by Kelly Moore
She grabs my hand. “Please don’t leave me,” she cries.
“I’m not leaving you. I promise I’ll come back.” She releases my hand and closes her eye.
I don’t see anything in this area that I can use and it’s getting darker by the moment. I duck my head and stay low. There is an opening I can crawl through, but it will be tight. I get low to the ground, moving things out of my way as I body-crawl through it. I move slowly and deliberately - an arm, then a knee, an arm, then a knee. My ribcage hits the broken concrete beneath me with every move. The pain roars throughout my body, burning so badly I have to stop to force myself to breathe. I have to keep moving, I can see an opening about fifty feet ahead. I suck it up and keep crawling.
I drag myself out of the tunnel formed by the explosion. There’s not much left of this area. From the looks of it, it was a breakroom. A fridge is toppled over and lockers are piled on top of it. There has to be something in here I can use.
I pick up a bottle of water laying between the fridge and what looks to have been a chair, pausing for a moment to gulp it down. There are smashed lunch boxes laying on the floor with their contents surrounding them. I grab what I can and find a bag to put the few items in to take back with me. The few lockers that I can reach are full of useless items: magazines, books, a few pictures. An old grey hoodie is jammed in one of them which I might be able to use to support Traci’s neck. I find a couple more bottles of water and add them to my bag. Putting the hoodie on, I zip it up and tuck the bag of food and water inside. An open first-aid kit is laying on the floor at the end of the row of lockers. I remove several items, including a small pen light, and stuff them into my pocket.
When I get back over to Traci, she doesn’t respond when I call her name. I check her pupils and one is blown. God what I’d give for Ashe to be here right now. I check her pulse and it’s still running strong. I lay down beside her and succumb to my emotions, embracing the tears that fall. I don’t want to be alone right now. “Bia, you have to make it,” I cry out and curl up into a ball.
Chapter 22
Ashe
“We’ve been digging for hours,” I say, wiping my brow. “All we keep digging up is more building.”
Dust flies up around Wren as he sits down. “It will be dark soon, we’re going to lose what little light we have down here. Maybe we should take a break. We haven’t stopped since we’ve been here.”
Anger rolls through me and I throw my shovel down, causing everyone who’s been working so hard to stop and look at me. “Has anyone here made any headway?!” I yell.
Wren pushes himself off the ground. “Ashe, you have to stay calm. Everyone here is doing the best they can,” he says, pulling me away from everyone.
I run my hands through my dirt-filled hair. “I know, I’m sorry.”
“Let’s go get something to eat so we have enough energy to continue.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“If you don’t stop and take a break, we’re going to be taking care of you.”
“You’re right.” I know he’s right, but I feel on edge, like I’m going to lose my mind. “I’m sorry for yelling. Everyone call it a night. You’ve all been working long hours. Another crew will come in and dig through the night.”
One by one we climb up the rope. Rescue teams are covering the area. Lights are being brought in so teams can keep working. A helicopter is being loaded with someone that was pulled out of the rubble. General Briggs is working with a crew of soldiers to unload supplies from a large truck.
I snag a box, stepping in to help him. “Any updates?”
“We’ve rescued another fifteen people.” His brows furrow together. He looks like he’s aged ten years. “We found another twenty that didn’t survive.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Any word on your daughter?”
“No.” He places the box down. “We have new teams coming in that will work all night, but only in the outer areas. We can’t risk them in the blacked-out areas. These lights will only go so far. I suggest you go to a hotel and try to get some sleep. We’ll start in full force again as soon as the sun comes up.”
“I don’t think I can sleep knowing they are still in there.”
He pats me on the shoulder. “At least go get something to eat.”
Wren is on the phone behind me. He covers the speaker when I turn to speak to him. “With all the rescue teams in town, I was only able to get us one room.”
I nod, then take a moment to call Aedon’s parents. “I wish I had some news for you.” Her dad informs me that they are both doing okay, and his wife has recovered from her hearing loss. She will be released from the hospital in the morning. “You still have the hotel room. Go there and I’ll keep you updated.”
“The hotel is in walking distance,” Wren says as he moves by me. I turn and look around at the devastation. I don’t want to leave. The thought of Aedon being trapped down there is overwhelming, but exhaustion is slowly overtaking my body. I have been running on adrenaline for many hours, but now that it has run out I can barely keep myself standing. My body and mind, devoid of nutrition, rest, and now even adrenaline, are starting to fade. I suddenly feel like I’m drowning.
“Come on, Ashe!” Wren yells.
I follow him, body creaking back to life and moving on autopilot.
He stops walking in front of the bar just before the hotel. “I’m going to run in here and get us some food. Why don’t you head upstairs and get a shower?”
I nod and walk past him in through the hotel doors. I look like shit, covered in dust and dirt. The concierge tries to stop me. He probably thinks I’m homeless. I flash him my credentials. “I’ve been helping dig at the Pentagon.”
He apologizes and walks me over to the check-in desk. “This is Dr. Manning, please give him his room key.” He smiles back at us just before he steps out of sight around the corner.
The young clerk behind the counter, dressed in a suit, pulls up my name on the computer. “I’m sorry, but we only have one room available with one bed. May I have a cot delivered to your room Dr. Manning?”
