Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set

by Rashad Freeman

  The fate of the city was a mystery, a puzzle that might never be solved. But what I did know was that the world was waging war against mankind. A war that we were losing.

  There wasn’t much talking while the pilot maneuvered us toward the apron. Mostly everyone was just happy to be alive and still winding down from our last dance with death. But as the sound of thunder increased and the rain turned to bits of shrapnel-like ice, we knew that mother nature wasn’t done with us.

  The winds outside groaned in loud, screeching squalls as they pushed against the plane. I could feel the pilot turn, then the wind shoved us in the other direction, making navigation a nightmare. It took longer than it should’ve, but eventually we made it to the apron and the plane stopped.

  Sweating, Jack, the pilot, stepped out into the cabin. He looked exhausted, but content. His thick, gray hair was ruffled and flat and his tanned, leathery skin dripped puddles of stress on the floor.

  I couldn’t imagine the amount of anxiety that had been swirling around in the cockpit. They’d faced death eye to eye and come out alive. They’d looked at the ground as it sped toward us, stared down the lightning bolts as they threatened to blast us out of the sky. Our battle had been won up there.

  “Sir,” Jack started and turned to Tim. “There’s no way we get back in the air until this storm passes. And there’s another thing.” He paused and looked around at the two dozen or so occupants as they stared back at him.

  “Well spit it out, Jack, there’s no point in keeping secrets anymore,” Tim barked.

  Jack scratched his head then stepped to the side as Abraham, the CIA pilot pushed past him. He was a tall, dark-skinned man with a bald head. Age had made him slower and weaker, but you could tell there was a hidden power underneath his fierce stare.

  “Not enough fuel, Tim,” Abraham growled in a rough, drill sergeant voice.

  “What? That can’t be right,” Tim retorted angrily.

  Jack huffed and covered his face. He wasn’t the type to take charge or own responsibility. I guessed that while Jack was busy giving us updates over the intercom, it was Abraham that had brought the place down safely.

  “We had enough fuel,” Abraham started and cut his eyes at Jack. “Keeping this bird in the sky and fighting through that wind took a lot though. We’ve been battling a head wind since we left Baltimore.”

  “So, what now? This is it? We’re done?”

  Abraham laughed. “You navy boys have always been quitters. We’re right on the needle, might make it, might not. I say when this storm dies we see if we can find a working fuel truck.”

  Tim smiled. “Solid plan, Abe.”

  “What if we can’t get back in the air?” Toby whispered to me.

  “Then we drive like hell. We’ve gotta get there, Toby. No matter what happens, me, you and Grayson have to make it!”

  His eyes met mine and I knew he understood the urgency. We were running for our lives and every minute we spent in the same place was a minute closer to death. This wasn’t about a job anymore, this was about keeping my family alive and I’d do anything for that.

  The storm outside was starting to pick up. Every thunderous, boom shook the plane and made Grayson scoot a little bit closer to his father. He’d been mostly quiet and I knew he was starting to figure things out. I was afraid how he was going to react to the truth.

  People had begun to walk around and gather into small clicks. Different agencies huddled amongst themselves discussing what they thought was the best plan of action. It was like a high school cafeteria full of assumptions and bad answers.

  The plane was split into sections with seating toward the front and a command center behind it. A small staff manned screens that displayed weather and launch windows as well as any inbound objects. Our communications link had been damaged and now the entire system was nearly useless.

  “Why are we staying in a metal tube with a storm outside?” Toby asked.

  “I think it’s safe in here.”

  “It would be safer in there,” he replied and pointed toward the terminal.

  As if to make his point, a bolt of lightning flickered madly, followed by a series of ear-splitting booms that made me jump in my seat.

  “Maybe I’ll pass on the suggestion,” I said in a low voice.

  Frowning, I stood up walked back to Tim and Bill’s seat. They were huddled together discussing something serious and seemed bothered by my presence.

