A defeated sigh and a soft, “Fuck.” Then Kowalski squeezed through the stacks of books and other supplies, blushing when he saw Monty.

“Is your family going to take shelter at the station?” Monty asked quietly.

Kowalski shook his head. “‘I lived through the storm of blah-di-blah-blah, and I’m not leaving.’ He still believes the HFL movement is going to ‘sort those creatures out.’ And I can’t tell him the real reason this storm is going to be so bad, can I?”

“No, you can’t.” It wasn’t the storm itself that was going to devastate the city; it was what was coming in hidden by the storm.

Burke had had a quiet word with Captain Zajac and Captain Wheatley, two patrol captains in other precincts who recognized that the terra indigene held the key to Lakeside’s survival. He’d told all the police stations that they should offer shelter for their officers’ families, but the men working out of the Chestnut Street station were the only ones who really took the warning seriously enough.

“What about Ruth’s parents?” Monty asked. Looking at Kowalski’s bitter smile made his heart ache.

“When she called them, her mother said, ‘My daughter is dead,’ and hung up.” Kowalski squared his shoulders. “But the MacDonalds are on their way to the Courtyard. So is Michael Debany’s family. They’re bringing the perishable foods from their fridge and any other supplies that might be useful.”

Monty didn’t know if Merri Lee’s family lived in Lakeside, and he didn’t ask.

The back door blew open and Michael Debany stumbled into the stock room.

“Whoo! That’s a mean bitch out there!” Debany said, not seeing Simon Wolfgard coming in right behind him until he turned to close the door. “Ah... Sorry. That just slipped out. Is it anyone we know?”

“No. And she is a mean bitch.” Simon closed the door, then looked at the three men. “You want to wait for Captain Burke in the front of the store? There’s more room. I don’t know who’s working at A Little Bite right now, but there might be coffee.”

In other words, you’re in the way, Monty thought. “We’ll do that.”

His mobile phone rang at the same time Simon’s rang, so he hurried toward the front of the store, stopping near the archway that connected HGR with A Little Bite. “Montgomery.”

“Lieutenant,” Burke said. “Let someone there know that Commander Gresh is bringing his family to the Courtyard. I’ll be along shortly.”

“Yes, sir.” Monty ended the call. Seeing Simon coming toward him, Monty started to speak. But Simon rushed past him, checked the coffee shop, then turned around and ran for the inside staircase that led to HGR’s second floor. Judging by the look on the Wolf’s face, Simon had his own problems right now.