Chapter 57
Getting some disturbing predictive reports back from GeoRata—sent the report—ferry won’t be running yet with the storm
Harper opened her email and skimmed the report that Akiel had attached.
Winds predicted at up to sixty-five mph, nor’easter patterns that included heavy rain into the week.
Harper sighed audibly. Okeanos would never keep the Thalassa Project alive if this kept up.
They’d have a helluva time convincing her team to come back.
As she felt the weight of disappointment creep into her chest, another message from Akiel popped onto the screen. It was titled “Lab Report.”
Harper, her skin flushed with anticipation, clicked on the email. A report was attached, but it was Akiel’s brief message that made her breath freeze.
Abundance report is back from the lab. You’ve found Thalassa, the DNA doesn’t match anything we’ve seen since New Brunswick, and there is a lot of it. This is big. Can’t move on anything until after this storm—congratulations Doctor Hafdóttir.
Harper’s skin was buzzing. A surge of pure joy ran through her veins, the excitement beyond her ability to comprehend. She closed her eyes, tears that held the sum total of her work, and her mother and father’s hopes, burning in her eyes.
She had precious little time to celebrate, though, another text buzzed from Akiel:
Wave activity near the epicenter reaching twenty feet—check GeoRata, get word to the village. Coast Guard is radioing them now.
Harper pushed Thalassa to the back of her mind for the moment. GeoRata predictive weather stated there was a serious risk of damage to any ships—or persons—in the area of the epicenter. Harper immediately copied the text and sent it to Murphy.
Hey Murph, sent you the GeoRata report that was forwarded to me from Boston. Are all the fishing boats in on East Dock? Big wave activity near the epicenter coordinates
Murphy messaged back almost immediately:
On it. Coast Guard sent a report. I’ll text when I know more
Harper replaced the documents in the filing cabinet, and started down the stairs in search of coffee more so than food.
A mild anxiety sat in her gut. This nor’easter was supposed to be blowing past, not escalating.
The morning’s quake, Akiel’s lab report, and the wave report created unsettled confusion not particular to any one emotion.
She found Lady Bell at Nora Grey’s table across from Anna, who looked exhausted and storm-beaten in winter gear, her blond hair pulled into a haphazard knot. The strain was evident in her eyes. Harper nodded a hello, trying not to interrupt, but Lady Bell waved her over.
“Hello, Harper! Anna is telling me about the weather reports. No good from what I hear.” Her brow was slightly furrowed, the most flustered Harper had seen her.
“Harper,” Anna said, and Harper found her anxiety take a jump at her tone.
“I was just telling Lady Bell that this morning’s quake knocked down a portion of the property wall, which is disturbing.
The flooding on the grounds is unprecedented, and we’re out of sandbags.
Much more of this and we’ll see flooding in the cellar. ”
Harper sat on the edge of a chair, looking from Lady Bell to Anna. “I just got a report from Boston. They’re predicting wind up to sixty-five miles per hour, increased rain, but that’s not the worst part …”
“Dare we ask?” Lady Bell asked worriedly.
“Wave activity near the epicenter, east of the island. They’re seeing twenty-foot waves in open water. I sent Murphy the report, but anything out on the water needs to get to dock now,” Harper said as she pulled out her phone. Murphy had responded, Harper read it aloud.
Nothing from Bell out on the water—East Dockmaster is sealing it now, Coast Guard sent an alert to the residents on the waterline
Lady Bell considered the words. “I’ll send instructions to the dockmaster to alert the whole village.
I’ll send word from myself too. People need to be as far from the shore as possible.
I doubt anyone’s out and about, but we can’t take that chance.
Anna, is the road to the village drivable at all? ”
Anna shook her head. “Not unless I take a Trekker. It doesn’t have much space for transporting supplies, but it’ll get us up and down. If you were thinking of loading up food or whatnot, the delivery van will never make the trip.”
Lady Bell nodded, thoughtful. “Good to know. I don’t think I need to send anything down quite yet. How many Trekkers do you have now?”
