There couldn’t have been more of an accurate description than of people just dropping over.
He thought about Delaney walking through it all. Being alone. Then again, knowing what she did for a living, she probably was the least bothered by it all.
On the ground in weird positions, bags to their sides, spilled coffee cups, cigarette smokers, still holding the smoke that had burned down and into the flesh.
Only a few birds were scattered about dead on the ground.
Gabe supposed they were the creatures that were smart and able enough to survive. Flying high and up as fast as they could for safety, taking warning from the birds that dropped.
They were in the desert and the scavenger birds could be heard cawing through the silent city.
Circling above, finding a body to consume.
As they neared the door, a loud squawk rang out, the male body in the automatic doors came more into view as did the large black vulture perched at his head. His beak pecked downward, pulling from the face as the bird looked up as if to say, ‘get away he’s mine!’
When they neared closer and the doors opened, the large predator shot out.
It’s wing span huge as it flew over their heads, missing them by mere inches, causing the four men to duck.
Tom grunted out a soft ‘sick’ sound, turning his head as he stepped into the doors that led into the lobby.
Gabe, like his father and brother, couldn’t help but glance down to the poor soul who lay there.
The smell of rotting flesh carried from him and wasn’t any better inside.
The large lobby with the fountain in the center was strewn with bodies across the marble floor.
All of them decomposing. Gabe couldn’t image what it would be like in another day.
It was a catch, the casino connected to the lobby. Visitors and guests would have to walk through to the elevators. A way to entice them to spend their money.
Like the airport, the slot machines flashed and played their automatic calling noise.
Not many bodies were in the casino, the ones there were either on the floor by a machine or against it.
Silently they made their way to the elevator area. The power was still on and Gabe hoped that it stayed that way until they made it up to the floor. It would be a horrible way to die, trapped in there, counting down to the next eruption.
Just as he had that thought, the ‘ding’ announced the arriving elevator and the doors opened.
A horrid, putrid odor blasted them exposing three bodies in the carriage.
Hurriedly, hand covering his mouth, Gary reached in the elevator, withdrew his hand and the door closed.
He pressed the ‘up’ button and another elevator opened.
Gabe was prepared for the same scenario, but that one was empty.
The four of them stepped inside and Tom pressed ‘fifteen’.
As the doors closed, Gabe let out the breath that he held and hoped his father was right.
They were running out of time.
The second Tom stepped off the elevator and from the elevator lobby to the floor, he knew it was going to be a challenge.
There were four hallways that extended off the fifteenth floor lobby.
“What room?” Owen asked.
“I don’t know. She only said the fifteenth floor,” Tom replied.
“Jesus, Dad,” Gabe said., “Look how long the hallways are. There has to be a hundred rooms, at least. What do we do?”
“We call out,” Gary said. “Each take a hall and call out. If she’s on this floor, she’ll hear us.”
“And if she’s not?” Gabe asked. “Owen?”
“I … I don’t know.”
“At what point,” Gabe said. “And I’m not being a dick, but at what point do we say, this was useless.”
Tom held up his hand. “Before we cross that bridge, let’s cross this one. Gary has a plan. Let’s each take a hall and call out.”
They all agreed and they spread out.
Tom took the hall to the right. As soon as he began his walk down the long corridor, he could hear Gabe, Owen and Gary calling out.
One of them was knocking on doors.
“Delaney!” Tom yelled. “Delaney, it’s Tom! Delaney!”
He moved slowly, calling out steadily.
Halfway down the hall, he heard the unlatching of the door and he stopped.
Delaney stepped out of a room from the right, about four doors up.
“Boys, Gary, I found her,” Tom hollered. Almost instantly he could hear their running footsteps.
“What are you doing, Tom?” she asked.
“Looking for you.” Tom walked to her. “When we couldn’t find you at the airport, we came looking for you.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
“Your app. You told me about it. I figured this is where you came.”
She nodded, backing into the room, leaving the door open for Tom.
He waited at the open hotel room door for the others to get there and once they made it from the other hallways, Tom walked it.
They followed.
The room wasn’t completely dark, the curtains were open all the way, allowing the sun to shine through.
A small hallway led in. The room was large, a hybrid between a suite and a room. Immediately there was a couch and chair. A glass top table served as a room divider where the king size bed was on the opposite side.
He could see the outline of a body, covered by the bedding.
The room was exceptionally tidy. A suitcase and small gym bag were on the couch.
“Delaney,” Tom said. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.” She stared at the bed. “I had to see her, you know?”
“I do.” Tom stepped nearer to her.
She ran her hand over the outline of the body. “I made a key downstairs. I had the mobile one on my phone.”
“Delaney,” Owen spoke. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Sad. Very sad. She died in her sleep.”
Tom looked over his shoulder, the others stayed back. “Listen, I know you wanted to see her. You shouldn’t have left. At least without telling anyone. I don’t mean to sound like I’m scolding.”
