“Do I even want to know?” James asked.
“There are tornadoes,” Emma said, breathless.
“We’re going into the storeroom,” Finn said, shifting from one foot to the other. “Emma isn’t going to relax up there. Not with tornadoes moving across the region. I figured it would just be easier to get settled now. Maybe she’ll take a nap then.”
“I am not overreacting!” Emma was shrill.
“I didn’t say you were, sweetie,” Finn said, widening his eyes when he met his brother’s curious face. “You want to keep our baby safe. You’re the best mother in the world.”
“I am.”
“I know.”
James forced a grim smile for Emma’s benefit. “We’ll lock the front door. We’re leaving now.”
“You should stay with us,” Emma said. “It’s not safe out there.”
James glanced out the front door, where the sun was still shining although storm clouds were looming on the horizon. “I think we’re safe for now. We have to get over to the college.”
“Why?”
“That’s where Mandy and Sophie are,” Grady said. “We have to get to them.”
“They’re probably hiding in the basement there,” Emma said. “You shouldn’t go out on the roads.”
“My wife is out there,” James said, forcing himself to remain calm. “There’s nothing in this world that will stop me from getting to her, and that includes a tornado.”
“Be careful,” Finn said. “I’m not sure the phone lines will stay up, but call me when you’ve got them and everyone is safe.”
“You’ve got it,” James said.
“Good luck,” Emma called to their backs as they purposely strode toward the front door. “If you die out there, Mandy and Sophie will never forgive you.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Emma,” James said. “Lock yourselves in. It’s going to be a long night.”
“WHERE is your flashlight?” Jake asked, glancing around the basement. “Everything you brought down here is food and wine.”
Ally held up a furry set of handcuffs. “Not everything.”
Jake smiled. “I’m glad you brought the essentials. We need a flashlight, though. If the power goes out, we’re not going to be able to see when we need to find the stairs.”
“I don’t have a flashlight.”
Jake’s smile tipped down. “Why don’t you have a flashlight?”
Ally shrugged. “I’ve never needed one.”
“Flashlights are basic survival gear, angel,” he said. “Everyone needs one.”
“Well, I don’t have one.”
“How do you suggest we find our way upstairs if the power goes out?”
Ally stuck her tongue out. “Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot,” she said. “I’ve already thought about that.” She rummaged in the box at her feet and triumphantly came back up with candles in her hands. “See.”
“I guess those will work,” Jake grumbled.
“And they’re romantic,” Ally said.
“Only you would turn a tornado into a game of seduction,” Jake said. “What is all this stuff? Is this dinner?”
“It’s sandwiches,” Ally said. “I made them before you got home.”
“What’s with the canned corn?”
“Hey, we might be down here for days.”
Jake grinned. He couldn’t help himself. “So, what, we’re going to cuddle on these blankets, cuff ourselves together, eat canned corn and … ?”
“Have a lot of sex,” Ally said.
Funnily enough, Jake was fine with the suggestion. “I can live with that. What about bottled water?”
Ally pointed to the refrigerator in the corner. “There’s a whole case in there. I bought it last week.”
Jake glanced around the basement again, taking in the scene. There were a few boxes stacked in the corner, all belonging to him. He was mostly unpacked, but there were a few random boxes to deal with. He hadn’t spent a lot of time in the basement. “What are you going to do down here?”
“What do you mean?”
“This is a lot of space you’re not utilizing,” Jake said. “It’s your house, though.”
“It’s our house,” Ally corrected, rolling her eyes. “And, if you must know, I plan on having the basement buffed up so you can have an office.”
Jake stilled. “What?”
“You need some space of your own,” Ally said. “I’m not an idiot. I love living with you. I don’t take you needing a place to call your own as anything other than what it is: a necessity.”
“I’m not sure what you’re saying,” Jake admitted.
“I know you love me,” Ally said. “I also know you’re the type of guy who needs some time to yourself without me hovering … or climbing on your lap … or making you watch Dancing with the Stars. It’s okay. I’m not offended. I like to curl up alone to read from time to time, too.”
“You’re really going to build an office down here?”
“Over there,” Ally said, pointing at the far corner. “I thought we could get a better couch for over here, and maybe even a pool table. We can turn it into one of those man caves.”
“Don’t you want something of yours down here?”
“Just you.”
Jake smiled, snagging Ally around the waist and pressing her flush against his chest. “I didn’t think it was possible to love you any more than I already do. I was wrong.”
“I want us to be happy,” Ally said. “I’m aware of my limitations. No matter how much you love me, I’m going to irritate you.”
“I think that’s impossible, angel.” He brushed her wavy hair away from her face. “You’re perfection.”
“Wait until you see me in nothing but candlelight,” Ally said, excited. “I think that’s my best lighting.”
Jake reluctantly released her. “Light the candles. I’ll spread the blanket and pillows out and get the sandwiches ready. As soon as we’re done eating, I have something else we can do to entertain ourselves.”
“Naked hide and seek?” Ally asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Jake considered the offer. “You read my mind, angel.”
