“Incoming!” he shouted.
CHAPTER 33
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
“Alistair! Alistair!” Daniel screamed in panic.
He tumbled over the snow, digging through the icy slush like a Siberian Husky. His fingers stung from the cold and the only sensation he could feel was the pressure as he raked against the frozen tundra.
“I’m coming Alistair,” he called to him.
Dragging his arms, he scooped away mounds of powder until he could grab a handful of Alistair’s coat. He yanked with all his might, but Alistair didn’t budge.
“No! No, no no!” he roared then started digging again.
“Daniel!” a familiar voice called to him and he stopped and looked around.
MJ was crawling across the snowy ledge toward him. The gash in the side of her head had opened again and blood poured down her face, but she looked ready to fight.
“Alistair…Alistair is under there,” Daniel screamed, but the wind ate his words.
He pointed toward the jacket and MJ’s eyes widened with understanding. She hurried toward him and together they tore through the pile of mush until they could pull Alistair free.
“He’s breathing,” MJ said as she wiped ice from his face. “Alistair can you hear me?”
She shook him gently and lifted his head into her arms. His eyes flickered but didn’t open and she leaned closer and spoke into his ear.
Daniel trembled with fear as he watched. If he’d just listened, they would’ve already cleared the ledge before the avalanched ever happened. He felt like all of it was his fault.
“Is he gonna be okay?” Daniel asked.
MJ gave him a quick nod and smiled. Blood trickled from her head and fell into the snow, making the ground look like the scene of a wild animal attack. Daniel grimaced at the sight then gasped as Alistair made a groaning sound.
He slowly twisted and turned then opened his eyes. “MJ?” he said as his eyes focused and he could see her clearly.
“You’re one tough cookie,” she said. “Can you move?”
Alistair winced. “I think so.” He took her hand and clambered to his feet then shook the ice and snow out of his hair.
“You’re gonna be okay Alistair. If a mountain couldn’t kill you, nothing will.”
Alistair painfully grinned then widened his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked.
MJ touched the side of her head then rubbed the thick crimson between her fingers and shrugged. “I’m fine. Now, if you can walk… let’s get the hell out of here.”
Together they started back down the ledge toward the other side. With the pile of snow and ice jutting out like a shelf, they left the rope and quickly shuffled across the temporary bridge.
“Daniel!” Trevor shouted.
Daniel looked up with a stoic face as Trevor wrapped his arms around him. He half-heartedly hugged him back then swallowed the bulge of guilt that was lodged in his neck.
“You okay? What happened over there?” Trevor asked.
“He saved my life,” Alistair said quickly.
There was a sudden shiver in the ground and Alistair stumbled into MJ. She caught his arm and he gave her an apologetic glance then looked up the rest of the trail toward the new home he couldn’t see.
“We need to keep moving…and fast,” MJ said as she stared up the sheer wall beside them.
She turned and started back down the trail as the sun slowly rose to the side. The rays of light made them feel better and as the wind died down the mood became optimistic.
Another hour passed like the blink of an eye. The sun had crept up over the horizon and now balanced on the high mountain peaks in the distance. The temperature was still frigid, but the stale air made it bearable.
Alistair hummed a tune to himself as he trudged through the thick snow. The only other sound was the crunch of his boots and the occasional mumble of wind. It was all he could do to ignore the pain in his feet and the quivering muscles in his back. Every step he took was a constant battle between fatigue and survival. A battle that he was on the losing end.
“You hear that?” MJ asked and turned MJ ear to the sky.
Alistair froze and tilted his head. Everyone else did the same and listened for a few moments in silence.
“I don’t hear a thing,” Alistair said.
“Shh,” she ordered. “That! That right there!”
A faint shriek floated across the wind and Alistair wasn’t even sure he heard it. He twisted his face then shivered as the high-pitched whistle grew louder.
“What is that?” Daniel asked with a tremble in his voice.
“Run!” MJ snapped as she turned and took off down the trail.
Alistair didn’t wait for an explanation. He summoned every ounce of strength he had left and ran like his life depended on it. His heavy steps plunged into the snow and he ripped them free, charging down the trail like a bull.
“What the hell is going on?” Trevor shouted as he hurried behind them.
“Shut up and run faster!” Alistair replied.
He looked back just as the screeching reached its peak. A flash of silver streaked across the sky behind him and slammed into the mountainside. Chunks of rock blew apart and a fire roared into the air in a blazing inferno.
Panic flooded Alistair’s veins and he let out a terrified scream. His feet wouldn’t move fast enough, the snow was too thick, his legs were too heavy and as the sound of another missile squawked he knew he was going to die.
The sound was terrifying. He could hear the air ripping apart as the arrow of death raced toward them. It didn’t matter where it was coming from or who fired it, the mountain was being blown apart.
“I see the Mayflower!” MJ suddenly screamed.