“Up here? Eleven. There are also two at the sheriff’s office, and one at the clinic in the village,” Anna answered. “Do you need me to head down? It’s as calm as it’s going to get out there.”
Lady Bell shook her head. “No, stay put. I will get the word out to put the village on alert, and the clinic needs to stand ready. I’ll call the sheriff, make sure he’s on it.”
“What are the Trekkers?” Harper asked.
“All-terrain carts—more like mini SUVs really, we only use them in the worst of the worst. No cars per se on Bell apart from the delivery van, but that won’t make it up and down the hill in the weather.”
Harper nodded, the GeoRata report swirling in her mind. “I’m worried about Hedy and Sven. Does anyone know if Einar was on this side of the island when the storm hit, or was he stuck out in Boston?” Harper asked.
“I’ll check,” Lady Bell answered, jotting down notes. “Another personal call I’ll make. Not even a nor’easter can convince Hedy to take a day off, good call on checking on her.”
Anna stood. “I need to get back.”
Lady Bell looked from her to Harper. “Eat before you go. You need to eat, and I get the feeling you’ve not been taking care of yourself. Both of you, go eat, I have some calls to make.” Anna hesitated and Lady Bell made a shooing motion. “Go, eat. That’s an order.”
Harper stood. “She’s right, you look exhausted.”
Anna gave a smile that was half grimace. “Yeah, I feel it. Okay, fine. But quick and then I need to get back.”
Harper and Anna left Lady Bell to her work and headed to the hall. As they walked toward the kitchen, Anna looked to Harper.
“It is nice to see you. I do wish it were under less dramatic circumstances,” she said with mock formality.
“Lovely to see you as well, and my circumstances are always dramatic,” Harper responded, matching Anna’s tone.
Anna snorted a laugh as they entered the foyer. She stopped, staring at the sea of cats that lounged in the space. “This is the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen.”
Harper nodded. “Yep. Agreed, and I’ve seen some weird shit.”
Anna snorted again and they set off to the kitchen. Kaitlyn greeted them both and set plates of grilled cheese and tomato soup on the table before them. “Nice to have you with us, Anna. Thank you for keeping us dry.”
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to do that. I’ve never seen a storm like this,” Anna said with a defeated sigh.
“We’ll be okay, we always are,” Kaitlyn said as she returned to the kitchen.
They ate in silence for few minutes. The rain outside had stopped for the moment, and the clouds hung heavy in the sky.
“I feel like I’ve been here for a hundred years,” Harper said quietly.
“I feel like you’ve always been here,” Anna said with a thoughtful look in her eyes.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit,” Harper said, and looked out the window at the drenched landscape.
“Well, you’ll have to stay another hundred years and maybe this rain will stop,” Anna said, her sky-colored eyes on Harper.
“That’d be nice,” she said.
“Okay,” Anna said suddenly, making Harper jump a bit.
“I really do need to go. Lady Bell was right, I needed that, but I really do need to go. I have a barn full of empty sandbags, and I need to double-check the Trekkers and try to shore up that wall. My guys are already out there, and I’m here, dining in the manor house. ”
“You had a sandwich,” Harper said gently. “Even Wonder Woman needs to eat sometimes.”
Anna gave Harper a smile that was full of unsaid words. “I needed this.”
“I’d offer to help, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t just be in the way,” Harper said.
Anna shook her head. “Nope. You’re doing a thing, I don’t know what, but Lady Bell said it was important. So keep doing your thing and maybe, just maybe you will be able to visit me and tell me all about it if the bloody rain ever stops.”
Harper nodded. “That would be nice.”
Anna headed back out, and Harper sat at the table nursing a cup of coffee.
She watched the rain as it started to slowly fall outside.
Akiel’s lab report played on the edge of her anxiety.
They’d actually found Thalassa, it was real.
The work her mother and father had started was coming full circle.
She sipped her coffee and allowed the miracle of it to dance in her mind for a moment before she siloed it off.
There was no time to let her guard down now, the storm was growing in intensity with every passing moment, and she had to finish the story before anything else happened.
She didn’t understand the urgency, but she knew it was real.
Draining her cup, Harper stood up and headed back to The Mary Clarence.