by Tl Reeve
Wylder popped open her door and proceeded to puke. “I’ll...” she sucked in a breath and shuddered. “I’ll be okay. Give me a second.” She groaned then vomited again.
“We have to get back on the road and head to Tarpley,” Brittney said. “I understand we’re all messed up, but we have a job to do.”
Oz and Lars joined them while she spoke and helped Wylder out of the vehicle. The girl sat on the ground and closed her eyes. Brittney knew where the girl was coming from. It’d been a first for Brittney too. While Oz grabbed Spike, Brittney climbed over the seat to tend to Shiro.
“Hey, come on,” she said. “We have to get out.”
“First time for everything right?” Shiro smirked at her as he used his good arm to pull himself from the leaning SUV.
“Impressive driving skills,” she teased.
“What can I say, practice makes perfect.” Shiro laughed then groaned. “Damn, this hurts.”
“Wylder, can you set a dislocated shoulder?”
The girl popped off the ground then took a moment as she swayed. “I can she said. I have a sling in my go pack too, in case I need it.” She walked to the back of the vehicle and opened the hatch before grabbing her things. “Get him out for me.”
“On it,” Brittney said.
Between her, Lars and Oz they had Shiro out of the SUV and sitting on the opposite side of the road when Wylder joined them, she cut his shirt off and examined the joint before biting her bottom lip. “I can give you something for the pain or I can just do it. It’ll hurt either way.”
“Do it,” Shiro said.
“Are you sure?” Wylder prodded.
“Yes.” Shiro nodded. “I’m no good with it out like this.”
Wylder nodded. “Okay, I need some help bracing him. We're going to do this as quickly and as painless as possible.”
Lars got behind Shiro and braced him while Oz took his position beside Shiro on his good side. Wylder's hands twitched as she grabbed Shiro's arm. Brittney knew Wylder's grip wouldn't be very good due to the rain that pelted them along with the way she trembled. Everything done in a practice setting was controlled. Nothing sitting on the side of the road during a storm with a tornado about to touch down any minute was normal, nor controlled.
“Okay,” she wiped her face. “On the count of three, I want you to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Ready?”
“Ready,” Lars and Oz said.
“Ready,” Shiro muttered.
“One... Two...” Wylder yanked Shiro’s displaced shoulder back into place.
Shiro let out a shout of surprise mixed with pain. “I thought you said three?”
Wylder shrugged. “It’s easy when you’re not expecting it, so you don’t tense up.” Brittney handed Wylder the sling. “Okay one more second and we’ll be ready to go.”
“What about our van?” Shiro glanced up at Brittney.
“We’ll leave it here, but grab what we need from it first. Shiro, get into the truck while we work.”
Lars helped Shiro up off the wet asphalt while Brittney, Oz, and Wylder jogged to the SUV and retrieved what they needed. It was then, as she placed their things in the truck, she noticed the shift in the pressure. She stretched her jaw, trying to get her ears pop. The rain had become a torrential downpour and the pebble-sized hail had grown in size.
“We’ve gotta go,” she yelled jumping in beside Shiro, careful not to knock his arm. “The tornado is on the ground.
“Noticed that too, huh?” Shiro teased her.
“We’re on it,” Lars said.
Beside Brittney sat Spike who didn’t appear too keen on the idea of getting into another vehicle, while Wylder sat between Oz and Lars. Oz put the truck in gear and mashed the accelerator. They shot down the road heading back to Tarpley, the majority of their mission already completed, the only thing they had left to do was get footage of the tornado. She glanced over at Shiro and frowned. She’d have to ask Lars to do it this time. There was no way she’d ask Shiro. He was already banged up.
“There,” Wylder pointed out of the front of the truck. “Tornado is on the ground.”
Lightning flashed, giving the area an eerie glow. Wrapped in the rain was a monster of a tornado. It chewed up the ground sending the remains of trees and buildings up into the air.
