Extinction Level Event (Book 4): Rescue

by Jones, K. J.

  “We have Eric. He was a computer programming major.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s also barking mad.”

  “He still seems to understand electronics and computers, though. And, apparently, trigonometry.”

  He held up a hand for stop as he stared out the bridge windows.

  “What?”

  “See that?” He pointed.

  She grabbed binoculars from the console and aimed. “Shit. More assholes trying to get here.”

  Small boats lingered near Sumter.

  “We are sitting on a gold mine,” said Peter. “I’d have a go at this ship, too, if I was them.”

  “Phebe said they may also be after females.”

  He snickered. “Yeah. Wanna see them try to take the Pheebs.”

  She laughed. “Her skull count is getting pretty high if she actually skull counted. Tyler does.”

  “That’s our boy.” He took the binoculars and watched the boats. “Are these men not too swift?”

  “Definitely not the brightest crayons in the box. Absolutely no training.”

  “I’d bet that’s how it is all the way west of us. Idiots getting all big and bad. Why do they carry M4s?”

  “Brandon got out of one guy that they took the National Guard’s weapons and a Humvee turtleback with a fifty cal.”

  “Oh. I so love those. Just pining away to have that in enemy’s hands again.”

  He turned in the direction of across the bay. “Ya know, there’s a bunch of ships over there?”

  “Yeah. Saw them on the maps. A maritime museum.”

  He turned back to the direction of Sumter. “These assholes are moving inbound.”

  “In broad daylight? A bit bold.”

  “They may be desperate. Which makes them more dangerous.”

  “We kill them, Sully. Don’t know if that’s morally right or wrong. Brandon thinks wrong.”

  “I’d say it’s right. Even if these were the wicked coolest guys ever, they are more mouths to feed. We cannot afford that. They’ve passed the Mol. They’re looking at her. Oh, Tyler just stepped into view.”

  “He’s on marina watch.”

  “Our boy’s aiming.”

  He lowered the binoculars.

  “What happened?” She reached for them.

  “Tyler shot them all. He’s getting damn good.”

  “Oh.” She looked at the empty, free-floating boats. “Last time, they had little of value onboard for us. Oh. One must have fallen overboard. Seeing the splashing.”

  “The gators eat people?”

  “Including fresh people, still alive.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Gators were in the rivers and creeks at Parris Camp. I mean, even in the Before.”

  “We’re going to have to eat one again.”

  “I bet Ben would be good at that.”

  “He’s a landloper.”

  “He can shoot from the land.”

  “Okay then. Put that on the To-Do list.”

  “Got it.”

  “Back to this. There has to be a diagram of the whole ship somewhere. We need to see where the water tanks are.”

  5.

  Brandon took a hotwired Boston Whaler to check the small boats. Mullen assisted.

  Using a boat hook, Mullen pulled in one after another to tie up to the Whaler. Once secured, he jumped onto them one at a time. Bodies over the side. Splashing of the alligators.

  “No bullets at all,” he announced to Brandon.

  “That’s not good.”

  “Why?”

  “If Inlanders ran out of bullets, they are very desperate. The desperate are the worst. Unpredictable. They’ll do anything to get what they need for survival.”

  “They’re all skinny. That was barely any weight.” Mullen gestured his head to where he tossed the bodies overboard.

  “They’re starving then. Even worse. Get back on board. We’ll tow them in. And we gotta brief everyone.”

  6.

  “We got any eyes on our streets?” Chris asked.

  They stood in the billiards room.

  Mazy asked, “Could we find battery-operated cameras?”

  “All the cameras we’ve seen are plugged into the houses’ electricity,” said Ben. “They’re security cameras.”

  “Could we connect them to car batteries?”

  Chris smiled. “Now we got some thinking going on.”

  “How do we get the CCTV feed from them?” Ben asked.

  Mazy shrugged. “Mullen, ideas?”

