The Vanishing (The End of Time Chronicles Book 1)

by Heath Jannusch

  “The combined forces of the Communist Muslim Coalition have descended into the northern mountains of Israel like a dark shadow covering the land,” announced the reporter. “It’s almost nine o’clock at night here in Jerusalem and the sky above is littered with so many fighter jets, that even the stars cannot be seen. In the distance I can just make out thousands of tanks and countless soldiers massed on the hillside. Short of a miracle, there is nothing that can save this small nation from total annihilation.”

  The reporter paused for a moment, appearing to sigh, and then continued. “The invading army has just launched its first missiles and there are now dozens of them flying through the sky. Wait, what’s that?” In the back ground Shiloh could hear the sound of several explosions. Intrigued, he reached down and turned up the volume.

  “Oh my God!” cried out the reporter in shock. “I, I don’t know what’s happening. Hundreds or maybe even thousands of people have just disappeared in a warm, blinding light! The earth beneath my feet has begun to shake violently and tanks are being tossed into the air, as if they were toys! What can only be described as a powerful earthquake is actually smoothing out the landscape. It’s, it’s very difficult to describe what I’m seeing.”

  There was a pause in the broadcast. “Oh my God! Whole mountains are being reduced to rolling hills right before my eyes! I know it may seem unbelievable, but none of the buildings here in Israel seem to be getting damaged or destroyed. Look out! Oh my God! That tank just landed on him! Somebody help him! The scene here is unbelievable! I’ve never seen anything like this before! From where I stand I can see soldiers disappearing beneath the sand, almost as if the ground itself has opened up and swallowed them!” There was another pause in the broadcast.

  “In the sky above me,” continued the reporter, “huge dark clouds have gathered together and the moon has turned blood red! Rolling black clouds are beginning to belch thunder, as they appear to be forming over only the invading armies! Oh my God! There are long, jagged bolts of lightning striking down from the sky, hitting both men and vehicles alike! It’s as if the lightening bolts are being guided by some unseen force. I can see missiles and fighter jets being hurled to the ground in great balls of fire! It almost appears as though an unseen force is pushing every oncoming missile and aircraft straight down to the ground! Even the wind has abruptly changed direction, and is now blowing the radiation and chemical fallout away from Israel, and toward her enemies!”

  Shiloh heard what sounded like a loud bang, as the reporter’s voice faded into the sounds of screams and explosions. The broadcast was suddenly interrupted with several loud beeps and then another voice came over the air.

  “This is the National Emergency Broadcast System, this is NOT a test, we repeat; this is NOT a test. Thousands of meteors are about to enter our atmosphere and will be raining down on us in moments. The meteors range in size from that of a baseball to that of a house. All citizens are advised to stop what you’re doing and take cover in any way possible…” Once again the broadcast was cut out, only this time, it was replaced with the sound of static.

  Shiloh could feel his heart pumping fast inside his chest. In the sky above, a flock of birds were flying west and directly behind them, through the rapidly growing storm clouds, he saw it. There was a large bright object in the sky with a tail trailing behind it to the east.

  To the southeast, he saw a large herd of cattle pushing against a barbed wire fence until finally they broke thru and began flooding across the highway. Shiloh had to swerve off the road and was barely able to avoid hitting the first few cows. About a quarter of a mile ahead, he saw a herd of wild horses, about twenty or thirty strong, racing in the same direction as the birds and the cattle.

  Checking the rearview mirror, Shiloh suddenly saw a large bright flash, followed by a thunderous explosion, which he could only assume was the meteor smashing into the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains. Shiloh lifted his foot from the gas and the truck began to slow down, as he gazed out the window. In the sky above, he could see many more meteors streaking through the atmosphere. He suddenly felt the ground shaking and realized it must be an earthquake.

  In the distance, Shiloh could see what looked like a huge dust storm coming toward him from the direction of the impact. As it drew closer, he realized that it was not a dust storm at all, although it did contain a lot of dirt. A more accurate description would be that it was a one hundred foot tall wall of wind, carrying with it anything in its path.

