Chapter 15, Into the Tornado
When Cathee drove up her street, she was pleased to see a cruiser moving past her house. The police were fulfilling their promise. She hoped their presence would keep Juan at bay. It was a hope coupled with prayer. Somehow, she knew Garrett was somewhere praying for her safety, too. That thought brought tears to her eyes. She wondered if he hated her for what she’d done. He was right. She was running. She was running from a commitment she didn’t think she could make.
The morning sun was quickly being hidden by a great, gray bank of clouds. Cathee’s brow furrowed. Looked like a storm was brewing. A big one. She smiled ruefully. Just like the one in her own life.
“How come I had to leave, Mommy?”
“I had some things to take care of at home, and I like you with me when I’m not at work.”
“Can I play on the trampoline?”
Cathee’s answer was sharper than she’d intended. She didn’t want her daughter outside with Juan in Wichita. “No!” She softened her voice. “A storm is coming, Sweetie. Let’s find something to do inside, shall we?”
“Okay.”
Cathee pulled out some play dough and cookie cutters. That usually kept Christina occupied.
She moved to her desk and opened her laptop. She checked Juan Ortiz again, even though she was dead certain he hadn’t been caught. Nothing. No surprise.
She clicked on her Facebook account, got into the privacy setting screen and clicked on ‘friends only.’ Too little, too late, but it was all she could do. She ran through her albums, trying to see what Juan had seen. A picture of Christina in front of a clearly-labeled picture of Rainbow Bright Preschool along with the address on the side of the building was posted on her last album cover. She groaned. She had been so stupid. How could she have handed her daughter to him like that?
Quickly, she scanned through her other pictures. There was one of them together taken by a friend right in front of her own house. Part of the house number was obscured, and she couldn’t see any sign of her street’s name. Wichita was nearly three times the size of Topeka. Hopefully, Juan wouldn’t find her. She shuddered. What more could she do?
She picked up the phone and dialed a number she hadn’t called since she’d moved to Utah. It was her Uncle Joe’s house. No answer. She didn’t have a key. She didn’t think she could show up, unannounced. What if they were out of state visiting one of their kids? The radio was announcing a Tornado Watch. She didn’t want to be stuck outside if one hit. She shuddered. She didn’t even want to drive if one was in the area.
She stepped to the window and stared outside at the angry clouds. Rain was beginning to fall. She watched as another cruiser drove by. She prayed.
“Mommy, I’m hungry.”
Cathee jumped. She’d been lost in her own world. “I’m sorry, Honey. What would you like to eat?”
“Can we have applesauce?”
“Of course, Sweetie. Let’s have a peanut butter sandwich to go with it.”
“Okay.”
“Put your play dough away and wash up, please.”
Christina obediently put the play dough back in its case and carried the cookie cutters to the sink, where she washed her hands.
Cathee busied herself with the sandwiches, trying hard not to think about Juan. Her skin crawled. She wondered how close he was.
I should have gone home with Garrett. He would have kept us safe. Tears blurred her vision. It’s too late now. He’ll never want to see me again.
She jumped when Christina slid her chair across the floor, ready to eat. Christina giggled. “Did I scare you?”
Cathee tried to hide her terror behind a smile. “You sure did. I’ll bless the food today.” She prayed and asked a special blessing of safety and protection.
After Christina said “Amen,” she asked, “How come you keep asking about our safety?”
Cathee stared at the wall a moment, wondering how to answer. “There’s a storm coming, Sweetie. I just want both of us to be safe.”
“We’ll be okay, Mommy. We have a basement.”
Cathee reached over to hug her daughter. “You’re right, Sweetie. We’ll be okay.”
The afternoon dragged with Cathee’s frequent trips to look out the window. Many of those trips saw a cruiser drive by. She didn’t mention them to her daughter. She didn’t want to alarm her.
By late afternoon, the rain was coming down too hard to see across the street. Cathee closed the drapes and turned on the lights.
Christina was enthralled with a Disney movie Cathee had put into the DVD player.
They ate a quiet meal. Minute Rice Chicken Divan. It was easy to prepare, and Christina loved the broccoli. “They look like trees, Mommy.”
“Yes, they do.”
Christina pulled out a small gray square. “What’s this?”
“It’s a mushroom, Sweetie.”
Christina’s small pink tongue poked out for a taste. Her face screwed up in disgust. “How come it tastes like a sock? Is it poisonous?”
Cathee hid a smile and resisted the urge to tell her she heard it tasted more like a snail. “No. That’s just how mushrooms taste, Honey.” She paused as Christina continued to stare at the mushroom. “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”
With a look of immense relief, Christina pushed the mushroom aside and finished her chicken and rice, occasionally stopping to push a mushroom piece aside.
After they finished dinner, Cathee stuck another movie in for Christina. She spent a few minutes in the kitchen rinsing dishes and filling the dishwasher. When the load had started, she moved to her computer. She spent the next couple of hours searching for any information on Juan Ortiz she could find. He’d been busy since their time together. He had a record in three states.
