Are You Haunted (part fifty)

Are You Haunted

(part fifty)

As with any event sudden and surprising, the first explosion occurred in the midst of ordinary preoccupations. A deep rumble shook the ground. A row of windows on the mill floor exposed a flash of light, and when flames shot through a second after, Rohdl winced and cowered under a peppering of splintered glass.

Those in the parking area clustered out of their workplace divisions, keeping their backs turned, as a voice warned…moving themselves down the fence. The shower of debris ended. They stretched their necks and stared. And within too little time to acclimate or plan, the second, truly cataclysmic explosion blew the roof from the mill, sending a shock wave that knocked Rohdl over at Glass’s feet, Glass falling across his back, the rain of hot cinders lasting for what seemed an age.

They appealed to Mr. Guy for permission to leave. At the guard box by the gate, he was speaking on a pole-mounted phone, a call Rohdl hoped was to Dr. Lealy.

But Guy didn’t know them by sight, nor care to; he had not seen them tamping their faces with bloody handkerchiefs, their shaking legs carrying them here, and anticipated their need. Three fire trucks blared horns at the shellshocked hands, slowed bumping over the drain…slowed only enough, then roared by zoom, zoom, zoom, while Guy gestured IDs and held out a clipboard. Rohdl gave Glass his notes. He opened his wallet for Guy, dropped the pen and caught it by its string, scratched his signature. Glass, a better juggler, showed his card and signed, all with his own papers and Rohdl’s under an arm.

Guy was deputy to the chief of security, itching to leave this post…his calls were to summon a junior guard. “Double time,” he said, hanging up. “Don’t you two leave.”

But then, only: “You’re lucky no one can’t be looking after you right now, but if you go you better keep close, and keep your mouth shut.”

Only this superior of Guy’s, dead, not yet assumed to be; only Dr. Lealy, and Davis Drybrook, knew about the emergency orders. They were sealed at the Drybrook office, somewhere in town. But the lab’s staff, each having an assigned task in event of an accident, had been told the secret, along with Mrs. Drybrook, informed of necessity.

Rohdl ventured a private word with Glass. “The damselfly…”

He found himself embarrassed, hesitant and flushing. Before speaking the code name he had looked, wholly conspicuous, over his shoulder at the hill where the Drybrook house stood. He supposed he had no gift for clandestine work.

But Glass understood him. “Yes, you and I ought to go speak to Mrs. Drybrook. With her husband in such a condition…all this…” He faltered. “Will be a shock to her.”

And so they had been the first to investigate the tunnel.

49

Haunted
Are You Haunted (part fifty-one)

(2019, Stephanie Foster)