Days' End

by Scott L Collins

  “I don’t know, but it is. We have to get ready.”

  “It’s just a book. A good book, but a book nonetheless.”

  Carl leaned forward. “It’s not a good book, it’s The Good Book. I don’t know how or why this is happening, but how can you deny what’s been going on? It can’t be a mere coincidence.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It rarely does.”

  “I don’t know. If this is what you think it is, what now?”

  “Well, the sixth sign refers to…”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Alastair interrupted. “How do we stop it? Can we stop it?” Alastair turned to face his father. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “I don’t think so.” His father sighed. “As far as I can tell, once it starts it proceeds all the way through. If you want any kind of silver lining, I’ve been studying up on it over the last few months and haven’t seen anything that shows a timeframe. For all I know it could be another thousand years before the seventh sign occurs.”

  “I can’t take that chance.” Alastair sat down next to his father. “I need to find Nysa. I have to find her. If the world really is ending, I want to be with her when it happens.”

  Carl’s expression was kind. “How do you plan to do that? You can’t just go to Colorado Springs and start knocking on doors. Outside of the obvious fact that the city is too big, if this project is so secret, you won’t be able to just knock and waltz in.”

  “I don’t know,” Alastair answered. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “I just don’t know.”

  September 11, Grapeland, TX

  Alastair awoke. He heard noises coming from the kitchen below so he knew his father was already awake. He headed downstairs for breakfast.

  “Good morning,” Alastair said as he entered the warmth of the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to stretch and allow his eyes to adjust to the sunlight that filled the room.

  “I was thinking last night before I went to bed,” his father began.

  “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” Alastair quipped. He fell silent at Carl’s deadpan face.

  “I was thinking that I want to come with you to look for Nysa. Your mother is already with the Lord waiting for us. If the end is nearing, you are the one I would most like to be with, and who knows, maybe I can help. Can I come?” Carl’s tone was casual, but Alastair detected some underlying emotion, although he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

  Alastair went to his father and hugged him. “Of course, Dad.”

  After a moment, Alastair stepped back and turned to help make breakfast. He didn’t want his father to see the tears in his eyes. It hadn’t occurred to Alastair until he hugged his dad that Carl had been alone for all these years. Alastair’s mother and little brother had died during childbirth not long after Alastair was born. The loss had devastated his father, but together they had gotten through it.

  After Alastair had left home though, the house had been empty but for his father. It dawned on Alastair that this was a man who was facing the end of the world and just wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with his son when it happened. Alastair was honored and needed a second to pull himself together.

  “I was trying to figure out how to find Nysa last night,” Alastair said as he chopped some tomatoes for their omelets. “The only lead I can come up with is the phone number for the lawyer. If we can get to him, we might be able to find out where the facility is located.”

  “Give him a call,” replied his father. “No time to waste if we’re right about what’s going on.”

  “It’s on my desk at home,” answered Alastair sheepishly.

  “After breakfast I’ll call the airport and book the next flight back to L.A. for us. You pack.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Alastair. “Today?”

  “Absolutely. We’ve got to move as fast as possible. No point in sitting around here to come up with a game plan. We can think it up as we go along. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of downtime in the near future.”

  They ate breakfast in silence, each thinking about the road before them. When they finished, they piled the dishes in the sink and went about their preparations to leave. Alastair hadn’t really unpacked the night before, so he did the dishes while his father finished up with the airlines and packed his own bag.

  “The next flight we can make leaves in four and a half hours. We’re going to be on it. Let’s go.” Carl walked out the front door. Alastair dried his hands on the kitchen towel, grabbed his luggage, and followed.

  The drive and flight were uneventful, with the exception of almost missing the boarding call. They had had to do a bit of running, but in the end they had managed to board. Their pace picked up upon landing in L.A. as they now had a goal, something that could lead them to Nysa.

  Alastair drove as fast as he dared out of LAX and up the 405 freeway. As they pulled into his parking spot, Alastair’s pulse quickened, feeling that he was finally doing something, rather than just sitting and watching. He and his father moved briskly up the front steps and to the front door of the apartment. Alastair fumbled with his key in his haste to unlock it. He finally got it in, turned the key, and opened the door. Alastair walked through the living room and proceeded immediately to the desk as his father took a look around the room.

  He watched as Carl examined the pictures on the wall of Alastair and Nysa in Venice Beach. Picking up the phone, he dialed the only number he could think of that might lead him to his fiancé.

  “Hello, Mr. Stevens?”

  “Yes, may I ask who’s calling?”

  “My name is Alastair Mann, I’m Dr. Nysa Knight’s fiancé.”

  “How can I help you today, Mr. Mann?”

  “I know this is an unusual request, but I need to find Nysa. Do you know how I can get a hold of her?”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Mann, but I’m not allowed to give out that information. I’m sure she told you that she would be allowed no contact outside the facility until the project was completed.”

  “She did,” Alastair replied, “and I wouldn’t call if this weren’t an emergency. I have to see her.”

