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THE CEREMONY:
Jadin drives into the empty parking lot at the marina and stops behind the repair shop. Once the engine was off, she turns to look over at Jerry in the passenger seat. “Are you sure it’s today?”
“That’s what I was told.”
Jadin opens her door and climbs out, and waits while Jerry does the same. “I see a few people over at the shops. Let’s head over and find out what happened.”
Jerry walks around the car to join her. “No ceremony is fine with me. I didn’t want to give a damn speech in the first place.”
Jadin wraps her arm around Jerry’s. “That’s not the point. There should be a lot more people here for the grand opening.”
“It’s not a grand opening, Jadin. It’s been open for three months.”
“You know what I mean. This marina supports most of the town. You’d think they would at least come and thank you for finding the financing to rebuild it.” She looked up at him. “How did you manage to find that much money?” She notices a change in his demeanor, and a sad look in his eyes. She abruptly stops walking. “You didn’t, did you?”
Jerry sighs in resignation. “Yes and not a word about this to anyone, young lady.”
“But why? You and Dad built that campground together. You swore you would never sell it.”
“My brother is gone, Jadin, and I’m not getting any younger. It’s about time to let it go.”
Jadin crosses her arms. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you rebuild the marina with the money, instead of actually retiring?”
“Because, Jadin, without the marina, this town would wither up and die. This is still my home, and I won’t let that happen.”
“All right. You know, you really should tell everyone it was your money and not some financial group’s.”
Jerry smiles and holds his elbow out for Jadin to accept, and with his arm wrapped around hers, he walks toward the shops. “What purpose would that serve? The only recognition I need right now is a harbor full of happy boaters.”
“All right. It’s your call.”
Jadin can’t believe the difference in the appearance of the marina, and when they reach the new pier, she stops and smiles up at Jerry. “What time are you supposed to give your speech?”
“The note said 10:00 AM.”
“What note, and from whom?”
“Someone from City Hall left it at my shop.”
Jadin grins. “I think you’ve been punked, Jerry.”
“What? What do you mean punked?”
“Didn’t 10:00AM strike you as being a little early for a celebration? Someone’s playing a practical joke on you.”
“Damn. I bet it was Curtis. 1:00PM would seem more reasonable.”
“Well, it’s seems there isn’t any hurry, so show me your new docks.”
Jerry turns and leads her down the pier. “All right, but they’re not my docks, this is a city marina.”
“You paid for them, so in my opinion, that makes them yours.”
“The town will pay me back with a percentage of the mooring fees.”
“What’s the percentage?”
Jerry looks down at her. “Do you need to know everything?”
“Of course. You’re my favorite uncle, and I’m going to make sure you don’t get screwed out of what you deserve.”
“I’m your only uncle, so that’s not really a compliment, but thanks anyway.”
When they reach the end of the pier, Jadin goes down the aluminum ramp first. Compared to the old wooden ramp, this one feels solid as a rock. Being a curious scientist and astrophysicist, when she reaches the bottom, she kneels down to looks underneath. The thick aluminum frame is secured to the concrete pier with two large hinges, and the bottom rests on four large rubber rollers. When she stands, she gives Jerry a curious expression. “I bet this ramp wasn’t cheap. How much did you pay for it?”
“Let me just say that we needed something that would last, otherwise there was no sense in replacing the old one. Same with the mooring docks. The new pilings are Teflon-coated steel tubes, and the same with the attachment rings on the docks. The company guarantees the Teflon will not wear down to the steel for five-hundred years. Of course, by then there will be something lighter and smaller available. Things just keep changing.”
Jadin looks up at her humble uncle. Even his house is a modest rambler style, although it does overlook the ocean.
When her phone rings, she retrieves it from her coat pocket and recognizes the number from one of her team member’s in Pasadena. “Hey, Patrick. What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry for interrupting your vacation, Jadin, but everyone’s being called back to work. The moon’s tidal affect hit the Atlantic Ocean last night, causing a higher than normal tide, but no serious damage. The moon is now causing extreme tides along the coasts of Japan and China in the eastern Pacific, so you should expect to get a higher than normal tide surge a few hours from now.”
“Do you know how much higher?”
“We knew you would want to know, so we figured it out. For the Pacific Northwest, about two-feet above any previous high tide mark. Nothing too drastic yet.”
“What about the one after that?”
“The change sent the moon into a chaotic elliptical orbit, and our calculations indicate the next incoming tide shouldn’t be as bad.”
