Full Circle

by Mariella Starr

  "You're the only one who has my allegiance now, Josie. Well, you and the kid. I shouldn't have to tell you how serious I am about this. It's my job to protect you—even from yourself. I want you to be around for a really long time."

  Josie realized for the first time that Jack's motivations weren't entirely based on his need for control. He was afraid of losing her. She had never had anyone in her life care that much for her, to put her needs and safety above their own. Love—Josie realized. Jack loved her. She and Jack did not wax poetic. They were a different breed, tough and pragmatic in their life choices, but that didn't mean they were incapable of love. She realized she did not merely want to make love with Jack. She was in love with Jack. She looked at him with eyes wide in surprise.

  "What?" Jack demanded.

  "I'm in love with you," she whispered.

  He laughed, "That's not news to me, Hellion. I wondered how long it was going to take you to realize it. I'm in love with you too; I have been from practically the first moment I set eyes on you again."

  Both of them jumped and wrapped their arms around each other as they heard the dreaded tornado sirens going off in the distance.

  Jack gave Josie's hand a squeeze before unlatching the storm shelter's hatch that surfaced beyond the house out into the back yard. "If it's gone, we'll rebuild. We can replace things, but not the people we love. The only important thing is that you're okay."

  "Same to you," Josie said, as Jack pushed opened the door, and they went up the steps.

  The house was still standing, so was the carriage house. The porches and the deck were intact, although the Jacuzzi she'd been trying to protect was destroyed. Another falling limb had made a direct hit on it. The old tree was definitely coming down.

  The storm had flattened and bent a shed at the end of the yard, and debris was everywhere. Part of the backyard fencing was down, and there was a child's tricycle smashed against the fence. As far as Josie knew, there were no small children living nearby. These properties on the edge of town were mostly owned by older people whose children were grown and gone. They had large yards and three- to five-acre lots each. Originally all the land had been Raintree property, but the lots had been sold off as her relatives had needed money. The neighbors were also coming outside to check around and assess the damage. They jogged over to the Jenkins first, checking with them to make sure they were okay, and went to two other neighbors before returning to her house.

  Josie went inside through the back door, checking the house room by room. A bowl of fruit from the kitchen island lay shattered on the floor. A new triple pane side window in the family room was smashed, with some of the framing ripped out and bent. The new picture window that had been replaced only a week ago, had survived. The flat-screen TV was speared through with a long piece of metal fencing. Jack came through the front door heading down the hall as she went up the stairs. There was one broken window in a spare bedroom that hadn't been renovated yet, but no other damage. The rest of the upstairs rooms were in good order. She went back downstairs and found Jack in the library.

  The arched cottage style bay window, which had been renovated sometime in the 1950s, was destroyed. Josie had planned to replace it with a large stained glass window taken from Jack's house anyway. A dented aluminum trashcan lay on the floor by the upended kidney-shaped desk. The desk drawers were ripped out of their bases, and one of the library shelf units was tilted forward. The Italian secretary's doors were open, and one of the glass panels smashed, the drawers were askew."

  "How does it look outside from the front?" Josie asked.

  "Not bad. Trash is blown around everywhere, but not as bad as this. How is the rest of the interior?"

  "Two windows on the main level are smashed, this one and one in the family room. I already had plans to replace this window. The other one was new, but it will need a total replacement. There's a broken window upstairs in one of the bedrooms, but I think that will only need the glass replaced. I have to find my phone, call in and get a report on the town damage. I also want to know if any of the storms are tracking towards Alex's camp."

  "The electricity is back on. Turn on the TV and find out if there was a touchdown," Jack said.

  "The TV has a long spear through it. I've already unplugged it," Josie said with a shake of her head, heading toward the kitchen. "I'll turn on the computer, and see if I can get online."

  Jack followed her to the kitchen as she got an update from the sheriff's office.

