Rogue Wave

by Boyd Morrison

  "A man is injured. We can't carry him up on our own."

  "Are you kidding?"

  "What do you think?" Rachel said, wringing out the tail of her coat for effect.

  "I can't leave the helicopter here."

  "What about you?" Rachel said, pointing at the sinewy camerawoman. "He's too heavy for three of us to lift. He's unconscious. With four of us, it'll only take a few minutes."

  Up to this point, the camerawoman had been silent.

  "Hey, I'm not a medic," she said. "I'm supposed to be filming."

  "We just need help carrying him."

  The camerawoman turned to the pilot. "Nobody said anything about leaving the chopper when we got the call."

  "Please," Rachel said. "He'll die."

  "Do you know how many people have died already today?"

  "Do you want there to be one more?" Rachel pointed at the ocean, already receding from shore. "We don't have much time."

  The camerawoman paused, and then sighed and put the camera down on the seat.

  "I better get some good shots out of this. Where is he?"

  "Thank you. He's this way."

  Rachel led her down the stairs.

  As they walked, she called Kai back to tell him what Reggie had said about the 300-foot wave that was heading their way and that he had sent a helicopter for them.

  "Are you boarding the chopper?" Kai said.

  "No, we've got an injured man here. I asked the pilot to help us get him to the roof."

  "Who are you talking to?" the camerawoman asked.

  "My husband. He's on top of another building."

  "We don't have room to take all of you, let alone another group."

  "I know. Are there more choppers coming?"

  The camerawoman shook her head. "We're it. Can you dial up other frequencies with that thing?" She nodded at the walkie-talkie.

  "I don't know. They preprogram it for me." She keyed the button. "Hold on, Kai." She handed it to the camerawoman, who examined it for a moment and then returned it.

  "Looks like you can. Just twist that knob on the side. You should be able to get the frequency the pilot's using. You might be able to reach someone who can get them."

  "Kai," Rachel said, "there's not enough room on this helicopter for you guys, so you'll have to call another one." She relayed the frequency to him.

  They arrived at the 21st floor where Jerry still lay unconscious.

  "Kai, we've got to start carrying Jerry now. I'll call you back on the new frequency."

  "OK. Rachel?" Kai said.

  "What?"

  "I see it. The tsunami. Get out of there as fast as you can."

  "I will. And you get Lani out of there." She replaced the walkie-talkie on her belt.

  The camerawoman took one of Jerry's arms, Rachel the other, and Paige and Sheila each took a leg. The climb was still awkward but proceeded much more rapidly.

  When they reached the 24th floor, the tower shuddered as if it had been hit with a giant sledgehammer. For a moment, they all staggered, thrown off balance.

  "Jesus!" yelled the camerawoman. "Was that what I think it was?"

  Rachel nodded grimly, now familiar with the sensation.

  "Hurry," she said. "We don't have much time."

  * * *

  For the third time that day, Kai watched a giant tsunami tear into Honolulu. Only this time, he had a spectacular 360 degree view from their perch 300 feet above the ground.

  The wave's size was something only a handful of people in recorded history had ever seen. In 1958 a landslide at Lituya Bay, Alaska, unleashed a wall of water that climbed a quarter mile up the side of cliff directly opposite of it. A smaller, but still huge, wave charged down the length of the bay. A father and son, fishing in their boat only a mile from the landslide that day, were borne by the wave over the tops of trees more than 200 feet high and settled back in the bay upon the receding water. Two other people fishing the bay were not so lucky. Their bodies were never found.

  Up to this point, that had been the only mega tsunami that witnesses had lived to tell about. Now Kai was watching an even bigger one wipe out his home state.

  The third wave swept in like a giant fist. The force of water topped 10 tons per square foot. Many buildings, already weakened, didn't stand a chance. At 184 feet, the Aloha Tower was for many years the tallest structure on the islands. The landmark had miraculously withstood the first and second waves, and Kai could just make out the top of it between other buildings. When the third wave hit, though, it folded like a straw. The Hyatt, the Waikiki Beachside, and the Hilton all collapsed into rubble.

