Chapter 1
It was a beautiful fall early evening. Picture perfect. The skies were blue. That shade of blue that the locals would often refer to as “Carolina Blue.” The winds were gentle, almost as if it were asking forgiveness as it caressed the cheek of each person it came in contact. A better day you couldn’t ask for. Many would take notice of the gorgeous day, but few would be able to enjoy it the way it ought to be enjoyed.
Todd Richards, with coffee at his side, was sitting on the roof of his house repairing and replacing shingles. Izzy had done a very good job making sure there was plenty of work to do, not only for Todd, but for all his neighbors. In this case Izzy wasn’t a spurned ex-girlfriend. No, Izzy was what the weather people had called “The hurricane of the century.”
Todd was one of the luckier Outer Bankers. His house in Kitty Hawk was 12 feet above sea level. Much higher than most on that narrow strip of land, about 3/4 of a mile wide, that sat between the gray waters of the mighty Atlantic and the mostly calm waters of the sound. If his house was going to be affected by flood waters, well, then the entire town would be underwater. And some were. Virginia Dare Rd, often referred to by locals and tourists alike as “the beach road” was washed away again around milepost 4 1/2 out in front of the Black Pelican restaurant. This 1/4 mile stretch of road has been washed away and rebuilt due to storms more often than Kenny Rogers face. Despite the fact the sea dune that is supposed to protect it, keeps getting built higher and higher each time it was replaced. Proving time and time again, Mother Nature takes what she wants.
As Todd banged each roofing nail into place he couldn’t help but wonder and pray that his best friend in the world, his yellow lab Jack was safe somewhere on this barrier island. Jack had disappeared before the storm and now Todd was becoming increasingly more worried as each minute, each hour and each day passed. In fact, at this point Todd had the notion that he might not ever see Jack again.
See, Jack wasn’t just Todd’s dog. He was the neighborhood’s dog. Sure, Jack would come to Todd’s house every day to be fed and find his water, but he didn’t exactly “live” there in the strictest sense. The neighborhood kids would often coax Ol’ Jack off the shade of Todd’s deck to come out and play with them. Together they would all go down to the beach and play in the waves. When the kids went home for dinner, Jack would go back to Todd’s deck to also eat and bed down for the night in the dog bed that Todd had provided. Jack was a local hero of sorts, having been written up in the newspaper for having saved a couple of those kids from drowning. One time one of the kids was caught in a rip current and was dangerously being carried further and further out to sea. Jack ran to the beach and found a lifeguard patrolling on an ATV, barked, and ran in and out of the water until the guard spotted the swimmer in trouble. Another time one of the kids exhausted herself out in the water and was able to hold onto Jack’s neck while he swam them both safely into the shore. Jack the hero, the newspaper called him.
But now Jack was nowhere to be seen. And hadn’t been for days…..
