Page 106 of Buck & Mari

Mari looked at the Aussie and smiled. “Do you think it’ll work in this kind of downpour?”

Riptide hesitated. “I’ve used it in some wind before, but rain and wind?” He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

Mari bit into her lip. “You might lose it in this storm?”

Riptide shook his head. “I’m not worried. If it happens it happens, but if it helps us save someone? I’m good with it.”

She nodded. “Thanks. I’m still waiting to hear if there are still people who haven’t evacuated.”

Reiko’s phone rang and she picked it up under Hoss’ watchful eye. She listened to the caller, only offering a few single syllable replies. She lowered the phone and met Mari’s curious gaze. “That’s Shawn.” She bit into her bottom lip. “He hasn’t heard from his mom. They stopped him at the barricade. He’s asking… He wants to know…”

Mari looked at Heath and the other Marines. “Can we-”

Heath pulled her closer, rain streaming down his face. “We’re going in to check on her.”

BUCK

The trucks were high enough off of the ground to make it through a side street and they moved along slowly, paying attention to any changes on the road.

Tree branches, random pieces of lawn furniture, even a few random items looked like fabric on the road. Someone’s backyard laundry line was likely missing some pieces from their wash.

It was slow going and he felt for Mari.

He knew that she was worried about her neighbor and he was, too, but as they moved through the neighborhood, they were flagged down several times and called to offer aid to others who had somehow missed the call to evacuate and go to a shelter or had made the decision too late and their vehicles couldn’t make it through the water.

One pregnant woman had to be helped out of her car into the bed of Hoss’ truck and taken back to the barricade.

Buck held her hand and rubbed Mari’s back, trying to sooth her worries.

She knew that they couldn’t ignore people needing help. Not in an emergency like this one, even when some people had ignored the warnings to get out of their homes and going to higher ground.

It didn’t make things easier for her, but they were making progress.

By the time they reached Mari’s house, they found a group huddled on the landing outside of her door and Missus Sakamoto’s as well.

The water was up to the top step of both houses so the trucks had to stop at the street curb and the Raiders walked up and down the steps, helping people to the trucks.

It all came down to the last resident who was now deciding that she wasn’t ready to go.

MARI

Mari could see it in the woman’s face and hear it in her voice, Missus Sakamoto was scared and she didn’t blame her.

The water had been deep around their houses before, Mari and Reiko had a handful of times in their lives when they’d had to roll their jeans up to their knees and carry their shoes out from their house to the street to go to school, sharing a ride from friends in the neighborhood or friends of their parents.

Those times had been funny or sometimes annoying, but never had the water been up to the top step of their houses.

Missus Sakamoto had grown up on that land. She’d been a brand-new bride in that home.

She’d raised her son there.

She didn’t want to leave.

Mari could see how scared she was and nervous with the wall of men who were helping people out to the street.

So she got out of the truck and with Heath following behind her, she trudged through the slowly moving water to the steps.

“Hi!”