Chapter Ten
Once they had the boat launched, Cane searched under the seats. “I’m thinking we might need towels or blankets for the victims when they come onboard.”
Raven looked up from where she perched behind the steering wheel at the helm, fighting to keep the boat steady.
“Maybe in the cabin. I think Palmer uses this baby for overnight fishing trips, so he probably has some supplies. See if you can find a handheld spotlight tucked away somewhere too. Knowing Palmer, he should have more than the navigational ones attached. He’s very safety conscious. ”
“Yep, here’s a handheld.” He turned it on, and the bright glow beamed over the churning water toward the shore.
“We’re coming up to some homes now.” Cane swung the glow toward the dark mass, and they both saw people on the roof of a house.
Once those stranded noticed the light, they started yelling, signaling their need for assistance.
“Help. Over Here. Hurry. The water’s still rising.”
Careful not to hit any underwater snags, Raven turned the boat in their direction. Within a few minutes, she pulled alongside of the roof and threw her line to an older man waiting to catch it so he could guide them close enough for the stranded to be helped into the boat.
His voice shaking, he yelled her way, “Thank God you came along, Raven. We figured we’d been forgotten out here.”
Once they had everyone safe, Raven helped the last man to come aboard and sit up front with her. She noticed the shivering he couldn’t seem to control. Without hesitation, she passed over her rain jacket which he gratefully accepted and flung around his shoulders.
“Palmer sent us this way, Mike, figuring there’d be folks trapped by the flood.”
“We didn’t have time to evacuate. It hit us so fast, it was all we could do to get to the roof.
None of us even had our phones.” He turned to check that the others were safely settled and added, “My granddaughters were panicking, thinking they would die out here. Especially once they saw the water still rising. The flood was bad enough, but the damn rain and wind hasn’t let up either. ”
“I don’t blame them for being scared. Something like this would terrify anyone.”
He stared into her face, his contorted with pain. “The worst part is that I couldn’t do anything. They looked to me, and I was helpless.”
Raven reached over and took his hand. “I’m sorry, Mike.”
The others accepted Cane’s help after basically collapsing onboard. Raven could see that being stranded in the storm with the rain and winds to battle had taken a lot out of the half dozen victims.
Having few blankets, Cane guided the weeping mother and her two exhausted youngsters into the small sleeping cabin where they perched on the end of the bed to share the larger cover.
Two others crouched on the floor to stay out of the wind and shared the second blanket.
And the children’s father accepted Cane’s jacket that he’d passed over.
“Thank you.” The trembling man grimaced.
“Don’t think I’ve ever been so wet or cold.
These last few hours have been an absolute nightmare. ”
Unexpectedly, they both turned to look where a lopsided tree – slammed by a tin roof – crashed into the water. It not only made a huge racket, but it also created waves that attacked everything in its path.
Cane’s warning to everyone came seconds too late.
The force of the event made the dirty water swirl in muddy circles that broadsided the boat to a point where everyone got tossed around, and Raven had to fight the wheel to keep them moving forward.
With skill, she maintained control, and they managed to escape the worst of the incident.
Cane, who’d grabbed on to the railing, helped the guy next to him back to his feet. “You, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just a bit shaken.” They both made their way toward the cabin to find that his wife and children were safe because of the mattress they landed on.
While the husband crowded in next to his family, comforting them, Cane stepped over fallen ropes and buckets to check up front. “Raven, you okay?”
“I’m good. We seem to have missed the worst of the wreckage.” She glanced at Cane. “How about you?”
“We’re fine. Just a bit of a mess here. I’ll clean it.”
Nodding, Raven figured she’d fared better than old Mike because she’d clung to the wheel. “Mike, you doing all right?” She glanced at the man struggling to his feet behind her and noticed the way he held his shoulder. “You’re hurt.”
“Just an old war injury. No big deal. I’ll be fine. Blasted son of bitchin’ flood. No warning, nothing. One minute life was ordinary, and the next we were hit like sitting ducks.”
