by Tim Moon
In front of the chairs, where Ben and Ty had taken seats, stood a stern looking man in a suit and a woman in doctor’s scrubs. As passengers continued to file into the warehouse, one man started getting belligerent, asking why they were being detained.
“We aren’t criminals. We have rights!” he shouted angrily.
A gruff, booming voice rose above the commotion.
“Sir, please sit down, and we will explain everything.” Ben saw that it was the stern looking man talking. “I’m Agent Markham of the FBI. If you can all have a seat and quiet down, I’ll go over the procedures.”
The disgruntled passenger quieted down but continued muttering under his breath. As soon as everyone had taken a seat, Agent Markham introduced himself again and also the woman standing next to him – Dr. Martinez. Everyone aboard the flight, excluding those already on their way to the hospital, would be going through a “brief individual health screening” according to Agent Markham. The screenings were being coordinated by Dr. Martinez, after which they’d be debriefed by law enforcement officers.
A ripple of discontent ran through the crowd.
Ty groaned. “This is going to take forever, man.”
Ben shrugged.
“Once you’re cleared through medical and have given your statements, you will be free to collect your baggage. For those of you continuing on connecting flights, the airline has agreed to reschedule you on the earliest possible flight at no additional cost. If you cannot board a connecting flight tonight, you will be given free lodging at a nearby hotel. If you would like to speak with a grief counselor, please notify the officer you give your statement to. If you have any questions, the airline representatives will be happy to help you. We appreciate your cooperation,” Agent Markham said, with a nod to Dr. Martinez.
Her voice carried surprisingly well through the warehouse. It seemed clear to Ben that she was used to taking charge.
“We will be starting in alphabetical order by last name,” she said, looking up from her clipboard. “Everyone please listen for your name to be called so we can keep things moving. Thank you.”
As Ben waited for his name to be called, he noticed that a few more people from the group of Chinese tourists were coughing softly. One of the people that Ben had assumed was a tour guide appeared to be translating the announcement. Ty seemed to notice the coughing too, and he shot a look at Ben.
“If I start coughing like that, let my Mom know I love her, okay?”
“Shut up.” Ty punched him on the shoulder.
Ben couldn’t help but crack a nervous smile. It felt good to break the tension he felt. He thought again about how long they’d been on the plane with the dead people and hoped neither of them would get sick.
“Ben Chase, come with me please,” a woman’s voice said. A tall, thin nurse smiled at him as he stood and pulled on his backpack and grabbed his roller bag.
He glanced down at Ty. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
The nurse led Ben to a small cubicle-like space for his health screening. She began by asking him a few general questions and then checked his blood pressure. Before she was done, a doctor came in. He was short and overweight. He didn’t even introduce himself, he just got started checking Ben’s eyes, ears, nose and throat. He took a cheek swab and listened to his heart and breathing.
Ben tuned out as they went about their work and thought about the beautiful beaches that awaited them on the Big Island. Before he knew it, the nurse told him they were finished.
She led him to a new cubicle where a police officer sat at one of those cheap folding tables you see in employee break rooms. A notepad and pen sat in front of the officer next to a half-filled paper cup of coffee.
The officer didn’t look up or stand, he simply gestured to the chair. Ben set his bags down and sat across from the officer.
Luckily, there was no awkward interrogation. The officer asked a few simple questions, then listened as Ben recounted what happened with as much detail as he could remember. He glanced up curiously a few times as Ben recounted what he’d seen, and the paper on the notepad quickly filled with the officer’s notes.
Once Ben finished, the officer asked a few follow-up questions and then they were finished.
“Thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Chase. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions,” the officer said. “The airline has re-booked your flight and they have your ticket at the gate. Go to the right and you’ll board a shuttle bus that will take you to the terminal.”
“Okay great, thanks.”
Ben glanced down at his watch as he followed the officer’s directions and went to the right. In all, the process had taken just over an hour.
Not bad.
Chapter Five
October 9, 2015
Mauna Kea, Hawaii
0642 Hours
BEAMS OF LIGHT shot across the sky like spotlights on a fiery background dotted by fluffy pink clouds. Sunrise had always felt like a magical time to Ben, watching it from a mountaintop made it extra special.
“We did it, man. We summited Mauna Kea in just over five hours,” Ben said to Ty.
Experienced hikers typically took ten hours for a round trip climb of the mountain. For no particular reason, they’d decided to beat that goal. The climb was the tough part, and descents were almost always quicker. Unless one of them broke a leg on the way down, their mission was all but accomplished.
Ben had once climbed Mount St. Helens, back home in Washington State, but Mauna Kea was by far the tallest mountain he’d ever climbed. He and Ty had been training in the mountains in Korea, but nothing there compared to the elevation of Mauna Kea. Ben could feel it too, courtesy of an elevation induced headache. However, what Korea lacked in elevation, it made up for with long steep ascents. Switchbacks were unheard of, and it had proved to be good training.
As the sun inched up to begin its trek across the sky, the Big Island’s beauty slowly unveiled below them.
