Flood Zone

by Dana Mentink

Farley snorted. “If you and Fido hadn’t saved my life, I’d be in the bottom of a ravine with vultures using my bones for toothpicks.”

  “Vultures don’t have teeth. Staying sober?”

  “Yeah, man. Prayed myself through the last real bad stretch.”

  Dallas had prayed right along with him. And picked Farley up when he hadn’t made it through, cleaned him up, filled him with coffee and nearly hog-tied the kid to get him to a meeting. “Gotta win, every day.”

  “I know, Mother, I know. Stop nagging and let me get to work.”

  “While you’re at it, can you see if there’s a P. Finnigan living in the area?”

  “All right. See ya.” Farley clicked off.

  Dallas pushed the truck along, rocks pinging into the bottom, irritating Juno who barked just once.

  “Half a mile more.” Dallas squeezed the truck by a narrow section of path, branches scraping the sides, until he’d looped back out to the main road. A recent rock slide took out a bend of the highway, leaving the section blocked with a mess of boulders and only one lane passable. It was marked with cones and caution signs. Handy. He rolled down the window and listened to learn if he’d guessed correctly.

  The sound of the SUV’s approach told him he had. He edged past the rockfall and pulled the truck across the road. SUV guy would pass the blockage, encounter the truck and have to stop and back, which would slow him down enough for Dallas to get a good look. Risky, but with Mia’s situation worsening by the minute, he needed some intel. Keep your enemies close...

  The SUV was taking an unhurried pace. Dallas got out of the truck and he and Juno took a position behind a pile of rocks. Juno gave him the “you’re probably crazy but I’m happy to participate in your insanity” look. They waited less than five minutes.

  The SUV made the turn, stopped so fast the tires skidded a few inches. Dallas crouched low, peering over a granite lip of rock to identify the driver. To his surprise, the man shoved open the door and got out. Dallas took a picture with his cell phone.

  Not much to him, but strength had nothing to do with size. Fair skin, buzz-cut hair. Tight skinny jeans and a shiny jacket that was probably fashionable somewhere in the world where Dallas hoped he never found himself.

  The guy looked slowly around, hands loose at his sides. “We gonna talk?” he called out, voice higher pitched than Dallas guessed.

  Dallas climbed out from behind the rock, and Juno scampered over to the man. He gave him a careful circling before he settled on sniffing his sneakers. “You’re following Mia. Why? Who are you?”

  The kid had to be no more than twenty. “Archie. How do you know I’m not following you?”

  Dallas considered. “I’m not worth following. Did you break into her house?”

  Archie crouched slowly and offered an outstretched hand to Juno. “I love dogs. Miss mine. He’s some sort of lab and husky mix. Chews my shoes when I don’t walk him enough and leaves them on the bed for me to find.”

  Dallas waited, watching to make sure Archie didn’t reach for any kind of weapon in his ridiculous excuse for a jacket. “I asked you a question.”

  “My boss sent me here. I do what I’m told.”

  “Who’s your boss?”

  Archie straightened. “Guy who wants his property back.”

  Dallas’s pulse sped up a fraction. “Do you work for Hector?”

  Archie laughed. “Good one. I like to be on the winning team.” He checked his watch. “You’re a roadblock, in more ways than one. You need to step aside.”

  “Not if you’re after Mia.”

  “She has something that belongs to my boss. He wants it back. No need for any pain. Just a simple negotiation.”

  “She doesn’t have anything, and if you hurt her, it will be the last thing you ever do.” He had not raised his voice, but the intensity made Juno return to his side and sit, rigid with expectation.

  “All right,” Archie said, pulling out a switchblade and flicking it open. “This is as good a place to kill you as any, but I don’t want to hurt the dog. Tell him not to attack.”

  Juno wasn’t an attack dog. In fact, he was the perfect Search and Rescue dog because he was passionately interested in people, but they also had a bond that surpassed owner and worker.

  “All right,” Dallas said calmly. “I’ll send him to fetch and then you and I can get down to business. May I?” He gestured to a stick on the ground a few feet away and Archie nodded.

