Chapter Three
Cane gave Raven time to settle the kids, but he knew instinctively that they should move.
While he carried on with his personal ministrations, he’d used that time to gauge their safety.
Reviewing the rising river, heavy rain, and wind speeds rising at times to hurricane levels, he knew that the road below had not only been washed out, but the water had torn through many structures as well.
That meant they would need to travel over land that any normal vehicle couldn’t withstand. Thank God Raven drove a jeep, and from what he’d seen, she could handle it like a pro.
He’d bet every dollar of the millions in investments he had in the bank that she’d know a way to safety.
But they’d better move now. No telling how soon they might get cut off.
Scanning the ridge nearby, he supposed they could travel around the outcropping and hope the view on the other side wasn’t one of total destruction.
Glancing back from where they came, he saw a terrifying mass of broken homes, swamped vehicles, and many large trees bobbing and traveling with the water at speeds one wouldn’t imagine any river could move.
If he wasn’t seeing it with his own eyes, he’d have trouble believing the devastation.
Hell, if they’d have been caught now, he quickly realized they wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Figuring Raven had enough time to settle the young ones, he forced his way to their side, only to be confronted with large brown eyes scowling toward him.
Unwilling to let the small girl destroy the composure he’d kept enclosed in ice for the last few years, he tried gentling his voice and pretending she mattered. Strangely, the pretense became real.
Thanks to Raven, once Ami accepted that he hadn’t hurt her on purpose, he figured enough stalling. They had to move. “The rain’s let up. I think we need to hightail it outta here, get to the nearest town before night closes in.” When he saw Raven stiffen, he added, “What do you think?”
Her sigh of relief let him know there were prickles under her mask. This woman played to no man’s tune but her own.
“Glad you asked. But, yeah, I agree. Let’s move.
” Raven went to step away from the back seat but suddenly Ami clung to her like a stickseed bur.
Trying to push her back in next to her brother became a game of wills, and Raven wasn’t playing.
“Honey, you have to be strong and look after Josh. He needs you to sit beside him and help him hang on. This is going to be a bumpy ride.” Her no-nonsense attitude won the unspoken battle, and Ami let go.
She turned to see Cane gathering the rope before flinging it onto the floorboards and yanking himself in to perch on the passenger seat.
Scrambling to find the keys that weren’t in the ignition where she left them, she searched on the floor and thankfully found them under the seat.
She had been in such a panic to stop and get to the river, she’d reverted to her old habit.
Thank God, she always kept a spare key hidden under the front wheel well but didn’t need to use it this time.
Strapping herself in, she made sure the others were too.
Then she started the engine, pushed in the clutch, hit the gas, and the jeep leapt forward.
Yelling toward Cane, she got his attention.
“I know where the highway used to be, but I doubt we can take that route. There’s an old logging road back that way a bit.
It’s a roundabout direction to town. Hang on, it’s going to be a nightmare getting out of these rocks. ”
Cane held on to the old Wrangler’s grab bar and looked behind him to make sure the kids were secured.
He yelled over the roar of the engine, “Hold onto your sister, Josh. It’s going to be bumpy for a while.
” As much as he really wanted to be the driver, he had to sit back and let the lady take over.
Being a man used to depending on himself, he had a lot of faith in his own ability and would have put up a fight for control but sensed she wouldn’t have liked that.
Lucky for her, he’d taken some huge hits in the river mainly to his ribs, and they hurt like a son of a bitch.
Therefore, he didn’t trust himself to take the strain of driving this beast over the murderous terrain while fighting the wheel the whole way.
Watching as Raven handled her vehicle like a pro, he settled in to survey the terrain, guiding her and pointing out problems she might not make out in the dimming amount of light left in the darkening sky.
Using her headlights to help, she managed to circle the one ridge and drive down a steep hill a ways until they finally made it to where they saw the road to the left. “Is this the one you mentioned?”
“Yeah. But it’s filled with a lot of debris from the winds. I’ll have to try driving around it. Hang on.”
