Now, the memory of those conversations made him even more determined to get his mother there and safely underground. It may very well mean the difference in their survival or their deaths.
Serena McKay and Tom Lang had gone to tremendous pains to find a doctor to repair the damage done to her fallopian tubes after the serial murderer, The Cellophane Killer, had sliced up her body. They had tried everything until finally, when Serena was forty, they had managed to get pregnant.
Even if Serena had never been traumatized, pregnancy wasn't easy to accomplish then or now. It was rare for the women in August City to conceive and miscarriage was the common outcome. Add to that the high infant mortality rate and one could understand why it was a major factor in the population's decline.
It was the same in all the cities across the United Sectors.
The fact that Serena and Tom had managed the feat was a wonder that no one fully understood and giving birth to Michele was a true miracle.
Now, Salazar resolved that he would never let their miracle-baby die.
Strong-headed and able-bodied, he was determined that his mother would live through this disaster even if he had to carry her kicking and screaming to the only place where they might survive.
He had the answer; now, he had to convince his mother.
"I know where we will be safe but we must hurry," he boldly announced.
5| Shelter from the Storm
"What are you talking about?" Miki chided. "If what we both suspect is true, there's no place to run and hide, no place of safety anywhere. We can't simply rush into the streets and hope to find a hiding place. We're better off here." Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared evenly at her son and squared her thin shoulders. "We'll wait for Rob to return. We'll all die together as a family. We will accept our fate with whatever dignity we can manage."
"Hell no!" Salazar was adamant. "We're not accepting the fate those bastards imposed on us and there isn't time for this debate. Dad would want us to live and you know it. He would want us to seek shelter and survive. He'll do the same and then we will find each other after this is over."
"Over?" Miki gasped. "What makes you think this will end? We've been abandoned. Just as my grandfather predicted, this will never be over until we're all dead." She moved the curtain aside to look out the window again. She suspected that the reddish, black clouds on the horizon was some kind of fireball and added, "Until we're all burned to a crisp."
"I refuse to let it be over for us. Now, gather everything you can carry in that big bag you always tote around and let's go. Now, Mother, now!"
Miki realized that opposing Salazar was pointless and a waste of time. He had been reared to be a man and take charge in any situation. He had promised Rob that he would always protect her whenever her husband was away for work. Rob had faith in his son and she did too. She considered that, if Salazar was right and there was a safe place to weather the storm, her refusal to accompany him might mean his death. She couldn't live with that idea. She pushed aside her anxiety and did as she was told.
They put on extra clothes and scarves, anything that they might need later if they survived. Then, after they had packed any supplies they could carry in his backpack and her satchel such as blankets, flashlights, water, and a little food, Salazar led Miki through the darkened streets and into Fallhaven's inner city.
On the way, he noticed that the residential streets of the city were presently clear of traffic even though they were filled with throngs of people. The few cars and buses that still remained in service had pulled over and their passengers had gotten out.
Some pushed and shoved, trying to make their way home on foot while others stared into the evening sky as if mesmerized by what they saw. Because they had no true reference for what they observed, they seemed calm and curious which served to fuel a false sense of security. Only a few of the people listened to their instincts and rushed to leave the area.
How could any of them understand?
Some used their phones to search the web to see if whatever was happening was in the news. Others tried to call friends and relatives in other areas of the city to see if they knew anything. Most of them had always accepted whatever story the authorities put out. If it was in the news, it must be true. They were 'asleep-sheep' just as his father had always said. However, there was no news and soon their phone signals were jammed and useless.
As they passed by unnoticed on foot, Salazar and Miki closely listened to the idle chatter of their neighbors. It was soon obvious that some mistakenly thought what they saw was some type of fireworks display.
"Maybe one of the rich assholes over in Springhaven or Summerhaven is throwing a party," a voice nervously quipped.
"It could be. You know how they love to waste money."
"Yeah, they'd rather waste it than increase our wages."
"They're probably having a surprise celebration for a favorite daughter's birthday."
"I wouldn't be surprised to read about it in tomorrow's news. They love to spoil their fat, ugly princesses."
"Can you imagine what it would be like to have all the food you want… to have so much to eat that you actually become fat?'
No one answered because they could not envision such a thing.
"To be honest, it looks like something is on fire," another voice fearfully added. "Maybe that's why the jets flew by earlier. Maybe they were sent to check it out."
"What jets?"
"I've never seen fireworks look like that or make that loud rumbling noise. It seems to be concentrated on Summerhaven and maybe Springhaven. From here it's hard to know for sure."
"You don't think the rich assholes in Summerhaven are being attacked in some way, do you?"
"Why would you think that?"
"Because of the planes… Maybe they have something to do with this… I don't know. It just seems really odd."
"I didn't see any planes."
"You missed it then because two jets flew by minutes ago."
"You mean blew by," someone nervously laughed. "They flew so close to the ground, it scared the crap out of me. I ducked for cover!"
The nervous chatter continued as more and more people came out into the streets to gaze into the evening sky. Summerhaven had already been bombed, but the Fat Cats living in Springhaven were further away and unaware. They foolishly sat in their gardens or solariums and ordered their servants to bring wine or champagne for the surprise festivities.
They weren't rich enough to be in-the-know about the lifeboats that had just taken off. They didn't know they had been left behind along with their pitifully poor and destitute kin and neighbors in Fallhaven and Winterhaven.
Many in Fallhaven came out of their broken-down condos, dilapidated apartment buildings, or rodent infested bungalows. Some held bottles of beer in hand and a few others brought out their lawn chairs to get comfortable while they watched the vivid aerial display.
Even the homeless in Winterhaven, stumbled out of their makeshift cardboard shelters and underpasses where they lived. With dirty blankets wrapped around them, they settled down to watch the evening's unusual event and get a closer look at the commotion. No one wanted to be left out and no one understood what they observed.