  "I have to go in," Josie said. "We need everyone. One touchdown has been reported so far, out by the Warren place but in the middle of pastureland. Maybe an F1. He has some crop damage, but that's it. The high winds were nearly as damaging, and there are reports of hail shattering vehicle windshields and storefront windows. Several roofs blew off. No fatalities reported so far, but injury reports are coming in, a lot of them.

  "Clay is on his way out to the mobile home park. They usually sustain the most damage. The rescue-squad EMTs need their vehicles here, so they'll want volunteer vehicles for runs to Elkview General. You might want to volunteer your skills with the EMTs or the fire department, or volunteer to be a driver for the injured. All medical teams will work out of the clinic where Dr. Mellon and his staff will make triage decisions."

  There was a loud pounding on the front door, and they both trotted over to answer it.

  Buck stood on the porch. He grabbed Josie into a huge hug. "Are you all right, Baby?"

  Josie nodded and after a slight hesitation hugged him back. "We're okay. I have to go to work. Jack's going to see about volunteering wherever he can be useful. You should do the same. The EMTs could probably use your SUV for transports to the hospital."

  "Come on, Jack," Buck said. "First, we've got to get a half section of roof off the driveway because it's blocking the garage doors."

  "We lost part of the roof?" Jack and Josie said simultaneously, rushing outside to the front yard to survey the roofline of the house and carriage house.

  "I don't think it's yours," Buck said. "It probably blew in from somewhere else. Josie, take my SUV into town and lend it to anyone who can use it. You'll have a department vehicle to use. I'll stay here, and use your truck and start cleaning up debris."

  "That's not necessary—" Josie trailed off as both men gave her a stern look. "Never mind," she said, realizing her statement was ridiculous. "Have at it. I have to get back into uniform. The chainsaw is probably still on the back porch roof, or it's been blown away. You might want to check the backyard."

  As she walked away, Buck gave Jack an inquiring look. "Why the hell is a chainsaw on the back porch roof?"

  "That's a story I'm sure she doesn't want you to know," Jack said, pulling on some leather gloves and going to work.

  It was a busy afternoon that extended well into the night for nearly everyone in Rawlings. The town people considered themselves lucky. Even though there had been a tornado touchdown, it had been brief and not in a populated area. The wind shears, gale-strength winds and hail caused most of the damage. The schools and most commercial buildings were unharmed. The two churches were undamaged and opened their doors, setting up cots for anyone needing shelter until they could repair their homes. Mrs. Freeman opened up the high-school cafeteria to feed anyone who needed a meal. Volunteers helped deliver meals over to the churches. Several construction companies offered dump trucks to haul off debris. It would take a couple of days for the town to clean up and return to normal, but the storm had spared human life and injuries were minor. Volunteers were plentiful, reminding Josie why she had returned to her hometown.

  She had lived in Washington, D.C. for eight years and had only met the people in the apartment next to hers one time when she had introduced herself to them. They had never spoken to her again. They were not neighbors, but simply people who lived in the next unit. The people of Rawlings hadn't lost their sense of community and pulled together in times of need.

  Josie arrived home well after midnight. The l
awn lights were on so she could see that Buck had done an excellent job of cleaning up the mess. There was a large pile of broken branches and trash piled up in the corner of her yard ready for pickup. He had stapled tarps over the broken windows until they could repair or replace them. He had swept the porches, rehung the hanging pots and brought out the flowers she had taken to the garage. She smiled, because her American flag was also flying. As a military man, that would always be important to him.

  She hadn't seen him, but she'd heard that Jack was working with the rescue squads using his medic training. Coming through the back door, she noticed several large pizza boxes on the counter along with a take-out tray of pasta. She glanced out the window and noticed Jack's grill was already in its place of honor on the deck.

  She pulled out her cell phone and plugged it into its charger as it had gone dead several hours earlier. She reached over to punch in the code for the home phone messages. Many friends had called to see how she faired through the storm, several of whom had made contact with her at the sheriff's office. The fourth message worried her. It was Alex's Camp Director, who asked that she return his call as soon as possible.

