"The storm, now known as Candice, unexpectedly picked up speed once it hit the gulf and has been upgraded to a level 3 hurricane." The weatherman on the television looked concerned in that professional way that many take years to accomplish. "Winds are clocking in at a sustained 200 kilometers – or 124 miles – an hour, with heavy rain and high surfs occurring throughout the region. Mississippi and Alabama are reporting extensive flooding, with Florida facing the brunt of the wind damage. Many are left in the dark, with the number of households without power expected to number in the tens of thousands."
While Alison ate fajitas in Florida, Roman stood in catering, staring at the news report being played on the large television. Dean and Seth were speaking to him, but every sound not coming from the newscaster's mouth had faded into a kind of white noise. When the news moved on to other – more local – features, Roman glowered and yanked his phone from his pocket.
He had gotten three recorded messages telling him that his call could not be completed before Dean managed to lead him back to the locker room.
"Saw the news report." CM Punk looked up from his stretches as the door opened. "Any word from down south?"
Seth shook his head quickly as Roman growled and hit redial yet again. "Can't get anyone."
AJ poked her head in to make sure no one was naked before stepping into the room, her phone pressed to her ear. "Bayley says things are getting pretty bad down there."
"You got through?!" Roman whipped around to face her, unconsciously frowning at the small woman.
AJ nodded hurriedly. "She says they're all safe there, though Corey, Enzo, and Colin were up in Pensacola doing interviews and appearances. The news says it's hitting worse over there."
"Hey," Dean nodded toward Roman's phone. "Do you have the guys' numbers? After this shit passes, they could go check on Little Red."
Sending them all identical texts with his request and Alison's address, Roman hoped that at least one would get through. All three were stand up guys, and Alison would be safe with any one of them. If he couldn't be there himself, he would feel better knowing that she had more backup than a few hired guns.
When, fifteen minutes later, Bayley's phone disconnected from AJ and he still hadn't heard from the NXT stars, Roman began pacing angrily. Kicking a chair across the room to commemorate the forty five minute point, he growled dangerously and began swinging elbows at one of the metal cabinets. When a knock sounded on the door ten minutes later, he all but roared in frustration.
"Just checking on everyone." Triple H glanced around the room and then turned stormy eyes on Dean.
Holding his hands up, the younger man shook his head. "The mess is not my fault this time, man."
"Hey, Reigns," Hunter raised his brows. "You need to exercise a family leave?"
Spinning to face his boss, it dawned on Roman that he had forgotten all about that option, and he nearly groaned at his own stupidity. "Yes."
"Jericho is gonna be heading out as well. I'll get you on the same flight."
"Shit, man, thanks."
Shaking his head, Hunter chuckled. "You two are both too distracted with this bullshit weather. It wouldn't be safe to put you with anyone in the ring right now, and I'm not willing to risk someone getting hurt during a house show. We'll need you to be in Calgary on Sunday, but that'll give you three days to get things settled. I expect to see you both there unless there's some sort of emergency situation that requires you to be out longer."
Shaking his hand, Roman thanked him and began to hurriedly change just as Chris Jericho strode into the room and began shucking his ring gear as well. "Hear anything, man?"
"No, but my wife's six months pregnant, and I'm not hanging around here with my thumb up ass while she's down in Tallahassee with one kid and another on the way. Hear anything from Alison?"
"No." Zipping his bag, he raked his hair into a low ponytail. "I should've made her come on the road with me."
"It's not like anyone thought this storm would be as bad as it is, man." Seth attempted to sooth his distraught friend.
"Here, Rome." Dean relieved him of the large duffle before motioning to Jericho's as well. "I'll keep your shit safe so you don't have to check anything on the plane. Just take what you need for the trip."
Roman sighed. "Thanks, man."
A quick knock echoed through the room a scant moment before Joey, one of Hunter's assistants, entered. "I'm really sorry guys, but it looks like the closest I can possibly get you on a plane is Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock."
"Fuckin' really?!" Roman's face promised lasting pain if the other man was screwing with him. His eyes were nearly black, his nostrils flared, and his jaw flexed dangerously.
