Read Online Landfall by Dawn Lee McKenna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dawn Lee McKenna
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He hung up and frowned at the cracks in the tile floor for a moment.
He looked up when the nurse approached with a small tray containing a hypodermic and a couple of glass vials. He leaned on his cane and struggled to his feet.
“Mr. Hamilton? Do you need to use the restroom?”
“Actually, I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule.”
“Sir, we can’t reschedule. Your surgery is tomorrow at seven.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna have to reschedule that, too.”
Wyatt limped out of the room and went to find a taxi.
Maggie was picking at the threads of her rope, trying to get it to move again, when the man’s cell phone rang from the kitchen counter. She actually jumped when it did, and she froze while the man ran over to the counter from the kitchen window.
“Hey!” he said when he answered. “What do you mean, where have I been? I been trying to call you all night and I couldn’t get nothin’ to go through.” He paused and listened for a moment. “I’m at her house, with her ! Her and her kids.” He listened for a few seconds. “Because they were here, dammit. Now you listen to me. You get over here, and you bring me some jumper cables.”
He rubbed at his face as he listened for a moment. Maggie started picking faster and harder. When she glanced across the table, she saw that Sky was watching her.
“I don’t care about no evacuations,” the man said. “My truck is dead and I need you to get over here now, and bring me cables! How many—” He glanced over his shoulder, then lowered his voice a little. “How many times did you say you wanted payback for your son? Well, I’m handing it to you. So get over here.”
Maggie stared at him as he slapped the phone shut and leaned on the counter. She even stopped picking at her knot for a moment.
She glanced over at Kyle. He looked out of it, dazed. She didn’t know how much of that was exhaustion, hunger and dehydration, and how much of it was resignation and fear. Sky’s demeanor had also become more fearful. It was amazing how fast a person’s spirit could be worn down. The teenager’s chin wasn’t quite so high, and her eyes were still watchful but no longer defiant.
The man turned around and walked lazily over to the table and leaned on one hand. Maggie could feel the warm air from his mouth and she tried not to breathe anything of him into her lungs.
“I’d do some praying, if I was you,” he said, grinning. “It looks like your comeuppance has come up.”
He patted her on the head like she was a neighbor’s puppy, then walked back into the kitchen. He stood with his back to her at the kitchen sink, and watched as the branches on the tree just outside bent at impossible angles.
Maggie was staring at a spot between his shoulder blades when the rope gave again, just a tiny bit, but enough to dig her nail into. She cut her eyes over to Sky. The girl was staring at the table, and Maggie sniffed.
When Sky looked up, Maggie touched her chin to her right shoulder. Sky just stared, and Maggie did it again. Sky eyes moved to Maggie’s shoulder, and Maggie lifted it. Just barely, but visibly. She saw Sky blink a couple of times, then Maggie tried winking at her, and she could see that Sky finally got the message that Maggie was either loose or working on it.
Maggie glanced over at the man’s back again before looking at Sky and nodding. She almost came undone when Sky’s eyes filled with tears.
Boudreaux closed his cell phone when he heard the call disconnect, then turned it over a few times in his hand as he stared at the stone surface of the kitchen island.
“Who the phone?” Miss Evangeline snapped from the kitchen table. It took Boudreaux a moment to hear her, and he turned around.
“Something’s come up,” he said.
She pointed her thick lenses at him, and the flame from the hurricane lamp on the counter reflected in both of them. “I know somethin’ come up,” she barked. “Hurricane come up, like I done told
He looked up when the nurse approached with a small tray containing a hypodermic and a couple of glass vials. He leaned on his cane and struggled to his feet.
“Mr. Hamilton? Do you need to use the restroom?”
“Actually, I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule.”
“Sir, we can’t reschedule. Your surgery is tomorrow at seven.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna have to reschedule that, too.”
Wyatt limped out of the room and went to find a taxi.
Maggie was picking at the threads of her rope, trying to get it to move again, when the man’s cell phone rang from the kitchen counter. She actually jumped when it did, and she froze while the man ran over to the counter from the kitchen window.
“Hey!” he said when he answered. “What do you mean, where have I been? I been trying to call you all night and I couldn’t get nothin’ to go through.” He paused and listened for a moment. “I’m at her house, with her ! Her and her kids.” He listened for a few seconds. “Because they were here, dammit. Now you listen to me. You get over here, and you bring me some jumper cables.”
He rubbed at his face as he listened for a moment. Maggie started picking faster and harder. When she glanced across the table, she saw that Sky was watching her.
“I don’t care about no evacuations,” the man said. “My truck is dead and I need you to get over here now, and bring me cables! How many—” He glanced over his shoulder, then lowered his voice a little. “How many times did you say you wanted payback for your son? Well, I’m handing it to you. So get over here.”
Maggie stared at him as he slapped the phone shut and leaned on the counter. She even stopped picking at her knot for a moment.
She glanced over at Kyle. He looked out of it, dazed. She didn’t know how much of that was exhaustion, hunger and dehydration, and how much of it was resignation and fear. Sky’s demeanor had also become more fearful. It was amazing how fast a person’s spirit could be worn down. The teenager’s chin wasn’t quite so high, and her eyes were still watchful but no longer defiant.
The man turned around and walked lazily over to the table and leaned on one hand. Maggie could feel the warm air from his mouth and she tried not to breathe anything of him into her lungs.
“I’d do some praying, if I was you,” he said, grinning. “It looks like your comeuppance has come up.”
He patted her on the head like she was a neighbor’s puppy, then walked back into the kitchen. He stood with his back to her at the kitchen sink, and watched as the branches on the tree just outside bent at impossible angles.
Maggie was staring at a spot between his shoulder blades when the rope gave again, just a tiny bit, but enough to dig her nail into. She cut her eyes over to Sky. The girl was staring at the table, and Maggie sniffed.
When Sky looked up, Maggie touched her chin to her right shoulder. Sky just stared, and Maggie did it again. Sky eyes moved to Maggie’s shoulder, and Maggie lifted it. Just barely, but visibly. She saw Sky blink a couple of times, then Maggie tried winking at her, and she could see that Sky finally got the message that Maggie was either loose or working on it.
Maggie glanced over at the man’s back again before looking at Sky and nodding. She almost came undone when Sky’s eyes filled with tears.
Boudreaux closed his cell phone when he heard the call disconnect, then turned it over a few times in his hand as he stared at the stone surface of the kitchen island.
“Who the phone?” Miss Evangeline snapped from the kitchen table. It took Boudreaux a moment to hear her, and he turned around.
“Something’s come up,” he said.
She pointed her thick lenses at him, and the flame from the hurricane lamp on the counter reflected in both of them. “I know somethin’ come up,” she barked. “Hurricane come up, like I done told
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