Nick saw it too. “Holy shit!” he said. “Cody…”
“I see it,” Cody said.
But the miracle was short-lived. Seconds later, the world reverted back to darkness.
There was no sign of the Black Widow in the airport. Rachel was standing alone where the confrontation had taken place moments earlier. The only hint that the ghostly woman had been there at all was the dead man in the police uniform lying on the floor, his body soaking in a pool of fresh blood.
Rachel turned around. In that moment, her eyes were as blue as Cody had ever seen them. They were practically glowing, every bit as blue as the sky that had appeared outside during the short-lived miracle.
She walked over and picked Bootsy off the floor. With a half-smile on her face, she dusted him down with the back of her hand.
Cody ran over to her and dropped onto his knees. He grabbed Rachel by the shoulders. There was blood all over his hands and he was getting it on her clothes.
He tried to ignore the gnawing pain at his side.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he said. His voice was cracking as he spoke. “I could have lost you.”
Rachel shook her head.
“She was coming for you Dad,” Rachel said. “I wasn’t going to let her take you away from me. Not you.”
“What do you mean?” Cody said. “How could you know she was coming for me?”
Rachel shrugged. “I just did.”
Nick walked up behind them, laughing like a man who’d just found the winning lottery ticket sitting on his doorstep. “Well, well, well,” he said. “Ain’t nobody as badass as daddy’s little girl.”
“What did you do?” Cody said, looking at Rachel.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Something just happened…”
“What do you mean? Something happened inside you?”
Rachel nodded.
“Whatever she did the girl just embarrassed us both,” Nick said. “She did with a teddy bear what I couldn’t do with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. No matter what happens, I’ll never doubt that kid again. Now what do you say folks – are we going to catch this plane or not? I for one, would like to get the hell out of here.”
Rachel looked up at Nick and nodded.
Cody tried to wipe some of the blood off Rachel’s dungarees. He was only making it worse.
“Sorry,” Cody said, taking his hands off her. “Look what I did.”
“Are you hurt?” Rachel said, pointing to his wound.
“It’s not as bad as it looks kid,” Cody said. “You ready to keep going?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
They hurried towards Gate A5. Nick led the way, guiding them through the gate door and out onto the apron.
The plane was waiting for them. Cody almost wept with relief at the sight of it. Despite everything that had happened on the road and in the airport, they’d made it. It was like looking at a giant mechanized angel. It wasn’t the biggest plane Cody had ever seen – it was about a hundred and thirty feet long but it was a damn sight bigger and sturdier than all those private planes that were dropping out of the sky. This plane wouldn’t let them down – he was sure of it. Not with Nick Norton sitting at the helm.
There was a large face printed on the tail of the blue and white aircraft – an Eskimo’s face. It had a welcoming smile.
They walked forward. The plane’s engine was humming in anticipation as bright white light flooded onto the apron from the floodlights.
“We made it,” Cody said, squeezing Rachel on the arm.
Nick laughed. “You sure did,” he said. “And we’re getting out of here, you better believe it folks. This plane is my baby. She’s going to take good care of us up there, trust me. The Black Storm can kiss my black ass.”
Rachel giggled.
Cody saw several other planes parked further along the apron. They were all Alaska Airlines, about the same size as their plane. They sat there in the dark, like giant, expensive toys that somebody had gotten bored with.
“Hey Nick,” Cody said, pointing to their plane. “Is that thing ready to fly? Straight up man?”
Nick slung the rifle over his shoulder. His eyes stared out into the blackish-gray gloom of morning. “Don’t worry about the plane,” he said. “What do you think we’ve been doing all day while you were cruising down the highway in that 1970 Dodge Challenger of yours? We’re on it. We’ve got oxygen, electricity, food and water – everything we need to get up there. And stay up there for as long as we need.”
“So it really is the Ark then,” Cody said.
Nick screwed up his face. “The Ark?”