Joey took a step back toward the door, fear showing in his wide eyes. "Sorry, but everything closer is shut down, even to private flights. I barely got you two seats on this flight as it is!"
Jericho nodded, his voice rushed and breathy. "Yeah, fine. We'll drive from there."
"The plane leaves in an hour and a half, and I've got orders to drive you there myself so you don't have to putz around with cars and shit."
Sharing quick hugs with Dean and Seth, Roman slapped Punk on the shoulder on his way out.
O:O:O:O:O:
Six fucking hours on a god damn plane. The two men strode through the airport, their glowers keeping anyone from approaching. Roman had hated being forced to sit still for so long, knowing that they were literally moving as fast as modern technology and the disagreeable weather would allow. It didn't help alleviate the feeling that he was failing his family and his woman by being so far away.
"Want to split the driving?" Jericho's lighter voice cut through the tension.
"You take first. You've got a few hours more past Pensacola, and you'll need some rest in between." Neither man had gotten any sleep on the plane and Roman didn't want him crashing on roads that were already guaranteed to be sketchy.
The girl at the rental place frowned when she learned where the two men were planning to drive. "Once you get close to the coast, it's most likely going to be to everything but emergency and utility vehicles."
Roman glowered as Jericho filled out the paperwork. "Lady, no offense, but there is no way in hell that some piece of shit little cop is going to turn me away from getting to my family."
"No, you don't understand! They're shutting down the major roads south of Jackson, Mississippi."
"Then I'll fuckin' walk," Roman snarled.
The poor woman shrank back hastily and went through the required motions to get the two men their car. She gave a shaky sigh of relief when they finally stepped away from the desk and just barely managed a half-hearted farewell at the last moment.
Roman switched his cell on as soon as they were past the rental desk and moving through the covered lot, his backpack weighing heavily on his broad shoulders. As the phone booted, there were several missed calls from his parents' phones and a few texts from friends. Corey had texted him to let him know that at least one of his messages had gone through earlier, and that the men would be over at Ali's as soon as they were permitted to leave the small back room that served as their hotel's hurricane shelter.
While Roman was thrilled to have friends who were willing to check on his girlfriend, he couldn't shake the feeling that the whole thing could've easily been avoided. Wouldn't have to ask them to do that if Ali had just gotten on a damn plane two days ago.
That text had been received two hours ago, so Roman concentrated on trying to get through to his parents and Jericho's wife as the blonde focused on driving as fast as he dared in the steady rain and buffeting wind. Even though they were nowhere near hurricane strength, the wind gusts were still potent enough to leave the midsize SUV shuddering on the asphalt.
"Hello?" Jericho's wife answered nearly a hundred redials later.
The men shared a thankful smile before the older of the two asked after her and the kids.
"It's so great to hear your voice!" Michelle's soft soprano was watery with relief. "We're fine. We ended up going to Bob and Rachel's down the street, since they were way more prepared. We're here with them and a few other people."
"You just stay there, baby. I'm hoping to be home in about seven hours, but that depends on getting through." The phone started popping and filling with static. "Think the phone's gonna drop out soon, but you just sit tight."
With words of love, the two hung up and Roman went back to dialing his parents and Ali by turns. The muscle memory had gotten to be so automatic, that he nearly hung up on his father when he finally answered. The older man chastised his son for leaving work on such short notice, though he understood that making sure his family was safe came first. He had also been appeased when he learned that the idea of them leaving had come from Triple H himself.
"We're good here. Little bit of damage, but don't think it's too bad." The older man's concern grew more pronounced and his voice rumbled through the phone. "How is your girl? It hit hard here, but we're not right there on the beach like she is."
"Don't know." Roman shut his car door hard as he stood and began pacing around the covered part of the lot as Jericho took care of filling the gas tank. "I can't get her on the phone. Some of the guys happened to be close, so they're gonna check on her."
