for that right now. I needed to get through town, then I’d call them. Sam is smart, they’ll be fine, I told myself.
As we drove over the dam, however, my heart stopped. I didn’t say anything, but somehow, Emmy knew something was wrong.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“The dam. It can’t hold much more,” I said, speaking slowly.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the town is about to be flooded. Like seriously flooded.”
“We need to hurry then.”
I nodded and kept my eyes on the road. Liberty was a small town, and we could get through it quickly. Once on the other side, there was high ground – high enough that we’d be safe. I’d call Teddy and alert him in case he didn’t know already, but he had to know.
They’ll save the people of Liberty, I told myself as I rushed past the local shops and businesses.
I looked to my left and nearly yelled out. Two boys around twelve years old and a girl around eight were playing in the flood waters.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
Emmy saw them at the same time I did, just as I drove past. Her eyes wide, she asked, “What are we going to do? If what you said is true about the dam, we can’t just leave them.”
“No, I’m not going to leave them,” I growled. I hit the steering wheel, frustrated. “Where the hell are their parents?”
“I don’t know, but they’re definitely reckless.”
“I’m going to get the truck to higher ground, then I’ll go back for them.”
We reached the hill at the end of town, not too far from where the kids were. I parked the truck on the side of the road but left the keys in the ignition.
“Listen to me, Emmy. You should be safe here. But if the dam breaks, drive straight ahead into the mountains. Call Sam as soon as you get to safety. Teddy too.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she said, shaking her head.
I removed my seat belt and opened the car door. “Hopefully not, but if things get bad, you might have to. Save yourself and our child if it comes to that.”
“Graham, wait—”
I slammed the door and made a beeline for the road where I saw the three kids. They were still there, all alone, and without a care in the world. The rest of the street was empty and the buildings around them looked shuttered and abandoned. I may have been right that Teddy managed to get everyone out - but somehow, these children were left behind? I asked myself again, where were their parents?
I approached them, trying not to scare them. “It’s dangerous here. We need to get you to higher ground.”
The oldest boy stepped up. “Who are you? We aren’t supposed to go with strangers.”
“Where are your parents?”
The oldest boy looked at the second boy. “They’re… at work. We’re staying with our grandma, but she went for a walk and—”
“Where do your parents work?”
“In Sunville,” he muttered.
Their clothes were ragged and dirty, and now that I was closer, I could see it wasn’t just from the rain. The little girl’s clothing was two sizes too big, almost like she was wearing her older brother’s clothes. She hid behind her big brother.
The rain continued to pour down, and I knew we had a matter of minutes before the dam would break.
“We need to get you to safety,” I repeated.
“I can handle myself,” the boy said.
“What’s your name, kid?”
He hesitated, standing up tall as if to determine whether he should answer. “Andrew,” he finally said.
“Andrew, that dam on the other side of the town is ready to burst at any moment. If you think the roads are flooded now, once that happens, everything here will be under water.”
“And why should I believe you?” Andrew asked defiantly.
“Do you see anyone else around?” I asked him. He looked around and frowned. “It’s because they’ve all moved to higher ground. The sheriff rounded them up and—”
The younger boy tugged at Andrew’s sleeve. “The sheriff knocked on our door earlier, but Daddy said not to answer and pretend no one is home.”
My heart tightened in my chest.
Andrew seemed to think over what his younger brother said.
The girl spoke. “He did, Andrew. I wanted to answer, but Ricky told me not to.”
There was a loud cracking sound in the distance. Maybe it was thunder. Maybe it was the dam breaking. I couldn’t be sure. But what I did know was that I couldn’t stand here and argue. I needed to get these kids to safety