Extinction Level Event (Book 1): Extinction

by Newman, AJ

  Jon said, “I agree. Now, I need all of you to search the plane and pile anything we don’t need, or the plane doesn’t need to fly by the rear door. I’m going to see if I can remove the co-pilot’s seat. There is a bag of tools in the hatch behind the lavatory if you need them.”

  Jon became frustrated very quickly when he found the co-pilot’s seat was secured with socket head cap bolts, and there weren’t any Allen wrenches in the bag. He was able to take the seat back and cushion from the seat. They only weighed about twenty pounds together, but any weight reduced was less fuel used. The others stripped the carpet from the floors and ripped the molding from the cabin walls. Altogether, they pitched another two hundred pounds of unnecessary weight. Jon felt good about their chances now.

  George cleared his throat to get the other’s attention. “Jon, do we have to go to Mobile? I want to go to Mississippi with Barb.”

  Jon couldn’t help but notice the surprised look on Barbara’s face. He glanced at Jill, and she nodded, indicating she caught the reluctance on Barbara’s part to have George go with her. Jon ignored George and motioned for Jill to follow him into the cockpit.

  “Jill, George seems to be an asshole. Barbara either doesn’t like him or is afraid of him. If I keep him busy, could you see what you can learn from Barbara?”

  “I got the same vibes. They worked together, but she’s definitely afraid of him. I’m kinda glad we hid the other weapons in the cockpit away from George. You never know. He could be a great guy in a bad situation or an asshole ready to commandeer the plane.”

  “Hey, George, could you grab a pair of vice grips and come into the cockpit? I want to see if we can use them to remove the bolts on the co-pilots seat.”

  Jon was confident the vice grips couldn’t get enough grip on the socket heads to remove the bolts but was pleasantly surprised, and five minutes later, the seat was chucked out the door.

  George saw the weapons piled behind the co-pilot’s seat and quickly stuck a pistol under his shirt and into his waistband. Jon didn’t notice George’s devious move. George was happy now. He laughed and tried to tell Jon his favorite jokes. Jon was suspicious and guarded, so the jokes were rewarded with silence.

  Jon thanked George as they walked back into the cabin. George said, “The flight to Mobile can’t be more than an hour and a half to two hours. There’s still time to change and fly us to the New Orleans area.”

  Jon started to blast George, but before he could speak, Jill said, “George, people in hell want ice water. You two crashed our party and placed us in danger of running out of fuel for our trip, so if I were you, I’d settle for escaping the locked-down CDC buildings.”

  Barbara said, “Jill is right. We escaped without a fight. We are damn lucky these people took us along. They could have shot us and pitched our bodies like the others. Shut up, George, and I’m not taking you home with me. I’ve told you that several times.”

  Jon said, “George that settles the issue. We’re going to land around Mobile, and then if possible, we’ll find a way for Barbara to get home, and you go to where you want to go, by yourself.”

  George was astounded no one agreed with him. “But, I only came along to be with Barb.”

  Jill replied, “She doesn’t want you to follow her. Get that in your thick skull and leave her alone.”

  A half-hour had passed, and Jill joined Jon in the cabin. She was shocked to see he was actually steering the plane. “Hey, Jon, what gives? What happened to the autopilot? Aren’t we much closer to the ground?”

  Jon gave a half-hearted laugh. “I’ve made gradual changes to direction and altitude. The autopilot only keeps the plane heading in the direction you tell it to go. This is a basic plane for short hops. It doesn’t have a GPS self-flying module where you input the place you want to go, and it takes off, flies to the destination, and lands the plane by itself.”

  “So, what does that have to do with us?”

  “I pointed the plane south and have adjusted a couple of times to help me find Mobile. I’m currently looking for Highway 65 and plan to follow it down to Mobile. If I see the coast first, I’ll fly west until I see Mobile or run out of gas.”

  Jill’s heart rate sharply increased, her face blushed, and she sank her nails into Jon’s shoulder. “What if we’re already west of Highway 65? You’ve been away from the cockpit most of the flight.”

