by Tim Moon
Now free, the girl sobbed as she cradled her shredded arm. Stark white bone could be seen through the stringy bits of muscle that wobbled free of the jagged wound. The guy who had tried to punch the attacker, possibly her boyfriend, reached out to help her but she slapped him with a resounding crack and ran through the broken window and down the sidewalk. A trail of blood followed her escape.
With an angry growl, the crazed man came lurching back at Keanu. Keanu took a quick step back to create some space. Blood dripped from the man’s mouth and bits of flesh dangled between his stained teeth. Keanu’s muscles tensed as his arm cocked back. His fist rocketed twice, squarely into the man’s horrid face.
The attacker stumbled back, off balance, but Keanu reached forward and grabbed the front of his shirt, pivoted, and hurled the man into the bar with one hand. The man’s head slammed against the stained wood, and he crumpled to the ground.
“Dude, we should get out of here,” Ty said behind Ben. His voice was urgent and panicked.
“No way, we’re witnesses,” Ben said, pulling out his phone and dialing 9-1-1.
Keanu rolled the crazy guy over, fighting to hold him down. He pulled a long, white towel from his pants pocket and attempted to bind him. But, just like the marshal on the airplane, Keanu couldn’t control the man’s blood slicked hands and bind them at the same time.
“Here. I’m going to help,” Ben said firmly. He pressed his phone into Ty’s reluctant fingers.
Ben went over, knelt down, and grabbed one of the guy’s arms at the wrist. With his other hand, Ben applied pressure to the attacker’s shoulder, so he could wrench the guy’s arm behind his back. It was a trick Ben had learned in college thanks to a self-defense class he’d taken for P.E. credit.
“Thanks. This asshole won’t hold still,” Keanu said, glancing at Ben.
“My friend’s calling 9-1-1. That was pretty impressive, the way you handled him.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”
Ben’s fingers felt sticky as he held the man’s wrist out for Keanu. The smell of blood registered, and Ben crinkled his nose. It was becoming far too familiar a scent.
Keanu rolled the towel up, like jocks did in high school locker rooms to whip people, and began to secure the man’s hands.
It was odd that the attacker didn’t say anything while he was restrained. No cursing. No yelling. The only sounds were an occasional groan interspersed with growls when he attempted to bite.
“Thanks again for the help. I think I got it from here,” Keanu said, standing up. “I’m Keanu, what’s your name?”
“Ben, and you’re welcome,” Ben said, putting his hand out.
Keanu glanced down and smiled at him. Ben realized his hand was covered in blood, and chuckled nervously.
Ben walked back over to the group. Anuhea was hugging Charlotte who was clearly distressed. Ty was talking softly to them both, so Ben went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
He used a lot of soap because he didn’t want to catch anything from that guy, something Ben hadn’t thought about when he went to help Keanu. Once his hands were scrubbed raw, he splashed his face with a couple of handfuls of cold water. Then he blew his nose to clear out the metallic scent of blood. It didn’t feel like enough, but it helped a little.
When Ben came around the corner, he noticed two police officers through the bathroom door. They stood in the foyer chatting about how this wasn’t the first attack. One looked up and saw Ben peeking out at them. Feeling a little awkward, he emerged from the bathroom, drying his hands on his shorts. Both of the officers stared at him for a moment then turned and walked away.
Most of the customers had run away when the fight broke out. Other than Ben, Ty, and the two girls, only six others had stayed. Two officers corralled the remaining customers into a group on the far side of the restaurant while the other two had Keanu back off so they could properly detain the crazed attacker.
Apparently, the officers knew Keanu because he exchanged a hearty bro hug with one of them. Ben figured that when you’re the go to guy for dealing with douche bags at one of the best restaurants in town, the cops get to know you.
“That was really brave of you to help,” Charlotte said softly. “I only tried to stop you because I was worried about you getting hurt.”
Ben was touched that she would show such concern.