“That would be fine. If I give you an address, can you make sure mine and Dr. Adams luggage is brought here?”
“No problem, sir.” He hands me a piece of paper and I write down the address. I slide it back over to him.
“Let us know if there is anything else you need, sir.” He smiles politely as I take the key card from his outstretched hand.
“Thanks.” I make my way over to the elevator and push the backlit button for the seventh floor, feeling the elevator smoothly accelerate upward. The little light on the card reader outside my room changes from red to green when I swipe my key, and behind the door is a massive suite, decorated in bright lime greens. I head straight for the closet and pull out one of its white plush robes. I peel out of my shirt on the way to the large bathroom, then open the glass door and turn on the shower.
The face looking back at me in the mirror is that of a lost man, haggard and exhausted. He reminds of the kid I used to be in college, except a little older. My five o’clock shadow is thick and rough. My eyelids rest heavily on my green, slightly bloodshot eyes, underlined by deep circles of exhaustion. My mind and thoughts are feeling scrambled, fighting to hold my sanity together. I shake it off and step into steaming hot shower, letting the warmth of the water trickle into my body and relax my muscles.
My thoughts race back to Aedon. Instead of envisioning her helpless and alone, my mind tries to see her helping other people. She’s a strong woman, a survivor. I try to let this thought calm me as I wash away the day.
I towel off and throw on the robe. Wren walks in the door carrying a brown paper bag. “I hope to God you have something in there stronger than water,” I say as I open the small kitchen cabinets in search of some plates and glasses.
“I talked the bartender into giving me several bottles of beer.” The glass clanks together and the bag rustles softly as hey sets them on the counter. “I ordere
d us a couple of hamburgers.” He pulls them out of the bag.
“They smell good.” I take one out of the to-go box and put it on a plate. I pop a French fry in my mouth and leverage my car key to pop the bottle cap off of the beer bottle. “Our luggage should be here later. I’m going to go back out there tonight.” Wren and I sit across from each other at the two-seater table.
“I think you should let another team do the digging tonight. I don’t think they will make much headway in the dark. Save your strength for tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I can sleep knowing she’s out there.” I take a big bite out of my hamburger, starting my stomach growling like I have never experienced. After being completely empty for the entire day, it comes to life with a vengeance, rolling and gurgling loudly for more food. Wren seem to feel the same. Both of us sit in silence for several moments as we scarf down our food.
“I don’t like it either man, but we aren’t any good to her if we’re worn out.”
“The hot shower brought me back to life. I’m feeling a little antsy now.”
He stops eating and stares at me. “You haven’t taken your meds.”
It’s a statement, not a question. “I was a little busy today. I’ll have to run by the pharmacy in the morning.” I dip my fry in ketchup.
“I’m sure we can find a twenty-four-hour drug store.” He grabs his phone.
“I’ll be okay until morning.”
I finish off the last bite of my burger and quickly wash it down with two beers. My energy levels are rallying now with a full stomach and I need to get out of here.
There is a knock at our door. I open it to find a finely-dressed gentleman holding our luggage. “Thank you.” I grab the wallet out of my dirty jeans and hand him a sweaty twenty dollar bill.
“I’m going to change clothes and then go make some phone calls.”
“Okay. I’m going to check in with Ander and then get a couple hours of shut eye.”
The man in the mirror now looks different than he did an hour ago. I feel revived and full of energy. My mind feels like it’s clear for the first time in a while, no fog clogging my thoughts.
I phone Aedon’s parents one more time before the cab drops me off at the Pentagon site. I know I let Wren believe I wasn’t coming here, but I can’t stay away. I strap on some gear and a helmet, securing a light on top. It’s eerily quiet out here other than the sound of digging. I use the beam of my headlamp to pick my way over to where Wren and I were digging earlier, startling the five men who are still working there.
I decide to walk around to what used to be the back of the building, zigzagging between smaller piles of debris that have been moved. The giant, shadowy shape of an motionless excavator looms off to the side, abandoned until the light of day. I keep making my way toward the back, brain struggling to comprehend the devastated landscape surrounding me. I don’t know how many more survivors we’re going to find, but Aedon has to be one of them.
The cool night air drifts through the site, swirling wisps of dust from their resting places. Above it all, the stars glisten brightly from their perches. The detached specks of light offer little help or hope to the rescuers below. If I ever was a praying man, now would be the time to beg and ask forgiveness at the same time. My mind quietly contemplates the concept and merits of prayer while my eyes scan the surroundings for signs of life.
A loud, steady banging sound penetrates the silence. I follow it around the side of the ruined Pentagon, down a slope and into a nearby stand of trees. The sound grows louder but less consistent.
“Please help me!” a faint scream pleas from beneath me. I flip on my head lamp and drop to my hands and knees.
“Hello?” I call out.
“I’m down here!” a small voice yells.
The sound leads me to a large storm sewer grate. I shine my light into the darkness beyond the metal bars, where its white circle of light illuminates the figure of a small girl. She is dirty from head to toe and her pained face looks exhausted, framed by the deep shadows cast on her by the grate. She holds her hand up to shield her eyes from the light. “I can’t get out.”