“I know,” she said. “But how do you just go on? How do you, me, any of us, just say, ‘those we love are gone’ and not look back? I’m just so confused over that. How do we do that?”
“We don’t,” Gabe said. “We don’t. we have to have resolution or we’ll never be able to move forward. This was your resolution with your sister. We … we’re gonna find my mom, my girlfriend, and you know what … when all this eruption shit ends, I will go with you to find your family.”
“We all will,” Tom said. “We have the country to search, empty airports to refuel at. But we have to go.”
“I know,” Delaney said with an exhale. “Thank you for finding me.” She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and unplugged it.
“Thank …” Gary paused. “You’re thanking us? So it wasn’t your intention to stay?”
Delaney shook her head. “I wanted to leave. Look.” She pointed to the couch as she walked toward them. I even packed a small bag. But I was too scared to go back out there. All the death I have seen in my life, that … that’s too much. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to call, but I didn’t have anyone’s number. So I resolved myself to the fact I was going to die in the room with my sister.”
“Well,” Gary looked down at his watch. “We still have time if we hurry to get to the airport. Ten minutes. Tom can you call the pilot? Tell him we’re on our way.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Delaney reached for the small gym bag, “Do you think he’ll wait?”
“He should. I mean …” Tom paused when he heard the odd musical note. “What was that?”
Delaney’s eyes widened and she fumbled for the phone. “oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” She held up the phone. “It’s the app. My brother … my brother is m
oving. Look Tom.” She showed him the screen. “It says he’s driving. He has his phone.” Her fingers moved fast, calling him.
Tom lifted his phone as well.
“Can we please,” Gabe said. “Make these calls as we move?”
Tom nodded.
“Damn it.” Delaney pulled her phone down. “It rang twice then went to voice mail.”
“The pilot’s not answering either …” Tom said.
“Fuck!” Owen blasted and raced to the window. “There’s why. Apparently, someone didn’t give Jeff, the pilot, the ten minute warning.”
Mid walk to the door, Tom spun around and hurried to the window as well. It was brief and small, but like Owen he saw the plane taking off in the distance.
“He left?” Gary asked.
“He left,” Owen said. “He just left.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Delaney spoke nervously. “You came for me and now look.”
“It’s okay,” Tom said. “We knew it was possible.”
“Plan B,” Gabe added. “We’re not stuck. We go with plan B. Fuel up another plane and I’ll fly us out. We still have plenty of time before the next eruption.”
At that second, a four of five text message alerts went off. Everyone reached to look at their phones.
“It’s me,” Tom said and swiped the screen. His eyes cast down then back up. “Gene. I must not have had a signal. That’s the reason Jeff took off. If I’m calculating right …” he said. “We have eight minutes.”
SEVENTEEN – RACE AGAINST
Ligonier, IN
From the second he emerged from the water, Kyle Davis pretty much knew what had happened. He didn’t need the news or some scientist to tell him, he had it figured out, or at least close.
The morning before he had been at Lake Tippecanoe. It was actually the third day he had been at the lake. A young boy had drowned, and Kyle, an expert rescue diver was out with his crew searching for the body.
No matter how many times he had done so, he always felt horrible for the families that stood on shore, watching with worry and hopelessness. The news would give that story that maybe the victim was on shore lost and confused and in the eighteen years he had been doing it, that only happened once.
More than anything he wanted to give them good news.
Kyle should have and could have died that morning of the event. It boiled down to his mind thinking quickly and his love of old movies.
He wasn’t alone in the lake. He was with Jim, another diver, and the two relief divers were on the boat with other rescue workers.
They had finished the area and were headed to the surface for the other two divers to relieve them when Kyle thought he saw something. Clothing perhaps.
Jim dismissed it, shaking his head, but Kyle didn’t want to take that chance.
He communicated to Jim to ‘go on up’ and he just needed a minute to investigate.
Jim conveyed through signals if Kyle wanted him to stay.
Kyle shook his head and pointed up, letting him know he’d be right there.
It was maybe a couple minutes, longer than he thought. Jim was right in the fact that it wasn’t a body, but it was a shirt. A little shirt with stripes. Kyle knew the report stated the boy of five was wearing a plain colored shirt, but there was a chance with all the emotions his parents didn’t remember correctly.
Once he untangled the shirt, he headed toward the surface, that was when he spotted Jim’s legs.
He didn’t move.
What the hell? Kyle thought and swam upward.
When he emerged, he reached for his mouthpiece, but stopped because before his eyes cast upon Jim, he saw the boat. Had it not been for the arm of one of the divers dangling over the side, he would have removed that breathing valve.
Kyle hesitated.
Then he saw Jim.
Jim had his mouthpiece removed, it wasn’t connected to the tank and floated there. His mouth open, eyes bulging.
Kyle shifted his eyes quickly, from the boat to Jim. He was in the middle of the lake so early no one was around.
He looked to the shore where the family had been standing, and he didn’t see them.