"Well, you just keep trying. I'm sure it's just downed cell towers. You should probably go to see her first. We're okay here, and will probably just go on to bed. It's late, and the power will be off for a while." Someone spoke on the other end of the phone, and Sika chuckled quietly. "Your mother says she'll be awake until we know what's going on with the girl."
Roman nodded, dodging the spots of rain allowed in by gaps in the awning and grateful for his mother's concern. "It'll take a while to get there and figure out what's going on."
"Well, you let us know as soon as you can."
Agreeing and hanging up, Roman jogged into the store for coffee and something to snack on as he drove. He was pleasantly surprised to find fresh coffee and hot breakfast sandwiches made of biscuits and sausage waiting for him. The man behind the counter chuckled and informed him that the station's generators made them the go-to place for locals to meet up after storms when Roman asked. Purchasing four of the sandwiches and two energy drinks on top of the coffee, the powerhouse of the Shield jogged back to the car.
Plugging his phone into the charger, Roman told Jericho to eat two of the sandwiches and then get some sleep. Now that the older man knew his family was safe, the adrenaline was fading fast. Roman cracked the window for fresh air and drove carefully through the rainy night as he finished the food quickly and sipped his coffee. As the winds had calmed greatly since they left Little Rock, Roman pushed the SUV harder in an attempt to shave off some of the remaining travel time.
He hit redial every few minutes, hoping to reach Alison's still unresponsive cell phone.
Red and blue flashing lights filled the windshield as dawn turned the eastern horizon into a conflagration of oranges and reds around the still-present clouds. The woman at the car rental service had been mistaken, and the two had reached the far side of Mobile, Alabama, before running into a roadblock. Roman leaned over and jostled Jericho's shoulder just before coming to a stop in front of a barrier. The rain had faded during the early morning hours, now coming down in sporadic waves of drizzles and soft showers.
A police officer skirted the barrier and moved woodenly up to Roman's window. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to turn around."
Fully rolling down his window, Roman leaned out to be heard over the softly falling rain and the other officers' quiet conversations. "We need to get through."
"Sir, it is unsafe to drive south from here. I have orders to turn away everyone not here in official capacity."
Roman's brows lowered, and he snarled quietly. "Look. My friend here needs to get to his pregnant wife in Tallahassee, and I need to find my girlfriend who lives just south of Pensacola."
Leaning down, the officer surveyed Chris's tired eyes before focusing on Roman once again. "Look, I understand. I'd be going insane if my wife was somewhere and I couldn't get to her."
"Then please just let us through!" He gripped the steering wheel, twisting his hands convulsively.
The other man sighed and rubbed at red-rimmed eyes. "Hold up a second."
Stormy grey eyes followed the officer's progress back to the other men in blue. "Think they'd chase us if I just blow through?"
Chris chuckled darkly as the police spoke among themselves. "Kinda hard to get past them when they have their cars parked all over the damn road."
They watched as the young officer turned and motioned for them to join him on the other side of the barricades. Glancing at each other, the men climbed from the car and trudged over. A few of the officers nudged each other and motioned to the Superstars, though they did not approach.
The first officer motioned to an older, slightly overweight man. "This is Captain Martin."
The Captain tipped his hat at the men and unfolded a laminated map on the hood of his car. "Jones here says you two need to get to Pensacola and Tallahassee?"
"Yeah," Roman rumbled quietly, still uncertain if he was going to have to fight these men. "His wife and my girlfriend are there."
Nodding, the older man traced a finger along interstate 10. "If you follow 10, and don't take any side bullshit, you should be okay."
Jericho raised a questioning brow. "You're just going to let us go without a fight?"
"Son, does it look like I want to start a fight with two very big, very angry men?" Captain Martin gave a mirthless chuckle. "Hell, we all know how that would end up, and I got plenty of shit to shovel without having to deal with that paperwork. We all know you two would just find some bullshit side street and then get stuck in some flooded stream. At least this way I know I didn't contribute to that."
Thanking the officers profusely, the two wrestlers clamored back into their rental and waited as patiently as possible for the cruisers to be cleared from their path.