The Whirlwind Rescue

by Ginny Sterling

  No.

  There were underlying currents, emotions, feelings, angst, and repressed feelings between them that would have to be sorted out over time – and in this moment all that mattered was the ‘now’.

  Now, she was here with Gavin and swaying to the music.

  Now, he seemed to be showing just how tender he could be with her and reminding her of how good things were between them. Friendship and love were never a problem between them; understanding each other’s quirks and needs were.

  Now, she was aware of her own emotions and the depth they ran in her very soul. That burning, yearning feeling inside had always simmered just below the surface. It would be so easy to touch him, to kiss his lips, but was she confusing love with desire?

  “I wish we could stay like this forever,” he admitted quietly against her hair. She was keenly aware that his head was resting on the top of hers. The storm outside was nearly as strong as the one bursting through her own defenses inside.

  “Maybe we can do this again in the future – minus the hurricane.”

  “I don’t know,” he teased softly, “it drove you into my arms and it’s someplace I’ve missed you being.”

  “You don’t need me to be scared to dance with me.”

  “I disagree. I think we both needed a little push in each other’s direction.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “You know, we are going to have to find another location for shelter soon,” he said quietly, hesitating. “I don’t want you to be alarmed, but I don’t want to take any chances with your safety.”

  “That noise was really bad earlier, wasn’t it?”

  “I can honestly say I could have gone without hearing it,” he teased, pulling his head back and turning her chin up towards him. She saw his soft smile and the unspoken question in his expression as she fell under his spell. Time seemed to slow as he leaned down towards her. Hesitating, he waited before gently brushing his lips against hers.

  Perfection.

  There was no push, no demand, no pressure. The tentative touch of his lips was a silent, unspoken request for permission to kiss her. He wanted this and heaven help her… she did, too.

  Just as she felt desire bloom inside and inclined to actually deepen the kiss, the world around her seemed to groan in protest. She felt Gavin’s arms tense as he cursed angrily.

  “C’mon, we are leaving.”

  “What? WHAT?” she questioned-twice-disbelieving what she had just heard.

  “The roof is going to go and I think that noise was one of the walls. If the roof gets ripped off, we’ll be wet but if a wall disappears? No, thank you. We aren’t staying for that one.”

  “We can’t go out there!”

  “And we can’t stay here!”

  “Gavin, this is craziness to think we can just walk out there and be safe.”

  “Natalie, I am not arguing with you about this! Get a jacket and grab your I.D. We’re leaving.”

  “Why do I need my I.D.?”

  The hard look he gave her was almost as chilling as the lack of response. She could tell by his expression that he was not going to say the words aloud. She knew Gavin and he used to say, ‘if you say it, it puts it out there for the Universe to pick up’. She needed her I.D. in case something terrible happened and she didn’t make it. In that moment, she thought she might throw up the cheesy poofs and coke she’d ingested.

  “I can’t,” she whispered, backing away from him.

  “You can and I swear nothing is going to harm you while I’m alive,” he said gently, wincing as they heard the groaning sound again. “Get your purse, sweetheart, and trust me. Please?”

  Natalie scooped up her purse and was stunned when Gavin put his FEMA jacket around her shoulders. Numb, she put her arms in the sleeves and didn’t protest as he zipped her up inside of it. It was warm and humid out but she knew that there had to be some reason he was doing this. He ran over to the kitchen counter, picked up his cell phone and put it back in the Ziplock bag. Stuffing his hand inside the jacket, Natalie yanked away in alarm as his hand accidently touched her.

  “Sorry,” he blurted out, blushing. “There’s a pocket inside that is zipped. If we get separated, you can call 911. They aren’t running right now, but when things die down a bit, you could get help.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Gavin,” she began and heard the horrible deathly groan that seemed to come up from within. They both looked at each other and cursed in unison, darting for the door of the house. Gavin yanked it open and pushed her out into the rain, following closely behind. The rain was still pelting down and water was up past her ankles, pushing at her with a great sucking sensation as the current pulled.

