Sienna and Patrick had just burst inside, both of them soaking wet.
“Thank goodness,” Emily said from over the balcony, relief flooding her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Sienna said, out of breath, pulling her soaked hair into a temporary ponytail and squeezing the water on the floor. “Patrick told me about the storm, but I was already on my way back with all the rain.” She shook her wet hair.
Emily and Blair dashed downstairs.
“We were about to pack your stuff,” Emily told her.
A breaking-news alert sounded, and they all turned toward the TV.
“In the last twenty-four hours, the tropical storm has intensified, and it’s looking like it’s going to hit land more quickly than expected. A last-minute shift has this storm headed straight for the Gulf Coast. If you have not begun your evacuation, we suggest you shelter in place. Do not go out unless it’s an absolute emergency. You have about a half an hour before landfall.”
“Well,” Patrick said, “I hadn’t planned for that.”
THIRTEEN
Breathless, Emily looked up at the beams in the mansion’s vaulted ceiling.Is this house strong enough to survive this storm, sitting right on the coast? Surely it had made it through others, right?
As if reading her mind, Patrick spoke up. “The house is equipped with extra power and electric hurricane shutters. The owner and I had a conversation about it once. I’ll find the smart system and see if I can figure out how to initiate the storm protection. If not, the glass is hurricane resistant, so a tropical storm should be no problem.”
Emily took a step toward him, trying to remain strong but trembling. “Will we be safe here?”
He turned to the now-raging wind outside and then looked down at her. She didn’t like the deliberation on his face.
His jaw clenched. “Are you all packed up?”
“All but a few things of Sienna’s,” Blair said from behind her.
His entire focus locked on Emily, and then softened, as if he wanted to ease her worry. “Get your bags, and I’ll take you all to my sister’s. I’ve gotten her house and mine secure for a storm already, and she lives farthest inland—about twenty minutes away.”
“They said we only have thirty,” Emily said, frightened.
“Should we just stay here and try to wait it out?” Sienna asked.
“The storm surge and coastal winds will be insane if this thing becomes a hurricane.Andhurricanes can spin off tornadoes. They’re worse the closer you are to the shore. You’ll be safest inland.”
“Do we need to do anything here?” She peered outside. The grounds crew had already stacked the outside chairs, the wind pushing against them. “They could fly through the air,” Emily said.
“I’m sure they’ve secured the furniture as best they can, but there aren’t any guarantees when Mother Nature is involved. Get your things.” Patrick flew out of the room, rushing through the house, looking for the system. When he found it, he searched the buttons.
As Emily, Sienna, and Blair retrieved their suitcases from upstairs, the hum of the shutters rolling down the windows made Emily’s stomach drop. Suddenly, the house was dark. A couple of emergency lights popped on along the stairs, giving the house an eerie feeling.
They dragged their bags to the front door as Patrick met them. Through the wild wind and rain, he loaded his cooking equipment and supplies into his truck. When he’d finished, he grabbed their suitcases, lumped them into the bed of the vehicle, and pulled a retractable cover over them to keep them dry. Sienna locked up.
He opened the door to a roomy backseat and Blair and Sienna climbed inside. Emily opened the front door and jumped in to ride shotgun. She brushed her soaking clothes, not making any headway in getting rid of the water.
The trees swayed precariously over them, the wind rocking the vehicle. Emily looked back at her friends’ terrified faces.
Patrick started the engine, put the truck in gear, and then flew down the drive.
At the end, the road was jam-packed with cars weaving in and out of line, all frantically trying to get to safety in the short amount of time before the storm hit. Patrick’s hand tightened around the steering wheel.
“The main roads are jammed,” he said. “If we want to outrun the storm, we’re going to have to take back roads.” His voice was still cool and calm, despite his assessment of the calamity outside. “Y’all make sure your seatbelts are on.”
He pushed the front bumper of his truck out into traffic, causing a few horns to sound in response. Ignoring their warning, he pushed into the mass and maneuvered around the cars, inching through several lanes. Emily closed her eyes. They did not need to get into a fender bender in this. But she opened them when he took a wide turn, bumped over the curb, and headed down a dirt path on the other side of the road at top speed.
Emily grabbed the door handle to steady herself as they bounded through the woods like an off-road speed-racer. Had anyone driven on this before? It looked more like a bike path. “This is a back road?” she asked.
