2042: The Great Cataclysm (38 page)

A Navy Frigate lay at anchor on the ocean side of the south-eastern complex. Nick blinked at the startling sight. One hundred and seventeen metres long, her deck almost level with the fourth floor of the building, the top of her tall Navilon dome riding high beside the tenth floor. Her Sea sparrow missile system on the bow pointed ominously to the south. From their perspective it appeared that one could almost walk from the deck into the building, but in reality, the building was gutted up to the eighth floor, and the only access for man would be by the turbulent sea. Her Veto pad on her bow was devoid of its machine; the huge grey Westland Sea Kite, now deployed to Brisbane.  Graham hovered over the south tower.

‘Are you ready Nick?’
He shouted.

‘Too easy mate. After that episode last night I’m game for anything.’

The sling, as Graham called it was really a padded loop that fitted over the shoulders and under the armpits, a little more sophisticated than the crude rope sling he’d fashioned for their escape from the Phoenix.

‘I can angle the jets away from the skids but you’re going to have to drop fast and run like hell when you hit the roof.’ Graham shouted.

Nick checked his two-way, a small antiquated tool, but a very reliable one, and poked it into a pocket in his shorts, slipped the sling over his shoulders and edged out of the Veto ready for the drop down. ‘You’re next.’ He signalled to Karen. Alex’s face blanched as he watched Nick standing on the skids tugging on the spin resistant stainless steel cable checking its strength. Graham had assured him it would hold up to one hundred and forty kilograms. He slid off the skid
slowly
to dangle momentarily below the fuselage. Graham pressed the spring-loaded switch on his guidance lever and Nick descended so fast it was unlike anything he had experienced. His breath caught in his throat threatening to choke him and his stomach felt as though it would drop right out of his body. In a matter of seconds his feet touched the roof. The hot wind whipped up by the wake of the tsunami whined and nipped at his body in an unsuccessful bid to pry him loose, as he landed as a parachutist, with knees buckling limply, falling into a roll then standing quickly, throwing off the sling at the same instant. He did as instructed and ran out from under the downdraft to wait for the others
.
Now we’ll see how brave you are Kare
n
. He said to himself, as he waited for her to step out. Minutes later he saw the flash of her red jacket as she began her breathtaking descent. She shrugged out of her sling and rolled like a pro, bent low and ran away from the danger area in a blink of an eye.

‘Wow, what a ride.’ She said bending before Nick to catch her breath. My heart’s going a hundred miles an hour.’ She straightened smiling, and the instant their eyes met Nick felt a weird sensation of falling. He blushed as he reached to pull her to safety. They waited impatiently for the medical kit and ropes followed by Alex who managed to land without incident.

‘Just like bungee jumping without the kick back.’ He laughed. They signalled Liberty and watched as she banked away to the west. Nick’s two-way crackled. ‘Going home for a nap,’ Graham joked. ‘Call me when you want some more action.’

Nick flicked the transmit switch on the two-way. ‘Navy War ship below. Do you read me? This is Nick Torrens. I’m on the roof of the building beside you. I have a doctor and nurse with me.  We’re going into the building. Over.’

‘Torrens, this is the war ship Mittagong, Hold for Dave. Over.’

Dave’s anxious voice came in. ‘Nick! Welcome aboard. We can see people on the ninth floor, but we’ve been unable to get a message through to them.  It will make things a lot easier now you’re here and we can communicate. Over.’

‘Okay, Dave. I’m glad you’re down there.  I’ll call you once we’ve found them, standby. Out.’

Nick glanced anxiously around from the rooftop. ‘We’ll check for people on each floor as we go down.’ Nick suggested. ‘Let’s go!’

They made their way down the emergency stairs, stopping at each floor to thoroughly search for injured survivors. The top three floors were empty, as was the shopping arcade. The damage was horrendous. Windowless walls bore huge cracks, some threatening to fall out into the sea below. They saw blood stains on the concrete stairs leading down from the thirteenth floor.

‘Someone’s badly injured.’ Alex commented.