  “Let’s go!” Gavin hollered loudly, grabbing her hand. “Don’t let go of me!”

  “I’m not!”

  They began trudging along slowly when she heard a massive crash nearby. Jumping in alarm, she turned to see that the house she’d been living in was coming off its foundation and the walls were collapsing in. Grasping at Gavin’s arm, she was thankful he was there because between the feel of the current pulling at their feet and the shock of seeing her home falling apart, she wasn’t sure she would have remained standing on her own.

  “I’m so sorry, Natalie,” Gavin yelled over the howling wind.

  “I…I have no words…” she breathed, staring at the wild environment around them. All her plans for the future were being destroyed by the seawater and hurricane. This was utter insanity and they were in the middle of it, exposed.

  “We’ve got to get to higher ground,” he hollered, yanking at her hand.

  “We need to get to shelter!” she countered, seeing debris like leaves and branches being flung down the unoccupied streets. Cars lined the roads like there was nothing going on at all; however, the streets couldn’t keep up with the amount of water draining down the gutters. Some of the vehicles had water up to the wheel wells while others were nose first into massive puddles of saltwater.

  Boarded up buildings obviously had to be the way to go for preparations, she thought wretchedly as she saw the protective measures others had taken. Some of the buildings had windows taped up like her own had been and hadn’t been touched by debris yet. Her heart was breaking as they managed to slowly make their way farther and farther inland.

  She realized that the world around them was missing certain sounds that she’d taken for granted. There were no dogs barking at the strangers on the street, no birds in the air nor their songs, not one car was running nearby. It was an eerie atmosphere as the world around them was simply paused for the time being until Hurricane Dottie was finished wreaking havoc.

  This was a category three hurricane, the last she’d heard. It was unfathomable of what a category four hurricane would do to the world around them. She’d seen the pictures on the news in the past, but it never really hit home like it did now.

  She’d seen the destruction, the devastation, but now it was personal. Those weren’t just damaged houses and businesses… those were homes and people’s livelihood… their hopes and dreams washed away. The slate wiped clean in a way she’d never grasped before and wished she didn’t understand now.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Natalie saw something move that struck her as odd. Coming to a stop, she tried to shield her eyes so she could better see what was going on. The rain was beating down and nearly blinding with the intensity.

  “Wait!” she hollered, glancing in disbelief at Gavin, horrified. “I think there’s a kid in the alleyway!”

  “What?”

  “I think I saw a kid, a boy, in the alleyway by the souvenir shop over there. Gavin, we have to go check.”

  “Absolutely,” he said firmly, pulling her gently behind him as they slowly crossed the street.

  “Hurry! I don’t want him to run off or get hurt.”

  “I am hurrying. I prefer that we don’t get hurt, either! I’m searching the street to make s
ure I don’t get sucked into an open manhole.”

  Water hid too many dangers. Manhole covers that had floated off their access holes became death traps for the unsuspecting. Snakes, spiders, frightened dogs, and other beasts all were searching for a surface to take hold to weather out the storm. He would never forget his first call and the pain of getting bit by a snake in the calf of his leg. Thankfully it wasn’t venomous but it still hurt like wildfire!

  “Holy smokes! Does that even happen?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Now, stay directly behind me,” he urged carefully, “We are almost directly in the middle of the street and that’s wh… whoa!”

  Gavin pushed her backwards in alarm, almost dislodging her feet from under her. He quickly steadied her, as he backed away, and moved to the right of where they’d just been standing. His hand clenched hers painfully and she knew it was a reaction to something.

  “What do you mean ‘whoa’…” she asked fearfully.

  “Manhole,” he said in a clipped voice.