“Call it in.” She tried to dial Dexter's cell, however, the towers were down and she couldn't get out. She grabbed the mic for the CB radio and depressed the button. “Sanders, can you hear me?”
Her breath came in soft pants as she lost the track of the tornado in the darkness. Anxiety spread through her body, cramping her stomach. It was going to be bad. Though she tried to prepare herself for what might happen, might’s and seeing it for herself were two different things.
“I got you, Brittney, what’s going on?”
“You need to call Austin’s NWS for us. The cell tower is down, and the tornado is on the ground. It’s massive. Bigger than we thought it would be.”
“How big?”
“My guess...” She frowned. “At least a half-mile wide and it's moving slow. This thing is going to be on the ground for a long time, which means more damage than we estimated.”
“Fuck.” Sanders took his finger off the button then came back a second later. “I’m looking at it. One of my guys is on the phone now. Tarpley is in the path.”
She swallowed hard. “I know. We’re almost to the town limits now, but I can’t see it. I’ve lost visual.”
“There,” Oz said pointing east. “Looks like it’s about to jump the highway and hit Tarpley then maybe Bandera.”
“We’re on it, Brittney. Be safe.”
Little did Sanders know. “We will. We’re stopping soon to get the footage.”
“Stay out of the path.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, dad.”
Sanders laughed. “Smartass. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” They were going to need it.
Dexter checked outside for what seemed like the millionth time since Brittney called to tell him the tornado was on the way. He’d done his best to prepare everyone, but he could only do what he could to get the information out there. Already, Rai sat in the basement playing his game while eating another slice of pizza. The boy acted like none of the weather stuff affected him, but Dexter had to wonder.
The fire alarm went off, grabbing Dexter’s attention. It was time. He snatched up his radio and any other previsions he could think of and headed downstairs, making sure to close and lock the door, just in case. As he joined Rai, the pressure in his ears built and he began yawning trying to equalize himself.
“It’s here,” Rai said, pointing to his ears. “Mom gave everyone an extra twenty minutes.”
Dexter grinned. “She sure did.”
Rai placed his game in his backpack and closed it up. “Do you think it’ll be bad?”
Dexter didn’t know. If the fear in her voice had been any indication, it was worse than she even estimated. “I guess we’ll find out.”
Because Texas had its fair share of tornadoes, Dexter had spent the extra money it would take to make his basement a shelter. There were no windows and the walls were about two inches thick and made out of cinder blocks. They were contained in there and safe if a tornado came through. In the six years he lived there, he'd never had a chance to use it, now he wished he still didn't have a reason to use it.
The house creaked and groaned as the wind pushed against Dexter’s home and the pressure in his ears built once more. Rai rubbed his ears as well. Then the lights went out. Even with the insulated basement, the scream of the wind whipping outside sounded like a million demons singing as the tornado tore a path through his small housing community. The crash of glass and the sickening thud of objects hitting the house echoed in his head.
Rai took Dexter’s hand, squeezing it for all he was worth. The boy trembled beside him and Dexter gathered him into his arms. Sure, the boy was sixteen, but it didn’t matter. He needed th
e reassurance of his parents at the moment and Dexter could give it to him. “It's okay.” He said the words against Rai's ear. “I've got you and I'm not letting go. It's almost over.”
Rai nodded then wrapped his arms around Dexter and held on for dear life. He didn't know how long they were down there as the storm raged above them, showing no intentions of slowing. Dexter closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer for protection not only for them but for Brittney as well. He didn't want to lose her. Not when they were finally able to get to know each other again after being separated for so long.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the oppressive winds and thick air pressure lessened. The sound of his house being pelted by a sundry of things ceased. Dexter patted Rai on the shoulder to grab his attention, then pointed to the ceiling. “I think it's safe to go up there now.”
Rai nodded. “Sure. Probably have to dig out now.”
“Fingers crossed it isn’t too bad.”
