Flight Plan: Deconstruction Book Three (A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller) Read online

  CHAPTER 17

  THE WORST GOOD NEWS

  The air inside of the terminal was cool and fresh. It was a welcome change from the stale, heat inside of the plane. Toby and I had stretched out on a row of cushioned seats and Grayson sat on the floor in front of us playing on his phone that no longer had reception.

  The giant paned windows rattled violently with every lightning strike. I could feel the thunder in my bones, making my hands shake like a baby rattle. It was a storm like I’d never seen before.

  “MJ,” Tim called out.

  I sat up and my head swam in dizziness. With a deep breath, I steadied myself and focused my eyes. Tim was giving me a curious look, but didn’t say anything.

  “How can I help you?”

  “Craig is stable. Doc says he should be fine, just a concussion.”

  “That’s good,” I said with a smile.

  “You should probably have her take a look at you while we have time. You’ve been running at full load for a while now.”

  I forced a grin on my face. “I think I’m alright. Just need some rest.”

  “I’m sorry if I made that sound like you had a choice. You don’t,” Tim said starkly then turned and walked off.

  “I’m starting to really hate that guy,” Toby mumbled.

  “He means well, just not really a people person.”

  Toby grunted.

  Craig had fallen on his head trying to get off the plane and was knocked unconscious. One of his men had to retrieve him and the boarding ladder. He’d been in and out ever since, but Cynthia, the CDC doctor that had hitched a ride with us was certain he was fine.

  “I’m just tired,” I mumbled to myself then laid my head on Toby’s shoulder.

  I stared out of the window as traces of purplish-blue streaked across the sky. The raging darkness bellowed like a demon, spitting fire and shaking the ground with its anger. If it didn’t look like the world had been sent to kill us it would’ve been beautiful.

  Grayson was mesmerized by it. He’d sat the phone down and started to gaze outside with wild eyes.

  I scooted off the chair and sat down next to him. Wrapping my arm around him, I sat and watched the storm wreak havoc. He leaned into me and I sucked in the smell of his hair.

  “Mom,” he whispered. “Are we going to die?”

  I took a deep breath and looked over at him. “Not if I can help it,” I replied.

  “All the people back home, are they dead?”

  I wanted to shelter him, to keep him away from the horrors that we were running headstrong into. But I knew I couldn’t do that anymore and every lie I told him I sacrificed a piece of my soul.

  “The people back home…they’re, they’re probably all gone Grayson. We have to worry about us now. You understand?”

  He nodded then slumped against my shoulder and closed his eyes. I laid with him the rest of the night until I fell into a deep, sleep.

  My dreams were few, but scattered across my mind like an old movie reel. Horrible sights that I couldn’t wake from, far too closer to reality for me to ignore. My fears haunted me for the night, but I knew they’d still be there in the morning.

  I awoke in the morning to gray, dreary skies with bits of sunlight. Toby was stretched out, snoring loudly and Grayson had entangled himself with a thin, maroon blanket we found. Some of the others were up and about including Craig, who was hobbling around trying to get his legs under him.

  “Mrs. Buchannan,” someone called from behind me.

  I looked back and smiled. Cynthia was standing behind the row of seats holding a clipboard, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

  She was a small lady, standing right at five feet tall with blonde hair and brown roots that betrayed her. She was probably my age, but had the frail look of someone that spent their life in a classroom. Honestly, I didn’t know much about her, but since she was the only doctor we had it was probably a good idea to make friends.

  “How can I help you Cynthia?” I asked and returned the smile.

  “Secretary Garner told me you should have an exam”

  I sighed. “Yes…are you ready now?”

  “If you could follow me.”

  “Um, I just woke up. Let me run to the restroom.”

  She nodded and started to walk off. “You can meet me near gate D. There’s a small office over there I’ve been using.”

  I stood up and tapped Toby. He groaned and slapped my hand away.

  “Toby,” I called and pushed against his shoulder.