“That’s good news. Has anyone determined how something this impossible just happened?”
“At the moment, no one in NASA has any idea how this could be possible, not even any wild theories. Oh, and one more thing, Jadin. The Director of National Security has classified this as top secret until he says otherwise.”
“All right. Can you arrange a flight for me this afternoon?”
“I’ll take care of it and text you the information.”
“Thanks, Patrick. Keep me posted on any new developments.”
Jadin slides the phone into her pocket and looks up at Jerry. “I’m sorry, Jerry, but I need to head back to JPL after the ceremony.”
Jerry stared at her. “That’s okay, but can you tell me why?”
“I can’t go into any details for security reasons, but we’re going to have some strange tides for a while. Nothing for you to worry about.”
Jerry thinks about it for a moment. “Since when does an astrologist get called back to work if it’s nothing to worry about? Asteroids don’t have anything to do with tides, Jadin.”
“I’m an astrophysicist, not a fortune teller, and my expertise is not limited to just asteroids and comets. I also have a degree in foreign languages, and another in computer science.” She stared out across the harbor for a moment. “You’re right, Jerry. Asteroids don’t have anything to do with tides. I just wish I knew all the details about why this is happening.”
No longer arm in arm, they continue along the docks, receiving nods of approval for the new marina from the people on their boats.
***
When Thomas Curtis arrives at the marina, he smiles when he sees there are only seven cars in the parking lot. Out of habit, he parks in the spot reserved for VIPs and climbs out of his town car. Once Mary joins him, they begin strolling along the waterfront. Quaint shops, restaurants, and a few taverns have replaced the fish processing factories. Back in his day as Mayor, he fought hard to get approval from the town council to build a hotel in that area instead.
Mary stops and places her hands on the steel railing as she stares down at the water in the harbor, fifteen-feet below. She looks out across the marina and smiles up at Curtis. “Jerry did a wonderful job, didn’t he, Thomas?”
Curtis hates to admit it. “I suppose so.” He smirks at her. “Come on. I want to see what he’s wearing.”
“You’d better behave yourself, Thomas. You’re not the Mayor anymore.”
Curtis ignores her when he notices someone he didn’t expect to see at the ceremony, and walks over to sit with him at a table in the waterfront park. “What are you doing here, Fred? I told you not to come here today.”
“You’re not the Mayor anymore, Tommy, and I don’t approve of your trying to boycott this grand opening ceremony.”
Mary followed Curtis and stares up at him. “You’re a real bastard, Thomas.” She turns and stomps over to the shops, entering the first one just to get out of Curtis’s sight.
Curtis glares at Fred. “I loaned you the money for starting your kayaking business when nobody else would, so you owe me.”
Fred stands and smiles sarcastically at Curtis. “And I really appreciate it, Tommy, especially since your bank is charging me nineteen percent interest. Enjoy the celebration. I know I will.”
When Fred walks away, Curtis is surprised by the lack of respect and stare after him for a moment. Is this the way it’s going to be today?
***
On their way back up the ramp, Jadin sees the ex-Mayor standing at the railing near the gazebo and looks up at Jerry. “Have you spoken to Curtis since the election?”
“We exchanged nods at the grocery store once.”
“It’s time to go check out where you will be giving your speech.”
***
Curtis remains seated and looks out at the harbor. As promised, he allowed Jerry to plan and organize the design of the new marina, and he admires Jerry’s choices. He turns around in his seat when he hears a familiar voice behind him, and his attention is immediately drawn to the man in a powder blue shirt a short distance away.
When Curtis turns around to face her, Jadin sees his reaction and grins. “Hi, Tom. I bet you didn’t expect to see the new Mayor all dressed up for the occasion.”
“I know it wasn’t his decision, Jadin.”
“You’re correct. I picked it out for him. I think the color makes a statement, don’t you?”
Curtis stares at Jadin. Even when she was young, she always spoke what was on her mind, but what irks him is that she is usually right about what she says. “How have you been?”
“Oh, the usual. Trying to save humanity from destruction, things like that.”
Curtis ignores her and frowns when he sees someone else he didn’t expect to see at the ceremony. “You’ll have to excuse me.”
Jerry watches Curtis hurry over to Ernesto Rodriguez, standing in front of one of the shops. They appear to be arguing, until Curtis waves his arms in the air and stomps away.
Jadin takes Jerry’s hand to move him out of the way when four musicians carry their equipment up into the gazebo. “Let’s see how they plan to set up their microphones. I want to make sure you’re facing the boardwalk in front of the shops as well as the park.”
