Wipeout | Book 4 | Overdrawn

by Richards, E. S.

  “I know,” Jessie answered with a smile. “I know.”

  Chapter 9

  It didn’t take long to get the family packed up this time. Jessie and Art had both experienced pretty stark reality checks since the collapse and as they prepared to potentially leave their house for a second time, it was a lot easier to part with certain items than it had been before. The material possessions they’d once valued almost as highly as their lives were now easy to say goodbye to, the precious space in their luggage reserved only for things that would help them continue to survive.

  Of course, there were certain things that were harder to say goodbye to than others. But Jessie had to remind herself as they packed up that they weren’t really saying goodbye, not for sure. They were merely preparing for the worst outcome and hoping to be pleasantly surprised. It was a rather depressing way to view a situation, but in their current predicament, it was the only way that Jessie felt she could assure the safety of her family.

  “Any movement?”

  Jessie turned from the bedroom window. She’d watched the steady movements from the ship smaller boats started coming in closer to shore and now, the smaller boats were mooring up at the harbor.

  “They’re here,” she exhaled in surprise, shocked by how quickly that had happened. There were three boats, each holding between five and eight people. The first was floating just alongside the jetty. As she watched, someone on board threw a rope around one of the cleats. “They’re at the jetty.”

  Art rushed over and stood by Jessie’s side, craning his neck to look around to where the jetty stuck out into the ocean. Sure enough, the three foreign boats were docking and the passengers stepping onto the jetty. From their home, Jessie and Art couldn’t see if there was anyone to welcome them further along the harbor, but at the moment they looked like they were alone and unthreatening.

  “What do you think? What should we do?” Jessie asked.

  Art considered his wife’s questions. From their home, they couldn’t get a better view of the jetty so, they would be unable to discover any further information without going outside. The people – around twenty of them, men and women – had by now secured all three boats and were neatening themselves up and preparing to head into the city. They didn’t look dangerous, but there was something about the order and the manner in which they operated which made Art slightly suspicious. Everything seemed so perfectly planned out that it made him wonder what had changed for them to come to the island now.

  “I think we need to go out and hear what’s happening for ourselves,” Art eventually replied, weighing up their options. “It’s either that or wait inside for someone to pass the news along and I’d rather know what the deal is first hand.”

  “I agree,” Jessie nodded. “But what about the boys?”

  “We’ll have to bring them with us.” Art didn’t like that idea any more than Jessie did, but it was definitely a better option than leaving their children at home by themselves. In these times of uncertainty, it was better to have family close by – it was the most important thing, after all.

  “There’s going to be huge crowds for this,” Art continued. “We can stick to the back and keep out of sight. Get the information that we need and then make our decisions just like we planned. But I think we need to be there, it’s always better to be in the know.”

  “Okay,” Jessie agreed and moved away from the window, preparing to grab her stuff and head out. “Let’s get the boys ready.”

  As Jessie attempted to walk past him and out of the guest bedroom, he put a hand on her arm and stopped his wife. Looking into her eyes, Art could see the fear and anxiousness inside her, understanding her and letting Jessie know that she didn’t have to deal with it alone. With just a look and a shared moment of silence, he reassured his wife that they were going to get through what lay ahead of them, no matter what it turned out to be. Together they were a team and they were strong enough to face all foes. With his reassurance, Jessie held herself a little taller and smiled, ready for what they were about to do.

  “I’ll get the boys,” she smiled. “Can you check that we haven’t left anything behind that we might need.”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  Jessie made her way to where her sons were playing downstairs. When she had made the difficult decision to move her life half way around the world and start a family away from her own, she hadn’t known at the time what problems she would have to tackle. But now that she was facing them, she knew she was prepared to take them on. She’d left her whole life behind in New York to start this new one and now that she had it, she wasn’t going to let it go without a fight.

  “Are you both ready? It’s time to go.”

  The buzz on the island was similar to how it had been in the days immediately after Trident’s collapse. People were all heading in the same direction through the city, making their way to the harbor which naturally led them to the surf shack as well. Jamie’s bar was so perfectly positioned for everything now on Kauai and it seemed only natural that these mysterious new arrivals were heading there as well. Jessie couldn’t help but wonder if they had been watching things on the island since they’d anchored just offshore—the fact that they knew where to go made her even more nervous about what was about to happen.

  “Do you think Jamie was there to welcome them?” Jessie asked.

  “Probably,” Art replied. “You saw how excited he was for this to happen. There’s no way he wouldn’t have laid out the red carpet for whoever it was.”

  Jessie let out a little chuckle. Jamie was almost too keen to welcome whoever emerged from the large ship. It can’t have been easy for him going from running a bar to running an island and while he had appeared to handle it well, he was ready to welcome some help. Hopefully, help was what it turned out to be.

  “Come on,” Art urged his family forward. “I think we better get a move on.”

