“Well, I hope you’re right. Some people go really nuts in crisis situations.”
They got to the ramp and Steve started to climb up into the daylight. When he reached the roof he looked back and didn’t see Tyrone behind him. He yelled back down into the hole.
“Hey Tyrone. Are you coming up?”
“No Steve. I think I’ll stay right here until you get back. Someone might come wandering through that needs help getting up the ramp and I’ll be right here to assist them. I can’t really do anything up there that you can’t do so, I might be a lot more help down here.”
“Okay Tyrone but, be careful. I’ll be right back.”
Steve climbed up the ladder and saw the sheriff leaning over a stretcher that two attendants from the helicopter were waiting to transport.
“Hey sheriff. I’ve got a serious problem down there. My brother is holding a woman hostage and he wants safe passage out of here. He said he’ll not harm her if you let him get away. I believe him. I think we should let him have his way.”
“You’re that Steve Sidel fella aren’t you? The one I heard was leading this whole rescue operation before I got here.”
“Yes, I’m Sidel. I don’t know much about leading a rescue operation. I just got a few people out. That’s all.”
“Well, you’re already pretty much of a folk hero around here. Even that Tiffany Royal had some very heroic things to say about you. I guess since you did so good I’ll go along with what you are saying since it’s your brother and all. I just hope this doesn’t get screwed up. You tell him to come on out and I’ll let him just walk away as long as he doesn’t hurt anyone. Okay?”
“Thanks sheriff. I’ll go and tell him.”
Steve climbed back down the ladder and again descended the ramp. He was surprised not to find Tyrone Washington at the bottom but, he decided Tyrone must have found someone to help. He waded back through the by now almost still water and entered the kitchen.
“Okay Sam. It’s all set. Now remember. You will let her go as soon as you’re free.
“You have my word Steve.”
Sam(Stretch)Sidel prodded Kathy with the knife and they began moving through the water toward the kitchen door. Steve backed off to the side and let them pass. He gave a worried look to Kathy but, she smiled at him and he immediately felt a lot better. He watched them go through the door and he began to follow.
“You son of a bitch.” Yelled Stretch as soon as they cleared the doorway. “I’ll fix you.”
Kathy came flying back through the doorway as fast as the water would allow and Steve could see Stretch wrestling with someone through the open doorway. He grabbed Kathy around the waist and pulled her behind him. The moment she was safe he waded through the doorway to see what was happening. He found Tyrone clutching his arm and bright scarlet was covering his hand. He looked around and saw Stretch moving through the water toward the caved in part of the roof.
“What happened Tyrone? How bad are you hurt?”
“Your brother stabbed me in the arm when I jumped him. I didn’t think he was so quick with that knife. I’m all right. Nothing a few drinks won’t cure.”
“You could have been killed pulling a crazy stunt like that. I’m just glad you saved Kathy though. Don’t ever pull anything like that again!”
He helped Tyrone back through the kitchen door and grabbed a cloth towel that was still laying over a holder. He fastened a temporary tourniquet to Tyrone’s arm and reached for Kathy who was still shaking. He walked his two friends through the water and helped them up the ramp. When they got to the roof, the two twins were back on duty and helped Kathy and Tyrone up the ladders.
“Aren’t you coming Steve? We’re safe now.” Kathy asked.
“No. As long as you’re safe I have to go find my brother. Somehow I have to do something.”
“Please be careful Steve. I can tell I wouldn’t be able to talk you out of this. Just come back safe and sound to me. Okay.”
“I will Kathy. I will. My brother would never hurt me.”
Steve went back down into the hole and Kathy followed with her eyes. She knew this was the man for her and she would wait an eternity for him.
Sergeant Gary Sutton of the Florida National Guard jumped out of the military transport before it came to a complete stop and looked around at the total devastation that lay around him. The truck had pulled in directly behind the patrol car and he could see emergency vehicles lining both sides of the roadway and two helicopters, one of which was taking off and another whose rotors were spinning in anticipation of leaving shortly. Two men with medic outfits on were carrying a stretcher toward the waiting helicopter and the sheriff was walking quickly along side saying something to the man on the stretcher. The sergeant barely heard over the roar of the blades the sheriff telling the wounded man he was going to be all right and that he would visit him shortly in the hospital.
The attendants loaded the stretcher into the waiting helicopter and it began to lift off as soon as the two men climbed aboard. The sheriff gave a farewell wave and turned toward the sergeant.
“Man, am I glad you guys are here. We have a hell of a mess in there and we really need your help.”
The sheriff looked back at the military convoy and was relieved to see all the soldiers that were disembarking from the trucks were armed.
“I’m glad your men brought their weapons. We have some crazies in there, just like the one that shot my deputy. I don’t know where any of them are right now. The water from the lake started pouring in the hole and everything turned upside down. I don’t believe they are holding any hostages at this point but, I know they are armed.”
“We can take it from here sheriff. My Captain put me in charge of this disastrous situation and my men have been fully trained to handle any emergency.”
“I wish you the best of luck, sergeant but, I guarantee you have never seen anything like this. Every time you turn around, the ground caves in. Sort of like a series of mini earthquakes. You never know if, where you are standing, will be there five minutes from now. We have hundreds of people trapped, they were in the main building when it sank, and we don’t even know how many might still be alive. From the last report I heard, the water is more than four feet deep in the sinkhole. It has slowed down in intensity but, I know a lot of people were unconscious when it flowed in and there is no way they could have gotten above the water level. The death toll must be tremendous down there.”
“We will access the situation and report back to you as soon as all the data has been accumulated. Ready men?”
The sergeant broke his men off into their predetermined groups and they headed out to start their rescue attempt. The sheriff followed them with his eyes and prayed they would get the man that shot his deputy. He crossed back over the ditch and walked up to the survivors that were gathered around the main driveway in front of the sunken lobby. There wasn’t a lot of people out here he thought to himself. How did one rich man’s foolish attempt to make more money turn into such a loss of lives. Well, he thought. It’s in God’s hands now.
Kevin Backlin and Bill Forham led the firefighters back to the outside doorway of the computer room. They heard the roar of the water long before they reached the end of the tunnel but, the intensity of the water flow was nothing like they expected. The water from the lake was pouring through the small office with such force that the computer monitors and the rest of the previously large amount of electronic equipment had been virtually stripped bare from the walls and counters. Just when they approached where the door had originally been placed across the opening in the floor they heard the screams.