“Dude, it was awful,” Shift replied as Street lifted his eyes to meet Andrew’s. “Skins or not, we were watching people drown. Oh man, I think I’m going to puke.”
Shift moved away from the crowd quickly, arriving at the edge of the pier moments later. Everyone watched as he vomited into the water.
“That’s how bad it was,” Street said slowly, looking directly into Andrew’s eyes.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” Andrew replied. “I didn’t think about it that way. I’m glad I didn’t have to see it.”
“Let’s find Cain,” Shift said, standing and wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Mike, can you get those other cameras back on line and try to find him?”
The blast from the explosives had caused many of the cameras in the bunker to go offline. Hopefully, they would still be operational. Of those that were still on, only a few showed living Skins. Most of them were in the security room by the massive front doors of the compound or still wandering around outside the bunker.
The lower levels of the compound on the mainland were filling with water in the aftermath of the explosion. A few stragglers were struggling to climb the stairs in a race with the rising ocean water. Those in the back were slowly dropping off as the water swam around their ankles, then their legs, and eventually their torsos. They didn’t survive the salt any better than their comrades that had been caught in the blast.
On the island, the small group was beginning to feel safe again. They now knew that salt water would cripple the Skins, if not kill them outright. So, unless the Skins decided to use a boat, they were safe on the island. But they couldn’t stay there indefinitely. They would run out of food and water. They would have to leave. But where would they go?
“There he is,” Mike said, successfully getting a few more cameras back on line.
Cain was inside the building. The Skins hadn’t yet succeeded in opening the large front doors and Cain was standing there, as if waiting patiently for his minions to succeed. Skins were wandering around both outside and inside the bunker, apparently unsure of how to proceed. Cain was not directing them, at least not right then. Perhaps he was still trying to figure out what had happened, or what to do next. Then, he disappeared. He reappeared moments later on the other side of the main doors.
“What the hell!” Mike said. “Did you guys see that?”
“Yeah, he transported or something!” Angel replied. Her face held a look of shock that spoke volumes about her belief in her own theories. Cain’s act was unbelievable, even to Angel.
“Well, whatever he did—transported, teleported, or whatever—he looks confused, but not about that. I don’t think he knows what he should be doing,” Mike added.
“I’m not sure why I’m so surprised,” Angel said. “That act fits my models perfectly.”
“Yeah, maybe, but you should still be surprised,” Mike said. “That’s rather unusual, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes, unusual, but you haven’t read my books.”
“Nope; but maybe I will now,” Mike replied.
“Angel, how’s Anta doing?” Shift asked.
“She’s still out,” Angel replied. “But what’s going to happen when she wakes up?”
“What was all of that about anyway?” Andrew asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” Shift replied. “Right now, we’ve got bigger problems.”
“You know, Anta only reacted when Cain was nearby,” John said. “But remember how he seemed to be controlling Skins on the other side of the world? I wonder if the link is weaker because she’s not a Skin, but just has some of the tainted blood or something.”
“Maybe if we get her far enough away, like out in the middle of the Gulf, she won’t be affected by him,” Street offered.
“Could we do that though,” Angel asked. “Could we take her out there and keep her out there until Cain leaves? What if he doesn’t leave? What if he sticks around here trying to find a way out to us?”
“I think the Skins are smart enough that they will find a way out to us,” John said. “We need to find a more permanent solution than just sending Anta out to sea.”
“Could we get to the moon?” Street asked.
That question gave them all pause. After a moment, Shift spoke up. “You know, Anta and I talked with her brother Hasani a while back. They finally got a ship working. They decided that they could get back to Earth, but they didn’t know where they could land and be able to turn around and take off again if that became necessary. Something about not having the equipment or machinery to do it, and no people to operate that machinery. As of this morning, the moon folks were still trying to find a solution.”
“You mean you already considered going to the moon?” Angel asked.
“Yeah, but not very seriously,” Shift replied. “We just wanted to know whether it could work as a contingency plan. Hasani com’d just as this latest crisis was starting, so we didn’t have a chance to ask if they’ve found a solution yet.”
“I think we should look at that option a bit more closely now,” John said. “I’m afraid the Skins will figure out how to get here.”
“Me too,” Mike said. “Look at them even now. So many of them are looking east. They know we’re here. They’re trying to solve this problem. I think they’ll do it. I’m all for leaving.”
“Ok, let’s get everything ready and I’ll talk to Hasani again,” Shift said.
August 10, 6:59 PM—Holographic Conference
“Sorry it took so long to get back, Shift,” Jonas said. “Hasani and the others are on their way. Hi everyone.”
“No problem,” Shift replied. “We’re just happy to see your face again. We weren’t certain the holo would be working after we blasted the tunnel. And, we’re very glad we’re still here to talk to.” Everyone surrounding Shift nodded in agreement.
“Ah, here they come,” Jonas said. “We’ve been trying to get the air filters cleaned in the United States shell. Along with just about everything else, it seems like someone tampered with them. Anyway, everyone’s here. What’s going on?”
“Hi everyone,” Hasani said as he walked up to the Holo. “Where’s Anta?”
