by HJ Lawson
“Quickly, Jada, climb up! I will help Haytham with Hanna,” Gérard instructs.
I do as he says, and Kyra and Ali leap up the stairs.
“What are you kids doing on my plane?” the pilot yells from the cockpit.
“My plane!” Gérard shouts from behind me. “Take your seats kids,” he orders, as he passes Ashton to Faith and marches to the front of the aircraft.
“About to steal my plane, were you?” Gérard barks at the pilot.
“No… no, Gérard, I would never,” the pilot mumbles.
“You’re lucky I don’t throw you off!” Gérard argues, as he squeezes his fist together tightly.
“Gérard, we have to go… the bomb is going to drop at any time,” the pilot begs.
“No, we have to wait! Everyone is not here!” Gérard yells.
“Gérard, please… we have to wait for my dad,” Kyra begs.
“And my family, you promised,” adds Haytham.
Gérard stands at the front of the plane with his hand over his mouth, clearly not knowing what to do.
“Everyone wait here, do you understand? Don’t move. Jada, shoot him if he tries to take off!” Gérard orders, as he plants his bag on my lap and quickly exits the plane.
Everyone freezes, except me. I take the gun from his bag and make my way over to the pilot.
“Sit down, little girl. You shouldn’t play with guns,” the pilot says.
“Mate, a word of advice… don’t piss Jada off, or she will mess you up big time!” Haytham says and laughs.
“Oh, sweet, your boyfriend sticking up for you. Take your seat, little girl,” the pilot says with a sneer.
“Don’t speak to Jada that way!” Haytham yells, as he marches toward us. Ali and Zak jump up to hold him back.
“That’s right, keep the animal in the cage,” the pilot cracks.
“Hey, smart ass! I will tell them to let him go, then you will not be laughing!” Faith adds in her polite tone.
“Whatever! We’re all going to die if he doesn’t hurry up!”
Gérard comes racing back in. “Okay, I got them on another plane,” he explains, like he just bought a coffee.
“What do you mean?” Faith asks, confused.
“Haytham’s family and Charles are on the boat, and the car is waiting for them. But we have to go now, or we will lose our window to fly out.” Gérard closes the doors and walks toward me.
“How rich are you?” I ask the question everyone is wondering.
“Broke now!” He takes the gun from me. “Any problems?”
“Yeah, you should throw that jerk off the plane.”
“Maybe after we take off.” Gérard winks.
“I’m waiting for my family,” Haytham yells as he stands up from his seat.
“No, Haytham, you’re coming with us. I told your mother I’d look after you,” Gérard says sternly.
“Gérard, I am the head of my family. I have to make sure they get on a plane,” Haytham says proudly.
“I’m coming with you,” Kyra says; her face is pure white.
“No!” Faith and Ali yell at the same time.
“I’ll make sure your father gets on the plane,” Haytham says, as he walks over to the door and begins to unlock it.
I run toward Haytham and hug him tightly. “Good luck.” I kiss him on his cheek; I can feel it glowing under my lips.
“Haytham, don’t do this,” Gérard begs.
“You protected your family; now I must do the same for mine.” It is clear nothing is going to change his mind.
“Zak, look after Jada,” Haytham adds as he leaves the plane, slamming the door behind him.
I should’ve told him to stay.
“Gérard, we have to go,” the pilot announces.
Gérard runs over to the door and slams down the handle as the pilot begins to move us forward.
We are actually leaving Haytham behind. I cannot believe it.
Chapter 34
I Am One With My Father.
ETHAN
This for my country, for my people, for my father.
“It is time, target engaged, your Father would be proud of you, Mohammad,” Samuel says.
I had felt my father with me as soon as I entered the plane, eagerly waiting for revenge – the day has finally come. My body feels as though it is floating, as if my soul is being joined with him – I am one with him.
Adrenaline rushes over my body as I softly squeeze the button, releasing the bomb on New York City.
“May the rats go back to the hell they came from.”
Chapter 35
Then There Was Light.
ANNABEL
“Come out, Annabel!” Big Red pants between each word.
“There is no Annabel here. Leave me alone!” Meemo yells.
“Don’t say I’m not a nice guy. I gave you a chance,” Big Red continues.
I hear people stepping away from Meemo’s home, and it falls silent. I can just make out muffled voices and laughter.
“Brandon, we have to get out of here, they are planning to kill us,” I whisper, as dread fills my body.
“Meemo,” Brandon hisses, and she quickly turns toward us. “What's your house made out of?”
“Wood pallets mostly.”
“We have to break out,” he says.
“Just come back to fix it,” Meemo replies with a faint smile on her face. She grabs a baseball bat and rolls it over to us. “Use this.”
“Once they start to break in we will use it,” Brandon says, picking it up.
It sounds like more people are outside; I can hear their footsteps. But it sounds like maybe they are running away from Meemo’s house? What's happening?
“Last chance!” Big Red yells.
“Fuck you then, you little tease. Time for a chargrilled Annabel!” Big Red laughs.
“Can I do it?” an excited voice asks.