As Keanu talked with an officer, who was taking notes, he raised a hand and pointed at Ben. The officer looked up from his notebook and waved him over.
Ben gave the officer his statement and contact information. The officer thanked him for sticking around and helping. He inquired about the female victim, but Ben could only give him a physical description. The officer said not to worry. Based on the severity of her injury, the officer figured she would show up at a hospital soon and he could get her statement there.
Chapter Fourteen
October 9, 2015
Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway
2120 Hours
THINGS WERE QUIET in the car after they said goodnight to Charlotte and Anuhea in the parking lot.
Ty scowled as Ben pulled out into the street, looking more distraught than Ben had ever seen him.
“That was some crazy stuff, huh?” Ben said with an awkward chuckle.
From the corner of his eye, Ben could see Ty roll his eyes.
“Crazy? Yeah, you could say that. It was worse than crazy. Yet again, we lived through some horror movie shit. He bit her. No, not bit, he ate her and liked it! Like a fuckin’ cannibal. Just like the people on the plane.”
Ben nodded. There was no denying the cannibalistic tendencies. Picturing the man eating the girl’s arm, made him shudder.
“Did you see the look on his face when he got a bite? It makes me feel sick just thinking about it,” Ty said angrily. “I know horrible stuff happens around the world everyday but it doesn’t usually happen in my world, this is out of control.”
Ben could hear the fear in Ty’s voice.
“You know, I have a hard time believing the people on the plane died from exposure to some kind of toxin,” Ben admitted. “But what kind of disease makes people act like that? And what connection does the guy at the restaurant have to any of it? He acted the same but he didn’t look familiar.”
Ty didn’t say anything.
“Could it be drugs? Maybe, like, meth or something. People do crazy shit on that stuff.”
“Oh please, the people on the plane didn’t use meth.”
Ben didn’t have anything to say to that. Ty was right, how could they have used meth on the plane? Even if they did, not everyone would die from it.
“What if they’re zombies?” Ben blurted out.
“Jesus, dude. You watch too many movies,” Ty said, his voice dripping condescension.
“Whatever.”
Awkward silence filled the car.
“No matter what caused it, it was horrible to see,” Ben said softly. “I wonder if that girl’s okay? She was hurt really bad.”
Ty nodded.
“How did Anuhea take it?”
“She’s scared, from what I could tell. None of us stuck around long enough to talk about it,” he said in a pouting voice. He crossed his arms and stared at the road ahead.
Ben tapped the steering wheel with his thumb while he thought.
That had to be the worst first date ever.
He figured it’d probably be the last time he saw Charlotte. A twinge of sadness struck him.
What a wild day.
“Tomorrow will be better,” Ben said mostly to himself.
Ty continued brooding.
Chapter Fifteen
October 10, 2015
Waikoloa Beach Resort and Spa
0430 Hours
SOMETHING SHOOK BEN, he rolled and tumbled in darkness. His head jumbled around, shaking with each vibration.
A voice yelled, “Earthquake!”
Ben’s eyes popped open for a second before reflexively squinti
ng from the light. Ty’s smiling face danced just out of reach. Realizing it was just his idiot friend getting him back for waking him up yesterday, Ben rolled over and groaned.
“I hate early mornings,” he said grumpily. “This is the last one we do.”
“Deal.”
“I need coffee, stat.”
“Get your lazy ass up. It’s already brewed,” Ty said, smiling. “See you downstairs in the lobby as soon as you’re presentable. Breakfast awaits!”
Ugh, morning people.
Ben dragged himself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to make himself feel human again. A splash of water later, he could open his eyes without squinting.
Ben wiped his face dry with a hand towel and thought, coffee. He filled a paper cup as full as he dared.
Shorts alone wouldn’t work for the lobby, so Ben threw on his favorite Star Wars t-shirt and a plain white baseball hat.