She walked over to the window again and peeked out. Another cruiser. At least the police were trying to do their job.
At 9:00 p.m., with the radio still announcing a Tornado Watch, Cathee pulled out a couple of sleeping bags and pillows. “Where are you going, Mommy?”
“We’re camping out in the basement tonight, Honey. Do you have your suitcase?”
Christina ran to her room to grab the bag that was kept packed and under her bed. It doubled as Christina’s 72 hour kit. They opened the bag. Cathee made sure there was a change of clothing, snacks, some paper and crayons, and a bottle of water. She double-checked her own bag. “We need to leave them in the car tonight.”
Christina looked up at her mother, worry clear in her eyes. “How come?”
“There’s a tornado watch, honey. We might have to leave in a hurry.”
“What’s a tornado watch?”
“It means there could be a tornado in the area.” Cathee furrowed her brow in thought, wondering how to help Christina understand. “We are safe in the basement, but if a tornado damages the house, we might need to leave after the storm to stay somewhere until the house is repaired.”
“Oh.” Christina seemed relieved. “So we will be safe in the basement?”
“Yes, Sweetie, but it wouldn’t hurt to say a prayer.”
They knelt by the couch, and Christina offered a simple prayer for protection. After they stood up, Cathee said, “Let’s carry the bags into the garage so I can put them in the car.” As she was talking, she pulled the handles out of the bags. They both walked their bags to the garage. Cathee unlocked the back door and stowed the bags on the seat next to Christina's chair. She shut the door with more force than was necessary. She was struggling to control all the anger Juan’s arrival had aroused.
Cathee moved to the counter under the kitchen sink and pulled out a flashlight. If a tornado hit, the electricity was sure to go out. “Come on, Sweetie, let’s go downstairs.”
They walked down the carpeted steps. Cathee opened the futon in front of an old TV set into a double bed. “Christina, put your bag on that side.” Christina pulled open her sleeping bag and carefully laid it out while Cathee worked on her own
. Christina tossed the pillows on top of the sleeping bags. They climbed into the bags and fell asleep to the sound of driving rain and the shaking of the house driven by a fierce wind.
The angry buzzing of the doorbell woke Cathee. She looked at the clock. 3:00 a.m. She raced up the stairs as the ringing bell switched to an angry pounding. Sensing that something was wrong, Cathee dropped to her knees and crawled to the back door. She reached up and made sure the deadbolt was securely locked, then moved back to the basement door. She pulled out her cell phone. It was dead. In all the stress of the past few days, she’d forgotten to charge it. Cold fear ran up her back. A charger was in the car, but she didn’t dare go to the garage to get it.
Christina rushed up the stairs, crying.
“Hush. Hush, Sweetie.” Cathee whispered, desperately hoping whoever was outside couldn’t hear them.
“I was scared you left me.” Christina’s sobs were starting to subside.
“I know, Sweetie. I’m here. I won’t leave you.” She held Christina securely and whispered into her ear. “Remember when Garrett told you to be invisible?”
Christina nodded. Cathee continued. “You need to be invisible now. Someone bad is outside. You need to be invisible. Do you understand?”
She nodded again, terror showing in her eyes. The pounding had stopped, but the fierce wind continued to howl. Cathee jumped when the back door rattled. Whoever was outside had moved to the back yard. She knew it was Juan. He had found them.
Cathee reached for her purse hanging on the garage doorknob. She desperately sifted through papers, makeup, pens, and a comb. Finally her hand settled on a smooth canister. It was the pepper spray Garrett had bought for her. She hadn’t wanted to believe she’d ever need it.
The window above the kitchen sink was shaking. To her horror, the lock didn’t hold. As the man from her nightmares forced the window open and moved his head where the window should be, she met him with a blast of pepper spray. He bellowed in pain, his muscular hands covering his eyes.
She dropped the canister, reached for Christina’s hand, grabbed her purse, and opened the door leading to the garage.
“Quickly. Quickly. Follow me.” She hissed. They raced to the car and were backing out of the opening garage door as the enraged animal Juan charged through the door they had just run through. He had apparently dragged himself through the window.
Juan threw himself at the car in a rage, the indention of his angry fists left in the top of the car. The tires squealed as she backed out and flew down the street. “Buckle yourself up the best you can, Sweetie.” Even in her terror, Cathee’s concern was for her daughter. She floored the car without turning on the lights. Juan raced after them, but even he couldn’t win a foot race with a car.
When she turned the corner, she flipped on the lights. A cruiser was just coming down the street. She didn’t dare stop and explain. He flipped on his siren and lights as he was attempting to turn and follow her, but she was around the corner and away before he could catch her.
Sheeting rain hit the car. In a few moments, it had turned to hail, hitting the car like gunshots. Shaking and crying, Cathee reached for her purse and fumbled for her cell phone. The charger was already in the lighter. She slowed down a moment so she could plug her phone in. As she swerved around another corner, she prayed for their safety. It was a cry for help.