  “Some kind of intranet. Maybe using this house’s router. But I can ask Eric. I mean, he thinks everyone’s a ghost, but his brain is working at max, weirdly.”

  Peter said, “We need to get everything we can outta the cruise ship. Then sink it. That’s what these looters are coming for.”

  “Seems so,” said Mazy.

  “Get rid of the temptation. I’d bet good money, these sonsabitches are from the maritime museum right there across the bay.” He pointed to the wall map.

  “We need the clean water out of its tanks,” Mazy reminded.

  “Too bad we don’t have that desalinator from the smart house for the brackish water,” said Matt. “And the massive filter system.”

  “How do we know the status of the rivers with the dead body goo?” asked Peter.

  “We don’t,” answered Ben. “I got no idea how to test that water. Any of you?”

  Eyes went to Emily. “Ah, no. Not a marine biologist.”

  “I can build a desalinator,” said Peter. “I know how to make small ones. Maybe I can figure out a big one. And a filtration system. But it’ll be DIY rigged and I would not trust such a thing to the pathogens in the bay. Not for drinking and cooking water. Bathing water, washing, okay, but not ingestion.”

  “We keep working on collecting rainwater,” said Matt. “That at least suffices for the seedlings."

  “What about summer? Does the rain stop like it did in Wilmington?”

  “Most likely,” said Mazy. “We need a long-range plan for our water source. The Molly’s water tanks will go dry and so will all the water heaters of the houses and the abandoned boats’ tanks. We’re going to have to water food plants, especially come summer. And that water can’t be too briny or polluted.”

  Emily said, “Yeah. We cannot afford watering plants with dead body goo. Some pathogens can be transferred from plants to consumers, i.e. us.”

  “The chickens,” said Brandon, “cannot drink contaminated water. Their systems are more sensitive than ours.”

  Ben said, “We should keep an eye out for books on it. I bet the Nazi had one.”

  “We should totally ransack books,” said Phebe. “Is there a library here?”

  “Yeah,” said Karen. “But it’s not the best.”

  “The Nazi’s library probably would be better,” said Mullen. “Dude thought he was a prepper. Who does that in the middle of a city?”

  “Okay,” said Mazy. “Sully and I will keep working on accessing the ship’s water tanks. Mullen and Eric work on that camera project.”

  “I’d like to recon other high points,” said Ben. “Get several going, just in case. I want Phebe with me for that. Oh, and the houses we haven’t hit yet. We are especially looking for bullets or fireworks, anything with gunpowder. And any spent casings you come across, collect in a bag. Jayce, you’re door guarding is great, but you need to continue learning more.”

  “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

  “House loot. Is, um, Stanton ready yet?”

  “No,” said Angela.

  “We cannot carry dead weight,” said Matt.

  “He’s massively traumatized.”

  “You’re on door guard then, Ange. Nia goes with the house looters.”

  “Wait a minute. I –“

  “No,” he cut her off. “No dead weight, Angela.”

  “I’m hardly dead weight, thank you, Matt Gleason.”

  “I didn’t mean you. You are not al
lowing Nia to carry hers. She obviously does not want to do the house tasks. Then she’s out there. You, Ange, need to get light in the loafers prepped to assist you in these things. He’s your better bet.”

  Angela looked at her daughter as if she was a little kid going off to nursery school for the first time.

  “Clear, Ange?”

  She nodded. “We’re clear. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Use the wooden spoon on him if you must.”

  Dr. Jenkins asked. “What will Karen and I do?”

  “House loots,” said Mazy. “And transporting food. These are the tasks up.”

  “I’d prefer the transporting supplies from the cruise ship. I knew some of these neighbors. Karen?”

  “I’m okay house looting.”

  “You sure, hon?”

  “Yeah. I barely knew any of them.”

  “Chris,” Mazy said. “You ready?”

  “Guess I’ll try and help the ship loot. Wanna see inside that whale. Never been on a cruise ship before.”

  “It’s extra fun sideways,” said Ben.