Chapter Forty-eight

Nick and Karen continued their search, finding nothing until they reached the ninth floor. The emergency door to the stairs was swinging open, and gathered in the internal foyer away from the howling wind, were a group of twenty or so silent people, and some children huddled together in fear. Karen gasped when she saw a man among the heads of another small group to their right raise a gun. She grabbed Nick’s wrist to warn him. Too late! Nick jerked forward when the gun rammed into his back.

‘Well, well, well. What have we here!’ A thickset man sporting a rakish flaxen beard and clad in Navilon and denim appeared before them. Large deep blue eyes peered suspiciously from a  handsome face, and thick blonde wavy hair fell into his eyes. He spoke in a cultured clear voice, not unlike Hud’s; the thin man they had come up against before the tsunami. ‘Which one of you gentlemen is in charge?’

Nick stepped forward. Without speaking the man jerked the two-way pod from Nick’s hand and examined it, grinning evilly.

‘What’s this, then?  Just what we wanted! Now those bastards down there are about to find out who’s boss here. Jilly get over here! Watch them.’

Jilly appeared still chewing gum but looking much less threatening, and considerably tired. The sly smile she wore before no longer apparent.The two Wyatt Earp revolvers now consigned to her.  ‘You bastards got any guns? She asked. ‘If you have you’d better hand them over.’

‘It was you I saw running across the walkway just before the tsunami.’ Nick said.

She tossed her head toward the man. ‘Yeah, Bobby saved me. Real hero.’

‘You finished?’ Bobby said to her. ‘Now we’ve decided that we’re to be rewarded for caring for these lovely folk here.’

He gestured toward the cowering group. ‘I would like you to contact your boss down there and tell him we require a speed boat, a million dollars and valid charge cards. Tell them to drop the money on the roof. We’d also like some ropes, and oh yes, some fresh food would be great. I’ll give them four hours. If they don’t respond to my demands, I’ll throw one of these nice folk out there.’ He said pointing to the open space that was once a wall of windows.

‘Ask for more money?’ Jilly whispered to Bobby.

‘Shut up bitch! ‘Do it!’ He demanded of Nick.

Nick called Dave and relayed the demands. ‘They mean business Dave. They’re one of the group who shot Bill. Can you get that much money? Over.’

‘Yes, but I don’t know about four hours. I can get the charge cards but don’t know about the money. We didn’t prepare for this type of contingency. Any chance of extra time? Over.’

‘No man. Four hours is it!’ Bobby sneered.

‘Sorry Dave they won’t negotiate. Please just do as they say, we’ve lost enough lives. I’m sure they’ll carry out their threat. Out.’

Nick was astounded by the demand for money, and didn’t they know charge cards would be worthless now?

This ninth floor was occupied by four apartments, and the group were being held in the gloomy centre foyer area where the lifts opened, where the only daylight emanated from the open door to the emergency stairs, which faced the southern side of the building, where a landing clung to the inner wall of the building, hanging precariously exposed to the elements, the outer wall having been ripped away.
 
The doors from the foyer to the apartments had been kept closed, ensuring the group remained under their control.

Bobby stationed himself near the stairs door along with Nick while they waited for the boat.

‘What’s your name?’ Bobby asked.

Nick ignored him.

‘I said ... what’s your name? At least you could be polite and answer me.’

‘Sorry.’ Nick said. ‘I’m not in the mood for conversation. Seeing we’re going to be stuck here for hours, I’m going to try to catch up on some sleep.’ With that, Nick removed his shirt and bundled it up for a pillow.

‘Suit yourself.’ Bobby said and wandered back to Jilly.

Nick had no intention of sleeping but wanted time to think. He beckoned Karen to join him so they could whisper to each other.

Not long after Jilly cried out, and they all looked to see a speed boat approaching from the west, bouncing like a jack rabbit over the choppy waves, heading toward the outer south-western corner of the building. 