“I gather this flood was unexpected by everyone up and down the river. What I can’t figure out is why the heavy rain didn’t alert the authorities, so they’d sound the alarms.”
“If they did, we didn’t get it. Like I say, sitting ducks.”
“I’m so sorry. I know your son-in-law, Tom, has been working his ass off to get his place in shape.”
“Him and my daughter both. I came out to help. After Maria died, wasn’t much left for me in the city. Thought I’d be more use around here. Now I’m just another burden.” His woebegone expression left Raven feeling for the man… until a thought hit her.
“You sell your place in town before moving here?”
“Naw. Just closed it up.”
“Might be a godsend. Think about it. You’ll all need some place to live for a while before everything gets straightened out here in Carlton, right?”
Mike brightened. “Yeah. I guess so.” His thumb indicated the others onboard.
“They hated the city, but it is a temporary roof over our heads.” He thought for a moment and then muttered, “Probably more than a lot of these folks will have. It must be goddamn depressing in town right now.” He swiped at the rain on his face, gusting at him from the side where the wheelhouse roof didn’t cover.
Raven nodded slowly, her expression changing. “This whole nightmare is really sad, Mike. Problem is, so many folks have questions, but Palmer doesn’t have any answers.”
“You mean like what’s the government going to do to help us?”
“Yeah… pretty much.”
“Where’s the sheriff? He’d be the one to coordinate with them, right?”
“Guess he got a call from his wife that they were in trouble, and he went out to get them. Turns out, he was too late.” Raven proceeded to tell Mike about what happened. “The kids are with Winoma now.”
“Best place for ‘em if’n you ask me. She’ll be kind to them.
” He shook his head. “Goddamn Mother Nature has been warning us for years that she’s getting pissed off.
Now, because those in charge decided to ignore her signs, we get to suffer the consequences.
Raven, I swear, I’ve never seen rain like this before in Texas. In one day, we’ve had a month’s worth.”
“Can’t argue the truth. Guess it’s hit you harder around here because of the flood waters.
From what we’ve seen, there’s been tremendous damage in some of the vicinities near town but thankfully, the main area is on higher ground and relatively unscathed.
We’ll take you there now. They’ve set up the school for folks to stay safe.
I believe they have warm food, extra clothes, and cots for those needing a place to sleep. ”
“As much as I want us to go directly there, Raven, and trust me, I do, I know in my heart there’s another family just around the bend up ahead who might have been caught by the flood the same way we were. I think we need to check on them before we leave the vicinity.”
“Right. Better let Cane know what we’re doing.” She called out, “Cane, before heading back to town, Mike here says we need to search another house.”
The husband suddenly appeared beside Cane and overheard their discussion.
“I’m Tom. Tom Houser.” Next, he pointed toward the wheelhouse and then the cabin. “My father-in-law, Mike, and my wife and kids.” He leaned forward. “Hey, Raven, didn’t know you were back in town. Gotta say, though, I’ve never been so glad to see your pretty face.”
“Hey Tom. Glad you’re okay. Mike figures we need to check on the Matthews place.”
“Good idea. Pretty sure they’re home.” His tanned face showed his concern in his anxious expression. “And if they’re anything like us, they didn’t get any warnings in time to help themselves either. We can only pray they’re safe.”
“Right. I’ll head that way now. Hey, hold on, where’s your hound dog Hooligan?”
“Don’t rightly know. He disappeared about the time we were scrambling to safety. Dad and I had to cut a hole in the roof and haul everyone up that way. By the time we reached for him, he was nowhere to be seen. The kids are heartbroken so maybe better not mention him too loud.”
Raven started turning toward where she knew the Matthews lived, but before they moved out of sight of the house, they all heard the yowling coming from a massive tree caught near the bank.
Cane swung the floodlight toward it and to everyone’s delight a huge dripping hound dog sat perched on the trunk, his nose lifted in the air while howling his delight at having been seen.