“Don’t even think about it!” Meemo shouts. I peek my head around the corner to see what is happening.
Big Red has a piece of paper rolled up in his hand with flames roaring from it. My heart beats like a steel drum.
“Brandon, they’re setting the place on fire! Break through the wall, I’ll distract them,” I whisper, and jump up before he can answer.
“I’m here!” I yell out to Big Red.
“Oh, she is a pretty little thing,” one of the prisoners yells out, sending a shiver up my spine.
“I knew you’d come out, little miss goody-two-shoes.” Big Red laughs again, and the rest of his gang follows.
“Come on out, and I will leave your friends alone.”
“We both know that is a lie! You never let anyone live!” I yell back.
“No witnesses… rule number one,” we say in unison.
“Ha ha, you are correct!” Big Red smiles with the most perfectly evil grin. “Too bad I didn’t kill you when I had the chance. Oh, the shame you’ve brought to your family. Do you know, Meemo, this girl you are protecting sent her own parents to prison?” Big Red wipes the sweat from his forehead, and I turn to Meemo. She looks shocked, almost disgusted.
“Not so sweet now, is she?”
“Leave the kid alone!” Meemo snaps, as she places her arm around me.
“Enjoy your journey to hell, girls!”
He throws the live flame at us. It flies through the window, dancing in the air as it breathes in more oxygen, making it even stronger. It lands perfectly on top of Meemo’s pile of magazines, and they instantly ignite.
Meemo grabs a pan from the sink, already full of stale water, and pours it over the flames. But it's too late. The flames move with excitement over the trash that surrounds them, jumping from one pile to the next, leaving a trail of glowing orange and black smoke.
Big Red peers through the window. “You still have a chance to come out.”
I grab the pan from Meemo’s hand and throw it through the window, smacking Big Red straight in the face. The prisoners all laugh in surprise.
“Find this funny, do you? You can burn with the little bitch as well… Burn the whole place down!” he screams angrily in front of the flames.
He is the devil in human form.
Fiery scraps of paper come flying through the window as the prisoners follow his orders. They are going to burn us alive. The flames quickly come to life and multiply before my eyes.
“Quick, Brandon,” I yell. He’s trying to make us a hole to escape from. We might fit, but it's too small for Meemo.
“I’m trying,” he shouts as he begins to kick at the wall.
“Kids, go!” Meemo says.
“Not without you,” I say, as the orange flames begin to lick the trash like an excited dog. The smell of burning plastic fills my nose as the fire ignites everything it touches.
“Brandon, get her to safety!” Meemo screams, as she walks to her front door. The flames crackle with laughter as she gets closer.
“Meemo, NO!” If she opens the door, we are all dead.
Out of nowhere, the earth begins to shake violently, as if it's being rocked from its very core.
Is it an earthquake? Oh my God!
Everything goes black….
Survive The 9Nite
War Kids 3
Chapter 1
Goodbye My Friend.
JADA
The plane speeds down the runway in preparation for take-off. I take one last look at Haytham. He is standing there alone. I hope the others hurry up and get here.
“They will be here soon,” Zak assures me, as he takes my hand.
The plane’s engine roars as we move forward, faster and faster. I place my hand on the armrest and take a deep breath. I’ve never been a comfortable flyer.
I feel the butterflies in my stomach as the plane lifts off the ground. If I were religious, I would be praying now. But I know that is pointless.
As we soar higher, I feel us turning. I push my face up against the window, searching for any sign of the boat.
The river is just below us, and I see something. I turn to Kyra and point. “Look… I can see a boat. It looks like the one we were on. It's at the dock. They must be in the car now.”
Kyra’s seatbelt clicks open as she comes over for a better look, squeezing into the space between Zak and me.
“Jesus, Kyra… even trying to steal my seat on a plane,” Zak teases, as he unbuckles his own seatbelt and moves out of her way.
“Look… see? Down there.” I point to the river again.
“Yippee, he made it,” Kyra squeals with excitement. “Wait… what the hell?!”
Everyone else rushes to our windows to see what suddenly has her so afraid. I press my face up for a better look… I wish I hadn’t. Another plane looks like it's about to hit us. It looks like a U.S. Army plane.
But our plane swiftly moves in the opposite direction, knocking Kyra over as she tries to stand. “Ouch!”
“Jesus. That was a close one!” Ali says.
“Kids, take your seats. Buckle up,” Gérard announces, as he hurries toward the cockpit.
I can hear the others stumbling to their seats, and the plane continues to bounce up and down. We take a sudden jolt, lifting my butt from my seat. Thank God I’m buckled in.
A giant flash appears through all the windows. Swiftly I place my hand over my eyes to block out the blinding brightness.
“Don’t look at the light!” Gérard yells, standing at the cockpit door. “Faith, cover Ashton’s eyes!”
I cannot help but peek through my fingers to see what it is… but it's gone.
“What the hell was that?” I ask.
“They fucking dropped it! They dropped the bomb!” Gérard yells.
Kyra takes a big breath in. “What?” she squeals. “NO!”
We all suddenly realize that her father is down there. Something in the corner of my eye catches my attention. I turn toward it; it's like a horror movie unfolding in front of us.