  Shiloh rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing, and turned around in his seat to get a better look. Not only was the blast wave tall but it was also long, extending for as far as the eye could see. He peered into it, trying to discover the beginning or the end, but found nothing but horror. The strength of the wind scooped up and carried away cars, homes and wildlife. Nothing was safe, everything seemed to get picked up and carried away by the tremendous force of the wind, and it was getting closer at an alarming speed. In the sky above, he glimpsed a commercial airliner as it crashed down into the mountainside.

  Shiloh quickly turned around and slammed his foot down hard on the gas pedal. There was no way that he’d be able to outrun the blast wave in his truck, but he had to try. The road he was on continued south for another half mile, and then turned west. Up ahead, Shiloh could see a dirt road veering off from the main road. The dirt road headed east away from the blast wave. As he approached the turn off, Shiloh spun the wheel to the right and then quickly to the left. Without ever lifting his foot from the gas pedal, he skidded onto the dirt road, nearly rolling his truck in the process.

  The dirt road was vaguely familiar, and would bring Shiloh straight to an old, abandoned silver mine. If he could reach the mine entrance before the blast wave caught him, he might have a chance. About one mile ahead, he could just barely glimpse the mine shaft opening, dug into the side of a small mountain. Even though the wall of wind was still miles behind him, Shiloh could smell the dirt and taste the dust in the air. It appeared to be moving even faster now.

  As Shiloh approached the mine shaft, he noticed there were wooden planks across the opening to prevent entry. Instead of slowing down, Shiloh sped up and hit the planks at full speed. He could hear the sound of wood snapping and splintering, as his truck forced its way through the small entrance.

  After crashing through several large support beams, causing dirt and rock to come tumbling down, his truck came to a stop just inside the entrance. Shiloh could hear the roar of the storm behind him, as it smashed into the mountainside. The sound of loud explosions from other meteors and from the wreckage the wind hurled against the mountain was ear shattering. The earth shook with fury from the power of the earthquake. Shiloh gasped, as he heard the steel frame of his truck groan under the weight of the mine bearing down on it.

  A Breath of Fresh Air

  The Vanishing – Day 1

  Clearview, Nevada

  Shiloh climbed out of his crippled truck, coughing and shaking the dirt from his hair and clothes. He removed a red checkered handkerchief from his back pocket and tied it around his face, trying to prevent himself from breathing in too much of the dust. The mine opening had collapsed behind him and everything was dark.

  Shiloh reached back into the truck and tried to start the engine, but it wouldn’t start; even the headlights wouldn’t turn on. He reached into his pocket and removed a lighter, wishing he had a flashlight instead. He knew that he was taking a risk in lighting it, but decided it would be more dangerous to go fumbling around blindly inside a dark caved-in mine. The lighter instantly illuminated the interior of the mine shaft, revealing a long tunnel, with a fork at the end. Shiloh smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

  When he was a kid, Shiloh used to come to this mine with his uncle, who’d worked here when it was still operational. He’d bring Shiloh down for private tours and teach him about mining silver. Shiloh had been shown a variety of tools and how to use them. His uncle shared many mining skills with him,
most importantly of which, was how to stay alive. Some of Shiloh’s fondest memories came from those days spent with his uncle, and now hopefully the lessons would pay off, helping him to find a safe way out.

  Shiloh had to move a few rocks out of the way before he could safely get inside the glove-box of his truck. After a few minutes he was finally able to get the glove-box open, without bringing down any more debris. He found a small box of matches, which he slipped into his pocket. He also found what he was really looking for, a flashlight. He quickly checked the battery and was relieved when it worked. Shiloh then retrieved the thermos of water from the passenger seat, before heading down the dark tunnel on foot.