  “Then that’s it,” said Mazy. “We all know our assignments, yes?”

  They nodded.

  She clapped her hands. “Let’s get on it, y’all. First light.”

  Chapter Three

  1.

  “Come here, gator, gator.”

  “Does that make you feel better, Sul?”

  “A little. Ya know, when the family jewels are underwater with reptiles that have big teeth.”

  “If any consolation, the jewels already did their work.”

  “Thanks, Maze. I was really hoping on using them again.”

  “She won’t be happy if that usage is another baby.”

  “Did you know there’s a horny period for pregnant women?”

  “No. And why do you know that?”

  “My sister had, like, fifteen kids.”

  “Fifteen, huh?”

  “Okay. Slight exaggeration. Four. But they feel like fifteen when they have a sugar overdose.”

  “Big ole uncle.”

  “I am. They’re all redheaded freaks like their father.”

  “I’ve heard you talk about that.” She pushed a floating chair out of her way.

  “Yeah. I gotta get some new material.”

  “This water level is higher. The ship’s still sinking.”

  “Welcome to the Titanic in slow-mo.”

  “Why do we care so much about the Titanic?”

  “I always thought it was because some rich, pompous basta’ds said it was unsinkable. Never say never. The gods laugh.”

  “Is that an Irish saying?”

  “No. An Irish saying would only have one god.”

  “Are you going with the multiple gods?”

  “Why not?”

  “Is Thor still one of ‘em?”

  “Absolutely. He’s my favorite. But he’s the saint of war. Not a god.”

  “Hmm. Good you have that sorted.”

  “Gotta do something with my time. Am I being judged by the woman who made the front parlor into some kind of Blessed Mother shrine? You stole from a church.”

  “I borrowed from a church.” She stopped at a sealed bulkhead door. “Ready, muscles?”

  “We really should have brought someone who didn’t almost die recently.”

  “We’re in. Get your girl muscles going.”

  “Thanks, Maze.” He gripped the wheel of the hatch. “As if I wasn’t feeling bad enough as it was.”

  She gripped the other side of the wheel. “Towards me.”

  “On your three.”

  “One. Two. Three.”

  They strained. The hatch wheel turned.

  “The good news,” he said. “The hatch is unlocked. Bad news, it won’t open outwards against this water.”

  “Can we pry it with something?” She looked around.

  “I have a crowbar your boyfriend gave me.” He pulled it up from his satchel.

  “Let’s do this.”

  Wedged into the opening, they pushed with all their might to bring the door outward.

  Peter jerked.

  “Your leg?”

  “Can your boobs and ass fit through that opening?”

  “Yes. Just.”

  “They mush, so get the fuck in. Right. Now.”

  Without questioning him on why, she squeezed through the opening. Water poured in, helping her propel forward and clear. He squeezed through and fell on the floor.

  She helped him up by the arm.

  “We are on the clock. A shark bumped my leg.”

  “Oh. Fucking fantastic.”

  “Nature gone wild.”

  “A shark?” She shined her flashlight around at tanks.

  “Bull shark. It’s freshwater. Nasty, dead people water. Or is this brackish water? Briny.”

  “Are those water tanks?”

  “Either water or fuel. This place is gonna fill with water from our opening it up. Unless we let the hatch shut and trap ourselves in here.”

  She veered the flashlight beam to the door. “Can the shark get through that?”

  “Doubt he’d be comfortable doing that. They’re not like in the movies.”

  Flashlight back on the giant tanks. “How do you know so much about sharks?” She moved forward. The water puddle grew, following after her feet.

  “Shark Week. What else?”

  “Knowing you, anyone’s guess. You may have done cage diving with great whites.”

  “Oh, I’d so love to do that. It’s on my bucket list.”

  She stopped at round gauges. “Full, whatever it is.”

  “It’s water.” He pointed to a stenciled sign on the side of the tank. “They are intact. At least those in here are.”

