Fate That Twists Her (Appleman's Gap Book 3) by Kelly Utt

Author:Kelly Utt [Utt, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Standards of Starlight
Published: 2024-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

As they combed through the remains of the frightened girl’s house, Della and the team were overwhelmed by the severity of the damage. The roof was completely gone, and what was once a sturdy structure was now a bungled mess. The rain had subsided to a light drizzle, but the ground was muddy, making their movements difficult and the search for survivors even more urgent.

It was remarkable the way a tornado could wipe one house off the face of the Earth and leave another one standing nearby with little to no damage.

Eric, Samira, Malik, and Della fanned out, carefully picking their way through the wreckage as Detective Kingston went back to his cruiser to call for help. The woman they had found was pinned under a heavy beam. It took a while, but Malik and Eric worked together to lift the debris, freeing the woman while Della and Samira reassured Zoey and kept her calm.

"We're going to get you all out of here," Eric promised, his voice steady. "Just stay with us, okay?"

The mother nodded weakly, her face pale with pain but filled with relief as she was finally freed from the debris. "Thank you, Senator Hampton," she whispered.

And just like that, Eric had been recognized. What did he expect?

Zoey ran to her mother, clutching her tightly.

"Is there anyone else inside?" Della asked as she helped the woman sit up, checking for injuries. “You mentioned your husband and another daughter.”

It was hard to see much in the darkness of night. If not for the full moon, they wouldn’t have been able to see anything at all. They needed powerful flashlights, and fast.

"Yes, my husband and our youngest daughter, Maura," the woman replied, her voice trembling with fear. "They were in the living room, at the front of the house, when the tornado hit. I haven't seen them since."

Eric exchanged a grim look with Della. Time was running out. The house was unstable, and they needed to find the missing family members quickly.

"Let's split up," Della suggested. "Samira, Malik, you stay here and take care of the mother and daughter. Eric and I will search the living room."

They moved quickly, carefully navigating the rubble as they made their way deeper into the house. The destruction was overwhelming, but they pressed on.

As they reached what was left of the living room, Eric spotted a dusty hand poking out from beneath a pile of debris. "Over here!" he called to Della, dropping to his knees and frantically pulling away the wreckage.

Together, they uncovered a man, unconscious but alive, and a tiny girl, her eyes wide with terror. She clung to her father, her body trembling with shock and fear.

"You're safe now," Della said gently, reaching out to the girl. "We're going to help you and your daddy, okay?"

The girl nodded, tears streaming down her dirt-smudged face as she allowed Della to lift her into her arms. Eric checked the man for a pulse, relieved to find it strong and steady despite his injuries.

"We need to get them out of here," Eric said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.