by Ira Tabankin
First, we need to save our people under that hill. I’m afraid the chaos in front of us could cause another cave in. I’m not sure anyone over there knows what they’re doing, they’re all just digging.”
“Jay, help will be here very soon, more help than either of us thought possible.” Looking at his watch, General Arthur says, “The first plane should be landing in less than twenty minutes. By the way, if this is going to be the new capital, we really should look into a local airport. Nashville International, what’s left of it is more than two hours away.”
“Draw up plans and we’ll discuss it.”
General Arthur smiles, “Stu, make sure you’re recording everything.”
“Sir, I am, I am.”
Jay smiles at Stu,
“Remember, no release of state secrets.”
“I remember, I think the phrase you’re looking for is, ‘loose lips, sink ships.’”
“Very good, I like a man who remembers history.”
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The first plane of outside rescue crew arrives, they set up large construction lights which cast a bright white light over the area of the cave-in. Hundreds of people are digging at the front of the site. Two backhoes and two bulldozers are standing by to dig when called on. Every thirty minutes everyone pauses to listen to the tapping from the caved in shelter. Jay’s watching the crew dig a hole vertically into the new shelter to feed an air hose and communications line to the survivors who tap every thirty minutes letting everyone digging know they are still alive. One hour after the rescue crew arrived, there’s a loud cheer, everyone is jumping up and down celebrating. Strangers are hugging and kissing each other.
Jay runs to the site of the hole yelling, “What’s happening? Did you reach them? Are they okay?”
“Mr. President, we broke through, we’re getting ready to drop the air hose and a telephone line.”
“Ask them how many are alive and what they need.”
“Yes, sir, we’re on it.”
Five minutes of silence are broken by cheers and Tony running screaming to hug Jay, he lifts him in the air, kissing him on the cheeks.
“She’s alive! She’s okay! I just spoke to her. She’s alive!”
Jay hugs Tony sharing his joy.
Stu records the joyful event. He’s surprised when both men fall to their knees giving a prayer of thanks for protecting their friends and family in the cave in.
Jay and Tony walk towards the construction crew. Jay thanks everyone working on the rescue. A grim-faced Major Walker leads Jay away from the workers.
“Sir, we haven’t saved anyone yet. We have a lot of work to do, and there’s still the potential of another cave-in. We don’t know what caused the first one or what we’re going to find when we dig deeper.”
“How long is it going to take to break through?”
“We’re due to get a new tunneling machine via a heavy lift helicopter any minute, once we get it set up, we should be able to break into the shelter in less than an hour.”
“Are you going to tunnel through the front entrance or make a new tunnel?”
“That’s a really good question, I’m leaving that to the experts who are coming with the machine.”
“What kind of machine and experts are coming?”
“One of the company VPs you’ve been meeting with, the rumor is they want to relocate all of their facilities to the Confederacy. They sent a new tunneling machine, a couple of mining and tunneling experts and one of their Vice Presidents to manage the rescue.”
“Right now, I’d accept help from anyone.”
“I think we all would. We know some are alive, we’re enlarging the vertical hole and sending water and food down to the survivors.”
“Thank you. I’m going to wait here for the experts to arrive.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll alert Colonel Black.”
“I haven’t seen the good Colonel in a while, where is he?”
“He’s now leading your protection detail; he’s set up a defensive perimeter around the farm. He’s brought up a few LAVs with anti-air missiles in case the North tries to attack us again. He also has fighters flying CAP over us. If it’s alright with you, I want to layout a temporary helicopter landing pad close to the cave in.”
“Put it wherever you think best.”
“Thank you, sir.” The Major jogs to a group of people, “We have permission to lay out the landing site. The bird is in transit, set it up ASAP.”
“Yes, sir.”
Within minutes, a bright yellow circle and flares are laid out for the helicopter loaded with people and tunneling equipment. Five minutes later, they hear the heavy lift helicopter arriving. A tunneling machine is slung under the helicopter. Major Walker manages the positioning of the tunneling machine and moves it away from the landing spot so the hovering bird is able to land. As soon as the large helicopter lands, the side door opens, two men dressed in jeans and hard hats jump out, running to the tunneling machine. A third man, wearing a three-piece dark blue suit carrying an overnight bag and leather briefcase steps out of the bird. He drops his bags on the ground to look for Jay, he stands at the landing site looking around. Jay standing almost in front of him smirks waiting to see if the newcomer recognizes him. The new arrival looks at his tablet, scanning the people around the bird. His eyes lock on Jay’s who smiles nodding his head. The Vice President stretches out his right hand as he walks towards Jay.
“Mr. President, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Glenn Zell, Vice President of Mining.”
“I thought as VP of mining you’d show up in work clothes. You’re going to ruin your thousand-dollar suit.”
