CHAPTER 1
Two years ago Conrad Blake had built the two-level house on Dante's Point and then returned to his house construction company to help give other people their dreams. Seven months later he was shot dead in an argument over another guy's wife, Conrad unable to persuade to the husband with the gun that it was just one of those things that happened in life to be found with the architect's wife, both of them undressed at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
That was a classic case, of course, where no lie could possibly bend the truth. The men struggled and the handgun went off.
There was a big insurance payout for Conrad's 'accidental' death, allowing widow Katherine Blake to live on in her dream home without having to worry about money. She'd trained as an artist so occupied herself painting surrealistic seascapes that sold rather well, some of the torment she felt captured in acrylic on framed hardboard.
And now more stress was on the horizon. For two days the sea had been unseasonably calm and a yellow cast in the sky reflected eerily on the sea. People in the nearby coastal city began becoming nervous as weather forecasts drew progressively worst. Then the chief of Civil Defense began issuing evacuation notices for citizens on lower-lying land around the city marina and south along the coast where expensive homes overlooking the beach had be piled through former reclaimed marshland.
Huge gales were forecast and the fishing fleet scurried home. Outgoing pleasure boating was banned but surfers began arriving from afar to camp behind the low sand dunes in the expectation of huge waves.
Katherine heard those warnings and felt sorry for those people who might lose their homes. She had no fear for herself although she did begin to think about dying without having had a child. Well perhaps she would remarry. Conrad the bastard, he'd been too busy going round screwing half the city's women before first doing his duty and impregnating her. She smiled, thinking after all the macho image he'd built around him, and perhaps he'd always fired blank shots. Either that or she was barren. They'd only really attempted to 'get pregnant' in the three months before his death so fertility had not been checked out.
Hours later Katherine began to feel nervous. The weather warnings had become really ominous. Two deep depressions were now expected to 'collide' just off their coast, the different wind directions predicted to churn up the seas, sending unusually high tidal surges on to the coastline. Electrical storms and intense rain would hit the city. Thousands of citizens were being ordered to leave their homes and take shelter with people on higher land. TV showed lines a traffic chocking the motorways leading inland.
Opinion on radio Talkback suggested a rogue wave could hit the city, perhaps up to 30 feet high. Minutes later that radio station went off the air, an endless message stating 'This radio station will resume normal transmission after the storm passes'.
TV that evening focused on storm warning coverage and showed a city in panic. It was enough to panic Katherine. Was she safe? She seemed to recall that the finished height of foundations of their house leveled at 60ft above mean high water mark, whatever that meant.
She panicked and called her father. Her parents' home was high up in the hills behind the city, it's foundations going into rock. That surely meant they'd be safe even in the event of mudslides if the rain really became torrential.
"Dad?"
"No, it's Alan Swan. Is that you Katherine?"
"Yes, oh hi Mr Swan."
"Are you okay up there Katherine? There's a big storm coming, according to the media, the biggest since the disaster of 1937 before the erection of sea walls."
"Yes, yes. I know."
"I arrived unannounced this morning just as Dick and Eva were leaving to visit your Aunt Ellie for a couple of days. She's had a small operation and..."
"Yes I know."
"They urged me to stay, saying they'd be back the day after tomorrow."
Katherine began sobbing. "I'm not sure I'll be safe up here."
"I think you will be. Like here your house foundations are drilled into rock."
Katherine wept louder. "You only THINK I'll be safe. That's not overly encouraging."
"Do you want me to come and stay with you or bring you back here?"
"Thank you Mr Swan. That's very kind of you. Stay where you'll be safe." She cut the call and switched off her phone.
Alan had been kind, very kind in fact making that offer, but why couldn't he have said she'd be safe? God, why do men have to pussyfoot around women and avoid the truth?
Alan was sixty-two, her father's age. They'd gone through school and medical school together. He'd been master of ceremonies at Katherine's wedding, being a long family friend now living four hundred miles away."
Two hours later the doorbell chimed. Oh god, was it a Civil Defense team arrived to evacuate her? No, no way would she leave the house but she'd appreciate them leaving her a CB radio in case the power went down, knocking out lighting and telecommunications.
She opened the door and there was Alan, smiling confidently.
"Hi, you look great. I was worried."
"Just a few moments of weakness. Come in Mr Swan and have coffee or something stronger if you wish. Are you here to stay with me?"
"Yes."
"That's brave of you. You were safe where you were. May I hug you?"
"Yes of course Katherine. You'll be fine now you have someone for company. Look, since we are in this together why don't you call me Alan?"
"Okay and you call me Kathy."
"Get the plans of the house for me Kathy while I unload the car."