Raging red-orange flames bellow up into the city's horizon, creating a black circle… like it's sucked all the life from it. Now there is nothing left but an angry ring of fire dancing in the sky.
The ring is getting larger; thick, charcoal clouds swirl. This is a mushroom cloud—they dropped a nuclear bomb.
Haytham and the others are down there....
Chapter 2
He’s Alive.
ANNABEL
Cough… cough. My lungs feel as though they’ve been crushed, and I gasp for air. Each breath draws dusty fragments into my lungs, making it even harder to breathe.
I look around, and it seems like I am in hell. Fiery orange flames rage above me, crackling through the darkness. Cough… cough. Each cough burns my lungs more.
Is this it? Am I really in hell? Punishment for the murder I committed last night?
The heat from the fire is unbearable. I try to raise my hands to protect my face, but I cannot. Panic washes over me as I try to move myself. I can wiggle my fingers, but my hands are stuck. I’m lying on the ground, and my whole body is covered in bricks, pieces of wood, and trash.
I move my legs side to side to get the larger pieces of rubble off me. Then I kick up and down, freeing myself.
I turn over and I lift my body upwards on one side, and lean on the other until I am finally free. Then I slump to the ground, relieved that I can breathe. I take in several big gulps of air. The smell of raw sewage quickly enters the new space in my lungs, turning my stomach. I fight the urge to vomit as I push up the rest of my weak and unstable body.
Stumbling back against a wall, I try to compose myself. My body aches all over; no one part hurts more than the others. Which I guess is a good thing—it means nothing is broken.
Jesus, what happened?
There is a loud banging sound echoing through the tunnels as the ceiling caves in more.
Meemo’s house is feeding the blazing inferno. Damn… where is Brandon? I frantically look around the floor and between the stone slabs.
Where is he?
Oh God, where are Big Red and the others?
I look once again to Meemo’s house; I can see shadows moving down there… they are waking up from the blast.
Quickly I look around for any sign of life. Meemo had been heading to her front door before the explosion. There’s no way for me to check on her, not when they’re down there.
A shiny object catches my eye. It looks out of place amongst the rubble… it’s a baseball bat. The one Brandon was holding.
Frantically, I begin digging through the rubble, searching for my only hope to stay alive. I see the whiteness of his fingertips. I grab the larger pieces of debris from the ground and throw them to the side, revealing Brandon’s lifeless body.
Oh no! Please don’t be dead! Please, Lord, I need him!!
Grabbing piece after piece off his body, I can finally see his face clearly. I want to shout out at him to wake up, but I can’t—they’ll hear me.
“Brandon,” I whisper softly, as I shake his body.
“Arh…” he moans.
I quickly place my hand over his mouth, blocking any more sounds from coming out, as I feel a rush of relief mixed with fear.
I look toward the flames; the shadows are still standing… they look confused. Unable to make a decision without Big Red’s orders. Is he alive? I hope he died in the explosion. What the hell is going on above ground? Now is not the time to worry about that. I have to get us out of here, or we will certainly die.
“Brandon, get up,” I say firmly.
“What the… where the hell are we?” he mumbles, as I lift him up.
“In the tunnels under Penn Station, remember? It was your great idea.”
“Jesus, have a go at me when I’m close to death. Nothing like giving a guy a dig when he’s down,” Brandon jokes. God, I’m glad he’s okay. He’s back to his old ways.
He places his arm around my shoulders, and I help stea
dy his feet on the uneven ground as we lean up against the wall, cowering in the darkness.
“Are you hurt?” he asks, as he looks me over.
“No, are you?”
He looks down at himself. “Don’t think so.” He stands silently for a moment as he stares at the inferno that is blazing out of control.
“Where is Meemo?” he asks.
I nod toward the fire.
“We have to get her out of there.” His eyes are wide with terror. He tries to run toward her, but I pull him back.
“No, we cannot… look!” I nod over to Meemo’s home.
“What?” he asks.
“There, see the shadows? The prisoners are still there.”
Brandon squints his eyes and peers toward her home. Then his shoulders slump in disappointment as he spots the shadows.
“Where is she?” Big Red’s screams echo off the tunnel walls. Damn! He is still alive… and looking for me!
Chapter 3
Mistakes, or a Lie?
ETHAN
“Ethan, your father will be very proud of you,” Samuel states, as we fly over New York City.
We have cleansed the toxins from the earth. He would be proud if he were alive.
Wait… why did Samuel say ‘will be proud’ instead of ‘would be proud’?
Samuel never makes mistakes. Except in relation to my father, when he often speaks about him as if he is still alive. Which he is not. I know because I watched his car fly through the sky, then ignite, much the same way New York City is doing now.
“Yes, Samuel, he would be proud,” I say, emphasizing the word to look for a reaction. There is none. Samuel is too well-trained. I feel he knows more… which means he does.
“Is everyone in position?” I ask him as we fly the plane to our location, only ten minutes away. They will be looking for us, so we will change to another plane at the check point. There is a small window of time to get out of the radioactive reach.