At seven that morning, Elizabeth Carter arrived at the emergency shelter.
She had spent the night at another location after a volunteer helped her escape the flooded neighborhood.
When she learned that rescue workers had found Charlie, she immediately asked to see him.
One of the paramedics brought the little dog over.
The moment Elizabeth saw him, she burst into tears.
She wrapped her arms around him.
“I thought I’d lost you, sweetheart.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“We found him near a house in the northern district.”
Elizabeth looked up.
“Which house?”
Daniel showed her the location on a map.
She studied it for a moment.
“That’s close to the old school.”
“Which school?”
“The school my grandchildren used to attend. There’s a raised road behind it. People might have used it to reach the shelter.”
Daniel listened carefully.
“Do you know if the school was used as an evacuation site?”
“I’m not sure, but the old building sits on relatively high ground.”
Daniel took the information to Robert.
After reviewing the reports, the team discovered that the school hadn’t been fully searched because the road leading to it was blocked.
A new rescue team was sent to investigate.
An hour later, a message came through the radio.
“We’ve found a group of people inside the school. Medical assistance is needed.”
Daniel stood up immediately.
He didn’t know whether Sophia was among them.
But for the first time, hope no longer felt like just a word.
It had become a location on a map.
Chapter Twelve: Behind the Steel Door
HE HAD ONE NIGHT TO SAVE EVERYONE HE LOVED… 💔
