Chapter 6 - Rising Current
The brown runoff was rising fast, surging against Leo's knees. Every heavy gust of wind brought another rush of water down from the foothill slopes, channeling directly into the drainage ditch.
""Clara!"" the old man screamed from the bank, trying to scramble down, but his bad leg buckled, sending him hard onto the muddy grass. Copper barked frantically, straining against the leash held tight in the man's fist.
""Stay back, sir!"" Leo shouted, fighting the current that pushed against his legs.
He grabbed the exterior door handle and pulled with all his weight. The metal mechanism clicked, but the door remained jammed tight against the buckled frame. The pressure of the water outside was sealing it shut.
Inside the jacket, the kittens began squirming and meowing faintly against his chest, disturbed by the jarring movements. Leo gritted his teeth, ignoring the icy chill soaking through his jeans.
""Lower the window!"" Leo yelled through the glass, pounding with his palm. ""Unlock it!""
A face appeared behind the fogged window—a young woman with blood trickling from a cut above her brow. Her lips moved, mouthing words he couldn't hear over the roar of the water. She reached frantically for the door lock, but the electrical system was shorted. The power windows were dead.
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The car shifted again, groaning loudly as a heavy log drifted down the ditch, slamming hard into the rear fender. The front end sank another three inches. Water began trickling in through the cracked windshield gasket.
Leo looked back toward the bank. ""Mr. Miller! Throw me that shovel!""
