“Mom! Mom!”
Zeke?
Regis spun around and he saw him. He sighed in relief. “Zeke.”
Zeke looked his way, “Uncle Rege.”
Rescue workers shove by them both, but Regis managed to make it to his nephew. He embraced him. “Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I hit my head, but I’m fine,” Zeke said. “I can’t find my mom.”
Regis nodded as he held the boy’s shoulders. “They took her out already. She’s fine. I think a minor injury.”
“Uncle Mark?”
“The back of the plane is gone. I’m going to go look for him.”
“I’ll help.”
“No, listen, you get on a truck and you go,” Regis said. “You have to find your mom. She’ll be worried.”
“If you are able bodied and can walk,” A man shouted. “Please evacuate the plane now. We need to clear the area, ASAP.”
“Uncle Rege?” Zeke asked.
“Go. Please. Go.”
“You have to come.”
Regis shook his head. “I can’t. He’s my brother, my little brother, for the last couple months I abandoned him when he needed me. I will not abandon him especially now, because I feel he needs me.”
Zeke embraced him and reluctantly left with the last few people.
Regis stood alone in the plane. The only light was a single erected spotlight outside.
The rest of the workers carried out the few remaining injured and deceased. Regis listened to the sounds of people shouting for survivors to hurry.
He made his way to the back of the plane, hoping that maybe Mark flew upward and was unconscious somewhere.
“Sir,” a man called. “You need to leave the plane.”
“I’m looking for my brother.”
“There’s no one left.”
“He was in the back, Have you found it?” Regis asked.
“It’s about three quarters of a mile back. Everything is scattered. We don’t have time to check that debris field.”
Regis nodded. “Do you have a flashlight?”
“Sir, I cannot urge you enough to get on a vehicle. It is only a matter of time before radiation hits.”
“Do you have a brother?” Regis asked. “A younger brother.”
“I do.”
“What would you do? Would you get on a truck and hope for the best, or take a chance and find him?”
The worker just looked at Regis and within a few minutes, he was handing Regis a spot light style flashlight, handed him an orange radiation monitor card, and surprising Regis, he took off his radiation suit.
“Listen, you have an hour of oxygen. I would wait until you absolutely have to and put that on. Stay due north on the highway and you will make it to Schriever, walking, in less than an hour,” he said. “Watch your readings. Your body can only take so much.”
“Thank you, Thank you so much, Sir.” Regis placed the suit near the plane where he could find it.
“If you can’t start walking, come to the plane, block yourself in. “
“I will, thank you.”
Regis was moved and touched by the goodwill of the worker, and even more so when he drove Regis to the debris field.
After all the trucks had left it was completely dark. He could see the spotlight stand still by the plane, at least he wouldn’t lose track of that.
And with a single flashlight in hand, determined and worried, Regis began his search for his brother and he wasn’t going to leave, no matter what the cost to him, no matter how long, Regis wouldn’t not stop until he found him.
GROUND ZERO CITIZEN – Two
Washington D.C.
Due to the early morning hour, Terrence questioned how many people would actually know about the attack on America. That question was answered by the time he pulled into the loading area of the hotel. Typically if he arrived that early, there was no movement and most of the hotel was dark. Not on this morning. Lights were on, people buzzed about leaving, trying to get a taxi.
News had broken, people were aware.
Terrence couldn’t imagine any attack on D.C. coming before daylight. That was absurd. From every book he ever read, to movies he had seen, attacks came during the day. Even Pearl Harbor happened in the morning. Then his mind raced to the attacks of 2001. It was still dark on the west when the east was hit. There was no true time clock when it came to attacking. The enemy wasn’t going to wait until everyone was up and ready for the news.
He wasn’t the only one with the idea to gather items from the hotel as opposed to hoping for the best at the local market. Employees who knew of supplies were loading up their cars. No one really bothered to stop them.
When Terrence arrived at the back door, one of the maids was carrying an arm full of boxed cereal. Another employee came out with oatmeal and crackers. Terrence didn’t say anything about it, they were obviously taking items from the general storage. Those items were used to stock the complimentary continental breakfast and snack counter.
Terrence had a key to the kitchen storage. So did security. Terrence didn’t see any of those guys running out the back. He figured, they like him, were going after the good stuff. He made the decision to go back out, turn down the alley and park by the catering door. He blocked that off with his car, took his keys, raced inside and grabbed the flat dolly. No one said anything to him as he raced down the hall that ran behind the banquet rooms. In fact, a lot of employees looked scared when he walked in.
One of his kitchen workers froze in his tracks, as he carried items in his arms. “Sorry, Chef,” he said. “Please don’t stop me. I have a baby and I got to get them out of the city.”
“That’s fine. Go,” Terrence said, pushing his cart. He stopped and looked back. “Matt.”
“Yeah?”
“Take that out and come back in. Take some stuff from the back with me.”
“Thanks, Chef. I will.”
Terrence made it to the back storage. He was a smart man. He knew he should only make one trip back out to his car with supplies. Any more, he stood the risk of being robbed or his car stolen. Plus, he didn’t have a big vehicle. He didn’t have much room.
He loaded four cases of water, large cans of fruit, crackers, two huge jars of peanut butter and a few other items. Matt came into the room as Terrence finished taking what he would take.
“Keep that door open for others,” Terrence said.
“What if this doesn’t happen and we all get fired?” Matt asked.
“I don’t think that’s a worry. I have to go. Good luck to you.”
“Chef, where you headed?”
Terrence shook his head. “I don’t know. I just have to put distance between me and this city.” Without saying anymore, Terrence rolled that dolly down the hall, barreling by everyone and making them move out of his way.
He hustled back out the door tossing everything in his car. He left the dolly right there and took off. It was only a few minutes, fifteen tops but everything was already out of control.
Sirens blared, police cars flew down the streets, people raced around in a panic and it was still dark out. He made it to the 495 and traffic was still moving. The freeway was the quickest way for him to get back home. He could have taken side streets, but with all the makings of pandemonium, Terrence wanted to keep moving.
He called his wife, he wanted her to be ready for whenever he got there. He needed her and the girls, along with his mother at the door.
It took three unanswered calls and finally Macy answered the phone.
“Terrence, what’s wrong?” she asked, not even bothering to say hello.
“Mace, listen to me. I need you to wake the girls and momma, get dressed, grab a few things from the apartment and…”
“Whoa. Whoa, Wait. Terrence, what the hell?”