“You just can’t help trying to take care of everything for me, can you?”
“It’s the least I can do for you. You were a big help while Brad was going to the Police Academy. I think Aaron had more fun being with you than any of us.” She looks at the set up in the gazebo. “That won’t work. Come on. I want to see how you look on stage.”
Jerry reluctantly follows Jadin up the steps into the gazebo, and looks down at the marina on the other side, twelve-feet below the park. He feels Jadin pull on his arm and turns to look at her. “It sure is a beautiful sight.”
“It sure is. Now move over here, at an angle to the street.”
Jerry does as instructed, while Jadin leaps down the steps to look at him. When she gives him a thumbs up, he walks down to join her. “Are we done?”
Jadin looks at her watch. “I suppose. The notice on the bulletin board said the ceremony will start with a speech from the new Mayor at 1:00 PM today, about forty minutes from now.” She grins. “Since I hijacked you from your breakfast to see the marina, how about I buy you some lunch?”
“To be honest, I’m not that hungry. How about a beer instead?”
“Good afternoon, Mister Mayor.”
Jerry recognizes the voice and smiles as he turns around. “Hello, Mary.”
“I like that shirt on you. It brings out the color of your eyes.”
Jerry glances over at Jadin, who’s grinning. “Why, thank you, Mary. You look lovely today. I wasn’t sure if you and Tommy were going to show up.”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Mary waves her hand out toward the marina. “You did a wonderful job, Jerry. You should be proud of your accomplishment. I know I am.”
Jerry looks Mary in the eyes and feels his face flush. “It was a labor of love.” Jerry and Mary continue to stare into each other’s eyes until another couple stops beside them.
“Good afternoon, Mister Mayor.”
Jerry turns and smiles at the Andersons. “Good afternoon to you, too.”
He turns back to Mary and Jadin. “I need some place to hide until it’s time to get up and embarrass myself.”
Jadin takes his arm and looks at Mary. “We were just going down to get the new Mayor a beer, if you’d care to join us.”
Mary looks around until she sees Curtis arguing with two young men, then smiles and takes Jerry’s other arm in hers. “Yes, thank you. I would love a beer.”
***
Curtis hurries along the boardwalk to the parking lot, and abruptly stops and put his hands on his hips when he sees it is quickly filling up. The people walking past him no longer call him Mayor, only Tom or Mister Curtis. He has served this community on the Town Council for ten years before accepting the position as the Mayor for the past fifteen years. They don’t even make the mistake of accidently calling him Mister Mayor, which bothers him almost as much as being beaten by a country bumpkin like Avery.
He turns back to the stores when he hears music coming from the park, and sees the lawn and boardwalk are becoming crowded with people waiting for the celebration to begin. When he notices that Mary is sitting next to Avery, he feels a slight sense of rage. He knows Mary is still in love with the guy. Tom’s frown turns into a smirk of satisfaction, since he is the man who took her away from Avery. He hurries back down the boardwalk to be ready when Avery gives his speech. This should be good.
***
Jadin smiles at people she doesn’t know, who stop by their table to say hello to her uncle. Several of his old high school friends see Mary Curtis sitting close to his side and smile at him conspiratorially.
When she looks past the crowded boardwalk, her heartbeat increases with a sense of pride. The park is filled with people and several families have set up blankets and chairs. The older folks occupy the benches, tourists line the railing along the boardwalk, and they are all here to listen to Jerry’s official grand opening speech.
The clock on the gazebo shows 1:00, and Jadin takes Jerry’s hand. “It’s time.”
He heaves a deep sigh of resignation. “I guess I might as well get it over with.”
Jadin stands and guides Jerry back to the gazebo, but before they go up the steps, he stops. She turns and sees the trepidation in his eyes. “Why don’t you wait down here and I’ll get things started.”
Jerry lets his shoulders relax for a moment. “Thanks, Jadin.”
Jadin walks up the steps. When the musicians look at her, she gives them a nod and they play a short burst of announcement music. She turns and steps in front of the microphone. A soft click erupts from the speaker system when she turns it on, and she waits until most of the people were paying attention before she begins her introduction.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Jadin Avery. My uncle is a little shy around people, so I was very surprised when I heard he had become a town official. Let’s give a round of applause to the man who made all this possible. My uncle, Mayor Jerry Avery.” She smiles and holds her hand out to Jerry.