  Dallas bent over to get the stick and while he was at it, grabbed a palm full of gravel loosed from the earlier slide.

  “Okay, Juno. Ready to fetch?”

  Juno shot to his feet as Dallas tossed the stick into the trees and then turned to fire the handful of gravel at Archie who instinctively raised an arm to cover his face. It was enough. Dallas aimed for Archie’s arm and threw himself on top of the man, bringing him to the ground.

  Juno returned and danced in crazy circles around the two, barking at a deafening volume.

  Dallas used all his strength to slam Archie’s knife hand into the ground, but the kid held fast. He dealt Dallas a blow with his free fist that got him in the back of the head, sending stars shooting across his vision. A flash of fire across his forearm rocked Dallas back as Archie rolled away. Dallas scrambled to his feet, a line of red dripping from the wound on his arm.

  Archie was already standing, eyeing the dog who continued to bark, uncertain, taking darting hops toward Archie and Dallas. “What happened to fetch?”

  “He fetches people, not sticks, and he’s not an attack dog, so don’t hurt him.”

  “No,” Archie said. “I guess I won’t. Nice moves. Heard you were in a gang back in the day.”

  Dallas did not react to Archie’s knowledge. Kid had done some research. “Not anymore.”

  “You can never get out of that world.”

  “Yes, you can. I did.”

  “You’re gonna be in my face if I let you leave.”

  “If you’re after Mia, then you’re right. I will.”

  “Why? You into her or something?”

  “Just a friend.”

  Archie gave him a look. “Uh-huh. Sure.” He straightened. “Short on time, so I’m gonna end it here, but I’ll take care of the dog for you.”

  “Appreciate that.” Dallas went into a ready stance, learned not in a karate studio or a self-defense class, but from adrenaline-fueled fights with other lost young men bent on self-destruction. To defend their brotherhood, what had been his brotherhood, his family, or so he’d fooled himself into believing. All for Uncle, for the territory. He did not want to fight, but if it would free Mia, then he would do it. Juno whined, big torso heaving with confusion. A finder, not a fighter. Dallas wished he had spent his life doing the same.

  Self-recrimination later, he told himself. There was no effective way to defend against a knife attack and he had the scars to prove it. Only one alternative that wouldn’t get him killed and he took it. When Archie lunged forward, Dallas jerked aside and aimed a crushing kick at Archie’s knee.

  Archie’s grunt of pain told Dallas he’d hit the target. He stumbled and Dallas aimed another kick at the knife hand which sent the switchblade spiraling into the bushes as Archie fell stomach-first onto the wet ground.

  Dallas immediately knelt on his back, knee between the shoulder blades, shushing the furiously barking Juno.

  Dallas’s heart was pounding, the pulse hammering so loudly in his ears he did not at first hear the chug of a heavy vehicle approaching from the other side of the rock slide.

  “Someone’s coming. Moving fast,” Archie puffed. “What are you gonna do? You don’t move your truck, whoever that is could slam right into it and go over the cliff.”

  He was right, but the second he released Archie, the guy would bolt or find his sw
itchblade and have another go at Dallas. The pop of gravel sounded louder now.

  No choice. He couldn’t risk causing an accident.

  He leaned closer to Archie. “Stay away from Mia.”

  Archie answered with a laugh. Dallas released his hold and ran to the truck, cranked the engine as Juno leapt in and got the truck out of the way with a screech of tires. He made it just far enough to pull off onto the narrow shoulder when Archie flashed by in his SUV, snapping off a salute to Dallas. A moment more passed before an emergency vehicle swept by, no sirens going, but lights flashing.

  They, too, had to take the roundabout way to Mia’s neighborhood since the main road was underwater. The driver gave Dallas a wave, thanking him for pulling off the road.

  He settled in behind, trying not to crowd the responders. Should he worry more that the situation ahead had turned into an emergency? Or that he’d let Archie, the guy with a switchblade, get that much closer to Mia and Gracie?

