by Robin Mahle
Edge of Mercy
A Kate Reid Novel
Robin Mahle
HARP House Publishing, LLC.
Published by HARP House Publishing
March 2020 (1st edition)
Copyright ©2020 by Robin Mahle
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover design: Covermint Design
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
About the Author
Also by Robin Mahle
1
High winds howled and rattled the shutters of the coastal, two-story home nestled in the cul-de-sac. Large tree limbs surrendered to the gusts and snapped like twigs used for kindling. Oakview, Texas was poised on the edge of the Gulf and had been through this before, except that Hurricane Edward was stronger than anyone anticipated.
From inside the home, the child whose dark hair clung to tears on her cheeks, trembled. With watery brown eyes, she gazed up at her father. “Daddy, why can’t we leave?”
The father returned her stare, noting the beads of sweat on her brow and the terror in her eyes. “I’m sorry, baby. It’s too late to go now. I waited too long.” He looked through the living room window at the rising waters filling the streets. Cars floated and crashed against each other like a strange version of bumper cars.
“Everyone’s already gone.” The girl’s mother spoke as she pulled her daughter close. “We’ll have to wait for rescue.” She looked at her husband. “It’s time to go upstairs.”
With his hand extended, the man grasped his daughter and wife as they hurried up the staircase to higher ground. There were no signs of the storm letting up. The last news report stated 45 inches had already fallen. It was almost as bad as Hurricane Harvey had been when some areas saw 50 inches fall. The worst part was that the eye hadn’t reached land yet.
The young family entered the daughter’s room which overlooked the street.
“I need to see how bad it is from up here.” He rushed to the window. “Dear Lord in Heaven.”
The live oak tree with its broad canopy that shaded the house for the past twenty years fought back against the relentless winds. It wasn’t until the pop of splintering wood sounded that it became clear the tree was no match.
“No. No.” The father’s hands pressed against the window in disbelief as he watched the old tree whip and slash inside the storm.
“Get away from the window, Ron. Get away!” the mother shouted.
The ground split open. The roots broke free.
“Holy hell. It’s coming down!” He pulled away and thrust himself in front of his family. With his back to the window, he wrapped his arms around them.
The girl screamed. The mother cried.
A booming crash erupted when the tree slammed into the house. Glass flew and branches pushed inside with such force that the entire home shuddered on the verge of collapse.
When the great live oak landed, there were no more screams.
Evacuation orders had been dispatched in the early morning hours on this October day. The mayor waited too long. Everyone with any authority waited too long and now countless Oakview residents were in danger. For some, it was already too late.
Oakview High School, home of the Panthers, was now a makeshift command center and shelter for the residents. Inside the gymnasium, cots were set up, and folding tables were placed around the perimeter. Most of the tables had food and water waiting. Residents, those few who had enough time to leave, waited for the Sheriff to speak.
The stocky, middle-aged sheriff wore a brown uniform and hat, and approached the podium. Next to him stood a man in stark contrast. Slim, with pressed khaki pants, a red polo shirt, and a black FEMA windbreaker.
“Afternoon,” the sheriff began. “This here’s the assistant director for FEMA, Mr. Jake Landry, and we’ve just briefed him on the current situation. Now as y’all are aware, we still have lots of folks out there in the middle of this God-forsaken storm. Folks who are in some pretty dire straits right about now. So, with the help of our FEMA agents who have just arrived, along with my team and the rest of the first responders, it’s time we ready our teams to get out there and find our people. Get them to safety.” He looked at the assistant director. “Mr. Landry, I’ll leave it to you to set up the teams headed by your Emergency Management Specialists. Let’s get out there and find the good people of this community while there’s still light.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.” Landry stepped up to the podium. “We’ll have ten teams at first and once the storm subsides enough, we’ll round up additional help. But the longer we wait, the worse the situation is going to get for those trapped in their homes. So, I’ll shut up now and we’ll gather up our resources and get moving.”
FEMA’s specialists were dotted around the room and recruited first responders and volunteers with similar experience.
“We need teams of five,” the man in the windbreaker began. “Any firefighters, officers, medical workers. These are the people we’ll need.”
A few men gathered near. Two were from the sheriff’s department and one was a volunteer firefighter.
The specialist nodded. “Good. Thank you. Anyone else?” He looked around as others had gathered their teams. “I’ll consider anyone with any relevant experience. Time’s a wasting, people. We don’t have much daylight out there and it’s only going to get harder when the sun goes down.”
“I’m an EMT.” A man in his mid-thirties raised his hand and approached.
“An EMT? Perfect,” the specialist replied. “What’s your name?”
“Dr. Theodore Bishop.”
“Doctor?”
