“I’m not,” she lied.
“Good. I have to get back to my meeting. Here, take my van. It’s bigger and has more space. You’d better get under way. You might not have an hour before the storm breaks.”
She grabbed the keys deliberately holding on to his hand. With or without anger, her skin tingled from the contact. She wanted him to acknowledge what they naturally created between them. He couldn’t simply set the elusive feeling aside.
“Shall I return the keys tonight?” She allowed the question to hover suggestively.
He hesitated.
A cold splash of fear gripped her. Was she an item that had worn out its welcome? She needed the keys; otherwise she’d have thrown it at him.
“I’ll come over to the house later to see how everyone is doing.”
Of course he’d check on the children.
“Thanks.” She walked out into the hallway, expecting to be escorted out. Instead she made it to the front door alone. The muffled voices that she’d heard were now silent. Had he told his guest to remain silent and out of sight?
Outside she noticed that the cars were still there. Who exactly was visiting Collin? She headed down the steps, but instead of going to the other van, she walked along the side of the house. On this side of the house, she should have a clear view of the living room and dining area that opened onto a covered balcony in the back.
She stopped and eased closer to the house. Several heads, all males, were sitting and smoking in the back. She saw Collin reappear and take a seat among the men. They were all slapping him on his back and they shared a laugh.
But the humor was lost on her. To see him smiling and joking with these various men, one of whom was Kingpin Kitchner, made her sick to the stomach. What he had told her before they made love and what she was seeing now didn’t connect.
“What is going on?” she muttered.
Did he need money? Was the school part of a money-laundering or drug-running scheme?
She gritted her teeth, fighting back the urge to step into view. All her talk about being courageous was sorely being tested. As she backed away and headed to the van, she hung her head that she’d failed on this count.
While she drove back to the house, her thoughts were her only companion. She pulled up and parked, wishing she could be alone for a bit. No matter what she saw, she couldn’t completely believe that Collin had stepped to the dark side.
Chapter 11
“What happened? I see you got the van.” Cicely leaned against the driver’s door. Her eyes were bright with her admiration. “You are the woman!” She chuckled. “You know Lorraine is going to be a little green.”
Athena listened to Cicely’s chatter, hiding her own pain from view. She went through the motions of high-fiving and hugging Cicely. Many times she wished that Cicely had access to joining her sorority, Xi Theta Sigma. Her sincerity and desire to help children earned her a place in the organization.
They entered the house.
“Hey, ladies, guess what? Athena has the keys to the bigger van.” She held up the keys, jingling them to the point of annoyance.
“And how does that affect me?” Lorraine asked as she pointedly looked at Athena.
“I need your help. I need everyone’s help. Collin is okay with helping as many students as possible. It’s up to the parents, though. And when we get full, then we’re full.”
“Count me out of this nonsense.” Lorraine held up her hands and walked away.
“I can’t do this unless everyone agrees. That’s the deal.”
Lorraine headed into the kitchen and helped herself to a soda. She didn’t say anything as she gulped down the drink. No one spoke, switching their gazes from Lorraine back to Athena.
Athena maintained her reserve, trying not to react. They were wasting precious minutes over a battle of egos. If they were going to get moving, she’d have to take the big step.
“Lorraine, I know you think that I’m doing this only for my own glory. Maybe three months ago when I got here, I may have had that agenda. I wanted an experience that could define me or my worth. In that time, I’ve grown up. I’ve learned to be humble. I’ve learned to love these girls who are eager to learn, excelling in their classes and who now have a future that is open to them. Helping them during this storm is not about playing the hero. It’s about doing what is right.” She took a deep breath. “Will you please help me?”
She didn’t have to look at Thelma and Cicely to know that they were in shock. She could see from her side view that their mouths were open. More important she kept her focus on Lorraine. Gaining her trust was paramount to their future relationship.
“I’ll help.” Lorraine set down the empty soda can and took a seat at the dining table. “Go ahead and get everyone together so we can discuss the game plan.”
Athena wanted to celebrate Lorraine’s understanding of her message. Not only was she willing to help, but she also didn’t push her out of the way to take over.
An hour later, they had all the extra cots, sleeping bags and other supplies in the two houses. They had created makeshift beds in the classrooms, too. The kitchens had been recently stocked and could last for at least a week. If necessary, the adults would cut back their portions to extend the food supply.
Excitement buzzed like an electric current as everyone followed through on their tasks. Athena drove Collin’s van so that Lorraine could drive the van she’d left. Now they had all three vans heading off to various areas of the islands. For many of the children, their families didn’t have a phone. The staff would take their chances to go directly to the house and talk to the parents.
Athena created the order of her student pickup, hoping to eliminate having to double back. The first two families declined their offer because they had infants or toddlers and the girls were a helping hand. She could understand their position but was disappointed, nevertheless.
“We have Lucy next on our list.” Cicely placed a check mark next to her name.
“Does Lucy have siblings?” Athena asked because they had the room with no one being rescued as yet.
“She’s got a brother in Bill’s class.”
