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But then there was the sound of laughter.

Children’s laughter.

The two kids were back, near the gate again, but they were stopped, laughing and pointing at each other’s hair. It was sticking up, full of static...

Oh no.

“Get inside!” Jeremiah yelled, as he took off running straight for the kids.

Doreen flew down the steps and dragged me, the newswoman, and cameraman up the steps and undercover. Suri went inside with Bruce, and I knew I should have gone with her.

But I couldn’t leave Jeremiah.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

He sprinted through the mud and slid to a stop near the kids. He had to put his hand to the ground to stop himself from falling over. Then, all in the one motion, he scooped them up, one with each arm, and began runnin’ back toward us.

I didn’t dare breathe.

I couldn’t.

He came up the steps to me, the kids were crying, and by god, the fear in Jeremiah’s eyes... Then, in the next second, the whole sky went white and silent before a boom of thunder cracked so loud it shook us all, and a massive bolt of lightning hit the metal gate.

It was blinding, loud, and far too fuckin’ close. The entire metal fence sparked with a loud bang, smoke pluming out in all directions.

Jeremiah was still holding the kids, his back to the fence, sheltering them the best he could. I had Jeremiah’s shirt collar in my fist, not even realising I’d grabbed him. I didn’t know if I was going to punch him or kiss him. My brain hadn’t decided. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

The kids were crying, but Jeremiah wasn’t letting them go.

I think he was kinda frozen with fear, so I slid my hand up his neck, to his head, feeling for injuries. “Are you okay?”

He blinked back to reality and nodded. “Uh, y-yes. I-I think so.”

“Hey,” a man yelled out, running up the street. “Girls? Girls?”

Oh great.

He came into the yard, up the steps, barefoot, muddy, and pale as hell. He snatched his kids from Jeremiah, holding them tight. “I saw. I saw.” He nodded, tears now running down his face. They clung to him, their little arms around his neck, and he looked up at Jeremiah. “You saved them.”

And then, as if all of this was merely the encore, the wind and rain started for the main show.

There was no easing into it.

It hit us, and it hit us hard.

“Inside,” Doreen barked. “Now!”

The dad and two kids, and the news woman and the cameraman, all filed inside. And for one second, in the last remaining moment of daylight, I looked at Jeremiah.

His hands were covered in mud, as were his shoes, and his knee from where he’d slid. He was pale, his stark blue eyes filled with unshed tears. With my hand to his jaw, I pulled him in for a quick, hard kiss to let him know he was okay.

Then we went inside.

* * *

The room wassmall enough to begin with, smaller now when it was filled with so many people. There were two phones on the floor, shining light up in the room. Doreen sat with Suri where they’d sat before. The dad and his two girls sat by them, where we’d sat earlier. The news crew were sitting with their backs to the opposite wall.

No one was speaking.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com