Final Days

by Jasper T. Scott

  “We need to fly south,” Kendra said, her voice coming loud and clear through Andrew’s headset. “And we should increase altitude in case—”

  She didn’t have time to finish that thought. The black canvas of water and debris below them shivered hard, blurring to an indistinguishable gray sheet, and then it dropped away, vanishing in a dark, sucking canyon. “Shit!” Andrew cried even as the rush of air running into that sudden vacuum sucked them down with the land.

  Alarms screamed to life inside the cockpit, and Andrew slammed the throttle all the way up. The engines moaned and shivered, straining to keep the helicopter aloft in the thin air. The water came rushing up to greet them—no longer a solid gray sheet of water, but a marshy field of debris. The floodwaters had momentarily run away, sucked into the Earth along with the California coast. Dead ahead, a sheer black cliff appeared, with water raging over it in a massive wave.

  “Look out!” Kendra screamed.

  He pulled up hard, shouting the whole way. The wave curled around them, and something tugged the helicopter, slapping the underside and sending them skipping up higher into the air. The crash of that wave in their wake sounded like worlds colliding. It took Andrew a moment to realize that it wasn’t the sound of the helicopter exploding around them.

  “We made it,” he breathed.

  Banking south again, he headed along that sheer black ridge—an instant mountain range that had formed where the fault line used to be. The tsunami was racing inland, and water still poured over the cliffs in the biggest waterfall that the world had likely ever seen.

  “Wow,” Kendra breathed.

  “It was all true,” Hank said in a cracking voice. “What are we going to do now?”

  A massive clap of thunder interrupted them, and Andrew peered up at the sky, hoping they wouldn’t have to deal with an electrical storm on top of everything else. But the sky was relatively clear, and bright red with the rising sun. The moon hung close above the horizon, blurry with smoke, and almost as red as the sky.

  “What was that?” Kendra asked.

  No one dared to venture an answer. By now they all had a pretty good idea. It wasn’t long before they began to see the black wall of clouds rolling in from the east. Andrew flew west over the ocean as fast as he could, but the clouds of ash chased them, darkening the sky. Bright, flaming chunks of debris scattered around them.

  “What the hell?” Andrew muttered.

  “Must be debris ejected from the caldera,” Kendra said. “They’ll burn up on re-entry.”

  “We’d better hope so. If a molten chunk of rock hits us, we’re done.”

  Reverend Shelley spoke next: “And the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind!”

  “Are you kidding me?” Andrew glanced back. The reverend didn’t even have her Bible with her. She was sitting beside the two kids and Hank, her hands folded in her lap. Kendra was seated opposite, her gun trained on the reverend. “Are you spouting that from memory?” he demanded.

  “Of course,” the reverend replied. “Memorizing scripture is an important discipline.”

  “Well, stop it. I need to focus on flying. We’re not out of this yet.”

  Miraculously, Shelley left it at that. After about a minute, Kendra’s head poked between the front seats. She held out her phone and the GPS app for him to see. She’d zoomed it out, and there were two icons on the map. One was their current location, marked by a white triangle, the other a blinking red dot that marked the coordinates Roland had sent.

  Andrew grabbed the phone. “Thanks,” he said, and balanced the screen in the cockpit where he could keep an eye on it and make adjustments as needed. Kendra had found a way to mark the range to the target coordinates, but unfortunately, the distance was still four hundred and seventy miles. “This is going to be close,” he muttered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Hank asked.

  “It means you’d better pray that we make it.”

  “I already am,” Reverend Shelley said.

  * * *

  The farther they flew from land, the more the sky lightened and cleared. The ocean turned dark blue, visibly rippling with waves racing ahead of them. They would turn into tsunamis when they reached Japan and China, but Hawaii would be first, among all the other Pacific islands. Andrew shuddered to think about all the people who were about to get swept away. He hoped they’d already evacuated to higher ground.

  “Diane needs to pee,” Hank said.

  “Find her a bucket.”

  “We ditched everything.”