“THIS is rough,” Grady said, leaning forward as he tried to peer out the front window of James’ Explorer.
The rain was coming down in a heavy torrent, pooling on the top of the road and making the heavy vehicle slide occasionally. Traffic was at a crawl in some places and a standstill in others. The smart motorists had pulled over to the side of the road and were hoping to wait out the storm. The closer James and Grady got to the college, though, the more worried they got.
“There are three trees upended over there,” Grady said. “I don’t think a tornado touched down right here, but it was close.”
“I can’t look away from the road,” James said.
“Don’t. I was just talking to … talk.”
“You’ve always been that way.” James was going for levity, but the teasing of his voice didn’t make it to his eyes. Neither one of them was saying it, but they were both frightened. “Have you been able to get Sophie on her phone?”
“No. It goes straight to voice mail.”
“That doesn’t mean anything happened,” James said. “Cell service could just be interrupted.”
“I know.”
“I … I’m sure she’s fine.”
“It’s okay,” Grady said, his voice soft. “She’s smart. I keep picturing her sitting on the floor of a classroom, her back against a wall and a big smile on her face as she sits and gossips with Mandy.”
“That’s what I’m picturing, too,” James said.
They were silent for a few minutes.
“What are you really thinking?” Grady asked.
“I keep picturing Mandy buried under the roof of a building and calling for me,” James said. “She had a nightmare the other night. She was walking through the school building and someone was after her. She was upset.”
“It
was just a dream.”
“It doesn’t feel like that right now,” James said. “She woke up calling for me. I … I need to get to her. I can’t bear the thought of her calling for me.”
“I know how you feel,” Grady said. “I … stop the truck.”
“What?”
“Pull over,” Grady snapped, gesturing to his right. “Here. Here!”
James had no idea what was wrong, but he followed Grady’s instructions and pulled to the side of the road. “What’s going on?”
Grady’s hands were shaking as he tried to unbuckle his seatbelt. “That’s Sophie’s car.”
“Where?” James had no idea what Grady was talking about.
Grady pointed again, and when James concentrated, this time he saw a vehicle turned on its side against a tree. It was mangled. He wouldn’t have recognized it if Grady hadn’t told him what he was looking at.
“Sonovabitch,” James swore, slamming the Explorer into park and killing the engine. “I … .” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Grady was already bolting out of the Explorer and racing toward the car.
“Grady!”
“ARE YOU sure you’re all right, ma’am?”
Sophie pushed her hair away from her face and focused on the fireman as he questioned her. The tornado had come out of nowhere, the winds whipping her small car to the side before she even thought of pulling over. She’d slammed into a tree and then tipped over, momentarily blacking out before waking up to find she was trapped in the vehicle.
After struggling to free herself for almost ten minutes, the sight of flashing lights was so welcome Sophie almost sobbed with relief. It took the firemen a few minutes to extricate her from the car, but now that she was out, all she could think about was calling Grady. He was probably frantic.
“I’m fine,” Sophie said. “I’m sore, but nothing is broken.”
The fireman flashed a light in her eyes. “Did you hit your head? Do you think you should be transported to the hospital?”
“I didn’t hit my head,” Sophie said. “The seatbelt hurt me when I flipped on my side, and the airbag burned me a little on my arm, but I’m fine. It’s all superficial.”
“I’m worried you’re in shock, ma’am.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Sophie!”
Sophie shifted, her gaze falling on Grady as the rain fell in a sheet. For a split second she thought she was hallucinating. Grady’s warm arms and frantic hands told her this wasn’t a dream, though. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” Grady said, kissing her softly. “I … I saw your car. I thought something horrible happened to you.”
“I didn’t even see it,” Sophie admitted. “The wind was strong, and it was raining really hard, but I didn’t realize what was happening until it was already over with. Things could have been worse.”
“You scared me, sugar,” Grady said, pulling her tight against his chest. “You scared me.”
“Is she okay?” James asked, appearing out of the misty gloom.
“I don’t know,” Grady said, shifting his attention to the fireman. “Is she?”
“She claims she’s fine. I don’t think a trip to the hospital would hurt, though. An ambulance is on the way.”
“I’m not going to the hospital,” Sophie protested.
“Yes, you are,” Grady said, rubbing her back. “You’re definitely going to the hospital. That car looks like … I don’t even want to tell you what I thought when I saw that car.”
“I’m okay, Grady,” Sophie murmured.
Grady kissed her again. “We’re going to make sure of that.” He lifted his head and glanced at James. “She needs to go to the hospital.”
“Take her.”
“What about Mandy?”
“I’ll get to her,” James said. “Take care of Sophie.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Grady didn’t want to leave Sophie, but if his brother needed him, he would do what had to be done. Sophie was safe. Mandy was still out there.
“Stay with her,” James ordered. “I’ll call you when I find Mandy.”
“She’s at the college,” Sophie said. “I saw her when I was leaving. She was talking to some woman, and your ex-girlfriend – she’s a real pill, by the way.”