  * * *

  Hands gripping the wheel, Mia answered Gracie’s myriad questions mechanically, not realizing what she was agreeing to.

  “I can have ice cream for breakfast? Super duper,” Gracie said. “You never let me have that before. Not even Tina lets me have ice cream for breakfast, only cookies.”

  Mia blinked. “What? No of course you can’t have ice cream for breakfast. I was thinking about something else, and Tina should not give you cookies for breakfast, either.”

  In truth, she was trying to squash down the concern that washed through her belly. Dallas had taken off after a stranger to do what? Confront him? Follow the car? She hit the brakes as a roadblock appeared. A police volunteer in an orange vest approached her open window.

  “What is it? What’s going on?”

  “Levee failed. Town’s flooded. We’re evacuating now.”

  “But I’ve got to get to my house. I need to...” Retrieve a picture of a woman who was at the scene of a murder? That seemed too fantastic a tale to drop on the harried-looking volunteer who was already wet to the skin, though it had stopped raining. “I have to get something. It’s important.”

  “Sorry, ma’am. It’s not safe to drive in. You can see from the road there, where everyone is gathered. No farther than that.”

  She dutifully pulled the car off the road, turned off the engine and helped Gracie out. They skirted giant puddles and slogged through patches of grass until they came to a gathering of a half dozen people wearing emergency vests who were peering at clipboards along with the volunteer firefighters. It was a sort of makeshift emergency center with a pop-up canopy to keep off the rain. With Gracie bundled close, Mia drew to the edge of the bluff, gazing down at what had been her home.

  The house she rented was one of only a half dozen, scattered in between with thickly clustered trees. Now the quiet, country road was a river, water lapping the middle of the doorways. At first she couldn’t locate her house, until she saw the weathervane turning lazily in the breeze.

  Gracie pulled at her mother’s hand. “Where’s our house?”

  Mia breathed out a long sigh. She had not yet even managed to tell Gracie the hard truth about Cora, but there was no way to shield her child from this. “The levee couldn’t hold all the water. It spilled over and flooded our house.”

  They stood for a moment in silence.

  “When will the water go away?”

  Great question, and she’d give her eye teeth to know the answer. “I’m not sure.”

  And when the water did recede, what would be left behind? Sodden clothes, ruined furniture acquired a bit at a time on her meager salary. And the rocking chair, oh that precious wooden chair snatched up at a garage sale when she shouldn’t have spent the money. How many hours had she spent in that chair after Gracie went to sleep, studying her nursing coursework, dreaming about the future she imagined she was providing for her daughter.

  A lump formed in her throat.

  “Where are we gonna sleep, Mommy?”

  The question danced away, unanswered on the wind. They watched an inflatable Zodiac boat, guided by two firefighters, as it approached the bluff carrying an elderly couple swaddled in life jackets, their sparse white hair pasted in wet clumps to their foreheads. She searched the area for Dallas. What had happened to him?

  Mia felt a hand on her shoulder.

  She turned to find Dr. Elias wearing an orange vest over a long-sleeved denim shirt and jeans. Her mind was still dealing with the shock of seeing her whole life submerged and she wasn’t sure what feeling floated to the top at the sight of her former employer.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, eyes somber. “The Army Corps of Engineers couldn’t save the levee. They tried their best.”

  Mia nodded. “I’m sure they did.”

  “Hiya, Dr. Elias,” Gracie said.

  He smiled and knelt in front of her. “Well, hello there. I’m glad to see you.”

  “Our house is all watery now.”

  “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll find you a place to live.”

  Mia took Gracie’s hand. “The doctor is here to help people who are hurt. Let him do his job now.”

  Dr. Elias straightened and put an arm around Mia’s shoulders. “Really, I can help you find a place.”

  She didn’t move, torn between shock and uncertainty. Was this the man whom she’d thought meant to harm her only days before? There was no longer a clear answer to any issue crowding her mind and heart.