She guessed Juan wouldn’t be far behind. The black SUV would be hard to see in the dark. Its engine was undoubtedly more powerful than the one in her sedan. She doubted the police officer would have noticed the SUV. He would’ve been more worried about her own speeding car. In this storm, he hadn’t bothered to chase her.
She needed a stranger. Juan knew where she worked, where she lived, her home phone, her daughter’s day care. Everything. She needed a place she could feel safe but she had no previous connections to. Suddenly, she remembered Garrett’s card. She reached for her purse with one hand and fumbled through her purse to grab it. Her fingers found the soothing shape of his card. She’d put it in a side pocket. She flipped on the inside light briefly to see the number. There were three: office, cell, and, scribbled on the back, a handwritten one, his home.
Cathee handed the card to Christina, then said. “Read those numbers to me. The ones that are written. I need to call Garrett.”
Cathee could see the relief on Christina’s face. She trusted him, too. “Okay, Mommy.”
While Christina slowly read the numbers, Cathee dialed on her cell phone, then turned off the light. She held her breath as the phone rang. Relief flooded her as his groggy voice answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Garrett.” She couldn’t hide the panic in her voice. “This is Cathee. Juan found us. Can we come stay with you tonight?”
He was instantly alert. “Of course. Can I meet you somewhere?”
“I’m in Wichita. The storm is so bad, I don’t want to get out of the car. Just tell me how to get to your place.”
“I own an old home on the corner of Santa Fe and Crawford.”
“I think I know the one. Isn’t it three stories with four porches?”
“Yes. That’s the one. Are you going to be okay?”
“Just pray for us, Garrett.”
“I’ve been praying all week, Cathee.”
Tears coursed down her cheeks. She whispered, “I know you have.” And then she shut her phone so she could concentrate on the road.
The radio announced. “A tornado has just hit the south side of Salina. Please stay in shelter until otherwise notified.”
Cathee shuddered. She’d be driving straight into the heart of the storm, but she felt that was where she was meant to be.
As she swerved around corners heading for the interstate, she looked at her terrified daughter in the rearview mirror. “Christina, please say a prayer for safety. We need the Lord’s help tonight.”
Christina offered a simple prayer, and Cathee felt a calm she knew didn’t belong to her. A momentary lightening of the sheeting rain helped her see the exit she needed. She knew where she was headed. Salina. Garrett was there.
The sheeting rain hid the road. She had to slow to a crawl. Her only hope of escaping Juan was knowing he was facing the same weather she was. The car fishtailed as she entered the freeway. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white from fear. She’d never driven in this kind of weather, and the added fear of pursuit had her heart hammering in her chest. Highway 135 headed north to Salina. For a moment, she thought she saw a black SUV approaching fast, but the rain shut out the view.
Another sedan passed. She followed its red eyes as it travelled north – into the same storm she was heading into. The wind rocked her own car, and she clenched the steering wheel, her hands aching from the tight grip, but her fear wouldn’t let her relax. She stayed steady behind the other car, hoping they could see the road her eyes couldn’t make out. The wipers couldn’t keep up with the rain. She could hardly see the tail lights in front of her.
It seemed an eternity before a sudden flash of lightening revealed a directional sign. “Only ten more miles to Salina.” She encouraged herself. The car that had led her so far was still moving ahead of her. She knew she would’ve never been able to make the drive had the car not shown up to guide her.
It had been nearly three hours. The trip usually took an hour and a half, but she’d been forced to drive well below the speed limit.
Another flash of lightening revealed the Salina exit. The tires slipped on the drenched pavement and then held firm. The car she’d been following for so long disappeared in the storm, heading to some unknown destination.
She had to drive at a crawl to make out the street signs. She swerved around a downed tree on Crawford. The street was flooded in spots. She drove carefully. The house on the corner of Crawford and Santa Fe had every light on. She thought she could just make out a pacing form pass a window, a hand raking through his hair. Garrett. He must be worried sick about us. He would have been safer in his
basement.
She quickly hit the redial last number key as she pulled into the driveway. Garrett picked it up on the first ring. “Where are you?”
“I’m pulling in.” She could see him drop the phone as he raced to the door. He ran out to greet them, ignoring the fiercely blowing wind and drenching downpour. He raced up to Cathee, grabbed her in a fierce hug that took her off her feet, then reached in to unbuckle Christina. “Do you have any bags?”
“Just those two and my purse.” She pointed at them with her chin while she was picking up Christina. She hugged Christina to herself and ran bent over her daughter to try to protect her from the rain.
Garrett locked up the car and carried the bags in, racing to get out of the weather.
Cathee was shaking out her hair as Garrett walked in the door. She stopped and stared at the picture that dominated the parlor. Garrett and a dark-haired woman were standing in front of the Nauvoo Temple. Their wedding clothes bore mute testimony to the ordinance they’d already been through. She looked...“Just like Christina.” Cathee whispered hoarsely.
Garrett moved to put his arm around her and stared up at the picture with her. “So I’m not the only one who sees it?”
“How can you miss it?” She turned to look at her daughter, who had climbed on a window bench and was staring out into the storm. “I’d be blind not to see the resemblance. This must be...”