Arrival: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

9

She had lost track of how many hours they had worked before the supervisor forced Maya and Reno to take a break. They had worked up to—and probably beyond—the 18-hour shift limit in one 24-hour period. And the last thing Maya wanted to do now was deal with a reprimand from the union rep.

The most recent aftershock had occurred three hours ago. While another could come again at any time, the lull in seismic activity had given emergency crews the opportunity to treat more people. Maya hadn’t wanted to stop because there were still plenty of people who needed help and not enough emergency personnel to get to them all, but when they arrived at Nashville Fire Station #19, Maya parked the rig in its designated bay. She turned off the ignition and then sat back in her chair with her eyes closed, exhaling with a long, slow whistle.

“What a day,” Reno said.

“Yeah. And it’s not over yet.”

“I know. I want to be out there as badly as you do. But we can’t go out anymore or we’ll get suspended. You need to check on your kids anyway.”

Maya knew her mother would keep Aiden and Laura safe. Elizabeth had even texted her when she’d gotten to Joanna’s house. But Gerald still worried her, and the situation in Nashville had barely kept her mind off of him. The tone of his voice in those voicemails had been almost rabid. She wondered if he had gone to her mother’s house, or if he’d only been bluffing.

She checked her phone as she stepped out of the rig. Maya had text messages from her mother and from Laura, but nothing from Gerald. She texted her mom to let her know she was still okay and that she was finally getting a break.

Curious, she opened her front-facing camera when she got to where there was enough light. Maya hardly recognized the eyes that stared back. Dirt covered her face and the bags under her eyes appeared darker than she had ever seen them.

Maya slid her phone back into her pocket.

They walked down the main hallway and past a handful of firefighters sitting around a table playing poker. Maya and Reno waved as they walked past on their way to the locker rooms.

“Meet you out front in fifteen?” Reno asked.

Maya let her hair down and dust filled the air. She ran her hand through tangled and greasy locks.

“Let’s make it twenty.”

She walked into the small locker room, stripped down, and stepped into the shower. Leaning her head against the wall, she let the warm water soothe her aching muscles. Dark water pooled at her feet and swirled around the drain, but the water lightened as the dust and grime washed from her body. Maya normally liked to think while she took a shower, but not this time—it was the fatigue that allowed her to relax.

After fifteen minutes of hot water numbing her tired muscles, Maya turned off the shower and returned to her locker. She stepped into clean panties, sports bra, and a tank top, then slid into the bottom half of her uniform—a pair of dark pants. For now, she’d forego her white paramedic shirt. She dabbed at her hair with a towel and then left it down to dry. She was already five minutes late for meeting Reno.

Maya hurried down the hallway and out the front door. Reno stood there, leaning against the wall. Unlike her, he’d dressed in his full uniform. He looked her up and down, and then smiled.

“You clean up nicely.”

“How long have you been waiting for me?”

“Not long. I thought we could hang somewhere else for a bit—not the firehouse. You know, try to take a real break from this mess. Unless you wanted to try and get some sleep or something.”

Maya snorted. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be getting sleep anytime soon. But do you think it’s a good idea for us to leave?”

“Tommy said it was all right—I think we gotta be off the clock for at least five more hours before we can jump on another shift. He walked by a few minutes ago, suggested that we leave our radios on.”

Maya wouldn’t sleep if she stayed at the station, and she knew everyone in the place would be watching the news and talking about the day’s events. If she was going to take a break, she was going to take a break.

She smiled. “Let’s get out of here.”

Open 24/7 and nestled between St. Thomas Midtown Hospital and Nashville Fire Station #19, Café Coco was usually filled with college students and hipsters, but doctors, nurses, and emergency services workers also came in and out of the place during all three shifts. Reno had thought the place might be closed due to the earthquake and had suggested calling to see if it was open, but Maya had wanted to walk, to get fresh air and not have to drive again just yet.

Upon arriving, Maya saw the usual stream of steady customers. The only time Maya had seen the place dark was during the Nashville flood of 2010. She’d thought the earthquake might have knocked out its power, but she’d been wrong.

People were going in empty-handed and leaving the café with their favorite caffeinated, black fuel. Not many grabbed a table, and so Maya and Reno took one towards the back. Maya loved one cream and one sugar in her coffee, but she opted for a straight black brew this time. Reno followed her to their table, and Maya sipped her coffee as she texted her mother and waited for their food.

“Everything cool with your kids?” Reno asked.

Maya nodded. “They’re with my mom.”

“Good. You know if Gerald went to your mom’s house?”

“I called him back and left a voicemail. Sent him a couple of texts. He hasn’t replied to anything.”

“He probably wasn’t serious.”

You don’t know him like I do.

A waiter approached their table carrying two plates.

“Americano Panini?”

Maya raised her hand, thanking the hipster as he set the sandwich down in front of her.

“And a Caesar salad with no meat for you, sir.”

“Thanks,” Reno said.

“Enjoy.”

Maya grinned as she looked at Reno’s plate.

“What?” Reno asked.

“I don’t know how you can go through what we went through today and just eat a salad. Don’t you want some protein or something?”

“You’ve been making me have lunch at that damn Jamaica Way too much lately. You know I can’t resist their jerk chicken. I gotta keep my waistline under control. Besides, plants have protein, too. You don’t want to be stuck with Raymond as a partner if I call in sick, do you?”

Maya laughed. In truth, she didn’t want to be stuck with anyone else as a partner. She loved Reno’s company. Not only was he fantastic at his job, but he was kind.

The two ate without pausing for conversation. Like her, Maya assumed Reno didn’t want to talk about the earthquake. Everyone in the café was chatting about it, but Maya blocked them out. She enjoyed her panini and swapped a few texts with her daughter.

“You know,” Reno said, “You can make fun of me all you want about this salad, but this thing is—”

The table shook. Maya watched her coffee splash from side to side before the mug fell off the table and shattered on the floor. Maya looked around at the worried faces in the restaurant, then at Reno.

They both shot to their feet.

“Everyone, outside!” Maya yelled.

“Now!” Reno said, grabbing people by their arms and dragging them out of their seats.

Maya led everyone into the middle of the street, away from tall trees or buildings. The ground continued to shake.

“Is everyone out?” Maya asked.

“The café’s clear,” Reno said.

“All right,” Maya said. “Everyone just stay—”

An explosion cut Maya off, throwing her to the ground. She covered her head while the people around her screamed. The ground shook again.

When it stopped, she stood and glanced in the direction where she thought the blast had originated, thinking that maybe an aftershock had ruptured a gas line.

Her eyes went wide as Reno got up and stood beside her.

“Oh my God,” Maya said. “What is that?”