Water Lily in July (12 page)

“Thank you.” He winced as she strapped him up tightly.

“So I have to stay. We're shorthanded as it is with Lucas gone.”

“Then I'll stay with you. You and Angus can tell me what to do.” He jumped as water pounded against the window.

“Are you sure? This isn't exactly the safest place to be.” She propped his foot on a stool. “All done.” She stood and stretched before sitting and opening the pack of painkillers. “Take these and don't argue.”

“I won't argue. So does this count as the coffee you promised me when you get back on leave?” He winked, swallowing the pills.

Kaylie grinned and sat, picking up her cup again. “I thought
you
were buying
me
coffee.”

“Oh, right, my mistake.” He moved his foot gingerly, forcing it into his shoe. He grimaced as his toes squelched in the wet leather. At least it was slightly more comfortable now it was strapped up. He hadn't forgotten at all, he was playing with her.

Another impact hit the window, this time strong enough to cause the whole lighthouse to sway. A loud crash echoed down from the top floor. A brief cry echoed, cut short by a loud crash of thunder.

Kaylie put her empty cup down and ran for the stairs.

13

Kaylie ran up faster than she had ever done. Her hand trailed the railing, as a new vibration rippled through the tower. Something had changed. A cold, howling wind tore down the narrow stairwell, cutting though her like a knife.

Rob limped one step at a time, his injured ankle keeping him almost a whole flight behind her.

She burst into the lantern room, gasping for breath. Her chest hurt with the effort of taking the stairs so quickly.

Three of the windows were shattered. Glass littered the floor, a mixture of large and small pieces. A crack ran the length of the wall from floor to ceiling. The storm rushed in, an uninvited guest, making itself at home.

Angus lay motionless on the floor.

“Angus.” She ran to his side, her feet slipping on the slick floor, and dropped to her knees beside him. “Angus?” She reached out and rolled him over.

Wide, sightless eyes stared up at her, a large piece of glass protruding from his forehead. “Noooo. Angus…”

Rob knelt beside her, his hand covering hers for an instant, before he felt for a pulse. “He's gone. I'm sorry.” His hand slid Angus's eyes closed.

Tears burned and fell in a steady stream. Her shoulders shook and the lump in her throat threatened to choke her.

Angus couldn't be dead, this wasn't fair. He was about to retire, and move inland, where it was safe.

Rob put a hand on her shoulder. “Kaylie…”

She shook him off. Then she turned into him, burying her face in the sweater that smelled of Angus. Rob's scent mixed with it, making her grief all the more intense. Her fingers screwed into the fabric as she cried hard, not caring that the rain coming in through the broken windows was soaking her again. Angus was dead.

Rob's hand moved over her back and through her hair, comforting her. He spoke quietly, but she couldn't make out his words over the sound of the storm. But it was enough to know he was there.

The light clicked off, plunging them into darkness.

“Has the power gone out?” Rob asked.

“The rain probably got into the electrics,” Kaylie said. She rubbed a hand over her eyes. “I need to go start the generator again.”

“Where is it?”

She pushed upright, making her way across to where the torches sat. “Eight levels down, where the staircase starts.”

“I'll go.”

Kaylie shook her head. “I need you to stay here. With your ankle it'll be quicker for me to run and do it. Besides, the generator is old and can be rather cranky and needs careful handling.” She clipped a portable radio to her belt. “Once I call up, you'll need to hit the switches in a set order.” She shone the torch on the board and showed him.

He nodded. “OK.” He grabbed her hand. “I've been doing research on the vanishings. You know the anniversary is tonight, right?”

“Not you, as well.” She sighed. “I need to get that generator up and running. I'll be back.” She kissed him and ran from the room. Shining the torch light on the stairs, she went down them as fast as she could.

The radio crackled. “Kaylie?”

“Here.”

“It happened on a night like this. Maybe the sea took them.”

She sighed. “And maybe the monster who lives at the bottom of the foundation shaft took them. I told you, I don't believe in any of that rubbish. Just pray, Rob. Pray that the generator works.” She grabbed a gallon can of generator oil from the oil store on her way.

