by Tim Moon
Charlotte stood just outside with her mouth open. She slowly turned her head to look at them.
Ben nodded at her, confirming that what Charlotte saw was real.
“Nuke,” Anuhea said simply.
“You’re hurting my hand,” Oliver said, wriggling free of Charlotte’s grasp.
Charlotte looked from Anuhea to Ben, her eyes glistening. It was worse than seeing videos of the attacks on September 11th. The pain and emotion was immediate for all of them. Charlotte squeezed onto the bridge and hugged Ben.
No one spoke for a long time.
“Hey, hey, what’s that?” Anuhea squinted and pointed up the river.
Ben turned his head. There was something moving in the river. It looked like…
“Oh shit, a wave from the blast,” Kaholo said, wiping silent tears off his face. “Everyone hold on, it’s going to get bumpy.”
They watched as not just one, but three waves came barreling down the valley at them. Wave number one was big. The Kiska rolled over it no problem. Wave number two was tall. The ship reared its head like a dragon and slammed down on the other side, just in time for the third wave. It was a monster wave, larger than the others combined. The kind of wave that would give Ben nightmares for the rest of his life.
Amplified by the relatively narrow valley and relatively shallow water, the third wave coming toward them was almost as high as the bridge. Ben could hardly imagine the amount of damage the bomb and the waves must have done at ground zero.
“Hold on!” Kaholo shouted.
Everyone yelled and screamed as the ship tilted wildly throwing them back against the wall of the bridge. Waves crashed up, spraying the windshield with water and splashing through the open door. Chadwick slipped in the water and cursed. He curled into a ball, clenching his leg and didn’t move. As the water cleared from the glass, they looked down the backside of the wave. It felt like riding a roller coaster that paused just before racing down a near vertical drop. Ben held onto the handrail and yelled. The ship raced down the slope of water with stomach wrenching speed.
Reaching the bottom of the drop, water shot up in the air. It splashed the deck and sprayed the bridge again. But they had survived.
Ben maintained his grip on the handrail, but he was soaked and sprawled out on the floor. He slowly pulled himself up and peered over the edge of the control panel to look outside. Water dripped from his hair, his shoulder hurt like hell, but he was alive.
“We made it,” Ben said softly. Then he shouted, “Oh my God, we made it!”
A small cheer erupted as everyone collected their wits, stood up and realized that they had survived.
Chadwick groaned. He lay balled up on the floor, clutching his injured leg. Blood soaked through the bandage and turned the water on the floor pink. “I hate ships.”
They laughed as they helped him up.
Anuhea stayed on the bridge while all the injured people went below deck with Charlotte to get checked up. Kaholo reluctantly left the bridge in Anuhea’s hands, but only after turning the ship around and reducing the speed. They would have to find somewhere else to dock.
For now, Ben at least, needed some pain medication and a fresh bandage.
64
Several days after leaving the Kiska outside Longview, Washington, Ben and the group finally reached his mom’s house.
Ben, Charlotte, Anuhea, Chadwick and Oliver had bid their farewell to the brothers Keanu and Kaholo, who felt obliged to check in at a Coast Guard Station to find out how they could help with any emergency response the Coast Guard was mounting. Their journey from Longview was long and difficult, but it was worth it.
Now that he finally arrived, Ben wanted to run up the steps, burst inside, and say, “Mom, I’m home!” But he held his enthusiasm in check. He knew that doing so would be foolish. Bursting into someone’s home during the apocalypse was how you got shot. If she still had the pistol he had bought her, it was a real possibility. So, Ben walked slowly up the steps to the front porch of his mom’s house, holding his rifle at the ready.
Ben still hadn’t decided what he would do if his mom was infected. Would he have the strength to put her down? His heart fluttered and the back of his neck tingled. He dashed those negative thoughts from his mind.
The block was quiet. Just as it had been since they had got out of the center of Vancouver. Roadblocks, abandoned vehicles and massive pileups forced them closer to downtown than he wanted to go. Despite the struggles of his entire journey, standing on the porch of his mom’s home, moments from entering, was more unnerving than anything else he’d done.
His friends fanned out behind him. Chadwick sat on the first step, watching the street with his rifle propped up on his good leg. Oliver sat beside him, looking around nervously. Charlotte held a rifle and stood near the sidewalk, watching Ben creep toward the front door. Anuhea was just behind Ben, holding a pistol, with her rifle slung on her back.
Ben glanced back at Anuhea and held a finger to his lips. He reached down and tried the doorknob.
“Locked,” he whispered, letting out a sigh of relief. A locked door was a good sign. Walking to the corner of the porch, Ben tipped a large flowerpot to the side and lifted up a key. There had been a key hidden there for years. He grinned at Anuhea as he quietly walked back to the front door.
The key slid into the lock, the metal grinding against the tumblers was louder than he would have liked, but only because it was quiet as death outside. Ben turned the lock and it clicked. He opened the door and pushed it open.
Peeking inside, he saw that the hallway was clear. He strained to listen. There was nothing to hear though. It was quiet inside, a perfect reflection of the silence in the streets.