Forging ahead, she aimed the truck over the mess of branches and small tree limbs, going around the bigger pieces and larger rocks.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was maybe twenty minutes, they came to a part of the road where she could see it clear ahead. “I think we’re through the worst.”
Before he could answer, they heard a loud crack and just in front of them, a tree broke and threw a huge limb across their path.
Cane watched Raven fight hard to brake and keep the jeep under control before she clutched in at the end. Her split-second decision not to try and circumnavigate the obstacle made sense because on one side was a steep hill, and the other side, a forest of more trees.
Turning to the kids huddling together, he said, “Everyone all right?”
Josh’s shaky voice spoke for them both. “Yeah, we’re okay.”
“Good. Stay here. We’re gonna try and move the tree.”
Raven had already left the vehicle to check out the problem. He came up beside her and groaned. “Jesus, we can’t catch a break nohow.”
“You’re telling me. I know the town’s not too far, but it’s getting dark. The jeep could drive over it easy, but other’s might be trying to use this road and not see the danger. We gotta clear it.”
“Right. What if we use that rope of yours, tie it to one of the branches, and drag it to the side.”
“Better still, we can use the winch in the front. It’ll lift it and we can swing it over the embankment.”
Within a few minutes, Raven released the wire with the hook and Cane had it attached to the thickest part he could find.
Giving her the signal, she lifted the groaning mass to clear the road by a few inches.
Once it shifted, she backed up, pulling the tree with her.
That’s when Cane used his body to force-swing it to the side of the road.
Though he put his back into it, he suffered from having to exert his stomach muscles.
God love a duck, it fucking hurt. Being as how no one could hear him, he cussed a blue streak, ending with a bitter groan.
Putting the jeep in park, Raven joined him. That’s when he shut off the nonstop flow of vitriol and turned her way.
“It’s good here, right?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking any vehicle would have clearance now.” He stumbled back to the jeep, holding his arm across his ribcage. As much as he would have liked to ignore that blockage, Raven had been right. They couldn’t leave the menace for others.
Now past the worst, she stepped on the gas, obviously heading to where she knew the town sat. “Not far now. You, okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Ribs are a bit sore, but thankfully, I don’t think any are broken. Don’t worry about me. We need to get those kids to a safe spot.”
“I know.” Raven called out. “Josh, Ami, we’ll be in Carlton Place soon. Do you know anyone there?”
Josh answered, “Friends of my mom and dad live nearby. We play with their kids sometimes.” Josh’s voice broke but he carried on. “Dad-dy worked in town. Our house was on the outskirts, but it washed away in the water.”
Not wanting to dwell on that particular subject, Cane continued, “Any other family?”
“No. Our grandmother is old and lives in Houston.” Josh began to cry. Though his words were hard to understand, his panic hit home. “Cane, what’s going to happen to me and Ami now?”
***
Waiting for Cane’s answer and getting none, Raven spoke up.
Hearing the heartbreaking pain in the boy’s voice had affected her deeply.
She knew how it felt to be scared. To not have a parent to look after you.
And to feel like you were all alone in a world that couldn’t care less.
“Not to worry, kids. We’ll stay with you until you’re safe. ”
Cane finally spoke up, “Josh, we’ll get hold of the town’s sheriff. No doubt, he’ll be able to help.”
“Daddy was the town Sherriff.”
“Okay, then the deputy. There is a deputy, isn’t there?” Cane tried again.
“Kind of. But he’s old, and my daddy says he just sounds ornery cause he stutters. But us kids figure he’s just crabbier than a skinned cat.”
Raven laughed to herself. Both descriptions of Palmer Dickens were dead on.
Obviously wanting to change the subject, Cane said, “Look, you both must be starving. Why don’t we get you something to eat while I make enquiries. Then find you guys a place to sleep.”
“I’m hungry.” Amelia’s small voice lifted to be heard.
“Good. It won’t be long now.”
Minutes later, they pulled into the main street filled with cars.
Lights from all the small businesses lit up both sides of the road, and frantic, worried folks were milling everywhere. The disaster had brought the townspeople out in droves.