“Yes, sir. Not currently practicing. Just a tech.” Dr. Bishop shook his head to rearrange the jet-black hair from his face and pursed his thin lips. With his hands shoved in the pockets of his slim-fitting jeans, he moved in. “I can help with any medical situations and I stay pretty fit, so I can do some heavy lifting too, if necessary.”
The specialist eyeballed him. “You’re in. You’ll be in charge of the medical kit. Can you handle that?”
Bishop nodded. “I can.”
“Then let’s roll out, folks.” The FEMA specialist led the way outside the school gym and, in the downpour, turned to his team. “We’ll be taking the southeast quadrant of the community. Lots of people still unaccounted for, so let’s go help them.” He stepped into the driver’s side of a four-wheel drive, three-quarter ton pick-up truck specially equipped with KC lights and a w
inch.
The others piled in, with Bishop as the last one to enter. He slid onto the leather-wrapped backseat and wiped the rain from his smooth face. Looking through the rear passenger window, his brown eyes narrowed, and he inhaled a deep breath through a pointed nose.
The truck’s engine roared and the wipers were set on high but were barely able to keep up with the pounding rain.
“I gotta take it slow so we don’t end up in trouble ourselves, but with fingers crossed, and butt-cheeks clenched, we should be there inside of thirty minutes.” The FEMA specialist pressed lightly on the gas pedal and started onto the main road.
“Looks like a river out there,” Bishop said.
The man next to him was an Oakview police officer and glanced out. “Sure as hell does. Cripes, I hope our efforts aren’t in vain. So, you’re a doctor working on the trucks?”
“What’s that?” Bishop turned to him.
“You know, the ambulance trucks.”
“Oh. Yeah,” he replied.
“I’m with the Oakview P.D. Been on the force going on three years now. I’ll tell you one thing, I never seen it this bad and I grew up around here. Not far from it, anyway. What about you? You from around here?” He offered his hand. “Dean Redmond. Sorry we couldn’t meet under better circumstances.”
Bishop took his hand. “Pleasure.”
“So?” Redmond pressed on. “Where you from, man?”
“Louisiana. Call came in you all needed some help. A bunch of us came over to offer a hand.”
“Well, we sure are glad you answered that call, Dr. Bishop. Is it still doctor? You know, since you don’t have a practice or nothing.”
Bishop revealed a close-lipped smile. “Still a doctor, but you can call me Theo.”
The man from FEMA peered into the rearview. “This is it, fellas. We’re stopping here and we’ll take the boats out.” He shoved the gear stick into park and cut the engine, leaving on the headlights. “Those clouds are dark as shit. Time to light it up around here.” He switched on the KC lights at what lay ahead. “Jesus, would you look at that?”
Street signs were just above water in an area that looked like a lake. Only about two feet of the homes’ front doors remained visible. Everything below had disappeared.
“What’s the plan, sir?” Bishop asked.
“We’ll divide up. Three in one boat, two in the other, and start searching the homes.” He had parked on the highest point of a bridge above a creek that threatened to spill over. Eyeing the neighborhood below, he inhaled a deep breath. “I could use a hand over here, boys.” He walked to the rear of the truck where a trailer had been hitched that hauled two small boats with outboard engines, both labeled “FEMA” on the sides.
The others assisted in unloading the boats and the teams were formed. Bishop rode with his new-found friend, Officer Dean Redmond from Oakview PD, and another man who had been a firefighter in the same small town. The other boat carried the FEMA specialist and another first responder.
Bishop sat in the front with the firefighter while Redmond took control. He peered up at the darkened sky as flashes of lightning scattered across it in attempt to rip apart the heavens. His hooded weatherproof jacket was helpless in shielding him from the wind-driven rains. He noticed the other rescue boat ahead of theirs slow down, and then the men jumped out.
“Here.” The FEMA officer pointed to a house in front of him. “You go there.” His voice carried above the winds and reached Bishop and his team.
“You heard him, fellas.” Redmond cut the engine and hopped out into the rising waters. “Let’s get inside and see what we can see.”
Theo Bishop, who scarcely reached 5 feet 10, trailed the other two men with the medical kit under his arm, squeezing it for dear life.
They reached the home and swam below through a shattered window until their heads popped above the water again. A couch floated by, then a dining chair and several prescription bottles. Bishop looked at Redmond. “Who lives here?”
“Hell if I know. Best place to look is upstairs. Let’s move.” Redmond sloshed up the staircase. “Hello? It’s the Oakview Police. Anyone here? Anyone hurt?” he shouted.
Bishop was close behind while the other man trailed farther down. “Hello? Anyone here?” His head whipped around to a bedroom at the end of the corridor. “Did you hear that?”