  “Yeah…yeah what’s wrong?”

  “Going to the see the doctor. Get up, we should be leaving soon.”

  Toby yawned and looked outside. They weather had gotten worse since I last looked. Now the gray clouds were nearly black and then wind was started to whip loose object around in a tantrum.

  “I don’t think we’re going anywhere,” he replied.

  I shook my head then grabbed my bag and headed to the restroom. After brushing my teeth, I stared in the mirror for a while. I’d just woken up, but I was exhausted. There was so much going on, so many things on my mind and I just wanted to live normal again.

  I splashed water on my face and thought back to the day this all started. It wasn’t very different from this day and I’d learned that every day since could’ve been my last.

  I left the restroom and made my way to Cynthia. There was a small administrative office down a bright hall that she had used to work on Craig. She had a small bag with her full of drugs and medical supplies and that was all she needed.

  I walked in and took a seat in a chair across from her. She smiled then looked me up and down before speaking.

  “Any idea why the secretary wanted you to get looked at?”

  “Well, the last few days have been a bit rough.”

  “How so?” she asked and crossed her legs.

  “Wouldn’t you agree? Look at us”

  Cynthia smiled. “I guess you could say that,” she replied then started jotting down on a piece of paper.

  “What kind of doctor are you?”

  “I used to practice family medicine.”

  “And now?”

  “And now I talk with spies.”

  I nodded. “Well, can we hurry this up.”

  “Sure, I’m just gonna take some vitals and you can be on your way.”

  She stood up, smiled at me then reached into her bag and started pulling out supplies. I couldn’t help, but feel that I offended her, but at the same time I felt like Tim was trying to assess my mental state for reasons I didn’t know.

  Working in the intelligence community made you skeptical of everything and I tried to always keep that in mind. But I had a feeling Tim was planning something and I doubted it was going to work out in my favor.

  Cynthia got to work checking my blood pressure and listening to my heart beat. She ran a few of the normal, basic motor skills tests and then we sat back at her desk.

  “Well, you look good. Nothing to worry about, you just need some rest.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “There is one thing though,” she said lowly and raised her eyebrows at me.

  I leaned forward and glared at her. She was smiling back at me like I’d told her some kind of joke. I was tired, the world was ending and we still had hundreds of miles to travel, I wasn’t in the mood.

  “What is it?” I asked in a tone of annoyance.

  She turned sideways in her chair then stared at her watch. Turning back to me, she stared in silence like I could read her mind. Then she cleared her throat and grinned.

  “Well…I would’ve thought you’d tell me,” she said. “I’m certain you already know.”

  I jumped up and my chair toppled over. I placed my hands on the desk and leaned in toward her. “Look lady…Cynthia. I’m not in the mood. So, tell me what the hell you found!”

  “No need for this Mrs. Buchannan. I was trying to be discreet,” she pleaded and leaned back. “I don’t have
any actual tests with me and no way of doing your bloodwork, but you’re pregnant.”

  CHAPTER 18

  MAYBE TOMORROW

  My mouth fell open and I took a step back nearly tripping over the upturned chair. I caught myself on the wall then straightened the chair and sat down.

  “That…that can’t be right,” I stuttered.

  “I think you know it is.”

  “No, I…I can’t have any more kids. I wasn’t even supposed to have Grayson.”

  “I heard two heartbeats Mrs. Buchannan. You’re pregnant, I’m sure of it.”

  With trembling hands, I covered my mouth and looked away. A million ideas raced through my mind, but one worried me more than others. What would a baby mean for me?

  Would it cost me my seat on the Mayflower? Would a pregnant woman even be allowed to make the trip? I already knew the answer.

  We’d spent months submitting data on family members or anyone that would have a seat on the ship. Months of testing disguised as routine government physicals and over precautions. I knew that pregnancy was a disqualifier, something I’d never worried about.

  “You, you…you can’t tell Tim,” I said as I stared at her with red, watering eyes.

