In a low, gravelly southern drawl, that reminded Delaram of a bass guitar, Officer Boulder answered her. “They are both. Wired for constant delivery but wireless access takes over if there is a problem with the cable delivery system. In this case, the wireless went down so the wired system took over. Our entire camera system is on its own cable protocol not associated with the main cable that enters the property. Which is a good thing since all the wireless signals have been severed. The mainframe is locked and located near the PBX system for our emergency SAT phones. The phone you are holding is on that PBX system. We have internal and external antennae that are interfaced with our facility’s PBX. Of course, the cameras do not communicate with the SAT system. I was simply giving you a mini lesson on where the mainframe for them are located. They’re near each other if we need to access them for any reason. What can I get for you?” Then Officer Boulder motioned for them to follow him into another room.
“There seems to be an issue with who is, or is not, still on the property behind the security doors,” Agent Pahlavi said. “Doris, around the corner, is gathering some additional data for me, but I would like to know if you have been able to ascertain if any individuals, identified or not, have been noticed or monitored with the cameras in an area what should have been closed off. I’m specifically interested in badged employees.” Then she waited anxiously for his response.
“To our knowledge, no,” Boulder answered. “We have checked every corner, path, doorway, elevator, and circumference of the airport and there has not been any unauthorized activity that we have seen. But...” he started in, “There was a small 38-minute glitch where our inside cameras went off-line because they are normally set to switch to wireless monitoring when an “event” presents itself. Our cameras went into back-up mode because the wireless signals were shut down. The technicians immediately started tracing back trying to figure out what caused the outage, and that is when they were informed that all the nearby wireless towers had been deactivated per emergency protocol, which explained the phones. The routers inside the airport were automatically shut down as well. With cable and other wireless signal access down, it did take a while for the camera system to get linked back into its own emergency cabled network.”
Delaram was silent for a few seconds before she responded, “I’m confused. I thought that all the cable and phone lines were down, as well as radio and cell phone transmission.”
Officer Boulder replied, “Yes. That is true. But, like I said, the cameras are all wired-in completely different from the rest of the airport operations. It is a security feature that remains in progress during an emergency. Normally, switching over to wireless is a smooth transition that is automated if the cable signals are interrupted. But since all wireless has been shut down... well, we are checking into it.” He thought some more then added, “We still had visuals on the entire property but unfortunately, they were delayed for that thirty-eight minutes. The cameras still record. They each have their own drives. The transmission from our cameras to here was what was delayed. Sorta like when a cell phone monitors itself and switches from wireless access to data and then back again if it detects wireless access available again. In fact, electrically, it is also backed by a generator here at PDX, should the property lose electricity. You’d have to talk to the techs about how those specifics actually work with the recording, transmissions, delays etc... all I know is my job and I depend on them to make it happen.”
He took out his notepad and checked his notes. “We have our techs checking on the cameras right now to be sure. Cameras are currently online over here.” He pointed with his arm as he started walking over to the desks against the walls. He nodded with his head to a set of cameras that were being monitored by two other people slightly to the left of the others. “Those Port officers are reviewing the history that was suspended for that thirty-eight minutes I mentioned.”
“Okay, I see. Even though the cameras may have been down for your immediate remote viewing, the cameras are programmed to suspend transmission and save communication if their signal is broken. They will then send the video feed to the main hub and continue processing. Man, things are different from when I was monitoring cameras,” Pahlavi summarized.
“We are isolating the history of that thirty-eight -minutes for you right now,” Boulder assured her.
Delaram was glad he explained the camera situation in as much detail as he could. It gave her more info to go on and direction for her interviews. She started to walk away to confer with her agents when he touched her shoulder to get her attention quietly.
“Truth be told though,” he began talking, almost in a whisper, “We cannot find the Airport Manager, Perry Prattle. That is a puzzling development for us. Our techs have a couple questions about the system set-up in his office. It doesn’t appear that it is the same system that they themselves helped install.”