“This view is amazing,” Ty said. “Thanks for inviting me on this trip.”
His voice sounded cheerful, but he had a look about him that made Ben feel like he wasn’t fully enjoying the moment.
“Thanks for coming along. It’s more fun with a friend.”
Ty sat down and began to rummage through his backpack. He pulled out a protein bar and two cans. He offered one of the cans to Ben.
Ben grabbed it from him and looked at the label. It was coconut water. “Thanks, man. I love this stuff.”
He shook it up and popped the top. The cool, pulpy fluid was just what Ben needed. He dug into his backpack and pulled out some aspirin for his headache and a bag of trail mix for breakfast. “It feels like we’re on top of the world right now. Ya know?”
Ty grunted in acknowledgment, busy taking a shot of the sunrise, with his protein bar jutting from his mouth like a cigar. Then he stood to take a panoramic shot.
“Did you know Mount Everest is more than twice as tall as this?”
“Do you think you’ll ever climb Everest?” Ty asked through a stuffed mouth, as he reviewed his photos. Satisfied, he slid his phone back into his pocket and sat down to finish eating his breakfast.
“Sure, if I can manage to save up about fifty grand to make it happen,” Ben chuckled. “Until then, I’ll have to settle for visiting Everest Base Camp.”
Ty nodded and didn’t say anything else. Something was clearly on his mind, but Ben knew better than to ask him what was wrong. He would talk when he was ready.
It wasn’t too difficult to guess what was bothering him. What they’d been through yesterday on the plane weighed heavily on Ben’s mind too. Images of the people and the carnage they’d seen flashed through his mind. It took a mighty effort to push them aside.
To distract himself, Ben focused on the view.
A gust of wind kicked up the Mars-like red dust that blanketed the ground. Other than the occasional outcrop of rock, there wasn’t much to see on the mountain itself o
ther than the observatories. Hardly anything grew on the volcanic slopes.
During the hike up, Ben’s headlamp had only revealed an occasional scrubby bush huddled near rocks along the trail. Although the mountain itself was rather plain compared to what he was used to in the Pacific Northwest, Ben enjoyed the otherworldly look. The real treat was looking down on the lush beauty below the mountain.
“I keep thinking about the stuff on the plane. The people who died,” Ty said. “We sat right by that guy’s body, which was creepy enough. Then, amazingly, he and the other person woke up, or whatever, and started biting people. That’s some horror movie type bullshit.”
Ben nodded as he gazed at the clouds, which now looked like orange cotton candy. He wasn’t sure what to say.
This was the first time since they’d left the airport that either of them had mentioned what had happened. It sure as hell was a lot to process.
Ben’s mind raced back to the first time he’d seen a body. It was his first quarter of college – great way to kick things off.
The school had a plaza with a fountain area where people would sit around and read or talk. Some distraught man had walked onto school grounds, making his way to the middle of campus. He stood in the middle of the plaza and shot a round into the air before firing the second round into his skull, ejecting his life across the intricately laid brick.
Ben had just stepped out of the nearby classroom building as the shots rang out. Not realizing it was a gun, since it was so out of place, he’d walked outside to cross the fountain area on the way to the library. That’s when Ben saw him, sprawled across the heart of campus.
What they’d experienced on the plane was awful too. Much worse in fact, but it helped him to know that the confusion he felt would fade. Ben was still having trouble figuring out why someone would attack, as if they were a starving cannibal.
Scenes from the plane played quietly in the back of his mind. The man biting his wife in the seat in front of them. The crazy woman gobbling down pieces of flesh. The air marshal shooting her.
Ben shivered and closed his eyes. His face tingled at the memory of her blood splattering on him. He rubbed his face to fight the sensation and bring himself back to the present.
Not being raised in a world where actual graphic violence was common, Ben felt like he was at a loss as to how to cope when it did happen. In many ways, he still felt numb. Like it hadn’t been real.
“I know what you mean,” Ben finally said. “It seems crazy, but I’ve never seen a horror movie that real. I’ve tried not to think about it much since we left the airport.”
Ty nodded and took a bite of his protein bar.
“Like I said before, I just hope whatever killed them isn’t contagious,” Ben said. “Especially since most of them followed us here.”
Ty froze for a moment.
Ben didn’t notice the frightened look in his friend’s eyes. He was too busy putting his trash in his backpack. He decided he should get a few photos, especially of the observatories, because he knew his mom would love to see them.
When Ben finished taking pictures, he looked at Ty. “You ready to head down?”
“Sure, let’s stop at that little lake on the way, since we couldn’t see it in the dark.”
“Sounds good.”
“Don’t forget to time our descent too. Let’s beat that ten hour mark,” Ty said, standing up and shouldering his pack.
Chapter Six
October 9, 2015
Mauna Kea Visitor’s Center
1031 Hours
ONCE THE HUMU’ULA trail hit the road near the visitor’s center, they started to run, racing each other back to the parking lot. Ty barely beat Ben back to the car. But like sports and politics, barely was still a win, and Ty didn’t let him forget it.
