by Curry, Edna
Tami’s stomach churned as she listened to him list the stories he wanted and hand out assignments. Would he assign her anything at all in this case? Or did he think she still needed coddling with safe assignments? She needed to go down there to see for herself those she loved were okay.
Now he sent her a level gaze, his heavy brows almost meeting as they dipped in a frown. “Tami, you’re from Conley, so you take that area. Get plenty of human interest stuff.”
Tami gasped in surprise. She’d gotten the assignment.
“Get lots of pictures and e-mail the pictures and stories in. The cell phone towers are down, so you won’t be able to use your cell phone until they get them back up. You’ll have to drive to the nearest town with power to send them to me. But you’ll probably have to go there anyway to find a motel that’s open. That’s—,” –he consulted a list—-“Sparville, probably. Take a map. The phones and roads are out in a lot of the area. You’ll probably have detours, but you know the roads down there. I want feedback immediately. Stay as long as you need to. Use your company credit card.”
“Thanks.” She nodded, rose and hurried out. Maybe she’d get lucky and be in and out of Conley without even running into Cal Lentz again. If his business had any damage, he’d probably be too busy to notice she’d returned anyway.
She chewed her lip. Except for weakening when Cal kissed her, she’d made it through the first visit without any problems, hadn’t she? She could do it again. And she’d be able to check on her family and friends first hand. At last she'd be able to use that emergency overnight bag she kept in her car.
Grabbing her purse, laptop, digital camera and cell phone, she ran out to her car. She drove straight south to avoid the traffic congestion near the racetrack and casino, then cut west across country to Highway 169 and turned south again. She knew this area well, had covered many stories in these small towns.
Lost in her musings, she realized she’d missed some announcements on the radio. She'd better pay attention in case there were some road closing reports. There was little traffic. The countryside looked normal and spring-like in the late afternoon sunlight. The snow had all melted and bare plowed fields waited for planting. The trees had not yet budded, but the temperature was near fifty.
At Le Sueur, she pulled off the highway and consulted her map to search out the best route to take. She knew there were only a few bridges across the Minnesota River, and if she wasn’t careful, she would end up wasting more hours backtracking.
Tami used her cell phone to try calling her mother in Mankato again, and heaved a sigh of relief when she finally got through.
“Everyone’s fine here,” her mother assured her. “We just got rain and some hail.”
“That’s great, Mom. Have you heard from Aunt Cora?”
“Yes. She’s fine too, but she doesn’t have any power. I hear Conley’s a mess.”
“I’m so glad you’re both okay, Mom. I’ll try to stop in to see you in the next couple of days.”
“Are you going to stay here a bit this time? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I’ll see. I’ll be pretty busy with this assignment for a few days. Bye for now.”
Another hour on back roads and she finally arrived at the edge of Conley. Here the road was blocked by young men wearing National Guard uniforms. How had they gotten there so fast? Past their green vehicle, she could see downed trees and debris covering the road.
“Road’s closed, lady,” the guard barked at her. “No one’s allowed into town except residents.”
She stared at him, frowning. She hadn’t come this far to be turned away. “I’m a reporter,” she told him, showing her credentials. “I only want to get some pictures. I’ll stay out of the emergency crew’s way.”
“The ambulances have mostly left. They took the injured to the hospital in Sparville.” The young man looked at her doubtfully.
“Yes, I heard that on the radio coming down. I won’t be long.”
“All right. You can walk in to get some pictures. Leave your car over there. “ He pointed to the side of the road where a line of assorted vehicles was parked.
“Most of the homes are damaged, so we’re evacuating the town for tonight until we can inspect them for safety. Mind you, it’ll be dark in an hour and we want everybody out by then.”
“Yes, Sir. Thanks.” She backed up and parked behind a battered pickup truck. Tucking her camera into her oversized purse, she slipped it onto her shoulder and stepped out.
