The Preston Six Collection: (Book 1, 2 and 3)

by Ryan, Matt

  The rumble started low, then grew and shook the car. Harris stared at the cracked window two feet in front of his face. Jack began to make noises, not really a scream but mumblings of unrecognizable words. Harris began to take deep breaths, preparing for the car to be tumbled on the ocean floor.

  A loud crack sound exploded around the car. Jack squealed, but it wasn’t the glass breaking. The earth above cracked under the heat. Harris watched the grass on the ocean floor shift from swaying around to lying flat. The car rolled and he grabbed the straps on his chest and hugged himself tight. The ocean floor rolled against his driver side window and cracked it in a hundred places, but the reinforced glass held. A few drops of water slid down the inside of the glass.

  The water pushed against the car and sent it flying off the floor. It spun around and Jack closed his eyes and started mumbling a prayer. The bright light above flickered and then stopped. The darkness enveloped the car. Harris searched for the grassy field below, but it was nothing but blackness. He felt the g-force of the car’s motion as it spun in the water. He glanced at Jack’s face. It was the worst part . . . seeing the kid die because of his plan. Maybe he should have let them die in the smoldering above. It would have been kinder and over quickly.

  The car slammed against the ocean floor and Harris felt his butt and back compress against the bottom of the seat. It landed wheels down. Jack opened his tightly shut eyes as the realization set in. A wide smile spread across his face and his rigid muscles loosened a bit. Again, Harris released his breath and took an inventory of the surrounding windows. Everything seemed intact. What a finely built automobile.

  Jack raised an eyebrow and the brightness in his eyes told Harris he had his cognitive abilities intact. “Are we going to die in here?”

  “I hope not.”

  The car lifted off the sea floor with another rush. Jack’s eyes went wide with fear. The free float didn’t last long. Harris shifted in neutral and the car bounced against the bottom of the ocean floor, hitting unknown bumps and divots. Harris switched on the headlights and they flickered on for second, letting him see the grass pointing in the direction the car faced, before going out. The dome light provided enough light to see a foot past the windows. Mud and sand swirled around the windows.

  His body lurched forward as the car stopped. The muddy waters surrounded the windows and clouded around the car as the water stabilized. Rapid breaths from Jack were the only sound in the car.

  “Try to calm your breathing down, there is a limited supply of oxygen in here.”

  Jack looked around the car frantically, as if he could see the air escaping. He wasn’t too far off, air bubbles left the car through the driver’s side window. Harris watched the water dribble in and splash on his lap.

  “We’re stuck in a car at the bottom of the ocean. With the world on fire above us,” Jack said in an oddly calm voice.

  “Yes, and we need the air to last long enough for the water to cool itself up there.”

  “How are we getting up there?”

  “You know how to swim, right?”

  Jack scowled. “The pressure won’t allow it, you couldn’t open that door or break the window. These cars are, what . . . rated for fifty foot depths? We’re screwed.”

  “The sun roof.” Harris pointed to the square piece of glass over their heads.

  “The water will crush us as soon as you opened it.”

  “We have to wait an hour anyways.”

  “Why, you think the surface is still on fire?”

  “It’s cooling rapidly now, might even be a storm from the evaporated water.”

  Jack huffed and crossed his arms. He glanced at the ceiling and windows and let out another huff as he adjusted his crossed arms.

  “Just try to stay calm and breathe normally.”

  “Fine.”

  An hour passed and Harris felt the air quality diminish. It was humid and stagnant. Jack had messed with his Panavice for the most part. “Anything out there?” Harris asked.

  Jack sighed and shook his head. “Just yours.”

  “It’s time.” Harris gazed at the ceiling. He slid his finger over the sunroof button. “How long can you hold your breath?”

  Jack’s attention jerked away from the sunroof. “I don’t know. I used to be able to hold my breath for a minute.”

  “Take off your clothes.” Harris pulled his shirt over his head and then took the rest of his clothes off, down to his underwear.

  Jack yanked his shirt off and the rest of his clothes as well. “We’re really going to do this, aren’t we?”