  “Um, sorry to interrupt. Maybe we should head inside?”

  “Why?” Bill snapped. “When this passes we are leaving.”

  More thunder rumbled and shook the plane. The hail and rain sounded like a machine gun against the windows.

  I cleared my throat. “Sir, I just think it’s safer inside and we can be ready to get fuel trucks once the storm passes.”

  Tim stood up and looked around the plane. People were talking in hushed voices with nervous faces. No one wanted to say it, but we all were scared.

  “Abraham!” Tim shouted.

  “Sir,” he responded as he charged down the aisle.

  “We’re getting off. Gonna ride the storm out inside.”

  “Okay, gonna need to send a man out to get the boarding ladder. We can get into the terminal from the maintenance entrance.”

  Tim nodded. “Craig! I need someone outside.”

  Craig was sitting behind them. He’d probably been there all along, but I hadn’t noticed. He looked like he may have been sleeping the entire flight.

  “I’ll…. I’ll take care of it,” he yawned. “What do you need?”

  Abraham turned to him. “Need you to drive one of the boarding ladders to the door. There shouldn’t be any keys just a switch where the ignition would be.”

  Craig nodded and grabbed a bag from the seat next to him. After rummaging inside for a few minutes, he pulled out a bundle of nylon rope.

  “You ready?” Abraham asked.

  “I guess.”

  Abraham opened the door near the cockpit as Craig anchored the rope around the base of a seat and pulled on his gloves. With the rope clenched in his hands he inched backwards to the opening and nodded his head.

  There was a sudden gust of wind and the plane tilted slightly. Craig was off balance and as he fell from the plane he grabbed for the rope but found only empty air. With a feeble yelp, he spiraled backwards and hit the ground below with a bone-crushing clump.

  CHAPTER 17

  THE WORST GOOD NEWS

  The air inside of the terminal was cool and fresh. It was a welcome change from the stale, heat inside of the plane. Toby and I had stretched out on a row of cushioned seats and Grayson sat on the floor in front of us playing on his phone that no longer had reception.

  The giant paned windows rattled violently with every lightning strike. I could feel the thunder in my bones, making my hands shake like a baby rattle. It was a storm like I’d never seen before.

  “MJ,” Tim called out.

  I sat up and my head swam in dizziness. With a deep breath, I steadied myself and focused my eyes. Tim was giving me a curious look but didn’t say anything.

  “How can I help you?”

  “Craig is stable. Doc says he should be fine, just a concussion.”

  “That’s good,” I said with a smile.

  “You should probably have her take a look at you while we have time. You’ve been running at full load for a while now.”

  I forced a grin on my face. “I think I’m alright. Just need some rest.”

  “I’m sorry if I made that sound like you had a choice. You don’t,” Tim said starkly then turned and walked off.

  “I’m starting to really hate that guy,” Toby mumbled.

  “He means well, just not really a people person.”

  Toby grunted.

  Craig had fallen on his head trying to get off the plane and was knocked unconscious. One of his men had to retrieve him and the boarding ladder. He’d been in and out ever since, but Cynthia, the CDC doctor tha
t had hitched a ride with us was certain he was fine.

  “I’m just tired,” I mumbled to myself then laid my head on Toby’s shoulder.

  I stared out of the window as traces of purplish-blue streaked across the sky. The raging darkness bellowed like a dragon, spitting fire and shaking the ground with its anger. If it didn’t look like the world had been sent to kill us it would’ve been beautiful.

  Grayson was mesmerized by it. He’d sat the phone down and started to gaze outside with wild eyes.

  I scooted off the chair and sat down next to him. Wrapping my arm around him, I sat and watched the storm wreak havoc. He leaned into me and I sucked in the smell of his hair.

  “Mom,” he whispered. “Are we going to die?”

  I took a deep breath and looked over at him. “Not if I can help it,” I replied.

  “All the people back home, are they dead?”