“I heard it.” Redmond pushed the rest of the way up and reached the landing. “Oakview Police. We’re here to help.”
The voices sounded again. They were frail and barely audible. “In here.” It was a woman’s voice.
“This way!” Redmond rushed to the bedroom. “Oh no.” He spotted an elderly couple tucked into a corner of the room. “Are you both okay? I’m Officer Redmond. We’re going to get you out of here, all right?”
The woman nodded. “He needs his pills.”
“Bishop!” Redmond yelled. “I need your help in here!”
Bishop ran toward them. “I’m here. I’m here.”
“He needs some kind of medication…” Redmond was stopped short when another voice sounded. “Who else is in here?”
“Our granddaughter. Please, you have to help her,” the woman said.
“Okay. Bishop, I’ll take Nunes and go find the girl,” Redmond began. “You see what this man needs. Then, I’ll bring around the boat and we’ll take them from the second-story roof. You got it?”
Bishop nodded. “Got it.”
Redmond patted him on the back as he started toward the firefighter. “Nunes, there’s a girl here. We need to find her. Bishop’s taking care of them.”
They disappeared while Bishop unzipped the medical bag. “What does your husband take, ma’am?”
“It’s his kidneys. He’s got high blood pressure because of it and needs his pills.” She peered at her husband. “Gerald? Gerald, this man’s going to help you. Now, you just hang on, okay?”
“Let me get you to the roof first, ma’am,” Bishop said.
“No. No, you need to help my husband. Please.”
“I don’t know what I have in here and it’s going to take me a minute to assess. We don’t have much time and I need you out there for when my team is ready with the boat.” Bishop helped the old woman off the floor.
Her clothes were torn and dirty and she stumbled to her feet. “Just help my Gerry, please.”
“I will. I promise you, ma’am. I will. Now, come on.” Bishop led her to the nearby window and peered out. “Okay, this looks all right. The shingles are in good shape on this overhang and it’s mostly level.” He took her hand and helped her through the window after stepping out on his own to test the surface. “It’ll only be for a minute so I can help Gerry. I promise you. But I’m going to need you to hang on to this window frame, okay? You’ll be seeing the boat any minute now.”
“What about my granddaughter?” the woman asked.
“They’ll get her. Don’t you worry about that.” Bishop made sure her footing was steady. “I’m going back inside now, and I need you to be very, very still, okay? When the boat comes, I’ll be ready to get you loaded up. You and your husband.” Bishop crawled back inside as he made his way back to Gerald. He placed his fingers on the man’s wrist. “Okay, Gerry, can you tell me what it is you’re taking?” After he checked the man’s pulse, he began to rummage through the medical bag. “Are you taking beta-blockers?”
He nodded.
“Okay. That’s good. Let me see in here.” He scrounged through the bag and found a vial. “This should do the trick, Gerry.”
Outside, the old woman squinted from the approaching spotlight. Redmond directed the boat toward the home and spotted the woman. “There she is.” He smiled and turned back. “Your grandmother’s right there and I’m sure your grandpa will be coming out soon.”
The girl had been rescued and was now wrapped in a blanket. “Please help her.” She was in her twenties and had tried to convince her grandparents to leave the house with her, but they refused, so she sta
yed with them.
“We’re coming, ma’am. Just hang tight.” Redmond slowed the boat and turned to Nunes. “I’ll go get her.”
“Where the hell is Bishop?” Nunes asked.
“Must be inside with the husband. After we get her loaded, I’ll go in and see what’s happening.” Redmond climbed onto the roof with a harness at the ready. “Ma’am, as you can see, your granddaughter is waiting for you, so I’m going to need you to let me wrap this around your waist just so we don’t get separated, okay?”
“My Gerry. I can’t go without my Gerry.” She looked back inside the house.
“I’m sure Dr. Bishop is doing everything he can for your husband. Right now, though, I need to stay focused on you. I need your help here, okay?”
She stepped forward and nodded.
“Okay, then.” Redmond clipped the harness around her waist. “Just stay close to me, ma’am. You’ll be just fine.” He approached the rising floodwaters again as he reached the edge of the roof. “Wrap your arms around my neck and I’ll do the work.” He shimmied down a front porch column and dropped into the water, nearly going under before paddling like hell to stay afloat. “Just a little more before we reach the boat.”
Redmond paddled a few more feet when he felt Nunes’ hand grasp his shoulder.
“I got you, man. I got you.”
Redmond and the woman were pulled aboard, and Redmond quickly unlatched the woman’s harness.
“Grandma!”
“Oh, my sweet girl.” The woman fell into an embrace and was enveloped in her granddaughter’s blanket. “I’m so sorry.”