  Art was right, the buzz in the air was intensifying as they got closer to the surf shack. Everyone who wasn’t already there was flooding into the streets and heading in the same direction, the road quickly becoming crowded. Jessie kept a firm grip on Zayn’s hand while Art steered Axel in the right direction. They wouldn’t allow themselves to be pushed apart by the streaming masses. As they rounded the last corner, the shack and the large staging area came into view.

  Jamie was on stage with six of the men from the big ship, all of them dressed in matching dark uniforms, with caps worn low over their faces. That didn’t mask the fact they were of Asian origin.

  While six of them were present on stage, the rest were nowhere to be seen and that worried Jessie. As Jamie stood on stage with the six of them, they were joined by April and Park from the leadership council. They didn’t look worried, but there was certainly an air of uneasiness about it all as they waited for the crowd to quiet itself. Only then did Jamie begin to speak.

  “Hello,” his voice boomed out across the beach, reverberating off the large speaker system that had been set. “I know many of you have been watching the ship on the horizon, waiting to find out where it came from and why it is here.”

  Rumblings of agreement rippled throughout the crowd as they waited for him to get to the point. Jamie sounded nervous and uncomfortable. He shouldn’t. He’d spoken to this crowd many times. Jessie could only assume that it was the presence of the men from the ship. She moved closer to her husband so she could whisper in his ear and steeled herself for whatever was going to come next.

  “Well the wait is over,” Jamie continued. “The ship,” he paused and looked to one of the men in uniform, a glimpse of fear briefly flashing across his face.

  “I don’t like this,” Jessie whispered to Art. “Where are the rest of the people that arrived? I counted at least twenty coming off those three boats.”

  “I know,” Art whispered back. “I think we should –”

  “The ship belonged to…” Jamie tried to start again, but once more failed. “I’m sorry
,” he stepped away from the microphone. “I can’t.”

  Furrowing her brow, Jessie watched the crowd. A few shouted up to Jamie on stage, while others directed their calls at the newcomers, asking who they were and what they wanted on the island. What had once been anticipation and excitement quickly turned to fear and nerves as the islanders mirrored Jamie’s emotions. It was only when one of the men in uniform stepped in front of the microphone that everyone fell silent once more.

  “The island of Kauai, Hawaii,” the man began, speaking in a thick Asian accent, “has just become a protectorate of the People’s Republic of China. The American government can no longer defend you and we are claiming this land in the name of the People’s Republic. You can remain living here if you comply with our new laws, but you will no longer have the citizenship once afforded to Americans.”

  In an instant, everything exploded. Hundreds of people roared up in protest, totally blind-sided by what the man had said to them. Jessie and Art, with one look at each other, turned and started pushing their children toward the back of the crowd and away from the stage. They needed to get out of there, but they weren’t the only ones to have the idea.

  While half the group surged toward the stage, the other tried to flee the scene and make a run for it. That was when the rest of the new arrivals emerged from the shadows, boxing in the crowd and pointing automatic weapons in their faces to keep them in place. Shouts of disagreement turned into screams of terror and the situation escalated faster than anyone could’ve thought possible. It was worse than the days just after the collapse, it was pandemonium and once again Jessie and her family were trapped right in the middle of it.

  “Over there!” Art urged, directing them through the crowd to where he could see an unguarded opening. He tried his best to focus only on his family and their way out, ignoring what was happening around him as more and more screams rang out, people beginning to try to fight their way out of the chaos. It wouldn’t be long before someone opened fire. The islanders outnumbered the new arrivals significantly, but the newcomers had the advantage of weapons. It wouldn’t be long before they resorted to using them.

  “To your left!” Art yelled. Art continued to direct Jessie as she cut a path through the dissipating crowd. By allowing her to lead, Art had the responsibility of ensuring both Axel and Zayn stayed in between their parents, both boys pushing forward with their heads down and doing exactly what they had been instructed.

  “Come on, this way.” Jessie shouted. She turned and took Zayn’s hand, pulling him along behind her, away from the throngs of people. She hoisted him up onto a small wall that boarded the back of a parking lot before leaping over it herself and then turning to take Axel from her husband. In the moment she felt her youngest son in her hands, the sound of gunfire erupted in the crowd. Jessie felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck and her breath hitched in her throat.

  “Run!” Art didn’t need to say it twice. Children or not, both Zayn and Axel knew a serious situation when they saw one and they sprinted away from it, following Jessie as she led her family away from the surf shack. Just as she and Art had previously agreed, Jessie headed north.

  They didn’t have much of a plan to go on, but they knew they couldn’t stay in the middle of Kauai. There was only one other place on the island they could think to go. Days ago, it would’ve been a very last resort, now it was hopefully a refuge where their family could stay and figure out what was happening. They’d deal with the repercussions then.

  Dennis and his group were at the northern most tip of the island and they were now Kauai’s last chance.

  Chapter 10

  Hacking out from the undergrowth, Art pulled aside a bunch of leaves to make way for his wife and children. Reaching the northern-most tip of the island wasn’t an easy task, one of the reasons why this area was left mostly untouched by everyone who lived there. Several years ago, a rich business mogul had decided to build a luxury resort there, catering to the rich and famous and offering them extravagant spa treatments and exotic experiences with the island’s wildlife.