Entering the lobby, Ben saw Ty. He was showing the effects of the last two days, but Ty seemed a lot more personable than he’d been last night.
Breakfast at this hotel was serious business. Four large buffet tables held a wide selection of tasty treats. They were fairly early, but things still seemed awfully quiet. One man read the newspaper. Another watched the news on TV, and a family sat in the far corner talking quietly amongst themselves.
Then Ben remembered. Today was the day of the annual triathlon which drew thousands of people to the island from around the world. So, early as it was, anyone associated with the race was already up and out the door.
Two athletic looking announcers chatted about the race on the TV hanging from the wall.
They actually needed to hurry if they were going to go watch. The race would be starting soon, and they still had to link up with the ladies.
Last night, Anuhea had texted Ty to see if they’d like to watch the race with her and Charlotte. Ben was shocked that they wanted to hang out again after the way the evening had gone. But they’d agreed right away because it meant seeing the girls again. Though, at the time, neither of them had been very interested in the race itself. Right now, Ben was almost excited. It’d be his first time watching a triathlon, and it’d be a great way to keep his mind from dwelling in the darkness.
“Before Anuhea mentioned it last night, I’d almost forgotten the race was this week.” Ben nodded his head toward the television. He reached for bacon with silver tongs and grabbed half a dozen slices.
Ty just shrugged as he started shoveling fruit into his bowl. “It could be fun. I’ve never watched a triathlon in person before. I’ve only seen highlights on the news or clips on YouTube.”
Ben walked over to the cook assigned to omelet duty. The man grinned politely as Ben made his order – bacon and cheese with onions and green peppers. As the cook went to work, Ben joined Ty at the table he’d chosen facing the TV. Ben set down his plate of bacon, eggs, and hash browns and turned his attention to the television.
After a few moments, the news anchors switched from talking about the race to talking about the attack at The Brewing Company.
“Ben, look. They’re talking about last night.” Ty nudged Ben’s arm.
“Yeah,” he said shushing Ty.
“Order up,” said the cook.
Ben hurried over to get his omelet, trying not to take his eyes off the TV for long. He thanked the cook and rushed back to the table to watch the news segment.
“Most people go to The Brewing Company restaurant to relax, enjoy a meal, and have a beer with friends or family. They don’t expect the night to turn violent. Samantha Steele has the story,” the anchor said.
“Thank you, Mike. Last night, a man burst through this floor-to-ceiling glass window and attacked a woman.” Samantha gestured at the broken window. “Police reports say the man grabbed her and bit her repeatedly on the arm. It’s one of a string of biting attacks that have been occurring around the islands.” She spoke with the dramatic tone of a movie trailer.
A wide shot showed her standing with the smashed window behind her. She walked toward the camera, chunks of glass crunching under her ridiculously high-heeled feet. “Kona Police Sergeant John Higgs said the man, whose identity is unknown, seemed to have no connection to the victim. A heroic member of the kitchen staff, Keanu Pookalani, responded and subdued the attacker until police took him into custody. The victim fled the scene before police and paramedics arrived. Her current whereabouts and condition are unknown. Sergeant Higgs said police are looking into every lead. Mike, back to you.”
Ty looked over at Ben.
“Well, nothing new there,” Ben said with a shrug. “Except that the girl didn’t show up at the hospital like the officer thought she would. That’s pretty weird, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, she lost serious chunks of her arm to that freak. But I wish they’d share something we didn’t know. Either of us could have given that news report.” Ty sounded disappointed.
“Seriously.” Ben nodded.
Back in the studio, anchorman Mike and his co-host Iolani made a couple of comments implying a connection between The Brewing Company attack and the hotel fire the day before.
Revisiting the story, Mike said, “According to police reports, several eye witnesses claim that two, quote, ‘strange’ people wandered in and bit guests at the breakfast buffet, which started the confrontation that may have sparked the fire. Unfortunately, the number of fatalities from the hotel fire has now risen to seven, two of whom died in the hospital last night.”