  “Yes. When the sunroof opens, water will be shooting into the car like a fire hose. It’ll quickly fill this space. I want you to take the deepest breath you can before the water fills this car. You’re going first, go through the sunroof and kick off the top of the car. I’ll be right behind you. As you go up, spit out a bit of air after each arm pump.”

  Harris peered into the dark murky water on the other side of his window. Not a foot of visibility. He reached to the floor and picked up the empty water bottle that had been tossed around the car. He tightened the lid and handed it to Jack.

  “Tie your shoe string around the neck of this bottle, then around your wrist.” Harris handed it to a reluctant Jack. “You can lose your sense of direction out there, but that empty bottle will always be pulling up, follow it.”

  Jack nodded his head and began to breathe rapidly again.

  “Slow, deep breaths.”

  Jack stretched his arms out, sucking in air. He tethered his wrist to the water bottle.

  Harris knew he could have told him about the bends, but he might have gone into another fit, and keeping calm was more important than anything else.

  “Here we go.” Harris pressed his finger on the button and the sunroof hummed and moved back an inch. An explosion of water hit the inside of the car and Jack screamed. “Take your deep breath now,” Harris yelled over the rushing water, already up to his waist.

  He sucked in air deep into his lungs and then swallowed more, pushing it in. The sunroof opened more and the warm water filled the rest of the car in a matter of seconds. He watched Jack pushing his fingers against his ears, Harris grabbed him and pushed him through the open sunroof.

  Jack kicked off the top of the car and disappeared into the water. Harris shot through the sunroof, kicking off the center console. He kept his eyes open in the dark, murky water, searching for that foot, or the body of Jack.

  He kicked his feet and pushed his arms down, propelling his body toward the surface. The bubbles from his mouth shot straight up and he pumped harder. The water crushed his ears and burned his eyes. The temperature of the water increased as he traveled closer to the surface. Had they waited long enough? Where was Jack?

  A current swept by him, sending him sideways as much as up, but he pushed harder, swimming with everything he had.

  The visibility didn’t allow him to see much of anything, he hoped the boy found his way to the surface. He hoped he could hold his breath longer than he thought. Harris pumped his arms and released a bit more of the precious air in his lungs. His gaze followed the bubble up and the water illuminated above with the sun’s rays. The current still pulled him further out into the ocean, but he made good distance with each stroke. The one foot visibility became five then ten, but he still didn’t see Jack.

  He breathed out his last bit of oxygen and stared up, seeing the watery edge. He pumped his arms again, his heart pounded in his chest and he felt his mind struggling to stay focused on the light above. Fifteen feet more. His muscles ached as he pushed his arms down into the water. His mouth opened and wanted to suck in something, but he closed it and kicked his legs.

  Five more feet. One more push and he extended his arm out as his body propelled the last few feet. His hand felt the air and he leaned his head back, waiting for the breathable air. When his face breached the surface, he sucked in the air. It had taken even longer than he thought, maybe the current
s were so strong it pulled him to the side as much as he went up. It took almost two minutes to get to the surface.

  “Jack,” Harris yelled between raspy pants for air.

  The choppy water crashed over his head as he scanned the surface. Harris yanked out his Panavice and slid his wet finger on the screen. He pressed the local search and saw Jack’s location, thirty feet away. He swam in that direction until he was directly over the spot. He was now forty feet away, directly below him. Fifty feet, then he stopped as it kept descending past a hundred feet. A water bottle floated by him with a shoe string attached to the neck.

  “No,” Harris slapped the water and dived down, using his Panavice to guide him. At twenty feet, he felt his lungs asking for air. He turned around and swam to the surface.

  He stared at his screen and the label designated Jack. It wasn’t fair, everyone around him died, like some curse placed on him for all his sins. He yelled at the sky as the clouds broke and poured down rain. He vowed to stay away from everyone from here on out. Emmett probably found a way to kill the kids on Ryjack. How many people on any planet did he care about now?

  “Harris,” a voice called.