  "Darryl and Eunice," Teresa said. She and Brad propped Mia up, and Kai stood with his arm around Lani. Tom had joined them at the rooftop edge, but Denise and Chuck kept their distance on the other end.

  "Who?" Kai said.

  "A couple I met on the beach. They told me they were staying at the Hilton. I hope they got out."

  Kai waiting in agony to see what would happen when the wave struck the Grand Hawaiian. Just before the impact, Lani buried her head in Kai's chest.

  The tsunami, whose crest was even with the fifteenth floor, exploded against the side of the hotel's remaining tower, the water spraying hundreds of feet in the air in places. For a moment, an optical illusion made it seem like the top of the building tilted backward, and Kai held his breath expecting it to topple.

  But it didn't. The wave wrapped around it and continued on. Other buildings remained standing under the onslaught as well, including many of the behemoths downtown. Most of those buildings had been shielded by others that took the brunt of the wave.

  Then the water reached the apartment tower, the boat-building Kai hoped would hold up to the impact. Even 300 feet up, the sound was like a dozen approaching tornados.

  Two buildings stood directly in the path between the boat-building and the full force of the wave. The first, the Surfrider Hotel, was blasted by the wave and instantly collapsed. But it had done its part to mitigate the blow. The second building met the slowed wave and the debris from the first building. It was shorter than their building, but it was a stout apartment complex of gleaming steel. The glass that hadn't shattered during the previous impacts didn't stand a chance.

  The water shot all the way through the building and rocketed out the back windows. It joined the water sweeping around the side and hit Kai's building.

  The impact was not as intense as on the other buildings, but it was still strong. Kai swayed sickeningly on his feet as the water attempted to undermine the foundations of the structure. But it held, unlike the apartment complex in front of them. When the surge reached the 20th floor, just below the rooftop, the whole structure disappeared into the sea.

  As the water continued to flow past, every few seconds another building would fall, signaling its death with a time-delayed roar, like thunder cracking after the flash of distant lightning.

  Kai knew it was simply a matter of time before their building joined them.

  Chapter 48

  12:14 PM

  23 minutes to Fourth Wave

  The mood on the roof of the Grand Hawaiian while they boarded the chopper didn't register as panic, but Rachel could sense the urgency.

  To balance the load, the smallest people had to sit in the front, so Paige, Hannah, and Tyler clambered in there with Ashley on Paige's lap. Stan helped Rachel, Sheila, and Paige load Jerry's ungainly frame into the back seat. The camerawoman, Laura, snatched up her camera again as soon as Stan took Jerry's arm and began filming the process. They propped Jerry upright next to Doris, who sat in the rightmost seat.

  Sheila climbed in next. Laura waited for Rachel, but Rachel shooed her in. As Laura climbed in, Stan said, "Lose the camera!"

  "What?" Laura said. "Do you know how much this costs?"

  "I don't care. It weighs too much. We need all the lift we can get."

  Laura grudgingly dropped the camera from her shoulder and removed the tape. She handed the camer
a to Rachel, who was standing outside. Rachel set it gently on the roof.

  "Get in!" Stan yelled to Rachel.

  "I thought the weight was too much."

  "It'll be close, but the kids are light, so we're going to try for it. This building isn't going to be here much longer."

  "But it's jammed. Where should I sit?"

  Stan pointed at Laura. "Get on her lap."

  Rachel scrambled on top of Laura awkwardly. Her hand slipped and dug into Laura's leg. Laura flinched.

  "Sorry." There was no way for Rachel to fasten a seatbelt around herself, so she grabbed the seat in front of her as tightly as she could.

  Stan secured himself in the pilot's seat on the right, with Paige and the kids squeezed next to him. He brought the engine up to speed.

  "OK," Stan said. "We're going to do this slowly."

  With the engine at full speed, he pulled back on the stick. For a second, nothing happened. They simply sat there, the helicopter blades throbbing over their heads.

  Stan pushed the throttle until the engine passed the redline. The helicopter jumped a yard into the air. Stan struggled with the collective, trying to keep the chopper level. But before he could get any more height, the aircraft skidded to the right dangerously close to the huge rooftop air conditioning unit. The helicopter rotated awkwardly, and for a moment the sound of grinding metal buzzed behind them, sending a cascade of sparks flying past them. Piercing screams filled the cabin.