  As Art and his family stepped onto the beach, they finally saw the first signs of that resort, a few tall, wooden candles lining what had once been a path along the beach. The resort had only lasted one summer season on Kauai. The idea of it was intriguing, but the northern beaches of Kauai just didn’t suit what the entrepreneur had in mind. He hadn’t prepared himself for how rough the waves got on that coastline of the island, or how difficult the area was to reach.

  Due to the coastline on the north of Kauai, it was impossible for him to build a harbor for boats and without destroying acres of woodland, there was no way he could create an airstrip for landing planes. As a result, the only way to reach the resort was to trek through the bush like Art and his family had just done. This was not something that those signing up for a luxurious and relaxing holiday were too happy to do.

  Art was recruited at one point to maintain their swimming facilities. It was a job that wasn’t something he’d normally take on, but with no one else on the island capable of doing it at that time and the paycheck something he couldn’t resist, he agreed. The guests were complaining of the salt content in the pools and the clarity of the water. Art discovered it was faulty filtration pipes and a larger quantity of seawater coming into the pools than expected. When word got out, it was the fatal third strike against the resort. Before long, it was forced to close its doors, the resulting meager bookings not enough to cover the costs of doing business.

  Several years had passed since then and no one had ever thought to do anything with the abandoned hotel and adjoining buildings. If Art had to bet though, he was certain Dennis and his friends would have set up their camp there. Now all they had to do was find them.

  “This is so cool,” Zayn marveled as the large hotel came into view. “What is this place?”

  Art grinned, pleased his sons were in higher spirits now. Both Zayn and Axel craned their heads upwards to inspect the towering structure, the building blending into its surroundings now as branches weaved through windows and the brickwork adorned with flowers. Zayn had only been a baby when the retreat closed, neither he nor his younger brother ever even aware that it existed.

  “It’s a secret place,” Jessie told them with a smile. “A special place that you must never tell anyone about. It’s a hideout for those who need it, a refuge for weary travelers.”

  Zayn laughed while Axel’s mouth dropped open.

  “Watch your step,” Jessie prompted as she tripped herself, managing to catch herself before she went stumbling forward.

  “Are you alright babe?”

  “Yeah,” Jessie smiled at her husband, finding herself quite awe-struck by the place in front of them. She had only been to the resort a couple of times when it was first being built but never as a guest. These weren’t the sort of vacations she enjoyed, never one to be any good at sitting around and being pampered. With everything that had been going on recently however, she wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to sit and rest for a while. The brawl at the surf shack was still fresh on her mind and she was scared about what was going to happen to the island and its occupants.

  “Where do you think they’ll all be?”

  “A bit further around I think,” Art replied. They weren’t trying to hide their arrival, so Art assumed Dennis probably knew they were there already – the boys were running around and exclaiming at cool things they found – it wasn’t exactly a covert mission. “The main entrance to the hotel is just around the corner, facing the ocean.”

  “But I’m afraid you’re going to have to turn back now.”

  Two of Dennis’ group stepped out from the hotel and blocked their path, holding large sticks which had been sharpened to a point in front of them. It was very well executed. Art smiled. Dennis might actually be able to help them.

  “Alright guys,” Art held his hands up as Jessie gathered the boys behind her. “We’re not here to cause any trouble. W
e’ve actually got some news that I’m pretty sure Dennis will want to hear. Can you take us to him?”

  “Really?” one of the men asked. Art recognized him from the engineering team that Jamie had established, though his name escaped Art at the moment. “Awful lot of luggage you’ve got with you if you’ve just come to pass on a message.”

  The other man laughed. Both of them stood firmly in place and refused to let the four of them pass.

  Art sighed, though the name finally returned to him as he, too, stood his ground. “Come on, Casey,” Art said. “Dennis is seriously going to want to hear this – you know that big ship which was moored up off the shoreline? Well they’ve come to shore now and what they’ve brought with them isn’t pretty.”

  Casey looked at the other guard who stood next to him and raised his eyebrows in question, uncertain of how to react.

  Sensing his hesitation, Art took the opportunity to continue. “I’m betting they don’t know about your group hidden away up here, so you might be the only guys left who can save us. Yes, we’ve brought our stuff because we need to stay here with you – but once I’ve explained it all, you’ll understand why. Just take us to Dennis. If he doesn’t like what he hears, we’ll leave, okay? I give you my word on that.”

  “Alright,” Casey huffed. “This way.”

  Art and his family were led around the side of the hotel and through the grand entrance hall, the archway carved out of marble and now adorned with a number of climbing flowers which had made their home there. They walked past a huge indoor fountain that was now a mossy swamp, the sort of place any number of water-dwelling creatures would love to hide out if it was big enough. As it happened, it was a hot bed for insect activity, Art waving flies away from his face as he passed by.

  “Whoa, whoa! What’s this? You’re supposed to get rid of any intruders, not welcome them inside!”