She spotted movement up ahead. Arms waved from the covered porch of a cottage halfway down the block. Cat signaled Stu, and they chugged up the street. A family of four clutching garbage bags and each other waded out to greet them.

A woman, a complete stranger, handed Cat her most precious possession, her baby girl. “Thank you,” the woman whispered through chattering teeth as her husband boosted her aboard. Cat bit her lip and nodded briskly. She handed the baby back and plucked the little boy off his father’s shoulders.

“Hey there, buddy. Ready for a boat ride?”

He grinned up at her, too innocent to understand their circumstances.

“I like boats!” he announced.

Cat offered her hand to the dad and helped haul him into the boat. He picked up his son and put his arm around his wife, pulling her into his side.

“Where we takin’ em?” Stu wanted to know. It was the first full sentence he’d spoken to her.

Shit. When had she become the boss? “Let’s go back to the grocery store. There’s food there, cars. It’ll be easier for everyone to find a ride.”

Stu grunted and gunned the outboard motor.

The little boy clapped his gloved hands as they cruised through muddy water down the ruined street.

--------

She’d lost count of how many people they’d hauled to safety. Her phone had died hours ago and was left to charge in the truck. Lauren, a natural organizer, had set up a receiving area of sorts for people in the parking lot of the grocery store. The store itself had opened its doors and was grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and handing out bottled water and sports drinks to everyone who was in need. Donations of blankets and socks, dog and cat food, and other necessities were being sorted and distributed.

As if to add insult to injury, the tail end of the storm had stalled over Merry. The winds were calmer now, but the rain fell steadily soaking rescuers and their precious cargo to the bone. It was a deep-down chill that made Cat wonder if she’d ever feel warm again.

They’d all become immune to the rain. Now that the worst had passed, now that their town was underwater, a little rain was the least of their worries.

Cell service was non-existent, which added another jagged layer to the frustration everyone was feeling. Friends and relatives worried about Merry residents were convening in clumps at the edges of the flood waters. Lauren pressed them all into duty, giving everyone a task.

Cat made sure her friend had a sandwich and a chair before shoving off again with Stu.