by Paul Moxham
“There’s nothing we can do about it now, except take it slow,” Kenneth said, continuing down the tunnel.
As they trudged along, the waterfall’s roar only increased. It didn’t take long for the water to splash around their knees.
“Be careful you don’t fall over,” Logan said, “it might be hard to … aggh!” He suddenly slipped on a rock. He reached out to grab onto Kenneth, who had been right behind him. Unable to stabilize themselves, both of them fell into the rushing water.
Logan let go of the silencer and tried to grab hold of the tunnel wall, but he couldn’t get a firm grip. However, he did manage to stop himself for a few seconds and let Kenneth pass him before his grip waned and he was forced to let go.
With nothing to stop him, Logan was swept down the dark tunnel after his brother, his mind awhirl about where they would end up.
~*~*~
Worn out from everything that had happened in the past couple of hours, Molly didn’t notice a branch on the ground and tripped over it. “Aggh!” She tumbled forward.
Derek and Lucy hurried back to check on her. “Are you all right?” Derek asked, bending down.
Molly gingerly stood up. “Yes, I’ll be fine.” She glanced around and noticed that they were next to a rock wall. “Hey, could this be the exit?”
Lucy and Derek gazed up at the rock wall. “It could be, I guess,” Lucy said. “But I can’t see a doorway of any kind. If …” She froze as she heard an eerie noise. She frowned and looked up at the nearby rock wall. “Can you hear something?”
Derek listened. “I think so.” He hesitated as the noise suddenly increased in volume.
Suddenly, rocks began tumbling down from the rock wall.
“It’s an earthquake!” Lucy jumped up. “We need to get away from these rocks!”
The group bolted toward the nearest pine tree. They had just reached it when the upper half of the rock wall exploded and a geyser of water shot out.
Lucy shrieked as something else came crashing through the water. It hit the grass with a thump. A pair of shocked eyes stared back at them. Another corpse crumped nearby.
“Are those the others?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know. Can’t tell,” Lucy replied, holding her stomach.
The survivors waited for the rush of water to die down. A minute later, it did just that. Both bodies lay side by side, silent and still.
The trio edged toward the bodies, every step a tortuous task. Lucy rushed forward as she recognized the first body. “Oh no!” She bent down and touched Logan. His eyes were closed and he was unresponsive. She shook his shoulders gently, but the big guy didn’t budge. She squeezed his wrist frantically and squealed, “He still has a pulse. Weak, but it’s something!”
Scooping up some of the water flowing past, she tossed it onto Logan’s face. Nothing happened for a moment, but then he spluttered and his eyes opened. Coughing up water, he tried to sit up.
Lucy hugged him tightly. “Thank goodness you’re alive.” She quickly checked his body for any serious injuries, and although there were cuts and scrapes everywhere, there was nothing that needed immediate attention.
She shivered at the second body and saw Derek and Molly helping Kenneth to his feet. They wrapped some cloth across his left leg. It was already soaked red. “Is that serious?” she asked, looking concerned.
Kenneth shook his head. “It’ll wait until we get to Redding. I’m just fortunate that I didn’t break any bones. That was one hell of a ride.” He leaned against the rock wall. The water had all but stopped now. “That looks like the end of the water.”
Molly hugged herself. “Where did it come from?”
“I don’t know,” Kenneth replied, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes. “It all started when the base went up.” He put both hands on Lucy’s stiff shoulders. “Was that your doing or—”
“Molly and Frank’s doing,” Derek said, glancing up at Mount Shasta. It looked peaceful now. Scattered metal littered the top of the mountain.
Kenneth did a quick headcount. “Hey, where’s Frank?”
“He didn’t make it,” Molly said.
Kenneth’s face fell as he studied Mount Shasta. “What a waste of lives that mountain has taken away from us. First Mike, then Jet, and now Frank.”
Derek gave Kenneth a long sigh. “Did Jet and Mike die?”