“You’re getting faster. But there’s a reason your last name is Chase – you’re always two steps behind,” Ty said as he laughed at him.
Ty tossed the car keys to Ben who snatched them out of the air.
After sleeping in the car last night, getting up too damn early, and hiking twelve miles round trip with over 4,700 feet of elevation gain, they were bushed. Losing meant Ben would have to drive all the way to the hotel. The hike had been well worth the effort, but now Ben needed to find some caffeine so he could stay awake on the long drive back.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you next time.”
“Right,” Ty said skeptically.
Ben noticed the visitor’s center had opened while they were out hiking. He hoped they might have some food and, more importantly, caffeine. He dropped his backpack in the backseat. “I’m going to check out the shop. Be right back.”
“Take your time, slow poke. I’ll be in the passenger seat, you know, relaxing.”
Ben couldn’t help but smile. One of these days, he’d beat Ty and wipe that stupid grin off his face. Ben shook his head as he walked across the tiny parking lot to the shop.
When he entered, the girl at the counter smiled and said hello. Most of the touristy merchandise was to the right, but so was a refrigerated display unit with food and drinks.
Ben quickly browsed the merchandise for anything that might make a nice gift for his mom. The shop had coins that looked like the Mauna Kea summit marker, art and photo prints, and the obligatory astronaut’s ice cream, stacked in a basket in shiny foil packages. Ever since Ben’s grandparents had taken him to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as a kid, he’d been a fan of the ice cream. It was corny, but he always bought it.
Along with the ice cream, Ben decided to pick up a t-shirt and a few postcards for his mom. One of the postcards had a fantastic night shot of the observatories on the summit. She would love to see the sight for herself, since astronomy was her hobby, but this would have to do.
When he turned to check out the food and drink options, he was much less impressed.
The light from the display case shone on a lone gas station sandwich like a lounge singer. Below the sandwich, rows of soft drinks nearly edged out the bottles of water. To Ben’s disappointment, there were no energy drinks. The sandwich looked iffy at best but he was starving. He grabbed a bottle of Coke and the sandwich then stacked his stuff on the checkout stand.
More tourists entered the shop and descended on the merchandise as the girl at the counter began to ring up Ben’s stuff.
“Busy morning?” Ben asked, glancing at the newcomers.
“Not really. Only people hiking the mountain or driving to the summit for photos come in this early,” the girl said. “So which one are you?”
“My friend and I already hiked to the summit. We made it just in time for sunrise.”
“The view up there is spectacular, you picked a good time. It’s peaceful too, not many people start that early. Most of the tourists get here in the evening to look at the stars. We have telescopes for people to use.” She glanced at the register display. “Okay, cash or credit?”
Chapter Seven
October 9, 2015
Waikoloa Village Gas Station
1113 Hours
BEN STOPPED AT a gas station convenience store. The bottle of Coke he’d drunk wasn’t cutting it. He entered the brightly lit store, and made a beeline to the drink cases lined with thousands of milligrams of delicious caffeine.
Having bought a few cans of his favorite energy drink for himself and one for Ty, Ben walked back to the car with his treasure and dropped into the driver’s seat. He quickly popped open the can and took a long drink. The crisp snap of the tab woke Ty who had slept the entire way.
For the briefest of moments, Ben felt guilty. But Ty had been extra smug about getting to sleep the whole way back, so Ben decided he didn’t need to feel too bad.
Ty looked at him all confused and then glanced around. Ben gestured at the energy drink he’d bought for Ty then took another gulp of his own. Ben didn’t want to go to sleep until later that night, otherwise he would just be groggy all day. For Ben, groggy meant cranky. Besides, they
were in Hawaii. They were there to enjoy themselves not sleep in a hotel.
Ty must have felt the same. He stretched before cracking open his drink, fighting off a yawn before slurping the sweet, caffeine laced liquid.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Ben said, smirking at him.
“Mornin’, thanks for the drink.”
From the gas station it was a short drive west on Waikoloa Road and a little jaunt south on Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway to their hotel. Blue ocean stretched out toward the horizon on their right while rolling hills of black lava rock rose and fell on their left.
Turning off the highway, onto Waikoloa Beach Drive, which wound slowly toward the hotel, it was hard for Ben to believe that they’d already climbed a mountain and it wasn’t even noon.
Thankfully, Ben could already feel the caffeine pumping gleefully through his veins. They still had a long day to enjoy.
Chapter Eight
October 9, 2015
Waikoloa Beach Resort and Spa
1146 Hours
AS THEY WALKED into their room, Ty rushed past Ben, dropped his pack on the floor and threw himself onto a bed like a little kid, claiming it as his own.
“Ahh, I’m loving this bed. Don’t worry,” Ty said, laughing at the look on Ben’s face, “I don’t want to sleep the day away. Let’s go into Kona and check out that burger place you mentioned. I’m starving.”
“I’m just going to shower and change first. Then I’ll be set.”
Ben dropped his backpack next to the other bed and glanced out the window. Since their chat on the mountain, Ty seemed to be in much better spirits.
Maybe we can still pull off this adventure after all, Ben thought.