  He jerked around and saw Jack treading the choppy water toward him. Harris covered the distance between him and stopped short of hugging him. “I thought you were dead.”

  “I barely made it to the surface.” Jack breathed hard. “The current yanked the bottle from my wrist and I tried to use my Pana light, but it slipped from my hands. I couldn’t find you until I heard you yelling.”

  Harris touched Jack’s shoulder to make sure he wasn’t a mirage, an illusion being played by a mind that wanted him to be alive. The shoulder felt real and Jack patted his arm. They were alive! Harris had experienced many life and death situations, but this one felt nothing short of a miracle.

  “I thought this was you.” Harris showed Jack his screen and pointed to the dot below them.

  Jack grabbed the Panavice from his hand with a shocked expression.

  “What is it?”

  “There are two more Panas nearby.”

  Harris smiled, two people had possibly made it. “Good to hear—”

  “No, you don’t understand.” Jack gawked at the screen. “This one . . . it’s Julie.”

  POLY FELT THE HOT RAIN soaking into her shirt. What has happened? She stepped in a tight circle, taking in the leveled city. The mighty museum now lay on the ground in melted piles, the rubble hissing and steaming as the rain covered them.

  “This can’t be it.” Genter pointed at Lucas. “Take me to the real Vanar.”

  Lucas faced Julie. Julie ran her fingers around the Panavice. “I don’t know, it’s as if the worlds been turned off. I mean, there’s nothing.”

  Genter ran his hands through his hair and pointed his gun at Julie. “No, this isn’t it, my family was here. This has to be wrong.”

  “I’m sorry, but this is it. Look, you can still see the protective walls up.” Julie pointed the semi-circle wall wrapping around the city until it hit the ocean.

  Genter lowered his gun and gazed at the wall. He ran his hand over his head and shook the water from it. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know, but it looks as if everything’s been melted.”

  Genter kicked a chunk of melted glass and it broke in several pieces. He paced the edge of the circle, staring in a single direction.

  Poly figured it was where his family lived. She hated Genter for allowing the monster Isaac into their world, but a hint of empathy crept in for him. He had lost his family.

  The rain seemed to help the immense heat pressing in on them, but as it peppered the ground, steam rose and a fog was starting to build around the city. The fog began to obscure the distant walls.

  Poly stood next to Joey as he surveyed the surroundings. “Looks like someone got to MM before we did,” she said.

  “You think Harris did this?”

  “You guys are with Harris Boone?” Genter asked.

  Joey bit his tongue and wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

  “Just great.” Genter walked away and disappeared into the fog.

  “You’ve got my arrows,” Lucas called out to him. A quiver sailed through the fog and landed next to the circle. He ran to retrieve it and slung it over his back.

  Joey saw Poly fidgeting for her knives and smiled. She gazed into those blue eyes and his gorgeous face. She returned his smile and he looked away, staring into the thick steam. She glanced at Samantha and sighed.

  Poly studied the stone in the center of the circle. It looked unscathed. “Can we use that stone to get out of here?”

  Lucas spoke first. “Nope, it’s a one-way.”

  She sighed. It seemed silly, but she fantasized about being home in her bed, tucked under her soft blankets. Sleeping on the floors of forests, in abandoned warehouses, and the back of trucks, gave a person an appreciation for the simple pleasures. She laughed at the idea. Look at where she was, in the middle of some nuclear wasteland. “Is this toxic or radioactive?” She shot the question to Julie.

  Julie played with her Panavice. “No, just a lot hotter than normal. I think someone set off some kind of thermal bomb.”

  “You think Harris blew the entire city up?” Poly asked.

  “Nah, not his style,” Lucas said.

  “Did this happen only to Capital?” Hank asked.

  Julie shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, no reason to stand here. We should get to the wall and find a way around it.” Lucas pointed in a direction.

  “The closest wall was that way.” Julie pointed another direction. Her Panavice dinged and all of them froze. That ding meant someone had texted her. “It’s Harris.”

  “Shut your face,” Lucas said.