Iolani commented on several reports of biting attacks coming out of Honolulu. Two of the Honolulu attacks were fatal.
“A string of biting attacks? That’s not only creepy as hell but too much of a coincidence,” Ty said, as he finished his mountain of fruit. “We should see if anything more specific is online, do you have your phone? I left mine in the room.”
“Nope, I left mine too. What do you think is causing it? That guy last night wasn’t right in the head, even for a drug fiend. He didn’t talk, yell, curse – nothing. He only moaned and growled like an angry dog.”
“I really don’t think it could be drugs,” Ty said. “With such weird attacks in so many different places, tainted drugs seems unlikely. And it doesn’t explain the people on the plane. They clearly weren’t on anything.”
Mike and Iolani were about to turn things over to yet another homogeneous weather report when they cut to a graphic that said, “Breaking News” in bold letters.
“We have a breaking news story. For details, we go to our national affiliate,” Iolani said.
The screen filled with the logo for the national broadcast then faded to a familiar news anchor - Jordan Jackson. Jordan started by welcoming everyone to this special broadcast. Then she got right to the point.
“Just moments ago, China announced that it believes it was the target of a biological attack which has killed thousands of civilians. China has mobilized their police and military forces to respond to the disaster,” Jordan said, pausing briefly for effect. “In order to contain the situation and find those responsible, all communication, travel, and trade have been halted.”
Next to Jordan, a pair of graphics showed the flags of Japan and South Korea.
“Reports first came in from our affiliates in Japan and South Korea, who reported serious communication outages within China. Their field reporters in China had to call in via satellite phones because telecommunications appear to be down in all major cities. An unnamed source within the U.S. State Department, confirmed the reports of Chinese blackouts,” she continued as another small graphic appeared beside her.
“The Chinese Ministry of Transportation and Communication and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have issued a joint statement that all transportation and communication into and out of the country has been suspended until further notice. Sources within China tell us that, quote, ‘disruptions’ began in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou late last night. Several comments were found on social media about random attacks and
violence in the streets, but they’ve since been deleted. Now it’s been reported that Chinese internet service providers, the gateway companies to the internet, have shut down completely.”
“Internet security expert Dave Carmichael is here with us. Thank you for joining us, Dave. Why would China order their Internet Service Providers to shut down?”
The screen cut to a middle-aged man with a military style haircut. “As you know, Jordan, China has always kept a tight rein on their telecommunications, including the internet. If they feel like they’ve been attacked by terrorists or a rogue nation, restricting communications access between those responsible and their assets on the ground in China is a logical step. It limits their vulnerability to electronic attacks during a time of crisis, but it also restricts citizens from reaching out to friends and family which is an unfortunate problem.”
“Thank you, Dave,” Jordan said. “We’re told that just hours ago, Beijing sent instructions to their embassies and consulates worldwide about the communication and transportation blockage before sharing the announcement with the media. It is unknown if Chinese embassies and consulates will have contact with Beijing or not,” Jordan said. “This dramatic and unexpected move by China is being received by other governments with extreme speculation. Some people in the international community question whether an attack actually occurred since no official evidence was provided by Beijing. Many fear this may be a move towards armed conflict, given recent tensions in the region between China and many of its neighbors concerning territorial disputes.”
She took a moment before continuing.
“Japan responded to the announcement, which has been viewed by some as a potential escalation of the situation regarding the contested islands in the East China Sea, by announcing an elevated security posture for their Defense Forces saying, ‘We will ensure the safety and security of our country from any and all aggressive actions. Any attack will be met by swift and decisive retaliatory measures.’ The Republic of Korea’s government in Seoul, has elevated the security posture of their armed forces as well. In a statement to the press, the South Korean President urged caution and open dialog to resolve any dispute saying, ‘We urge our neighbor to remain peaceful for the good of all people.’”