Chapter 12
KABOOM!!! Brianna sat upright in her bed. The wind was howling and something had just crashed into the building just outside their room.
She quickly grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. There was an emergency broadcast on all channels. The storm had strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane and was on a direct path towards Cocoa Beach. From there, they projected it would head straight East and right into Orlando!
The weather man was highly animated as he exclaimed that outer storm bands were already in fact making their way inland as far as downtown Orlando. He seemed almost giddy.
She jumped out of the bed and raced over to where Jasmine was sleeping. She leaned over and started to shake her friend. “Jasmine, get up! The hurricane’s coming this way! We need to get over to Beth’s house right now!”
She grabbed her cell phone. No cell service whatsoever. She reached for the hotel phone. It was dead, too.
Jasmine was awake now. She grabbed her cell phone off the night stand and shook her head. Nothing.
The girls quickly dressed and threw everything into their bags. The hotel lobby was nearly deserted and it took only a couple minutes to check out.
The desk clerk shook his head as he handed them a receipt. “Are you sure you want to leave right now?”
There was no turning back. The girls nodded in unison as they headed toward the door.
They struggled to reach their car as the wind tried to push them back inside the building.
All around them they could hear branches snapping and loud banging, like doors slamming open and shut. Brianna glanced over to the edge of the parking lot. The strong winds were pushing a huge, metal trash bin into the side of a brick wall!
It took some doing, but the girls were finally safe inside the car. Wide-eyed, they looked at each other as if to say, “This can’t be happening!”
Before pulling out of the parking lot, Jasmine punched Beth’s address into the GPS and waited. It took forever but the directions finally popped onto the screen.
Bri let out a huge sigh of relief. It was only 30 minutes away!
The feeling didn’t last long as she frowned and swallowed hard. “It looks like we’ll be heading right into the eye of the storm!”
They cautiously pulled onto the main road. The streets were almost deserted. By the time they reached the highway, it was just about the same. They were pretty much the only ones on the road.
Jasmine started to panic. What have we gotten ourselves into? Maybe they should have just stayed at the hotel.
“Hopefully, Beth is home. I know she’s expecting us.” It still made Brianna a little nervous that she wasn’t able to call and confirm. What if she wasn’t home??
Soon, their exit was in sight and within a few minutes their car pulled onto Beth’s street. They shook their heads and looked around in amazement. It was like a war zone! There were tree limbs lying all over, an empty trash can was rolling down the center of the road. Huge puddles of water covered large stretches of road. Not a single soul was in sight except them and another car that turned onto the street behind them.
Finally, they pulled up in front of what they hoped was the right house. The porch light was on – a good sign! “This is it. I hope they’re home.”
Brianna shut off the car and grabbed the door handle as she looked over at Jasmine. “Ready for this?”
Jasmine nodded. With that, the girls leaned on the doors, using all their strength to push them open just far enough to squeeze out.
The girls clung to the side of the car as they made their way to the rear. Brianna unlocked the trunk but the wind was too strong – they couldn’t lift it open. It was as if someone had glued it shut!
Out of the corner of her eye, Jasmine saw something coming straight towards her. She quickly ducked. The object hit the ground nearby with a loud thud.
She looked at Bri, terror written all over her face. “That was a chunk of someone’s metal shed. That thing could’ve cut my head off!”
It was obvious they wouldn’t be able to get the trunk open so they linked arms as they began the treacherous journey to the front porch. The rain was coming down sideways as it pelted their face and arms. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing them.
After what seemed like hours, they finally reached the steps. The front door flew open. Brianna recognized Beth from the pictures her mom had shown her. She was so relieved she almost had a melt-down right there on the porch.
Beth’s tall, slender frame filled the doorway. She reached out to grab Brianna’s hand. “Quick, get in here before something takes one of you out.” The girls were pulled inside and the door quickly slammed shut.
Jasmine shuddered. “Yeah, like a giant piece of flying metal!”
Beth looked them up and down. The girls were soaked to the skin, huge puddles of water forming on the floor around them. “You two look like you just went through an automatic car wash – minus the car!”
Jasmine grimaced. “Yeah, that’s about what it felt like.”
Beth turned to Brianna, “I was going to call your mom but our phones are out. Were you able to get through?”
Bri shook her head. “No, neither of us have service. I haven’t talked to her in a couple days.” Her lower lip started quivering as tears welled up in her eyes.
Beth could see she was visibly shaken and upset. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she knows you’re fine. You look like a smart girl, one that has enough sense to stay safe.”
Before Brianna could answer, Beth turned and yelled to someone they couldn’t see. “Tom, go grab the girls’ bags before it gets any worse out there.”
Jasmine shook her head, “Oh, you don’t have to do that. We don’t need them right now.”
Beth was determined. “Nonsense, it will only take him a minute. They’ll be safer in here than they will be in the car.”
Tom soon appeared from out of the hallway, dressed in a long trench coat and rubber boots. He was not smiling as he nodded at the girls.
Jasmine felt bad. “Really, it’s not necessary. There’s nothing in the suitcases that we need to have.”
