with her. She turned on the TV to watch the weather as she packed.
She didn’t get far in her preparations before she heard a vehicle pull up outside her door. She peeked out the window and saw Daniel getting out of his truck. He had his boat hooked to the truck, and some things tied down in the truck bed. She opened the door and gave him a welcome smile. She was glad he had come by. She had already felt somewhat overwhelmed in making preparations to evacuate.
“Did you hear?” he asked her.
“Yes. One of my co-workers came by about twenty minutes ago and gave me the news. Everybody has twelve hours to evacuate.”
“Yeah. Not long. Probably wouldn’t want to be here any longer after that anyway. How can I help you pack?”
“I’m not sure. I’m just going through some stuff now. I have a box in my closet. If you can use it to pack some food and water from the kitchen, I’ll pull out the clothes I need and a few other odds and ends.”
Daniel agreed and they both set to work.
“Do you have a place to go?” Daniel called out as he packed the box in the kitchen.
“Yes. I’ve talked with my parents this morning, and I’ll be going to their house in Mississippi. How about you?”
“I’ll head to my home in Lake Charles. That’s where my mother and stepfather live. I want to be able to check on them if the storm strikes near there.”
The apartment was quiet for a few moments as they continued to work. Rachel broke the silence, “I want to thank you for coming back to check on me. You don’t know how much that means to me. I feel so overwhelmed by all of this.”
“It’s no problem. I think a lot of people are feeling overwhelmed.”
“I’m also glad you came back, because I enjoyed spending yesterday with you.”
“I enjoyed the time with you too. I wish we would have had more time today.”
“Maybe you’ll be back after the hurricane?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. Then maybe we can have that lunch we planned for today?”
He smiled and nodded, “Yes. That would be nice.”
After thirty more minutes, they had packed all the necessary items she would need for the trip. Daniel had even loaded a few of her smaller furnishings into the back of his truck, and promised to deliver them to her when he returned. They agreed that Rachel would follow Daniel up to New Orleans to the East-West interstate split by the Superdome.
Rachel just finished locking the doors to the apartment when two police cruisers pulled up beside their vehicles effectively blocking their exit. The parish Sheriff stepped slowly out of the lead vehicle and a younger deputy out of the trail vehicle. The Sheriff looked up at the sky for a moment as if observing the weather, placed his hat on his head, and sauntered around his cruiser towards Daniel and Rachel. The deputy came up as well, but stood at a little further distance.
“Mr. Trahan. Ms. Breland. Looks like you’re about ready to evacuate,” Sheriff Holet observed.
“That’s right, Sheriff. Any problems?” Daniel sensed something amiss in the Sheriff’s demeanor. While he seemed to have a friendly facade, Daniel detected a hint of tension underneath.
“No, not really, Mr. Trahan. I’m just checking on our teachers to see if everything is going smoothly and they’re evacuating.”
“I think Rachel is packed and ready to go,” Daniel responded.
“Good to hear it, Ms. Breland,” he said looking at her. “Please be careful on the highway. A lot of cars are on the road, and some people aren’t driving too safely. We want our teachers to make it back to Plaquemines Parish in one piece.”
Rachel detected a decided lack of sincerity in his words.
“Mr. Trahan,” he said turning back to Daniel, “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments to talk with you privately.”
Surprised at the request, Daniel glanced at Rachel, and while she seemed surprised too, she nodded indicating she would be okay.
“Alright, Sheriff.”
“Why don’t we walk
She didn’t get far in her preparations before she heard a vehicle pull up outside her door. She peeked out the window and saw Daniel getting out of his truck. He had his boat hooked to the truck, and some things tied down in the truck bed. She opened the door and gave him a welcome smile. She was glad he had come by. She had already felt somewhat overwhelmed in making preparations to evacuate.
“Did you hear?” he asked her.
“Yes. One of my co-workers came by about twenty minutes ago and gave me the news. Everybody has twelve hours to evacuate.”
“Yeah. Not long. Probably wouldn’t want to be here any longer after that anyway. How can I help you pack?”
“I’m not sure. I’m just going through some stuff now. I have a box in my closet. If you can use it to pack some food and water from the kitchen, I’ll pull out the clothes I need and a few other odds and ends.”
Daniel agreed and they both set to work.
“Do you have a place to go?” Daniel called out as he packed the box in the kitchen.
“Yes. I’ve talked with my parents this morning, and I’ll be going to their house in Mississippi. How about you?”
“I’ll head to my home in Lake Charles. That’s where my mother and stepfather live. I want to be able to check on them if the storm strikes near there.”
The apartment was quiet for a few moments as they continued to work. Rachel broke the silence, “I want to thank you for coming back to check on me. You don’t know how much that means to me. I feel so overwhelmed by all of this.”
“It’s no problem. I think a lot of people are feeling overwhelmed.”
“I’m also glad you came back, because I enjoyed spending yesterday with you.”
“I enjoyed the time with you too. I wish we would have had more time today.”
“Maybe you’ll be back after the hurricane?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. Then maybe we can have that lunch we planned for today?”
He smiled and nodded, “Yes. That would be nice.”
After thirty more minutes, they had packed all the necessary items she would need for the trip. Daniel had even loaded a few of her smaller furnishings into the back of his truck, and promised to deliver them to her when he returned. They agreed that Rachel would follow Daniel up to New Orleans to the East-West interstate split by the Superdome.
Rachel just finished locking the doors to the apartment when two police cruisers pulled up beside their vehicles effectively blocking their exit. The parish Sheriff stepped slowly out of the lead vehicle and a younger deputy out of the trail vehicle. The Sheriff looked up at the sky for a moment as if observing the weather, placed his hat on his head, and sauntered around his cruiser towards Daniel and Rachel. The deputy came up as well, but stood at a little further distance.
“Mr. Trahan. Ms. Breland. Looks like you’re about ready to evacuate,” Sheriff Holet observed.
“That’s right, Sheriff. Any problems?” Daniel sensed something amiss in the Sheriff’s demeanor. While he seemed to have a friendly facade, Daniel detected a hint of tension underneath.
“No, not really, Mr. Trahan. I’m just checking on our teachers to see if everything is going smoothly and they’re evacuating.”
“I think Rachel is packed and ready to go,” Daniel responded.
“Good to hear it, Ms. Breland,” he said looking at her. “Please be careful on the highway. A lot of cars are on the road, and some people aren’t driving too safely. We want our teachers to make it back to Plaquemines Parish in one piece.”
Rachel detected a decided lack of sincerity in his words.
“Mr. Trahan,” he said turning back to Daniel, “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments to talk with you privately.”
Surprised at the request, Daniel glanced at Rachel, and while she seemed surprised too, she nodded indicating she would be okay.
“Alright, Sheriff.”
“Why don’t we walk
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