  “Because I directed the plane to fly about twenty degrees west of due south, and that would put us a hundred miles east of Highway 65 if I don’t begin making corrections. Before you say it, yes, I’m flying by the seat of my pants. I’m pretty sure I can land safely but will need to be on the ground before we run out of gas. I don’t want to make an emergency landing without power. That could be a disaster. Now, help me watch for Highway 65 and any airports.”

  Jill shook her head. “Why do we need to know where an airport is this far north?”

  “Just in case we run low on fuel and have to get to the ground quickly. I want to have an escape plan. What did you learn from Barbara?”

  “She lives north of New Orleans, and George is a chauvinistic asshole who thinks Barbara should love him. She doesn’t and wants to get away from him. She was hesitant but indicated George could be trouble for us. We need to keep an eye on him.”

  Jon laughed. “You get right to the point and don’t pull punches. I like that. Where are you planning to go after we land in Mobile?”

  “My folks live in a little town south of Lubbock, Texas. That’s my goal.”

  Jon smiled but thought, Her folks are probably dead. This plague, virus, or bug has wiped out most of the earth’s population. What are the chances hers or even mine are alive?

  “Jon. Jon! That’s a major highway down there, and I don’t remember any others heading north to south in Alabama. Were you asleep?”

  Jon didn’t answer but corrected the flight path to follow the highway below. Then he turned and said, “Sorry, I was deep in thought about what we’ll find when we get to our homes. I hope my girlfriend, mom, and dad are alive, but I have serious doubts. Why are we immune? Perhaps our relatives are immune?”

  “I don’t think it works like that. I buried my sister and niece after the plague killed them. I’m not sure I’m immune, but guess I am. I’ve had too much contact with the dead and dying not to catch the disease.”

  Jon said, “The same here. I haven’t been tested or anything and just guessed I was lucky until I talked with Barbara on the radio a couple of days ago. Hey, I never thanked you for saving me. I’m grateful and probably owe my life to you.”

  Jill saw something below and said, “There are several small cities up ahead. I think we’re only a few miles from Mobile. Are you landing at Bates or Brookley?”

  “My parents actually live on Dauphin Island, and I planned on landing on the airstrip there.”

  “Oh, crap! That airport is only a half-mile long. Not a problem for the plane, but that’s with an experienced pilot. Brookley is only thirty miles further away, and it’s almost two miles long if you use up all of the concrete.”

  Jon asked, “How do you know so much about Alabama airports?”

  “I was an MP. I had duty at Brookley and flew into Bates and Brookley several times. My boyfriend, at the time, flew us over to Dauphin Island a couple of times from Pensacola for a day trip.”

  Jon said, “I think I can land the plane at the Dauphin Island airstrip even though it’s short. The worst case is we get to go for a swim if I run out of runway. Got a bikini?”

  “Jon, I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”

  “Who’s kidding? You do wear a bikini with a figure like that, don’t you?”

  “Jon, I think you are flirting. Do you think I have a good figure?”

  “Now, who’s flirting? Of course, you have a great figure. You are a beautiful woman who likes to hide her beauty. I don’t know why, but it’s not working.”

  Jill blushed. “Sorry I can’t wear a bikini. Back in France, three
years ago, during the first Islamic ghetto uprising, I was shot twice in my stomach and side. I lost some intestines and have some ugly scars. I’m a bit shy about people seeing my scars.”

  “I didn’t know you served in the military. First, thank you for your service, and second, don’t ever be self-conscious about wounds you received saving the world for slackers like me. I wanted to serve but was in a bad crash several years back. If it hadn’t been for that new type of synthetic blood, I would have died at the scene of the wreck. Now, I hear it’s the reason I’m immune.”

  Jill smiled. “We have something in common. The same synthetic blood saved my life.”

  Jon said, “What?”

  The light bulb above their heads kicked in at the same time. Jill spoke first. “How many soldiers and wound victims had transfusions? There could be thousands if not millions of us around the world.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I’ll show you my scars if you show me yours.”