Beth wouldn’t hear it. “Don’t you worry about him. He’ll be back in no time. Just a little wind and rain.”
The girls look at each other in disbelief. Just a little wind and rain??
Tom stepped around the girls. He took a deep breath and yanked the front door open. As soon as his feet hit the porch, they started to close the door behind him. It took all three of them to push it shut.
He was back a short time later, struggling as he tried to cram all their bags through the small opening at the same time.
By now, the girls were sitting on the couch. When they saw how much grief their bags were causing, they rushed over to try and help.
Beth got there at the same time. She quickly snatched one of the bags out of Brianna’s hands. “No need to mess with these right now. I’ll just take them to the bedroom for you. Be right back.”
Jasmine glanced at Bri with a look that said she’s either super-hospitable or a bit overbearing. Tom didn’t follow his wife. Instead, he stood there staring at the girls, not saying a word.
Brianna started to feel uneasy, like Tom resented their presence.
Suddenly, Beth hollered out from the back of the house. “Tom, can you come back here for a minute?”
He glanced over at the girls one last time before he disappeared in the direction of Beth’s voice. After he was gone, Jasmine whispered. “That was odd.”
Brianna nodded. “There’s something weird about the whole get-our-luggage-and-run-to-the-bedroom-thing.”
Before Jasmine could reply, both Beth and Tom returned to the room. Instead of sitting down she headed in the direction of what had to be the kitchen. “Well, I’m sure you girls must be starving. Come on! I’ll fix you a sandwich.”
She didn’t wait for an answer and continued walking. It didn’t leave them much choice but to follow.
The
girls hopped onto the barstools as Beth started making small talk, asking what the girls had done while they were in town and if they’d made any friends.
Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a normal conversation! They told her about the beach, meeting Luke and Travis. Brianna started to mention Jimmy and Vivian but something told her to keep quiet so she changed the subject.
Beth paused mid-sandwich, the mayo-covered knife still in her hand as she turned her gaze to Brianna. “You were going to say something?”
Brianna looked down, her mind racing. “Oh, I lost my train of thought. This storm has me rattled!”
That answer seemed to satisfy Beth and she turned back to making the sandwiches. Brianna glanced at Jasmine, their eyes met and Jasmine faintly shook her head. Something still didn’t feel right with these two.
After they finished eating, Beth led them back into the living room. Jasmine was just about to sit down when she had a thought. “I’d like to grab my cell phone out of my bag – just in case it starts working again. Which room are the bags in?”
Beth led her to the hallway and stopped. She motioned to one of the rooms. “They’re in the last room on the right. I set them on the bed.”
The words were no more out of her mouth and Jasmine was halfway down the hallway, hoping that Beth wouldn’t decide to follow her.
When she reached the bedroom, she switched on the light and started walking towards the bags. She gazed around the room. There was a telephone sitting on the nightstand. Hmmm… She glanced behind her to see if anyone was around. Certain she was alone, she walked over to the phone, gently lifted the receiver and put it to her ear. Her eyes widened. There was a dial tone!
Jasmine’s heart started pounding and she started to feel sick. Remain calm, she told herself. Maybe it wasn’t working when Beth tried it earlier, she reasoned.
There was only one way to find out. She quietly put the receiver back in its place, grabbed her cell phone and returned to where the others were waiting. She pretended to check for cell service. “Still no service. I wonder if your phones are still down…” her voice trailed off.
Beth was standing at the front window looking out. She turned to Jasmine as she shook her head. “No, they’re still not working. I checked just a minute ago.”
She’s lying! I knew it. Jasmine’s mind was racing. She doesn’t want us using her phone but why?
Just then the lights flickered and then went out. Tom, being ever-so-observant, stated the obvious. “Power’s out.” He walked into the kitchen and quickly returned with several flashlights. “Looks like we’ll need these.”
Brianna thanked him as she turned it on and stood up. “Can I use your restroom?”
Jasmine saw her opportunity and quickly stood up, too. “Yeah, I need to go too.”
Beth pointed in the direction of the hallway. “It’s down there on the left hand side.”
Both girls headed in that direction with Jasmine right on Bri’s heels.
Brianna was annoyed. “What are you doing??” she whispered angrily.
Instead of answering, Jasmine practically shoved her into the bathroom and quickly closed the door.
Brianna couldn’t believe Jasmine was acting so weird. “What are you doing?” she repeated.
Jasmine’s face was only inches from Brianna’s when she whispered. “Their phones work! When I came back to get my cell phone, I saw a house phone sitting on the nightstand so I picked it up and there was a dial tone!”
Brianna was skeptical. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, of course I’m sure!”
“What are we going to do?”
“What can we do? We’re in the middle of a hurricane!”
Brianna being the ever-practical one. “Let’s just wait here until the storm ends and then make an excuse to leave as soon as possible.” It sounded like a good idea to her.
Jasmine paused. You couldn’t argue with common sense. “I guess that’ll have to be good enough.” Plus, they really didn’t have a choice.