When the applause erupts from the spectators, Jerry straightens his shoulders and tries to keep his nerves under control as he climbs the steps. When Jadin steps away, he leans into the microphone. “Hello . . .” The squeal causes everyone to wince, and he moves farther away.
“Hello? That’s much better. I, uh. I just wanted to say, welcome to the official grand opening of the new marina, and have a good time.”
When he hears the cheers, Jerry feels his face flush so he turns away from the audience.
Curtis quickly makes his way to the front of the crowd. “Tell me how you envision the future of our town, Mister Mayor?”
Jerry looks down at Curtis. “Why don’t you come on up here, Tommy, and let me explain it to you in person.”
Curtis smirks up at Jerry. This ought to be good. He heads up the steps. “I look forward to hearing all about the destiny you have planned for all of us living in this little community.”
Jerry waves him over and waits until Curtis is beside him at the podium, adjusts the microphone, and then looks out over the crowd. “I don’t know who wrote my name down on the ballot, Tommy. I hadn’t planned on taking over your job. The only thing I wanted to do was rebuild our marina, and now I’ve accomplished the task. My first and last official act is to concede to the runner-up and resign from my position as the Mayor of Humpback Harbor.” The only sound Jerry hears in response is the slight creaking of the nails in the wooden steps on his way down from the gazebo.
Curtis’ mouth hangs open as he stares after Jerry. I did not see that coming.
Jadin waits until her uncle is at her side and gives him a quizzical stare. “Did you plan this from the beginning?”
“Yes. I was just waiting for the right opportunity.”
Jadin smiles, but when she looks down at the harbor, her smile slips away. “Listen, the tide is been dropping fast, and your docks and the boats will be sitting in the mud in a few minutes.”
When Jerry turns around, he sees Aaron standing on the closest dock with his palms up. He stares in shock as the boats tethered to the mooring buoys slowly lists to the side in the gray mud. “I had the harbor dredged before we began setting the pilings, and I was assured it would be deep enough, even at the lowest possible tide.”
“This is worse than I imagined, Jerry. I hate to leave so soon, but I’ve got to get back to JPL and find out why this is happening.”
Jerry turns to look at his niece. “I think you already know.” When she chews on her lower lip, he understands her predicament. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask you for the details. Just tell me one thing first. Is the tide going to be just as drastic when it comes back in?”
“I’m sure it will be higher than normal, so you should let everyone know to be prepared for flooding in the lower areas.”
“Damn! The campground might not get flooded, but I’m sure some people are walking out on the beach out of curiosity. If the tide comes in as quickly as it went out, they could drown before they make it back to shore. I’d better let Rick and Curtis know what’s going on.”
Jadin doesn’t know if Curtis had a change in personality since losing the election, but if he stays true to form, he won’t take her uncle’s word on what is about to happen. “I’m going with you.”
Jerry and Jadin walk through the crowd of people, who are trying to get a better view of the waterless harbor, and find the Sheriff and Curtis looking down from the gazebo. “I need your help, Sheriff. We need to hurry down to the campground and warn the people not to go out from shore to collect souvenirs.” He explains what Jadin told him. “I’m going with you, Rick.”
Jadin moves closer to Jerry. “I’ll help too, Sheriff.”
Jerry looks down at her. “We can handle it, sweetie. I saw you look at your phone, and I would imagine that’s your ride back. You need to do your job, so get going.”
Jadin hugs him tightly. “I love you, Uncle Jerry. Be careful, all right?”
“I will, and I’ll call you later.”
When Jerry and the Sheriff head to Main Street to get the patrol vehicle, Jadin jogs back to the parking lot to get her rental car. When she stops, she calls her lab in Pasadena. “I’m on my way, and I’ll be on the plane in twenty minutes. Thanks, Patrick, and I’ll see you soon.”
When Jadin turns to get in, she notices a dozen people heading in her direction. She quickly climbs in behind the steering wheel before the parking lot became jammed by scared drivers, and heads up the hill to the Coast Highway. A few minutes later, she is cruising to the airport in North Bend at ten miles over the speed limit.
***
Jerry and Rick climb into the patrol car and head south. When they drive across the bridge, Jerry looks down at the river, and the question is how high it will get when the incoming tide blocks the outflow into the ocean.
Rick turns off the highway and enters the campground, and it appears the campers have left their belongings unattended. “This doesn’t look good, Jerry.”
“Everyone went down to the beach, so we’d better get down there and warn them before they get trapped.”
