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by Richard Stephenson

  “I’m not going to hurt you, Beauford. I’m sorry I had to break your nose. Now, do like I told you, nice and slow.”

  Beauford smiled at the apology. He knew Richard didn’t mean to hurt him.

  “Beauford, you’re not going to try and shoot me, are you? You’re shaking so bad I promise you’ll miss and things won’t go well for you.”

  Beauford did what he was told and tossed the taser into the seat next to Richard.

  “Good, Beauford. Thank you. Now, toss the restraint key and your smartphone up to me. And Beauford, before you leave, grab some gauze out of the container to your left.”

  Beauford tossed the cuff key up and Richard caught it. He dug for his smartphone and tossed it behind Richard’s chair. “Gauze? Why do you need gauze, Richard?”

  “No, Beauford, you need gauze. Your nose is still bleeding. You know why I had to break your nose, right?”

  “Huh?”

  “Beauford, if I didn’t break your nose, they might have thought you helped me escape. Now you can tell them whatever story you want about how you tried to stop me.”

  “Richard, why are you doing this? I don’t think a jury would even convict you.”

  “I appreciate that, but I have something that can’t wait. Goodbye, Beauford.”

  Beauford climbed out of the truck and nursed his broken nose.

  Richard Dupree shifted the gear down into drive and turned the ambulance around, facing north. He started down the empty road toward the mountains on the horizon.

  He was a free man.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Hurricane Maxine made landfall on the eastern edge of Galveston Island at 3:52am local time. The Category 5 hurricane didn’t break any of the records set the previous month by Hurricane Luther. She did, however, come very close. Unlike Luther, Maxine did not make landfall and then go back out to sea only to return to shore. Once she came ashore, she took her sweet time traveling to Houston. She slowly churned water from the Gulf of Mexico and brought it along with her for the trip, flooding the entire area from Galveston all the way into Houston. Winds in excess of one hundred ninety-five miles per hour brought Galveston Bay spilling into the Greater Houston area. Torrential rains flooded South Texas for the better part of twelve hours. Where Luther was a wrecking ball to the state of Florida, Maxine was like a fractured dam spewing water down on the state of Texas.

  Chief Maxwell Harris had spent a good portion of the night filling sandbags to keep the rising water out of his command post at the local high school. He had a stack of sandbags three high at both doors leading into the locker room. He thought it would be sufficient but soon realized he needed to double the height. It was a risky decision, given that he had to venture outside to fill up the sandbags.

  “Is it going to be enough?” asked Elizabeth.

  “I think so; let’s just hope the gym can withstand this bullshit. If it blows away we might be treading water in here.”

  “I hope you’re exaggerating,” Dr. Stone said.

  “Maybe just a little. If this continues, the water could get up to our waists.”

  “This is a nightmare. I’m betting most of the town is underwater,” Elizabeth stated with a worried look on her face.

  “Not just the town, most of the region. I can’t imagine what it’s like out there or how we’re going to get to safety.”

  “You’ll think of something, you always do,” Elizabeth stated.

  “How are you feeling?” Max sat down next to Elizabeth.

  “Very sore. Breathing is still hard.”

  “Bruised ribs tend to have that effect on people.”

  “Yeah, I figured that out pretty quick.” Elizabeth sat up in her cot and fixed her hair.

  “I know this isn’t really the time or the place, not sure if it will be for a long time, but I was just wondering how you felt about everything I said earlier.”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “I don’t know … something. You change your mind about me? Think I’m a reckless asshole who murdered two innocent people?”

  “Max, honey, stop. You didn’t murder anyone, it was an accident. I’m sure you’ve done a fine job of torturing yourself. Explains a lot about you, why you always taking the path of least resistance. You have to move on with your life and make a difference. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to.”

  “I love you, Elizabeth.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Too soon?”

  “Not soon enough. Get over here and kiss me.”

  Max leaned over and placed his hand on the back of her head. He very slowly pulled her in and gently pressed his lips to hers. Elizabeth giggled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I don’t know. I was trying to make up a joke about this being our first date.”

  “You mean you couldn’t think of something clever to say? I’m shocked. Am I that good of a kisser?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m pretty doped up on pain meds. Don’t know how you manage to function on these things.”

  “You’re just a lightweight. I prefer to think my kisses distracted you.”

  “Sure, keep thinking that, stud.”

  Max got up from Elizabeth’s cot and turned on his flashlight. He checked on the other occupants of the locker rooms. Very few of the adults were sleeping; the children were more fortunate. Max shined his light out into the gymnasium and saw several inches of water. The damaged portions of the ceiling allowed water in like a faucet.

  “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

  “What?” Max turned around to see a very solemn Kathy standing there.

  “Chief, don’t tell me what I want to hear. Tell me the truth.”

  “Kathy, I know as much as you do. Charlie is a sharp guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he climbed into a boat and tied it to a stop sign. You want to know my honest opinion?”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s a very good chance that he is dead, but we don’t need to think like that. Does us no good worrying about information that we don’t have. I think it’s safe to say that a great many people are dead. The only thing we need to concentrate on is keeping each other alive. We’ll deal with the rest when the time comes.”