  Stan rotated the helicopter back around and dropped the stick. The helicopter thudded onto the roof, the main rotor blades sweeping past the machinery with only a foot to spare.

  "I'm sorry, guys," he said. "This isn't going to work. Someone's going to have to get out."

  "Only one of us?" Rachel said. "Will that make a difference?"

  "I hope so. That sound you heard was our tail rotor hitting the air conditioning unit. It seems okay, but I can't take any more chances of bumping it. Nine passengers is just too many. I'll be lucky to take off with only eight of you."

  There was an uneasy silence for a second.

  "If I drop these people at Tripler," Stan said, "I can be back in five minutes. I'd volunteer to stay behind, but unless one of you can fly a helicopter…"

  "I'm staying," Rachel said with a resigned tone.

  "Maybe you should draw straws," said Stan.

  "No, this is my hotel. I'm responsible. I'm the one who should stay."

  Everyone else remained quiet. Even if they had argued, Rachel wouldn't have let one of them stay behind while she was whisked to safety.

  Before Rachel could climb out, Paige grabbed her arm and hugged her fiercely.

  "Thank you for giving my family a chance."

  "Thanks for helping me. Take care of those kids."

  Rachel backed away to give the helicopter room to maneuver.

  Stan brought the helicopter up to speed again. Without Rachel's added 120 pounds, the blades were able to claw more lift from the air. The chopper slowly rose and angled away from the air conditioning machinery.

  After it was clear of the hotel, it circled once 30 feet above Rachel. They waved, and Rachel gave them a thumbs up.

  Then the helicopter swung away and headed in the direction of downtown Honolulu, leaving Rachel on the roof of the Grand Hawaiian alone.

  Chapter 49

  12:17 PM

  20 minutes to Fourth Wave

  When Kai and the others saw the helicopter take off from the Grand Hawaiian, they let out a weary but jubilant cheer. It was quickly cut off by a rumble from far below them. The building continued to resist the force of the water, but it protested mightily. The noise made Kai step up the broadcast of the mayday. It would be extremely risky to wait for Rachel's helicopter to get back.

  "My name is Kai Tanaka, and we are standing on a white building approximately six blocks from the beach and eight blocks west of the Honolulu Zoo. To anyone who can hear us…"

  The power of the walkie-talkie limited the radius to just a few miles, so he was hoping something would fly within range long enough to hear the message. After a couple of broadcasts on the new frequency Rachel had given him, he got an answer.

  "Mr. Tanaka, this is CWO Henry Mitchell on Army flight one niner three. I see your party. What is your situation?"

  Teresa hugged Mia, and Tom yelled, "All right!"

  "You see us?" Kai said to the pilot.

  "We're just passing over Diamond Head." Kai turned and looked to the east and saw a Blackhawk helicopter speeding towards them.

  "Thank God! We've got eight people here." A huge antenna sprang from the center of the building's roof, a feature Kai hadn't noticed from the ground. Three microwave transmitters were perched on the antenna. Kai didn't see markings on it, but it couldn't be anything other than a cell phone tower. It would get in the way of any helicopter trying to land. "You'll have to hover next to the building to pick us up."

  Chuck and Denise, the other couple on the roof with them, saw the commotion and edged closer.

  "What's happening?" Chuck asked. "Did you get someone?"

  "A helicopter," Brad said.

  "Which one?" Chuck pointed at the Blackhawk. "That one? Why isn't it coming down?"

  Kai expected the helicopter to start dipping down toward the building, but Chuck was right. It maintained its altitude. It would pass over them in a few seconds.

  "I'm sorry, Mr. Tanaka," the pilot said, "but I don't have any room."

  "Even for a few people?" Kai pleaded. "We have children here."

  "I'm packed to the gills with injured from Maui. I'm heading over to Wheeler to drop them off. I'll be back for you as soon as I can."

  "How long will that be?"

  "I'm running low on fuel, so we need to gas up. That could take thirty minutes."

