Chapter 12

Detective Duncan pulled the car up to the building's entrance, Jonathan's stomach knotted at the sight of the building. Or rather, at the building's remains. Even the darkness of night couldn't hide the damage to the structure looming ahead. Though Jonathan suspected he didn't see everything, he could tell by the silhouette against the inky sky; it was severely damaged.

By the time they arrived, the local police department had brought in several cars, and multiple people working to uncover the damage. The tents lit up to his left, and spotlights illuminating the ground behind the building. Still, he could not see anyone actually working through the rubble. As Detective Duncan maneuvered the car through the fence, Jonathan wondered out loud, his hand on the door handle, "Who's in charge? Who do I need to talk to about my family?"

The detective reached over and grabbed Jonathan's arm, "Woah. Just woah now." At the touch of the hand on his arm, Jonathan's head turned to face the man holding what felt like Jonathan's fate in his hands. The hand quickly dropped from his arm. "Sit tight there, Mr. Hart. Let me see what I can find out first."

As the detective climbed out of the car, Jonathan could feel the frustration boiling inside him, "I will not wait long."

Detective Duncan leaned down into the car to look Jonathan in the eyes, "I can only imagine what you're feelin', Mr. Hart. Believe me; I am doin' everythin' I can for you."

The five minutes the detective was out of the car felt like an eternity. Jonathan didn't want to see the building but found he could look at nothing else. When Detective Duncan returned, Jonathan was sitting on the edge of his seat, the door standing open and his feet on the gravel. The detective's face was somber, and Jonathan had no read on how to prepare himself. His only thought was, I would hate to play poker with that guy.

"Mr. Hart. Please, come with me." He watched as Jonathan stood to his feet and shut the car door. Together, the two men walked towards a well-lit tent with people buzzing around like a hive full of bees. During their walk, Detective Duncan filled Jonathan in on his conversation. "Apparently, there was a gas leak ignited when the building began to shake. Or that's what they are summarizin' right now. They are still having trouble getting the gas shut off. Officers are trying to go slow, so the building doesn't shift again and doesn't fall more. The last thing slowing them down has been the aftershocks the area has been dealing with."

"How can I help get to my family?"

"First, I want you to meet the captain of the Charleston Police Department, Captain Roger Forrest. He's overseeing this rescue."

Reaching for the hand of the tall uniformed man before him, Jonathan said, "Captain. Thank you for your help."

"I will do my best to return your family, sir."

"Thank you."

"And this," Detective Duncan turned to a much shorter blond woman, looking over blueprints, "is April Bell, the city's chief building official."

"Mr. Hart," she reached out to meet his hand. "I'm sorry we have to meet under such stressful circumstances. We are doing everything we can to both rescue your family and ensure no further collapse to hinder that effort."

"What are the plans right now?"

"Well, we have to get some structural support in here," she turned back to the blueprints on the table. "Our crews are in "emergency mode" around the site, as there is still a possibility of debris falling. We have to get that possibility down as much as we can before we can start really removing the debris to find your wife and daughter."

"What can I do?"

"I would suggest you try to get some rest. We are in for a long night," Detective Duncan jumped into the conversation.

"Rest?" Jonathan growled. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, sir. I just suggest you try."

Sleep thought Jonathan, as he lay back on the car seat. How am I supposed to sleep? He let his eyes close, but could only picture Jennifer and Ryleigh trapped and calling for him. Whenever he would reach for them, they would get farther away from him. Jonathan's eyes snapped open, and he was dripping in sweat. Looking at his watch, he found it was only about 30 minutes from when he walked back to the car. Long night? He was sure this was going to be the longest night of his life.

Loud voices and scurrying bodies stirred Jonathan from his fitful rest. Shouts and commands given chaotically and frantically made it challenging to determine the reason for the sudden excitement. "Hey!" Jonathan called to one of the workers running past him. "What's going on?"

"They found a body."