When We Met Part 30

"The stream is rising," he told her. "There's a flash flood coming through. Get the girls and head for the trail. You'll be safe once you reach the cars."

"What are you going to do?"

"Check that everyone else got out, then join you by the cars." He grabbed her upper arms. "Do a head count when you get there."

She nodded.

He squatted down and opened the tent flap. Eight pairs of eyes stared at him.

"There's a flash flood," he told them. "We're getting out now. Taryn is going to lead you up the trail while I check to make sure all the other girls got out. Everybody pair up. You leave in pairs and you arrive in pairs. No one gets left behind."

He felt their fear. In his head, a voice kept reminding him that while he could save the world, he hadn't been able to protect his own. That these girls were just like Marcus, and Marcus was dead.

"You're ready for this," he told them gently. "I have faith in you. We'll meet at the top by the cars. Everybody ready?"

They nodded solemnly.

Angel waited until they were all out of the tent, then pulled the poles so it collapsed. He would do the same with the other tents, the easiest way to make sure no one snuck back inside to hide. He made sure Taryn knew the way up to the parking lot and then went back toward the swirling water.

He'd been gone less than ten minutes, but in that time, the water had risen at least six feet. Several of the tents were already half underwater by the time he reached the lowest campsites. The roar of the water echoed off the mountains.

He waded through icy runoff, ignoring the cold clutching at his midsection. He checked each of the tents, then hurried up to the next site.

At the third one he found a girl who was maybe eleven or twelve. She was crouched at the base of a tree, crying. Angel took her by the arm and pulled her to him. Rain poured over both of them.

"Let's get out of here," he told her.

The girl shook her head. "I can't swim."

"Then heading away from the water is the best plan."

She trembled but didn't move. Angel didn't bother to argue anymore. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the main trail. At the base of it, he found Taryn waiting.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?" he demanded loudly.

"Making sure you get out, too," Taryn said. "Don't worry. The Acorns are all safe. I did a head count before I came back."

He swore under his breath, then thrust the girl at her. "She's in shock. Get her to the top and out of the cold."

"I will."

He wanted to say more, but he had three sites to check. The rain fell hard and he could hear the water even from here. It was rising fast.

"Go," Taryn told him. "I'll take care of her."

He nodded. In the distance came two sharp explosions. Trees, he though grimly as he hurried along the muddy path. The water had reached the tree line.

He couldn't see very far in front of him. Rain blinded him and he was cold to the bone. Still, he checked the last of the campsites. They were empty. He turned to the main trail only to find it was now covered in water that rose visibly every second.

As he watched, a couple of coolers floated by. There was a chair, then an air mattress. He moved faster. He hoped to h.e.l.l Taryn had gotten the girl off the trail, because it wouldn't be very long until there wasn't a trail.

He waded through the rising water. Something hard hit him and he nearly went down. He grabbed a nearby tree branch and managed to stay on his feet. But there was no way he could get back to the trail.

He did the only thing possible-he went straight up the mountain. Hand over hand, dragging himself under branches and around bushes. Mud and debris seeped into his clothing, but he kept moving. There was a rumble as part of the mountain started to give way. Then he was up over the side and pulling himself to his feet so he could get to the parking lot and do a head count.

He arrived there a couple of minutes later. There was chaos everywhere. Parents ran around frantically looking for their girls. Angel brushed the mud from his face and realized the rain had stopped. But the flood waters would keep rising.

"People! Please!" Denise Hendrix yelled, trying to get the group to pay attention.

Angel walked over to her, put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loud enough to wake the dead. Everyone turned toward him.

"Everyone get over here," he yelled. "Parents, line up in rows of ten. Stop crying and screaming and get over here-now! I went through the camps myself. The tents are empty."

By now they were all gone, but there was no point in mentioning that now.

"Line up," he repeated. "Only in groups of ten. Girls, stand with your grove. Grove Keepers, show them where you want them."

The number didn't matter, but he knew from experience that if people were busy figuring out how many were in their line, they would be less inclined to panic.

Everyone started to do what he said. Soon they were sorted and the head counts started.

He walked around, looking for his girls, only they weren't there. None of them. His chest tightened and breathing became impossible. Then he heard the second scream of the night.

Angel went running. He found several of his girls at the trailhead leading down to the lower campsite. But Taryn wasn't there. Neither were Chloe or Regan.

"Regan lost her bracelet," Allison told him, grabbing on to his hand. "She and Chloe went to look for it and when Taryn found out, she was really mad. She went after them. They haven't come back yet."

Angel told her to get back. Other parents came and took charge of the girls. He started down the trail. The ground s.h.i.+fted under his feet and he was forced to retreat.

"Angel?"

He heard the small voice, so faint it nearly faded into the wind.

"Chloe?"

"Angel? We're here."

He followed the sound and moved to the right. He could hear the water but couldn't see anything. Several parents moved close and turned on their flashlights. Then Angel spotted movement. Regan and Chloe were clinging to a tree. Taryn was with them. Water lapped at their feet.

"We went to get my bracelet," Regan admitted when she saw him. "Taryn said to stay with the others, but we didn't. We're sorry."

Something Angel would deal with later, he thought as he started down the muddy side of the mountain. He braced himself against a still-standing tree and reached for Regan. She grabbed his hands and he pulled her to him.

Behind him several other Grove Keepers drew her up to safety.

"You're next," he told Chloe.

Nearby another tree snapped and the ground beneath them s.h.i.+fted. Chloe screamed.