  “I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. When the project is complete, I will let her know you want her to call. That’s the best I can do. Goodbye, Mr. Mann.”

  Alastair heard the click of the line being disconnected. He set the phone down and looked over at his father.

  “No luck, huh?”

  “He said he’d tell her to call me when the project was finished.”

  “It’s off to Colorado Springs then,” his father replied.

  Alastair looked at him questioningly.

  “We’re already packed and at least it’ll get us closer to her. I’m not saying we’ll find her right away, but it’ll certainly be faster than looking from L.A.”

  They hopped the first flight to Colorado Springs they could find out of LAX. With nowhere to go upon arrival, they checked into a cheap hotel and tried to relax and get a good night’s sleep, for they both knew a long and difficult journey lay ahead.

  We should know very soon if the latest attempt was a success. There is still time for setbacks, but with each failure we are a step closer to my goal. Now it is just a waiting game. Despite yet another “accident” that almost ruined them, the excess samples have been taken to the vault in case of a catastrophe. Only at the completion of the project will the samples be destroyed. I have invested too much in their acquisition. Once the process is complete there will be no need for them. The staff continues to be in high spirits as they get closer to the historic moment. Little do they know how historic it will be. The entire world will be aware of their accomplishment. They seem to know I have come to the facility, but I must be careful of who sees me. Some very difficult questions would be asked if I were to encounter the wrong person. For now, I will continue to isolate myself in my suite and bask in the glory of what is to come.

  September 15,

 
Colorado Springs, CO

  Alastair and Carl’s first three days in Colorado Springs had been extremely unsuccessful. They had visited the airport to try to get any information that might give them a clue as to where Nysa headed after landing, but found nothing. They checked with the ticketing agents, flight attendants, pilots—anyone who seemed to work in or around the airport. Either nobody knew anything, or they just weren’t saying. Regardless, it left Alastair and his father blindly chasing their tails.

  Alastair called his boss at work and requested an extended leave of absence due to family problems that he didn’t care to discuss. Suzy approved his request, asking only that he check in from time to time and let her know as soon as possible when he would be able to report back to work. The work was starting to back up and while it wasn’t causing any problems yet, she could use his help as soon as he could make it back into the office. Alastair had agreed, thanking her for her understanding.

  Bad news continued to filter in from around the world. Cleanup on the Eastern Seaboard and across the Atlantic Ocean revealed that the “worst case” estimates weren’t quite bad enough. Property damage and human casualty numbers climbed on an almost hourly basis. The contaminated river in China had devastated cities and villages downstream, the various toxins resulting in countless deaths and illnesses. Last, but certainly not least, the mysterious skin problem in Mississippi, whether of biblical or earthly origin, continued to spread rapidly.

  So Alastair and his father continued working the airport. Day after day they left tired and frustrated, having achieved nothing, returning to their small motel to get some rest before repeating the cycle the next day.

  September 21,

  Outside Castle Rock, CO

  Jacqueline had finally felt the baby kick. She’d been waiting impatiently for just that moment. She had immediately called Nysa to come see if she could feel it as well. Although Nysa had felt nothing, the moment was a special one for both of them. Nysa took the opportunity to have some sparkling cider sent down to celebrate the occasion. The two women opened the bottle and made a toast to the little one. They had spent the remainder of the evening laughing and making up bizarre names for the baby. Engelbert Humperdink, although previously taken, had taken top spot on the list, followed closely by Hans von Guber Poopy Pants and Alfonso Rodriquez Gomez Sanchez Domingo de San Francisco.

  At the appointment the next day, the twenty-second week of her pregnancy, the doctor was pleased to hear about the baby’s kicking, but after the conversation turned to the potential names he cut them short and brought them back to the business at hand. The pregnancy was now roughly half over. The baby was approximately eight inches long and weighed one pound. The baby was most likely able to hear at this point, as his ears where almost developed, and probably had regular sleep cycles.

  “Will he be able to hear if I sing to him?” Jacqueline asked.

  “Of course. He’s inside you so he can hear everything you say and quite a bit of what goes on around you. He probably already recognizes your voice.” The doctor turned to Nysa. “You can sing to him, too, if you’d like. I normally encourage the father to participate, but due to the unusual circumstances surrounding this pregnancy, I’d say you’re the closest thing to it.”

  Nysa looked questioningly at Jacqueline. “I think that’s a great idea, if you’d like.” Jacqueline smiled. “After we get out of here I hope you stay close with me and the baby. I’ve been doing some thinking and was hoping you’d be his godmother.”

  “I’d love to!” Nysa leaned over and hugged her friend.

  “I hate to interrupt the party, ladies, but to summarize, I think we have a very healthy baby and mother. Keep eating a balanced diet and exercising, Jacqueline. Everything is coming along perfectly. See you next time.” The doctor turned and left the room, leaving the two women chatting while Jacqueline got dressed.

