Page 70 of Desperate Creed

“I was at Southern Blessings.”

“What’s that?” He had no idea what she was talking about.

“The restaurant. A tornado hit.”

His eyes flashed to the television screen. It was still showing the semi trailer. There was a HAZMAT team.

“We’re trapped, Willis. And I’m scared.”

51

Southern Blessings

Maggie was desperate to find some relief for Frankie. Ronald’s arm had stopped bleeding and Val was keeping watch over him. Gus had joined Max and Loverboy convincing them to try another tactic other than brute-force, which wasn’t working. She finally had Hank’s attention.

“Is there any way to stop the gas leak?” she wanted to know. She could taste it as much as smell it. At this rate, they would all die from carbon monoxide poisoning before they could be rescued.

“It must be a break in the line,” he told her. “The grill in the kitchen is gas.”

“What about an emergency shut-off?”

“If the line’s broken it won’t matter. Our only chance is to break through that door.”

She pointed to the maze of pipes that ran in between the ceiling beams.

“Could you check?”

He shot the flashlight up and around following the pipes that were still intact and inspecting the ones that were broken. His bald head shimmered with sweat. The air was hot and stifling down here. Maggie’s T-shirt stuck to her like a second skin, but it didn’t matter if she couldn’t breathe.

“Here,” he said. “This one is gas.”

“Are you sure?”

He followed the pipe with his flashlight, stepping over debris and around the two older women. She noticed their feet sloshed through water. How much higher was it?

“Oh dear,” one of the women said. “Did the gas line break?”

Hank ignored them and zigzagged all the way to the far corner and over the chest freezer.

“There.” He pointed to a lever. “This is the gas shut-off.”

“Hold this,” he told her and shoved the flashlight at her. “Keep it right there.”

He climbed on top of the freezer so he could reach it. He gestured for the flashlight and pointed it directly on the lever, stopping first to read what was written. Then he grabbed it and pulled it down.

“We still need to close off those broken pipes,” he told her. There’ll be residual gas in the lines.”

He hopped off the freezer and took the flashlight back. He started searching the boxes on the shelves and sorting through items left on a workbench. He picked up a couple of things and moved back under the pipe.

“Hold this, again.” He handed her the flashlight.

She pointed it up while he stuffed a rag into the pipe. Then he started winding duct tape around and around until she couldn’t see the rag. Could it be that simple?

“There’s another break over here,” he said and waited for her to point the light.

They did this three times. Maggie couldn’t tell if it worked. Her nostrils were already filled with the smell. Her chest ached from breathing in the fumes.

“They’ll shut it off at the main,” the woman said from her place, sitting next to her friend.