John gave her the name and then Klementina terminated the call. How the hell she was going to get them out of there he had no idea, but at least she knew where they were and that was at least something. He gave Bobbie a quick scratch behind the ear, took Candice’s hand and together they joined Vanessa and Sammy.
On the small scratched screen a news broadcast flashed images of burning buildings and live feeds of frantic rescue efforts accompanied with scrolling texts informing people to avoid unnecessary travel until further notice. A stern yet sympathetic voice compounded the visuals with fresh information regarding the current estimates of casualties. Announcing numbers though, John felt, captured the true suffering about as well as describing fire as hot. And besides, any minute now the grim reaper could come knocking on the gym door dressed in a government uniform ready to add them to the statistics, and that made perspective a little slippery.
“Nessy tells me the five o’s chompin’ at the heels,” Sammy said as he eyed Candice suspiciously.
“It’s not a good day for sightseeing I’ll give you that,” John offered.
“This is Candice,” Vanessa explained, “and you got no reason to worry about her.”
“That may be,” Sammy replied, “but judging by this talking box we all got something to worry about. Now if I had somewhere to go I’d be gone, but I don’t so I’m not. Thing is, I’m an old man with nothin’ but a few pairs of leather gloves and a set of legs that give me no peace.” He winced slightly as he turned in the chair. “I don’t know what it is I can do, but I’ll help any way I can.”
“You helped us out by still being here Sammy,” Vanessa assured him. “We just needed to catch our breath. You need to sit tight and stay safe. We got ourselves into this little mess, and we’ll figure a way out of it.” She looked across to John. “Right?”
“Right,” John answered.
With the gravity of the declaration heavy on his shoulders, he walked across the creaking floor to the newspaper littered windows and looked down onto the street. The moisture in his mouth turned to dust and the muscles across his stomach pulled tight. He counted seven cop cars that had somehow forced their way through the traffic and were now parked on the road and sidewalk surrounding the entrance to the gym. The red and blue lights sent coloured mirages against the building walls but the sound of screaming sirens was absent. The crowds on the street seemed to sense that something bad was brewing, and were slowly dissolving back to a safer distance.
Clenched in his fist, the phone began to ring.
“I’m here,” he said while scanning for signs of what the cops were planning to do.
“Good, then it’s not too late.” Klementina sounded flustered and on edge. “Aaron’s coming to get you. You’ll know when he gets there, believe me.”
“Actually,” John began as the sound of an approaching chopper began to cut through the air, “things aren’t good, and it may just be too late.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying there’s a whole lotta cops looking for a gym membership and a big fucking metal bird ready to light up the building.”
“I need you to stay alive for just a few more minutes, and when Aaron gets there you can’t worry about the Abyss Jumpers do you hear me? For them it’s strictly a one way journey.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You will, believe me. Now please John, hold tight and make sure nothing happens to the blood okay? We’re gonna do all we can to keep you on this planet a little while longer.”
The call terminated, and he watched as the helicopter did a slow circle above the buildings before descending through the gusting winds. Down on the street the crowd had dispersed, and for the moment there was little movement apart from rubbish fluttering in the sudden down draft and the spinning of coloured lights. They were ready to make their move, no doubt about it.
He turned from the window and marched back across the floor. The nightmare was far from over, and there was no easy way to announce it.
“They already know we’re here, and I don’t think they plan on letting us make a casual exit.”
“There has to be another way out,” Candice said with growing frustration. “A window, an air vent, anything!”
“Does it look like I can afford air conditioning?” Sammy asked with a wave of his arm.
“Then we draw them in,” Vanessa said suddenly. “Each of us got a piece and those stairs are narrow. We can take ‘em out one by one until we’ve got a chance to run for it.”
“Last I checked nobody’s moved from their cars,” John reflected. “They’re not worried about coming in, they’re making sure we don’t get out.”
“Then what the hell are they…” Vanessa stopped talking at the sudden rush of sound from the helicopter as it swooped lower and lower. The look that fell upon her eyes told John she had just answered her own question.
Suddenly the phone began to ring again. With the walls closing in and all eyes upon him, John slammed it against his ear.
“We need a fucking miracle,” he hissed.
“John… it’s Aaron mate.” The signal was filled with static and John could barely hear. “In about ninety seconds I need you all on the street, you copy?”
“We open that door and we’re dead!”
“You’re gonna have to trust me okay? It won’t be pretty but I’ll…”
The signal dropped out. John checked his watch. Ninety seconds seemed like a hell of a short time to prepare to live or die, but there was no return to the signal and there were no other options. If Aaron really did have a plan, he thought, it had better be a damn good one.
He rolled his neck and savoured a couple of deep breaths. “I know this is going to sound crazy but it might be our only option on the table.”
“What is it?” Candice asked with worried glances towards the windows.
“Aaron wants us down on the street. He’s coming to pick us up.”
“What the hell?” Vanessa said with shock. “There ain’t know way in hell he got this far into the city so quickly.”
John held up a hand to signal he didn’t disagree. “All I know is we stay here, we burn here. Down there, we might have a fighting chance. Now if Aaron says he’s coming to get us, well, there’s only one way to find out.”
