As The World Burns

by Roger Hayden

  Samantha and Paul then attempted to downplay their long-awaited reunion as Paul turned to the guard and went to the counter.

  "Headed back where?" the guard asked.

  "I told him, honey, that our car broke down, and that I got lost," she said.

  "Yeah, but you didn't mention them," Wells replied, pointing at Paul and Julie.

  "It wasn't important at the time, I was just trying to get back," Samantha said.

  "No one is answering anyway," Wells said, putting down the phone. "Now, why didn't you mention your wife earlier? And what is your business with Senator Bryant?"

  Paul attempted to continue the role if they had any chance of getting out of there.

  "I'm not at liberty to discuss those details, sir. I simply wish to get my wife and leave. I'll check in with Senator Bryant tomorrow."

  "You can't just waltz into this airport and leave as you please. Congressman or not, this has been declared a restricted area by the governor of Colorado. You, of all people, should understand that. This lady here had no identification and her story, frankly, doesn't add up," the guard said walking to the counter to meet Paul.

  Paul reached into his jacket and pulled out Samantha's pocket book. Once open, he got out her Pennsylvania State Driver's License and flashed it to the guard. "Here, I have her ID. Her story should check out now. I believe we will leave now."

  Wells came around the counter, clearly riled up.

  "Hold on a minute. There's still the question of how you got in here in the first place."

  "Like my wife told you, our car broke down. I have important information that we were planning on sharing with Senator Bryant. While my daughter and I were trying to get assistance with our car, my wife went ahead looking for Senator Bryant. We were told he was at the airport."

  Wells blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of Paul's tall tale.

  "I think I should call Senator Bryant first," Wells said, walking back to the phone.

  Samantha looked to Paul, signaling him. Paul walked closer and as they pulled in for another kiss, she whispered to him. "We need to run, now!"

  Paul nodded then knelt down to Julie who was still in a state of glazed awe.

  "Are you feeling okay?" he asked her. "We're going to go for a little run, just follow me and your mom."

  "Pete's sake, it's about time you guys answered there," the guard said, finally getting someone on the line.

  "Now," Samantha said.

  She picked up the laptop and cradled it in her arm. The family held hands and slowly inched for the door.

  "The gate is about fifty yards down the runway. That will lead us out of here," Paul said.

  "Yeah, I got this bunch here, said they were coming to see you," Wells said. In the security monitor next to him, Paul, Samantha, and Julie slipped out the door undetected.

  "There's a man, woman, and child. The man says he's a United States Congressman. Says he's got information for the Senator. Their story is all messed up. I had them held in here for trespassing."

  Paul slowly shut the door and looked around for signs of any other guards. The family stood holding each other for a moment.

  "I love you, mom," Julie said. "I'm so glad we found you."

  "I love you too, baby," Samantha said rubbing Julie's back.

  "We should run now. Just follow me," Paul said.

  Paul began to lightly jog as Samantha and Julie followed. They were soon upon the gate and over it.

  Chapter Nine

  The Mastermind Plot

  "You want to send someone else up here to meet them or not? If not, I want them off the premises," Wells said into the phone, annoyed. He turned to the waiting area and noticed them missing. He looked around to all the different areas of the room; they were nowhere to be seen.

  "Hold on," he continued. "Wait, wait. They're not here anymore. They fucking left. I'll get back with you."

  Wells slammed down the phone and ran from behind the counter. He glanced back to the security monitors. There was no movement on any of the screens.

  "Son-of-a-bitch," he said.

  It was as though they had been ghosts. He grabbed his flashlight and scurried out the door in a mad dash.

  In the underground bunker, a stocky security guard named Tyson held the phone. A dial-tone sounded, prompting him to hang up. He exited the office and walked out into the familiar narrow hall of the bunker. Guests, security, and people who made up the "help" passed by him in quick movement searching each and every room. A massive hunt had been ignited throughout the bunker to find Samantha and recover the laptop she had stolen. Tyson made his way to Senator Bryant's room. Ten or so people were gathered around rapidly talking over each other as Bryant sat upright on his bed, nursing his head wound.