Alan returned carrying in succession two washing baskets loaded with provisions.
"I didn't know what you had by way of food. I tried to call you but your phone was off."
"I switched off because I didn't want you to come and place yourself in possible danger. I owe that to you wife Clara, your children and your grandchildren."
"Oh Kathy that's almost heroic of you."
Katherine lifted her head and asked Alan to kiss her.
The kiss was soft and she thought possibly applied a little passionately.
"That makes me feel better."
"Anytime darling; just give me the call."
She blushed, thinking how far would he be prepared to go. Surprised, she wondered where that thought had come from.
Alan said he'd put his car in the garage in the vacant space beside Katherine's. "They should be safe, sheltered by the house."
They sat in the lounge drinking coffee and Katherine turned on the TV. Bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving the city was reduced to a crawl. Police had arrested two young men for looting, breaking the plate glass window of a computer store inside the mall. The chief executive and day manager of a radio station had been arrested on a charge of allowing irresponsible broadcasting of uninformed callers lacking expertise predicting the possibility of a 30ft rouge wave. That prediction had increased panic in the community. The station had been ordered off-air.
"A 30ft wave is a possibility. That radio station was just doing its job; as usual in times of stress the police over-reacted."
"The police could be acting on political orders Alan."
"Yes, that could be so. Politicians as enthusiastic amateurs in control; good god."
"No, the commander of Civil Defense is in overall control. Let's turn to the emergency channel."
"This is Lew Bright, commander of Springdale City Civil Defense. We reiterate our warning for people to get out of low-lying areas. The storm will strike in about two hours. Aim to get 50 feet above sea level. If you don't know how high that is go higher. Being safe is being high up but avoid cleared forest areas in the hills, as there could be mudslides if rain becomes torrential and that's likely. Some scare mongering predicted a 30ft rogue wave but that's pure speculation. We believe waves over tidal surges could conceivably reach 15ft and even at that height they could be destructive. Be warned, get to higher ground and try to keep dry and take food. I repeat, get to higher ground and try to keep dry and warm and take food with you. The storm will strike in about two hours. Got that? The storm will strike in about two hours. We now switch to the latest weather forecasts."
"Jesus," Alan said. "Fifteen footers could be deadly. Right, where are those building plans?"
"On the table."
Alan looked at the house plans closely. "Okay, what we have here is this. We must stay away from the windows facing the sea. If they give there will be glass shards flying about. There are two good places to be -- these four central steel pillars hold up the stairs and support the roof. They will be engineered to perform far beyond the normal strength required. But under their protection we'd be exposed to flying debris. Therefore the safest place, apart from one exception, is the wine cellar."
"The one exception?"
"Well two actually. The first is poor ventilation but if a tidal surge hits the house we could be drowned in the cellar."
"Oh god, read the specifications. There is a reference there as I recall about the height of the foundations level of the house above mean high water mark."
"Oh really. That will be most useful.'
Alan read quickly. "Oh boy, thanks to the thorough engineer who specified that measurement because I can't see it being required. The measurement is fifty-nine feet so minus nine feet for the cellar drop and that still gives us a safety margin of fifty feet and allowing for wind-driven tide surges but no freak giant wave that still gives us a good margin clear of direct water surge. A monster wave could shoot water right over the house although by then it will be mostly spray. We'll locate where you wish."
"No, you are older, much wiser than me Alan. You decide, mixing knowledge with instinct."
"The cellar. I feel our biggest threat will be glass shards and other debris if the windows give and we could be in danger in the central core if the roof caves in, taking the stairs with it. We could still be trapped if the house collapses in abnormally high winds. I best call Clara to inform her where I am."
Alan put down his phone. "It's just bleep, bleep. Probably the phone system is hugely overloaded. Look, let's not watch TV, as it only makes depressing viewing. The power will be cut soon so I'll bring in the grill from the side courtyard and place it in the kitchen. Do you have a fold-up bed you can use?"
"No but we have a blowup double bed. We can sleep together."
"Oh call Clara before you get that bed."
"But you said there was no phone service?"
Katherine laughed when she realized she was being teased.
When they had everything set up in the cellar they sat in the lounge drinking coffee, looking at the approaching storm out to sea. Their evening meal was in the oven, being cooked early.
"Why did you think of bringing the grill inside?" Katherine asked.
"I didn't want it blown away or crushed by debris. The access road into here may become impassable due to slides and washouts so we could be cut off for several days with no electricity."
"So you're preparing for the worst?"
"Yes."
"Good man. Just look at those awesome dark clouds and there's the lightening."
Half an hour later Alan said, "I'll get the cold food and water down into the cellar. Please dish up our meal."
"I haven't done the gravy yet."