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  Fitzpatrick already knew most of what he had just said. He hadn’t been sure about the furniture. Maybe some people even found pieces of their furniture in the debris. He was glad that people could now get their lives back to normal.

  “How is the cleanup going?” Fitzpatrick asked.

  “Some areas, like up here, are pretty much done. But, in areas further south, it is still slow going. But, they are getting there. The locals have been helping each other out and there have been people coming in from surrounding states and various organizations, who have been a really big help.”

  “I noticed route 87 still has debris on it.”

  Stan nodded. “Yes, I know. We have been trying to take care of the needs of the people and haven’t gotten around to it. However, there is a group coming in today who are going to be gathering the wood and other debris off the road. I think they are going to dry the wood and sell it. I told them they are welcome to it. I told them they can have what they want as long as they get it off the road first. Texas Emergency Management didn’t have any problem with that either. I heard it is a group of fifty Mexican-American’s. Shouldn’t take them too long to clear it out. I’m going down there later today and see how they are coming along.”

  “That’s good. How many people are still in the centers?”

  “About a hundred. Most of them are from the far southern cities. Most days, they go down to where their homes are, work on cleaning up and then come back to the centers at night. We have another twenty mobile homes coming in tomorrow, so those with lots ready will be getting them set up. Another twenty will be coming in two days later.”

  “How many have their lots ready?”

  “From what I am told, fifteen are ready now. Another fifteen will be ready by the time the next twenty come in. Some of the older people are having a hard time getting their lots cleared. We have new bunch of kids coming in today, so I am going to send them down there and work on them. There are about ten lots to clear. The water and sewer lines are already there, they just have to get the lot cleared and the concrete pad poured. It should only take a couple of days to make sure the concrete is set and then they will be ready for a mobile home to put set into place. All the lots should be cleared and set up within a week, which is how long the group will be here. It is a fraternity and sorority group from a nearby college. I forget which one. They aren’t in school yet and they wanted a service project.”

  “How many are in the group?”

  “From what I am told, about a hundred. They are coming from three different colleges. They are going to be camping in tents. So that might get interesting, but several of the parents are acting as chaperones.”

  Fitzpatrick laughed. “They ought to make short work of it.”

  Stan nodded. “I think so too. You might even see them when you go on your tour. A group of ten men, who are experts in concrete pads, will also be there. They have bags of concrete ready to pour. Once the debris is gone, they will start pouring. Should be cured in a couple of days and the mobile homes can come in.”

  “That’s great.” Yes, it was great. Good footage and good publicity for the group doing the work. “How much longer do you think this is going to take?”

  Stan sighed and thought for a moment. “It’s hard to tell, but I’d say another month. Probably no more than that. Once people get back in their homes and the rest of the businesses get back in business, then it will be better. Anyone needing a mobile home should be in them in two weeks, max. Some of the mom and pop businesses further south may not open again. They took a bad hit. But, the businesses up here are getting in all their supplies and products, so they are supplying all of the area. It is just a few miles in-between and they have been busy, so it looks like that is working out well. Who knows, maybe over time other local stores will open further south. Right now, it’s still up in the air.”

  Fitzpatrick nodded. “That’s good to hear.” He was satisfied the recovery of the area was going well. Certain things have priority. Getting rid of debris being the biggest one. Getting people to come back was another. At least the area is beginning to get back to normal.

  “Are a lot of people coming back?”

  “Yes. Especially in the towns further north. Most of the people in the smaller towns didn’t go very far, so they are all here. Some people lost everything and decided to leave. I’m sure this area has lost some of its population, but until they do a head count, they won’t know for sure.”

  “That’s to be expected when a major hurricane hits. Sometimes towns die out because the damage is more than they can handle. Sometimes towns have a lot of damage, but it takes a long time to get back to normal if the people decide to stay. Most times it is a wait and see situation.”

  Stan nodded. “Yeah, I know. But, as far as things are going right now, I’d say it is possible that we can be out of here as soon as two weeks, but no longer than a month. The state services can take over then. They will be staying here for a while longer and will give any additional needed aid. I have been talking to them and they are ready. They have been highly involved here and they know the needs of the people. So, all is going very well.”

  “How has the turnaround time on the mobile homes been?”

  It was a big contention Fitzpatrick had when he arranged with the company to build the permanent mobile homes. They had to have at least thirty ready and had two days to get them to the disaster site. They predicted Marco two days before it hit land, so there was plenty of warning. The company had the mobile homes piggyback loaded on railway cars and awaited word to move them out. Then they arranged for trucks at the drop-off location to transport the mobile homes to Texas.

  Fitzpatrick had been surprised and relieved how well the company was living up to the agreement. And, they were continuing with their services. He made a mental note to call them on Monday and thank them again for their services. He needed to do it before Harper did and then bragged about it.

