Chapter 14 #2
“Head for the school!” a woman yelled, pointing toward the hillside where the junior-high and high school buildings sat on a plateau.
Tom and Melinda had mentioned that the schools served as emergency shelters in case of earthquakes and tsunamis.
They’d been built on the highest point in Redemption, but that had to be over a quarter of a mile away.
She couldn’t run there. The water would take her out.
Another desperate sob broke loose as she scrambled to find her footing and navigate the worst version of reality she could possibly imagine. Without her daughter.
Water licked at her heels as she tried to run faster. Her lungs burned, and her leg muscles protested. Somewhere behind her, a window shattered. Shouts echoed, and children cried out for their mothers. But still no Sadie.
The crowd surged, sweeping her sideways. A man knocked into her, spinning her toward a parked truck. Tisha clawed at the cold metal, her breath coming in gasps now as she fought to stay upright. Her mind raced with thoughts of Sadie, alone and vulnerable.
She had to find her.
Ice-cold water swirled around her calves.
“Sadie!” she choked out, but her voice was swallowed by terrified screams and the sickening roar of water gobbling everything in its path.
The day had gone from blissful to tragic in the span of two minutes.
Ethan stood on the hill outside the high school, the ground vibrating under his boots.
The wind whipped his face, stinging his skin, but he didn’t flinch.
Below, Redemption broke apart as gray churning water swept away toys, furniture, chunks of buildings, channeling its way into every nook and cranny until it lapped at the base of the hill.
The air reeked of salt and wet earth and made his stomach twist. He glanced from one rooftop to another.
A haze of mist and debris blocked his view.
He couldn’t find his family. Where was Brody?
Surely he wasn’t down there somewhere. Alone.
Surely Mom had grabbed him, along with Dad, and made it up the hill in time.
His hands shook and his breath came fast and shallow as he scanned the area for his son.
What about Tisha? Sadie? Were they safe?
He should have done something—pushed harder, called the mayor, insisted his dad ask more questions. Why hadn’t he thought about collecting sandbags? Or maybe he should’ve called their representatives in Juneau and warned them that Townsend Glacier threatened to wreak havoc.
“Dad, over here!”
Ethan whipped around at the sound of Brody’s voice. His son sprinted toward him, his small legs pumping, hoodie flapping behind him.
“Brody!” Ethan shouted, then ran to meet him and sank to his knees in a mud puddle. “Oh, Brody, thank God. I was so worried.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing in the smell of his son’s laundry soap and shampoo. Then he blinked away tears, eased back, and surveyed every inch of his precious boy. His cheeks were flushed, his hair damp. He wore a hoodie layered underneath a puffer vest, and his hands were red and cold.
“I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to find you,” Ethan said, his voice cracking.
“Dad, are you crying?”
“Yes.” Ethan swiped at the moisture dripping from his nose.
“I’m fine, Dad,” Brody said, wiping his hand across his face. “I was so scared, though, when the water started coming.”
Ethan swallowed against the tightness in his throat. “Me too, pal, but I’ve got you now. You’re safe.” He kissed the top of Brody’s head, then stood and lifted him into his arms.
“Ethan!”
His mother’s voice sliced through the chaos. Ethan turned, his pulse kicking up as he spotted Mom hurrying across the high school parking lot. When she reached them, she pulled Ethan and Brody into a fierce embrace, gripping them as if she’d never let go.
“Mom, I’m so glad you’re safe,” Ethan said into his mother’s shoulder. “Where’s Dad and the others?”
Mom pulled back but kept her hand pressed against his shoulder. “They’re okay. Your dad is with Megan, Tate, and Luke. They are all safe. By the grace of God, no water is rising out at the resort.”
“We have to get down there,” Ethan said. “What if people are trapped?”
Mom’s brow furrowed. “Honey, the water hasn’t receded yet. It’s too dangerous.”
“I can’t just stand here and do nothing,” Ethan said, shaking his head. “I knew—I knew this would happen.”
“It’s a natural disaster,” Mom said. “No forecast for this.”
