Deluge (The Best Thrillers Book 2) James Best (best e book reader .TXT) 📖

said. “After our vice chair abandoned us, we held an impromptu meeting of the commission and made a recommendation list for the lieutenant governor.”

Smith looked around and caught the eye of everyone in the car. “You did, did you? And what, pray tell, did you come up with? Dazzle me.”

Wilson looked uneasy. “Nothing dazzle-worthy, I’m afraid. Same old stuff.” She hesitated. “But we stayed busy.”

“You’re forgetting Jon’s idea just before that guy behind us started honking incessantly. We took a recess to catch up with traffic.”

“Oh, yeah,” Wilson said. “But I forgot what he said.”

Ashley leaned forward to speak directly to Baldwin. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes, you did. You said that the only thing that will mitigate this disaster is to direct this rainwater out to sea or contain it where there’s no population.”

No one spoke until Smith broke the silence. “That’s not an idea … but it is a damn well-stated goal ... a goal that an action plan can be built around.” He looked directly at Ashley, who still leaned toward the front seat.

Smith patted Ashley on the shoulder. “I like it. Good work.”

Chapter 15

Rushing water on land seemed incongruous, and a failed dam scared the daylights out of Evarts. He broke away from the collection of emergency vehicles at the trailer park and gunned his motor to catch up with the bus transporting evacuees. When he got parallel, he raised a hand out the open window to make a circular motion with his index finger. The driver got the point, and Evarts heard the low-compression motor accelerate. Then Evarts punched it as well to swing in front of the bus. He kept his foot on the gas and sped out of the residential neighborhood onto Mission Drive. At Ben’s direction, he made a hard left on Atterdag Road and raced north. After only a thousand yards, he screeched into Hans Christian Andersen Park, came to a full stop, and ordered Ben and Pete out of his truck.

“I’m going back to pick up stragglers,” Evarts said. “The bus is right behind us. Get everyone to a safe spot and coordinate rescue efforts from this end. You both did terrific. Thank you. But your work’s not done.”

“Greg, that neighborhood we drove through,” Ben said, “those people don’t know.”

“Will the water come up that far?”

Pete answered, “Hell, I don’t know, but it would be better if everyone was on this side of Mission Drive.”

“How long?” Evarts asked.

“Ten minutes outside, probably less. Maybe a lot less,” Pete said.

Evarts punched it in reverse and skidded into a hard backward turn. As he raced to the threatened area, he saw a squad car driving toward him.

Evarts stopped driver’s window to driver’s window. Prentice was at the wheel.

“Where the hell are you going?” Evarts asked.

“To the park, to organize relief,” Prentice said.

“Turn around. We need to evacuate that neighborhood. Everyone. We have only minutes. Use your siren and loud speaker. Go!”

Evarts took off, watching his rearview mirror to make sure that Prentice followed his instructions. A loud oscillating siren confirmed that he understood. Evarts pulled out his cell and called Lopez, who sat beside Prentice.

When he answered, Evarts said, “Let Bob handle the loudspeaker, and you call Buellton. Tell them to evacuate along the river.”

“How long do they have?”

“Twenty minutes, tops,” Evarts guessed. “Did Bob alert the station?”

“He did. Radio stations and cell phones will issue a civic alert, and a squad car has blocked the 246 exit. No order yet for a full evacuation.”

Evarts heard Prentice yell, “The town’s safe above Mission!”

“You hope,” Evarts muttered.

“I hear ya,” Lopez said in a normal voice into the cell phone.

“Call me after you alert Buellton.” Evarts quit the call.

As Evarts wheeled onto Mission, he wondered about the commercial establishments along this major thoroughfare. Hopefully, the siren would cause them to look outside and hear the coming onslaught. What was Prentice afraid of? Inconveniencing voters? The city council? Looking foolish? That was it. He didn’t want to be criticized for unduly alarming the town. If he couldn’t handle unhappy townspeople, he shouldn’t be in the job. His responsibilities exceeded the importance of his reputation. Caution could get people killed.

Evarts turned back into the residential neighborhood and almost collided with oncoming traffic using both lanes to escape. To avoid a crash, he bounced over the curb and onto a lawn. Now what? He had no siren, no bullhorn. And only minutes. He couldn’t run door-to-door.

He leaned on the horn and drove as fast as he dared across lawn after lawn. Anyone still undecided would be outraged by him tearing up their yards and come outdoors to see their neighbors fleeing. Hopefully, they’d take the hint and join them.

Using his elbow to keep the horn blasting, he answered his phone.

“Tom?”

“Yeah,” Lopez answered. “Are you in? We can’t get in against traffic.”

“I’m driving over lawns,” Evarts answered. “Right side of street. You take left.”

Through the phone, Evarts heard arguing as he bounced from lawn to shrubs to driveway and back onto another lawn. He worried. He had only minutes at most, and he wasn’t to the area of highest risk. The ones in the most danger lived alongside the riverbed, but these people who lived on the periphery clogged up the escape route.

When the argument concluded, Lopez said, “Prentice says his cruiser will get stuck in the mud. He wants to head back to the station. Take charge of emergency response.”

“Fuck him!” Evarts screamed “Tell him to get his ass over here, or I’ll donate a hundred thousand to oust every single councilman that votes against his dismissal.”

Evarts terminated the call. He didn’t want to hear a rebuttal. Instead, he concentrated on driving. A good thing, because an SUV clambered over lawns right at him. Luckily, there was room enough for both to pass. The driver of the other vehicle didn’t try to communicate, but he gave Evarts an odd stare, like what the hell do you think you’re doing. Good question. So far, Evarts had not seen