  “The turnaround time has been great. Whenever I have called, they had them on the road and here in a couple of days. I’ve had the lots monitored, so I could anticipate when they would be needed and get the people in the homes sooner, rather than waiting a couple of days more.”

  Fitzpatrick nodded. “I know they promised they would have mobile homes ready, so I am glad you are getting them when they are needed.”

  Stan nodded. “From what I have found, we are only going to need twenty more after the next two deliveries. I have let them know and they said it would be no problem. I just got that report worked up. I can get it for you tomorrow.”

  “Okay. I can pick it up from you tomorrow. I know you’ve given me updates on how things were going, but I wanted to see for myself and make sure the supplies were coming in.”

  Just then, a young woman came in with a tray, which held a glass pitcher of ice water, two glasses and several chocolate chips cookies on a plate. She smiled as she sat the tray in the middle of the table. Fitzpatrick thanked her, then watched as she walked out, closing the door behind her. He poured himself a glass of water and took a long drink, then grabbed a couple of cookies and began eating the first one.

  “I’m glad you did. It is always better to see it first hand. Although, I do have a question.” McClelland grabbed two chocolate chip cookies and stuffed them in his mouth.

  “What’s the question?”

  “What’s with the media crew? We have had a lot of them down here for the past month. They are finally tapering off now, thank goodness. I have never seen so many of them get in the way. I finally had to ban them from some areas.”

  Fitzpatrick laughed. He knew very well how tenacious the media could be. He knew they served the public, but it was often a fine line between of them being a service to the public and being annoying to the work going on around them.

  “Well, to answer your question, I decided to get a little credit for myself. When I first came down, the media knew I was here. They filmed the team that had come down, along with the
other agencies. I heard they broadcast this all over the U.S. I suppose to show the numbers of people that was here to help the people here. Mainly, they focused on the rescue and recovery, which is only right. This time, I arranged for a camera crew to come along. I decided I would give them a first hand view of the recovery and then give my side of the story.”

  It was Stan’s turn to laugh. “I take it Harper is at it again.”

  “Yes he is. I come up with an idea and he takes credit for it. I do something and he takes credit for it. Of course, he never bothered to come here, see what needed to be done and offer help, but he gets my report and runs with it.”

  “Can’t blame you for doing something about it.” Stan leaned forward, got another cookie and looked at Fitzpatrick. “You know, he is going to have a fit when they show the tape on television, especially when it has you in it.”

  Fitzpatrick nodded and smiled. “Yes, I know. But, that is what I want. I want the public to know that it was me and the rest of the crew who was the biggest help here, not him.”

  “A couple of local senators from Texas came here for a visit and wondered why Harper hadn’t come down here.”

  “Yeah, I heard that too. I also heard the President said he needed to come, but Harper refused.”

  “Well, if he keeps that up and he won’t be the Administrator very long.”

  That is exactly what I am hoping for, Fitzpatrick thought. He had worked with some good Administrator’s, but Harper was not one of them.

  “Well, I guess that will be a wait and see situation.”

  Stan was quiet for a moment. He reached over, poured himself a glass of cold water, and then took a long drink.

  “You know,” Stan said, “there is one thing I hate about Texas.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I hate the heat and I hate the bugs. I can never figure out why the hurricanes don’t eradicate them.”

  Fitzpatrick laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I think animals are smarter than we are. They know when something is coming and they bury themselves deeper or leave.

  Stan nodded. “That must be what happens. Oh well, can’t have everything. So, what are you going to do now?”

  “I’m going to take the crew around to all the towns. I want to see for myself how the cleanup is going. They should get some good human interest stories out of it.”

  Stan nodded. “Yes, I’m sure they will. How long are you going to be down here?”

  “I’ll be back here tomorrow morning. If you think of anything else you need or have a problem with something, let me know. My flight is just after noon. The film crew is leaving tonight. They should have enough to make a good story by then.”

  “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

  “I want to talk to the Texas Emergency Services and see if they are in need of anything further. I haven’t heard from them since I was down here, so I just want to touch base with them.”

  “I’ve been talking with them. I think they are pretty much set. But, I’m sure they would like to talk to you.”

  “What was going on with the state agency talking to Pete Morrow?”

  Stan nodded. “Yes, I forgot to tell you. They are from the Governor’s office. Pete had taken them on a tour. He was just finishing off with any questions they had. From what I could hear, they were impressed.”

  “That’s good. I was hoping there wasn’t a problem. Well, I am going to take off for now. Call me if you need me.”

  Stan stood up and nodded. “I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  They said goodbye and Fitzpatrick walked out of the conference room and walked out of the building. A semi was just coming in. He wasn’t sure what was inside, but knew things here were under control. Now, it was time for a tour. He found his two tagalongs and then located the Escalade they had ready for them. They all got in and took off. Fitzpatrick made his way around Beaumont, then got on route 347 and headed south. He would begin his tour starting at the furthest town south, which had taken the biggest hit.