“What about Sammy?”
“If we head back down to the street, maybe he lives. We don’t, he dies with us.”
“This is one helluva fucking day.” She leaned down and kissed Sammy on his cheek. “You know the love I got for you is too much for this world. You should head to the back room and wait till this is over.”
“You’re scaring me Nessy. You know cops don’t need know excuse to start shootin’.”
“Don’t you worry about being scared Sammy, ‘cause I’m scared enough for the both of us.”
The tears fell and this time she didn’t worry to wipe them away. What did her momma always sing when she was little? Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, the future’s not ours to see…
“If we’re gonna do this,” John announced confidently, “we need to do it now!”
“Is Bobbie secure?” Candice asked.
“Secure enough I hope.”
“Then let’s head down to the fire.”
Behind them Vanessa finally released her grip on the man that had helped focus her rage so many times and staggered to the top of the stairs. With words no longer necessary they made sure the guns were held tight and crept down towards the door, John venturing the first step.
Beating hearts and whirring blades were the only sounds to bounce along the walls. John lifted the rusted steel brace, gripped the handle and held his breath. On the other side of the door lay the absolute certainty of violence. For a brief moment he thought of home, or what was once home, and marvelled at how distant it seemed. Strange couldn’t begin to describe the journey from sitting on the porch watching waves wash away the sand to being hunted in the depths of a foreign city, and if now w
as the time to die it was going to be one hell of a way to go.
He let the breath rush from his lungs and stole a quick look over his shoulder. “Whatever happens, finding the both of you was worth it.”
“You can tell me how much over a drink,” Vanessa smiled with tears still wet on her cheeks, “now open that damn door mister policeman.”
John yanked the handle and a thermal hot wind erupted from the bright of day. The sound of the chopper overhead rushed their ears as they instinctively shaded their eyes. Fear bristled along skin and muscles jerked with blood. With one hand covering Bobbie’s face he moved forward as though a landmine awaited each step to survey destiny.
The helicopter swayed and the cops jumped from cars to their knees with assault rifles pinned tight against their shoulders, and the fact that they were wearing tactical helmets assured John that they had no intention of making an arrest.
His mind began to race as he felt Candice place a gentle hand against his back. A loud voice screamed inside his head. This was a big mistake. He was frozen on the spot, willing his legs to rush with blood and turn to lead them rushing back upstairs. It was a sad and gut wrenching fact that his years of experience wasn’t enough to blast away a SWAT team, and the seconds on the clock were about to expire.
But there was no running back now. John clenched his fingers around the gun and knew the second his arm moved the sparks would fly. He pulled Bobbie tight against his chest as the hot sun sizzled across his exposed skin and tried to pick his first round of targets. The time had come. It was now or never.
Suddenly a screaming, high pitched whistle pierced the air between the buildings and in the blink of an eye the chopper erupted into a catastrophic fireball, red hot metal exploding into the surrounding bricks with a cascade of dust and glass. Instantly he looked to the left and felt his jaw drop. Dangerously close to the ground and heading straight for them was another helicopter wobbling in the air streams, only this one had a taste for cops.
A line of blistering bullets began to tear its way down the centre of the road, tearing apart any vehicles in the way. In an instant the cops shifted on their knees and began to open fire, while overhead the flaming metal carcass with blades still spinning began its destructive descent.
John wasn’t frozen any more. He jumped forward and opened fire, blasting away almost blindly at the nearest car with a set of lights on the roof before stealing a glance skyward.
“This way!” he screamed, unloading once again before turning to shove Candice and Vanessa along the sidewalk. They ran with all they had for a brief few seconds then dropped beside an abandoned car just as the destroyed chopper crashed into the street. The air began to stink of jet fuel as the impact explosion rumbled the concrete beneath them. Liquid like balls of orange flames encrusted with black smoke bellowed up towards the sky, sending a dark shadow to creep across their position like a sudden invasion of night.
“What the fuck is going on?” Vanessa yelled against the deafening roar.
“I think Aaron might’ve just made an entrance,” John yelled back.
Together they looked up and found the steel belly of the second chopper directly overhead. Ropes began to unravel from either side of the cabin as uniforms that hadn’t been incinerated unleased every bullet they had at the machine. John raised an arm and began firing back, and was surprised when Candice leaned against the panelling and did the same. Vanessa, meanwhile, crawled towards the rear of the vehicle in search of the right position to join the party.
Figures draped in angelic white hooded jumpsuits began to slide down the ropes. There were six in total, and the second their feet touched the ground they charged straight towards the remaining SWAT team with weapons blazing. The blustering wind blew back the hood of the smallest of the group, revealing the determined face of a young woman with a freshly shaven head who dropped to her knee and lifted a rocket launcher onto her shoulder. Suddenly her chest popped open with a red mist and a jerk of her head, yet she was able to fire the pin before slumping to the ground. A second later another explosion tore apart two of the cop cars and obliterated those using it for cover.