  “I have to, I have to report all medical changes.”

  “No!” I screamed then covered my mouth. “You don’t understand. If he knows I’m pregnant I won’t be able to go. He’ll leave me here, he’ll leave my family here to die.”

  “The Secretary would never do that,” she said, but I heard the doubt in her voice.

  “Oh yes he would. It was a disqualifier during the screening and I’m certain that hasn’t changed. Please…please, just…just wait until the ship leaves. Two days is all I’m asking you.”

  Cynthia took a deep breath and swallowed. She ground her teeth then started to tap her fingers against the desk.

  “Please,” I said again. “You can’t tell anyone, not Tim, not my husband.”

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “I don’t need him worrying about something like this. Once we’re safe, once we’re on the way I’ll let him know.”

  “I’ll try. I won’t offer the information, but that’s the best I can do. I can’t lie to the secretary if he asks me a direct question.”

  I stood up and took a deep breath. I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned. “Thanks,” I told her then headed for the door.

  “MJ,” she called.

  I paused and turned around.

  “I’m in your corner MJ. I really am, I promise.”

  I smiled then walked outside and headed back to the boarding area. Toby was up and was sitting with Grayson staring outside. A few of Craig’s men were running across the tarmac toward a hangar. They were drifting from side to side as gusts of torrential wind smashed into them like a tsunami. I assumed they’d begun the search for a fuel truck, but with the way the weather looked I didn’t see how we were getting back on that plane.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Toby.

  “Not sure. Your buddy Tim came out shouting to that army guy and they all started running off in different directions. What did the doctor say?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing. Healthy as a horse…or however that saying goes.”

  “Let’s go people!” Tim suddenly shouted. “Grab your things, everyone to the gate.”

  “Were leaving?” I asked as he walked by.

  “Yes. This is the best weather we are going to get. It’s going to get a lot worse and I don’t need to remind you…we’re on a clock.”

  Swallowing I looked back to the windows. One of the soldiers had fallen and the wind blew him several feet before he could regain his footing. My heart quickened its pace and I took a deep breath. “This is suicide,” I mumbled.

  “What?” Tim asked.

  “We could drive Tim. It can’t be more than ten hours from here.”

  “It’s twenty hours MJ…if the roads were drivable and we didn’t have to take any detours. It’s less than five hours if we fly.”

  “Doesn’t matter how quick the flight is if we crash and die.”

  “MJ, everything Neilman said, everything…has come true. Parts of the country are just gone. Imploded and fallen into craters, whole cities. If we don’t get in the air now, nothing matters because we all die. We take our chances with this storm.”

  He didn’t wait for a reply. He tore off, screaming orders and shouting at people. I hoped he was wrong, but part of me knew that death was coming.

  I grabbed my bag from the floor and turned back to Toby. “Let’s go.”

  Sighing, he shrugged then tapped Grayson on the arm. We walked to the door that led to the apron and waited with everyone else. Abraham and Jack were talking with Bill and Tim with Cynthia standing to the side. She glanced back at me then looked away and I felt my heart flitter.

  “Alright guys, it’s pretty windy out there,” Abraham said. “Once you get to the boarding steps keep your head low and hurry. As soon as you’re in get buckled up cause we’re gonna put this bird in the air with some vengeance.”

  He had a way of making everything sound like a scene from an action movie. He probably wasn’t that far of, but I was already nervous enough.

  “It’s only a plane,” someone said from behind me.

  I turned around as Craig slowly made his way to the door. His head was still bandaged, but he looked like he was ready to return to the front line.

  “I could say the same to you,” I replied.

  He smiled and tilted his head. “Fair enough.”

  “Sir, we moved all the debris. Clear path,” one of the soldiers called to Craig.

  “Secretary, we’re ready,” Craig shouted.

  Tim nodded and patted Abraham on the arm. “Keep this thing in the sky.”

  “Yes sir,” Abraham replied then pushed the doors open.

