The Wreck Emerged

by Joseph Webers

  “Yes. One, and then two close together. As soon as they shot the third time, they flew away and your Air Force planes chased them. We felt that God was watching over us when they didn’t see us. I mean, how could they not see us? Then the Air Force came back, and they didn’t see us either.”

  “Well, that explains the black smoke. Now, one last thing. Tell us what you know about the island.”

  Matt and Maggie started by briefly recounting Matt’s two dreams, the calling of it into existence, the specifications, and waking up with it underneath them. They ended by telling of the coming dirt. Matt added, “We know all about the island, we just don’t know where it is.”

  “You are in the middle of the North Atlantic, more than three miles above what is known as the Sohm Abyssal Plain.” Captain Palova checked with his team for further questions, but no one had any apropos to their missions. “That’s all for us. We will likely call you again with more questions to satisfy our own curiosity later. Do you have any questions for us?”

  Maggie did. “Have you called Britannia Airlines, or Air World Airlines, for that matter, about this? If they’re going to come to pick us up, I’d like to talk to them first, about clothes and nappies, and I’d like to give Jenny a bath if possible.”

  So did Matt. “I imagine you may need to use what we told you, to help in your efforts to find out who shot us down and why. That’s fine. But the world will want to know our story, and we’d like to be the ones to tell it. Would that be possible? We don’t want to impede your investigation in any way, though.”

  Captain Palova understood their concerns. “We have been in constant communication with both Air World and BA on several different levels, and will continue to do so. We’re not sure how long you’ll be on the island. It may be several days before we figure that out.”

  Matt had one more thing. “Maggie and I called this island up from the bottom of the sea, and therefore we consider this our island. Legally, I don’t know how that will work out. We would at least like to be the ones who name it. We haven’t decided on a name yet, but we are working on it.”

  Captain Palova laughed. “Yes, I think that will be entirely possible.” He and Lieutenant Colonel Washington talked for a few more minutes, then they both signed off.

  73

  Phil Henry spoke first after the radio interview with Matt and Maggie. “That is truly an astounding story those two have. Regardless of your views on how things happen in the universe, however, and I’m not doubting their story for a minute, but the fact is, the island is there, and for our purposes, at least at the moment, how it got there is irrelevant.”

  “As long as it stays above water!” someone interjected.

  “Yes, let’s hope so. And a couple things before we move on. It seems the Trillbey infant’s foot will be a critical part of their story, but they have no way of obtaining and safeguarding the information at the hospital. It may somehow be invaluable to us, also, to protect it. I will get with my British contact to see what their protocols are. The other thing is the dirt. It seems rather far-fetched, but it would sure lend credence to the rest of their story.

  “Now let’s talk about our next steps and what we can glean from what we know so far. We need to discuss the apparent connection between the nerve agent and the attack on the plane, the identities of the shooters, possible motives, who has MiGs and where they are being kept, the nerve agent and its ingredients, and the Brazil connection, to name a few. Do we have anything else to ask the Marines on station?”

  Everybody else was thinking, so JC jumped in. “We need at least one tank brought back for analysis. Two, if possible. If they were used for fuel, we need to find out the capacity so we can calculate fuel, and therefore distance. There may be manufacturing details that could help in identifying the culprits. Have we heard if the Marines need anything else brought there that would justify the second Stallion?”

  “I have spoken to Lieutenant Colonel Washington,” replied Captain Palova, “and they will need more chow and water in a couple days. The surface soil is not more than six inches deep in most places, which means they can’t bury anything or dig latrines. That will require replacing the portable toilets. They can dribble the contents into the ocean, since the chemicals themselves are eco-friendly. All they’d need is the replacement chemicals.

  “He was proposing to do all that with a C-130 air drop, but if we’re bringing back the tanks, we need to be able to land. Phil, could you check with the airlines to see what their plans are for bringing back the survivors? If they don’t have a plan, we can justify bringing them back, too.”

  Phil just got the transport he needed for himself and Penny, like he had told her, if the second MH-53K were going to be sent. He finished scribbling several notes. “Yes, but the airlines wouldn’t be able to land either. Bob, would your team find it easier to examine the tanks at Camp Lejeune or at your place?”

  Bob put down his diet soda. “Our place would definitely be easier, but we could send a truck to Lejeune to pick them up if necessary. Washington Dulles would be a shorter flight for the Stallion, but not by much.”

  Captain Palova was thinking about how much positive press the military would be getting from all this. “I’ll check on the logistics with the Marines. We could send the Stallion tomorrow, with a return flight on Monday.”

  “Ty Harris here. This isn’t my bailiwick within the State Department, but I’m going to let the boss know about this, and recommend we get with the British consulate to figure out ownership of the island. I believe the sooner we stake our claim, the better. I’m talking about sovereign territory rather than personal ownership. To my way of thinking, the first two who landed on it, that is, the survivors, should certainly have the right to personal ownership.”

  74

  After the radio call, Matt spoke privately to Maggie. “I’m a little uneasy about Jenny’s hospital records.”

  “Do you think I was unwise in telling them about her foot?”