Dexter went up the stairs first and unlocked the door. He peered out into the living room. It wasn’t half as bad as it sounded. The windows along the front of the house were gone. So was his brand new flat screen. The rain within the tornado left a good inch of water on the floor along with shingles from neighboring rooves and other things. He motioned for Rai to join him.
“Should we help everyone?” Rai asked looking out the window.
Outside it looked like a bomb had gone off. Of all of the houses in his cul-de-sac, only four appeared to be standing. The rest were gone. Cars were rolled down the road and had been stacked against the front of his neighbor’s house. The power poles were on the ground and from what he could see, the power was already shut off to the lines, but they have to be careful all the same.
Dexter opened the door and the magnitude of what rolled through their little community hit him square in the chest. Tarpley was hit hard. If his little subdivision was any indication to go by, the middle of town was going to be a shit-show. He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you want to be a volunteer firefighter for the evening?”
Rai’s eyes light up and some of the terror he’d felt while his son was in Dexter’s arms, washed away. “Heck yeah!”
“Good. I think I might have a pair of boots you can use. You won’t be able to help with sneakers on. Don’t want you getting tetanus because you stepped on a nail or get your foot cut by falling glass.”
Rai tilted his head as he followed Dexter down the hall to his room. “You act as if that’s happened before.”
“You’d be surprised by what I’ve seen in the hospital.” Dexter went to the closet and grabbed the box out of the closet. “Okay, try these.”
Rai kicked off his shoes then put the boots on and grinned. “They’re perfect.”
“Good,” Dexter replied. “I need to check the garage, then we’ll be ready to go.”
“Want help?” Rai followed after him.
“Sure.” Dexter shrugged. “It’ll go twice as fast.”
Once Dexter was sure he could get the garage door open without doing any major structural damage and his truck would make it out, he joined Rai who’d waited for him. When he’d taken the job at the VFD, he’d also put run-flat tires on his truck. He did it in case he had to bring his vehicle to the scene of an accident or some other event. Today, they were paying off. With all the debris and trash littering the ground, it would only hinder him in rendering aid. He started the truck then backed out of the driveway and pulled onto the street. As he put the vehicle into drive, Brittney’s voice filled the cab of his truck.
“We’re here. If you’re stuck, help is coming soon. The threat has passed. My name is Brittney Hart. We’re here. If you’re stuck, help is coming soon. The threat has passed.” The announcement played on a loop. A calm voice in the darkness would go a long way to settling frazzled nerves and give hope to those who were scared and alone.
“Mom always puts those out,” Rai said. “She said everyone needs to know they’re okay after a tornado and that they’re not alone.”
“I agree.” He turned left onto the main road. “You might see some things...”
Rai chuckled. “I’ve had my eyes opened to a bunch of stuff this summer. I’m okay, just worried about mom.”
“Well, as soon as I get my truck from the VFD, we’ll head into town and start helping people. I bet your mom will be there already working to free people too.”
Rai nodded. “Yeah, that’s my mom for you.”
Chapter 12
The drive to the VFD was hazardous, to say the least. Powerlines and poles littered the streets along with tree branches and pieces of houses from the neighboring subdivisions. Without any power, the area had been thrown into pitch blackness. Rain fell at a moderate pace, not like the heavy walloping they'd taken only an hour beforehand, though. Already, people using their flashlights were out of their homes, helping to clear paths and check on their neighbors. This part, this connection, is what drove Dexter's passion to save lives.
“How do they do it?” Rai murmured. “I’ve seen this scene several times over the last few weeks, in different towns in different states and it all goes the same. But, how?”
“Humanity,” Dexter explained. “People helping people. We always see the bad stuff. This... This is who we are as a country. It’s why I joined the military and then became a nurse. It’s why your mom is out in this, right now, trying to save lives as well. It’s a basic need to protect.”
He hadn’t meant to get all philosophical or political about it. But his point stood. When a neighbor’s life was on the line or a family was in need, people stepped up. During natural disasters, the calling was greater. It would take everyone working together to begin to rebuild.