Kenneth struggled to nod. “I’m afraid so.”
“How? What happened?” Molly asked.
“It was a trap. We didn’t stand a chance,” Kenneth said.
“How did you two survive then?” Derek asked.
“As soon as the explosions started, all hell broke loose. Logan and I were lucky enough to escape the carnage.” Kenneth shot his brother a look as he and Lucy walked over.
Logan beckoned to the teens. “Good to see you’re safe.”
Suddenly, an explosion rumbled deep inside the mountain. The group gazed up at Mount Shasta as black smoke drifted out of hole at the top of the snow-capped mountain. As they watched, the smoke began to dissipate.
“We’d better make haste and get out of here,” Logan said, glancing over at Kenneth. “We wouldn’t want to be out in the open if Mount Shasta decides to erupt.”
“No, you’re right.” Kenneth looked around. “Does anyone know where we are?”
Lucy shook her head. “The teens and I were just about to find out when you two arrived.”
“Well,” Logan said, “since the mountain is in that direction, then the road should be this way.” He pointed directly away from Mount Shasta. “Looking at the sun, and guessing what time it is, that would be east, which seems about right.”
Kenneth raked a hand through his wet hair. “Sounds good to me.”
Logan grabbed his fiancée’s hand and pulled her to a clump of pine trees. “We can exchange war stories while we walk.”
As the teens rushed up to Logan to tell him what they had been up to, Kenneth snapped his weapon up as something rustled in the nearby bushes. He relaxed as a bird peeked out.
Glancing once more at the mountain, he saw that black smoke was still rising. He wondered what kind of chemicals had been stored in the mountain and whether or not a volcanic eruption was a possibility. Thinking that it was better to be safe than sorry, he hobbled as fast as he could with his injured leg in the direction of the trees.
Unbeknownst to Kenneth, five seconds after he turned around, the color of the smoke changed from black to green.
Chapter 19
Thinking about everything that had happened in the past few weeks, Logan Pollack could only laugh. Was it all really luck, or was some higher power just stringing him along for schnitzels and giggles? He and his brother had survived more than their share of disasters, and at any point in time, things could have gone the other way.
But they hadn’t. A wave of sadness drowned his heart as he pictured all the people that had died because of him: Muscles, Jet, Xavier, and countless others. All dead because of him. It didn’t matter who had pulled the trigger.
At least their deaths hadn’t been in vain. After saving his girlfriend, Lucy Thorn, from a ruthless mob boss, he had tried to stop the Seods by attacking their underground base inside Mount Shasta. But what was he to do next? He didn’t know. A sudden shriek shook him from his thoughts.
“I see houses!” Molly exclaimed.
“Finally,” Kenneth muttered. “I’m worn out.” He yawned. “And tired. I mustn’t be as fit as I thought I was.”
Logan nodded. “Now that you mention it, I’m feeling tired as well.”
“Well, it’s not everyday that you get imprisoned inside a mountain and have to fight for your life,” Lucy joked.
“No, you’re right. Well, I can’t see any harm in having a small nap, particularly as I don’t feel like driving at the moment.” Logan stopped and surveyed the houses. “If we’re lucky, we might be able to find some food.”
Without further ado, Logan led the way across the grass to the newly erec
ted estate on the outskirts of Mount Shasta. Picking a house at random, he called out. As no one answered, he kicked the door open. It didn’t take long to ascertain that no one was in the house. Searching the kitchen, the group found some stale biscuits and bread and sat down in the living room to enjoy a well-deserved meal.
~*~*~
It was a refreshed Logan who emerged from the shower a while later. After drying himself off, he put his clothes back on and headed toward the voices in the living room.
Seeing Lucy eating a biscuit, he walked over and spun around. “So where’s Derek and Molly?”
“Sleeping,” Lucy replied. “They felt tired.”
Logan yawned deeply. “Let’s all get some rest, and then we’ll see what’s left of Redding.”