"I'm here," Angel told her. "I'm not going anywhere. Just move up the tree and I'll grab you."

Chloe nodded and inched toward him. He leaned forward as far as he could, but it wasn't enough.

"Here!"

He felt something hit his back. A rope. He tied it around his waist, then felt it tighten as the others hung on to him. He leaned forward and reached for Chloe again. This time he grabbed her.

She clung to him like a monkey. He stepped back and felt them both being hauled up a few feet.

"Come on, Chloe," Denise Hendrix said firmly as she stuck out her hand. "I've got you."

Chloe reached for her, then scrambled to the top. Which left only Taryn.

Angel adjusted the rope at his waist, then moved toward her. The ground s.h.i.+fted and she screamed as the tree she was on cracked and bent. The night was dark and the flashlights didn't reach this far. He could only see shapes rather than details, but he knew she was watching him.

"Taryn," he said slowly. "Taryn, listen to me."

Because the tree she was on was going to be swallowed by the river any second. She was going to have to let go and grab on to him. She was going to have to trust him.

Defeat settled on his shoulders. There was no way he could convince her. Not so fast. Not with a lifetime of horror to recover from. Her father had reached out and had let her fall.

The water continued to rise. It was loud and he could see objects floating by. He felt the first waves lapping at his feet. Before long, the tree she clung to would be pulled into the current and she would go with it.

"Taryn, you have to trust me," he said, frustrated, scared and aware of the growing danger.

"You'll catch me, right?" she asked.

He nodded. As he wondered if he could simply lunge forward and hang on, she pushed against the tree and launched herself toward him. He caught her just as the tree cracked in half and fell into the swirling water.

"He's got her!" someone yelled. "Pull!"

TARYN HAD NEVER been so cold her in her life. She couldn't stop shaking. It didn't help that her clothes were soaked and muddy. No matter how many blankets people piled on her shoulders, she knew she wasn't going to get warm until she could get home and step into a hot shower.

People kept coming up to her and asking if she was okay. She nodded, and kept counting heads of the grove. Eight heads, she told herself. All the girls were okay.

Angel stayed close. He, too, was being covered in blankets. He joined her in making sure their grove was all there, then kept his eye on her.

Regan's parents and Chloe's mother had already thanked them both about three times. While the adults looked sh.e.l.l-shocked, the girls couldn't stop talking about their adventure.

"The water rose really fast," Chloe was saying. "It was cold and we were scared, but Taryn kept us safe and Angel saved us."

They were all smiles, Taryn thought, knowing she would never forget the horror of turning around and finding the two girls had disappeared. In the second it had taken her to process the information, the stream had turned into a wild river and had risen what felt like twenty feet.

"I can't wait until next year," Regan told her folks.

Chloe grinned. "Me, too."

"I need a drink," Taryn murmured.

"Me, too."

Angel put his arm around her and led her to his truck. She started to mention that her car was here, then realized she had lost her bag in the flash flood. It was gone, along with her car keys, her house keys, her driver's license and credit cards.

She came to a stop. "I can't get in my house."

"I'll get you in."

"I lost my bag. My wallet."

"All replaceable."

He guided her to his SUV. He had his keys tucked in his jeans.

She hesitated before sliding onto the pa.s.senger seat. "I'm going to mess up the leather."

He grabbed her by her upper arms and gave her a slight shake. "You think I care about that?"

The intensity of his expression made her exhale. "Not really."

"Good. Now get in."

They drove to his house and collected clothes, then made the quick trip to her place. Angel used lock-pick tools to open her door. It took him about thirty-five seconds.

"I'm impressed and not the least bit surprised," she said as she dumped the blankets by the door and pulled off her wet and muddy boots. Her ruined socks followed.

Angel closed the front door, dropped his duffel on the floor, then removed his boots and socks. They walked down the hall to the master bath. She turned on the shower. As the water heated, she stripped off her clothes.

She was careful not to look in the mirror. She didn't want to know how bad it was. She was still shaking and felt a little light-headed. Shock, she thought. Not a huge surprise.

They went into her shower. Until that moment, she'd never appreciated the second showerhead. Now she turned it on so they were both under the hot, steamy spray. Angel reached for the shampoo and poured some in his hands.

He washed her hair, then his own. They rubbed soap on each other's bodies and cleaned off the mud. Somewhere in the rinsing process, she realized how slick his skin was and how his hands lingered on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

She turned to face him and saw desire in his eyes. As she reached for him, he stepped close.

"I could have lost you," he said right before he kissed her.

His tongue tangled with hers. His hands roamed over her body, exciting her wherever he touched. She felt his erection against her belly.

She put her arms around his neck. He lifted her up against the wet, warm tile wall of the shower, then pushed into her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and hung on as he filled her over and over again.

He supported her by her b.u.t.t, his fingers digging into her curves. The hot water flowed over them as heat grew inside her. With each stroke, she was more and more aroused and at the same time conscious of the mountain of emotions coursing through her. Relief, shock, grat.i.tude and terror mixed with s.e.xual need. The combination threatened to overwhelm her. She was close but not sure she could make it over the edge. Not sure she wanted to. Losing control now would be- Her o.r.g.a.s.m claimed her without warning. Pleasure poured through her and she cried out, her voice nearly a scream. Angel continued to fill her, drawing out her release, even as the emotional barriers fell and she began to sob.

He waited until she'd stopped shaking to finish, then lowered her to the floor and held her until the water started to cool.