Kaylie reached the generator. She clipped the radio to her belt and topped up the oil. Holding the torch in her teeth she cranked up the charge, praying all the time. It started on the first attempt. The lights flickered on.
Thank You, Lord.

She pulled the radio up to her mouth. “OK, Rob, now.” Her hand dropped to her side as the lights on the wall illuminated the side of the lighthouse. There was another crack. This one was wider than at the top. Crossing the room, she could slide two fingers into it.

Kaylie closed her eyes. To say this wasn't good would be the understatement of the year. She drew in a deep breath and headed back up the stairs, checking the walls as she went. The fissure ran from the lantern room all the way down. She could feel the whole tower moving under the onslaught of the waves. Without a doubt, the tower was going to fall.

She slid into one of the yellow oilskin jackets and took the other one for Rob. She ran up the stairs, and into the radio room. She picked up the mic. “Mayday, mayday. This is Wolf Point Lighthouse declaring a mayday.”

No answer came.

She changed frequency. “This is Wolf Point Lighthouse to anyone who can hear me. Mayday. The lighthouse has sustained severe structural damage, and I don't think it'll survive the storm. Angus is dead. I will keep the light going as long as I can. Over and out.”

She put the mic down and ran from the room, taking the stairs two at a time.

Rob stood mesmerized by the waves as she reached his side. “They're getting bigger and stronger.”

“I've never seen the sea like that. Not even in a film.” Kaylie found the view almost hypnotizing.

She handed him the yellow jacket. “Put this on. There's a torch attached to it and this button here is a locator beacon, so don't hit it unless you need to. It'll alert the coastguard to your position.”

Another huge swell hit the lighthouse, the momentum sending both of them to the floor. “The tower isn't going to last. We have to get out.”

“And go where?” Rob asked as he tugged the coat on. “When the surge hits the town, it'll—”

“We don't have a choice. You see that crack? It goes all the way to the base. The lighthouse will fall whether the surge hits us or not. I need you to go down to the base and climb inside the foundation shaft. You can hide there. It goes right down into the bedrock. You'll be safe there.”

“I'm not going without you,” he said, grabbing her hand.

“I've sent a mayday. There are a few things I need to do here first, then I
will
follow you.”

“I love you.” Rob pulled her into his arms as the ground shuddered and kissed her with as much as passion as he could.

“I love you, too. And I promise I will be right behind you.”

“I'll hold you to that—” He broke off. “Kaylie, look!”

Worried by the fear in his voice, she turned. A massive wave, illuminated in the light beaming from the lantern, filled the horizon. Much bigger than forecast, it towered into the dark sky, moving far faster than she'd imagined.

She swallowed hard. “Oh, Lord, protect us.”

“What do we do?” Rob asked.

“Run,” she whispered. “We're out of time. Get down into the foundation shaft as fast as you can. I'll be two minutes behind you.” She pushed him to the stairs. “Go, now. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Rob set off down the stairs.

Kaylie hit the foghorn, and focused the beam of light onto the oncoming wave. She had to give anyone left as much notice as possible.

“Lord, God, I have faith You will keep us safe through this, either letting us live or taking us to be with You, but that doesn't stop me from being terrified.”

The lighthouse started to shudder with the vibration of the approaching surge. Kaylie headed for the stairs. “Our Father, Who art in heaven…”

The floor shifted and she lost her balance. Reaching out she grabbed the doorway, saving herself from tumbling down the stairs.

“…Hallowed by Thy Name…”

A loud crashing, roaring sound filled the tiny space. Water poured through the broken windows.

“…Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven…”

The wall behind her shattered. The explosive force resounded in the confined space. Water and bricks cascaded around her. The roar became all encompassing.

She threw up her hands to protect her head.