  “Oh, no, not at all. I told them, too. It’s just that if someone wants to deny your daughter was missing a foot, all they would have to do is make those records disappear. Do you think your mother could help if you could get in touch with her? Maybe she could make copies at the hospital or get spare originals.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “She needs to hide whatever she gets until the whole world knows about Jenny’s foot.”

  75

  The VTC was still in session, and it would last another hour. Most of the discussion centered around possible motives. A whiteboard replaced Phil’s image on his screen, which he used to write down suggestions from the group, annotating each with high, medium, or low, depending on plausibility.

  Suggested motives ranged from desire for world domination (low) to lunatic renegades (medium) to retribution against someone or something on the plane or the airlines (high). Drug cartels and exterminating the Jews were ruled out fairly quickly, but Phil wrote them down anyway. Bob McGee said he would check with his teams for any activity along those lines. There were a dozen other suggestions all rated low.

  Pedro Santos, who had disappeared from his monitor immediately after the interview with the survivors ended, came back on about thirty minutes later. He reported that he had updated the ambassadors of both the US and Brazil. This prompted those delegations to set up a meeting for 9 a.m. the following morning, Sunday. He also said the US Ambassador wanted Bob McGee to attend the meeting if possible, and could bring his assistant, Harvey Hostetler, if desired.

  The meeting was just about to wrap up when Phil, who had left shortly after he finished writing on the whiteboard, reappeared in his monitor. “I’ve just gotten off the phone with Air World,” he said. “The official count is two hundred ninety-one bodies. They have hired a fishing trawler with a refrigeration unit capable of holding the bodies, space for their personal effects and baggage, and any cargo worth salvaging. They will be sending a team of insurance adjusters. Any cargo deemed a total lo
ss will be abandoned in place.

  “Air World is assuming the plane itself is a total loss. However, they will eventually recover it so their structural engineers can examine it. They are asking that EOD remain onsite, in case any duds are found during their loading operations. They will be sending three coroners, several engineers and photographers, a small squad of workers, and a chaplain. Air World will also invite reps from the six other countries which lost citizens. They will be leaving Boston tomorrow afternoon, and with good weather, will arrive at the island late afternoon or early evening on Monday.”

  Ty Harris had a suggestion. “Next time you talk to the airlines, have them bring an American flag and a British flag. Have them take pictures of the flags hoisted up on the island. Then have them send all of us copies. Those might come in handy later.”

  Captain Palova was concerned for the Marines onsite. “In light of all we’ve discussed, we will need to do a threat analysis to determine how long the Marines need to remain on station.”

  “Yes,” Phil answered. “I’ll be getting there tomorrow, and Lieutenant Colonel Washington and I will discuss that with you after I chat with him. We probably won’t know exactly, until we find out how long Air World will take. I can bring some flags.”

  To the entire group, he said, “I will be sending you updates by secure email. I’ll be in the air by the time the Brazil meeting starts, so I’m asking Bob to update you on that. We all have tasks we realistically won’t be able to start before Monday. With the holiday on Thursday, this will be a very busy three days. I propose we don’t schedule the next VTC yet, but wait until we have something substantive to report. We can give status updates by email, and save the VTC for briefings with Q&As and the like.”

  That was agreeable to everyone, and the meeting was adjourned.

  76

  Matt and Maggie heartily agreed to Paul Washington’s suggestion of supper. Meals, Ready to Eat, were new to Maggie.

  “If you eat the recommended three MREs per day, you’ll gain about four pounds per week,” Paul told her.

  Paul was about an inch taller than Matt and seemed extremely fit. Either he was able to burn off about four thousand calories a day, or he didn’t consume the full allotment.

  “I have some catching up to do,” she said with a chuckle, “and I’m eating for two. By the way, do you have a phone I can use to call Cheltenham, just north of Bristol? I’d like to let my mum know I’m safe.”

  “There’s not a cell tower within a thousand kilometers of here, but I do have a satellite phone you can use. It connects only to our military phone system, so I’ll have to type in a code or two to make an off-net call.” He looked at his watch. “By the time we eat, it’ll probably be after 8 p.m. in Cheltenham. When we get to the Stallion, tell me your mom’s number.”

  They ate and went back to the helicopter. Maggie told him the number, but had a question. “I know there’s an investigation going on. Can I tell her we were shot down, and there’s an island?”

  “Yes. That’s one of the discussions I had with Captain Palova’s group. They intend to release the news that the plane was shot down but is now on this island. They will publish a satellite photo of the wreckage and this helicopter, which they have already taken. Don’t worry, it will be zoomed out and a little blurry. The intent is to try to flush out the group that shot you down. It will be a shock to them, so they may make a misstep.”

  Paul had to consult his notebook twice before he could punch in the Cheltenham number. When it started to ring, he handed the receiver to Maggie. She had hoped she could speak to her mum in private, but Paul looked like he was going to stay.