Hurriedly, he grabbed Jim, pulling him to the boat. He couldn’t have been dead for more than a minute. There was time, Kyle thought, to perform CPR.
But when he arrived at the rescue boat, he knew that wasn’t an option.
Everyone on board was dead.
Kyle, still in gear and connected to air, pulled Jim on board.
He had a brief panic moment, wanting to scream seeing his coworkers dead, all looking as if they were gasping.
To perform CPR meant that Kyle had to remove his mouthpiece, and by the looks at how everyone instantly died, Kyle knew that wasn’t an option.
Not if he wanted to live.
One of the first things that crossed his mind was a limnic eruption, on the chance of that, he kept on his tank and mask.
He drove the boat back to the dock, and as he suspected the family of the little boy all lay on the pier.
He secured the boat and loaded the four tanks from the boat into his truck.
Kyle didn’t think he’d need anymore, he just needed to get out of the radius of whatever it was that happened.
Each tank, using on the surface, gave him a hundred and forty minutes of air. That was plenty to get to a safe area.
Never in his life did he think he would have to drive his truck, as if he were underwater. Relying solely on mouth breathing. Not able to pick up the phone to call for help or take a drink of water.
Maybe, he thought, it wasn’t that bad.
He drove miles and it was the same thing.
Bodies everywhere, cars just stopped. Dead deer, dogs, cats and birds. The lack of abundance of dead birds told him whatever it was hovered low. Low enough that it didn’t kill all the birds in the sky.
Every mile was more desperate.
He even parked the truck to dial 911. He couldn’t reply but they’d track the signal, he thought.
No one answered.
Kyle worried that he would never be able to take off the tank and would have to think of another way.
There was electricity, and Kyle pulled into a roadside tavern. That was when he knew it wasn’t just local, it was everywhere.
The television behind the bar showed two dead newscasters.
It was shortly after he connected a third tank, he knew it was temporary or there was at least a reprieve, when he saw a bird. It flew down, landing on a body, then another came.
With a short prayer running through his mind, Kyle removed the mouthpiece.
He was able to breath, hopefully, long enough to change clothes, chug water, and figure out another way.
“The birds?” the male voice on the phone asked.
Contact.
Kyle had made contact. It took over twenty-four hours to do so, he went into the police station not far from the scuba gear shop and tried.
He was pretty good with a radio, he knew how to scan frequencies. He did so, right there in that police station. It was quiet in the dead town, it allowed him to hear the loud flocks of birds outside the station and see them fly fast and high.
They were fleeing for safety.
Kyle put on the oxygen again.
He tried again when he saw the birds return. He watched the sky.
“Yeah,” Kyle replied. “They are a great warning system. Like a canary in a mine.”
“That’s true. Oh, wait, hold on buddy. Here he is.”
The voice changed to another man. “Hello, this is doctor Gene Taylor.”
“Hey, there Doctor Taylor, I’m Kyle Davis. Your friend said you’re the man when it comes to this stuff.”
“Not really. Not much better than anyone else,” Gene replied, then laughed. “This is terrific. Where are you?”
“I’m in Ligonier, Indiana,” Kyle said. “I reached you on radio, but the landlines are still up. Phone is much better.”
&nb
sp; “We have that whole area marked as being hit.”
“Yes, sir, it was. It seems to come in waves. Deadly for about five hours, Calm for five or six. It’s been calm now for nearly eight hours.”
“We don’t have any probes in that area. But we’re confident the event is coming to an end. Maybe one more eruption.”
“I got the birds.”
“How did you survive?” Gene asked.
“I work with the Indiana State Police Rescue divers, I was underwater. When I came up, I saw something strange. When I saw the men on the boat and my partner, I knew.”
“And you didn’t remove your air supply?”
“No, sir.”
“That was very smart and lucky. How did you know it was ongoing?” Gene questioned.
“You’re gonna think this is strange,” Kyle said. “But I am an old movie buff. Not just old movies, but ones people rarely see. I remembered the movie Last Woman on Earth. Always stayed on my mind since I’m a scuba diver.”
“I’m not familiar.”
“Basically, when these folks are scuba diving they emerge and there is no oxygen in the world.”
Gene chuckled.
“That’s what happened isn’t it?”
“In a nutshell, yes, it’s a long explanation.”
“Is there anywhere safe?” Kyle asked. “Some place I can go?”
“Nowhere close,” Gene answered. “But if you can hang tight, stay alive the next eight hours or so, we can figure out your next move. Can you do that?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
Kyle didn’t have a choice. He didn’t have a choice but to figure things out nor did he have a choice but to trust the stranger on the phone.
Before they hung up Gene told him about coming up with a plan to either meet up or get him.
It would work out.
He didn’t know the man that he spoke to, but Kyle did know Gene was one of the few people that survived and Kyle, unlike the cult classic movie, wasn’t the last man on earth.
For that he was grateful.
<><><><>
Las Vegas, NV
“Stop!” Gary ordered before they stepped into an elevator.
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