  “Then tell her to hold it.”

  “How much farther?” Kendra asked, her head appearing between the seats again.

  Andrew frowned at her phone and shook his head. The white triangle that represented them on the map was just a few millimeters from the blinking red dot of their destination, but the fuel gauge was busy dropping below the final dash.

  “Twenty-two miles,” Kendra breathed. “Do we have enough fuel for that?”

  “Yeah,” he lied. Maybe saying it aloud would make it true.

  The engines hiccupped, and the helicopter shuddered.

  “What was that?” Kendra asked sharply.

  “Turbulence,” Andrew said. He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze impressing upon Kendra the truth. A muscle twitched in her cheek, and she returned to her seat. A second later, he heard her talking to the kids, telling them they were going to play a game. Simon says. Simon told them to tuck their heads between their knees. That charade was for Diane’s benefit, but it was a nice gesture.

  The engines hiccupped again, more violently this time, and they lost precious altitude. Andrew tried backing off the throttle to burn less fuel, but that also slowed their airspeed. There weren’t any shortcuts he could think of to get them across the last twenty miles. Besides maybe tossing the reverend out. That could help. He smirked at the thought, then checked himself for laughing about murder.

  It wasn’t her beliefs that bothered him; it was her attitude. Of all the attitudes to have at the end of the world, “smug prophet” had to be the worst.

  Another hiccup, and this time the engines choked long and hard. They lost hundreds of feet, and everyone started screaming.

  “Simon says tuck your heads!” Kendra said again.

  Andrew eased off the throttle some more, giving up even more airspeed. That was when he noticed something pricking through the misty horizon: a cluster of ships tossing in the waves. Container ships without the containers. And in the middle of that formation, five fat pillars were rising out of the ocean with a platform raised high above them. It was like a giant oil rig, rocking and tilting with the tsunamis rolling by.

  “I can see it!” Andrew said, angling down for the platform atop those pillars.

  As they raced over the rippled water, two of the container ships cracked apart and sank before his eyes, amidst gasps and exclamations from the passengers.

  “I think we’re going to make it!” Andrew said as the platform grew large below them. Large was an understatement. The facility was massive. The deck was easily the size of a football field, but square, not rectangular. A dozen other helicopters were landed on the deck, all arrayed around a dome-shaped central structure. With the way the platform was swaying in the waves, Andrew was surprised they weren’t all sliding off.

  He picked a space between two of them and hovered down, trying to judge the timing of their landing; but with the platform see-sawing under them, he knew it wasn’t going to work.

  “Everyone brace yourselves!”

  “Tuck your heads!” Kendra screamed again.

  One of the skids touched the deck just as the platform came tilting up under them. It kicked the helicopter back into the air. Andrew forced them down again and killed the rotors as the skids hit once more. This time both skids made contact, but the platform came tilting up beneath them, and a horrendous screeching of metal on concrete cut through the dying whine o
f the engines. They were sliding toward the edge, and a sheer drop to the water below.

  “Everybody out!” Andrew cried, already fumbling with his flight harness.

  Buckles unsnapped and everyone jumped up from their seats, falling into each other as the helicopter tilted up with the platform.

  Andrew felt the chopper starting to tip over, and he threw his door open and pulled himself up until he was standing on the frame around the cockpit door. The chopper was balanced at a forty-five degree angle, the rotors striking sparks against the deck as it slid toward the rippled blue ocean below. The side door slid open, and Andrew clambered over to help people out. The first was Diane, passed up to him by both Kendra and Reverend Shelley. The poor girl was sobbing hard. “You’re going to have to jump!” Andrew said.

  “I can’t!” she cried.

  The platform began tipping back the other way, and Andrew felt the chopper leaning with it. There was no time to hesitate. He leapt clear with Diane in his arms, and landed hard on his shoulder with a sickening thud. His teeth clacked together and he tasted blood. His shoulder exploded with blinding pain, and he stifled a cry.