  She dialed, not caring what time it was and the Camp Director answered instantly.

  "Ms. Raintree, I called earlier, several times."

  "What's wrong?" she demanded.

  "Is Alex with you?" the Director asked.

  "No," Josie barked out in panic. "He's supposed to be with you!"

  "Alex missed two roll calls. He didn't show up for a game this afternoon and wasn't in his bungalow at bed check. I didn't want to notify the police until I was sure he wasn't with you," the Director said.

  "Alex has been missing since this afternoon and you're only now making contact with me!" Josie yelled.

  "We did call, ma'am, repeatedly."

  "We've been in the middle of a tornado crisis since two this afternoon! We've had many people to account for here in Rawlings. Why in the hell didn't someone call the sheriff's office? Someone there could have contacted me. For God's sake, he's a twelve-year-old boy! Call the County and the State Police! Have you questioned his friends and his roommates?"

  "We have, and they claim they don't have any idea when he left, but kids that age stick together. I'll contact the police right away. Will you be available if we need to call you?"

  "Of course I'll be available. I've been available all day. You didn't call any of the emergency numbers we gave you!" Josie shouted as she tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter in exasperation.

  "What's wrong?" Jack demanded, coming into the kitchen with Buck following right behind.

  "Crap!" Josie snapped, as her knees went weak. Jack grabbed her before she went down and slid her up onto a barstool.

  "What?"

  "Alex is missing from the camp! That idiot Director said he's been missing since early afternoon."

  "He's probably on his way here," Jack said. "His friends are hooked up with all the latest computer technology. He probably heard the weather warnings and the later reports about the tornados. He'll be heading home."

  "How," Josie asked. "He doesn't have any money. Oh, God, you don't think he tried to hitchhike, do you? If he's out there hitchhiking, I will pulverize him!"

  "I'm sure he's smarter than that," Jack said with a grimace. "He has money. I gave him a hundred dollar bill and told him to use it only in an emergency."

  Buck cleared his throat. "I gave him a fifty and told him the same thing."

  "Great," Josie groaned. "You jump all over me for breaking the rules, but you don't have a problem breaking them yourself! Alex is a little kid, and if he's flashing money around, he's a target for mugging or whatever!"

  "If he took the bus, he would have to come in through Buster's all night café and bus stop," Buck said. "I'll head over there and wait around for awhile, check out the bus schedules with Sissy Davis."

  Josie grabbed her keys, "I'm heading up the highway to look for him."

  "Slowdown," Jack said, snatching the keys out of her hand. "Call whichever Deputy is on night duty and tell them to patrol the highway northwest of here. Call the County people too. You know most of them, and they'll keep an eye out for Alex. You need to stay here because this is probably where he's heading."

  "I need to do something!" Josie snapped.

  "You need to calm down. You need to get something solid in your stomach and stay put. Josie, you're running on pure nerves. Alex is a smart kid. He's been in much tougher situations and managed to get out in one piece. Although running away from camp is a serious error of judgment on his part, and there will be consequences."

  "Consequences? Jack, you can't—"

  "I wasn't planning on it," Jack said mildly, "but there will be punishment. You can't let this slide, Josie. Plus, he's going to have to go back to the camp and accept whatever punishment they dole out, too!"

  "I want him here in one piece," she said anxiously. "Then, I'm going to skin him alive!"

  The call came in at 1:45 a.m. and Jack intercepted it before Josie could snatch the phone. She had refused to move a foot away from the phone. He held up his hand, warding her off and smiled. "Thank you. Hold on. The County guys have him. They picked him up at a bus stop in Franklin. Here, you talk to Alex while I call Buck and tell him to meet them at Shaffer's Crossing."

  While a relieved-beyond-belief Josie took the phone, Jack called Buck and sent him out to the halfway point between the two towns. Josie talked to Alex and assured the County officer with him that the person picking him up was his grandfather. When she hung up, she burst into tears.