  “Hi Mum? It’s me, Maggie! I’m safe! … Yes, Jenny too! … Already? Well, they didn’t know about any survivors … God saved us! It was a real miracle … Yes, a man named Matt. He’s such a wonderful man … No, he’s in his sixties. He’s … Guess what? God healed Jenny’s foot! It’s brand new! … Yes, I’m sure! … I just know. Matt helped me know … Guess what else? I’m nursing Jenny! … Yes, that was true until yesterday, but God healed them both … Yes, I know that already. Oh, Mum, there’s so much more to tell!”

  The tears started to flow, so Matt said to Paul, “Maybe we should give her some time.” He started for the door with Jenny.

  “Yes,” Paul said, and followed him out.

  A few minutes later, Maggie came out, wiping her eyes and grinning broadly. “She’s very happy for Jenny and me. I told her she didn’t know the half of it.”

  “What was it you knew already?” Matt thought he knew, but didn’t want to guess out loud.

  Maggie was too proud of her new figure to blush. “She said, ‘You know, they make nursing brassieres!’ ”

  77

  Charlotte Trillbey put her phone down and cried. Different tears this time. Then she started to laugh. “Maggie’s alive! And Jenny too!” And promptly forgot all the other details.

  A few minutes later, she remembered. “Maggie’s alive! And she needs me!”

  She ran to the kitchen and got a plastic bag, then hastened back to the living room and picked up all the used tissues off the floor, along with two empty tissue boxes. She sat at the heavy oak desk and pulled out a manila folder labeled “Jenny”, and leafed through pictures, forms, a newspaper birth announcement, more pictures, a copy of an x-ray, and finally what she was looking for, a small business card. There were two phone numbers under the name of Madelyn Jennings; she dialed the first one.

  “Good evening, Southmead Hospital, Maternity Section, Nurse’s Station. May I help you?”

  “Yes, does Nurse Madelyn Jennings still work there? And is she there tonight?”

  “Yes, I’m Madelyn Jennings. Is there something I can help you with?”

  “You were so helpful to my daughter and me when my daughter delivered about three months ago. You said if I ever needed any more help to give you a call. I’m Charlotte Trillbey, Maggie’s mum.”

  “Oh, I remember her! She had the little girl who was born with a foot missing. Jennifer. We all fell in love with her. No, it was Jennimoore. How are they doing?”

  “Oh, they’re doing fine. Maggie’s out of town and asked me if I could get some information from the records you have on her there. Would that be possible?”

  “Yes. If it’s important, you could come now. I get off in about two hours and would be glad to help.”

  “I would be most obliged. I can be there in about forty-five minutes. I’ll see you then.”

  Her next call was to her friend Alma, who had caller ID and answered on the first ring.

  “Oh Charlotte, how are you holding up? Is there anything I can do for you tonight? I’d like to bake you a pie. Would you rather have chocolate or peach?”

  “I don’t need a pie! I just got a call from Maggie. She and Jenny are safe! She needs me to do something for her, so we’re going on a trip. Get ready—I’ll pick you up in five.”

  “Your daughter needs you? Good gracious! Of course, I’ll come.”

  There was little for Alma to learn on the trip to Bristol. “Did she tell you how she got out of the plane? The news said they crashed into the ocean from thirty thousand feet.”

  “No. She didn’t give me any of those details. She did sound happy, though.”

  “Really? When have you ever heard her sound happy? I guess I’d be happy too, if I were in her shoes.”

  “Not recently. Back before, maybe she was eleven?”

  “Where did she call from? Anything else you can tell me?”

  “She didn’t say where she was. Must have been close to a cell tower, though. And get this, she said God healed Jenny’s foot! That’s the reason for our trip. She wants to get before and after pictures.”

  “Another reason to be happy—Jenny’s foot. Something she won’t have to deal with later. She’s never been too good at dealing with things, from what you’ve told me. And she wouldn’t even tell you who the father is. She needs you! Good gracious, again. But I don’t get
the part where she said God healed Jenny’s foot. What do you suppose that’s all about?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is she really loves that baby. It sure tore her up the first day she had to bring her to childcare.”

  Charlotte quickly outlined her plan to her friend. There might not be many records, and the hospital might not want to part with any of them. Alma thought for a moment, fingered her amethyst brooch for inspiration, shut her eyes tightly, then helped refine some of the details. They arrived at the nurse’s station without much fuss, and Nurse Jennings met them with three manila folders.

  “One is the official file. It looks like we just threw everything into a folder in March, intending to sort it out later. As you can see, we are not too busy tonight, and I sorted it while I waited for you. The other two are extras of almost everything in the official file. One is pre-delivery and is mostly ultrasounds and doctors’ write-ups, and the other has everything to do with her delivery and x-rays of Jennimoore’s right leg and ankle.

  “You can have them. Look through both sets, the official file and the other two, and if you need me to make copies of something in the official file, let me know. This is all the information we have.”

  Charlotte decided she needed to take Nurse Jennings into her confidence. She lowered her voice. “Jenny is about to become world-famous. Did you hear the news about the missing Britannia Airlines flight? Well, Maggie and Jenny were on that flight, but they both survived the crash. And listen to this: God healed Jenny’s foot! She’s got both feet now.”

  “Wow! That’s brilliant! Tell me how this happened.”