“That’s what that loon in the cop uniform called it,” Cody said. “He called you Black Noah by the way.”
Nick threw his head back and laughed. It was deep and bellowing – the laugh of someone who hadn’t quite given up on the world yet.
“Black Noah,” Nick said. “I like that.” He looked at Cody and slapped him gently on the arm. “Glad you made it bro,” he said. “Boy you sure cut it close though. San Antonio is a goner – they’re ripping it to pieces. Blowing cars and buildings up like they were toys – you have to see it to believe it.”
“Yeah,” Cody said. He pointed at the plane. “Did everyone make it here?”
“They’re all here,” Nick said. “Some of them have been here for a long time. They’ve been sitting on the plane and they won’t get up for anything. Some of them have been getting restless, bitching and moaning about still being on the ground. Told them we were doing safety checks, all that bullshit. Sounded better than telling them the truth – that we were waiting for your slowcoach ass to get here. Anyway, this is Nick Norton’s party and it ain’t starting till all the guests have arrived.”
“Thanks for waiting,” Cody said.
Nick smiled. He led them towards a set of airstairs at the back of the plane. With no ground services to assist takeoff preparations, they were using the stairs that folded and stowed under the floor of the back door.
Rachel climbed up first. Cody was right behind her with one hand pinned to his side, applying pressure to the wound. He glanced up at the smiling Eskimo and felt reassured by the serene expression on the man’s face. The Eskimo was saying ‘everything’s going to be okay’. At least that’s what Cody hoped he was saying.
Nick walked up the airstairs behind them. “You guys are sitting at the back,” he said. “First two seats on your right. Row 31.”
“Not first class?” Cody said, looking over his shoulder.
“Spare me the prima donna movie star bullshit,” Nick said with a wicked glint in his eye. “This ain’t Hollywood and judging by the last few movies you made you should be sitting in the crapper.”
“Fair enough,” Cody said.
They walked into the cabin. It was a full house. While Nick stayed behind to pull the airstairs in, Cody and Rachel found their seats, located at the rear of the fuselage. There was a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, sitting at the window seat in their row of three. He looked at Cody and Rachel and smiled. Then he noticed Cody’s wound and bloodstained hands.
The man’s face turned a ghastly shade of white.
“Don’t worry,” Cody said. “It’s not contagious.”
The man turned away – he looked less than enthralled at the prospect of sitting next to the MacLeods for the rest of the journey. That was alright with Cody – he wasn’t in the mood to talk anyway. Especially not to strangers.
Rachel squeezed into the row and took the middle seat. As she sat down, she propped Bootsy up on her lap.
Cody sat down on the aisle seat. Almost immediately he felt lightheaded, like his body was teetering on the edge of exhaustion.
He caught sight of other people looking at him. Maybe it was the blood on his hands and shirt that drew their attention. Or maybe they recognized him – after all, he was the stutter kid from The Forever Boys.
Cody heard the hatch door closing behind him.
Nick walked down the aisle seconds later, his footsteps like cannon fire.
“Alright boys and girls,” he said, stopping in the center of the aisle. “Now I know a lot of you have questions so now’s a good time to spit ’em out. Right now, before we take off. Don’t be shy.”
An old lady sitting in an aisle seat raised her hand. She had a plastic crate on her lap and Cody saw two black and white cats moving around inside. Now it really did feel like he was on the Ark.
“She’s got cats,” Rachel said, pointing that way.
“I see them,” Cody said.
“Shoot,” Nick said to the old woman. “What’s your question?”
“Will there be other planes up there?” she asked. “How can we fly anywhere without air traffic control watching over us?”
“Don’t worry about it ma’am,” Nick said, flashing her a toothy grin. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “We’ve got all that good avionic shit going on in the cockpit back there – everything’s working just fine. TCAS – that’s traffic alert and collision avoidance system, that’s working too. Other planes won’t be a factor because well, there ain’t going to be any. We’re pretty much alone up there. Let me reassure you – all of you – that this plane is fully fuelled and that the equipment is in good working order.”