  Diane was struggling in his arms, terrified and battling to get free, but otherwise unharmed. They went sliding down the other way as the platform tipped. Andrew heard the screeching of helicopter skids and rotors, and twisted around to see the chopper racing toward them. He jumped up and sprinted ahead of it to the next helicopter over. It was clamped to the deck. He all but threw Diane under it, and then dived under himself, just seconds before the two machines collided with a shriek of rending metal.

  Andrew’s ears rang with the sound, and then the platform tipped again and they held fast to the skids. More screeching sounded as metal dragged over concrete. The open door of their helicopter swept into view, and Andrew caught Kendra’s terrified gaze as she went sailing toward the edge of the platform and a watery grave below.

  “Andrew!” she cried, her knuckles white on the edge of the mangled door.

  “Wait here!” he told Diane before springing out of cover.

  “Don’t leave me!” she cried, but he didn’t have time to argue.

  Andrew ignored the sickening waves of pain from his shoulder as he ran to catch up with the helicopter. Thankfully, friction with the deck made it a lot slower than him.

  “You have to jump!” Andrew cried right before he reached Kendra.

  Kendra pushed Tony out ahead of her. He tucked and rolled as he leapt clear. Andrew winced as the kid hit the concrete deck just as he had, but he sprang up with the resilience of youth and ran uphill to reach Diane. Andrew followed the helicopter down, running hard. He wondered if he’d end up sailing over the edge with it. Kendra was climbing out now, Reverend Shelley close behind her.

  “Stay clear!” Andrew grabbed Kendra’s arm and braced against his own momentum, throwing his weight backward to yank her free. They went tumbling together. She landed on top of him in a provocative pose, but quickly rolled away. Andrew propped himself up on his elbows just in time to see the reverend jumping out.

  Hank wasn’t so lucky. He sailed over the side with the helicopter. The reverend sailed down after it, disappearing from sight.

  Andrew sat blinking in shock.

  “Hank and the Reverend didn’t make it,” Kendra breathed.

  “At least we’re alive,” Andrew replied.

  Then he spotted a head and shoulders peeking up over the concrete platform. The deck began tilting back the other way, and the reverend came tumbling down. She went rolling by them, her hands scrabbling for purchase. Kendra grabbed her ankle and stopped the woman from going any further.

  “Thank you,” Shelley said in a shaky voice.

  “We need to get inside before we’re tossed overboard,” Kendra said.

  Andrew twisted around, ignoring the pain in his shoulder to check their surroundings. He saw the mangled helicopter where Diane and Tony were huddled, clinging to the skids. His gaze panning away, Andrew spotted what looked like a door in the dome-shaped center of the platform. It was going to be hell to cross the bucking deck to reach it, and who knew if it was even open, but they had to try.

  “Over there,” he said, and pointed to it with his good arm.

  Thirty-Four

  Kendra

  2 Days Left…

  Kendra’s heart pounded against her ribcage, threatening to escape. That had been so close. And here they were, atop a floating rig in the ocean. Clearly this was the right location, judging by the plethora of docked ships and landed helicopters, but she couldn’t help but feel like they were too late. Not seeing Hank standing with them drove the harsh reality home: the world was against them now.

  The sky was growing darker, more violent with each passing breath, and she locked gazes with Andrew, then looked toward the door on the domed center of the platform.

  The deck continued bucking like an angry bronco, and Kendra set her feet wide apart to keep her balance. Tony was holding Diane close, helping the girl as they waited for Andrew to take the lead. It was obvious to her the Marine had injured his shoulder on the escape from the helicopter, but he moved with ease as he headed for the door, lifting a finger, telling them to wait until he deemed it safe.

  “I’m scared!” Diane screamed, tears streaming down her face.

  So am I, Kendra thought, but tried to be strong for the girl. “We’re going to be inside soon, honey.”

  Even the reverend was unusually silent, the trauma fresh in her aging body.

  Andrew ran, his footing confident, even in the turmoil surrounding them. He made it to the dome and pressed a hand against the door, steadying himself. Wind buffeted Kendra, sending errant hairs flying over her face.