  Jill huffed and patted Jon on the shoulder as she moved away to check on the others. Jill thought, This is the first man who didn’t back away from me when he saw the real me. He could make a good husband for some lucky girl.

  Chapter 16

  North of Mobile Alabama above highway 65 – July 2038

  George pulled the pistol from his waistband and watched for an opening. He knew not to take a wild shot that could create a disaster, so he planned to shoot from a sitting position and get one of them between him and the short row of seats in the front for a backstop, in case the bullet passed through them. He tried to hide the weapon, but Barbara saw it. Jill had just exited the cabin, and Barbara caught her eye. Barbara was behind George and first pointed at George and then made a gun with her hands and fingers. She pointed at Jill, waved, and then pointed at George, then Jill.

  Jill understood and drew her pistol as she jumped behind the double row of seats. George turned when he saw Jill’s eyes cut from him to Barbara behind him. He rose up and hit Barbara with his pistol, knocking her to the floor. Jill had a bead on him but was reluctant to shoot for fear of a shot disabling the plane. They were in a stalemate.

  Jill exclaimed, “Jon! George has a gun! Don’t come back here!”

  Jon heard the horrible words and froze for a second. He could see Barbara was lying on the floor and probably unconscious. He didn’t know what to do. He knew gunfire on a plane could result in a disaster. He stuck his head around the corner and whispered. “Buckle up. There’s going to be turbulence.”

  Jill said, “I’m ready.”

  Jon hated to shake up the plane with Barbara on the floor, but he had to save the plane and their lives. He decided to make a quick upward turn, then drop, and then make a sharp right turn. If that didn’t bounce him around, nothing would. Jill should be ready to spring when he yelled.

  The sharp turn upward made George fall out of his seat to the floor. He tried to stand up, but the sharp downturn threw him upward a few feet. He dropped when Jon leveled to make the sharp right turn. The right turn threw George into the seat across the aisle where he hit his head on the seat back and felt something snap in his wrist.

  Jon yelled, “Now!” as he straightened the plane and headed back on course for Mobile.

  Jill ran as fast as she could, but George saw her and climbed out of the seat just in time to be struck by a flying tackle when Jill used her body like a cannonball. George was knocked back, but got off a wild shot before Jill punched him on the bridge of his nose with her flat hand. The severe hit was meant to drive the nose bones into his brain and kill him. Blood gushed, and George fell to the floor. In the chaos, Jill didn’t feel the bullet strike her upper right arm. She clamped her left hand on it to stop the blood flow. The bullet grazed the flesh on the top of her left shoulder. Jill started to yell for Jon when the plane dipped and started to spiral out of control. She picked Barbara up and, with a mighty heave, placed her in a seat. Jill strapped Barbara in and then strapped herself into the seat next to Barbara. She thought the plane was about to crash, so she forced the woman’s head down to her knees.

  Jon had drawn his pistol, but could only see Jill tackling George. He started to run back to help when he heard the shot and then the impact of the bullet striking the control panel. He was thrown to the floor when the plane began to dive as it turned in a lazy circle heading to the ground. Jon brushed the glass from his seat and tried to regain control of the plane. It took too long, but he stopped the spiral and then began pulling back on the steering controls to regain altitude. The altimeter had disappeared after the bullet passed through it on the way to the autopilot and other gauges.

  The aircraft reacted slowly, and Jon saw the ground coming up fast. He knew he couldn’t get enough altitude to avoid crashing into the forest below when he saw the highway again. He lowered the wheels and fought the controls. He had the plane just a few degrees off level when the wheels hit the pavement hard. The aircraft bounced twice when he saw the damned utility poles coming up. He’d already stood on the brakes and burned them so bad they stopped braking. The plane headed down the road at too fast a rate but otherwise in control until the utility poles made their untimely appearance.

  Jill clung to her seat while attempting to hold on to Barbara, so she wouldn’t be whipped against the window and armrests. Her limp body made Jill’s efforts much more difficult. The twists and turns were violent, and Jill was frightened that Jon didn’t have the experience to regain control of the aircraft.