Nick and Karen rejoined the captives, who he guessed had been held hostage by the gang since the tsunami had done their worst. The looters were unable to find food or water, so they were exhausted, injured and irate; a dangerous combination. Alex tendered the injured, while Karen was permitted to search for water. Each time someone wanted to use the bathroom they were escorted by one of the looters to an apartment that still had a toilet, but not in working order, so it was an unpleasant and necessary exercise.

Chapter Forty-nine

The four-hour deadline approached and there had been no word from Dave. Bobby instructed Nick to make contact again. ‘Come in Dave, it’s Nick. What’s happening? Over.’

‘The boat’s secured below. There’s a delay with the cash and charge cards I’m afraid. We can’t just go to a bank and get some! HQ’s working on it. Over.’

‘Well, I’m afraid you gentlemen are not taking us seriously.’ Bobby fumed. ‘We’ll see about that!  Time we showed them we mean business.’  He walked toward a young man huddled by the lift with a young woman and grabbed him by the shoulder, holding his gun to his head. The girl screamed as Bobby pushed him out through the emergency door onto the unstable landing.

The young girl lurched at Bobby, pounding his back with her fists. ‘No. No. No, please, don’t hurt him!’

Bobby swung around and hit her on the side of her head. She fell to the ground sobbing.

‘Dave! I think he’s going to throw a hostage into the sea. Where the hell’s the ransom? Over.’ Nick cried in desperation.

‘Sorry Nick we’re trying. Stop him! The money’s on the way it’ll be there shortly. Out.’

Nick looked despairingly at Bobby who shrugged his shoulders casually and rolled his eyes. Then he stepped toward the landing poked the young man in the ribs with his gun forcing him to the edge. A woman clasping a child to her legs begged unashamedly.

‘Somebody stop him!’

‘No-one can stop Bobby once he makes up his mind.’ Jilly drawled. ‘You should’ve done what he said.’

They heard the thin wild scream as the young man hurtled from the landing on his death flight to the ocean below.
Screams, accusations and exclamations of shock from the hostages followed as they huddled together rigid with fear. Karen leaned into Nick’s back and hugged him, sobbing quietly and he longed to turn around and cradle her in his arms, but common sense told him not to reveal a weakness to these criminals. Moments later a murderous Bobby re-entered the foyer with hatred written across his face, and they had no doubt that he would carry out any threat he made.

‘He has another two hours. Get on that radio and tell them there’ll be another high dive every thirty minutes if the money’s not here! Next time it’ll be that little lady behind you.’

‘Do something Nick!’ Alex pleaded wringing his hands. The thought of Karen being thrown from the roof terrified him.

Nick felt his hands shaking as he called Dave. ‘He say’s you have two more hours. He’ll throw Karen into the sea if the money’s not here in thirty minutes, and a hostage every thirty minutes after that until you get the money here. For Gods sake Dave where is it? Over.’

‘We’re trying our best but the communications are stuffed up. It’s being flown in from Amberley RAAF base west of here as we speak. Over.’

‘
I
kno
w
where Amberley air base is. He has eighteen hostages, including five children and us.  There’ll be a lot less if he doesn’t get it.’

‘I know, I know. Any idea who these people are Nick? Over.’

‘Christ Dave. No! Does it matter?’

‘Do you have a plan B?’

‘What do you mean do I have a plan B?’ Nick snapped. ‘Just get it!’

‘You know I will.’  Dave answered cautiously. ‘I’ll keep you up to speed. Over.’

‘These bastards have nothing to lose Dave. Over’

‘I wouldn’t say that. Over.’

‘Yeah, maybe. It doesn’t look like that from where I’m standing. I want to know everything that’s going on. Don’t let us down Dave. Over.’

‘Just stay calm. Don’t do anything rash. Okay? I’ll be back to you soon. Stand by. Out.’

***

The next two hours passed interminably slow and the hostages, despite being petrified about who would be killed next, were angry and arguing among themselves. Nick made no attempt to intervene, letting them vent their fears on each other.

The looters kept their distance whispering among themselves. Nick could see that they, too were becoming agitated. He was trying to think of a way to stop them carrying out their threats should Dave fail to get the ransom. He was going to stop them, one way or the other.