Passing the blue pickup, she saw the window was open a crack. She glanced inside and stopped. A small child lay on the seat, covered with a man’s red-plaid wool shirt. His curly brown hair was tousled, his face streaked with dust and tears. She swallowed, then looked around in anger at the carelessness of the unknown parent. Who would leave a child to sleep in an open vehicle unattended?
She looked up to see the guard watching her, a frown on his face. Maybe the boy was his. Sending the man a nervous glance, half afraid he’d change his mind about allowing her access to the town, she hurried down the road.
A light drizzle was still coming down, and she hugged her leather jacket around her, wishing she’d been more practical in dressing. She should have at least gone home and changed into a pair of slacks and comfortable athletic shoes before she’d hurried off. Too late to worry about that, now.
The wind whipped her long hair loose and she reached up to push it out of her eyes. Stepping carefully around the broken branches spread across the blacktop road, she set off toward the town.
From here, she could see several houses without roofs or windows, and the raw wood of broken tree trunks sticking up beside them. A farm tractor with a bucket-loader on the front pushed debris out of a street farther down the block.
To her right, chainsaws buzzed as men cut up a tree blocking the street. She turned left toward the large brick school, catching her breath as she realized the extent of the damage. She pulled out her camera and snapped pictures from every angle, adjusting her lens settings for the poor light under the dreary skies.
Picking her way through the rubble, she stepped inside what had been a main hallway of the high school. Now it was a mess of smashed bricks and glass. A broken picture, hanging half out of its frame, lay in the rubble. She snapped a picture of it, then picked it up, staring at the stern face of her former principal. She’d never liked the woman, but now a tear slid down her cheek at the indignity of what the storm had done to her alma mater.
“Hey, lady, what do you think you’re doing? Nobody’s allowed in here ‘til it’s inspected for safety.”
Tami jumped at the sudden sound of a voice behind her. A grimy workman in overalls stood frowning at her.
“Sorry,” she said. She laid the picture down, and headed outside, catching her breath in dismay as she turned onto the debris strewn main street. Piles of rubble remained where most of the businesses had been. A small brick structure which used to be the hospital and was now the medical center looked in fairly good shape and was the only building she recognized. The sight made her sick enough to need a doctor herself.
A woman stepped out of the doorway of a house without a roof. She carried a full garbage bag in her arms, and seemed dazed. Tami snapped her picture and the woman stared at her belligerently. “Get lost, we don’t need gawkers,” she snapped.
Tami stared back at her in surprise. Somehow, she hadn’t expected resentment from those she knew in her own home town. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Tells. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“You know me?”
“Yes. I took piano lessons from you about twelve years ago.”
The woman peered closer at Tami. “Oh, it’s Tami Johanson.”
“Yes.”
“Huh. Haven’t seen you in years. But see your ma now and then. She’s always bragging about your nice apartment in the big city. Did you come back down here to gawk at our misfortune? Need some pictures to show your fancy friends, maybe?”
Tami gaped in shock
at the woman’s anger. Before she could explain she was a reporter doing a story on the tornado, Mrs. Tells had turned her back.
Tami bit her lip. She watched the woman hurry off, joining others hurrying toward the edge of town, her head down to keep from stumbling over the rubble.
Well, she couldn’t really blame the woman. She’d be upset if her home had been smashed, she thought. She might lash out at the first person she saw, too. With a shrug, Tami walked on, stopping here and there to snap picture after picture of the devastated main street. She kept looking around for landmarks, unsure of where she was.
As a child living here, she’d known every building like the back of her hand, had played hide and seek with her friends in the summer twilight around many of those homes and stores. The once familiar town was now unrecognizable. All the landmarks were gone. Unbelievable.
