The Girl Before Eve by Lisa J Hobman (36)

Adam was in a huff again about Lily’s latest trip to the United States. “Are you the only bloody reporter they’ve got, Lil?”

“Obviously not, you numpty, but they think I’m good at what I do. And believe it or not I actually like the travelling.”

The pair sat on his sofa eating pizza and drinking a nice bottle of Shiraz whilst Monty waited for the crusts. They’d been having yet another Monty Python film marathon, which had lasted from Friday night through to lunchtime Saturday. Lunchtime drinking was never a good idea, and Lily had said she felt sure she would regret it when she had to get to the airport later that night. Luckily a car was being sent for her and so the alcohol didn’t cause her any issues.

“You’re never fucking here,” he grumbled.

She nudged his shoulder. “Oh stop your bloody moaning. You should be relieved I’m going. At least when I’m away I’m not trying to set you up on dates.”

He grinned. “Yeah, you’ve got a point.” He munched on his slice of pepperoni thoughtfully. “So where are they sending you this time? And what’s it about?”

“I’m heading off for sunny Florida to do a piece on beach front businesses.”

He huffed. “Do they just make stuff up to send you on holiday?”

She laughed. “Don’t care if they do. I’ll go and do my job and bloody well enjoy myself. Might even catch some rays on Daytona beach.”

“Yeah well, no more tattoos, okay?”

“Ha! You haven’t even seen my tattoo! So you can’t judge. You’re just too chicken to get one.”

“Ahh, that’s where you’re wrong!” he slurred, sloshing his drink as he pointed his finger at her. “I have seen it…a few times in fact, when you’ve been crouching! I haven’t a clue what it says though, and anyway, the word you’re looking for is sensible, Lil.” He pursed his lips at her. “I don’t like needles, so why would I want someone sticking one in me repeatedly for hours at a time?”

“Yeah…true…you’d probably just pee your pants anyway.” She burst into fits of laughter whilst he sat openmouthed searching his alcohol-addled brain for a witty retort but none came.

“Oh fuck off, cheese head.”

His response made her laugh harder until tears were streaming down her face. “Sorry…but…you’re so immature…I can’t…breathe.” Her voice came out as a strangled squeak.

He gaped at her incredulously. “I’m immature?”

The heat was intense as Lily sat on the balcony of her hotel room eating breakfast. The film crew would be arriving soon and they had been instructed to get their footage and get out. A hurricane had been forecast just after she had arrived the day before. It was a little bit disconcerting and had set her nerves jangling.

Whilst she sat there, her cell phone vibrated, notifying her of a text.

Adam.

A: Lil, just seen on news that a hurricane is heading for Florida. You shd come home.

She sighed and hit reply.

L: S’ok Adders, will be out of here before it hits anywhere near. Stop worrying!

Ten seconds later.

A: Lil it sounded bad. Please come home.

She didn’t respond. She had learned that the more she pandered to Adam, the more he worried. It was best to ignore him when he got scared. Eventually, he would calm down when he realised she was on her plane journey home.

The film crew arrived on time, which filled her with a sense of relief. Surely the impending storm can’t be that bad if people are still travelling in? She met the guys in the hotel bar.

“So, how bad is it supposed to get?” Mack asked. He was the best camera operative she had the pleasure to work with. He was Glaswegian with a wicked sense of humour and was usually filling them in on his latest practical joke or drunken weekend exploits, but today he was seriousness personified, which set Lily on edge.

Kyle, the only American on the team, responded. “Pretty bad.”

Kyle was in charge of sound. He would control the boom and mix at the same time, which was awe-inspiring in itself. He was incredibly handsome for an older guy. She guessed he was in his late forties but had never asked his actual age. Usually unshaven, with shaggy, sandy brown hair, he had a look of Kevin Bacon and sounded a little like him, too.

Of course she was a huge fan and constantly had to remind herself that he was in fact Kyle…not Kevin. Suffice it to say she always found working with him distracting on account of the Kevin Bacon issue mainly, but also for the fact he had some intricate ink-work covering his left hand that disappeared up his sleeve. It was the hand that held the boom right in her face. She’d often meant to ask him about it, but had never got around to it. Kyle and Mack were like a double act. The best of friends despite the distance that sometimes lay between them. Their friendship had been set in stone a long time ago.