“Does that mean Bill is coming to the house?”
“We didn’t talk about that.” Cicely shrugged.
Athena didn’t want to waste time, but didn’t want to take the chance that Lucy got missed. She turned down the dirt road that would take her to the other side of the island.
As the van squeaked and rattled in protest of the potholes, clouds thick and dark rolled in as if pushed by an unseen hand. The wind picked up, casting a shrill whistle through the windows. Tree branches whipped into a frenzy. Debris from litter around the area swirled and then caught in the air current before slamming into impeding objects. The van served as a shield as they drove into the storm’s fury.
Athena could barely make out the numbers on the houses, which only a few had. She’d never been to Lucy’s house and didn’t know where to go. People were nowhere in sight, although she saw dim lights in some windows. She offered a silent prayer on all their behalf.
“I think this is it on the right.” Cicely hopped out of the van before she had come to a complete stop. The sudden change in the weather clearly rattled her. The bubbly, lighthearted attitude was nowhere in sight.
Athena didn’t kill the engine. Every second counted. As she looked up through the windshield, she suspected the rainfall would come at any minute.
She joined Cicely at the door. They knocked, or more like banged, on the door.
“No one is home,” Cicely yelled.
The wind keened like a sad dog howling. If they weren’t on a mission, Athena would have gladly stayed at the house and hunkered down until the storm was over.
Athena took her turn pounding on the door. The result hadn’t changed. No one answered.
“Well, either Bill got them or they took off to safe ground,” Athena yelled to Cicely. “We can’t wait any longer. One more stop. Marigold
’s.” She hurried down the steps and back into the van.
The wind hadn’t let up. And now fat raindrops plopped onto the van. The hazards of driving on the narrow road with blind corners and no traffic signs were dangerous. Now that precipitation and gusting winds were variables, the level of danger had reached extreme. Unfortunately they headed to the side of the island that would be hit first by the hurricane and was the farthest point out.
Athena gripped the steering wheel as if it was an anchor that could keep her steady. The van swayed from the wind gusts. She had encountered nasty weather living in Chicago, mainly blizzards and extreme frigid temperatures. Hurricanes weren’t the norm.
And from her quick glances over at Cicely, Athena didn’t have much support from the young woman who seemed to have lost inches in height. She had slid down the seat as if she could duck out of the path of the hurricane.
Lightning struck in jagged bright shafts of light. They lit a path in the darkened sky, finding their way to earth. The thunder popped as if a Roman god clapped his hands in the universe. Throughout the ride, this weather pattern played havoc with them.
Finally they reached Marigold’s house. The downpour flooded the roads in minutes. They had to wade through murky water to get to the door. And from the rate of rising, the house would be underwater in a matter of minutes. By how much was the question.
“Miss Athena, you’re here.” Marigold rushed out of the house, clearly breaking free from her mother’s grasp. She hugged Athena and then turned to Cicely for a quick hug. “I was getting scared.”
Athena nodded, making sure to pay her greetings to Marigold’s mother. “We came to offer the school as a refuge.”
“For both of us?” Hope hung on the mother’s words with quiet desperation.
“I’m sorry—” Cicely started.
Athena touched Cicely’s shoulder. “Yes, we can take both of you. Get whatever you need, but I’ll need you to make haste.”
When they disappeared deeper into the house, gathering their belongings, Athena turned to Cicely. “Sorry, didn’t mean to jump in there, but we’ve got an empty van. How could we justify leaving them?”
Cicely nodded.
An especially loud crack of thunder snapped their attention back to the matter at hand.
“Ladies, I need you to hurry.”
“Here we come,” Luisa called out. “Marigold, forget all of those books. We need to be able to move quickly.”
Athena saw the distress and understood that Marigold wanted to hang on to items that could bring her comfort.
“How about three books? I don’t think you’ll have much time for anything else. I’ll need you to assist me with the younger children.”
Marigold smiled, willing to leave her precious books for the chance to work with her.
They headed out a few minutes later. The world had undergone a change. Pieces of wood from houses or barns flew light as feather through the air. A couple of times they had to step back into the house. Between the debris and the blowing rain, they contended with the possibility of being knocked unconscious or driving blindly.
A horrendous cracking sound erupted. The ground shook.
“Run!”
The side of the mountain broke loose, tumbling, sliding, crashing from one level to the next into a muddy avalanche.
“In the van!” Athena jumped in and cursed. She’d not only turned off the engine, but taken out the key. Now she had to dig it out of her pocket, wasting precious minutes.
The mud slide continued, picking up speed. Young trees, grasslands, the rocky face of the landscape didn’t stand a chance. Everything was covered. And Marigold’s home stood in its path. And after her home, they were next.
“Drive! Drive!” Cicily urged.
“Oh, no, Mommy.” Marigold covered her eyes.
“Athena, start the damn car!” Luisa shouted, banging on the backseat of the car.
Athena bit down. She wanted to scream at everyone to shut up. She wanted to bang the steering wheel in frustration. And she wanted to cry because the engine wouldn’t turn over.