  As the afternoon went on, Fitzpatrick had to admit that what he was seeing now and what he had seen two weeks ago was a world of difference. The landscape had changed and it would probably take decades until nature changed it back to the way it was. But, what he was also seeing was people who were recovering. They stopped in each town, talked to people who were in the process of cleaning up, all three helping where they could. Sasha and Josh were busy getting film while all this was going on. They filmed his interviews with the townspeople and did some of their own interviews, with him and the townspeople.

  The large group Stan had told him about was busy working by the time they got to the town. Family members of some of the elderly people were helping too. The ten lots, all located along one street was a beehive of activity. Every one of the one hundred college students were working hard. The most amazing part was that they looked like they wanted to be here. Wanted to help. The film crew was eating this up.

  Yes, the lots will be ready for the mobile homes within the next week. He could see the relief on the faces of the elderly people watching, knowing their lives were going to be better now.

  Fitzpatrick knew the film crew was getting some good footage. He smiled when he thought about what Harper would say when he saw the coverage. Even though they were going back to Houston tonight, Sasha told him the story would go national on Sunday evening. A ten-minute news report. He would be home by then. He hoped Harper watched it too. He was actually looking forward to seeing Harper on Monday and getting his opinion on what he thought about it.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  6:00 p.m. SATURDAY EVENING

  THE HOUSE

  A pickup truck pulled into the driveway of the house, then drove around to the backside, parking close to the back door. The driver got out, closed the truck door and walked towards the back door. Just as he got to the door, the door opened. Another man, almost twice his size, but shorter, stood in front of him. He opened the door wider and the taller man walked in.

  “Good to see you again, Walter,” the man said as they got to the kitchen.

  “Good to see you too.”

  “Is everything going alright?”

  Walter nodded. “Yes. We got in late last night. Everything was ready, so everyone got settled in quickly.”

  “No problems with anyone?”

  Walter shook his head. “No. Everyone hit the sack pretty much right after we got here.”

  “And the guests?”

  Walter shook his head. “No problems. They were still pretty out of it when they got here. Went where they were told.”

  The man laughed. “I’m sure they did too. Any problem with the meals?”

  “No, they came in three times today. Food is good too. Is it from a local restaurant?”

  The man nodded. “Yes. It’s a local favorite.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “That I had a lot of company and didn’t want to cook.”

  Walter laughed.

  “So, everyone is happy?”

  “I think so. Haven’t heard any complaints.”

  “Good. Oh, here are the magazines and books you requested.” The man held up the tote bag he had brought in with him.

  “You got these fast.”

  “Yeah. Called it in to the local library and they were ready when I got there.”

  Walter took the tote bag and laid it on the kitchen counter. He thought for a moment, looked at his watch and then picked up the bag again.

  “Maybe I’d better deliver these to our company. Might as well give them something to do.” Then he reached over on the counter and picked up a small legal pad and a pen. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  The man nodded. “Okay. While you do that, I will go check on the rest of your company.” He watched as Walter walked to a door and went down the stairs.

  Walking into the large living room, the man notice how few pieces of furniture there was in the house. They weren’t going to be here
more than a few days, so they didn’t need much. A couch, coffee table, and two cloth wing chairs were in the main part of the living room. A loveseat was sitting near the door of the room on the other side of the living room. Nothing elaborate, but all were functional. For the amount of people here, it was enough. To avoid suspicion, he’d had to go thirty miles away to a Goodwill store to find all the furniture he needed to get. The man turned right and headed for the room off the living room.

  Inside the room, an old large oak desk sat in the middle of the room. A six-foot beige couch was against the left hand wall and another matching couch was against the right hand wall. Stretched out, a young man was on the left hand couch. He was in his late twenties, had shoulder length medium brown hair; tucked behind his ears. He was dressed in jeans and dark blue t-shirt and was playing with some electrical gadget the man didn’t recognize. Lying on the right side couch was a young woman. She was also in her late twenties and had shoulder-length light brown hair. A holster was lying on the floor next to the couch. The man knew exactly what was inside. It was a Berretta semi automatic pistol. He wondered where she got it. The girl had her eyes closed. Her ear buds were in and she was bouncing to whatever music she was listening to on her MP3 player.

  Another man and young woman sat behind the desk. The man was in his early thirties, had long light brown hair that he had pulled back into a low ponytail. He was wearing jeans, open plaid shirt, and a white t-shirt underneath. The young woman was in her late twenties. She was slender, with straight long blonde hair that hung down past her shoulders, and was wearing a yellow tank top and jeans. They were both busy working on two laptop computers sitting on top of the desk.

  The man behind the desk looked up at the taller man standing in the doorway and froze when he noticed the gun tucked in the front of his jeans.

  “How’s it going in here?” he asked the younger man.

  “Just fine.”

  The two on the couches sat up and looked at the man.

  “Are you getting everything done?”