“That’s a bit of a story,” Shift replied. “We don’t have much time, so here’s the short version. I’ll fill you in on the details later.”
Shift gave a quick summation of Anta’s “relationship” with the Skins, particularly Cain. The rest, including their theory about who Cain is, the attack on the bunker, and Cain’s teleportation demonstration would have to wait for another time. Every piece of information was new and terrifying, and now wasn’t the time to alarm the people on the moon. The small group on Earth needed help.
When Shift finished, Hasani asked, “So, Anta is still sedated?”
“Yes,” Marilyn replied from the background. “But we can’t keep her that way any longer. It’s not safe. When she comes out of it, we need to be gone.”
“What do you think about that Tom?” Jonas asked.
“I agree,” Dr. Thomas Bird replied. “If she’s been sedated with a dose that heavy, a second one within 24 hours will be very unhealthy.”
“So, what’s your plan?” Hasani asked, looking genuinely concerned. His only living relative, his sister, was being kept sedated and unconscious, intentionally, in order to prevent her from succumbing to the wiles of the Skins. Maybe she was a Skin. Shift had said that was possible. Hasani began to fear that her life might have to be forfeit in order to maintain the lives of the others.
“We don’t really have a very good one at this point,” Shift said. “Right now, it is very apparent that the Skins can’t tolerate salt water. We haven’t seen them operate cars, hovers or boats of any kind either. They don’t seem to need any of that since they run about a thousand miles an hour.”
“So what Shift is saying,” John interjected, “is that we’re probably safe here on the island for a while, but Anta isn’t. Once she wakes up, we believe she’ll be too close to Cain and something bad
will happen. We don’t know what, obviously. Our only plan is to get Anta, at least, away from here, as far as we can.”
Nobody had asked the question that they all wanted answered. They had been beating around the bush for a while. Finally, Shift asked, hesitantly, “Jonas, Hasani, what are the chances you can pick us up?”
“I knew that question was coming,” Hasani replied.
“The answer is complicated,” Jonas said. “We can easily return to Earth. But, as we told you last time, the return trip is the problem. We have determined that the only base close to you that can handle our landing, a turn and then a return take off is the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Even that location would be difficult though. As we said before, without people to handle the equipment outside the ship during landing and take-off, it would be very difficult.”
“But can it be done?” Mike asked, hopeful. “I mean, I can handle the computer and electronic configurations, once I figure out how. Street’s got the muscle of ten men, so we can have him outside, right?”
“I think we can do it,” Jonas replied. “It will take some coordination and will be tricky; but yes, I think it can be done.”
“Jerad can fly the ship,” Hasani added. “So, we just need to work out logistics. What do you need from us?”
The two groups spent the next couple of hours discussing logistics, while Mike kept his eyes trained on the monitor in front of him. He switched between cameras every few seconds, keeping close tabs on the Skins, who continued to wander about without direction on the mainland. In particular, he kept his sights on Cain. If Cain could teleport through a wall, it seemed possible that he could also teleport onto the island. Several members of the group were armed, prepared for that possibility.
Finally, with a plan in place, the two groups disconnected to begin preparations. It would be difficult. It was believed that Anta had two or three hours before she would awaken. She had to be gone by then. The others, if they weren’t ready, could leave later. But they would all need to be to Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the ship and ready for take off by 6:00 P.M.—in approximately 24 hours. That was the optimal time for take-off. Any later and the take-off would be even more difficult due to storms approaching the gulf from the southeast.
August 10, 2093, 8:35 PM—Cabo Rojo, Mexico
“Shift!” Angel yelled, “Anta’s waking up!” The fear in Angel’s voice was palpable. Everyone in the man-made cave on Isla de Lobos could feel the tension rise as Angel waited for Shift’s response.
“Okay, go,” Shift said softly. “Is everyone on board?”
It had been decided only 45 minutes earlier who would be on the boat with Anta when it departed for Cape Canaveral. Angel, as Anta’s closest friend, would be on the boat to comfort Anta when she woke, if necessary. Marilyn Swenson, as an obstetrician, was still a medical doctor, despite her specialization. She would accompany the small group just in case Anta had complications as she came out of her near-comatose condition. Street refused to let Anta out of his sight, so all agreed that he should go. Dr. Nelise Fabrisio was on board. The group was headed to Cape Canaveral to help the ship land. Dr. Fabrisio, an astronomical physicist, was the only person suited for anything close to what would be required of a ground crew at Kennedy. Mike rounded out the group.
“We gotta go now!” Street said frantically as Anta’s eyes began to flutter and her body began to shift.
“Go, go!” Shift yelled as he unhooked the remaining tie from the pier.
The boat sped off toward the holographic wall at the far end of the cave. As it neared the wall, it slowed. No boat, and no person had left the cave since Steve and Jon Porter had explored outside the cave when Steve first arrived. In fact, unless one included the island cave as “outside”, not one of the members of the group had been outside in over three weeks. This new freedom was scarier than the small group expected as they slowly passed through the holographic wall. The last time any of them had been outdoors, they were being chased by superhuman Skins bent on their destruction. Even Street was nervous.
The boat emerged from the holographic wall very slowly. Once fully outside, they could no longer see the interior of the cave. It was well-hidden.