  Tyson cleared his throat and spoke.

  "Excuse me, gentlemen, I know we're still searching for the woman, but I received a call from the front desk about a family being taken in. The man in question said that he was a Congressman here to see Senator Bryant. Said his wife was named Samantha too. Kind of strange that they have the same name."

  Senator Bryant perked up.

  "Where are they now?" he asked.

  "Last I heard from Wells, they left. He's going to track 'em down."

  "What do you mean, they left?" Bryant asked.

  "I mean he was on the phone then he said they left."

  The room went quiet as Bryant and the others thought to themselves. Suddenly, Bryant reached over on the nightstand, grabbed his wallet, and opened it. After fishing through the wallet, he tossed it back on the stand.

  "She escaped the bunker," he said.

  Everyone looked at Bryant, confused.

  "We're not going to find her anywhere around here. She's got my laptop and we don't have much time."

  "What happened here, anyway, Senator?" an elderly man in a silk bathrobe asked.

  "She attacked me, that's what happened," Bryant quipped.

  "You brought her down here, Jeff. She was your responsibility and now it would seem that she got the best of you, and all of us as well," a snide-looking man said as he took a gulp of brandy.

  "She should have never been down here in the first place! What in the hell were you thinking?" another man with static gray hair belted out. Murmurs of approval followed.

  "If she gets away with whatever information you let her steal, I don't think I have to remind you of the repercussions you're going to face. You've compromised the entire plan and should take complete responsibility," the elderly man added.

  "I don't need any of you to tell me what's at stake here," Bryant said, angered. "She couldn't have gotten far. I admit, my personal judgment was a bit...questionable, but I have the situation under control."

  Bryant got up from his bed, disrobed and put on a pair of slacks and a business shirt.

  "We're going up, and all of you are going to help me. Remember, we're each a part of this. I won't be the only one facing repercussions in the end. I shouldn't have to remind you of that either."

  Deep concern grew on the faces of every man in the room. The security guard, Tyson, stood patiently waiting for the group to make up their mind.

  "Let's go," Bryant said.

  Paul, Samantha, and Julie made it back to the Malibu undetected. Samantha hadn't asked them any questions yet, but spoke once they got in, with Paul at the wheel.

  "How on earth did you manage to find me?" she asked.

  Paul started the engine and put the car in reverse.

  "I'm still trying to figure that out myself," he answered.

  From the back seat, Julie placed her hands on Samantha's shoulder.

  "It's so good to see you, Mom. We had faith in finding you. I mean so much has happened, it seemed like it was impossible. But we did it, Paul and me."

  Paul looked at Julie in the rear-view mirror and smiled. He put the car in drive and coasted carefully through the parking garage with the headlights off.

  "We have to be careful, there're police ev
erywhere," he said.

  "Where are we going?" Samantha asked.

  "Denver is a bust," Paul said. "I'm talking martial law, can't go out after dark kind of thing. It's too dangerous."

  "Is it all true?" Samantha asked, staring blankly ahead.

  "What, the attacks?" Paul asked, pausing. "Yes, from what we've heard and what we've seen, it looks like millions of people, maybe more, have been killed."

  "Your father? My parents? Our friends?" Samantha began.

  "I don't know yet, honey. We've been trying to get to you for weeks now."

  Samantha placed her face in her hands and began to cry. Paul reached for her hand and held it as Julie rubbed her shoulders.

  "There, there, Mom. We're going to be okay."

  Samantha lifted her face from her hands, sobbing.

  "You guys really are amazing, you know that?" she said.

  "We need to go somewhere where we can lay low and rest for a little bit," Paul said. "Some place away from the city."

  "We could always hide in the mountains," Julie suggested.

