Chapter 420: Chapter 420: The Rainstorm Strikes Again 6
The road out of Fairgate was flat, flanked by forests with no high mountains nearby. Perhaps it was the soil, but on the seventh day of the downpour, massive landslides started to occur.
It was impossible to predict such sudden disasters. Even someone like Ronan Kendrick couldn’t fight the forces of nature. Their raft had just shot out of Fairgate and was nearing the boundary when the adjacent forest suddenly gave way. The current instantly changed direction, rushing into the collapsed area. A powerful suction threatened to pull their raft in. Ronan made a split-second decision and leaped into the water. It came up to his shoulders as he got in front of the raft and, with all his might, dragged it out of the danger zone.
Evelyn Ford could only lie flat on the raft, blowing her whistle nonstop to warn the group behind them. She wasn’t tall enough to get in the water, so she had to rely on Ronan Kendrick to get her out of the treacherous area.
Behind them, Officer Graham heard Evelyn’s whistle and immediately changed course. Once he did, the rest of the convoy followed suit. The collapsed area had formed a massive whirlpool. Trees over thirty feet tall were instantly swallowed by the vortex the moment they toppled over. No one dared to let their guard down. They had to remain vigilant with every passing second.
Ronan Kendrick dragged the raft a hundred meters before Evelyn Ford pulled him out of the water. The two dogs were huddled tightly together, whimpering faintly. They were likely terrified by the surrounding landslides.
Evelyn patted their heads. "Just hang in there. I’ll find a chance to put you in the space."
Quincy’s Pallas’s cat was also in Evelyn’s space, where it had already befriended the rabbits.
"Evelyn, are you cold?"
Ronan glanced back at Evelyn. She shook her head. "I’m not cold. We need to hurry. These large-scale landslides are just beginning. The ground here is all sandy soil—it’s too loose and collapses easily."
Ronan nodded. "Hold on tight to the raft."
Quincy and Wyatt Vaughn’s raft was behind Officer Graham’s. Wyatt was in charge of rowing while Quincy had Zoe strapped to his chest, wrapped in a layer of oilcloth to keep her clothes dry. A moment ago, a piloting error had nearly capsized their raft, and both men were still shaken from the experience.
Although Zion Lowell and Taylor Vance were older, they were paired with Ethan Dawson, so they had it a bit easier than the others.
No one knew where they were going. At this moment, they had no destination, no clear direction. All they could do was follow the current, never stopping for a single moment.
As they left the boundary, Evelyn looked back toward the area where she had scattered the seeds and let out a soft sigh.
"I wonder if those seeds I planted will ever be able to grow."
"They will. Once the downpour stops, they’ll sprout." Ronan’s voice wasn’t very clear over the rain, but Evelyn still heard him.
Lightning flashed in the distance. Evelyn blew her whistle, signaling for everyone to stay away from the trees. Thunder cracked, and everyone was grateful it hadn’t struck them. Escaping in this downpour was like playing the lottery; the odds of staying safe were about the same as winning.
"The road ahead collapsed," Ronan said. "Trees are blocking the way. We have to detour through the forest." The forest was on flat ground and not too dense, so the rafts could get through, but traveling under the lightning was still dangerous.
Evelyn nodded, blew her whistle again, and gestured for them to turn right.
Once they entered the forest, Ronan jumped off the raft. He had to cut down the trees blocking their path to clear the way for everyone.
Evelyn stepped over the wolfdogs and took the paddle from Ronan’s hands.
After maneuvering around the collapsed road, the raft struggled out of the forest. Just then, a deafening RUUUMMMBLE echoed overhead. It didn’t stop after a few seconds but continued for several minutes, so loud it felt as if the surrounding mountains were being torn apart. Evelyn rubbed her ears. As the roar began, her ears started to ring with a loud BUZZZZZ. Her tinnitus was back.
Evelyn didn’t let it show. She tipped her head to drain the water from her ears and kept paddling forward.
Along the way, they came across more corpses. Some were badly decomposed, some seemed to have died recently, and others were already nothing but skeletons.
Survivors who had been struggling to get by in some nook or cranny had their lives ended by the downpour.
Ronan steered the raft around a body floating facedown, then glanced back at Evelyn again.
"Are you okay?"
Evelyn forced a smile. "I’m okay."
In truth, Evelyn was already shivering uncontrollably. The temperature was around four degrees Celsius, but with the onslaught of the rain and howling wind, it felt no different from ten below zero.
After a full day of travel, the convoy was still together. When the rain eased up a little, Ronan stopped their raft and waited for the others to catch up. He let everyone rest for a bit, check the stability of their rafts, and replenish their energy before they continued on.
"Can we rest now?" Quincy asked, his face full of anticipation as he and the others drew near Evelyn.
"We’ll rest for a bit," Evelyn replied. "There’s a rocky hillock up ahead. If you need to use the toilet, go now. Don’t dawdle. Same for anyone who needs to eat."
In conditions like these, getting sick or having an upset stomach was the biggest fear. Using her backpack for cover, Evelyn took a thermos of ginger soup from her space. She took a sip and passed it to Ronan, but he wasn’t worried about getting sick, so he didn’t drink any, leaving it all for her.
Twenty minutes later, the convoy set off again.
"Are we going to have to travel day and night without stopping?"
"Where are we supposed to shelter from the rain in this mess? It’s not safe under trees or in caves. Going against the current is impossible. Our only choice is to follow the water and see where it takes us."
Evelyn glanced at Zoe. "Quincy, are you holding up? I can take Zoe for a while if you need."
Quincy shook his head. "No, it’s fine. I can manage."
Wendy and Ian Yates both looked at Evelyn. After a moment of silence, she reached out and patted them on the shoulder.
"Don’t lose hope."
"Evelyn, you be careful too," Ian Yates said. Despite his flighty personality, he was still just a kid, and in a situation like this, he was bound to be scared.
Evelyn smiled. "That goes for everyone. Stay safe."
The convoy set off again amidst the thunder and rain. An hour later, they had just passed another large mountain when Ronan’s paddling suddenly stopped. He looked back at the mountain behind them, his expression changing.
"Evelyn, hold on tight! There’s a mudslide on the mountain."
Evelyn reacted instantly, blowing her whistle. The sound was so sharp and urgent it startled everyone behind them. Seeing Ronan accelerate, the others didn’t dare hesitate, paddling furiously to catch up.
A mudslide is much like an avalanche—incredibly fast and wide-reaching. Trees were torn out by the roots, and boulders weighing several tons were carried down the slope. A torrent of rock, mud, and water surged toward them. Ronan instantly knew what to do. He leaped off the raft and, with all his might, shoved it and Evelyn into the forest at their side.
The others heard the roar of the mudslide too. A massive boulder came crashing down, and everyone’s hearts nearly stopped. Just as it was about to smash into Claudia Schultz’s raft, in the nick of time, both Ronan Kendrick and Ethan Dawson lunged toward it.
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