A young man – mid thirties, shot his hand in the air. He was dressed like a grunge rocker from the early nineties, with Kurt Cobain hair and a plaid shirt with ripped jeans. He was sitting beside a woman and a restless young boy who was about four or five years old.
“Go,” Nick said, pointing at the man.
“What about the Black Widow?” the man said.
There was a murmur of discontent amongst the other passengers.
“Look I’m sorry,” the man said, turning towards the grumbling. “I know nobody wants to think about it or talk about it but what if she gets in here? How do we stop the pilots from getting the Black Fever and taking us down? I’m still not sure I’ve done the right thing coming here. I just…”
Nick held up a hand, cutting the man off.
“That’s an excellent question sir,” he said. “Let me tell you something. We’ve got seven pilots on this plane. Seven damn good pilots. Anyone starts acting weird, getting all morbid and singing Radiohead songs at the top of their voice, it ain’t going to go unnoticed by the rest of us. Another thing – the cockpit will not be locked. Never. We have multiple keys on board, just in case anyone tries any funny shit. All guns are locked out of reach in the hold. There are no sharp objects. Precautions have been taken so let me assure you, this plane is as Black Widow-proof as we can possibly make it.”
Nick looked around the cabin. “Any other questions?”
“Where are we going?” somebody yelled.
Nick pointed towards the ceiling.
“Up there,” he said. “Let me tell you something ladies and gentleman. Today I saw a miracle – I saw the blue sky for the first time in a long time. Now that’s another story and we can talk about it later. But trust me – this baby’s gonna take us through that black shroud, I know it is. We’ll find something better than this. Somewhere that ain’t burning up like San Antonio.”
“So you don’t know where we’re going?” the same voice yelled.
“Sir,” Nick said, fixing a hard stare on the man. “You know as well as I do that this is not a normal flight. Nobody here is going on vacation to Hawaii for two weeks. Do you see anyone wearing a grass skirt? Or wearing one of those flowery shirts? The other pilots and myself, we’re going to figure it out. Nothing is guaranteed BUT you got a shot here. Now if anyone wants to leave and take their chances in what’s left of San Antonio you’re more than welcome. I’ll open the doors for you right now. Let me know because this is your last chance to walk away. We’re taking off in a few minutes.”
Several discussions broke out amongst the passengers. Heads leaned in close to one another as opinions were shared back and forth.
But nobody raised their hand.
“Alright,” Nick said. “The human race ain’t beat yet. Am I right?”
The response was sluggish.
“AM I RIGHT?” Nick yelled.
The passengers were livelier second time around.
Nick signaled over to Cody, pointing at his wound. “We’ll get someone to take a look at that.”
Cody gave a sluggish thumbs up gesture in return.
Nick disappeared down the fuselage towards the cockpit.
“I’m tired,” Rachel said.
“Me too,” Cody said, squeezing her hand. “Been a long day kid.”
“You got blood on me again,” Rachel said, looking at her hand.
“Sorry kid.”
A few minutes later, a young dark-haired woman came walking down the aisle. She stopped at the rear of the cabin and knelt down beside Cody. She had a black satchel in hand, out of which she started taking some bandages and other medical equipment, laying them on the floor next to Cody’s feet.
“Nick says you’ve got a scratch that needs my attention,” she said.
“Nick’s a funny guy,” Cody said.
The woman smiled. She was tan-skinned with chocolate brown eyes – kind eyes, and a beautiful smile to go with them.
“My name is Jessica. I’m going to clean the wound and give you something for the pain.”
“Great,” Cody said.
As Jessica cleaned the wound, Cody drifted in and out of consciousness. He could feel Rachel holding his hand.
“Don’t worry Dad,” she said.
“That’s right. Don’t worry Dad,” Jessica said.