“Shouldn’t we sleep in shifts?” Kenneth asked. “I don’t suppose we’ll have any visitors, but—”
“I’ll take the first watch,” Lucy interrupted. “I don’t feel that tired, and I can always sleep in the car when we head to Redding.”
“Okay, wake me if you hear anything.”
As the man left the room, Logan sat down beside Lucy on the couch. “Aren’t you tired?” Lucy asked.
“You have no idea, but I wondered if you wanted to talk about things.”
“What things?” Lucy asked.
“Well, your father dying, for instance,” Logan replied.
“I’m fine,” Lucy muttered, gazing off into the distance.
Logan put his arm around her. “I’m her for you, you do know that, right?”
“Like I said, I don’t want to talk about it. Not in our current situation,” Lucy replied.
“Okay, but as I’m sure you’re aware, I lost my dad as well, plus my mom, so …” Logan said.
“That was different,” Lucy interrupted. “You didn’t have to look into your dad’s eyes moments before he died.”
“No, I didn’t,” Logan confessed. “But the one thing I do know is that it helped to talk about what happened with my brother.”
“When was the first time you met my father?” Lucy asked.
Logan frowned. “What?”
“Just answer the question!” Lucy shouted. Immediately, she softened her tone and cradled her hands between Logan’s. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. I’m just stressed.”
Curious, Logan stared at Lucy. “Why do you want to know when your father met me?”
“It doesn’t matter. Forget it.” Lucy faced out the window, chewing her lip.
Logan followed her and clasped his right hand around her waist and snuggled next to her. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No. Just forget it, I tell you. I’m just stressed.” Lucy suddenly smiled and faced him. She planted a peck on Logan’s cheek. “Why don’t we just relax?”
Logan grinned as he guided her back to the couch, stealing a kiss as he did so.
~*~*~
Taking care not to wake Logan, Lucy cradled his head in her hands and moved him off her body and onto the couch, taking care to place a pillow below his head. She then moved off the couch and sat down on the nearby rocking chair.
As she rocked back and forth, her thoughts returned to the conversation that she had attempted to have with Logan earlier. Sooner or later, she would have to tell him about the conversation that her father and she had in the minutes before he died. She glanced at Logan to make sure that he was asleep. He was, so she reached down into the space between her breasts and pulled out a necklace that she had been storing there for what seemed like forever. At the end of the necklace was a silver key.
However, even though this was the fourth time that she had studied it, she still couldn’t make out what the key could be used for. It was bigger than a car key and thicker than a house key. If only her father had given it to her sooner, then time would have been on their side.
Maybe it was supposed to have been a wedding present. That would explain why her father had only given it to her on the helicopter. Deciding that she may as well start wearing it, she put the necklace around her neck. If anyone asked, she could always tell them that she had found it somewhere. Not that she wanted to lie, but she wasn’t ready to tell them the truth. First, she had to find out if what her father had said about Logan was true.
She rocked back and forth to pass the time. For the first hour or so, she was able to keep awake without any problems, but as the minutes dragged on, she began to feel sleepy.
She pried herself up and made her way into the kitchen. She searched in every cupboard for some food, but she couldn’t find any. Disappointed, she poured herself a glass of water. Even though this refreshed her, she couldn’t stop thinking about food.
Strolling back to the chair that she had been sitting in, she peered out the window and caught sight of the neighboring house. She wondered if that house, or any other home in the area, had something still edible in the kitchen.
Deciding on a plan of action, she made her way to the front door and stepped out onto the porch. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she shivered at the day’s sudden coolness.
Clouds covered the sun and the wind whipped itself into a frenzy. Pulling her jacket a little closer, she rubbed her hands together and stepped down the few steps onto the grass as she headed across the grass toward the neighboring house.
