Page 90 of Desperate Creed

Creed was pacing. He stayed back despite it going against his gut instinct. He wasn’t law enforcement. He wasn’t trained as a first responder. Usually, he did his job then moved himself and his dog out of the way so investigators could do their jobs. But this was different, and he felt completely helpless. Without his phone he couldn’t even give himself the false sense of control by checking for unanswered texts.

Sheriff Krenshaw explained that they’d take digital photos of the bodies they’d found. Just the faces or what was left of them. He promised to let Creed know more as soon as he knew.

Trooper Sykes left to help secure the perimeter, and Creed could see that was becoming a challenge. A couple of television vans had parked as close as possible, setting up lights and cameras. It looked to Creed that they had reporters doing live broadcasts. A crowd of on-lookers—some of them family members—had also descended on the area. Law enforcement officers had their hands full keeping people out while escorting fire and rescue units.

All the while he kept thinking and hoping that Maggie might still be down in that hole. And what about Frankie? He knew she had been hurt.

The firefighters were bringing up another person. They had lowered a ladder and had already helped three people, two women and one teenaged boy. In the stark light of the portable floodlights each of them looked startled as they crawled out. This woman was covered in dust and dirt. As soon as she was on solid ground, someone wrapped her in a blanket and escorted her to the nearest rescue unit.

They continued to come up. Slowly. Some of them needed more assistance than others. Each time Creed saw a head emerge, his pulse raced faster. It was almost unbearable to watch. And each time, his hope would surge only to crash when he recognized it wasn’t Maggie. His head still throbbed and his chest ached from his rollover. Dr. Avelyn had said he might have a concussion. When Sykes came by to check on him, Creed accepted the bottle of water the trooper offered.

He lost track of how many they had brought up. Then suddenly, the firefighters were pulling up the ladder.

That couldn’t be all.

His heart was racing now. He had tried to block out the sirens and yells and calls of law enforcement and rescue crews. Suddenly, he strained to hear what they were saying. His eyes darted frantically for Krenshaw or Sykes. Before he could find either, he saw the firefighters exchanging the ladder for a stretcher. And this time, Creed felt his knees threaten to buckle underneath him.

“Hey,” he heard someone behind him.

“Jason!”

“Don’t worry, I left the windows partially opened and the doors locked. The dogs are good.”

Only now did Creed realize the temperature had cooled. So much so, that his sweat-drenched body was chilly.

“I was listening on the radio,” Jason said.

“You probably know more than I do.”

“Seventeen tornadoes touched down today, just in Alabama.”

Creed shot him a worried look.

“None in Florida,” Jason added. Then he pointed. “Looks like they’re bringing up someone strapped to a stretcher.”

“This is driving me crazy.”

“You’re already inside the perimeter. What’s stopping you from getting closer?”

He realized Jason was right. And yet, his feet stayed planted. Maybe he needed this safe distance.

“Come on,” Jason told him.

The kid pulled down his cap and ventured closer.

“I think that’s Frankie,” Creed said, keeping up with Jason.

He could see the light shoot across her face as they carried her to a waiting ambulance. He was concentrating so hard on her that he didn’t notice they’d lowered the ladder, again, for the last survivor.

“There she is,” Jason said.

“You don’t even know Frankie.”

“No, Maggie. She just climbed out.”

This time Creed didn’t wait for permission. He started walking quickly before someone stopped him. His eyes stayed focused on her as if afraid she’d disappear from his sight if he glanced away for even a moment. Halfway there she noticed him, and a smile started slowly at the corner of her mouth. She did a one-shoulder shrug as if to say, “Can you believe this day!”

He broke into a jog the final yards, and the firefighter that had been escorting her, stepped to the side when he saw him coming. Creed grabbed her by the waist and his hug brought her feet off the ground. He kissed her long and hard before he released her. He heard her gasp then laugh.