“I would have, except I was in a board meeting when I was tasked to escort the machine here and ensure we got your people out safety.”
“Why don’t you use the aid tent to change? I’d hate you to ruin that suit. After you change, meet me by the tunneling machine.”
“Thanks, I’ll take you up on that.”
Five minutes later Glenn exits the tent in jeans and work boots. “Mr. President, that’s much better. I hate wearing a suit. I’d much rather spend my time in the field than in the board room.”
“I know what you mean. I want to thank you for the tunneling machine.”
“Our pleasure. Do you know what caused the cave-in?”
“I don’t, we’ve just got a communications line to the survivors, maybe one of the others knows. Shall we check?”
“Let me make sure my people have the machine ready to rescue your people, which is our priority. If it’s alright with you, we can chat after we retrieve your people.”
“Please, they’re my first priority. My chief architect and my second in command’s wife are trapped in the cave-in.”
“We’ll have them out very soon. Do you have a blueprint of the construction project? Does the entrance run straight to the area your people are trapped?”
“There’s a problem there. The entrance isn’t straight. It zig-zags as do the hallways leading to the main chamber. I’ll show you on these prints.”
“Shit, we’re going to have to dig in from the rear, I don’t want to hit one of the concrete forms, or steel support beams potentially causing another cave-in. Can you show us where the rear escape tunnel should be?”
“Yes.” Jay shows him on the prints, “Right there, over the small hill to our east.”
Glenn taps instructions to his crew on his tablet. The crew make preparations to move the tunneling machine. “We brought some ground penetrating radar which will give us a good idea of the conditions down there. We’ll see if it’s safe to dig the rescue tunnel where you planned to build your escape tunnel, we may be able to get your people out while also cutting your tunnel for you. After we get the people out, we’ll shore up the tunnel. I have the materials in transit, they should arrive in two hours.”
“Thank you. How long do you think it’s going to take to get them out?”
“Shouldn’t be too long, a lot depends on the composition o
f the ground and the shelter’s walls.”
“My builder told me the ground is very rocky.”
“Thought so. A large one may have shifted loose causing the cave in.”
It takes an hour to reposition the tunneling machine, when it starts, the noise shakes everyone’s core. People quickly move away from the machine. Most are amazed watching it cut a downward circular tunnel into the hill. Meter by meter the machine cuts into the ground as the cut soil is ejected from the rear of the machine. Franco continues to report on the phone line they’re okay, everyone is waiting in the main shelter. Jay stares at the machine wondering, I wish we had a machine like that when we dug the first tunnel, man, look at that thing eat dirt and rocks, it’s doing in a few minutes what would have taken days or a week to do by hand. I’ve got to get me some of these things. I wonder how much they cost.
Thirty minutes after the tunneling machine started digging, a loud cheer rises from the assembled people, the machine has gotten close enough that people can enter the tunnel and use hand tools to break through the last couple of feet separating them from those trapped in the shelter. Jay stands next to his friends digging the last few feet, much to the concern of his protection detail who five times tried to block him from entering the tunnel. Jay fired the detail three times before Colonel Black appeared at his side.
“Mr. President, you can’t fire them, they’re doing their job.”
“Colonel, I was wondering where you were. We need to chat about this protection detail you formed, I have to be free to come and go.”
“As long as you're safe. You’re not just the owner of the farm and shelter any longer, you’re the President. It’s our task to protect you. There are people who want to kill you, including the man in the White House.”
“I get it, if I don’t listen to you, you’re going to get General Arthur to verbally slap me aren’t you?”
“Sir, I was tasked by the General to form the protection detail, he charged me with protecting you with my life.”
“I get it. I know I have to change, just keep telling me when I bend the rules too much. I’ll do my very best to stop firing your people.”
“Thank you sir.”
Colonel Black only allowed Jay to enter the tunnel after it was supported and deemed safe by the mining experts. Everyone is quiet as a hand pushes through the thin soil wall separating the rescuers from those trapped. The hand waves and is quickly grabbed by Jay. He shakes the hand to cheers. Jay begins pulling on the arm, Franco’s shoulder and head poke through the opening to the cheers of everyone on both sides of the cave in.
Franco looks at the new tunnel, the bright lights hurt his eyes, he hugs Jay, who gives him a bear hug, Franco laughs,
“Jay, welcome to our new shelter, I wanted to clean it up a little before you saw it. The good news is everyone is okay! By the way, I like your new toy, where was it when we started these tunneling projects?”
“I didn’t even know such machines existed. We have to get a couple. Let’s get everyone out.”