The house next door was in the same condition as the first house. There were plenty of water bottles in the refrigerator, but only a few scraps of rotting food left over. However, in the back of the kitchen cabinet, she found a tin of biscuits and eagerly ate a few right then and there. Then, remembering the others, she put the lid back on and made her way to the front door.
She had just opened it and stepped onto the porch when she noticed that things had changed. The chirping of birds had stopped and the sky, which had been blue, was now covered in green smoke. In fact, by the way it clung to the air, it was more like a mist. It was also quite thick, so much so that she could just make out the house where the others were.
“God no!” She started to cough but forced the breath in. Clasping a hand over her mouth and nose, she sprinted through the mist, only to trip over something a few feet short from the nearest porch.
Her lungs revolted and gasped for air as she spotted the white poodle under her feet. Lucy jumped to her feet but collapsed after a single stride. Her body started to spasm, and she kept gulping in the greenish air as she crawled to the nearest door.
Lucy managed to touch the porch’s first step before her arms stopped responding. She rolled onto her back and screamed at the darkening sky, “Help!”
Her last vision as the blackness swarmed in was of a lone vulture circling overhead.
~*~*~
Logan woke with a start. He flicked his head around, unsure where he was. As he took in his surroundings, it all came back to him. Not seeing Lucy, he adjusted his watch. He’d been asleep for over an hour and a half. Maybe Lucy was just stretching her legs or in the bathroom.
He stood up and made his way to the kitchen. As he did so, he passed by a window and froze in his tracks. A thick layer of green smoke covered the area. He rushed to another window on the other side of the house and stared out. The green smoke cut visibility to mere inches.
“Damn!” Realizing that this had to be caused by the fallout at Mount Shasta, he knew that a plan of action needed to be made. He hurried into the bedrooms. “Wake up, everyone, we’ve got trouble.”
Derek groaned, stretched his arms, and sat up. “What’s wrong?”
“That damn green gas is all around us.” He shot out of the room, leaving Derek to wake his sister. In the other bedroom, he found Kenneth lightly snoring. He shook him awake and told him about the situation. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Lucy?”
Kenneth yawned and shook his head. “No, I’ve been fast asleep ever since my head hit the pillow.”
Logan grimaced and quickly searched the rest of the house. By the time he entered the living room, the others were gazing out of the
windows.
Suddenly, Molly cried out in surprise. “God no!” She clutched at Logan. “Lucy’s on the porch.”
“What?” Logan rushed over and flung open the door. “Dear God …” He knelt over the unconscious blonde figure and felt for her pulse, fearing the worse. He breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s alive.”
“We’d better get her inside,” Kenneth suggested.
“Yes, of course.” Logan took hold of Lucy’s arms. Together with Kenneth and the teens, they moved the woman inside.
Molly coughed as she closed the door. “We shouldn’t have had the door open for so long. This green smoke is probably the reason Lucy is in the condition that she is in.”
Kenneth cleared his throat. “Definitely. Even from that brief spell in the open, I can tell a difference.” He looked at Logan. “This can only mean one thing.”
Logan nodded, his face now serious. “Yes. It can’t be a coincidence that the liquid that I saw being poured into one of the devices in Mount Shasta was green and this smoke is also green. It must be one and the same.”
Chapter 20
“We’re all going to die then!” Molly cried out, tears forming on her face.
Derek comforted his sister by hugging her. “Logan’s just guessing. Besides, Lucy was breathing in the smoke for quite some time and she’s not dead.”
“But she’s not conscious,” Molly said.
“Well, no, but that’s better than being dead,” Derek replied.
“Let’s stop talking and get out of here,” Kenneth said. “It’s clear that the green smoke isn’t helpful, so let’s get out of the range of this green smoke.”
“But where can we go?” Derek asked.
“The lodge,” Logan replied. “It’s the only place that we know of that has food, water, and medical supplies.”
“But how are we going to get there since we don’t have a vehicle?” Molly questioned.
“We’ll have to acquire one,” Logan replied.