  “Oh my gosh,” she breathed, clutching his hand and sticking her foot out tentatively, tapping the ground in front of them as they slowly walked across the road. They were having to lean into the strong winds and it was no wonder they were moving at a snail’s pace. He was searching for possible hazards and watching out for her, while she’d been impatiently hoping to get out of the rain. Things that she hadn’t even begun to think about!

  They had to get to that kid more than ever now!

  As they drew closer, Natalie felt their pace quicken as Gavin hurried them out of the street. Moving along, she heard him begin to holler for the boy. She quickly joined in.

  “Hey, kid! We are here to help you!”

  “Hello? Little boy? Don’t hide from us. I need your help. My friend is hurt,” Gavin hollered, glancing at Natalie. She was confused by his words and just as stunned as a small boy about seven years old slowly emerged from behind a dumpster. He looked like he was half drowned, his face pale and stark against his hair, almost matching his video game t-shirt that clung to him.

  “Can you help me?” Gavin began and nudged at Natalie in a telling fashion. It dawned on her then that he wanted her to play along.

  “Ow!” she called out awkwardly and then again with more force. “Ow! I hurt my ankle.”

  “Kid, come on out and help me hold her hand so we can walk to the shelter. Is your mama or daddy near here?”

  “I fell in and swam,” he said quietly and Natalie had to strain to hear his words. He was obviously scared and unsure what to do.

  “You are a brave boy swimming in this mess,” Gavin said encouragingly. “What do you say we make this an adventure together and rescue our damsel in distress?”

  “Like on the video games?”

  “Just like them!” Gavin agreed, grinning.

  “You can pretend that I am Princess Peach,” Natalie teased, trying to join in. Gavin laughed easily as the boy stepped forward and took her hand. He glanced up at her, confused. The alleyway served to block the wind slightly and for a moment, she considered asking to stay there.

  “You look more like Mercy from Overwatch.”

  “Who?” they asked in unison, glancing at each other, sharing a secretive smile.

  “She’s a pretty healing angel in the video game. She has blonde hair like your girlfriend, too.”

  “I’m not…” Natalie began but Gavin interrupted her quickly.

  “Sounds like I have a new video game to play. Maybe we can do it once we are safe, huh? What’s your name kiddo?”

  “I’m Jacob.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jacob. This is Natalie and I’m Gavin,” he said firmly. “Now, take hold of Mercy’s hand and let’s get out of this mess. I don’t know about you but I want something to eat soon and I could use a change of clothes.”

  “I’d like some chicken nuggets.”

  “Oh, those do sound good, don’t they?” Natalie chimed in, holding out her hand. She was glad for the rain in that moment as Jacob put his little hand in hers and hung on. “Are you a barbeque sauce guy or honey mustard?”

  “I like ketchup.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Chicken nuggets, ketchup, and Overachiever the video game,” Natalie said happily, swinging her arms lightly in a playful fashion. Jacob giggled and smiled at her.

  “It’s Overwatch, silly.”

  “Whoops!”

  “Let’s get going you two. I think I’d like some chicken nuggets, too – and I am a barbeque sauce kinda guy,” Gavin said with a wink, “Now, single file behind me, okay? No one lets go… or they instantly lose the game and we aren’t losers, right, Jacob?”

  “Right!” he said vehemently with a salute.

  Chapter 7

  They walked on for quite some time, slowly making their way down the empty streets. Gavin was checking door after door, looking for someplace to take shelter from the storm. A lot of the buildings had water damage due to broken windows and several had new ‘inhabitants’ that had managed to make their way in.

  Unfortunately, the new tenants either slithered, had more than two legs, or weren’t quite so friendly. They’d opened one door only to have a large, frightened dog throw himself bodily at the door, barking and snarling. It wasn’t that Gavin didn’t want to help them, even the snarling dog, but it was like his first duty was to protect her and he wasn’t taking any chances.

  They kept knocking on the doors, Gavin yelling ‘FEMA’, only to have Jacob mimicking him in no time. So far, they hadn’t found anyone else to join their rag-tag band, making Natalie feel all the more foolish for staying put. Her hair was still being whipped painfully around her face, but it almost seemed like it wasn’t quite so intense anymore.

