Home > Sea Glass Hearts (Baytown Boys, #15)(4)

Sea Glass Hearts (Baytown Boys, #15)(4)
Author: Maryann Jordan

Mitch already had a cup and sat at the round table. “Morning. I guess you’ve seen the reports.”

Colt Hudson walked in, his face hard. It was a look he used to have before his wife Carrie and her son came into his life. Nowadays, it was a smile that usually graced Colt’s face. “Fuckin’ storm. I wish it was more predictable. My county’s Board of Supervisors won’t make a call about opening emergency centers until the governor calls for the funds to operate them. The governor won’t make that call until the predictions are in, definitely saying that it’s coming.” He stopped at the coffee pot and glanced at Liam, nodding toward his cup. “Is it strong?”

“Hell, yeah.”

“Good.” Colt poured his cup and sat at the table across from Mitch.

Liam sat next to him. “We’re all in the same boat, Colt. My Board of Supervisors hasn’t made a decision yet either. Hell, they’re probably waiting on your county’s board’s decision.”

Hannah and Dylan walked into the room. The police chiefs for the little towns of Easton and Seaside were also a couple, soon to be married. Hannah sat down and Dylan filled two cups with coffee. Placing one in front of her, he turned to Colt. “Any word on—”

“No.”

The room was silent for a few seconds before the others began laughing. “Damn, Colt. Besides Hurricane Ivy and the county’s Board of Supervisors, what’s got your boxers in a twist?” Liam asked.

“Sorry,” he said, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Carson is only sleeping about two hours at a time. Carrie’s exhausted, and I’m not much better.”

Liam nodded as the others expressed sympathy, but looking at Colt, he was glad his house was quiet. The idea of a raging storm outside with a raging baby on the inside made him sorry for his friend.

Wyatt hustled in, apologizing as he grabbed his coffee. The Police Chief for Manteague, a fishing town on the ocean side of Liam’s county, appeared as flustered as the rest of them. Liam knew it wasn’t just the storm; they’d all worked through hurricanes that brushed by the Virginia coast before. But with the unpredictable Ivy, they had little time to prepare when the county’s monies and resources were tied up in politics.

“What’s the most up-to-date?” Hannah asked.

Mitch tapped on his tablet before turning it around, letting the others see the screen. “One of the American forecast models shows the hurricane turning out to sea, not doing anything more to the East coast than some drenching rain. Another model shows it going out to sea then turning back, coming in toward New England, but that track doesn’t seem to have a lot of popularity. What I can tell, the most accurate model is the European one, which doesn’t bode well for us.”

Liam leaned closer, looked at the map Mitch was indicating, and observed the European model’s track that predicted Hurricane Ivy skimming past North Carolina before turning inward at a direct hit to Virginia. Right on top of us. Fuck!

“Why the hell are they so different?” Dylan grumbled.

Hannah rolled her eyes as she looked down at her tablet. “Why else? Funding.” Glancing up, she shrugged. “The American scientific endeavors are funded, or defunded, at the whims of the politicians in charge at the time. The European research centers and scientists seem to have a steadier flow of funds to do their job. When you look at the history to see which model has been the most accurate, it’s the European.”

A collective groan came from the table, and Liam reached to squeeze the back of his neck, hoping to ease the tension. “We need to plan for the worst. If it’s really going to happen, then the governor can declare a state of emergency, and the State Police can handle the evacuation routes. Our supervisors can work with the emergency shelters.” He looked over at Colt. “Are you bringing more people into the station or keeping them spread out over your county?”

“I’m going to keep them spread out. I’d rather have more of my deputies at home with their families scattered all over the county, ready to be called to whatever area might need them the quickest. That makes more sense than having an excess amount of them just sitting at the station.”

Liam nodded. “I agree. That’s what I’m going to do.”

“Have you got enough staff for the Regional Jail?” Wyatt asked Colt. Each of the smaller towns' police stations had a few cells, but they wouldn’t keep anyone during a major storm. If needed, they would have them transferred to the large Regional Jail.

“Yeah, we’ve got it covered,” Colt replied.

“Any word on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel?” Liam asked.

“They will start restricting travel once the winds hit forty mph. So, all those campers will have to travel north toward Maryland if they don’t go ahead and leave. Cars can continue to cross even at sixty-five mph winds. Once it gets above that, they’ll shut it down.”

“We’d better hope the governor goes with the European model and starts getting things ready soon,” Liam said to the nods of agreement from the others. “But until then, I’m going back to the office and telling my people that’s what we’re preparing for.”

As the meeting concluded, they each offered grim-faced goodbyes before heading out. Normally, after their LEL meetings, they had lunch at one of the local establishments. But today, with the unpredictable Ivy staring them down, they were each ready to hustle back to their stations.

The rest of the day was a blur of planning, meetings, and activity. The winds increased, and by mid-afternoon, it appeared as though the Euro model was correct. Every office, including reception, had the TV on the weather stations as they sent their high-profile field meteorologists to Virginia Beach. They stood on the sand, the wind gusts beginning to whip their thin jackets, while daredevils played in the surf waves in the background.

Liam sighed, knowing the Virginia Beach law enforcement would have to take time to chase off the idiots who didn’t heed warnings. Christ, I hope Mitch doesn’t have to deal with that. Baytown had the only public beach in the area, and he hoped their small staff didn’t have to endanger themselves trying to save people who weren’t smart enough to stay out of the storm.

By the end of the day, the storm had stalled, but in doing so over the water, the meteorologists talked of how Ivy was growing and predicted that by the time she headed to the coast, she would still be a Category 5.

Pulling into his garage that evening, he was glad he had time to secure his house. The original owners had opted for hurricane shutters on most of the windows, for which he was now grateful. It took almost an hour to go to each window and lower the metal grate that slid down on the outside and secure it in place. It was an expense he wouldn’t have sprung for but was glad the couple who’d had the house built had decided on the upgrade.

Turning on the television in the living room, he moved to the kitchen and fixed a simple but hot dinner. If the storm knocked the electricity out, his generator would kick on, keeping his meals from just being sandwiches. Eating at the dining room table, keeping an eye on the television, he watched as the predictions for the storm’s path kept it hitting the coast of Virginia directly, but the timing had slowed. Instead of the force of the storm hitting early tomorrow morning, they were now predicting a late evening landing.

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