Page 35 of Blessings in Disguise

“Caleb, get up.”

The voice came out of the midst surrounding him. A sickening smell assaulted him. A familiar one.

He felt someone shake him. “Caleb!” Her voice rose. “Snap out of it.” She tapped his face a couple of times.

When he catapulted back to the present, he saw Gemma poised above him. “Gemma.”

“Let’s go. Everybody’s evacuated but us.”

“You have to get out.”

“I will, with you.”

“I have to check on Harlan first.”

“He was wheeled out from the Med Center and was sleeping in the cot. Jackson checked on him. The center’s being cleared first.”

Caleb stood and they slid from the row, held hands and hustled to the exit to the outside. The August sun nearly blinded them. When he shaded his eyes, he saw the gazebo about twenty feet away.

Through a bullhorn, Jackson called out firmly, “All the buildings have to be swept. We’ll wait at the gazebo until the cops do a thorough sweep. Sit at the picnic tables.”

When they walked under the covered roof, Maisy rushed to them. She threw her arms around Caleb. “Thank God you’re all right.”

“I’m fine. Where’s Freddie?”

“I sent him home with Mia.” Their nanny had come to the graduation with her and the boy.

“You two stay together,” Gemma told them. “I have to go help Jackson.”

“We will.” Maisy’s voice was calm. Assured. But her hand slipped to her stomach as if it could protect the child there.

Big brother mode came easily. “Let’s sit over here, Maise.” Caleb ushered her to a picnic bench where others were seated.

They took seats next to each other; she studied his face. “This hits close to home, pardon the pun.”

Caleb gave a small smile. “Yeah, at first. Now I feel I should be helping out.”

She reached over and grabbed his hands. “No, stay with me, please. For a little bit.”

“All right.”

Her faced showed lines of worry and fear. “How could this happen twice to you, Caleb?”

“I don’t know. The odds have to be astronomical. Mick Thomas is aware of my past, though, in case….”

“In case what?”

“In case this incident is connected to me, too. As I said the chance of me experiencing another bombing is highly unlikely.”

“But there’s no proof they were connected.”

Jackson walked back under the gazebo. His gaze landed on Maisy. She gave him a thumbs up. He nodded and crossed to the boys, who sat with their families and the teachers from Pathways.

In only a few minutes, the Westwood police arrived. Caleb noticed more cars followed. Police from neighboring towns had come to help search the big campus.

Jackson got up to talk to Captain Thomas, who then strode to the mic. “If I could have your attention please.”

The rumble of talk faded. “The bomb squads will be searching the auditorium area for more explosives. Other squads of officers will fan out across the campus. Fortunately, bomb squads from neighboring towns and especially from Syracuse, have come to our aid. Many have canine units. You should head to the parking lot. All buildings will be cordoned off for the rest of today and searched. Tomorrow, we’ll open everything but the auditorium.”

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