It was like they’d landed in paradise. Shy put both his palms on the ground beside him, amazed that he was actually back on solid ground. He studied the broken-down sailboat on his left. He saw now that there were gashes in the side and the bar that held the torn sail was badly bent. No way this thing would ever sail again. It was a major reminder of what damage the waves had caused.
“That was the easy part,” Shoeshine called to them. “Still got four hundred sixty-five steps to go. I’ve counted.”
“It’s so strange,” Addie said to Shy. “In a few minutes I’ll know if he’s still alive.”
He nodded.
“Even if he’s done bad things,” she said, “he’s still my dad, you know?”
“I get it,” Shy said as he struggled to his feet. But he didn’t want to think about Addie’s dad right now. Or the shady things he may have been doing. Like the picture of Shy Addie had found in his room. His legs were incredibly wobbly. He could barely walk. All Shy wanted to think about right now was the fact that he was alive. And he was on dry land.
Addie looked up at Shy, said: “I don’t even know if I can make it up these stairs. I’m so weak.”
“I bet there’s food and water up there,” Shy told her. “And a bed.” He helped Addie up, thinking about how close he now felt to her. They’d survived together. No one could ever take that away. But he also knew the butterflies flooding his stomach were about something else. Something that made him feel like a bad guy.
As Shy and Addie followed Shoeshine up the stairs, side by side, he remembered Carmen’s dark brown hair and brown eyes. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn’t. He remembered how she’d stepped into the hall outside her cabin with wine when he couldn’t sleep. All the early-morning talks they’d had on the Lido Deck, when she stopped by with her coffee.
Come on, Carm, he thought as he closed his eyes and touched the ring in his pocket.
You gotta be up there.
Please be up there.
Shoeshine stopped as they neared the top of the stairs. He glanced up at the hotel, then looked out at the men on the research ship. He pulled his notebook from the duffel bag, hid the bag with the gun and syringes inside the thick bushes growing right up against the stairs and continued on.
“What was that all about?” Shy asked, glancing at the beat-up leather notebook in Shoeshine’s hand.
“We know the world has changed,” Shoeshine answered, “we just don’t know which way.”
Shy and Addie looked at each other, confused. “I don’t get it,” Shy said.
Shoeshine shook his head and pointed toward the hotel. “Plenty of empty rooms. Doors are all open, keys on the desks inside. Once you claim your room you can lock it. Food and water in the restaurant out back. Extra clothes in the lobby.”
“Aren’t you coming?” Shy said.
“I need to check something on the other side,” Shoeshine said. “Ask for Christian, the doctor I told you about. He’ll tell you whatever else you need to know.”
After they watched Shoeshine disappear around the hotel, Addie turned to Shy. “So you know him?”
“Shoeshine? Sort of.” Shy turned toward the hotel. “I know Christian a little, too. We started out on the same life raft.” Shy remembered being right next to Christian as the giant wave roared toward them. He shook the memory out of his head and wondered if he’d find Kevin and Marcus inside. And Paolo.
“I don’t understand why everything’s so secretive,” Addie said. She squatted down and put her hand on the ground.
“Same here.” Shy looked up at the hotel, which was about a dozen stories high, with big windows and balconies. He turned to Addie, who was now rubbing her temples. “You all right?”
She nodded. “Just a little dizzy. Getting up here took all my strength. I think I need to lie down or something.”
“Can you make it inside? I’m sure we’ll find you a better spot.”
Addie nodded, and Shy helped her to her feet.
They cut across the puddled lawn together, pushed through the hotel doors and stepped into the lobby.
“Damn, look at this place,” Shy said. It reminded him of the ship’s atrium, only ten times the size. High domed ceilings and massive chandeliers. Giant framed paintings on every wall. Thick carved pillars. Antique-looking couches. Marble floors and a marble staircase that wrapped in a circle up to the second level. Shy wondered if those stairs would lead him to a room where he’d find Carmen.
“I knew they had a hotel here,” Addie said, “but I never pictured it like this.”
“So, this is where people from your old man’s company stay?” Shy asked.
“And the doctors they fly out for vacation. My mom said it’s one of the ways they get people to invest in their products.”
They both turned when they heard people walking across the marble floor. It was Christian and two men Shy didn’t recognize.
Christian stopped suddenly. “Shy? Is that you?”
Shy nodded, surprised at how emotional he felt seeing someone who’d been with him on the raft.
“Jesus, man! I’m so happy to see you!” Christian hurried across the lobby toward them, gave Shy a quick hug, then hugged Addie, too. “How’d you guys get here? We didn’t think anyone else survived.”
“Shoe found us,” Shy told him. “In the middle of the night. We thought it was over.”
“Shoeshine. Of course. Man, thank God you guys are okay.”
“They’re more than okay,” one of the men said, stepping forward. He had a long, dark beard and a receding hairline. “How would you feel if I told you you’re going home? Tonight?”
“Tonight?” Shy said. “Are you serious?”
“That’s right,” the shorter man said. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops. “We’re departing just after the sun sets.”
The man with the beard smiled and held out his hand to Shy. “I’m Greg Walker, and I’m in charge of the research expedition. This is my head assistant, Connor Simms.”
Shy gave his name and shook hands with both men. Addie did the same.
“You two showed up just in time,” Greg continued. “We were sent here to study the tsunamis’ effects on the sea life just off the coast of the island. But that went out the window when we found all the survivors here. Our mission now is to get you back home to your families.”
Shy squeezed Addie’s arm. He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
She smiled back at him and nodded, but she seemed to be swaying a little, too. Shy gripped her elbow, trying to steady her.
“What about California, though?” he asked the two men. “Isn’t it messed up really bad?”
“There’s a lot of damage,” the shorter man, Connor, said. “It’s terrible. But the entire country has come to the aid of all the western states affected. You’d be amazed how much people are coming together.”
“They said the death count wasn’t quite as high as the media originally reported,” Christian added. “All we can do is pray that our families and friends are okay.”
Greg slapped Shy on the shoulder Shoeshine had just stuck the syringe into. “We’ll be explaining everything in a few hours over lunch. One-thirty, if you’re near someone with a watch. Go get some rest. We’ll make sure everyone knows when it’s time to gather in the restaurant. I’ll be going over all the logistics of our departure.”
“You’re safe now,” Connor said.
Greg nodded. “And we’re thrilled to be bringing two more home with us.”
Shy felt Addie suddenly start slipping through his grip. He caught her at the last second and lowered her to the ground. “Jesus, Addie,” he said, kneeling down to pick up her head. Her eyes were closed. “Addie? Can you hear me?”