“Why does he have monitors at his office location?” Agent Pahlavi asked.
“Oh, well, that was something he negotiated when he accepted the position. He said he wanted some cameras accessible to him for security purposes. The man seemed very knowledgeable with security needs and was a stickler for protocol and communication between the Port Police and his office. He can visually monitor the property as well. The system is quite a quagmire of interconnected capabilities and I would be lying if I told you I could explain it, or understand it. My understanding begins with my job once the feeds hit my office. That is why we hire the best techs for onsite installation and support,” he said. Then after a pause he questioned even himself by saying, “It is just that in all the confusion, we have not been able to contact him since he was in here last.”
“Last? How long ago? What was the nature of his communication when he was here?” she inquired further.
“Oh, well, he said he needed to check the camera feeds and asked if we had any information deemed NTK for him. I explained that our cameras were offline for a slight bit but they were back up. He did say, as he came directly from Doris’ office, that he was working on a lead of some sort and would be in touch soon. So, until the intranet in the airport comes back online, they can’t give clearance to anyone else or remotely, access doors. It simply won’t work,” he explained. “He was here about 20-30 minutes ago, and said he was heading to his office first, but when I went up there, he wasn’t there.”
“Thank you, Officer Boulder. Doris already informed me that granting access to security doors has been down, because the airport is completely in lockdown mode, so I understand what you are saying, but we have garnered some new info about red and green coded areas that we are looking at. I’ll be back if I need anything else. If you think of anything, hunt me down.” Now where is the Port Manager?
Chapter 23
Where Still Waters Run Deep
Mr. T looked longingly at the huge structure in front of them and turned to the group and announced, “You know, this size not needed anymore. Only width of dime and length of straw needed now for some bad waters. Funny, huh?” Then he picked up his pace to walk around to the other side of it using the metal grated path that was under their feet. He stayed by the wall as he walked.
They stood there looking at a huge piped and glassed-in enclosure that practically took up the room. It also had large pipes leading to it, or leading away, Jahnni wasn’t sure. Inside were thin, extremely thin drapes of some kind that were connected to the top and sides and bottom of the glass pipe enclosure. Jahnni thought the enclosure alone, was probably the width of a dump truck and parked three trucks deep in front of each other if that was any way to make an approximate measurement. There appeared to be several of these drapes, almost like a membrane of sorts, spaced about 6 feet apart. A type of coiling metal, much like the thick copper pipes they saw in the first big pipe, also ran the length of the glass enclosure along the inside walls of this... pipe structure? What in the world? This must be the water purifying thing that Carlton said something about. It’s huge! It’s real! It’s.
..
“There they are,” a voice bellowed from above. “Hey... Wait right there! We need to talk to you!”
Jahnni and the others turned to see who called out to them, but they had already walked too far under the scaffolding walkways to see who was up there. Jahnni’s heart let out a startled electrical pulse that meant... get going! She froze and stared at Mr. T, waiting for him to tell them which way to go. She glanced back and forth between Beau and Mr. T, waiting for an answer.
“Pops,” Beau interjected, “I need to know right now if you can get us out of here. If not, I am going to plan B. I don’t want to have to, but if it’s us or them, we are the ones who will come out of this on top. Not them, I guarantee it.”
Mr. T waved them along. “Yes. Yes... I can get us out. We are near the exit. Or rather entrance. But we must hurry. What time is it, by the way?” he asked, eyes wide while he waited for an answer.
Jahnni looked at her watch. “It’s almost 4:06, why?”
“We must hurry! The timer is set, and cannot be changed,” he anxiously explained. Sort of.
“What time, for what timer Pops? What are you talking about? Where are we going?” Beau asked as he pushed everyone along trying to keep them protected from behind.
After a few seconds, Mr. T answered anxiously, “Where are we going, you ask? To get wet, that’s where!”
Chapter 24
You Can Swim, Right?