She tried again. This time she did cry. Not sobbing. Not loud. Quiet. With long tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t bear to look into the rearview mirror where Marigold and her mother sat huddled together.
“It’s not working,” Athena stated. “We need to get out of here.” She wiped her eyes against her sleeve. “Let’s move it. Marigold, take only what you can carry in your hands. We’re going to have to haul it. Luisa, can you run?”
“Watch me.”
The sound of the mud slide hitting the house was horrendous. In a few seconds, their home and possessions were covered in mud. By the time the house completely collapsed they were at the side road running for their lives.
Collin had planned to go with the staff on their rescue mission. But his impromptu guests didn’t provide him with the chance. Life certainly was getting complicated. Everyone wanted something from him. He tried to compromise. But certain things had no room for negotiation.
At least focusing on the weather prevented him from dwelling on how far he had gone down a path that could lead to trouble. In the classroom building, he surveyed the sleeping areas. He was proud of Athena leading the group to making this effort work. Now that she had implemented the plan, he looked forward to being with the children. They would be safe there and get all the attention that was necessary.
A van pulled in and he immediately headed into the rain. An umbrella was a joke in the windy, wet violence. As the wind pushed against his body, he leaned in and fought his way to the van. He had a pattern of one step forward, two steps back.
Finally he got to the door. Lorraine jumped out, shouting at him, but her words were lost. He opened the side passenger doors. Scared young faces stared back at him.
“Hey, everyone, I’m glad to see you. I’ll need you to come out, one at a time, with one of us. Okay?”
They barely nodded. Every sound of the storm made them jump. He couldn’t blame them.
Thelma and Lorraine joined him at the van’s door. He quickly shared what they needed to do. At this point there was no game plan. It was each person’s discretion that had to be their guide. What they did agree on doing was to get the children who looked like they couldn’t hold it together into the classroom first. One panicked child could send the others into a frenzy and then they would resist rather than work with them.
As a loose bucket sailed through the air like a missile past his head, Collin didn’t need any wild card from nature to affect this situation. They staggered how they retrieved the kids so no one was left unattended.
By the time he took the last child, his feet were ankle deep in mud. His clothes had become a second skin. And he could barely see more than a few inches in front of him as the rainfall acted like cotton gauze over his eyes.
Once they were all in the classroom, the door tightly shut and windows covered with shutters, Collin turned to Lorraine and Thelma.
“Where’s Bill? Where’s Athena?”
Their faces didn’t reveal anything that could offer him a forewarning.
The sound of a van driving into the compound halted his questions. He rushed outside, back into the rain. The white van, not the bigger one that he’d given to Athena, was now parked. He sloshed his way to the driver’s door, pulling it open before Bill had a chance to unbuckle the seat belt.
“Have you seen Athena?”
Bill shook his head. “I’ve got grandparents of the students. The parents decided to keep the kids, but sent on the older relatives.”
“We’ve got the room.” Collin barely heard and had to force himself to concentrate on the details of the conversation that mainly meant nothing to him.
“Thelma and I can help here.” Lorraine touched his shoulder. “I’m not sure where she may be headed, but I do know that she had to pick up Marigold.”
“That’s where the storm will hit first.” Collin could hear the water slamming against
the seawall. Spray from the force washed over the top like a deadly tease of impending destruction.
Every minute counted. He ran to his office, grabbed the keys to the Land Rover. He hoped the vehicle lived up to its reputation.
“Lorraine, take charge. I’m not sure if the phones will work, but I have my cell phone.”
“Be safe,” she called, already hurrying to assist one of the elderly guests from the van.
Collin knew that many depended on him and would need his leadership skills to cope with the challenges ahead. He didn’t mean to leave Lorraine in the lurch, but Athena, Cicely and Marigold’s family were too much at risk to leave them to find their way back to the school.
Her idea had certainly been out of the box. If he hadn’t been occupied with the unexpected guests, he could have helped her craft a plan. Or he could have made sure that she had everything she needed. Not being around to get in touch with her was the biggest problem.
As he drove down the road, blinded by the rain, he narrowly avoided cars that had been abandoned. The occupants were nowhere in sight. He hoped that they had reached safety.
He drove the small truck up the mountain. The tires spun, mocking his attempts. Now was not the time for Mother Nature to test his will. He had a goal and nothing short of death was going to stop him.
Finally he got to Marigold’s street. Or what was left of it. Mud had created a new landscape, blanketing the neighborhood in red soil. Houses in its path had been relocated past him at the bottom of the mountain. With the continued torrential rain, he didn’t trust that the land wouldn’t shift further.
But where to look for Athena and Cicely?
He shifted the gear to Reverse and dodged debris that had blown in the way. Then he turned down another side road leading away from the disaster site. A woman stood in the rain staring at an empty spot.
He pulled up next to her. “Get in.”
She didn’t move.
“Ma’am, we can’t stay here. Get in.” He honked the horn when she didn’t turn.
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