Page 16 of Crash Over Us
That’s when the softness and the comfort he had been using to mask his worry thinned.
“He is our best swimmer. I have confidence that he and Officer Axton will be able to handle any situation they might have found themselves in today.”
I bit my lip. “What does that mean?”
He patted me again. “Why don’t you go get that visitor’s pass?”
Before I could ask him for more information, the door closed, and I knew things were getting worse by the second. If there had been good news, he would have told me.
I blinked back the tears stinging my eyelids.
“Come on, Margot. We’ll get the pass.” He put an arm around me, and I nodded.
What else could I do?
NINE
Margot
I had been through a lot of terrible experiences in my life. The cancer center. Attending chemo sessions with my dad. The night my mom died unexpectedly. Sitting vigil with little Lucas when no one knew his name or if he’d ever wake up.
But this? This was like someone telling me my heart would never beat again. The sun had set an hour ago, and there was still no information about Caleb and Gabe. It was dark, and the moon was eerie on the water. I didn’t want to hover at the docks and be asked to leave by one of the officers, but when I paced in Caleb’s room, the walls closed in, and I thought I was going to crawl out of my skin. I found myself walking back to the docks in hopes that in the three minutes I had been gone, a miracle had happened.
“Ma’am? Excuse me?”
I whipped around, ready to explain that I had permission to be here from Commander Guthrie, Caleb’s commanding officer, but I came face to face with someone who had an uncanny resemblance to Caleb. I realized this must be Jacob O’Connor.
“H-hi,” I sputtered, reaching my hand forward.
“You don’t have to be formal with me.” He pulled me into a hug and held me against his chest. “Damn. You’re shaking hard.”
I nodded and stepped back. For a second ,it was almost like Caleb was here. I looked into his brother’s eyes.
“So you’re Jacob?”
He smiled. “Yeah. Shit circumstances for us to meet. You walking back to the command post?”
I nodded. “Have you heard anything?”
“No, not yet. My dad’s out patrolling with everyone. I promised Mom I would be the only man in the family to stay on dry land.” He grinned. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood. I could only imagine what Caleb’s mother was going through.
“I’m sure she’s glad you’re here. It’s a little bit of comfort for her, right?”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
We walked in silence the rest of the way to where the Coast Guard docked their boats and ships. Usually, the slips were full of a myriad of vessels. Tonight, they were all empty except for an old trawler that had been hauled in. She looked out of place and ghostly, floating by herself.
I shivered as we approached the marina office. Several officers were inside, controlling the radios and taking information as it came in. From what I could tell on this side of the glass, there wasn’t any news to report.
Jacob tapped on the glass, but the man inside shook his head.
“Why don’t we sit over here? You know there is coffee in the ship’s quarters. Want coffee?”
I had a strange sense of deja vu when he asked. Even Jacob’s voice had pitches similar to Caleb’s. This wasn’t much unlike the night Caleb and I stayed up all night together at the hospital in Pointe Harbor with Lucas.
“Coffee might be nice.” I smiled. I knew he was trying to help. He had to be worried, too.
“They stuck you with the no access badge?” he asked.