The town hall where she and Cal had roller-skated, the cafe where they’d enjoyed hamburgers and malts, the store where they’d bought candy bars and sodas on their school lunch hour walks—all of them were reduced to piles of rubble now. The little post office was flattened. Inside what remained of the grocery store, she could see refrigerators and shelves of canned goods sticking out from under the caved in roof. Bits of glass, shingles and insulation covered everything inside. The food would all be condemned and sent to the dump, she knew. Open copper pipes sticking out of a tipped over and smashed refrigerator case caught her eye.
Tami carefully made her way for several blocks to the other brick Lutheran church where she’d been baptized and confirmed. One wall was partly missing and looked less than straight. A large tree lay across part of the roof. Would they be able to repair it? The doors were locked, but even if they hadn’t been, it didn’t look safe to go inside.
Heartsick, she snapped pictures of the church. Across the street, the almost new senior citizen’s apartment building appeared virtually destroyed. The roof had disappeared and one wall was gone. She stared into one apartment in surprise. Along the remaining center wall, a china cupboard stood, intact. Moving closer, she saw the cupboard held a delicate china cup and saucer collection behind its unbroken glass doors. How in the world had such a fragile thing survived a few feet from a wall that was blown away? Shaking her head in disbelief, she snapped a picture of the incredible sight.
A frail elderly lady carrying a suitcase, accompanied by a younger man carrying a large box, came walking carefully from a side door of the damaged building. The white haired resident was in tears, mumbling to herself, while the man encouraged her to hurry along.
“But where will I go?” she wailed, following him. “This is my home. What am I going to do?”
“You’re going home to Sparville with me for now. We’ll worry about the rest later, Mom,” he told her in a soothing voice.
“But my apartment’s not so bad. Can’t I just stay there? I don’t care if the power’s out for a while. Maybe they’ll fix the rest of the building soon.”
“No, Mom, nobody can stay here. They’re not going to fix it, there isn’t enough left. I told you, they’re going to have to tear the whole building down.”
“Are you sure? Maybe they’ll change their mind.”
“Yes, I’m sure, Mom. Come on. It’s getting colder and it’s starting to rain again. It’s nice and warm at my house and Myra is cooking us a good supper.”
Tami watched the man help his mother down the littered street toward the entrance to town where the guard still stood, stopping traffic from entering the debris-strewn town. Other people carrying belongings were also heading back to the line of cars and buses parked along the road behind the guard.
Tami turned away, again swallowing tears. This whole thing was getting to her. She didn’t even know the lady who’d lost her home, for Pete’s sake. She had to stay objective.
The man with the bucket tractor was still busily clearing the street farther down and she snapped a couple of pictures of him as well. An ambulance crept through the path he’d made on its way to the edge of town. She snapped a picture of it, then glancing up, she caught her breath at the sight of a rag doll, dangling from a branch above her head. Carefully, she framed it and snapped the picture.
She walked farther to where the smashed round metal grain elevators spilled their shelled corn and soybeans in pyramids of gold and pale yellow against the wet black soil. Stepping closer to get a better angle for her picture, her foot slipped on the muddy ground and her shoe wedged in a twisted tangle of corrugated iron. “Ow!” she cried as blood oozed from a scrape on her ankle.
“Watch where you’re going, lady!” The noise of the tractor stopped, and the driver jumped down beside her. “Tami?”
The familiar voice sent a shiver through her already sick stomach. “Cal!”
Chapter 6
Of all the times to run into Cal!
Bending down quickly to hide her sudden spurt of tears, Tami eased her foot from its trap. Then balancing on one foot, she reached down and pulled out the now sodden pump and slipped it back on, shuddering at the feel of the cold, wet leather against her skin.
“You’re hurt,” he said, his eyebrow raising.
“It’s nothing.” She shrugged and dug in her bag for some clean tissues. She pressed the white wad against the cut, where it quickly turned bright red.
“You’d better take care of it. No telling what germs are in this mud. Have you had a tetanus shot lately?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Cal. Stop mothering me! I’m perfectly capable of looking out for myself.” Had she had a tetanus shot lately? She couldn’t remember. Better check on that, just in case. Cal was usually right, darn him.