I pull at the grate, but it won’t budge. “Hold on,” I reassure her. I take the rope out of my bag and tie one end to the slats in the grate. “I’ll be right back,” I tell her and take off in a run until I reach the excavator. Damn. No keys. I open the panel in front of the operator’s seat and use my knife to slice apart several of the wires, a little trick I learned many years ago. I rearrange them and touch two of them together, a spark arcing between the ends. As if by magic, the excavator’s motor hums to life and the headlights turn on. Their faded glow is dimmed by the thick layer of dust caked over its entire surface but offers just enough light to navigate over to the storm sewer. It takes me a few times to get it to move. I drive over the debris and park a few feet from the trees. I snag the other end of the rope and tie it to the bucket on the excavator’s arm.
I toy with the levers next to the operator’s seat, raising the arm up while sharply retracting the bucket. The rope pulls taut and the excavator lurches from the tension, but the grate explodes from the concrete with a loud crumbling sound. I keep the lights on and run back over to the little girl. “Are you okay?”
“My leg is broken. I can’t climb out.”
“I’ll come down and get you.” I quickly strap the rope around my waist and double it up to make it easier to climb back out. I lower myself down to her. “Were you in the Pentagon?”
She hugs my neck. “Yes,” she softly cries.
“I’m a doctor, let me look at you.” I gently set her down. “Who made this splint for you?”
“Aedon,” she says.
“Is she still alive?”
“Yes,” she frantically nods her head. “We couldn’t get the secret door open enough for her to crawl out.”
“What’s your name, sweetie?”
“Bia Briggs.”
I kiss the top of her head and excitedly hold my phone to my ear. “General Briggs, sir. I found your daughter.”
Chapter 23
Ashe
I pick Bia up and tie the rope around both of us. The extra weight and the splint make it difficult to climb up but I persist until we reach the top. I fold her in my arms and walk without pause until she is safely in the first-aid tent, where I told the General I would meet him. Her arms are braced around my neck and her head has fallen on my shoulder. When I lay her on a cot, her weary little eyes are barely open. She hardly makes a sound as I assess her broken leg and foot.
“Bia!” General Briggs yells, barreling inside the tent.
“Daddy!” she cries, hugging his neck as he squats beside her.
“Thank God you made it out alive.” His hands brace her face.
“Daddy, Aedon is still in there. We have to get her out!”
“We will, baby, I promise. Right now we need to get you to the hospital.”
“Did Aedon set your foot, sweetie?” I ask her.
She nods. “She said something about my foot wouldn’t have any blood if she didn’t.” Tears start to stream down her dirt-smudged cheeks.
“She was right from the looks of this fracture,” I smile to her. “Must have hurt really badly.”
She wipes her nose with her dirty sleeve. “I was brave like Wonder Woman.” Her sweet little eyes light up at her father.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.” General Briggs squeezes her hand. “Now that I’ve laid eyes on you, I need to call your mother and let her know you are okay. She’s been so mad that I wouldn’t let her come down here and help find you.” He stands and pulls me aside.
“How is her leg?”
“Thanks to Aedon, she’ll be fine. She will need surgery on that ankle, some pins to stabilize it, but, she’s young. She’ll heal.”
“As soon as I’m done calming your mother down, I’m taking you to the hospital.” He tells Bia.
“No, I want to help rescue Aedon!”
I step ove
r and sit on the edge of the cot with her. “Sweetie, Aedon would want you to be taken care of. That’s her job, that’s what we do.” I wave my hand around the tent. “Besides, you’ve already saved her.”
She cocks her little head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Thanks to you, we know how to get to her. If you hadn’t been brave enough to walk out on your own, we may have lost both of you.” I rub my hand down her knotted locks of hair.
“So, I am a superhero!” A smile lights up her grubby little face and I can’t help but laugh.
“Yes, yes you are.”
The general walks back in with a paramedic and a stretcher. I help him get Bia on it and give him instructions on what to tell the emergency room doctor. “Load her up, I’ll be right there,” the General orders. He turns and faces me. “I owe Aedon my daughter’s life, but you are not to dig tonight. I need the light of day to make sure that the area is stable and equipment lined up.”
“But…” I stand to protest.
“No, buts. If it were anyone but Aedon, you would agree with me. You wouldn’t risk your crew’s life.” He points a stern finger in my direction. “Now go back to your hotel and get some rest.” He turns and walks out of the tent.
I have no intention of leaving here. My mind is wide awake and anxious energy is rolling off me in waves. I walk out of the tent and wait until General Briggs follows the ambulance off-site in his dark sedan. Working quickly, I load a few medical supplies, some bottled water, a protein bar, and a flashlight into a backpack. Darkness has fully taken over as clouds scatter in the sky, hiding the stars. The breeze has picked up and chilled the night air even further. Aedon must be freezing in there. She gets cold so easily. I remember laughing at her the first time I spent the night at her apartment at college. We had just finished making love and she got up to clean up. When she came back, she was dressed in flannel pants and a long-sleeve shirt. It was the dead of summer out. I teased her about it, but she dressed that way every night.