  The flashlight wasn’t very bright, but it was better than the lighter. The ground inside the mine was uneven and covered with fallen rocks, as Shiloh carefully made his way back toward the fork in the tunnel. When he reached the fork, he immediately remembered that it was misleading. The tunnel to the left seemed to head up and out, but it really went deeper into the mountain. Whereas the tunnel to the right had more of a downward slope, and appeared to go deeper into the mountain, yet it really led to the only exit.

  Shiloh took the tunnel to the right, following it for some time, before it forked once again, this time giving him three options. There were pipes attached to the walls of the center tunnel and Shiloh could hear the sound of water running through them. He shined the flashlight down all three tunnels peering down the dark passageways, but the dim light revealed very little.

  If his memory was accurate, the left tunnel led deeper into the mountain and the right tunnel was a dead end. The center tunnel however, ended in a small cavern filled with water. It was that very pool of water that Shiloh hoped would lead to his freedom, from the dark and damp dungeon. The pipes overhead led to a cavern where the water was deposited into a pool and then flowed underground, emptying into Topaz Lake.

  Shiloh headed down the center tunnel. He paused briefly, as a violent wave of coughing escaped from his mouth, his lungs desperately fighting for oxygen. He had to hurry, the air was becoming stale and he would soon succumb to the massive amounts of toxic gasses trapped down here; that’s if he didn’t suffocate first.

  As he continued on, Shiloh remembered that his uncle had brought him down this tunnel only once before and had then made him promise never to return alone. His uncle explained to him how the water traveled under the ground for several hundred yards, before flowing into the nearby lake. He’d warned Shiloh to stay away; for fear that his nephew would fall into the pool and be sucked under, never to be seen again.

  Distracted with the memory of his uncle’s warning, Shiloh stumbled, fell, and in the process, cut his head on a sharp outcropping of rock. He felt a warm, sticky liquid begin to run down his forehead and into his eyes, causing them to burn. Wiping away the blood from his eyes, Shiloh attempted to stand, but he didn’t have the strength. Instead he fell backwards and slumped down against the rock wall. He was exhausted, and in addition to having trouble breathing, he felt like his brain wasn’t working properly either. Shiloh’s vision suddenly became blurry and he collapsed to the rocky ground, where he remained, barely breathing.

  Shiloh!

  Came the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. Great, thought Shiloh, as he gasped for air, now I’m hearing things too.

  Shiloh!

  Called the feminine voice, calm and soothing. At the sound of her voice, Shiloh felt warmth and love surge throughout his body.

  Shiloh, you need to keep moving. You’re almost there.

  Shiloh slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times, trying to focus.

  Shiloh!

  The voice sounded closer, it was almost as though he could feel her breath on his cheek.

  It was Sheila’s voice, but that was impossible. Shiloh lifted his head and looked in the direction of his wife’s voice. His eyes widened when he saw a figure approaching from the dark tunnel in front of him. She was illuminated in a blue light that seemed to glow from within her. Her auburn hair was just as he remembered, long and wavy with sunlit highlights. Sheila was smiling down at Shiloh, as she held out her hand, as if to help him stand.

  You must keep going my love; your time here is not yet over.

  “Sheila?” Gasped Shiloh, as his eyes welled with tears. “I miss you so much honey. I need you. I can’t go on without you; it’s too painful.”

  I’m always with you my love and I always will be. The children and I love you so much and we’re waiting for you. But there’s still something that you must do. There’s a fight coming, a fight between good and evil, and you must find it in your heart to forgive and have faith. There are many people who will need your help in the days to come and you must help them. The four of us will be reunited sooner than you think. Right now I need you to fight Shiloh. I know you can do it baby! There’s never been a time when you have set your mind on something and failed.

  Shiloh began to crawl toward Sheila and the sound of her voice, but as he did, she seemed to draw back, deeper into the tunnel. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but every time that he tried, she was out of reach. So he continued to crawl toward her and she continued to encourage him.

  Shiloh could smell the water before he saw it. He had crawled out onto a rocky shelf above the pool, which was about three feet below. He was on his hands and knees, gasping for air, as he stared down at the water. The water appeared dark and cold but his real focus was on Sheila.