  "I should have gone," Josie cried.

  "Buck will put a scare into him long before he gets here," Jack promised. "He thinks a lot of that boy. You're getting emotional, and that means you're exhausted. Go upstairs, take a hot shower, get into something warm, and when you come down, I'll have that pasta heated up for you. Alex is probably going to need to eat too, but if I know him, he'll go for the pizza."

  Thirty minutes later, Alex and Buck arrived.

  Josie hugged the boy so hard, he was squirming. She thrust him away from her, inspected him for any damages and pulled him back into another hug.

  "You scared me silly! You are in so much trouble!"

  "Awe, Josie, I can handle myself," Alex whined.

  "Wrong tact, squirt," Buck mumbled behind him.

  The boy looked over, lowered his head and looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I had to come. I needed to know if you were all right. You promised you'd call if anything happened. A tornado hit, and you didn't call! I tried to call you, but I couldn't get through! I was scared something had happened to you."

  "You couldn't get through because we were in the storm shelter!" Josie said firmly. "You know if you can't get through to me that you can call Georgina or Jack or Buck or a dozen other people!" She turned to the other men. "Did you get any phone calls from Alex?"

  Both Jack and Buck shook their heads mutely.

  "It won't wash, Alex!" Josie warned. "You are grounded for life! You're going to have kids before you get ungrounded!" She stood looking at the boy who did not look the least bit repentant, grabbed him and hugged him again tightly. "Oh you! I'm so glad you're okay!" She kissed him on the forehead, which had the boy backing away.

  "I hate to break this up, but it's after two in the morning. We all need to get to bed," Buck suggested. "Alex, hopefully I'll see you tomorrow—alive. Josie, Jack, you two better get this kid in bed and get yourselves there too. Don't forget to call that Camp Director and tell him Alex is here. Tomorrow will be another busy day cleaning up the mess."

  Alex endured a hug from the old man and pulled a large slice of pizza out of the box on the counter nearly swallowing it whole. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

  Jack got him in a wrestling hold and knuckled his head. "The high winds caused a lot of damage especially to yards and gardens, and a ton of trash needs to be picked up. Guess what you're doing tomorrow? A lot of senior citizens in t
own could use a boy who needs to work off a punishment detail."

  "What do I get paid?" Alex demanded.

  "Nada," Jack said, his voice stern and warning. "This work is for the good of the community. In times of disaster, everyone should think beyond their personal needs and do what is best for the community."

  "You've got him scared to death," Josie whispered to Jack as she put the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher.

  "He is not scared; he's still trying to con me into paying him. Volunteering will be good for him. Buck and I got a list of the elderly in and around town from Georgina that your department regularly checks in on. We're going to make the rounds from house to house. We're commandeering your truck and yard tools because the Rescue Squad still needs Buck's SUV and my Jeep isn't big enough. If anyone needs help with clean up, we'll do it. Cleanup like this could take days. I heard Mrs. Freeman is organizing the older high school kids to do the same. It won't hurt the kid to work his butt off for a couple of days. A few blisters on his hands from raking and shoveling will be badges of honor for a good deed done. He has to learn that he doesn't have the right to worry the people that care for him."

  Josie's eyebrows went up when he patted her on the bottom—a bottom that was still a little tender. "I understand now, how worried you were, too. Don't work him too hard and make sure he wears sunscreen."

  Jack gave her a long slow kiss and steered her out the back door.

  "Gross!" was Alex's response as Jack turned back to the kitchen.

  "Mrs. Greer," Josie repeated for the fourth time to the caller. "I do not know Aiden's location except that he has not shown up for work for three days. I understand you are worried, but your nephew is a grown man. He does not have to check in with you every day. On the other hand, he has a job to do as the mayor of this town and the town council would appreciate him showing up. If you do see or hear from him, please tell him that, in a time of emergency, the mayor is expected to be present and accounted for."