The cheering echoes off of the tunnel walls. Everyone starts pulling at the soil wall with their hands, the soil is quickly removed enlarging the opening so people can move back and forth between the tunnel and shelter. When it’s deemed safe, Jay enters the new shelter hugging his friends. He finds Tony and Nancy locked in a hug and kiss.
“Hey! Get a room.”
Tony smiles, “I think ours is just down the hall, we’ll see you later.”
“Go home, get something to eat, take a shower and chill out for a couple of days.”
Tony leads Nancy into the fresh evening air. Both are smiling at each other like teenagers in love.
Nancy stops just outside the tunnel, filling her lungs with the fresh evening air.
“Oh, that smells so good. The stars look beautiful. I was worried we’d never get out of there.”
Tony looks at the love of his life, “How bad was it?”
“We were scared, none of us panicked, we knew you and Jay would find a way to get us out. We did have water and battery powered lights. We weren’t in the dark. Franco assured us the walls and ceiling would hold and we’d get out. We heard an explosion shortly after the cave in, is everything out here okay?”
Tony hugs and kisses Nancy,
“Everything is fine. Everything is much better now that you’re here.”
“That’s not what I mean, what happened when we were in the cave in?”
“The North bombed us. They dropped two bombs on us. They killed many of the soldiers and wounded a lot of us, including Lacy.”
“WHAT? How bad is she hurt? Oh my God! here I thought we had problems. Who else was hurt?”
“Fred lost his family.”
Nancy stops mid-step, she bends over throwing up, tears run down her cheeks. Cheryl and his two sons? Oh my God. Who else?”
“Let’s get you cleaned up first.”
“I assume the wounded are in the shelter?”
“Yes, I assume you want to stop there on the way home?”
“Let’s go. Oh my God, I can’t believe it. How are Fred and Jay holding up?”
“Fred’s in shock, he won’t admit his loss, Jay’s doing better. He’s angry and is planning revenge on the North. He was waiting until after all of you were rescued.”
“In other words, we came out of the cave in to face a larger disaster.”
“That’s right, why should that surprise you?”
Nancy rushes to the hospital hugging all of the wounded, she finds Lacy lying in “Jay’s” small private hospital room, she holds in a scream seeing her best friend’s face bandaged and her arm in a cast from her shoulder to her palm. Tears well in her eyes, she tells herself, I want to stand next to Jay when he gets even for this. Poor Lacy, she never hurt anyone. So many wounded and dead.
Nancy leans over, whispering,
“Lacy, are you awake?”
“Nancy, is that you or am I dreaming?”
“It’s me. They got us out of the cave in. We’re all fine, we’re in better shape than you are, my sweet friend.”
“I came to help find you when they bombed us. They were trying to kill Jay, he wasn’t there yet, they bombed us. So many people were injured. The Northern president tried to kill Jay. If he tried once, what’s going to stop him from trying again and again until he finally kills him?”
“Honey, Jay’s going to stop him, you know that. You know he won’t rest until we’re all safe. Plus, Colonel Black has a Presidential protection detail surrounding him. No strangers can get close to him without the Colonel’s people vetting them.”
Lacy whispers,
“Nancy, you’ll tell me the truth, was anyone killed in the bombing?”
Nancy didn’t know if Lacy knew about Fred’s loss so she doesn’t bring it up. From her left eye, she notices Wendy, also with a bandage covering part of her head and face, shaking her head no, telling Nancy not to say anything to Lacy.
“Can I get you anything?”
“A new arm and eye? Maybe some new make-up, I’m going to have a hell of a scar, I hope Jay still finds me attractive.”
“There’s no need for that, the doc will fix you up just like new. You’ll see, you’re going to be as good as new when you leave here. Don’t worry about Jay, you know he loves you, he was born to love you, he won’t let a little scar stop him from loving you. Hell, I bet he sleeps in that reclining chair next to your bed, that should tell you all you need to know about him loving you.”
“Nance, I already know I lost my left eye, and I’ll never have full movement of my left shoulder. You don’t have to chocolate coat it for me.”
“Lacy, you know he adores you, he’ll never stop loving you. That’s the last thing you should ever worry about. If he stopped loving you, I’ll have Tony whack him for you.”
Both friends laugh Lacy coughs, crying in pain.
“That hurts, don’t make me laugh again. How are you? Don’t bullshit me.”
“I�
�m fine, we were very frightened when the tunnel collapsed, but otherwise fine. None of us were injured. We knew we’d be rescued. We all knew Tony and Jay wouldn’t stop until they got us out. Seriously, what can I do for you?”
“Go home, take a shower and spend some quality time with Tony. He was a nervous wreck while you were trapped inside.”
“Do I smell that bad?”
Nancy leans over to kiss Lacy on her right cheek,
“Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back tonight.”
“Yeah, I was thinking of running the marathon tonight.”
