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The rain got quieter still, so he opened the door and we walked out. Seeing the outside world for the first time in what felt like years. Seeing sunlight trying to break through storm clouds and gentle spatters of rain.
And utter carnage.
CHAPTER TEN
JEREMIAH
It washard to process what we were seeing.
The carport at the side of the building now had no roof. The Jeep was a few metres away and now facing toward us. The news van was on its side against the now-broken fence.
Arty’s house was missing some roofing iron and it looked like some windows were smashed.
Jean and Michael’s house seemed to be okay. Further down, there was a car on its roof out on the street, debris everywhere. Jeff, still holding his two girls, started for his house, made it a few steps, and stopped. It was missing half its roof, and I couldn’t see what else.
Doreen went past him and raced across the street toward Jean’s house.
My god, I hoped they were all okay...
People started walking out onto the street. Someone further down started running for Jeff’s house. “Jeff?” they called out.
“Up here,” he yelled back. He put Casey down and waved.
They stopped and sagged with relief when they saw him. It was a couple, a man and woman, and they began to walk up. Jeff glanced back at us, nodded, and taking Casey’s hand, walked to the end of the yard.
“Oh my god, we were so worried,” the woman said. “We saw your roof go. You were up here?”
Jeff was still staring at his house. Or what was left of it. “Ah, yeah,” he said. He looked back to us and nodded again. “Yeah... the girls... Lucky we weren’t home by the looks of it.”
They walked back toward their house just as Doreen came out. She was helping Arty walk. He was holding the cat carrier, and he looked okay. Suri went to meet them.
Shane and Lindsey were over by their van; he had his hands on his head. They’d be needing a tow truck for sure.
And now the sun was out.
It was hard to get your head around. Like the cyclone hadn’t happened.
But we’d made it through.
The office was useless—no power, no antennas, no satellites—but it had held strong and protected us.
I put my hand to Tully’s chest. “You okay?”
He nodded woodenly. “Yeah. But I need to go... I need to check on my folks, my family.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
I hoped... I just hoped with everything that I was, that they were all okay.
“Let’s go,” I said. “The Jeep looks okay. You grab your stuff. I’ll go tell Doreen.”
He tried to swallow. “Okay.”
I gave his arm a squeeze before ducking down the steps and slip-sliding across the muddy yard. “Doreen,” I called out. She came out onto the veranda. “Is everyone okay?”
Doreen nodded. “He’s a bit shaken up. Jean and Michael are okay. Arty’s got some water damage to his livin’ room, missin’ a window or two, but he’ll be fine.”
“Good, that’s good. Tully and I need to leave. He needs to find his family. Jeff and the girls have gone to check his place. It doesn’t look too good.”
