“That too. It could be months or years before anything else happens. We’ll watch the situation closely from here for now. But I’m not taking any chances. And no one else should either.”
“Of course.”
Jackson interrupted. “You call hanging around the location of dozens of holes in the Earth that are spewing gases not taking any chances?”
Cooper ignored Jackson’s retort. “Jackson, keep Sharon safe. Please. I don’t want to worry about the two of you also.”
“Should we be evacuating Cambridge? All the relief effort is centered here right now. Are we too close?” Sharon asked.
“You’re safe for now. This is fifteen miles away. As long as everyone on the mountain between here and there has been warned and relocated, that’s the best you can do. If there’s a change, it will be easier to round everyone up and move farther away if they’re all inside the city limits. Like I said, the activity we’ve seen so far could be the end of it, perhaps even for a hundred years.”
“Okay. Stay in touch.”
“Let me get back to work before people start thinking I’m having a seizure over here staring into space.”
He cut the connection.
Chapter Thirty
Sharon jerked awake when someone touched her shoulder. She sat up abruptly from her spot on a cot that had been brought into the sheriff’s office. There were dozens of them around the room. Melinda sat next to her. “Sorry, hon. I hated to wake you, but I knew you’d want to know when I got back.”
“Shit.” She looked around the noisy sheriff’s office, still bustling with activity even though it was early morning. “Were you out there all night?”
“Yeah. Learned a lot too.”
“About what?” She sat up straighter. “Those brothers?”
“Yep. For another time. I’m heading back to the hospital. Thought you might want to come along.”
Sharon glanced around again. “Not sure if I should.” She spotted Jackson leaning over a table covered in maps.
“It will do you good. Cooper’s still in the mountains. Everyone anyone knows has been warned and evacuated. Jackson’s providing his expertise about the logging sites, both old and new and what possible structures might be still usable at each site.
“Come with me. You need food and fresh air. It will keep your mind occupied.”
Jackson glanced her way and nodded. “Go with Melinda. Take a break,” he communicated.
She chewed on her bottom lip and then consented. “Okay, but only for a while.”
“Great.” Melinda stood. “We’ll get coffee on the way.”
Ten minutes later the two of them were on the road to Sojourn’s hospital. It was forty minutes away.
Melinda drove.
“How’s Mimi this morning?” Sharon stared out the window at the first light of day. Gray. Dreary. Hazy. The air smelled horrible, even from inside the car.
“The good news is she regained enough strength to sit up last night. Her doctor is a shifter. The first chance he gets as soon as she’s able, he’ll have her shift and see if she can heal that way. It’s a tough situation, however, since leaving the hospital isn’t a good idea, and shifting someplace where one might get caught is even worse.”
“Damn. That sucks.”
“Exactly. But it makes me nervous not knowing what, if anything, might happen if only she could shift and let her body heal on its own.”
As they crossed onto the reservation, Melinda slowed the car. “Oh good. A roadblock.” Her voice oozed with sarcasm.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Probably to warn people to stay off the mountains and listen to the news in their homes.” As she came to a stop, she rolled her eyes. “Oh double yay.”
“What now?”
“Pete Sandhouse.” She nodded toward the deputy heading their way.
Sharon recognized him. She’d seen him several times in the past, but after last night’s display, she would never forget his face. What a jackass. The man was a shifter for Christ’s sake. And he was also somehow opposed to threesomes. It made no sense to her. He knew perfectly well that mates were chosen by Fate, not happenstance.
Melinda rolled down the window.
“Ladies.” He tipped his hat as he spoke. His word should have sounded pleasant enough. But it didn’t. And the smirk on his lips made Sharon want to punch him.
“What do you want, Sandhouse?” Melinda asked.
He cackled. “Let’s see. What do I want? A public apology would be nice for starters.”
“Not going to happen, Pete. Let us through.”
“Not sure if you’ve heard, but there’s a city-wide ban on ascending the mountains. It’s not safe today.”