  Where would they go? She had maybe twenty dollars in her purse and a credit card on which she’d already charged a semester’s tuition. “Why would you want to do that after you fired me?”

  He sighed. “I told you I would help you, even if you couldn’t work at the clinic. You lied to protect your child, not to hurt me. I’m sensitive about lying. A foible of mine.”

  How had the talk become about him?

  He squeezed her shoulders. “I can fix you up in...”

  A woman approached, dark hair cut into a stylish bob that remained neatly coiffed in spite of the elements. The fragrance of a floral perfume clung to her, odd and out of place at a disaster scene. Green eyes flashed under delicate brows. “Thomas, you’re needed at the launch point. They’re going out on a rescue for a possible heart attack in progress.”

  “Of course.” He patted Gracie on the head and jogged toward the Zodiac that was being readied to embark on the rescue mission.

  The woman gave Mia a tight smile. Her face was carefully made up to show her fortysomething years to full advantage, jewelry small and tasteful. “I’m Catherine Elias, the good doctor’s wife.”

  The slight sarcasm left Mia off balance. “I’m Mia Verde and this is Gracie, my daughter. I work... I worked for your husband until just recently. We met at a party you were kind enough to host for the staff.” Mia’s eyes were drawn again toward the water. “That was my house down there.”

  Catherine’s face softened, giving her a more youthful look. “I’m sorry. This must be hard for you. No job, no house and a daughter to care for.” She seemed to consider for a moment. “I heard Thomas telling you he could help you find a place and I guess...” She shrugged. “Never mind. I’m tired, that’s all. Our kids are almost finished with high school, but I remember how difficult it is when they’re young. But sweet, too, those little ones.” She looked wistfully at Gracie.

  “Yes,” Mia murmured, uncertain how to respond to the sudden change in mood.

  “We have a small cabin up in the mountains here. It’s remote, but you are welcome to stay there until you get another place.”

  “Thank you. That is incredibly kind of you, but we’ll find something.” Mia was amazed that her tone was calm and controlled. Inside, her gut churned like the gray water splashing against the bluff.

  When? Where? And most of all how? She felt like droppin
g to her knees and praying, but she would not crumble. Not now. Not ever again. She would make a way, where there was none. “Where are the townspeople being evacuated to?”

  Catherine pulled her gaze from Gracie. “The college gym just up the hill. It will work for a night or two anyway. You can walk up, or there’s a van arriving in a minute to carry people.”

  “Great.” Mia scooped Gracie up. “Mommy always wanted you to go to college. You’ll be the first four-year-old attendee ever. We’ll just wait with the gang until the van arrives.”

  Feeling Catherine’s eyes following them, she hastened toward the wet neighbors gathered in a forlorn group under a sodden canopy. She texted Tina, relieved when the girl answered back.

  College classes canceled. Gone home to folks until flood’s past. Kiss Gracie for me and try to stay dry.

  “Hiya, Dallas,” Gracie called over her shoulder.

  Mia whirled, her spirit rising at the sight of Dallas loping toward her with Juno at his heels.

  He gave Gracie a tight smile and she immediately crouched to administer an ear rub to Juno. Mud streaked his shirt, and Mia’s eyes traveled downward, caught by the circle of bloody gauze tied around his forearm.

  Her stomach clenched. “The man in the car.”

  “I’m okay, but he got away.” Dallas seemed to weigh something in his mind before he leaned close and spoke in a low murmur. “He’s keeping tabs on you for his boss.”

  She forced out the question. “Who is his boss? Never mind. It’s Hector, isn’t it?” Bitterness rose in her throat like a bubbling acid. “He’s got people watching my every move. He’ll never let us build a life without him.”

  “I don’t think that’s it.”

  Wind slapped her hair into her face. “Who then? Who would bother?”

  “People who think Hector passed something on to you.”

  “Passed what?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead he showed her the picture on his cell phone. “Recognize him?”

  Everything went fuzzy. She inhaled deeply, trying to stem the whirling in her head. “It’s the man who broke into my house. I can’t understand this. What is happening to my life?”