Page 49 of Shrouded Past

Rain pelted them instantly. The wind blew hard enough that it was a struggle to walk. And Bryce’s uneasiness grew.

Once they reached the shed, it took two of them to get the door open against the force of the wind.

Inside, the owners had stockpiled plywood for securing the windows and doors.

“This should do.” Declan handed out several sheets. “There are nails and hammers. It shouldn’t take us too long.” He gathered the plastic container filled with nails and then grabbed two hammers.

“Let’s split into teams of two. Bryce, you’re with me. As soon as we’re finished here, I think we need to go in shifts to secure our own homes.” JT carried several sheets of plywood while Bryce took a handful of nails and one of the hammers.

They reached the front of the house as a Suburban pulled up out front. Rachel and Janine came over carrying armfuls of groceries. “Looks like you’ve got your hands’ full,” JT told them and kissed his wife’s cheek. “Thanks for doing that. As soon as we’re finished here, we’ll take turns getting our homes secured.”

“Ours and Janine’s are safe, babe. Eli and Declan will need to take care of theirs.” She jutted her chin toward the bags. “We’d better get these inside.”

Once the women left, Bryce and JT started on the first window. Working together, it didn’t take long to get the windows secured despite the size of the house.

They met up with Bryce and Eli at the back entrance and went in.

“You guys are soaked.” Rachel handed them each a towel.

“It’s really coming down out there,” Bryce told Piper. “The storm’s moving in quickly.”

He faced the men. “Declan, you, and Eli had better go before it gets worse. If this is just the outer bands of the storm, I’m not sure I want to see the rest of it. Let’s pray it doesn’t directly hit us.”

“You’re right.” Rachel tossed the keys to Eli. “Be careful. It’s a mess out there.”

“You got it. Ready?” he asked Declan.

“Ready. We’ll see you all soon.”

For some reason, Declan’s words had an ominous feel.

Piper glanced toward the stairs. “What about the upstairs windows? Were you able to board them up?”

“We were,” Bryce assured her. “But we didn’t consider the ones in the attic.”

“There might be something up there to cover the windows anyway.” JT started for the stairs, but Bryce stopped him.

“I’ll go.” He turned to Piper. “Want to come with me?”

She smiled and eagerly agreed.

“You didn’t get a chance to stretch your legs earlier.” He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. “It’s not much, but at least the stairs offer some cardio.”

She giggled. “I appreciate you thinking of me.”

The second floor consisted of several additional bedrooms. Enough for everyone on the team should this prove to be an extended confinement.

They reached the stairs to the attic.

Bryce wondered how long it had been since anyone had been up there. At the door, he turned the knob. It didn’t budge.

Bryce’s brows shot together. “It’s locked. That’s strange.”

“Maybe the owners accidently locked it and didn’t realize it.”

Piper’s reasoning made sense. . .and yet.

“I hate to break the door but I think we need to handle the windows.” He shoved his shoulder against the door. Three tries later, it gave way.

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