“…Give us this day our daily bread and deliver usssssssss—”

She was flying, twisting, drowning—

14

Rob clung to the ladder within the foundation shaft, honestly not sure how he'd got there. The trap door above him slammed shut as a series of tremors hit, threatening to toss him to the bottom of the shaft. Hanging on precariously with one hand for a second, he flicked on the torch attached to his jacket.

A roar like nothing he'd ever heard before moved over head, followed by what felt like an earthquake. His fingers turned white from gripping the metal ladder tightly and he cried out as his injured ankle slid off the ladder and smashed against the wall of the shaft.

The trapdoor above him rang with a series of thuds as who knows what landed against it. Where was Kaylie? She hadn't made the safety of the shaft before the maelstrom hit.

Rob closed his eyes and hung on for dear life.
God, be with Kaylie. She's out there somewhere and I don't know where or whether she's alive or dead. And for the town, Lord, let everyone have gotten out.

Had Kaylie become the sea's first victim? Second, he corrected. Angus had been the first.

After an eternity, the shaking stopped. Rob climbed back up the shaft one rung at a time, the pain in his ankle making every step torture.
He tried to open the hatch. It was stuck. He tried again. Not a single movement.

Would he die after all? Trapped underground, an undiscovered victim of the disaster? Desperation filled him. He had to get out to find Kaylie.

He banged on the door. “Help!” he yelled. But the bangs and cries echoed around the shaft, mocking him. Rob clung to the ladder, praying desperately for a way out. The words of Psalm 107 ran through his mind.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven
.

“OK, Lord,” he whispered. “Help me…I'm stuck down here, and I need to get to Kaylie.” He sucked in a deep breath. OK, so up was a no go. What about down? He glanced beyond his feet. The shaft seemed to go on forever. But what choice did he have? Slowly, one rung at a time, he starting the descent. After five minutes, he was still descending, aware that under normal circumstances it wouldn't have taken half as long. He glanced down again. Was that a light?

He blinked hard and shook his head to get the hair out of his eyes. Surely it couldn't be? It had to be his own light reflecting off the walls of the shaft. “Hello? Is anyone down there?” His voice echoed, but no reply came. He kept climbing down until he reached solid rock.

Rob unclipped his torch and swung it both ways. He had no idea which way to go. The torchlight caught a shadow on the wall. He squinted. Was that a figure just ahead? “Hello?”

A torch flashed farther down the corridor, and the figure raised a hand beckoning to him. Rob set off slowly in pursuit, running a hand along the rough tunnel wall for support. He could barely take his own weight. Maybe his ankle was broken after all.

The figure stayed in front of him, only the yellow jacket visible in Rob's torchlight.

The floor began to slope upwards, gently at first, then steeper. Rob stopped moving, the pain now more than he could bear.

He sucked in a deep breath. He had to do this. Each step took him closer to finding Kaylie and getting out of here. He took a few more steps. The tunnel broadened out into a cavern.

Rob flashed his light around, managing to illuminate the figure properly for a second before he moved back into the shadows. A few crates lay scattered around, a book lay open on one, a candle next to it. He moved over to the book and picked it up. It appeared to be a journal. He slid it into his inside jacket pocket.

Something glittered in the torch light and Rob swung it back to investigate. Three pocket watches, with chains still attached, lay on another crate. Each one had initials engraved in an intricate design on the front casing. ES, PH, and SM. Not wanting to leave them he placed them with the journal and swung his torch around looking for the figure.

The beam of light caught him standing by an alcove. Rob moved over to it. A ladder led five steps up to a hatch. Clipping his torch back to his jacket, Rob climbed, each step causing him great pain. Somehow he managed to hook his arms under the ladder and move the wheel on the hatch.

Rust showered him as the wheel slowly moved. It took every ounce of strength he had. Finally the hatch clicked open and swung towards him. Water cascaded through the opening, but he was expecting it and managed to dodge out of the way.

He looked down into the cavern and shone his torch around. He was alone. Sucking in a deep breath, he hauled himself up the ladder and through the hatch into the fresh, cold air. Rob glanced around. He was standing on the remains of the helipad. Pale red light touched the grey sky.