  October 5, Colorado Springs, CO

  If he never went to another airport in his life, Alastair would be okay with that. The problem was that he and his father still did not have any better lead to follow. Alastair had tried Mr. Stevens repeatedly over the last month but had been stonewalled every time. Mr. Stevens simply would not give him any useful information. Alastair could barely control his fury at the man but knew that he could not afford to piss him off. Mr. Stevens was their only resource to find Nysa, so Alastair continued to ask politely and be turned down just as politely.

  “Maybe we should pay the man a visit,” his father muttered after Alastair hung up the phone.

  “I don’t think he would be real happy to have me wandering into his office and interrupting his day. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m trying to stay off his shit list if possible.”

  “I just think if we can sit down and speak with him, man to man, we might be able to make him see the urgency.”

  Alastair thought it over. It couldn’t hurt much, and the airport approach sure wasn’t getting them anywhere. “I guess it’s back to L.A.”

  He and his father grabbed their luggage and drove to the airport. The first available flight back to Los Angeles wasn’t leaving for another three hours, so they found the food court and sat down for a bite before the next leg of their journey.

  October 8, Los Angeles, CA

  When they had arrived back in Los Angeles on Friday, they had located the offices of Mr. Stevens, J.D., but everyone had already left for the weekend. While Alastair was still anxious to find Nysa, he also realized that a weekend of rest and relaxation was not just beneficial but necessary at this point. They had been working non-stop to find Nysa for over a month, and they desperately needed some down time, so Alastair and his father spent the weekend relaxing and watching the baseball playoffs.

  Alastair also took the opportunity to catch up on his bills. In the event the world didn’t end in the near future, he and Nysa would still need somewhere to live that had both electricity and phone service. In private, Alastair took time to read a few more letters from the box Nysa had left him. His heart ached for her as he read her sweet words, and he wished he had been thoughtful enough to do something similar for her. He decided he’d have to make it up to her when he found her.

  Come Monday morning, they were back to business. They both awoke early and cooked and ate breakfast in silence. After hurriedly doing the dishes, Alastair and his father hopped into the car and headed to the office of one Gary Stevens, Attorney at Law.

  “Fucking Topoqwest!” Alastair shouted and threw the directions on the floorboard. “I don’t know why I still use them, their directions are always fucking wrong!” He took out his cell phone and called the office. “Hello, I was wondering if I could get directions to your office, please. I’m currently at the corner of Overland and Pico. Uh-huh. Right. Okay, thanks.” Alastair hung up the phone and headed east on Pico toward Century City. They fought their way through traffic they finally arrived at the office building. After parking the car in the underground garage, Alastair and his father took the elevator up to the lobby. They had to check in with the security desk there, and then took a different elevator up to the law office. They entered together and Alastair approached the reception desk.

  “Good morning, I’d like to see Mr. Stevens, please,” Alastair stated.

  “I’m sorry, sir, he’s working away from this office today. Did you have an appointment scheduled?”

  “No, but it’s urgent that I find him. Will he be in tomorrow?”

  The receptionist looked down at the calendar on her desk. “I’m sorry but I show him working out of his Colorado office for the next two weeks. Would you like me to make an appointment for when he returns?”

  “Did you say he has an office in Colorado?” Alastair could feel the frustration building. Carl placed his hand on Alastair’s shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. Alastair looked over at him. Seeing his father’s patient and gentle appearance, he knew they’d get better results if he allowed Carl to intervene.

  “Miss, we just flew in from Colorado to
try and meet with Mr. Stevens. Would you tell me where his office is located?” his father asked softly.

  The receptionist looked back and forth between them. “Certainly sir, would you like me to write it down for you as well?”

  “Yes, please,” Alastair’s father replied with a smile.

  The young receptionist took out a blank piece of paper and began writing as Alastair paced in the lobby. “His offices are at the corner of Wilcox and Third in Castle Rock. Are you familiar with that area?” Alastair shook his head. “If you would like I can print out Topoqwest directions from the Denver airport for you.”

  “No!” shouted Alastair, startling the woman. “I’m sorry. I’ve just had bad luck with Topoqwest recently. I’ll buy a Thomas Guide. Thank you.”

  “I completely understand,” she replied and smiled as she handed him the paper. “I’ve gone on a couple of wild goose chases myself. Do you have a message you’d like to leave for Mr. Stevens? I can pass it on when he checks in.”

  “No, thank you, Miss,” said his dad. “You’ve been very helpful. Thank you for your assistance.” They both turned and left the office.

  “I should have set up a frequent flier account,” his father stated dryly as they stepped into the elevator.

  That struck Alastair as hilarious. By the time they got back down to the garage, Alastair was wiping tears from his eyes. When he finally got himself under control, he looked at his dad. “Sorry, right joke, right time, I guess.”

  “Happy to help. You looked a bit tense. I’m glad I could give you a good laugh.”

  There were no flights available until the next day. They booked two tickets into Denver this time. Alastair settled down on the couch with the newspaper while his dad went to shower. The front page was still covered with stories and speculation surrounding the mysterious skin condition that continued to spread like an ugly web. Conspiracy theorists seemed to think it was a Chinese biological weapon of some sort. The CDC had not yet released any official report but would have to soon as international cases were beginning to pop up.