  I wanted to shelter him, to keep him away from the horrors that we were running headstrong into. But I knew I couldn’t do that anymore and every lie I told him I sacrificed a piece of my soul.

  “The people back home…they’re, they’re probably all gone Grayson. We have to worry about us now. You understand?”

  He nodded then slumped against my shoulder and closed his eyes. I laid with him the rest of the night until I fell into a deep, sleep.

  My dreams were few, but scattered across my mind like an old movie reel. Horrible sights that I couldn’t wake from, far too close to reality for me to ignore. My fears haunted me for the night, but I knew they’d still be there in the morning.

  It was like nothing ever changed. When I was in the field I was haunted by faces and all the terrible things I’d done. I took a desk job to reclaim my soul, only to be assigned to the Mayflower project. Then my dreams became constant “what if’s” for the end of the world. The night was always a terrible time for me.

  I awoke to gray, dreary skies with bits of sunlight. Toby was stretched out, snoring loudly and Grayson had entangled himself with a thin, maroon blanket we found. Some of the others were up and about including Craig, who was hobbling around trying to get his legs under him.

  “Mrs. Buchannan,” someone called from behind me.

  I looked back and smiled. Cynthia was standing behind the row of seats holding a clipboard, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

  She was a small lady, standing right at five feet tall with blonde hair and brown roots that betrayed her. She was probably my age, but had the frail look of someone that spent their life in a classroom. Honestly, I didn’t know much about her, but since she was the only doctor we had it was probably a good idea to make friends.

  “How can I help you Cynthia?” I asked and returned the smile.

  “Secretary Garner told me you should have an exam”

  I sighed. “Yes…are you ready now?”

  “If you could follow me.”

  “Um, I just woke up. Let me run to the restroom.”

  She nodded and started to walk off. “You can meet me near gate D. There’s a small office over there I’ve been using.”

  I stood up and tapped Toby. He groaned and slapped my hand away.

  “Toby,” I called and pushed against his shoulder.

  “Yeah…yeah what’s wrong?”

  “Going to the see the doctor. Get up, we should be leaving soon.”

  Toby yawned and looked outside. The weather had gotten worse. Now the gray clouds were nearly black, and the wind was starting to whip loose objects around in a tantrum. Mother Nature was relentless, and her ironclad grip was tightening like a noose.

  “I don’t think we’re going anywhere,” he replied.

  I shrugged then grabbed my bag and headed to the restroom. After brushing my teeth, I stared in the mirror for a while. I’d just woken up, but I was exhausted. There was so much going on, so many things on my mind, and I just wanted to live normal again, if I even knew what that was.

  I splashed water on my face and thought back to the day that this all started. It wasn’t very different from this day and I’d learned that every day since, could’ve been my last. It was a polarizing moment.

  I’d run field ops and counterintelligence missions up until that point. Being tapped to run a misinformation campaign about the end of the world was something I’d never even dreamed. Now, I found myself in an airport bathroom like a vagabond, hoping that I’d see another day.

  I left the restroom and made my way to Cynthia. There was a small administrative office down a bright hall that she had used to work on Craig. She had a small bag with her full of drugs and medical supplies and that was all she needed. If someone needed more than that, they were just out of luck.

  I walked in and took a seat in a chair across from her. She smiled then looked me up and down before speaking.

  “Any idea why the Secretary wanted you to get looked at?”

  “Well, the last few days have been a bit rough.”

  “How so?” she asked and crossed her legs.

  “Wouldn’t you agree? Look at us”

  Cynthia smiled. “I guess you could say that,” she replied then started jotting down on a piece of paper.

  “What kind of doctor are you?”

  “I used to practice family medicine.”

  “And now?”

  “And now I talk with spies.”

  I nodded. “Well, can we hurry this up.”

  “Sure, I’m just gonna take some vitals and you can be on your way.”

  She stood up, smiled at me then reached into her bag and started pulling out supplies. I couldn’t help but feel that I offended her, but at the same time I felt like Tim was trying to assess my mental state for reasons I didn’t know.