  It’s time for me to go now darling, but remember I’ll always be with you. Jasmine and Jacob miss you tremendously and they send their love. Remember what I’ve told you my love and know that God is always watching over us. Goodbye my dear, sweet husband.

  Sheila stretched out her arms toward Shiloh and he immediately reached out to embrace her. But where his arms should have found hers, he felt only a void of empty space and the sensation of falling, as he dropped into the dark pool below.

  The chill from the water sent shivers down his spine, as he hit its murky surface. Shiloh barely had time to come up for a breath of air, before he felt himself being sucked down beneath the surface. It was too dark to see anything, as the force from the water shoved him through the tunnel. Still gripping the flashlight in his hand, he held his breath, as he surged through the underground passage. After about sixty seconds, he was spit out of the mine and found himself floating underwater. At first Shiloh didn’t know where he was, but then after a moment, he realized he was at the bottom of Topaz Lake.

  With little air left, Shiloh frantically began to swim toward the surface; his lungs burning for oxygen. When his head finally broke the surface, he immediately opened his mouth and took in a much needed breath of fresh air. The clean air tickled his throat, but his lungs burned for more, causing him to cough and gasp.

  For a moment Shiloh floated there, coughing out water and breathing in air. For the first time in a long time, he was happy to be alive. It had taken him several hours to find his way out of the mine. The sky had never looked so blue, nor the clouds so white.

  Shiloh began to think back on Sheila and what she’d said about a fight coming, a fight between good and evil. He wasn’t sure exactly what she’d meant. To be honest, he couldn’t even be sure if he’d seen Sheila at all. Perhaps, he had just imagined her. It made sense that she may have been a hallucination or a figment of his imagination; but in his heart and soul, Shiloh knew that she’d been real and that she had saved his life, in more ways than one.

  Wicked Hangover

  The Vanishing – Day 1

  Clearview, Nevada

  The weight from his gear felt like it was pulling Ian into the desert sand, as he wiped the rain from his face. Rapid gunfire filled the night and sent a sudden jolt of urgency through his body. Without a thought, Ian ran toward the fighting and his men who were caught in the middle of it. So much for reliable intelligence, he thought, as he ran up the ridge, toward the battle on the other side.

  When he reached the top of the
ridge it was too late. Ian dropped to his stomach and watched in horror. The soldiers in his command had been almost entirely wiped out, only five men remained. From where he was lying, he could see the ambushed bodies of his friends, it was a gruesome sight.

  The five remaining soldiers were pinned down behind a half burnt military Humvee. Although Ian wanted to help his vastly outnumbered men, his body wouldn’t move. He watched, as Sgt. O’Connell repeatedly called for air support on a long-range radio, only to receive static in response. They were on their own and they knew it. He could feel the sting of sand hitting his face and hear the swish-swish-swish of helicopter blades, just before the enemy aircraft came into view.

  Ian watched as the five remaining men were flanked from either side. He opened his mouth to shout out a warning, but no sound came. To Ian’s utter horror, the soldiers were forced to lay down their weapons in defeat. He struggled desperately to help them but he still couldn’t move.

  From the surrounding hills, the Iraqi soldiers descended down upon the five men, their weapons held ready to fire. The American’s slowly stood up from behind the Humvee, arms raised high. They were quickly herded into a small, easily guarded group, as the Iraqi’s went about searching the bodies of the dead soldiers littered around the battlefield.

  Ian was still trying to crawl closer when an Iraqi officer emerged from a nearby truck and strolled over to the Americans, a cigar clenched between his teeth. He had a thick, dark mustache stained yellow from his last meal. Smoke billowed from the officer’s mouth as he grinned down at the POW’s and then kicked Private Romero harshly in the stomach. Even at this distance, Ian could hear him cry out from the impact of the Iraqi’s steel-toed boot.

  “You will tell me what I want to know!” barked the officer in broken English, his left eye twitching as he spoke.