  “He’s swimming to the shore,” Julie pointed in the direction.

  “Let’s go,” Lucas said.

  They followed Julie as she led them toward the nearby shoreline. Poly kept next to Joey, which meant next to Samantha. Had Samantha ever even noticed Joey before this all happened? All the fog was a sick reminder of them cuddled up in that fake castle.

  Bits of glass broke under her steps. The hot rain poured over them like a warm shower. The steam dissipated enough for about fifty feet of visibility. Was anyone able to escape? Was she walking on melted people? She sidestepped onto what looked like a concrete sidewalk. Style or not, if Harris did such a heinous act, she’d be having words with him.

  The rain slowed down to a drizzle as they reached piles of large rocks which made the shoreline. She imagined a bustling harbor with boats and docks, but all that remained was steaming rocks. The ocean looked like it had a blanket of white steam over it. The small waves pushed against the rocks, sending up tendrils each time.

  “He should be here any second.”

  From the deep fog hanging over the ocean, a hand emerged and then a head. She didn’t need binoculars to see the distinctive look of Harris. Another man swam behind him, holding a Panavice. She didn’t recognize him.

  Hank bounded over a few rocks to help Harris come ashore. The man with him staggered along the edge of the rocks and sat down.

  Harris gazed over each of them and a wide smile spread across his face. “You made it?” He jumped from the rock, wearing nothing but black boxers and picked up Joey in his arms, hugging him, unabashed.

  Joey groaned and Harris sat him down, and headed to the next, hugging each of them. Poly, being soaked herself, didn’t mind the man dripping all over her. She hugged him back equally as hard and joyous. It was good to see Harris. He stopped in front of Samantha and took her hand. Samantha shot a glance to Joey, but returned her attention to Harris.

  “And you are Samantha?” She nodded. “We had the briefest of meetings last time and if I remember you’re quite a lady.” Harris hugged her and she awkwardly patted his bare back. Harris took a step back and the look on his face changed to a somber expression. “I’m deeply sorry I left you behind.”


  “Well, it wasn’t your fault.” Samantha said.

  Harris shook his head. “I wish that was true. Oh, let me introduce you all to Jack. He’s a computer whiz, like you Julie.”

  Julie raised a questioning eyebrow to Jack.

  “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you all. I was stuck in the aircraft back in Sanct.” His gaze stuck on Poly the longest. “And if I may say, Poly, you were quite extraordinary that day.”

  “Harris, what the heck happened here? You didn’t do this, right?” Lucas questioned.

  “It was Emmett. A lot has happened in a short amount of time.” Harris proceeded to tell them everything.

  “That was some crazy brilliance, man. Don’t undersell it,” Jack said after Harris talked about driving into the ocean.

  Poly’s mouth hung open in shock, but Julie almost fell over when he discussed the closure of everything online. Poly didn’t get what the fuss was over. So what if they couldn’t check their Facebook page or whatever? Big deal.

  “Where’s Marcus?” Joey asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Joey stuffed his hands in his pockets and tapped a small black rock with his foot. “Can we go home now?”

  Poly moaned at the idea. Yes, home. As bad as she felt about Vanar’s problems, the idea of being in her bed sent chills over her body. She also had so many things she wanted to tell Joey, but couldn’t with others around; she needed to get him alone.

  “Yes, Jack’s sent for our ship to be here any minute.” Harris looked to the sky and turned back to them with a smile. “How’d you get here? Did someone help you?”

  “There was a man named Genter, he kidnapped us and forced us to take him here,” Julie said.

  “That dude is still out there somewhere.” Lucas pointed toward the city remnants. “We’ve been through some crazy stuff to get here.”

  “Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Julie added.

  Harris frowned at the name Genter and looked into the mist. “I want to hear all about it.”

  “The aircraft’s here.” Jack faced the ocean and held his Panavice with both hands. He moved the Pana and the aircraft swayed with his motions. The craft lowered near them and Jack pressed one finger on the screen. It stabilized and a ramp projected from its side until it reached a rock.