  "That's not a bad idea," Paul replied. "What do you think, Sam?"

  Samantha wiped tears from her eyes.

  "Anywhere away from here is good."

  Once they were on the highway, the Rocky Mountains were in view. It seemed an ideal location, if not already blocked off somehow. They had to make it there without being stopped, as the barren highway made them an easy target. Farther down the road, a sign was in view: Rocky Mountain National Park Three Miles.

  Senator Bryant and a small entourage of security men and bunker occupants burst into the guard shack above ground on the runway. They found Wells leaned against the counter while holding his bulging side through his light-blue security uniform.

  "Where did they go?" Tyson asked immediately.

  Wells raised his head up while trying to catch his breath.

  "They ran off while I was on the phone calling it in. I chased 'em outside, but they were already gone. Vanished into thin air."

  One of Bryant's group, the man with static hair, stepped forward wearing a deep frown.

  "So, the Senator lets her in, she gets out, and we can't find her. Then you come across a man, woman, and child just strolling along and they manage to escape because you're BACK WAS TURNED? Excuse me if I don't have the most faith in the security measures implemented around here."

  Bryant held his tongue. He knew that no matter what he said, they were going to pin the situation on him. Maybe they were right. Though he wasn't planning on going down alone.

  "You're mistaken, Sir," Wells said. "First I came across a woman, attractive young girl carrying a laptop. I brought her in here for questioning. She told me she had 'wandered' onto the runway."

  Bryant's full attention was on Wells' every word. He cut in.

  "This woman you saw carrying the laptop, what did she look like?"

  "Asian-looking female in her late-twenties. Shoulder-length black hair. She had a cute red dress on, but it was kind of torn up. She was wearing a dark blue blazer over it. She spoke some gibberish about being lost. Didn't make any sense."

  "So what happened after you brought her in here? Where did she go?" Bryant insisted.

  The entire group circled around Wells, awaiting a response.

  "Well she was sitting in that chair," Wells answered, pointing ahead. "Then I saw the man and his child on the security monitors. He said he was a congressman here to see you. I brought them in, got on the horn, and then they started hugging and stuff. He said the woman was his wife."

  "His wife?" Bryant shouted.

  "I don't know, Senator. Their story was very hazy. I couldn't make much sense of it myself. All I know is that they were trespassing.

  Bryant wanted to kill him. He wanted to take Wells and bash his thick head into the counter until it split apart in two. He moved close into Wells' face and spoke slightly above a whisper.

  "You shouldn't have let them get away. Now, they couldn't have gotten far. I want you to get in contact with every security officer wandering around this fucking airport and start searching."

  Wells nodded nervously.

  "You better hope they didn't get far," Bryant injected as he backed off.

  "How did the husband and kid get in?" a man in the group asked.

  "I don't know. They might have hopped the fence," Wells said.

  "That's exactly why I suggested towers with armed guards," the man with the brandy said. He took a swig and continued. "You all thought I was crazy, but look at us now, clueless as children in a warzone."

  "Pipe down, Fischer. Why don't you go back to bed and sober up?" one of the other men cut in.

  "Enough, we all need to work together," Bryant said, while walking over to the security monitors, examining them. He signaled Wells over with the wave of his hand. As Wells approached, Bryant wrapped his arm around his shoulder and leaned Wells towards the screen.

  "Do these monitors have a playback option?" he asked.

  "Yes, sir. Yes they do," Wells responded.

  "Why don't you back up the footage so we can get a look at this woman and her mysterious prince?"

  "Don't forget about the kid," Fischer said with a hiccup.

  "Yes, Fischer, I know that, thank you," Bryant said in an annoyed tone.

  Wells moved to a small control panel on the desk below the monitors. He fidgeted with the knobs displaying recorded footage from different locations on the security screens. Several displays showed Samantha walking past the camera on the runway, and then being led into the office.

  "Pause that one!" Bryant ordered.

