Lissa uncovered her ears, shivering at the drop in temperature underground, her clothes still wet and sticky. “What?” Her ears still rang from the buffeting.
“What does this mean for the men?” Amanda’s voice sounded thin and scared, very different from her normal confident tones.
Lissa squeezed the water from her hair and grabbed a folded blanket from a shelf. She passed it to Amanda and helped herself to another, which she wrapped around her like a shawl.
“Maybe they’re far enough away that the tornado won’t affect them.” Lissa’s voice shook as she shivered again. “Sometimes tornadoes are localized, aren’t they? I’ve lived here for years, and this is my first.” If the storm wasn’t terrifying, it might have been exciting to watch the destructive power of the swirling twister. She’d never seen anything like it except on TV. Living through one was terrifying.
They sat together in loud silence as Amanda draped the blanket around her family, and they settled in to wait once more.
***
Over an hour later, Amanda, Daisy, Little Rod, and Lissa emerged from the storm cellar. The violent wind had blown the hailstorm away. A hush settled over the countryside. Cooler air filled the house, whistling through the broken upstairs windows. Lissa opened the front door to inspect the damage outside. Leaves and branches littered the yard. Several of the nearby outbuildings were now piles of kindling.
She shivered, glad the main house had been spared the same fate. Even in the storm cellar, they might not have survived if it had been any closer. A rusted tractor, deposited from somewhere else, rested upside down, the wheels lazily spinning at the edge of the pond. The ground remained littered with balls of ice, some chunks the size of golf balls.
“Good thing we closed the shutters,” said Lissa, her voice shaking. “Smart thinking.” They’d all have been cut by shatteredglass without the protection for the windows on the main floor. The upstairs must be filled with tons of debris. They’d have to board up the openings until someone could scrounge for replacements in Crawford.
Nobody moved beyond the porch as they took in the sights. Lissa sat on the top stair, thankful to be alive and soaking in the silence. It could have been worse.
In the distance, an indistinct sound grew.
“Is the tornado coming back?” Daisy’s red-rimmed blue eyes filled with unshed tears.
“No,” said her mother, shading her eyes with her hand, peering toward the road. “That’s a vehicle. Cam’s.” She frowned as she stood. Her mouth pinched tight, her gaze still fixed. Until they were here, it wouldn’t be clear if everyone was okay.
Lissa stepped to the rail, clutching the painted wood, squeezing while she tried to pull herself together until the gray SUV parked.
Cam jumped out of the driver’s seat and rounded the front of the vehicle at a run.
Lissa flew down the stairs and launched into his arms. He held her close until her trembling slowed. “I was terrified the tornado might have taken you.” Tears of relief flooded her eyes.
“Thank God you’re all right,” he said as he held her close. “We pulled over under some trees when the hail hit. It was wild, denting the vehicle as it pelted down. I thought for sure it would crack the windshield. We sat out the worst of it, and then the funnels passed. We were lucky.” His mouth twisted.
His words sank in as he released Lissa. Something was wrong.
“Where’s Rod?” Amanda’s voice was higher than usual.
“Daddy?” said Little Rod, climbing into the back seat of Cam’s SUV. It was clearly empty and heartbreaking.
Cam faced Rod’s family and took Lissa’s hand. “He didn’t make it.”
Amanda’s face turned to stone. Daisy crumpled to the ground, sobbing. Little Rod climbed down, looking confused. His lower lip trembled, and he ran to his mother, his arms wrapping around her waist.
She glanced down. “Was it John?” Her voice shook.
Cam’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t look away. “Yes. He shot him in cold blood.”
Amanda nodded. “He knew that was a risk.” How was she holding it together? Perhaps for her children.
Dave opened the passenger-side door and stood beside the SUV. His monotone voice sounded robotic. “I’m sorry. At first, Rod kept blocking my shot. I don’t know why. I also don’t know why John Slains shot him. It happened so fast.” He shook his head. “I took a shot, but the wind had picked up and I just grazed Slains.” He rubbed his hand across his stubbled face. “Just enough to make him bleed.” He stared back toward Douglas.
The road remained empty. Even though the men didn’t seem followed, they couldn’t take a chance.
“The storm must have slowed them down.” Cam turned to Amanda. “Pack a bag. Essentials only. We can’t stay here. The Slains will be coming.”
Chapter 28: Cam
The half hour at the side of the highway, enduring the barrage of massive chunks of hail while the vehicle rocked in the heavy winds, had been the longest stretch of time Cam had endured, including the days without water when he’d fractured his ankle. He and Dave had hunkered down, hands over their ears, sitting on the floor while they waited out the tornado, the funnels touching down and spinning away. Cam remained thankful they’d been spared the worst.