  The Marine tested the handle, and she instantly knew it was locked. He kicked the metal door with a ferocity she hadn’t seen from him yet. His good arm banged into it, and she heard his voice straining as he called for help.

  Tony’s eyes drifted to stare at Kendra, a helpless sad expression on his face. Diane was weeping incessantly, and she fell to the platform, curling into a ball as they rocked back and forth in the undulating waves.

  This was it. Their time had come. Kendra imagined how terrifying the events were for everyone around the world. How many people had been killed by the disasters so far? Was there any returning from this? After seeing the destruction firsthand, she doubted it. She could still hear the sound of the hospital being torn to shreds by Mother Nature.

  Andrew ceased the banging, and Kendra grabbed Tony by the arm, helped Diane to an unsteady balance, and led them toward Andrew. If they were going to be extinguished by the storm, they should all be together.

  Reverend Shelley was on her knees, hands clasped in prayer. Her lips moved quickly, but no words escaped her mouth.

  “Come on,” Kendra shouted to the woman, and her eyes sprang open. “No one should be alone!”

  Waves splashed around them, and Kendra jumped as another carrier ripped in two, the larger piece tilting toward the sky before slowly sinking.

  “I’m never alone! God is with me!” Shelley shouted, and Kendra left her there.

  Andrew met them a few yards from the dome and picked Diane up, cradling her into his good shoulder. He cringed at the weight, and Kendra couldn’t imagine the torment he was going through. His daughter was here somewhere. Now he was going to die without ever uncovering the truth.

  Then she saw it: a camera mounted above the door, tucked away in an awning. A red light blinked, which meant they were being watched. She waved at it, hopping eagerly.

  “Let us in! I’m Special Agent Kendra Baker! FBI! Let us in!” Kendra shouted, unsure if they even had audio feeds, or if anyone was there to see. She kept yelling until her throat ached, her eyes red and watering as saltwater splashed over the edge of the deck, spraying them every few minutes.

  “It’s no use. No one’s going to let us in,” Andrew said, pulling her into an embrace with Diane in the middle. His face was close, his stubble-li
ned jaw brushed her forehead, and she leaned in, accepting the hug. She couldn’t recall the last time someone had touched her in such an intimate way, and she squeezed him tighter, crying against his neck.

  Something buzzed: not loudly, but enough for it to perk her ears up. The door clicked, and Andrew stepped away, pressing Diane into Kendra’s arms. His P320 was in his grip instantly, and the man at the doorway only grinned at them.

  “Let us past,” Andrew told the man, his voice perhaps a little too loud, even in the raging weather around them.

  The man’s eyes were dark, contrasted by his pale skin. He wore a trimmed beard, and had a petite stature; rail-thin, and shorter than her. Kendra wasn’t fooled by the outward appearance. He had a killer’s eyes, a look she knew too well.

  “You’re not supposed to be here,” the man said, and Kendra saw two more armed guards behind him.

  Andrew didn’t hesitate. He marched forward, pushing his way toward the man who’d addressed them. “We’re coming in,” he said firmly.

  Kendra searched for her gun, but her own holster was empty. She grabbed Diane, who was eerily quiet now, and ran over to Andrew’s side.

  “Please, let us in. We have children with us,” she pleaded.

  The man glanced over her shoulder toward Tony, and then at Shelley, who’d risen and joined them near the dome. He shook his head. “This isn’t for you. I’m sorry, but you’ve wasted your time. How did you learn about this place?”

  Kendra saw something in his eyes. Maybe it was fear there would be more people coming, that the location was spread high and low. “Let us enter, and you can have the entire story.”

  He appeared to contemplate this, but shook his head once more. “Listen, I’m sorry.” His gun rose, and Kendra saw Andrew tense up beside her. There were three of the guards, maybe more behind, and only Andrew was armed. Kendra lifted a hand and set it on Andrew’s forearm, urging him to lower his gun.

  “There has to be a way you’ll let us in,” she said softly, not even sure her words were heard over the elements.