The Tsunami Countdown

FORTY-NINE

12:14 p.m.

23 Minutes to Fourth Wave

The mood on the roof of the Grand Hawaiian while they boarded the chopper didn’t register as panic, but Rachel could sense the fear. To balance the load, the smallest people had to sit in the front, so Paige, Hannah, and Wyatt clambered in there with Ashley on Paige’s lap. Stan, the pilot, helped Rachel, Sheila, and Paige load Jerry’s frame into the backseat. The camerawoman, Deena, snatched up her video camera again as soon as Stan took Jerry’s arm and began filming the process. They propped Jerry upright next to Doris, who sat in the rightmost seat.

Sheila climbed in next. Deena waited for Rachel, but Rachel shooed her in. As Deena climbed in, Stan said, “Lose the camera!”

“What?” Deena said. “Do you know how much this costs?”

“I don’t care. It weighs too much, and we’re overloaded. We need all the lift we can get.”

Deena grudgingly dropped the camera from her shoulder and removed the tape. She handed the camera to Rachel, who was standing outside. Rachel set it gently on the roof.

“Get in!” Stan yelled to Rachel.

“I thought the weight was too much.”

“It’ll be close, but the kids are light, so we’re going to try for it. This building isn’t going to be here much longer.”

“But it’s jammed. Where should I sit?”

Stan pointed at Deena. “Get on her lap.”

Rachel scrambled on top of Deena awkwardly. Her hand slipped and dug into Deena’s leg. Deena flinched.

“Sorry.” There was no way for Rachel to fasten a seat belt around herself, so she grabbed the seat in front of her as tightly as she could.

Stan secured himself in the pilot’s seat on the right, with Paige and the kids squeezed next to him. He brought the engine up to speed.

“Okay,” Stan said. “We’re going to do this slowly.”

With the engine at full speed, he pulled back on the stick. For a second, nothing happened. They simply sat there, the helicopter blades throbbing over their heads.

Stan pushed the throttle until the engine passed the redline. The helicopter jumped a yard into the air. Stan struggled with the collective, trying to keep the chopper level. But before he could get any more height, the aircraft skidded to the right, dangerously close to the huge rooftop air-conditioning unit. The helicopter rotated awkwardly, and for a moment the sound of grinding metal buzzed behind them, sending a cascade of sparks flying past them. Piercing screams filled the cabin.

Stan rotated the helicopter back around and dropped the stick. The helicopter thudded onto the roof, the main rotor blades sweeping past the machinery with only a foot to spare.

“I’m sorry, guys,” he said. “This isn’t going to work. Someone’s going to have to get out.”

“Only one of us?” Rachel said. “Will that make a difference?”

“I hope so. That sound you heard was our tail rotor brushing the air-conditioning unit. It seems okay, but I can’t take any more chances of bumping it. Nine passengers is just too many. I’ll be lucky to take off with only eight of you.”

There was an uneasy silence for a second.

“If I drop these people at Tripler,” Stan said, “I can be back in five minutes. I’d volunteer to stay behind, but unless one of you can fly a helicopter—”

“I’m staying,” Rachel said with a resigned tone.

“Maybe you should draw straws,” said Stan.

“No, this is my hotel. I’m responsible. I’m the one who should stay.”

Everyone else remained quiet. Even if they had argued, Rachel wouldn’t have let one of them stay behind while she was whisked to safety.

Before Rachel could climb out, Paige grabbed her arm and hugged her fiercely.

“Thank you for giving my family a chance.”

“Thanks for helping me. Take care of those kids.”

Rachel backed away to give the helicopter room to maneuver.

Stan brought the helicopter up to speed again. Without Rachel’s added 120 pounds, the blades were able to claw more lift from the air. The chopper slowly rose and angled away from the air-conditioning machinery.

After it was clear of the hotel, it circled once thirty feet above Rachel. They waved, and Rachel gave them a thumbs-up.

Then the helicopter swung away and headed in the direction of downtown Honolulu, leaving Rachel on the roof of the Grand Hawaiian, alone.