HAYWIRE: A Pandemic Thriller (The F.A.S.T. Series Book 2) (51 page)

‘We need to get above this water right now!’ yelled Forest.

Erin pointed. ‘There. That’s our only chance.’

Before the two Marines could disagree, Erin slogged through the water toward the rear wall. The water grew deeper with every step.

This idea is crazy!
her brain warned.
This will never work.

Erin didn’t care.

She reached the half-submerged panoramic elevators. The water reached her hips. She pushed the button and prayed the water hadn’t already short-circuited the controls.

The button lit up bright blue.

The elevators still had power!

CRAAAAACK!

Behind Erin, the plexiglass released the loudest sound yet.

Erin glanced back.

Oh, my God
.

 The crack now extended horizontally right across the entire panel. It looked just seconds from completely collapsing.

‘It’s coming down!’ King bellowed.

‘Here come the elevators,’ pointed Forest.

Both elevators were descending. They reached the bottom. The doors near Erin opened first.

Water surged into the elevator. Erin’s legs were washed out from under her. The elevator swallowed her like a giant mouth.

King hauled her back to her feet.

Forest surged into the elevator behind them.

‘Quickly,’ pointed Erin. ‘Before the water reaches the controls.’

Forest pressed the top button.

Nothing happened.

Forest thumped the button with his fist.

‘Just wait,’ cried Erin. ‘The doors take a few seconds to close.’

Please close. Please close.

The doors began to close, and Erin thanked whatever guardian angel was watching over her today.

‘It’s not moving,’ said Forest. ‘We’re tilting too much.’

‘It’s the water,’ said King. ‘We’re too heavy.’

Erin pointed to the controls. ‘Look!’

The elevator controls were creeping up and away from the water. The elevator was rising slowly.

‘Come on,’ yelled Forest. ‘Move you stupid thing. MOVE!’

Erin willed the elevator to rise.

King pried the blade of his paddle between the doors, allowing the water to escape faster.

‘It’s working!’ cried Erin.

The water dropped to below her knees.

Then it happened.

In all her time on the
First Lady of the Sea
, Erin never imagined she’d witness such an incredible and terrifying sight.

Slapping one hand over her mouth, she stared out through the glass doors into the cavernous dining hall.

She pointed wordlessly at the gigantic plexiglass wall.

The top half of the aquarium wall collapsed like two giant slabs of ice birthing from a glacier.

A tsunami-like wave erupted from the aquarium.

The wave swallowed everything.

The upper dining area disappeared.

The wave smashed through the balcony and pounded down into the lower dining hall. Within the space of a heartbeat, the entire dining hall transformed into Niagara Falls.

‘Here it comes,’ said Forest in awe.

They hadn’t risen high enough.

Erin stared speechless at the maelstrom of churning white water tumbling straight toward them. She pressed herself flat to the back of the elevator.

King and Forest braced themselves.

Erin gripped the handrail as the wave reached them.

Here it comes. This is it.

The giant wave crashed into the back of the dining hall, surged up the wall...

...and completely engulfed their elevator.

The impact knocked Erin off her feet.

Water poured into the elevator through the doors and ceiling.

Erin leaped up. Through the elevator’s glass doors she glimpsed all the contents of the grand dining hall suspended in the tumultuous water. Huge tables flipped and spun end-over-end through the water.

A table cut through the water above the elevator like a circling shark.

If one of those tables hit the glass carriage, Erin knew the implosion would kill them.

If they didn’t drown first.

The water level in the elevator rose past her knees rapidly.

We’re trapped in here. We’re trapped in a glass box underwater. We’re going to drown!

‘We need to get out!’ she cried, lunging for the controls. If she could at least get the doors open they could try swimming to the surface.

Forest grabbed her wrist. ‘Wait. Don’t open the doors.’

‘We need to escape!’ Erin yelled. She spun toward King. ‘Use the paddle. Pry open the doors!’

King nodded and grimly lifted the paddle. ‘She’s right, Forest. We need to get out!’

‘Just wait!’ yelled Forest.

‘For what?’ Erin cried.

‘That,’ pointed Forest.

Erin looked through the glass doors. The water was gone. It wasn’t pouring through the ceiling any longer either. Below the elevator the water receded even lower.

The water had rushed up the wall around their elevator and then rushed back down again. The ship hadn’t tilted back far enough yet for the entire dining hall to flood.

They had been submerged only seconds, but it felt much longer.

The water levelled out just a few meters below them.

They still crept steadily upward.

Erin looked at the others in amazement as they were lifted up and away from the chaos below.

We really made it,
she assured herself.
We’re okay.

‘Good work,’ King told Erin. Forest nodded, but stared down at the swirling maelstrom they’d barely escaped.

Erin didn’t even feel the elevator stop. She only realized when the doors opened. They all stepped out into the corridor, as though stepping from the jaws of death. All three of them dripped water on the carpet, a reminder of what they’d just survived.

‘Which way?’ asked King.

Erin pointed, feeling slightly dazed by the dazzling sunlight coming down the stairs. ‘Just up those stairs and you can see the helipad.’

Christov ran toward his helicopter.

Seawater spread across the helipad.

He leaped into the waiting chopper and slammed the door.

‘Go! Go! Go!’ he yelled.

‘What about the others?’ demanded the pilot.

‘There are no others!’ yelled Christov. ‘It’s just me. I’m the only one left.’

The pilot pointed through the windshield. ‘But I can see Bolton.’

Christov squinted through the foam and spray that the helicopter was churning up from the seawater.

He’s right
, realized Christov.
Bolton made it!

Even through the watery haze there was no mistaking the electric blue plasma lance that Bolton was running with.

Christov squinted.

Wait. That’s not Bolton.

‘It’s a Marine,’ cried Christov. ‘He’s got Bolton’s lance. Get us airborne. Hurry!’

The chopper’s engines roared.

They began lifting off.

‘Faster!’ yelled Christov.

The Marine ran straight toward the chopper’s windshield.

The helicopter rose above the deck. Christov threw himself back in his seat, relieved beyond measure.

His relief lasted only a moment.

The plasma lance burst up through the floor beside his leg.

‘Holy shit!’ cried the pilot.

Intense heat scorched Christov’s leg. The water on his wet uniform instantly turned to steam.

He threw himself sideways, away from the heat, away from the deadly plasma cutting up through the floor.

The lance sliced back between their seats, cutting through the fuselage like a fisherman gutting a fish. Christov watched the lance eviscerating the chopper. The blinding plasma cleaved right through the cargo area before disappearing into the tail section.

Alarms sounded from all over the cockpit.

The pilot began rapidly hitting buttons and pulling back on the controls.

‘He’s severed the cyclic controls,’ shouted the pilot. ‘I can’t steer.’

‘Keep flying,’ ordered Christov. ‘Gain altitude.’

‘I can’t,’ yelled the pilot. ‘The controls are cut. Belt up. We’re going in hard!’

Christov looked out his window. The ship’s deck passed underneath. They weren’t gaining altitude. The chopper began tipping.
‘Keep it level!’ Christov yelled.

‘I’m trying! It’s not responding!’

‘Just a few more seconds,’ urged Christov.

‘I’m losing her!’ yelled the pilot.

Now!

Christov shoved open the cockpit door and jumped.

The chopper’s blades seemed to cut through the air just inches above his head. He plummeted, cycling his arms until…

Splash!