Kyle rubbed his tattooed hand over his face. “They’re starting to board up windows and remove any freestanding heavy items from the beach front. It’s looking pretty serious out there, guys.”

Lily snorted and the men turned to look at her. “Sorry, but it can’t be that serious. I was sitting out on my balcony eating breakfast just this morning. I mean, people are here on holiday. There are kids all over the place.”

Kyle turned and gave her a warm smile. “Yeah, and that’s why the precautions are being taken, honey. Nature doesn’t tend to discriminate by age. As long as we do what we’re asked to do, we’ll be fine.” Kyle patted her arm in a patronising way that made her blood boil.

She clenched her jaw. “We need to get on a plane. There’s no point in staying here when we’re not going to get what we came to film,” she snapped.

Kyle shook his head. “That’s not going to happen, Lily.” He looked worried, which didn’t help her rising fear. “The weather front is moving in pretty damn fast. No one is leaving and no one is getting in. Flights in are being diverted and all flights out are grounded.” He glanced over to the window. She followed his gaze and saw that the palm trees outside were swaying dramatically, almost doubling over in the increasingly strong tempest.

The previously blue sky was now a dark, ominous shade of grey. A stray piece of newspaper flew toward the window and stuck there for a few seconds before flying off and continuing its frantic journey to an unknown destination.

She gulped and let out a nervous laugh. “But they’re used to this kind of thing, aren’t they? I mean…it happens a lot, right?”

The men looked at each other before Kyle cleared his throat. “Oh…yeah…sure, sure. We’ll be fine… fine…totally fine.” His brow was scrunched.

It was not a convincing performance.

The crew agreed to stay put in the resort hotel—not that they had any choice in the matter. Lily went to her room, closed the drapes, and switched on the TV. Every channel in the local area was reporting the devastating effect Hurricane Irene was having on the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. Lives had already been lost. Trees had been ripped up and homes destroyed. Lily stared openmouthed and suddenly felt very, very homesick.

Her phone vibrated in her bag.

A: Lil, please tell me you’re okay. This hurricane is doing a major number on the part of USA where you are. I’m terrified for you.

Lily took a calming breath and hit reply.

L: All’s fine here, Adders. Not as bad as it sounds on the news - she lied – Don’t think we will get footage we need so prob comin home early xx

No reply came. Lily wondered if her message had even gone. There was a good chance that networks were down locally. She went to the window, pulled back the drapes and gasped, her hands reaching for her face. The scene below was one of utter devastation. In a very short period of time since she had closed the drapes, the palm trees she had been watching earlier were now bent double and staying there. Some looked on the verge of being torn from the ground at any second. Garbage swirled a rhythmless, chaotic dance around the parking lot of the hotel. Several cars were already damaged and the rain hammered down relentlessly. The wind whirred eerily through the invisible gaps in the windows, creating a creepy whistling sound, and she swore she could see the glass bowing inward. She stepped away, just in case. There was a hammering on her door and she dashed over to open it.

A young bellhop stood there. “Miss Macrae, you must come down to the hotel restaurant immediately, please. We need to clear every floor above ground level.” His face was pale and his tone urgent.

She nodded, nervously, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. “Yes, yes sure. Let me just grab a few of my belongings.”

His eyes widened and he held up his hands to her. “Miss there isn’t time, please.” But she was already inside the room grabbing her phone and handbag. Everything else would have to wait.

Once on the ground floor, she gave her name and room number to a gaunt-looking woman who wore the hotel’s uniform. Her name badge read Sindy Mason, Head Receptionist. She had clearly been given the job of completing a roll call. Lily glanced down as Sindy ticked her name off the list. She noticed that there were still a number of names not marked off. Her heart rate increased.

Walking past Sindy, Lily was surrounded by people dashing around frantically. The restaurant had been turned into some kind of refugee centre. She felt like she had walked onto the set of a disaster movie. There were people wrapped in blankets, some with injuries.

Many of the male staff were already outside wrestling with large sheets of what looked like marine plywood for boarding up the windows. Some of the male guests were making their way outside to help, too. Lily rushed to the exit and stepped outside just as a large metal object came hurtling toward her. She screamed and jumped back just in the nick of time as the mail box hit the ground in front of her and twisted into a heap at her feet, gouging a chunk out of the asphalt. Her hair swirled around her as if it had a mind of its own. With her heart pounding, she retreated back inside, feeling shaken after her brush with death.