“Won’t they just walk to shore as it starts coming in?”
“Don’t argue, just hurry. It’s coming in really fast this time.”
Rick turns around and leaves the camping area, driving further down the road to the gravel-covered shoreline. They stop and climb out, and stare out across the flooded sandbar where the river empties into the ocean. Off to one side of the outflow, a narrow gap separates the steep bluff from the rushing river.
Jerry stares at the people running from the tidal surge, many of them sloshing through thigh high water. “Damn fools!” He hurries down to the beach to help two young children running alone. “Where are your parents?”
“They got trapped on a big rock,” the boy answers.
Jerry stares past them at the rising tide, now filling the gap between the bluff and the river. If the parents are high enough, they will be safe. If not, he knows the nearest access to dry land is a thousand yards in either direction, and their chances of surviving the rapidly rising water are slim.
Jerry sees two heads bobbing above the water. He watches them swim until they can stand up, then slosh through the chest high water as they struggle to get to him and their children. He points past the kids, who spin around when they hear their parents’ voices. The kids wave frantically for them to hurry, then Jerry grabs the children’s hands and turns them around. “Let’s go. We’ll meet them on the road.”
At first, they do not want to leave, and he is nearly dragging them up the beach. When they are standing safely on the asphalt, they all turn to watch the parents, still sloshing through the waist high water.
The tidal bore is moving faster than they can run, and the man and woman look exhausted. They begin to stumble, occasionally falling forward into the water. Suddenly a few of the other campers, who had already reached the road, run out to assist the couple back to shore.
Jerry stares at the steadily rising ocean, now moving up to the base of the road. Just by looking at the floating pieces of dry driftwood and seaweed, he realizes it is rising much higher than ever before. He spins around when he hears people yelling, and several campers are pointing to their belongings, now floating out to sea on the water from the swollen river.
Jerry feels helpless. When he turns back toward the beach, the water is less than a foot below the asphalt, and if the tide continues to rise, it too will be under water.
Jerry isn’t sure if he is just imagining it, but the water level appears to be decreasing. When the wet gravel is exposed, he knows the tide is slowly receding. When he turns around, Rick is smiling at him.
“Get in, Jerry, and we’ll drive around the campground to assess the damage.”
“Thanks,” he says and climbs into Rick’s patrol car.
Much to his surprise, Jerry sees that only the waterfront campsites have been washed away, and the rest of the campground remains high and dry. “So far so good, but I have a bad feeling things are going to get worse.”
When Jerry finishes the inspection, he tells Rick to take them back to town, and they hurry to the park to talk to Curtis. Jerry finds him sitting with a cold beer in his hand in front of a tavern. “Do you really think this is a good time to have a drink, Tommy?”
“It’s only one beer, Avery. Did anyone get hurt?”
“No. They were lucky this time. I’m going to close the camping areas and send them away for the time being.”
Curtis stares up at Jerry. “I don’t think so. As long as they stay off the beach at low tide, they should be okay.”
Jerry knows Curtis is wrong, and even though the campground doesn’t belong to him anymore, he still feels responsible for the occupants. “Listen, Tommy, I’m sure the tides will get worse and the river will eventually flood the entire campground. You need to send the people away before that happens.”
Rick isn’t sure what’s going on. “Isn’t that your call, Jerry?”
Curtis stands. “Not anymore. The campground belongs to me now so whatever I say goes. And I say it stays open.” He drops his beer can into the trash and walks away.”
Jerry sits down at the table. “I know what you’re thinking, Rick.”
Rick sits down across from him. “The only thing I’m thinking is that you must have had a damn good reason to sell it.” When he sees Jerry look down at the harbor, Rick understands. “You used the money to rebuild the marina. Does anyone else know what you did?”
“Just Jadin, and that’s the way I like it. I’d appreciate it if you would keep it to yourself.”
Rick is curious why, but doesn’t ask. “All right.” He stands. “I’ll go back to the campground and see if I can convince the people to leave on their own.”
Jerry smiles. “Thanks, Rick. That’s one less thing for me to worry about.”
“What else are you worried about?”
“The reason this is happening. Jadin had to cut her vacation short because she was called back to work. She’s the one who mentioned the tides might start acting weird, but nothing this drastic. Whatever is affecting the water must be a major problem.”
When Rick walks away, Jerry stands and walks back along the boardwalk toward his shop. A long string of boats crowds the exit from the harbor, and in a few more hours, the buoys and mooring spaces will be abandoned. So much for the grand opening.