If his mom was home, she would probably be in the living room. Ben didn’t hear the TV, but hoped that wasn’t a bad sign.
“Hello? Mom?” Ben said in a loud whisper.
Nothing.
He stepped inside and turned toward the library, which was the room that most people used as their living room. Ben motioned for Anuhea to go the other direction, toward the dining room and kitchen. It was far less likely his mom would be there. He wanted to be the first to see her.
From the hall, the library looked empty. Taking a deep breath, he began to walk forward with the rifle at the ready and his finger near the trigger, but not on it. Glancing around the room it was obviously empty, save for the shelves of books, a small couch, oak coffee table, two overstuffed chairs and a pair of antique end tables.
Stepping around one of the chairs, he walked toward the other doorway that would lead to the living room. Ben never understood why she had the living room and the library so close together. His mom always explained that the noise didn’t bother her and his dad wasn’t around enough to care about it. When he was home, he was usually in his office downstairs anyway. He rarely saw his dad watch TV, with the exception of the occasional movie.
“Mom?”
Ben walked into the living room and nearly fell over in shock.
His mom stood in the other doorway of the half-bathroom that sat in the far corner of the living room. She had a pistol aimed at his chest with surprising steadiness.
She let out a breath. “Benjamin?”
Only his mom called him by his full name.
“Mom! Thank God,” Ben said, lowering his rifle.
Anuhea came in through the kitchen. His mom raised her pistol with a surprised look on her face.
“No, it’s okay. She’s my friend,” Ben said. He strode forward and wrapped his mom in a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whispered to him as she held him.
Anuhea walked out quietly, leaving them to their reunion.
“Same to you, you have no idea how relieved I am,” Ben said, pulling back.
“Have you seen what happened?”
“The bomb?” he asked.
She looked up at him and nodded.
“Yeah, we saw it,” Ben said. He wasn’t sure wha
t to say about it, so he changed tack. “I have to introduce you to everyone. Come on.”
Ben took his mom’s hand and led her out toward the front door to meet his friends. As they walked down the hall, Ben saw the cloud framed in the doorway. It was incredible.
Focus on what’s in front of you, he thought. That’ll come later.
Part III
Dead Frozen
A Necrose Series Story
To my mom and my loving wife.
You two are amazing.
65
GAVIN MCKNIGHT GLANCED up from his bag check station at the sound of a familiar voice. His girlfriend, Dari, was laughing and talking with his best friend, Mac, while he checked her ticket and identification, at the front of the security checkpoint.
Dari was wearing her airline uniform; a snug fitting dark blue skirt and a matching blouse that showed off her curves. Her glossy black hair, pulled back into a braided ponytail, drew attention to the sparse but effective makeup around her eyes.
She looks amazing, he thought.
However, things had been rocky between them lately. Dari was distant and had begun to volunteer for extra shifts at work, like the one she was going on now, but he had hope for their relationship.
Gavin glanced back down at the bag in his hands and completed his search. He returned the carry-on bag to its owner, a guy named Mike who was flying to the North Slope for his work rotation.
"Have a good shift, Mike." Gavin smiled. Mike was a regular passenger, like most of the oil company employees. They flew to Barrow, Prudhoe Bay and other such small places on a regular basis.
"You too, see you next month," Mike said with a grin.
Gavin watched Dari as she came through security, wondering what kind of mood she was in. He walked over and met her at the back of the checkpoint.
"Hi." A brief smile played across her lips.
"Hey, babe."
"It's that time again," Dari said. "I'll see you in a week."
Their eyes locked and she raised her hand and placed it on Gavin's cheek for just a moment. Their smiles shone in the bright overhead light, but they didn't kiss. They were on the clock after all and, like the saying went, "On the checkpoint, someone is always watching."
"Have a good trip," he said, wrapping her in a quick hug. "Stay warm, beautiful."
"I will." Then she turned and walked toward her gate on C concourse. Dari travelled often so they kept their goodbyes brief. It made it easier on both of them.
Gavin watched her walk away. Her heels clicked on the tiled floor. Her hips swayed seductively.
She turned her head and caught him staring at her ass. She smirked and winked at him. He grinned and gave a small wave.
Even though it was only Barrow, Alaska – cold, remote and boring - he still wished he could go with her. They could always find ways to entertain themselves.
It was times like this that Gavin was envious of her job. She had two great perks: frequent travel for work and free airfare for personal use. She could also take time off if she wanted, whereas he was rather limited in taking time off and needed to get his leave approved way ahead of time.
Gavin’s job did have some benefits, but they were of the kind that old people and family guys valued. He was neither.
Gavin glanced at his watch then thumbed the mic on his radio.
"It's that time folks," Gavin said with a sigh. His team started to switch work stations.
The officers changed positions regularly so they would stay fresh and alert. Even if they’d been graced with military-like discipline, which most were not, officers would eventually lose focus. Considering they were responsible for keeping airplanes full of hundreds of people safe, they had to be on their toes all the time. Rotating stations reduced the chances of mistakes happening. Or at least, that's what management said.