The girls turned to go. Just then there was a sharp cracking noise right outside the window that was way too close for comfort. They yanked the bathroom door open and scurried back to the living room.
When they got there, Tom and Beth were bent over, talking in low voices. They immediately stopped when they saw the girls. Several candles were now flickering on the coffee table.
The girls sat down uncomfortably on the loveseat, unsure of what to say next. They all sat there in silence for several minutes as they listened to the wind whipping outside. There was an almost non-stop banging noise, like something was hitting the side of the house.
Brianna silently prayed that the storm would end soon. She couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Chapter 13
The closer Sam and Lee got closer to Orlando, the worse the storm became. They were driving right into the eye of a hurricane. Lee looked over at Sam. “Can you grab my phone and see if I have service?”
Sam shrugged skeptically. “I doubt it. I keep checking mine and nothing.”
She fished it out of the console and glanced down. Shocked, she saw that he had three bars! “You have service! Quick, call someone!”
“I don’t want to take my eyes off the road. Can you scroll down and find the number for Poker Face? He’s my inside guy down here. Hopefully he’ll have some good news.”
Sam glanced sideways at Lee. Odd name. Poker Face. She pressed the call key and handed the phone to Lee.
Whoever it was picked up right away. “Hey, I have cell service but not sure for how long. What do you have?”
Lee listened intently for several minutes. Every once in a while he would comment or agree with whatever “Poker Face” was saying. He pulled the phone away from his face and looked over at Sam. “Take this down.”
He returned to his conversation. “OK. Give me the address. We’re still about an hour away. Hopefully the roads are clear and we can get through.” With that, he rattled off an address that Sam quickly wrote down.
“No, don’t wait for us. If you have a chance…” His voice trailed off. He pulled the phone from his ear. He looked disappointed. “Lost service.”
Sam had a thousand questions. “Where are we going? Did you find out anything? Are the girls safe?”
Lee turned to Sam. “As far as we know. My inside guy has a stakeout on them and the bad guys that are looking for the map. Unfortunately, they’re all together,” he finished.
Sam’s mind was reeling. “Have the girls been abducted?”
Lee shrugged then shook his head and answered honestly. “I’m not sure.”
The storm was finally easing up. At least there was no more pounding noises on the side of the house. It was getting really dark inside Beth’s house and the candles were giving off an odd glow that bounced off Beth and Tom’s faces.
Jasmine shuddered. It reminded her of zombie creatures. She made a silent pact with herself to stop watching scary movies.
Brianna suddenly stood up. ”I’ve got something in my eye. I’m going to grab some contact lens stuff.” Jasmine stood up, too. “I’ll go with you.”
Without giving Tom and Beth a chance to reply, they swiftly walked towards the hallway. They could feel two sets of eyes boring into their backs as they left the room.
When they got to the back bedroom, Brianna turned to Jasmine. “We need to get out of here.”
“How are we going to do that?” Jasmine looked around. “Hey, all our stuff is back here. Why don’t we just sneak out the bedroom window and make a run for the car?”
Brianna laughed. “That’s a little dramatic. Maybe we should just grab our stuff, walk to the front door and tell them that now the storm is letting up we’re leaving?”
She stuck her hand on her hip. “It’s not like they’re going to kidnap us!”
They started bickering as neither one liked the other’s idea.
Just then, there was a loud commotion coming from the front of the house. It
almost sounded like the front door had been kicked in.
Seconds later, they heard glass breaking. It sounded like it was coming from the direction of the kitchen.
Jasmine whispered loudly. “Holy Smokes! Something’s going on out there.”
She grabbed Bri’s arm. “See? I told you we should’ve gotten out of here when we had a chance!”
There was no time to discuss it now! The girls looked at each and had the same exact thought. Dive under the bed! They hit the ground and rolled under.
In the meantime, they could hear yelling and cursing coming from the living room. A woman let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The girls reached for each other’s hand as they squeezed their eyes tightly shut and sucked in a breath.
As suddenly as the noise started, it stopped. They lay very still, not moving an inch. After what seemed like forever, they heard footsteps coming down the hall.
Someone was calling their names. “Brianna, Jasmine, are you in here?”
Brianna put a finger to her lips. Jasmine clamped her mouth shut and held her breath. A beam of light was bouncing around the room. Someone was looking for them! It didn’t take long for the light to slowly lower to the floor as it came to rest on them, shining right in their eyes.
“You can come out now.” The light was blinding. They couldn’t see who was talking but the voice sounded vaguely familiar. Their hiding place discovered, there was nothing left to do but crawl out from under the bed.
The girls stood up and brushed off their clothes. Acting braver than she felt, Jasmine turned her flashlight on and shined the light towards the door. Her hand flew to her mouth as she let out a gasp. A look of shock plainly etched on her face. It was Jimmy!
He was smiling at them. “I’m sure you’re surprised to see me!”
Surprised didn’t come close to describing it. Speechless – yes, that was the word. Without waiting for them to answer, he headed for the door and motioned for them to follow.
Winds of Deception (Samantha Rite Series Book 2) Page 7