* * *

The storm ended. Day dawned, and Albert Rankin was up early doing chores alone because his daddy, Big Tom, was suffering a bad case of gout and was off his feet, unable to help.

Tom hadn’t slept a wink all night and knew he couldn’t take another day and night of this pain. As soon as Albert got done with chores, he was driving Tom into Blessings. They were both still dealing with the loss of Tom’s older son, Junior, who died in the flood caused by the hurricane, and had acquired a hunting dog to add some life back in the house. They’d named him Red, and while Big Tom enjoyed the dog’s company, Red was Albert’s shadow, both in the house and out.

But today, as soon as Albert stepped into the barn, Red took off out the far end of the breezeway like someone had just set him on a trail.

“Red! Red! Come back here, dammit!” Albert yelled, but Red didn’t stop and quickly disappeared below the hill. “Well, hell,” Albert muttered, and took off after him at a jog.

He’d just topped the hill and was starting down the slope when he saw Red. It took a few moments to realize his dog was standing over a body. The fact that this was where his brother, Junior, had fallen into the floodwaters gave Albert the creeps. He took off running, hoping he didn’t know who it was, and when he got there, dropped to his knees beside the body to check for a pulse. Almost immediately, he recognized the face and the scratches on his cheek.

“Aw, man! It’s Hoover Slade.”

Albert didn’t expect to feel life beneath his fingertips, but once he did, his focus shifted to speed. He grabbed his phone and called 911.

Back at the Blessings Police Department, Avery had just come on duty when a call came in. “Blessings 911. What is your emergency?”

“Avery! This is Albert Rankin. My dog just found Hoover Slade. He’s unconscious and with a pretty nasty-looking wound on his leg. Just have the ambulance come straight down below the barn. They can’t miss us.”

“Stay with him,” Avery said. “I’m dispatching help.”

“Yes, yes, I will,” Albert said, and as soon as Avery disconnected, Albert called his daddy’s cell phone.

Big Tom reached for his phone, and then frowned when he saw it was his own son.

“It’s me. What’s wrong?” Tom said.

“Daddy, Red just found Hoover Slade on the creek bank below the barn. I’ve called 911 already. Didn’t want you to freak out when you hear them coming.”

“Slade? Are you serious? Last night they said on the news he was up in the hills somewhere. Is he dead?”

“No, he still has a pulse, but he has a really bad leg wound. He’s probably lost a lot of blood.”

“It’ll take me a bit, but I’ll head that way,” Big Tom said.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Daddy. Just stay there. There’s nothing either one of us can do.”