She watched as the men outside tried hard to keep the boarding in place whilst dodging debris flying through the air. It all seemed too little too late as one window blew inward showering Lily and a group of people with shards of glass. People screamed and ducked down or ran. An older lady cried out in pain and a female member of staff rushed over with a medical box in hand. The poor woman was covered in blood. The wind howled through the open space left by the implosion and people rushed to the aid of those who had been hit, whilst men outside tried their best to cover the broken window. Each panel of boarding that was fixed in place darkened the already dimly lit room a little more.

Lily’s heart thudded in her chest. It was like a war zone. She remembered being offered a post reporting in Afghanistan but had turned it down feeling unable to cope with what may have been presented to her there. She felt sure it could have almost resembled this horrid situation she found herself in.

Looking at the fear-filled expressions that surrounded her, something suddenly clicked in her mind, and she rushed into action making her way over to help an elderly gentleman who was also covered in blood and hobbling away from the large group that had gathered.

She managed to grab some swabs and antiseptic from one of the staff and helped the old man to sit down in a chair at the opposite side of the large room.

A faint scream could be heard coming from outside, and a piece of the boarding at one of the windows was whipped away by the ferocious storm. She rushed to the direction of the noise and caught sight of a crumpled, lifeless body just through the opening. Her stomach lurched. This can’t be happening. It just can’t. It has to be a nightmare. Wake up, Lily…please wake up.

On shaking limbs and with adrenaline coursing through her veins, she made her way back over to the old man and began to clean his wounded arms. Someone grabbed her shoulder from behind and she swung around.

Mack was pale and his face was scratched and grazed. “Lily, have you seen Kyle anywhere?”

“No…no, Mack I haven’t,” she stuttered. “Some of the men have gone outside to help. What happened to your face?”

“Got hit by flying glass when my room windows blew in. I’m okay though.” He squeezed her shoulder.

“Oh no, I can clean it for you if you—”

“No, it’s fine, honestly. I want to find Kyle.” He patted her arm and headed out of the door which led into the corridor in search of his friend. She turned back to the elderly gent.

“Not what you signed up for, huh, honey?” the man said as Lily dabbed at the cuts on his arm.

“No…no…not at all. Sorry if I’m hurting you.” She winced.

“I’m Abe. And don’t worry, honey, I’m a tough old guy. Fought in my fair share of battles.”

“I’m Lily, nice to meet you…although I wish it had been in better circumstances.” She shook his hand lightly.

“Hmm, not the best way to spend the holiday, is it?”

She laughed nervously. “No, you got that right.” More screams and shouting could be heard from outside, making her flinch and whip her head around.

“Anyone dumb enough to still be out there is pretty much a goner I’d say.” Abe’s voice was croaky as he spoke. She turned back to see his eyes filled with emotion. She swallowed down the lump lodged in her throat.

“Abe…Abe! Where are you, Abe?” A frantic woman was coming toward them, her eyes scanning the room. The round faced, well made up lady caught sight of Lily and Abe and came dashing over. “Oh thank goodness, thank goodness.” She grabbed Abe and pulled him tight into her large chest. “What would I have done, darling?”

“You got Lily here to thank, Audrey. She’s been looking after me.” He winked up at Lily as the woman turned and grabbed her.

Audrey pulled her in for a bear hug and almost squeezed her last breath out of her body. “Oh sweetheart, thank you…thank you. Fifty-five years married and this happens. It’s the last time I suggest we go away for our anniversary.” She dabbed at her teary eyes and then turned her focus back on her husband.

Night fell and the temperature dropped even further. The storm still battered the building relentlessly. Staff had handed out as many blankets as they could find on the lower floors, and people tried their best to sleep, but the cramped conditions were not conducive to relaxing and neither was the tense atmosphere. Mack hadn’t returned and there had been no sign of Kyle. Lily’s phone had died, but no one seemed to have a signal anyway. The landlines were all down as well. It was as though they were completely cut off from the outside world in their own little corner of hell.

Just before midnight, the power went out, and an audible gasp traversed the room as the place was plunged into an eerie darkness. Sadness washed over Lily, replacing some of the fear she had been feeling up to this point. Almost everyone else was on holiday and had family or friends to hold onto as the violent storm raged around their safe haven. She was quickly reminded that she had no one. Even at home she was alone.