“But I tried to tell Dad that I flew over Townsend. I saw the ice breaking off. I asked him about the last time there was a terrible landslide, and he didn’t seem too concerned.”
“Oh, Son.” Empathy filled his mother’s eyes. “You can’t blame yourself. This isn’t your responsibility. Oil spills, fires at the cannery, earthquakes, tsunamis—this is life, especially when you live near the Pacific. God is in control; He knows what He’s doing.”
“I know He is, but…” He trailed off, scanning the roofs of the houses and severed trees again. Mom was right. Water still sloshed through town—an ugly, gray, soupy mess that would upend people’s lives for months.
“Dad, what if there’s another wave?” Brody trembled in his arms. “What will we do?”
Ethan shot Mom a pleading glance. A little help?
She reached over and squeezed Brody’s leg. “There could be another wave, but it’s not likely. Let’s focus on getting inside, getting warm, and maybe finding something to eat. What do you think about that plan?”
“Good plan,” Brody said. “Are there snacks here?”
Smiling, Ethan put Brody down, then crouched to look him in the eyes. “Listen, I promise I’ll be super careful, but I have to help. You need to stay here with Grandma, okay?”
Brody sniffed, then nodded. “Okay, Dad.”
“I will come back for you. I promise.”
“I know.” Brody offered him a fist. “Love you, Dad.”
Ethan’s heart pinched. He bumped Brody’s fist. “I love you too, pal.”
He straightened and turned to face his mother. “Please keep an eye on him for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Be careful, Ethan,” Mom said, her expression sober.
Ethan jogged across the parking lot toward a small group of firefighters and police officers organizing near an emergency vehicle. The wind tore at his jacket and icy rain fell from a granite-gray sky. Maybe he couldn’t stop a tsunami, but he could still try to save as many lives as possible.
A glimpse of a blonde woman holding a little girl’s hand and weaving through the people clustered under the high school’s portico halted his steps.
“Tisha!” he called out, his pulse already kicking into overdrive.
Her head snapped up, and when their eyes met, she burst into tears. They ran toward each other, splashing through the slush, with Sadie still clinging to her hand. Ethan closed the distance between them in a few long strides.
“Ethan,” she said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t know if you were okay. Is Brody here?”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He reached out, gripping her shoulders with both hands. “Brody’s safe. He’s with my mom right over there.”
Her brow furrowed, Tisha craned her neck to see where he pointed.
Ethan glanced down at Sadie, hiding behind her mother. “Hey, kiddo, you all right?”
She nodded, but her chin quivered. “I’m scared. A lady from my church class picked me up and carried me here.”
Tisha’s eyes welled, and she cupped her hand to her mouth. He crouched down, eye to eye, then reached out and gently rubbed Sadie’s shoulder. “We were all scared, sweetheart. I’m really glad someone was able to help you stay safe and find your mom. You’re so brave, and guess what?”
Sadie gnawed on her thumbnail. “What?”
“You’re in the safest spot right now, on top of the highest hill.” He smiled. “I need you to do something for me.”
She sniffed, her blue eyes wide. “What is it?”
“I need you to stay here inside the high school with your mom, where it’s safe. People will take good care of you, and I’m coming back as soon as I can, but you need to keep an eye on your mom. Can you do that?”
Sadie nodded.
Tisha gulped back a sob, and Ethan looked up at her. She searched his face as a tear tracked down her flushed cheeks. “You’re going back out there, aren’t you?”
“I have to,” he said, pushing to his feet. “There might be people stranded, or if I can get to a chopper, injured victims might need an evacuation. Time is short.”
Her eyes welled with more tears. Then she reached up and cupped his cheek with her cold palm. “Come back, Ethan. Please.”
He pressed a kiss to her palm. “I will,” he said, his voice low. “I promise.”
With one last glance at Sadie, still clinging to her mother, he backed away, then jogged toward the first responders assembling at the edge of the parking lot.
Tisha’s words lingered in his ears. He didn’t look back though.
He couldn’t. But knowing that Tisha, Sadie, and Brody waited for him gave him strength. He would come back. He had to.