Although Jahnni was confused, he’d already proved invaluable in leading them from their pursuers. He knew where everything was and seemed to know exactly where he was going. But the sound of feet clattering on the metal stairs that they themselves had previously climbed down, was too unnerving to look back for. Jahnni watched straight ahead, keeping her eye on Crutch and Samantha foremost.
Mr. T opened another door and motioned his arms like a windmill, around and around, whispering for them to hurry. When they were all in, he turned to shut it tightly. He darted to a right corridor, and then followed that hall for about twenty-five feet then darted to the left. “What time is it now Miss Jahnni?” he called breathlessly from in front of them without turning around. “Exactly, what time is it?”
Jahnni could hardly get an accurate look at her watch with all the jostling and moving so she stopped to get an exact reading. “It is 4:09. Why Mr. T?”
“Does everyone know how to swim?” Mr. T called back to them as he kept up his trotting pace.
“Yes. Ya. Of course. Better than most,” came all the replies.
“Good, we have no other choice, if we want to not be caught by those peoples behind us.” He stopped to catch his breath and took several heaving lungs full of air before he went on, “It will start out slow at first... because the return is slower than the intake. It will be cold, but not too bad since it come from being warmed in the plant’s pipe system.” Jahnni had no idea what he was talking about, nor did anyone else by the looks on their faces.
“Pops! What are you telling us? Where are we going? You said you were getting us to a safe location... and of course, I believe you,” Beau said as he turned Mr. T around to face him, “but we just need to know a little more information. I think you are scaring the ladies,” he said. “Okay, I’ll admit it... I’m feeling a little timorous about our situation. Skip to the getting wet part.”
“Not much time,” Mr. T began explaining a little more. “Old piping system. Was intake, but now is return for unused water. Had to hide original intake and create new one for simple looking airport water resource. Used to be feeding route of water over boulders that led to large purifying system that you see back there... before we run into last hallway. No time. No time. We run as fast as we can and we make the concrete observation landing. If not... we get wet. Remember, no worry! If water comes, let water carry you to landing. If water is high enough and rushing fast, grab boulder hanging from pipe ceiling.” He then got on his knees and put his ear to the floor, then pulled up on the large round access that they were unknowingly standing on seconds before.
Jahnni realized that they must be standing on the entrance to a pipe works of some sort. Mr. T opened the floor hatch with careful manipulation. It didn’t look exactly like the other hatch doors they had climbed through, but when he pointed, they began to climb in anyway. One by one they all made it through and climbed down the metal stairs to the floor. Mr. T went in last and swirled the door lock to a clanking shut position. It was quite a few turns of the door wheel to get it shut tight, but once done, he climbed down the stairs.
“Double lock. That door is very good locked! Just in case,” Mr. T mumbled, then shouted louder to them all as he motioned his arm, “Quickly! This way!” He took off in a trot... seemingly fast for him, but a fast walk for the others. The pipe was wet with dripping noises coming from behind, beside, and in front of them. Behind them there was a slight bend in the pipe that blocked their view of its origins.
Jahnni folded her arms around herself, feeling the draft of the wet environment in the pipe. She felt hesitant. “Is this safe enough for Crutch? Should we tie ourselves together or something? Maybe we should wait here until you send someone back for us.”
“I’ll be fine Jahnni! I can swim. Of course, I’ll ruin my Vita but... at this point I don’t think that matters, right?” Crutch replied. “I trust you. I trust everyone here. We can do this.”
“Well, let’s get going. What time is it now, Jahnni?” Beau asked, which was good because Jahnni assumed Mr. T would need to know that information anyway.
Jahnni answered, “4:14.”
“What?” Mr. T said as he jerked up to look at her. He patted the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Jahnni made a mental note that the bulging rock, number II, appeared to be securely held captive inside the pocket along with his plastic pill holder.
“Mr. T? What should we do?” Jahnni pleaded.
“RUN!”