“What ex-girlfriend?” Grady asked, confused.
“Ann Nelson,” James said. “She’s in Mandy’s cooking class.”
“How did I miss that? That’s the biggest news story to hit our family in weeks.”
“Later,” James said. “I need to get to my wife.”
“She’s probably still in the classroom,” Sophie said. “The class was over, but she was chatting with Marian.”
James stilled. “What do you mean the class was over? It’s not supposed to be over until … I don’t know … right about now.”
Sophie worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I … um … .”
“Tell me,” James growled.
“She told you the class ended an hour after it did because she didn’t want you to worry,” Sophie said. “She thought she would be home before you could work yourself up.”
“That went well,” Grady said dryly.
“I’m going to kill her,” James seethed, turning back toward his Explorer.
“Sir, you shouldn’t be on the roads,” the fireman said. “You should stay here.”
“My wife needs me to save her,” James said. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to save her … and then I’m going to kill her.”
Eleven
“What do you think?” Marian asked, her fingers digging into Mandy’s wrist. “Do you think the building is going to fall down on top of us?”
Mandy was glad the power was out. If the lights were still on there was no way Marian would miss the vigorous eye rolling. “I think we need to try and go out to the lobby.”
The classroom was mostly empty when the tornado hit. The building was untouched, but the ground shook as it passed – taking the electricity with it. Since no one was brave enough to look out the bay windows in the front vestibule of the building, everyone hunkered down in the classroom and waited. And waited. And waited. Mandy couldn’t take much more waiting.
“You’re going to go out there?” Marian’s voice trembled.
“We can’t stay in here,” Mandy said. “We have to know what’s going on outside.”
“I think that’s a terrible idea,” Ann said. She was a few feet away, but Mandy’s skin crawled at the proximity. If she had to spend five more minutes with the woman she was going to find her in the dark and kill her. No one would ever be able to prove anything.
“I think she’s right,” Professor Barnes said. He was sitting next to Ann, although Mandy had a feeling it wasn’t by choice. “We could be sitting here for days if we don’t do something.”
“The rescuers will find us,” Ann argued.
“We don’t need to be rescued,” Mandy said, getting to her feet. “Stop being … you.”
“There are no windows in this room,” Ann said. “How do you suggest finding the door without lights?”
Mandy dug in her pocket until she found her cell phone and fiddled with it until she found the flashlight app. It drained the battery like crazy, but they didn’t have a lot of options. Mandy just hoped the phone could hold on long enough for James to call. She’d tried calling him five different times, but she kept getting his voicemail. She was hopeful that meant the lines were just down. The alternative was something she couldn’t bear to think about.
“Anyone who is coming, we’re leaving now,” Mandy said.
After a few bruised shins thanks to errant furniture, the foursome emerged in the hallway. Thankfully, the emergency lights had kicked on so Mandy turned the flashlight off and pocketed the phone. “See, it’s already better.”
“You just have to be right, don’t you?” Ann wrinkled her nose.
“Shut up, Ann.” Mandy led the way into the lo
bby, not surprised in the least to find a handful of students milling about in front of the windows. The storm was still raging outside, but it looked like a standard thunderstorm – although still powerful – so that was something of a relief. “What’s going on out there?”
The man standing in front of her turned, and Mandy was surprised to see his face was a familiar one. It was the same guy from the registrar’s office. “Oh, hi.”
“Hi,” he said. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Not really,” Mandy said, nonplussed. “This is where my class was. How bad is it out there?”
“Bad,” the man said. “It’s not safe to go out there.” He shot Mandy a roguish grin. “This is fortuitous, though. Now we can get to know one another. I’m Steven, by the way. Steven Balish.”
Mandy forced her face to remain neutral. “Mandy. I’m more interested in getting out of here than getting to know anyone, though.”
“She’s married,” Marian said by way of apology. “I’m Marian.”
“Nice to meet you,” Steven said, distracted by Mandy as she brushed past him. “There’s no way to get out of here. It’s storming really hard out there. The tornado touched down and ripped up a bunch of trees. The roads are impassable.”
“How do you know that?”
Steven pointed to two girls sitting on the couch in the corner. “They’ve been listening to the radio on their phones.”
Mandy pursed her lips, annoyed. “I can’t stay here.”
“It’s safer here than out there,” Steven said. “Come on. Would it really be so terrible to be trapped here together all night?”
“Yes.” Mandy moved toward the window and peered outside. Everything more than five feet away was blurred by a torrential downpour, which was frustrating for Mandy. The sky split with lightning every few seconds, and thunder constantly rolled. The storm was nowhere near being over. “This is … James is going to freak out.”
“Oh, good grief,” Ann said. “I’m sure he’ll survive without your company for a few hours.”
Mandy ignored her. “I hope he’s not out on the roads. I hope he’s safe at home.”
“You can’t get him on the phone?” Marian asked sympathetically.
“It keeps going straight to voicemail.”
“Maybe he’s out with his mistress,” Ann suggested.
Deadly Storm Page 8