  “Get ready for a collision! Utility poles!”

  The plane’s right wing hit a pole that sheared the wing from the plane and sprayed gas in a trail behind the aircraft. Jill screamed in pain when Barbara slammed against her when the plane wheeled to the left and hit the concrete divider hard. The front wheels collapsed, and the aircraft nosed to the ground, sending off a shower of sparks as the steel landing gear scraped the concrete. Jon was buckled into the pilot’s chair, but his head and arms were still whipped back and forth. He was dazed and lost consciousness for a minute. The plane bumped along, only kept from crashing into the forest by the concrete barriers. Each crash sent sparks and pieces of the plane flying into the air.

  Of course, the gas caught on fire and threatened to engulf the plane. Luckily, for Jon and his passengers, the gas ran out before the aircraft stopped sliding sideways. Suddenly there was silence, and the plane came to a rest. Jon took a minute to clear his head before unbuckling. The smell of gas, along with the still visible fires behind the plane, gave Jon a sense of urgency. He was afraid the plane would catch fire. He grabbed one of the M4s and another pistol before running back to check on the others. George’s face was covered in blood, and he was dead. Jill and Barbara were unconscious. He slung the rifle over his shoulder, fumbled with Jill’s seat belt, and laid her on the floor to look at her wounded shoulder. Blood seeped from the wound, so Jon retrieved the first aid kit from the cockpit. He placed a wad of sterile gauze over the wound and wrapped the shoulder with a long piece of flexible bandage to put pressure on the wound. He picked her up into his arms and carried her to the rear hatch, but had to set her down to open the jammed door. He kicked it the rest of the way open and saw the ladder didn’t unfold. He moved Jill close to the opening and climbed down to the ground. The plane was close to the concrete barrier, but not so close he couldn’t pull her out and carry her about fifty yards away from the plane. He took his shirt off and wadded it up to place it under her head.

  He left Jill on the roadway and hurried back to get Barbara. It took all of his strength to climb back into the plane, but he managed to succeed. He tossed several seat cushions and all of the crew’s personal bags out the door to the ground before laying the rest of the weapons just inside the door. He’d forgotten about Bo in his haste but heard him whimpering when he started to help Barbara.

  Bo was hiding in the restroom, and the door had closed behind him. He looked over Bo and couldn’t find any broken bones, but there were several bloody spots in his fur. Jon us
ed the same method to remove Bo from the plane and take him to rest beside Jill. He rubbed Bo’s ears. “Good boy. I’ll be back with Barbara in a minute.”

  He carried Barbara from her seat to the aisle and then to the door before laying her gently on the floor. He was spent but climbed down again and then pulled her into his arms. He carried her to Jill and placed her down carefully on the ground. He used the bags of clothes for pillows before going back to the plane to scavenge for anything useful.

  His strength was sapped, but Jon had to get anything that could help them survive. He grabbed the guns from the floor by the doorway and placed them on the ground before crawling back into the plane. He was dizzy after the climb into the aircraft and lay there. He couldn’t stand up. He had been battered and bruised during the landing, but didn’t have any severe injuries. He was exhausted.

  Jon rose to his knees and then used one of the passenger seats to steady him as he stood up. He was beside George’s body and saw the first aid kit. He took a step and slid in George’s blood, His legs split apart, and he fell into the seats across from him. His head hit the top of a seat, and his shoulder landed on an armrest. Pain shot through him, and he wanted to give up so he could lie there and sleep. His brain was foggy, but he got to his feet again and retrieved some food and water from the small galley. He looked and turned to leave. He saw the bloody place in the blood where he’d slipped a few minutes ago and kicked George’s body before leaving the plane.

  Jon closely examined the ladies and placed antibiotic salve on all of the visible scrapes and cuts on both ladies before collapsing to the ground. He put one of the crew’s jackets on and rolled up another for a pillow before falling asleep on the hard concrete. His dreams were nightmares, and there was an unseen monster out there chasing him. He couldn’t see it, but it growled and snapped at him as he ran away.