Without asking any more questions, they all took off—Beau waited for the rest to begin running. He came up behind Jahnni and Crutch and broke the hand link between them to hold tightly to Jahnni’s hand. At the same time, he grabbed Crutch’s hand and ran between them, pulling them forward. They caught up with Mr. T and Jahnni grabbed his hand as she began to pass him. Samantha had already been holding his hand since he told them to run. Then they heard it before they felt anything change. Water. It was coming. Fast. Pouring into the pipe somewhere behind them. They kept running as fast as the group could run without leaving anyone behind.
The water started swirling around their feet as it pushed past them quite quickly. It reminded Jahnni of how the tide felt when you were standing at the edge of the water at the beach when the tide begins to go out. Like it was tickling your feet as it pulled the sand out from underneath you. The tide pulled and pulled, begging you to follow it out to sea. It really could pull you out. Jahnni had made a note of this as a child when the neighbor boy drowned because he was knee-high playing in the water when the tide changed. She didn’t see it happen, but she certainly heard the anguish that was left behind as the whole block and all his friends and family mourned his loss. I will never do that to my family, she had told herself, and added it to the many rules she followed in her life and reinforced it with years of swim lessons.
Their footsteps were splashing water as they ran. Seconds later they were pulling their legs up to run through the water as it crept higher and higher. They took larger, higher strides to stay balanced as they ran. Pushing forward, pulling up, and hanging on. Jahnni refused to let go of Beau or Crutch as they were pressed forward. The water was chilly as it slinked up her legs. She could feel her clothing absorbing the water as it snaked around them higher and higher. The water kept coming faster and with more force, creating a current that begged her to release the sturdy gait on the pipe below her feet.
Suddenly, the power of the current pushed Crutch’s feet out from underneath him and his feet flew up to the top of the water. He rolled backwards, but before he flipped completely upside down, the
water pressed all around him and immediately flipped him sideways, almost into a side-tumble. The intensity of the water pushed a current under Crutch’s body that lifted him forward and in front of Jahnni and Beau. The tumble caused Beau’s hand to release from Crutch, but he grabbed out at him so quickly, he caught the back of his belt. He yanked him upright and pulled him above the water’s level. Jahnni’s feet shot out from under her and she swung an arm out to stay upright in the roiling current. Chest deep, chin deep, then over their heads, the water had forged its own will against them.
Jahnni’s left hand was still gripped tightly to Mr. T’s. She tried to keep him close, but the deeper water rolled like a vortex spinning the friends to the point of exhaustion. He slipped quickly from her hand; although she continued to reach and extend her arm hoping to at least grab a piece of his clothing. But in the tempest, he disappeared and she lost him entirely as she too was being pushed and twirled like an underwater kite.
There was no time to think of anything but hanging onto Beau and try to go with the current that had risen so fast. They were at the mercy of the water whooshing them along. It was now more than half way deep in the large pipe and Jahnni couldn’t touch the ground and keep her head above water. When she bobbed up, she barely had time to grab a breath before the water spun her back under. As she and Beau got popped up briefly, she saw the large boulders hanging from the ceiling by large steel rods. With a loud grunt of exertion, Beau pulled Crutch up and out of the water with his right arm. Just before he went back under, he shouted, “GRAB IT!” Then he sunk back under. All Jahnni could do was grab a breath every time she popped up. She felt helpless, mixed emotions screaming in her head. Save yourself. No, save Crutch. Save Beau. Get to Samantha. Grab Mr. T.
Her brief momentary solace was knowing that Crutch had grabbed the boulder. Her fear wouldn’t let her open her eyes under the water. She didn’t know which way was up in the tempest that tossed her like a leaf. She needed a breath. Her lungs began to burn, and her mind urged her to open her mouth and breathe. She fought to hold on longer, and began to slowly let out the air in her lungs to possibly buy her some time. She stopped flailing, hoping that the water would push her upward.
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