Her words were like a shot of adrenaline. Alistair sped forward with a surge of energy. He cleared the last slope and his heart thundered with enough force to crack his ribs. He skid to a stop in the clearing and stared toward the opening. The opening where the blast door had been slammed shut.
“No!” MJ screamed and flung her body into the cold, steel. She desperately beat her hands against the dense metal and screamed in fury. “Open the door! Open the fucking door!”
Alistair and Trevor joined in, beating their fist into the door and screaming at the top of their lungs. Daniel turned his back and stared to the sky as another projectile hit the mountain a mile below them. The ground shook as thunderous booms echoed down into the valley.
“Help!” Alistair yelled.
The sound of more incoming ordinance drowned out his voice. He dropped to his knees and with trembling hands, wiped the tears from his face. A mechanical whirl droned below him and as he lifted his head as the doors opened.
“Alistair,” Melinda cried as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him.
CHAPTER 34
THIS IS THE END
There was a silence to everything. A calmness that Alistair hadn’t known in a long time. A peaceful wave of serenity that Alistair knew wouldn’t last, but he vowed to enjoy it while he could.
Behind ten feet of reinforced steel they prepared for a life that was never what any of them would’ve chosen. Beneath a mountain they’d found a future, they’d found their survival.
“It’s almost time,” Craig said as he stopped at the door of their room.
Alistair nodded then glanced toward his mom. She was laying on the couch with David and Charlie cuddled in her arms. All three of them were sleeping, it was the first time she’d been able to sleep for more than thirty minutes in weeks.
“I never thanked you,” Craig mumbled.
“For what?”
“For everything. You got MJ back here, you made sure Koran never told.”
“None of it mattered anyway. They still found out where we were. They still almost killed us. My dad is still dead, so is Chase.”
Craig frowned and looked away.
“It’s okay though,” Alistair continued. “I get it now.”
&n
bsp; “What’s that?”
“Everyone dies. There’s no getting around it.”
Craig stared into Alistair’s eyes and saw the ghost of a man looking back. His innocence was gone and all that was left now was a jaded view of the world that broke Craig’s heart to see.
“I’m sorry about your father…and your friend. But they didn’t die for nothing.”
“What did they die for?” Alistair asked.
“So you could live.” Craig turned around and started back down the hallway. After a few steps he paused and turned back. “We’re all meeting in the atrium before we head down.”
Alistair sat in his room for a little longer. His mom was sound asleep, and her gentle snores made him think of home. But he wasn’t home, and he was never going back.
After waking her up, he headed down to the atrium. Everyone was already there sitting in a semi-circle while Craig stood in the middle.
“You decided to come after all,” Craig smiled.
Alistair didn’t reply. He sat down with his brothers and crossed his arms. The roof shook, and he could hear the dull thud from an explosion on the surface. They were still under attack, but it wouldn’t matter for much longer.
“Now that everyone is here I guess we’ll get started,” Craig said. “I didn’t have much, but before we seal the egg off I just wanted to say to everyone, YOU survived. I know this isn’t what we wanted. I know it’s not the plan and it sure as hell isn’t life as we once knew it. But every person here, every single one of you is a survivor! So, fuck mother nature! This planet is ours!”
~THE END~
~Discover the Epic Conclusion with~
“Never Tomorrow: Deconstruction Book Six
Coming Soon!!
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DECONSTRUCTION THE SERIES
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About the Author
The date was October 31, 1979. The air was cool, and a light fog blew in from the gulf, cloaking the Tampa area in an ominous, tight-fitting tunic. The annual Halloween festivities had just begun, and a night of mischievous tomfoolery was afoot.
Scandalous and nefarious characters took flight. Doorbells were rung, and ill-boding tricks were played regardless of the treats given. This was the dark reality of the bustling Florida metropolitan.
To the north, Grateful Dead crooned the night's theme music at the Nassau Coliseum. Within earshot of the concert, witnesses stated a UFO hovered over the grounds for thirty minutes before vanishing.
At the same time the Cromarty's were busy hosting their notorious Halloween party at 112 Ocean Ave., better known as the Amityville Horror House. Screams and cries for help were reported throughout the night, punctuated with the disappearance of the family next door. They were never heard from again.
Unknowingly altering the course of history, Kurt Vonnegut released "Jailbird" the same week KISS gained infamy on The Tomorrow Show. The aftermath of this collision would not be felt for decades until the emergence of Justin Bieber.
After a night filled with mayhem and destruction and the deaths of several prominent entertainers, politicians and a notorious bank robber, the Federal government was forced to loan $1.5 billion dollars to Chrysler. This spurred a series of violent protests, resulting in the Brunah Agate oil spill. Over 10.7 million gallons of oil were dumped into the Galveston Bay. This became the worst oil spill disaster in U.S. history.
A few hours later, on November 1, 1979, Rashad Freeman was born. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.
"I'm a writer, I right things."
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