  “I know. I’ll do whatever it takes. I gotta say, Chief, you’ve really impressed me during all of this. I thought I could say I knew Maxwell Harris. Seems like I’m meeting him for the first time.”

  Max smiled. “Thanks. I’d forgotten who I was. I’d pretty much given up on doing anything with my life. I just wanted to be left alone and coast my way through. I guess it took a life threatening disaster to open my eyes and start living again.”

  Kathy smiled as they both stood in the doorway, not really knowing what to say. She decided to change the subject. “Looks like the wind is starting to calm down.”

  “Yeah, thank God for that. I wonder if we’ll see the sun today.”

  Kathy shook her head. “I doubt it. Probably have storm clouds for a week.”

  “Well, we need to try and get some sleep. This is going to be a very long day.”

  “I doubt we’ll be able to get much sleep.”

  “Well, then we need to at least lie down and rest.”

  Max walked around the locker rooms and checked on everyone. He told the civilians to try to get some sleep. Max took three pain pills to help with his throbbing hip and knee. He knew the idea of falling asleep was a joke, but he relaxed his body as much as he could and thought about dealing with the disaster happening all around him. He wondered how much of his town was left. Max thought about what his first move should be when they left the gym. Should he split up his deputies into search and rescue teams or should they all stick together? What about the civilians currently in the command post? Who would watch over them and keep them safe? What if they wanted to wander out into harm’s way and risk injury? Max never dreamed of needing boats to get around his town; he didn’t really think the water would get much higher than knee d
eep. The fact that water was coming inside the gymnasium meant that the water level was much higher than he anticipated. He would have to figure something out. Improvisation and resourcefulness were always his strong suits.

  Max checked his watch to find it was approaching 8 am. The wind had finally slacked off enough that Max felt they could operate safely. It was still pouring outside, but it was time for them to get out there and do the job the taxpayers expected them to do. Max gathered everyone in the boys’ locker room. Once they were settled, he spoke.

  “OK, everybody, listen up. We’ve got some planning to do. Need to figure some things out before we get started. I need all the officers to switch their radios from A mode over to B mode.” Their radios had two modes: A mode sent their radio traffic to the police station over a repeater and broadcasted it over a range of fifteen miles. When the radio was in B mode, the range was limited to the antenna on the radio itself, essentially making them walkie-talkies. In B mode, two radios could communicate a few miles at best.

  “Since Elizabeth is in no condition to move, she will remain here at the command post with Dr. Stone and coordinate our movements. For the civilians in the room, I hope you won’t object to staying here at the command post for the time being. I have no intention of detaining you against your will; however, I cannot allow you to leave here until we have surveyed the area. This is strictly for your safety. I hope you understand that. Do any of you have any prior military training or experience with emergency services?”

  “Chief, I’d like to volunteer to help out. I was a firefighter for twenty-five years,” a man in his late fifties stepped forward, “name’s Rudy. My wife Trudy will help the doc out anyway she can.”

  “Rudy -n-Trudy. Trust me, we know our names rhyme,” Rudy aid, winking to everyone in the room.

  “Rudy, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Very grateful for your help,” Max addressed the room, “anyone else?”

  No one else spoke up. The only other men in the room were Elizabeth’s fan who had enjoyed seeing her bra and a quiet man who clearly didn’t want to leave his wife and small children behind.

  “OK, for the rest of you who are staying here, I’d ask that you help out in whatever way you can. The first thing we’re gonna do is head to the police station to survey the damage. Kathy, when you left the station did you secure the armory?”

  “Sure did, Chief.”

  “OK, hopefully it managed to stay intact. Once we’re at the station, we’ll plan our next move. Let’s get moving. Hopefully we can drive the entire way there. If not, we walk.”

  Max turned to Elizabeth, “Sergeant, be prepared to receive civilians. If we come across anyone who needs help, we’ll be sending them here.”

  “Yes sir, Chief.”

  “Doc, you think you can handle running a makeshift ER?”

  “I think I can manage.” Dr. Stone gave Max a wink.

  “Okay, we’re leaving the sedan here. Take everything useful out of it and move it to one of the trucks.”

  Rudy spoke up. “Chief, that’s my truck over there. Looks like she survived the storm. I got a tool box full of tools and some towing chains that might come in handy.”

  “That’s outstanding, Rudy. The sedan we’re leaving behind is Officer Miller’s. He can ride with you.”

  “Okay, let’s load up. The police station is only a few miles down the road. We’re going to take it slow. I’ll take the lead. Listen to your radio. If you see anyone in trouble call out over the radio to stop.”

  The four vehicles lined up in a convoy and pulled away from the high school. Only a few inches of water covered the roads, thanks to the drainage ditches on either side. They made slow progress, surveying the damage to their town. A half a mile down the road on the left was a subdivision. When they were in front of the main entrance to the subdivision, the chief stopped and looked down the road. The majority of the houses were missing their roof. The drainage system in the subdivision was not exactly up to standard, so the streets and front yards were completely underwater. Water was up to the windows on the first floor of the houses. Max knew this subdivision was one of the lucky ones that had a higher elevation than most of the town. If things were this bad here, a good portion of the town would either be completely submerged or have only rooftops sticking out above the water line, like lonely beacons signaling the bleak wreckage of ordinary life.

