back. The shore had faced hurricanes before, and though there was often significant damage, the towns had recovered. The sheer power of the storm they had just experienced would have been a serious threat to the island under any circumstances. With many of the buildings far from the city so damaged by the Event, the conditions were right for absolute devastation.
“Jesus,” said Bill. “We’re lucky all that broke in our house were windows.”
Theo saw that he was right. Houses up and down the street were damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Trees had been uprooted and many had crashed through roofs and walls. Theo and Bill walked in the direction of the city. Taller buildings and motels that had been abandoned in the wake of the Event had now collapsed. In some cases the falling debris had showered onto surrounding homes, creating a cascading domino effect of destruction.
All the streets were flooded up to Theo’s waist. The rain continued to fall on them at a normal, steady pace, slowly adding to the massive pool that had risen on the island. He worried that the flooding would soon rise up over the porch of their house. All that water would not be good for the already weakened structure. Not to mention the concerns of mold and mildew. Plus, where would his people sleep?
It occurred to Theo that passage would have been even more difficult had cars still been on the island. The leadership had removed any vehicles that remained on the streets after the Event for recycling. Theo had an uncomfortable suspicion that those cars and trucks had become part of the armor and weapon stashes that had become his group’s focus.
“What do we do when we get close to the rations station?” asked Bill. “We can’t let the Security Forces see us, especially you.”
“I’m actually not all too concerned about that,” said Theo. “Think about it: why would Tiberius risk his men by having them out in the middle of a hurricane just to guard people that it seems for all intents and purposes he wanted dead anyway?”
“You make a good point, bud. So, what’s the plan then?”
“Well, that’s the other reason I’m not concerned about heading to the rations station. The storm took time to build up strength. I figure the women ran in our direction while they could, wanting to head toward home and their children. They would have only stopped when they needed to find shelter. They probably took cover not far from where we are now. We just have to figure out how to get to them.”
Theo didn’t know how he was supposed to find the missing women. He didn’t want to think about a situation where he and Bill would have to wander through dangerous, partially collapsed houses.
Just as he thought they had walked far enough and was about to suggest to Bill that they explore the nearby buildings, Theo heard a scream for help. He turned to Bill, who nodded. He had heard it too.
They ran as fast as they could, which was not very fast at all due the rising waters. Theo only had a vague sense of direction. He thought he had heard the sound coming from behind an abandoned bank.
“Can anybody hear me?” he yelled. “I’m a friend, I’m coming to help you. Please tell me where you are!”
There was silence. “What the hell are they waiting for?” asked Bill.
“I think they are considering whether I’m somebody they can trust.”
Just then, a response came. “We’re in the library! Please help us!”
They waded and stumbled down the block. The library was in good condition, buffered as it was by surrounding structures and with very few nearby trees. It was not protected from the floodwaters, which were above the entrance to the building.
Theo and Bill pushed their way up the few stairs and into the building. It was pitch black inside. They were going to have to rely on sound.
“We’re inside the building,” Theo called. “Where are you?”
“Back here!” called a series of voices, overlapping each other in panicked enthusiasm.
Bill took the lead, pushing his way past floating chairs, tables, and countless books. Theo followed close behind, not wanting to get separated. In the dark, a room full of hundreds if not thousands of floating objects could be very dangerous.
They continued to communicate with the voices. Finally, they arrived at a room near the rear of the building. Inside were more women than Theo could count with any certainty in the near-darkness. Only the moonlight through the broken windows let him know they were there at all.
“Can you see me?” he asked.
“Yes,” the voices responded.
“My name is Theo Essex. My friend is Bill Mansfield. Many of you know of us. For those who don’t, we are part of a small group hiding from Tiberius and his forces. You all have been kind enough to let us stay in one of your houses. We are here to repay your kindness and get you out of here safely. Is anybody injured?”
“Only a few small cuts and bruises,” said a voice. “Is it safe to go outside?”
“It’s very wet, and very difficult to move,” said Bill, “but it’s safe enough. We need to move quickly though. The waters are still rising.”
“Please follow the sound of my voice,” said Theo. “Hold on to each other. We need to make a chain so nobody gets separated. Tell me when you are all connected and we will start walking. We’re going to walk out of this building and take a route that Bill and I took to get here. We won’t stop until you’re back safe with your children.”
“There’s nowhere that’s safe for us, Theo,” said one of the women. “Tiberius has seen to that.”
“You might be right,” he said, “but that’s going to change. This storm is going to keep Tiberius and his forces out of our hair for a while. It’s too difficult for them to come all the way out here for no reason. We are going to use that time to our advantage. Now, please, join up and let’s get moving.”
The floodwaters rose several inches higher that day, but eventually they receded. The cumulative damage from the wind and flooding was impossible for Theo to comprehend.
Rations administrators returned to the center of town nearly two days later. By that time what food was left in the safe house had run out. Theo was glad to not have to tackle the issue of feeding so many people. His mind was full of too many other things. The women he and Bill had successfully led back to the house were beyond grateful and had pledged loyalty to Theo in a way that made him profoundly uncomfortable. The few they had been able to save from some of the destroyed houses on their street were even more thankful. This made him feel worse, in large part because he knew there were other people he hadn’t been able to save.