“It’s still amazing,” Rai said, watching the world slip by through the passenger window.
“It is. In a minute, you'll be right in the middle too, helping them.” Dexter patted his shoulder as he turned off the main road and headed for the VFD. He didn't know what to expect when he pulled up, but all he could hope was that they'd done enough to make sure all of their vehicles were safe to drive.
As the pulled up, Dexter noticed there were a few vehicles already in the parking lot and the VFD hadn't been touched. He sent up a silent prayer of thanks and got out of his truck. “We're going to be in that vehicle.” He pointed to the pickup across from where he'd parked. “It's the one I use when we go out. Pops and the others will follow us with fire engines.
“Damn straight we will,” Pops said, joining them. “Looks like Tarpley took a direct hit. We have people trapped in Randy's along with several houses. Word on the radio, the minute we got the all-clear, Bandera was being hit. It's going to be a long-ass night.”
“Then we’ll start with what know and work our way out,” Dexter replied. “Who do we have at the bar right now?”
“For sure, from us, Nadia is there.”
Dexter cursed under his breath. “Okay, then we’ll start at Randy’s and go from there.”
“The city is already placing spotlights to get some light out there, but hook ours up to your truck so we can have a portable one just in case,” Pops directed. “ When you’re ready, start heading down that way and we’ll catch up.”
Dexter nodded. “On it.”
Pops started for the fire engine then paused. “Have you heard from Brittney?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Cell towers are down. I figure she’ll be in the thick of helping people by the time we arrive.”
“Well, tell her thank you, from me. She gave us all an extra twenty minutes to prepare. That’s a lifetime when you think about it.”
It was, in the grand scheme of things. Though patrons had been at Randy’s Hellhouse, Dexter knew they’d go to the basement or one of the big fridges and wait it out. “I will.”
Dexter turned to Rai. “We need to grab the light.” He pointed over to where the portable floodlight was stored away from their other equipment. We'll also need fuel for it.” Dexter handed Rai
one of the ten-gallon containers. “Go fill this up for me.” He pointed to the old pump the VFD used to fuel their vehicles. “It'll go on, there's nothing electronic about it. Use the one with the green handle. It's diesel.”
“Analog, cool.” Rai took the container from Dexter. “Is one going to be enough?”
“Not even close. Once I have the light hooked to the truck, I’ll grab another ten gallons. Pops and the others will also bring fuel.”
In no time, he and Rai were back on the road heading back into the middle of Tarpley. He flipped on the emergency lights but didn’t use his siren. The community had already been through enough, they didn’t need anything else to scare them or cause more anxiety than they were already experiencing. As they inched closer to town, Dexter slowed, not sure he even recognized where he was.
Debris littered the streets. Traffic lights and light posts were strewn about while others were left a twisted mess. Cars were rolled into one another and pushed into piles of three or six, depending on how many were in the area at the time. Whole buildings were flattened. About the only buildings he could make out in the darkness that went untouched or had minimal damage was the Baptist Church and the community center. He hated using the term, but it was like a bomb went off in the center of town and whereas the tornado hadn’t leveled everything, it’d come close.
“We’re going to Randy’s first, see how we can help there,” Dexter said.
“How are we going to find it though?” Rai glanced over at him.
“My guess, it'll be where most of the people are.” Dexter slowed as he went through the intersection, avoiding as much of the rubbish lying across the roadway. Movement ahead of him caught his attention, and he pointed. “There. They're right there.”
“Is that... Mom?” Rai sat forward, peering out the windshield as the rain continued to fall. “I think that’s mom.” He pointed to a blonde woman who stood in line helping with the removal of rubble from Randy’s parking lot.
There were several people there working to get to the trapped people, and sure enough, the woman looked exactly like Brittney. “Hang tight, son. Don't go getting too jumpy. Don't need you stepping on a nail or worse. Let's find a good place to park and get the light setup then you can go to your mom.”