  Wells paused the image as Samantha just took a seat on the chair.

  Other screens showed Paul and Julie approaching the building from outside. Once they got inside, Bryant again told Wells to pause it. The final image showed Paul, Samantha, and Julie embracing in the room. Bryant had Wells pause the image as well. It suddenly occurred to Bryant how many times Samantha pleaded with him to let her go. She always brought up a husband and daughter. A husband and a daughter. Was it possible? Had they managed to track Samantha somehow? Had they been coordinating with her? Bryant grew paranoid. Samantha had used him. She had been sent in to get his laptop. She had seduced him. He was as a fool to have fallen for it. Nonetheless she had to be found.

  Bryant took a step back from the monitors and then turned to his entourage.

  "I want these images distributed to every law enforcement and military entity in the state. We're dealing with terrorist espionage here, gentlemen. Now, even if they had a vehicle, they couldn't have gotten far. And it won't be long until they get stopped at a checkpoint, especially after curfew. We have to stop them immediately. The woman, Samantha, has a laptop with top secret information on it. We must retrieve that information and stop these agents before it's too late. Too many lives have been lost enough as it is."

  The implication was clear; Bryant was dictating a state-wide manhunt on the fleeing family, with no other authority than his words.

  Paul drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park, repeatedly glancing at the fuel gauge as it teetered below the quarter mark. Once the Malibu ran out of gas, he wasn't sure what they would do. With so little gas left, they wouldn't be able to travel much farther. It was the Rocky Mountains or nothing. The Malibu, the lone car on the road, coasted up a side road into the park. Its headlights brightened the path of winding gravel traveling upward to a place they could remain concealed within the lush wilderness of their tranquil escape. The jagged mountains towered in the distance, their tips white with the frost. Even among such open surroundings, safety wasn’t guaranteed. There was no plan beyond just getting to the National Park. They would hide. They would be together.

  Samantha leaned her head onto Paul's shoulder as he placed his arm around her. Julie had climbed up in the front and cuddled next to her mother. She hadn't told Samantha everything, for which Paul was relieved. He attempted many times to commandeer their discussion. It was too muc
h to put on Samantha at the moment. Paul hadn't asked her yet how she ended up with Senator Bryant, or why she was trying to escape. She had her own story to tell, but not before grilling Paul about where they had been and how they had managed to find her.

  "We drove with a man we met, Jordan," Paul said. "We got as far as Missouri when we ran into some trouble, but were given help by some people who lived in their own sort of protected neighborhood."

  "You're not telling her the whole story, Paul," Julie interrupted.

  "There's no need to get into all that right now, Julie," Paul said back. "It's fair to say that we've all been through a very rough couple of weeks."

  The truth was that there was much he didn't want Samantha to know. They were all in a very fragile state. If she had just a slight indication of what Julie had seen and done, he honestly didn't know how she would respond, or how things could ever go back to how they were. Perhaps those days were long gone.

  "I knew I would find you both soon, but I would have never, in a million years, expected to see you at the airport. I thought I was going to have to go all the way back to Pennsylvania."

  "There was a massive evacuation and we had to leave. Colorado was our only option. It was our best chance of finding you."

  "And it worked," Julie said, smiling.

  "So Pennsylvania got hit? Are you sure? What did you see?" Samantha asked.

  Paul cleared his throat, trying to choose his words carefully.

  "I saw a mushroom cloud. It was huge, but pretty far away. They said the air had been contaminated."

  Samantha covered her face, sobbing.

  "I just can't believe it. All those people. All those lives. For what? We have to get back. We have to get back to our home."

  "It's not safe right now," Paul said. "We need to lie low, especially during this curfew. I'll find a place to park. We’ll rest then do our best to find some fuel."

  "Out here?" Samantha asked.

  "Somewhere. We have to or else we'll be walking."

  "What are they saying on the news?" Samantha asked.