She dug in her bag again and came up with a filmy scarf and tied the wad of tissues in place. “There. It’s stopped bleeding. It’ll be fine.”
“What are you doing here, anyway? And dressed like that in this mud and rain. I thought you went back to Minneapolis? Only residents are allowed in to get some belongings until we get the safety checks done and some of the streets cleared.”
Heat rose up her face. Yes, she should have gone back to her apartment for more appropriate clothes instead of rushing off straight from the office. But she’d been so worried—and now he didn’t even want her here. He couldn’t care less about her feelings. Didn’t he even remember the hot kisses they’d shared only a few days ago? Why had he turned so cold?
Trying not to look as guilty as she felt, she admitted, “I’m a reporter, remember? I have a press pass.”
He looked incredulous. “Why?” he asked. “Just for curiosity’s sake? To see what happened for yourself instead of waiting to see it in the paper or on the evening news?”
She lifted her camera from her bag and said, “No, so others can see something in the paper. I’m covering Conley’s tornado for my newspaper.”
His lip curled. “That figures. Making a profit off our misfortune, eh?”
Tami stared at him, trying to swallow the lump in her throat before it could foster tears. Who the hell did he think he was, judging her? God? She had a legitimate job to do. Of course she got paid for it. Didn’t everybody?
When she said nothing, he continued, “I thought you wrote magazine articles? I read some—”
“I do, as a sideline. My day job is with the newspaper.”
“I see. Well, I’m in charge here and I want you out. I’ve ordered the town evacuated until we can check all the houses for safety.”
“You ordered it? Who do you think you are, anyway?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m Conley’s mayor. That means I’m the boss here. Out!” He pointed toward the exit where she saw people loading into yellow school buses.
He was the town mayor? Well, why not? He’d always been a big shot in Conley, hadn’t he? Starting with being a sports hero back in high school. “If it’s not safe, why are you still here?”
“I’m clearing this street so we can get people out. We’re still checking houses to make sure we’ve accounted for everyone. Now,
go, Tami. Don’t you understand, it's not safe for you to be wandering around here? You can come back in the morning and see what the situation is by then.”
“Cal, wait!”
“What?“ He frowned at her impatiently.
“Why are the National Guardsmen here?”
He sighed and looked disgusted. “Because our one part-time cop and our small volunteer fire department can’t handle something like this. The Red Cross came in right away, and is busing people to a shelter in Sparville. I called the governor for help. He sent the nearest unit of the National Guard to secure the town. As you can see, we have gawkers already. No doubt looters will follow as the word gets out.”
She followed his gaze toward the line of cars behind the guard. He was right of course. There were always people who preyed on disaster victims. “Yes, I see. Thanks.”
He nodded, turned and climbed back onto his tractor, dismissing her without another glance.
Shrugging, she walked toward her car. She had enough information for her first story anyway. She thought of Cal, suntanned and energetic, climbing onto his tractor to clear the debris from the streets of the town they both loved. Was he really as strong as he seemed? Or was he hurting inside at the sight of the destruction, as much as she was?
At the entrance, people were climbing onto buses, carrying suitcases. Most were silent, their faces pale and drawn with shock.
She snapped a picture of some of them getting into the buses and hurried on. Best she got on with doing her job if she was going to get this film back to the office on time. She could send her pictures as soon as she got back but needed time on her computer to write an accompanying article.
~*~
Cal started his tractor and put it in gear, but kept his foot on the brake as he watched Tami limp away. Wearing dressy shoes to a tornado disaster area. Spoiled girl! She’d probably hurried off without a practical thought in her head, as always. Still, just the sight of her looking helpless with her high heels stuck in the mud—she was something else. He remembered the feel of her in his arms and the hot kisses they’d shared. Ye gods, now he wanted her there, in his arms and in his bed. Only he didn’t even have a bed right now. Time to get real and get back to work.