  I could feel the rush of wind sweep through the opening and nearly push me off my feet. I looked back at Toby and he grabbed Grayson’s hand and nodded.

  “Hurry, hurry!” Jack and Abraham shouted in unison as they raced outside.

  The crowd surged forward. We tried to run for the plane, but the wind was too strong. Leaning into it, I walked with slow, deliberate steps. It felt like I was pushing against and invisible wall. There was no way the plane was going to get off the ground.

  I reached the boarding ladder and grabbed the side to steady myself. I pushed Grayson in front of me then started up the stairs behind him. Toby was behind me, pushing me forward when I lost my footing.

  The wind shrieked in high pitch squeals as it collided with the walls of the ladder. The plane rocked back and forth and sheets of ice-like sand scraped through the air, stinging every bit of bare skin.

  The sound of debris hitting the ladder was terrifying. Wind blasted us in ferocious punches, dying for only seconds before ripping again with more power.

  The ladder wobbled with every gust, moving slightly from the door. I finally reached the top and dove into the cabin. Grayson helped me up then as Toby climbed on board we hurried to find our seat.

  “I’m scared,” Toby said in an emotionless tone.

  I wanted to tell him I was too, but I knew that wouldn’t help. He always looked at me like I was a superhero. I couldn’t afford to start letting him down now.

  I grabbed his hand and smiled. “We’re gonna be fine. You saw the pilot, Abraham? The big bald guy?”

  Grayson nodded.

  “He used to fly planes during the war. Big planes like this one, while people tried to shoot him out of the sky.”

  “So, did he crash?”

  “Nope, not once. He blew up everybody that tried to hurt him. He knows what he’s doing.”

  Grayson let out a little laugh and I grabbed his hand. Toby huffed then cut his eyes at me. I nudged him with my elbow and he turned to look out of the window.

  “What?” I leaned in his ear and asked.

  “We’re flying through a tornado and you tell him the pilot
likes to blow people up.”

  “He liked it and he’s not worrying about the plane crashing anymore.”

  “Someone needs to be,” he growled in a muffled voice.

  “Toby, I hate being on this plane…more than you’ll ever know. But what’s coming, nobody is gonna survive what’s coming.”

  The intercom squeaked to life and I turned back to face the front. “The winds are dying down. We’ll have a small window to get off the ground and make altitude. Stay seated and keep your seatbelts buckled,” Jack finished.

  The plane pushed off from the apron and we started to taxi toward the runway. It was mid-afternoon, but looked closer to late evening. The sky was a dull, gray, covered in smears of clouds waiting to burst. We’d been lucky though, it hadn’t rained yet and the lightning we saw last night hadn’t reappeared.

  I felt a nervous tingling in my fingertips as we stopped in front of the long stretch of concrete. The windsocks had been torn off along with the poles they were attached to. Luggage trains and other random debris had been moved into the grass by the soldiers earlier that morning. The only indication that the wind hadn’t given up was the tall grass that kept ripping to the side with each gust.

  “Abraham can fly,” I said to no one. “We’re gonna be fine.”

  Grayson had his eyes slammed shut. He squeezed my hand every time the turbines spun up with a gurgling whoosh then settled. It was torture waiting for the plane to take off.

  The engines growled again and I grabbed Toby with my free hand. He turned and looked at me and I stared into his eyes.

  “Toby…I love you so much. There’s something…something.”

  “What?” he leaned toward me and asked. “What is it?”

  “Today, Cynthia…she told me…”

  Suddenly the plane jolted forward and we started barreling down the runway. I slammed back into my seat as I felt the air rush from my lungs.

  We rumbled back and forth like we’d run off the road. The plane bounced and lurched from side to side then I felt the feeling of weightlessness.

  As soon as we took flight the plane veered to the left. A loud roar erupted as the engines begged for more power and the nose rose higher. I felt like we were going straight up and at any minute the plane would invert.