Street slowly maneuvered the boat along the rock cliff wall heading southward. They would travel southeast for about a hundred and fifty miles and then turn northeast and head back toward Florida. They hoped to fool the Skins as to their ultimate destination.
As the boat moved out from behind the protective shield of the island, and into open water, the Skins on land began to howl and scream. While the smell of the sea had hidden the humans, the Skins’ eyes, strengthened by AE, could easily see the large boat—and its passengers—as it left them behind.
Cain stepped toward the small waves lapping up on the beach. He was beginning to sense Anta’s presence, but the sense was dulling as the boat sped away. She was on that boat. He was furious. He stuck his left foot out into the sea to follow. The water caused his skin to burn terribly. Now he understood why his army in the tunnel seemed to be in such pain after the explosion. He couldn’t talk to them, but he had felt their pain.
Anta was getting away again, but he would find her.
August 10, 8:42 PM—Gulf of Mexico
“Where are we?” Anta asked groggily.
“We’re on a boat, leaving the bunker,” Marilyn replied gently.
“Why?” Anta asked.
“We’ll tell you in a minute,” Marilyn said. “But for now, how do you feel?”
“I feel fine—on the outside. Why? Was I injured? And why am I tied up?” She was just noticing the leather bindings on her hands and feet.
“No, you weren’t injured” Angel said as she moved to Anta’s side and began untying the straps wound around her wrists, “But we have a story to tell you, and you probably won’t like it.”
The small group spent the next several minutes talking about what had occurred. Anta’s head hung low and her eyes glistened as she considered the events being described by Marilyn and Angel. The manner in which she had reacted to Cain’s presence was mind-boggling. She didn’t even know. Her eyes had filled with tears by the time they had finished, and one was slowly maneuvering down the creases in her cheek when she finally looked up.
“I’m so sorry. Maybe you should keep me tied up so I don’t do anything rash.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Street said, looking over his shoulder at the others behind him in the boat.
“Thank you. So where are we going now?” Anta asked, quietly.
“We’re headed to Florida,” Angel said. “We’re going to catch a ride to the moon with your brother.”
“Really?” Anta said, her sorrow turning quickly to excitement. Her face glowed, both from the wetness of her tears and from her joy. “I’m going to see Hasani!”
“We’re all going to see Hasani,” Street said. “And we’re hoping he’ll be able to get us off this rock.”
“Where is everyone else? Where’s Shift?”
“They’re coming,” Angel said, laying a hand on Anta’s arm. “They’re fine. Just getting anything else we may need before they leave.”
“Can we com them—just to make sure they’re okay?” Anta asked.
“Yup. I’m on it,” Nelise replied. “It’s buzzing.”
“Hey everyone!” Shift answered excitedly as he turned on the holo. “Where’s Anta?”
“Right here, Shift,” Anta replied. “I’m okay, if that’s what you were wondering. But how are you?”
“We’re good,” Shift said. “We’ll be leaving here in a few minutes. Did Angel get you up to speed?”
“Yes,” Anta replied, sorrow returning to her voice.
“Don’t worry about it,” Shift said. “You’re fine now, and we’re going to get you and everyone else out of here and away from Cain and his posse.”
“What are those ugly bastards up to anyway?” Street asked, again turning around to see the group behind him.
“Oh man, t
hey are howling and screaming up a storm out there. We can hear them from inside the cave. What did you guys do to them on your way out of here?”
“Nothing,” Nelise said. “They started screaming the moment we came into view around the south side of the cliffs. It’s like they didn’t know we were there until they could see us.”
“Strange,” John said as he walked up to the holo behind Shift.
“Well, not that strange,” Angel said. “The salt water probably covered our scent a bit. I’m sure they knew we were around, but they didn’t know how to get to us.”
“Cain’s out there in the middle of his horde, staring straight out to sea,” John said. “I bet he knew who was on that boat of yours. That’s probably why they’re all freaking out.”
“Do you think he’ll be able to figure out where we’re going?” Marilyn asked. “I mean, those guys can really move. If they figure out where we’re headed, there may be a landing party waiting for the ship when we get there.”
“I doubt it,” Shift said. Then, turning around, he yelled out, “Hey Steve, come here a minute.”
Seconds later, Steve appeared on the holo in front of the five escapees. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Didn’t the Skins watch the boat head south?” Shift asked.
“Yeah, we could see their bodies and eyes follow you guys as you left.”
“Did you ever see them turn their bodies back toward the north, as if they could see what the boat was doing?” Shift asked.
“Nope. After about 15 minutes, most of them just started wandering around again. A small group, maybe 25 of them, took off running southward, probably trying to see where you were going.”
“I think the plan worked,” Shift said. “And, when we leave, we’re taking the two boats in different directions just to confuse them more. One of us will go south and the other southeast. Then we’ll both turn north after a while like you guys did.”
“Sounds good,” Angel said.
“You guys just keep heading toward Florida. We’ll get on the boats within about 20 minutes and hope they fall for our trick. We’ll meet you at Cape Canaveral not long after our original projection.”
Tomorrow We Rise (The Killing Sands Book 2) Page 20