  The rest of the trip was uneventful. They didn’t come across anyone who was stranded or needed assistance. At one point, the water was deep enough to come to the bottom of the car doors. Once they got to the police station, they pulled into the parking lot and got out of their vehicles.

  “Well now, shit.” Max put his hands on his hips and looked at what used to be his police station. The front half of the building had collapsed down on itself. The hallway that branched off the lobby and went to the right towards his office was completely gone. The only thing left standing was the center of the police station that housed the armory, a holding tank, and two jail cells. The center portion of the police station was made of concrete reinforced with steel rebar.

  “OK, we’re going to have to get around to the back somehow. Don’t try to enter any portion of the station, no matter how safe it looks. We don’t want anyone to get hurt or trapped under anything,” said Max.

  As they carefully moved forward in single file, Deputy Miller suddenly stopped.

  “Miller, what is it?” asked Max.

  “I hear voices; someone’s back there.”

  “Find out who it is!”

  Miller shook his head. “They’re trying to break into the armory. They’re yelling at someone to open it for them.”

  Max looked worried. “Stay there and keep quiet, everyone.” Max walked up to the front of the line and stood next to Deputy Miller. He could hear people talking over each other.

  “Hey man, think about your wife and kids. Just open it up and we’ll be on our way. Your family will be safe.”

  “How do I know you’ll let them go?”

  Max turned to Deputy Miller. “They’ve got Charlie opening the armory for them. Sounds like they got his wife and kids hostage.”

  “What are we gonna do, Chief?”

  “Shit, we’re too late. The armory is open.” Max pulled out his sidearm and turned to his deputies, who drew their weapons and waited for the chief to make his move.

  “This is the police! Stop what you’re doing and put your hands up! Let the officer go and no one will get hurt!”

  Max got his answer as repeated shotgun blasts struck the tree to his left. He got down on his hands and knees, ducking behind the wall of debris. His deputies followed suit.

  “Kiss my fucking ass! I don’t give a shit who you are! You fucking cops are the reason we’re stuck here!”

  Max and Officer Miller exchanged confused looks. “Hey, friend, I’m not sure you know exactly what’s going on here. Not much we could do to stop a hurricane!”

  “No shit, asshole! Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid! All we wanted was some gas, and you pigs ran us off at gunpoint!”

  Deputy Miller whispered to Max, “Those must be the guys who cut in line and wanted to fill up their gas cans. We ran them off, but they came back and fired some rounds at the gas station.”

  “Yeah, kinda figured that one out,” Max quickly stated, and then addressed the gang of men robbing his armory. “You guys need to think about what you’re doing! You’ll eventually get caught and wind up in prison for a very long time. Just slow down and think this out. This is gonna end up bad for you, I promise. Just put down your weapons, let the officer go and we can talk about this!”

  “Shut the fuck up, you moron! You have no idea what’s going on! Are you dumb enough to think that things are just going to go back the way they were before? Are you that stupid? Wake the fuck up and get with the program!”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man. Recovery takes time! Things will get cleaned up and rebuilt, and you’ll have to answ
er for you’re doing! It’s not a free-for-all out here, we have laws!”

  “You really are clueless, aren’t you? You think that being a cop means something now? You think I’m going to stand trial?” The man addressing Max was laughing so hard he could barely get the sentence out.

  “Of course you’re going to stand trial! If you don’t stand down and come out now, all of you will be arrested or shot!”

  “Okay, copper, I’ll play along and have a conversation with you like you mean something. Let me ask you this — you been to Florida lately? Talked to anyone in Florida lately?”

  “No, I haven’t been to Florida. Most of the state is locked down and quarantined. Something about a toxic chemical spill.”

  “Complete bullshit!”

  “And how would you know that?”

  “Because I came from Florida, that’s why! That bullshit on the news about a quarantine zone is one massive cover-up! They got the place in lockdown because they don’t want people getting out to tell the truth about what’s really going on!”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about! That’s just crazy!”

  “I wish I was crazy, I really do,” the man laughed. “I’m telling you, I saw it with my own eyes. I was there! Everything is just gone! One giant pile of shit! Dead bodies everywhere, hardly any buildings left standing! The roads are either destroyed or full of broken down cars! I know how it sounds, I really do. But I’m telling you the truth! It’s like a war zone in there! Small town cops aren’t helping at all. They just barricade off what’s left of their towns and shoot anyone who tries to come in! The National Guard isn’t doing jack shit either! All they’re doing is blocking the roads, not lettin’ anybody in or out!”

  “Not that I believe you, but how exactly did you manage to get out? How’d you get all the way to Texas?”

  “I made it to the checkpoint on Interstate 10. They tried to turn me around. All I wanted was some help, and they expected me to just turn around! I backtracked a few miles and took my bike off road. Made it around the checkpoint and stuck to back roads ‘till I was well out of the way of the National Guard. Got here just in time for another fuckin’ hurricane.”