Gavin took over the walk-through metal detector, a seldom-used machine, since most passengers passed through the new body scanners. Mac came over to take his place at the X-ray machine.
"Hey, how come you're not going with Dari?" asked Mac. He waved at the next passenger in his lane to push their stuff forward and then sat down.
"Why would I? She's just going to work."
Mac's eyebrow shot up. "Okay..."
"As if I could get time off. Anyway, she'll be busy working and it's only a week," Gavin said with a shrug.
Mac stopped the X-ray machine and stared at Gavin for a moment. There was silence.
Then Gavin cleared his throat and said, "Besides I uh, have to stay here and keep you out of trouble. Like you’d better get that X-ray running before the supervisor rips you a new one."
Mac shot him a knowing grin.
Gavin’s eyes flicked over to the supervisor’s podium, which was made up of three big desks atop a giant raised platform. Some people called it "the starship" because it looked like the supervisor was on the command bridge of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek.
"Only a week. Ha! Who couldn't use a week away from this place?" said Mac, starting the X-ray machine’s conveyor belt.
Gavin just smiled as he directed the passengers to the body scanner.
66
GAVIN FELT A tap on his shoulder.
A woman's gravelly voice said, "Time to rotate."
His spine tingled and a chill ran down it.
Without even looking Gavin knew, it was Kelly. He nodded and stepped forward, then glanced back to make sure she took over his position, before walking away. No way was he going to get in trouble for abandoning his post.
Gavin let his mind wander and began to think about how bored he was with his job. It helped to make the rotation feel shorter.
After graduating from university, Gavin had been expecting to land a great job, or at least something in his field of study. He'd applied for everything he was qualified, or over-qualified for, but TSA was the only employer who responded to his digital resume. Even fast food places had ignored him despite his previous experience as a teenaged cook at A&W, making burgers and floats.
He sighed as he thought about his high school days when he could just walk in and meet with the hiring manager at any job. Talking with the manager, in person, had worked every time for him, be it sales, retail, or food service.
Gavin took over the next position and sat down to start checking passengers’ tickets. An incredible crowd of just two people waited for him to take care of them. One guy was standing just beyond the queue, fiddling with his bag. He didn't appear to be in a rush so Gavin didn't pay him much attention.
Once he had finished with the first two passengers, Gavin looked around then glanced back at the checkpoint. Mac was busy checking a bag.
Kelly was staring at him like a gargoyle clinging to a Gothic cathedral. Gavin slowly turned away, not wanting to look too disturbed. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction.
A man wearing a pilot's uniform walked toward him in the lane marked for the flight crew, which came straight toward him unlike the passenger lane, which snaked back and forth half a dozen times before ending at his small podium.
"Good evening," the man said.
Gavin smiled at him. "Hello."
He looked familiar and Gavin felt as if he'd met the guy outside of work, but he couldn't see the man’s I.D. badge clearly.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Gavin asked.
The man looked at him curiously. Realization dawned on him slowly; Gavin could see it in his eyes.
"You look familiar too," the man said. "I believe we met at a holiday party. Maybe last year."
He handed over his airline badge. It said his name was Rick Connelly.
At last year's Christmas party, Gavin thought. He didn't remember much about the guy.
"Right. You work with my girlfriend, Dari," Gavin said.
The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he stared at Gavin for a long and rather awkward moment. "That's right," he said slowly.
"Where are you headed today? Somewhere nice, I hope."
/>
"Um, yeah. I'm going to Honolulu."
"Well then, have a great flight, Rick," Gavin said with a smile. He handed back the I.D. badge. "Enjoy the sun."
Rick cleared his throat and nodded. "Thanks."
He clipped the badge back on to his chest pocket and stepped past Gavin, pulling a large black carry-on behind him.
Gavin leaned back in his chair and waited for more passengers to show up. They must have hit a lull between flights because it was looking empty in the lobby. Several people were waiting near the exit for arriving passengers.
Another long, slow night, he thought.
Behind him and to his left, Gavin noticed Rick walking toward the police officer stationed at the checkpoint. The airport police had a small office installed right there and at least one officer staffed the office to "Keep an eye on things." Sometimes they sat in the office, but most of the time they sat at a small podium outside the office. Most of their time at the podium was spent playing with their phones, as opposed to observing operations.
Easiest "police" job in the world, Gavin thought.
"Hi officer, I'd like to report some suspicious activity," said Rick.
Intrigued, Gavin honed in on his voice. Rick wasn't talking loudly, but Gavin could still hear him well enough. Barren walls and hard marble floor reflected sound well.
"Go ahead," the officer said with a heavy sigh. He put his phone down on the podium and looked up at Rick.
Gavin watched the two men out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't recall the officer's name, but he seemed competent enough, if a little arrogant.
"There was a man downstairs, stumbling around. He chased a couple of women out of the building and banged on the door a few times. It was...odd. Maybe he's drunk? He looked sick, but I couldn't tell because I didn't get too close to him," Rick said. "I have to get going but I figured I should let you know."
"Thank you," said the officer. "Can you give me a description of the guy? What did he look like?"