  "Thirty minutes!"

  "Maybe longer. Wheeler's jammed, and it's the only place that still has refueling equipment for choppers."

  The Blackhawk roared overhead, tantalizingly close.

  Chuck, who had been listening to the conversation, pushed next to Kai and snatched the walkie-talkie from Kai's hand. Kai stood in shock as Chuck keyed the transmit button.

  "Pilot, this is Chuck Bender, and I have ten thousand dollars in cash here for you if you…"

  Brad grabbed Chuck's wrist, pressing his fingers into Chuck's carpal tendon. Chuck screamed in pain and dropped the walkie-talkie into Brad's other hand.

  "That's not yours," Brad said and handed the walkie-talkie back to Kai. Chuck glared at Brad, but thought better about taking it further.

  "Did I hear that right?" Mitchell said. "Do you think I do this for money? Who was that?"

  "I'm sorry, Chief Mitchell," Kai said. "That was another party here. He does not speak for me. We'd appreciate any help you can give us, but 30 minutes will be too long. There is another wave coming. And I'm not sure the building will even survive that long. We're hearing a lot of rumbling coming from it. It might go at any time."

  "I'm very sorry," Mitchell said. "I'll see if there are any other helicopters available. In the meantime, I suggest you keep sending out the SOS. Good luck."

  The sound of the Blackhawk grew fainter, along with Kai's hopes.

  The walkie-talkie squawked again, and Kai thought he'd given up too quickly.

  "Kai," Rachel said, "I couldn't hear everything that pilot said. Did you get a ride?"

  "Rachel?" Kai hadn't expected to hear her. He assumed she was on her way to being dropped off in the other helicopter, which would be out of range by now. "Where are you?"

  "The helicopter was too full, and I drew the short straw."

  "You mean you're still on top of the hotel?"

  He looked at the roof of the Grand Hawaiian and could just make out her tiny figure waving at them. Kai nearly fainted. After all that, she still wasn't safe.

  "Not the best place to be, I agree," she said, trying to sound brave in her plight. "Do you mind picking me up after the chopper arrives?"

  "Hon
ey, we can't. They don't have room on the Army helicopter. It won't be back for a while."

  The pause at the other end was heartbreaking.

  "That's okay," she finally said. "The pilot that was here said he'd come back for me." She paused again, then her voice came back more weakly. "But just in case, you better keep calling for help."

  "I will," Kai said. "Trust me, Rachel. We're going to make it."

  "I know," she said, but Kai could tell that she didn't really believe it.

  * * *

  Stan Milne, the Wailea Tours pilot, circled the helicopter over Tripler Army Medical Center looking for a flat space that hadn't been overrun by evacuees. Every inch of the massive hospital's grounds were occupied by people, thousands of them. Then he spotted a Navy Sea Stallion take off from a parking lot that had been cleared as a landing zone, and he zipped in to take its place before another helicopter could get it.

  The hospital was just six miles northwest of Waikiki, so the trip had only taken a few minutes. Not only did he want to get his passengers to safety, but he was starting to worry that the damage to his tail rotor was more serious than he initially thought. A high-pitched whine was coming from the tail, a faint sound that someone unfamiliar with the chopper wouldn't have noticed over the helicopter's turbine roar. But Stan, who had been flying for over ten years, knew every normal sound his craft made. He had never heard this one before.

  After Stan dropped these people off, his plan was to head directly to Wheeler to get it checked out. If it was still OK, he'd refuel and head back.

  He maneuvered the A-Star until it hovered just above the lot's asphalt, and then the skids came to a rest on the surface. Two members of the hospital staff, burly men dressed in scrubs, ran over and began helping the passengers out of the helicopter.

  Stan pointed at Jerry's slumped figure behind him and said, "That one first. He's injured." After retrieving a stretcher, the men pulled Jerry down and placed him gently on it. Sheila and Doris, who didn't even turn to thank Stan for his efforts, began to babble about Jerry's condition as the men wheeled him toward the hospital.

  Paige, with the help of the camerawoman, Laura, guided her kids down, and they ran straight in front of Stan, away from the tail rotor as he had instructed.