The Tsunami Countdown

FIFTY-THREE

12:24 p.m.

13 Minutes to Fourth Wave

The water hadn’t completely receded yet, so the Honolulu International Airport runways were still awash. Several structures jutted above the surface, their frames intact. Airliners were scattered around the airport, most of them ripped to pieces, their aluminum frames no match for the power of a tsunami. The closest was a Hawaiian Airlines 767 that lay on the tarmac a hundred yards away, its landing gear and one wing ripped off, all the windows blown out. If the helicopter landed in the water, they’d drown. Kai had no doubt about that. The only chance was to land on one of the buildings. Stan apparently had the same idea.

“I’m going for the terminal,” Stan said.

The enormous main terminal stood about a mile to the north. Its gigantic roof would give them plenty of room to land. But then what? It was only three or four stories high. The next tsunami would completely engulf it, and it was much too far to run to high ground.

The airport control tower loomed in front of them, and Kai noticed that the roof of the tower’s companion building was just peeking above the water’s surface. Half of it was in tatters, ripped apart by the waves, but the other half seemed to have survived. The tower had to be at least 250 feet high. If they climbed to the top of it, they might have a chance.

“Stan!” Kai said into his microphone, “the building next to the tower. Land on it and we can use the stairs to get to the top.”

Stan nodded and aimed the helicopter for the white roof of the tower’s office building. The cabin shook like a paint mixer as they descended. The roof rose to meet them at a terrifying rate.

“Hold on!” Stan yelled.

The skids smacked into the roof, and Kai was afraid they’d go right through. Instead, they bounced off and careened toward the edge. They weren’t going to get another shot at landing, so Stan forced the stick down, and the skids made contact again. Mia and Lani screamed as they slid along the roof, the skids scraping the poured concrete surface.

The chopper quickly scrubbed speed because of the friction, but they continued to approach the edge. Kai pulled Lani toward him and braced himself, ready for the plunge over the side, but the helicopter came to a halt two feet from the precipice.

Stan turned the engine off, and the turbine began to wind down. Kai removed his headset.

“Is everyone all right?” he said.

A few mumbles and nods were the only responses. Nobody seemed to be injured.

Kai unbuckled his belt and lifted his feet so Brad could pull himself up.

As they crawled out of the ruined helicopter, Chuck walked in circles. “What kind of rescue was that?” he said in a high-pitched keen.

“Will you shut up, you dimwit,” Brad said in a weary voice. “You’re fine.”

“Fine? Fine?” Chuck said. “We almost get killed and you say we’re fine!”

“We’re alive, aren’t we, Chuck?”

“No thanks to you.”

“If you weren’t in such a hurry to get on the helicopter, maybe we would have left your ass behind.”

“If you hadn’t overloaded the helicopter with all these people, we might have made it.” Chuck strode over to the pilot, who was still sucking wind from the adrenaline rush of the emergency. “Thanks for picking us up in a faulty helicopter!” Stan looked at him as if he were crazy, which Kai thought he might be.

“Are you done?” Kai said.

“I’ll tell you what I think—”

“We don’t care what you think,” Teresa said.

“And if you say one word about those stupid baseballs,” Brad said, “I’m going to punch you in the face.” When Chuck saw Brad’s clenched fist, he quieted.

“What’s the plan, Kai?” Brad said.

“Let’s find a way off the roof,” Kai said. “Then we’ll climb the stairs to the top of the tower.”

Brad looked up at the soaring tower. He turned back to Kai with a dubious expression. He didn’t want to go into another building.

“What if it’s not tall enough?” he asked.

“That’s why Stan is going to stay here and use his radio to try to find another helicopter.”

Stan nodded and got back into the chopper, where he started to transmit a Mayday.

“Everyone else, stay here,” Kai said. “Brad and I will find a way down.”

“Don’t leave us!” Lani cried, and then broke into sobs. She ran to Kai and threw her arms around him.

“I’ll be right back, honey.” Kai wanted to comfort her—wanted her to comfort him—but there just wasn’t time. He glanced at Teresa.

“I’ll take care of Lani,” she said. “Just hurry.”

Kai broke away from Lani and jogged across the expansive roof in the direction of the tower with Brad next to him.

“I’m sorry, Kai,” Brad said. “About Rachel.”

Kai didn’t say anything, not because he didn’t appreciate Brad’s sentiment, but because he couldn’t afford to break down. He put his hand on Brad’s shoulder for a moment and left it at that.

The roof of the office complex was multileveled, and they had landed on the lowest level. Kai could see where ladders to the higher levels had been ripped from their mountings.

After a minute they reached the edge of the roof nearest the tower. They hadn’t been able to spot any stairs leading from the roof. Kai peered over the side.

The water had completely drained, leaving behind the ubiquitous ooze glistening on the few chunks of grass that were left. Next to the control tower, a pile of debris that looked like remnants of an airplane rested against the side of the building. It had been deposited in such a way that they might be able to climb down it.

“Come on,” Kai said.

One at a time they picked their way down. The junk was sturdy, settling only a couple of times as they descended.

The outside of the tower was blocked by the debris. The only way in was through the office building. Kai couldn’t see any doors, but all of the windows had been blown out, so he heaved himself over one of the sills and Brad followed.

The room was a standard office that had been swept clean by the water. They emerged into a hallway leading in the direction of the tower. Rounding the corner, they found that the door to the control tower stairwell had been ripped from its hinges.

Now Kai saw that the pile of debris didn’t end outside. It was resting against the tower because it was part of a larger piece of the airplane that had broken through the tower’s outer wall. On the piece of aluminum skin facing them, Kai could just make out a blue and white logo and the letters Tra. It was the remains of a TransPacific airliner.

A portion of a wing surface blocked the stairs for two stories. Kai couldn’t see any way around it. There was no way to get to their refuge.