Really alone.

Tears stung her eyes as she pulled herself into a foetal position and shivered beneath her thin blanket. She had foregone a thicker one in the selfless hope that someone who had sustained injury during the ordeal would benefit instead. Every so often crashes could be heard outside. No one rushed to find out what the noises were anymore, probably fearing what they would see.

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

The night seemed endless, and she fought against her tiredness, fearing that she would never wake up again if she gave in to sleep. As she lay huddled in a ball, she could hear quiet sobs and sniffs from somewhere within the room as the reality of what was happening continued to sink in.

Adam’s face sprang into her mind and tears stung her own eyes as she thought about his handsome face and thick, dark hair. His smiling eyes could see through her most of the time. He could cheer her up simply with a quirk of his mouth. And what a mouth. What she would give to taste his kiss once and have him kiss her back. Suddenly fear struck her, as she imagined never seeing him again. And what the hell would he do if he lost her, too? He’d been through so much. She had to stay safe and alive. She had to. A sob escaped her as Adam’s grieving expression filled her mind. Her chest ached as she tried to stifle her cries in the flimsy blanket.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” She looked up into the twinkling eyes of an older lady whose features she could barely make out in the darkness.

“Y-yes…thank you so much for asking. Just feeling homesick and a little scared,” she admitted in a whisper.

“Oh, honey, you’ll be fine, you’ll see…it will all be over soon.” The kind lady reached for Lily’s hand and squeezed it. “Hold onto me, sweetie. If it helps.”

She sniffed, feeling overcome by the stranger’s kindness. “Thank you, it does.”

At around eleven the following morning, the power suddenly brought everything back to life. Lights came on, the TV began rotating images of sheer devastation, and a member of hotel staff announced that hot food was being prepared. A short while later another person came in and announced the storm had moved on. An audible sigh traversed the room followed by tears, whoops, and lots of hugging.

The older lady who had held Lily’s hand hugged her tight, and Lily’s eyes welled with moisture once again. “See, sweetie, we made it…we made it.” Lily clung onto her and sobbed into her striped, nautical looking T-shirt. Pulling away, the lady wiped Lily’s tears with her calloused thumbs. She had kind eyes and pinky-red hair. The fake rinsed colour that old ladies seemed to favour. “I’m Maud, by the way.”

“Thank you so much for everything, Maud. I can’t tell you what it meant to me to not feel alone through the night…I’m Lily.”

“Well, Lily, if you need a hug anytime soon, you be sure to come find me.” She patted Lily’s shoulder and turned back to fold her blanket.

Several people made their way toward the outside of the hotel. Lily followed behind, scanning the area for any sign of Kyle or Mack.

The scene outside still resembled a war zone. Fallen trees, broken glass, crushed cars, and shattered windows were all that could be seen for many hundreds of metres. Paramedics and other people wearing bright fluorescent coats picked through piles of debris.

Lily’s next sight would remain etched on her brain for all eternity. She rounded the corner and saw a row of bodies with blankets covering all the way from just above their feet right up and over their faces. Her hand came to her mouth and her stomach lurched as nausea washed over her. People really were dead? She felt the colour drain from her cheeks.

Walking toward the macabre scene and shaking like a leaf, her breath caught and a convulsive sob burst forth from her chest. Poking out of one of the blankets was a tattooed left hand.

Kyle.

She screamed and trembled as tears over-spilled her eyes and she dropped to her knees. “No! Kyle…no. Oh please no.”

One of the paramedics dashed over to her and placed his arm around her shoulders. “Miss, you shouldn’t be out here. Come on, let’s get you back inside…come on now.” He helped her to her feet and walked her back into the restaurant as her legs shook and she retched, her empty stomach aching with the spasms. After placing her in a chair, someone, she didn’t see who, handed her a steaming mug of tea. She could smell the sugar.

Someone squatted beside her. “Lily.” She lifted her head and looked into Mack’s distraught face. “Oh God, Lily, Kyle’s dead.” He sobbed.

Lily nodded. “I know…I can’t believe this has happened.” Tears escaped from her eyes once again. He removed the hot drink from her grasp, placed it down on a nearby table, and enveloped her in his arms. They both clung to each other and succumbed to their mutual grief.