The white suits continued to press forward, relentless and uncaring for the artillery unleashed upon them. John’s clip ran dry. He was about to reload when he saw the ropes fall to the ground, and as the chopper risked dipping even lower a ladder unfurled, the bottom rungs bouncing along the road.
“Let’s go!” he screamed.
With hands over their heads they shuffled to the rear of the car. The sound of gunfire was relentless, but they were almost there. John pointed at the ladder and ushered Candice forward, then Vanessa. There was no time to reload, so fate was in the hands of the figures in white.
Bobbie squirmed against his chest and John’s jaw clenched tight as he watched them both struggle up with exhausted arms. As soon as Vanessa had cleared enough distance he jumped out onto the road and pushed through the storm like winds, stuffed the gun into the sling and grabbed the only chance he had with both hands.
The chopper lurched with the sudden weight, causing the ladder to begin to shudder and sway like an angry snake. His hands felt like they were going to slip. Looking up towards the spinning blades he saw Candice pulling her way into the cabin, but Vanessa was battling against the weak grip in her hand. She was almost there but couldn’t seem to lift her weight up the final rungs. Hanging beneath her and swinging like a pendulum, there was little John could do.
Suddenly Candice leaned out of the cabin and extended her arm. Vanessa reached up to lock fingers, and with an enormous strain Candice lifted her up and in. John felt a fresh burst of energy ripple along his body and climbed up through the swirling furnace winds. With a final grunt his hands gripped the steel frame of the cabin as he crawled inside. He looked towards the cockpit and there was Aaron looking straight back, helmet on head and grin ear to ear.
“Drop that ladder and let’s get back to base,” he said loudly.
John fumbled with the hooks as the cabin tilted sharply, sending one hand to slam against the frame for support, and seconds later the ladder disengaged and tumbled down below. Turning circle complete, the blades groaned louder and faster as acceleration began.
On the other side of the cabin, Vanessa gripped the interior handles with arms outstretched and leaned out for a final look. It was a slowly shrinking vision of hell, and even within the molten metal and flames several cops were still sending bullets skyward. All but one of the figures in white lay bleeding and lifeless on the street, and Vanessa’s eyes widened as the lone survivor climbed on top of a burning car and leapt straight into the heart of the enemy, jacket ripping open midflight.
The explosion was small but effective, and the skyward bullets were no more. As the smoke cleared and the flames rose up, her gaze fell upon the entrance to the gym. Partly obscured by shadows and smoke, there stood Sammy, mouth open in shock. He was looking back at the helicopter as it raced between the buildings, and although he probably wouldn’t see Vanessa blew him a kiss. She couldn’t be sure, but damned if it didn’t look like he blew her one back.
Back in the cabin John handed Bobbie to Candice and crawled through to the cockpit. Spider web cracks littered the glass but amazingly not a bullet hole could be found. He grabbed the helmet that lay on the floor and slipped it on, adjusting the microphone close to his mouth. Blood rushed from his stomach as they suddenly lifted up between the buildings up towards the blue of the heavens.
“Hold on cause it’s gonna get bumpy,” Aaron said into the comms.
“Wait a second,” John said breathlessly, “what about the others?”
“They’re Abyss Jumpers John, they’re not coming back.”
“What? You’re just going to leave them?”
Aaron took a moment to look John in the eyes. “Each of those girls had less than two months to live. Instead of dying in pain curled up on a bed they chose to make a difference. Say a prayer for them mate, because today? Today they made a di
fference.”
John felt the words deep in his chest, followed by a strange numbness that washed over with the understanding. Candice placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
“We’re alive,” she said.
Aaron pushed the rotors as fast as they would go. “There’s a lot of air traffic over the city and it won’t be long before they come for us, so the window to get down is small.”
“We head back to land and they’ll be all over us,” John said with newfound concern.
“Who said anything about land?”
Now above the edge of the city Aaron leaned into the stick and banked a hard right. The air was hazed with smoke but as they powered forward the deep blue of the ocean came into view like a silk sheet dusted with diamonds. John wasn’t exactly an expert on aviations, but he knew choppers like this one didn’t float.
“I was about to ask how,” he said with eyes locked on the horizon, “but something tells me we’re about to find out anyway.”
“You know what’s so great about the Hallucigenia Project?” Aaron grinned. “It teaches you that anything is possible.”
They were over the water now and dropping in altitude, the outline of the smoking city fading to a distant blur behind them. It had only been a few minutes and yet now they were in another world, a world of water and peace and a timeless beauty that seemed too good for the world behind them. For the first time since the hotel, John felt like he could actually take a moment to breathe.
“There she is,” Aaron said softly as the whine of the engine began to ease and the cabin descended closer and closer to the blue. Leaning forward with their heads in the cockpit Vanessa and Candice stared through the cracked glass with utter amazement. John could see it too, and could only shake his head with disbelief.
At first it was just a white speck that could have been a trick of the sun, but soon enough the unmistakable outline of a powered yacht came into view. Sleek and streamlined with a silver satellite dish spinning silently on the roof of the top deck, it was pure elegance in an already stunning setting. Standing on the stern a lone figure raised both arms and signalled their arrival.
The Hallucigenia Project Page 63