  Working in the intelligence community made you skeptical of everything and I tried to always keep that in mind. But I had a feeling Tim was planning something and I doubted it was going to work out in my favor.

  Cynthia got to work checking my blood pressure and listening to my heart beat. She ran a few of the normal, basic motor skills tests and then we sat back at her desk.

  “Well, you look good. Nothing to worry about, you just need some rest.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “There is one thing though,” she said lowly and raised her eyebrows at me.

  I leaned forward and glared at her. She was smiling back at me like I’d told her some kind of joke. I was tired, the world was ending and we still had hundreds of miles to travel, I wasn’t in the mood.

  “What is it?” I asked in a tone of annoyance.

  She turned sideways in her chair then stared at her watch. Turning back, she eyed me thoughtfully in silence. Then she cleared her throat and grinned.

  “Well…I would’ve thought you’d tell me,” she said. “I’m certain you already know.”

  I jumped up and my chair toppled over. I placed my hands on the desk and leaned in toward her. “Look lady…Cynthia. I’m not in the mood. So, tell me what the hell you found!”

  “No need for this Mrs. Buchannan. I was trying to be discreet,” she pleaded and leaned back. “I don’t have any actual tests with me and no way of doing your bloodwork, but you’re pregnant.”

  CHAPTER 18

  MAYBE TOMORROW

  My mouth fell open and I took a step back nearly tripping over the upturned chair. I caught myself on the wall then straightened the chair and sat down.

  “That…that can’t be right,” I stuttered.

  “I think you know it is.”

  “No, I…I can’t have any more kids. I wasn’t even supposed to have Grayson.”

  “I heard two heartbeats Mrs. Buchannan. You’re pregnant, I’m sure of it.”

  With trembling hands, I covered my mouth and looked away. A million ideas raced through my mind, but one worried me more than any other. What would a baby mean for me?

  Would it cost me my seat on the Mayflower? Would a pregnant woman even be allowed to make the trip? I already knew the answer and I knew that I
couldn’t be pregnant.

  We’d spent months submitting data on family members or anyone that would have a seat on the ship. Months of testing disguised as routine government physicals and other precautions. I knew that pregnancy was a disqualifier, something I’d never worried about before

  “You, you…you can’t tell Tim,” I said as I stared at her with red, watering eyes. “I can’t, I just can’t be pregnant.”

  “I have to, I have to report all medical changes,” Cynthia replied mechanically.

  “No!” I screamed then covered my mouth and swallowed back my anger. “You don’t understand. If he knows I’m pregnant I won’t be able to go. He’ll leave me here, he’ll leave my family here to die.”

  “The Secretary would never do that,” she said, but I heard the doubt in her voice.

  “Oh yes he would. It was a disqualifier during the screening and I’m certain that hasn’t changed. Please…please, just…just wait until the ship leaves. Two days is all I’m asking you.”

  Cynthia took a deep breath and swallowed. She ground her teeth then started to tap her fingers against the desk.

  “Please,” I said again. “You can’t tell anyone, not Tim, not my husband.”

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “I don’t need him worrying about something like this. Once we’re safe, once we’re on the way I’ll let him know.”

  “I’ll try. I won’t offer the information, but that’s the best I can do. I can’t lie to the Secretary if he asks me a direct question.”

  I stood up and bit my bottom lip. I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned. “Thanks,” I grumbled then headed for the door.

  “MJ,” she called.

  I paused and turned around.

  “I’m in your corner, MJ. I really am, I promise.”

  I half-smiled then walked outside and headed back to the boarding area. Toby was up and was sitting with Grayson staring outside. A few of Craig’s men were running across the tarmac toward a hangar. They were drifting from side to side as gusts of torrential wind smashed into them like a tsunami. I assumed they’d begun the search for a fuel truck, but with the way the weather looked I didn’t see how we were getting back on the plane.