  “How much farther to the shelter? Do you think they are setting up yet? The causeways might not be open yet. Shouldn’t we just wait it out?” Natalie asked after being slapped by flying garbage that was carried by the storm. Thankfully, it had been part of a cardboard box and nothing stronger. Even little Jacob looked beyond exhausted from the ordeal.

  Gavin tried another door handle, this time to a small diner that had the windows boarded up. The door gave and he hesitated. She knew he was waiting for someone or something to bar their entrance or checking for their safety.

  “Gavin, just go on inside,” she urged, nodding towards Jacob and looking at him pointedly. The boy’s eyelids were drooping and they were all reaching their breaking point. Gavin nodded and pulled them in the building behind him.

  As they stepped inside, she saw that water had seeped in from a hole in the roof towards the back of the building, splashing down on one of the booths in the corner. The boarded-up windows blocked out the sun and cracks between the wood gave an eerie glow, illuminating the empty dining area.

  “FEMA! Is anyone here?” he hollered and grew silent. They both listened for any signs before letting out a sigh.

  “Jacob, why don’t you relax for a bit on one of the booths and try to get some rest.”

  “I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” he admitted in a tiny voice.

  Gavin stepped forward and put his hand on his shoulder.

  “C’mon. I’ll take you and we’ll find it. I’ve got a flashlight on me so you aren’t in the dark, okay? Natalie? You, too?” he asked candidly. She flushed in mortified embarrassment and nodded.

  Something so simple as a basic body function was also impacted. She didn’t want to be in some strange bathroom in the dark any more than Jacob did. She waited patiently in the hallway while the guys disappeared into the bathroom before emerging. Gavin handed her the flashlight like a runner handing over a baton in a race.

  “We’ll wait for you and maybe scrounge up a few things.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Natalie wasn’t gone for long, at all, when she returned to the hallway. Jacob had a tablecloth wrapped around his shoulder like a cape. Gavin stood there holding several other tablecloths, a loaf of French bread, and a stick of butter.
>
  “I’m not sure how long the power’s been down but this should be safe for us. Maybe when this all gets put back to normal, we can come back and have some real food.”

  “I’d like that,” she admitted shyly.

  “Me, too?” Jacob asked, yawning.

  “Yes,” Gavin said with a laugh, ruffling the boy’s wet hair, “you too-and your family once we let them know you are safe.”

  Natalie didn’t say anything as she met Gavin’s eyes.

  Instead, she offered up a silent prayer that Jacob’s family was safe and wished she could let them know he was alive. She wasn’t 100% sure what had happened, but the idea of losing a child into the water had to be devastating. She imagined that his mother was assuming he was dead and her heart clenched painfully for the unknown woman.

  “Now who’s hungry?” she asked, changing the subject quickly. Jacob eagerly nodded, happily sliding into the nearest booth. Natalie and Gavin also slid in opposite of each other. He laid the items on the plate, handing over a butter knife to Natalie.

  “You wanna do the honors?”

  “Sure. Big piece or little piece, Jacob?”

  “Big piece!” he said emphatically, holding his hands wide apart with a grin. Grinning, Natalie met Gavin’s smile and nodded, cutting into the loaf of bread. She smeared a dollop of butter on the slice and handed it to him, watching him begin to shove it in his mouth with gusto. Poor thing, she thought painfully. His eyes kept closing as he chewed from fatigue.

  “Gavin?”

  “Make yours first,” he countered, “Jacob, once you finish eating I think maybe we should all try to get a nap and ride out the rest of the storm. What do you think?”

  “I hate naps. They are for babies,” the boy protested, but his words lacked force behind them. He was exhausted and fighting it.

  “Actually, naps are for anyone who needs to be ready to fight another day. I hear that superheroes often take naps.”