The woman’s voice floated into his ear. “You’re going to be fine,” she said. “We’re going to need to keep an eye on you – make sure you’re hydrated, keep you moving about a little bit too to keep the blood flowing. You’re in good hands. And I see you brought your own little nurse with you too. Is that your daughter? Isn’t she just the cutest?”
“Yeah she is,” Cody said. “The cutesssht.” His voice sounded far away. Inside his head, everything felt warm and fuzzy. Whatever Jessica had given him was working fast.
He closed his eyes.
“I think I’m a little high,” he said.
The desire to sleep was overwhelming. And why not? After all, he deserved a nap.
Just a quick one.
Cody sat bolt upright in his seat, his fingers clamped around the armrests on either side. Something wasn’t right. He felt drunk – rip-roaring, high as a fart drunk and that was something he hadn’t been in a long time. The plane’s engine was roaring and it took him a moment to adjust to the drastic noise levels all around him.
He leaned over Rachel, trying to get a look at the window. Both Rachel and the young man to his right paid him little attention as he clambered closer. They were apparently transfixed by what they were seeing outside.
“Jesus,” Cody said.
The city was on fire. Hot colors spewed out San Antonio, reaching up to the sky like thousands of flaming sharp claws. It looked like the plane was trying to escape out of the jaws of a hungry volcano.
The plane tilted as it climbed towards the black sky. Inside the cabin, a lot of people were whooping with delight, making celebratory noises, and giving high-fives to the person sitting next to them. They were even getting the champagne, the Scotch, and the beers out. It was a strange time to have a party but the relief inside the fuselage was palpable. Whatever else happened, they were at least getting away from that. San Antonio wasn’t a place that anyone wanted to stick around in for much longer.
Cody turned back to the window.
The plane was climbing at a steep angle – but was it too steep? He could hear the whirring and bumping noises coming from the hydraulics. There was a clunking noise. Something that sounded like the landing gear retracting.
Cody felt sick. It was the drugs – it had to be. His stomach was swirling around like a washing machine drum. Maybe everything that had happened that morning was cat
ching up to him at last – Mary Jane, the masks, the plane crash, the fake cop, and the confrontation with the Black Widow in the airport – it was sinking in and now it felt real. Those people, those encounters, were going to stay with him for a long time.
So much had happened. It didn’t feel right, watching those people celebrate further down the cabin. Clinking glasses, laughing and joking, patting each other on the back like they’d done good.
Cody looked towards the window. Not everyone had gotten out after all.
“Assholes,” he said, glaring at the party people.
Several faces turned around and looked at him. Their expressions were strangely blank. Cody looked across the aisle to his left. A young family was sitting over there – a man, woman and two little girls. The man looked confused and scared. The woman had a distant look in her eyes, like she was thinking about something she’d left behind. Or someone.
Several rows down, a baby started crying.
Cody leaned back in his seat.
“Jesus kid,” he said to Rachel. “I think she gave me a real humdinger dose of something. I don’t feel too good.”
Rachel squeezed his hand.
The plane climbed further into the sky. Outside it was blacker than black. Inside it was cold – the cabin felt like it had been slotted into the compartment of a giant freezer.
Cody’s eyelids were heavy. It was time to go back to sleep.
Before closing his eyes, he turned to his right.
Rachel was looking at him, smiling.
To Cody’s surprise, Kate was there too, sitting in the window seat. She was looking at him. The young man who’d been there just moments earlier was now gone.
Kate MacLeod was young and alive. She was at the height of her beauty and it was 1986 all over again. The MacLeods were on top of the world. They were the perfect couple going on a family vacation with their perfect daughter. With any luck, they’d see the Santa Monica Mountains again.
Kate’s silver eyes were dazzling and bright. She leaned forward. Slowly, she opened her mouth to speak.
Everything went black.
Black Fever
The Exterminators Trilogy: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Box Set Page 13
