Boyd Morrison - The Tsunami Countdown

“Stop thinking about yourself, you bastard. That’s my wife over there.”

“Kai, think straight. Your daughter is over here, along with seven other people.”

“I agree with Brad, Kai,” Teresa said. “We have to get the girls out of here.”

“I may be a bastard,” Brad said, “but you know I’m right. Rachel would never forgive you.”

So that was the choice. Kai’s wife or his daughter. There was no right answer, just a terrible decision. He looked at the haggard faces around him.

They were right, of course. Kai wasn’t thinking straight. Lani was what mattered above all else. Kai keyed the walkie-talkie. His voice strained to keep from breaking.

“Okay, Stan. Come get us first. Are there any other helicopters in the area?”

“I haven’t been able to get one.”

“Then we’ll get her ourselves.”

“How many of you are there?”

“Eight.”

There was a pause. Then Stan said, “I’ve burned up some fuel since the last trip. We’ll give it a shot.”

If someone had to stay behind on the Grand Hawaiian, Kai would gladly let Rachel take his spot when they got there.

“You should be able to see my AStar by now, northwest of your position.”

Kai took a quick look and saw the helicopter speeding toward them. It was small. Kai could see why their numbers gave the pilot pause.

“Did you hear that, honey?” he said. “We’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

“Kai, let me speak to Lani.”

He held the walkie-talkie up to his daughter.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, honey. Lani, I want you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom,” Lani sobbed.

“You are such a joy in my life. I couldn’t be prouder to be your mother.”

Lani was crying so hard, she couldn’t answer.

“No matter what happens today,” Rachel said, “you be strong. You’re a smart, caring, beautiful girl, and I know you’ll grow up to be a wonderful woman.”

“Mom, we’re coming to get you!”

“I know, Lani. Be good. I can’t wait to give you a hug.”

“Me too.”

In the background behind her voice, Kai could hear loud crunching, as if the Grand Hawaiian were being eaten by an enormous monster.

“Rachel, what’s that?” But he knew what it was, because the building they were standing on was making the same noise. Both buildings were in their death throes. “Are you okay?”

“Just hurry, Kai!”

The chopper hovered over them but didn’t land. The pilot pointed at the antenna in the middle of the roof. The rotor blades would strike it if the helicopter tried to land. The railing all around the roof rose four feet above the deck. The best the pilot could do was lower the left side of the helicopter so that its skid was resting on the railing. With the pilot sitting on the right, both the front and rear doors were accessible. The sound of the rotors was deafening, and the downdraft from the blades buffeted the group mercilessly.

The building shuddered again. The structure was on the verge of collapse.

Before Kai could establish an order for getting in the helicopter, Chuck pushed past everyone and jumped into the backseat, pulling his small suitcase behind him. Denise stood next to Kai, as flabbergasted as he was.

“Hey!” Brad yelled and scrambled in after him. He wrestled with Chuck, trying to pull him out of the chopper. “You bastard! Children first!”

“Stop it!” Kai shouted. “Forget it! There’s room for all of us. There’s no time.”

Brad stopped fighting, but before he moved back to the opposite side, he tore the bag away from Chuck.

“That’s mine!” Chuck screamed.

“Not anymore!” Brad yelled back and threw it out the door. The rotor wash blew it sideways, where it smashed into the outer wall of the building, popping open. Just as Denise had said, baseballs, dozens of them, dropped to the water below.

Chuck threw a murderous glare at Brad.

“Don’t even think about it, Chuckles,” Brad said. “Or you’ll follow them.” Chuck buckled himself in, and Brad turned his attention back to the others trying to board.

Brad hoisted Tom by his good arm while Kai boosted him up from below and guided him into the seat next to the pilot. The breeze from the ocean challenged the pilot to keep a steady position. Despite Stan’s efforts, the AStar kept moving back and forth in response, making it difficult to get a grip. Kai climbed up on the six-inchwide railing of the building and held on to the helicopter as he gingerly pulled Mia up. Teresa and Lani supported her and tried not to hit her bad leg.

“Don’t look down,” Kai yelled over the sound of the rotors. He didn’t follow his own advice and peered through the space between the helicopter and the skid. The water had reached its acme, but it was still a hundred feet below them. Kai looked away quickly before vertigo could claim him.

Once Mia was safely inside next to Tom, Kai grabbed Lani’s hand and yanked. When she got onto the railing, she teetered for a second, and Kai thought for sure that she was going to fall. She screamed, and Brad grabbed her other hand, swinging her into the backseat.

Denise crammed herself into the front seat with Tom and Mia, leaving enough room in the backseat for the rest of them.

That left Teresa. As Kai pulled her up, a gust of wind blew the helicopter farther along the railing, which threw both of them off balance. She stumbled sideways, wobbling precariously on the railing, and Kai fell against the side of the chopper.

Mia yelled “No!” as Brad threw himself onto the floor of the helicopter and grabbed both of Kai’s arms to keep him upright.

“Teresa!” Kai shouted. “Come on!”

She careened back toward him and latched onto his legs to keep herself upright. Suddenly her full weight pulled on him. The wind had changed direction and pushed the helicopter away from the building. They were suspended high above the water.

“Don’t let go!” Kai screamed to Teresa, as if that would help.

Seeing that Teresa might be crushed against the building if the pilot tried to get even with it again, Brad yelled, “Up! Up! Up!”

The weight pulling Kai down seemed to double when the pilot maneuvered up. Kai felt Teresa slip down his legs and heard her scream.

“Hold on!” he yelled stupidly. The door banged against him as it fluttered back and forth in the rotor wash.

Teresa came to a stop, her arms wrapped around Kai’s ankles.

“Pull me up!”

“I can’t!” Brad said, straining from the weight.

Kai saw a belt dangling from the backseat. He gripped it with one hand and pulled himself up until his upper body was on the backseat of the AStar. Lani tried to pull him in, but with her strength sapped, she wasn’t much help. Chuck sat there motionless, his eyes wide with terror.

Kai’s legs hung over the side, still tightly held by Teresa.

“You can let go!” Kai yelled to Brad. “Get Teresa!”

Brad released him, and now Kai’s grip was the only thing keeping him and Teresa from falling from the helicopter. Brad leaned out and strained to grab Teresa.

“I can’t reach you!” Brad said. “Give me your hand!”

Kai felt Teresa release his left leg. Then he heard her shriek and let go of his right leg.

“No!” he yelled.

He pulled himself up, turned around, and saw that Brad was still draped over the side. With trepidation, he looked over the edge.

Teresa dangled by only one hand from Brad’s hold. She had inadvertently let go when grabbing for Brad. Kai flattened himself onto the seat.

“Grab my hand,” he said.

Teresa flailed until her palm reached his. He clenched it fiercely.

“Pull!”

With the two of them pulling, Teresa’s light frame practically rocketed into the helicopter onto the seat next to Kai. He slammed the door behind her.