"If Calleigh and Ryan are there..." he paused, trying to collect himself, "they aren't going to make it."
"What?" Horatio said, unsure if his ears had failed him.
"If they are in the Keys when the storm hits, they won't survive," Eric repeated, more slowly, the thought of what he was saying making him slightly nauseous.
"Won't the coast guard be sending boats or something to get them out of there?" Horatio said, trying not to believe what he was hearing.
"The storm's too close H" Eric said, swallowing, "It crept up on everyone. If they haven't gotten out by now, I don't see how they will."
"There's always the chance they left early," Horatio said, clinging to hope, but even as he said it, they both knew that this was very unlikely.
"Maybe," Eric said, "H, I'm going to check on the storm updates and call my sisters to make sure they know about the storm too. You get the kids inside and call me if you find out something."
"I will," Horatio promised, "You do the same. And Eric, I don't want to frighten the kids right now so please don't mention this to them."
"I won't" Eric promised before hanging up the phone.
Horatio closed the phone and slipped it into his shirt pocket. His mind was spinning in circles; the information he had just received threatened to engulf his whole world. His police training, however, allowed him to keep his inner turmoil hidden, and to focus on the task at hand, getting the Wolfe children to safety.
"Hey guys," he said turning to the children, "We need to go home right now; a really big storm is coming and we need to get some place safe before it hits."
"Is it a hurricane Uncle H?" Josh asked, knowing that the look on his uncle's face could only mean one thing.
"Yes it is," Horatio answered honestly. He never lied to anyone, especially children, if he could help it. "But if we leave right now, we'll be safe long before the storm reaches us, alright?"
All three children nodded, only the oldest completely aware of the seriousness of the situation. They quickly piled into the Hummer and Horatio drove home as fast as he dared.
When they reached the house, the wind was already beginning to blow, chasing bits of trash down the street. Horatio turned to the children. "I want you to go inside and get all your stuff and bring it out to the hurricane shelter. When all your stuff's inside the shelter, I want you to stay there, no matter what, okay?"
"Okay Uncle Horatio," Kelsi answered for all of them.
While the kids gathered their things, Horatio went up to his bedroom and began gathering his own most prized possessions; photo albums full of pictures of Belle, the picture of his and Marisol's wedding day that sat on his bedside table, a few changes of clothes, his wife's wedding ring, his gun and badge, Belle's first teddy bear, important identification documents, the clay trophy Belle had made for him in seventh grade. When all that was carefully stored away in the hurricane shelter, he hurried back inside and with Josh's help, grabbed extra food and water and blankets. By this time the wind was howling and giant drops of rain were falling. When all three children were accounted for and safe inside the shelter, Horatio closed the large door and they fell into darkness.
Horatio stumbled around until he found a flashlight, and, flicking it on, made a makeshift couch for them to sit on. Kelsi climbed onto his lap, trembling. "What's going to happen?" Kelsi asked in a quiet voice.
"It will be alright," Horatio said, holding the child tightly in his arms, "It will be alright."
Horatio rocked Kelsi for a long time, as they listened to the storm raging outside. Eventually Kelsi fell into a restless sleep and Horatio laid her in a makeshift bed, covering her with a blanket. Returning to the couch he put his arm around a frightened Emily, and put a comforting hand on Josh's knee. They had the emergency radio on, broadcasting the latest news into the room. It's drone was not at all comforting, but Horatio had to know what was happening.
After an hour or two Emily fell asleep and she was placed beside her sister on the bed. Horatio turned to Josh, knowing he could no longer keep Calleigh and Ryan's fate a secret from his very observant nephew.
"It's bad, isn't it?" Josh said, not meeting his uncle's eyes.
Horatio paused a moment, trying to decide how best to break the news to the young boy. "The storm is headed straight for the Keys," Horatio said, deciding that to be blunt would be best, "It doesn't look good."
Josh's eyes welled up with unshed tears as the meaning of this simple statement took hold of his mind.
"But you know what," Horatio said, sitting back down next to the boy, "Your parents are fighters, and they will stop at nothing to get back here to be with you and your sisters. They aren't going to give up, and you shouldn't give up on them until we know for sure."
The boy nodded, taking comfort in Horatio's words. Uncle and nephew sat in silence, waiting out the storm that threatened to change their lives forever.
A/N: Wow, two chapters in one day, that's got to be a record for me! Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted the aftermath of the hurricane to be its own chapter, so I had to keep this one short. What do you think of the story? Reviews are always most welcome! Next chapter: The morning after.