  “So, next question.”

  “How do we get it from here to where we want it?”

  “Yeah.”

  The ship groaned and rocked. They lost their footing and grabbed hold of each other.

  “Shit.”

  “We’re sinking more,” she said.

  “The shift of weight from that water coming in here.”

  “How do we do this, Sully? Any of it?”

  2.

  Something crashed somewhere outside the swinging doors of the industrial-sized kitchen. Hanging pots swayed further towards port side.

  Dr. Jenkins fell and slipped across the floor as the ship listed further. He grabbed the leg of a stove and held on as objects came at him.

  “Tyler!”

  The kid home-plate slid across the floor. He used all of his appendages to hold onto the stove.

  “Hold onto me.”

  The doctor released and grabbed Tyler around the waist. It was easier to hold onto him than the oven leg.

  Chris had Emily in his arms while his lower back pushed against a chrome counter that slowly nudged in the port direction.

  Their loot fell out of the dolly, shopping carts, and luggage trollies. Then the dolly, carts, and trollies rolled down the slanted floor to join the cans.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Emily yelled.

  “We sinking.”

  3.

  “Don’t let the hatch close.” Peter dove down into the rapidly rising water and swam.

  “Aw, fuck.” Mazy jumped in and followed.

  He wedged himself between the hatch door and the frame. “Go, go, go.”

  She dove and swam under his legs. He was all four limbs holding the hatch open. The water pressure pushing for the door to close.

  Emerging on the other side, her jet black hair floated up around her like seaweed. She turned and saw the water was up to his face, rushing so fast he could hardly catch his breath. She inhaled deeply, then dove back down. His bad leg failed. She yanked him by the belt to free him. The hatch slammed shut.

  They came up for air.

  But something was still wrong. Current moved.

  “The holes collapsed more open,” she said.

  4.

>   The swinging doors of the kitchen opened inward. A tsunami wave of water entered.

  “Hurry your asses,” Emily yelled to Tyler and the doctor.

  “Get in that pantry, baby girl. I’m gonna get ‘em.”

  The floor tilted to a ninety-degree angle, port side weighted down with more inflowing water.

  Emily stretched her arms to the max as she hiked the floor. Her fingertips touched the edge of the open pantry door. By sheer will, she forced herself forward, until her hand grasped the door and she pulled herself in. She maneuvered inside the little room and used her feet and arms against the door frame to hold there. Cans fell from the shelves and rolled towards the doorway.

  “No.” She used her body as a blockade against the valuable foodstuff, ignoring the pain of cans hitting her.

  The swinging doors were pinned open by the inflow. A crash of something very large came from somewhere beyond them. A two-foot-high tidal wave rushed on top of the first wave.

  Tyler and Dr. Jenkins climbed up onto the stove.

  “Ty!” Chris yelled as he reached with one hand. The other holding onto the moving table.

  Jenkins reached for him, holding onto Tyler with his other arm.

  He slipped and fell. Tyler’s head hit the side of the table.

  Chris’s shoes slipped. His leg caught up in the table as he was pushed towards the port side.

  Jenkins came up and hauled unconscious Tyler onto the top of the stove. “Chris!”

  “Pass him.”

  Though Chris was not in a good position, he reached for the boy.

  Emily scanned the pantry, looking for anything she could use. It wasn’t a place in which ropes were stored.

  5.

  “Oh.” Phebe looked through the scope. “So, um, what happens if these bells ring?”

  They were in a church steeple. It was decorated with bird poo and the feathery remains of pigeons. Ben had removed the windows and cut a notch cut into the wooden pane. Historic Charleston laid out below. Phebe scanned through the scope, up and down the gridded streets.

  “We go deaf,” Ben responded. “Swing around to east. What is that movement?”

  “You got freaking eagle eyes.”

  “I need a Lakota name change then. What is it?”

  “I believe these would be Henderson’s bosom buddies.”

  “You can tell that from looking at them?”