2042: The Great Cataclysm (28 page)

‘Are you arse holes having fun?’ A low pitched feminine voiced demanded.

They all turned to see a girl standing in the doorway, presumably Jilly. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore expensive gold ear rings and gold jewellery, and her attractive face was expertly made up, but the most arresting thing about her was that much of her abundant white-blonde crinkly hair flowed out widely from her face and fell to almost waist length. She wore a stylish burgundy jack-suit with motor cycle boots and the latest in feminine accessories: a wide belt with pockets that hung rakishly around her hips, into which was thrust a gruesome long-bladed knife. She also carried a hand gun and looked like she was ready to use it.

‘I bet she thinks she tough.’ Veronica whispered to Karen.

‘Yeah, join the party babe.’ The bandanna man said. ‘Won’t hurt to have a full belly. Bubbly’s good too.’

‘Yeah.We haven’t got all day y’ know. Bobby wants us to clean this place out. I bet there’s a shit load of loot in this apartment alone.’  She had made her way to the table and pushed the hand gun into Veronica’s neck. ‘Stand up bitch. You too.’ She nodded to Karen.

Jilly examined their jewellery, and satisfied that Karen offered no prize, turned her attention to Veronica. ‘Nice.’ She said as she twisted Veronica’s diamond rings from her fingers.

She flopped down at the table examining the rings, placing one on her finger and pocketing the other two. ‘Guess it won’t hurt, I haven’t eaten much today.’

Nick had been watching the sky and guessed Graham would arrive soon. He would have to ask for the rooftop door to be opened, which would have come through the speaker in the kitchen alerting the looters. When Graham came down in the lift he would have no way of knowing they were being held hostage, but he knew Graham would keep his cool, he didn’t scare easily.

Nick prayed the looters wouldn’t hear the Veto land, and he was trying to work out a way to warn Graham, he had to stop him from announcing his arrival. Jilly had laid her hand gun on the table beside Nick and his mind raced for a solution. He placed his arm on the table.

‘What was that!’ He said, and at the same time spun toward Veronica beside him and knocked the gun to the floor. ‘Open the rooftop door.’ He hissed, praying Veronica would understand, and the looters would not hear in the grab to pick up the gun.

‘I’ll get some more champagne.’ Veronica said rising and moving toward the kitchen. Jilly picked up the gun and followed her.

Veronica pulled the champagne from the fridge purposely sending it crashing to the floor. ‘Stupid bitch!’ Jilly yelled looking at her wine spattered boots. While her attention was diverted she didn’t notice Veronica push a button on the wall that connected to the rooftop door so Graham would find it open.

They returned to the dining room and Veronica managed a slight nod of her head toward Nick
.
So
,
Nick thought
,
she’s not a dumb blond after al
l
.

Nick wondered how many were in this gang, and where they
were
in the building?  He also wondered how far they would go. Would they harm them?  He decided not push their luck and co-operate, they looked like a determined trio.

The looters had finished eating and the bandanna man and Jilly moved to the kitchen, cursing the wet floor as they opened cupboards and drawers, thoroughly searching for money or valuables hidden in jars or containers. The thin man remained seated.

‘Some fancy place you’ve got here mister.’ The bandanna man said, as he returned and placed his face so close to Bill he could smell his foul breath. ‘Bet you’ve got a safe somewhere too eh? Probably got smart cash in it too.’ He drawled leering at Bill.

Smart cash had replaced credit cards for those who could afford the expensive jewelled wrist band with no limit. They were granted only to people who had A1 credit ratings, and were custom made as watches or bracelets. When they were removed from the wrist the credit was automatically suspended unless the owner programmed them to remain open using their home computer.

‘We don’t use them.’ Bill answered.

‘Don’t give me that bullshit.’ He pulled the hand laser-gun from his belt and waved it in Bill’s face. ‘That fancy looking bitch has to be your missus. If you want her in one piece you’d better co-operate.’  He nodded to Jilly who pulled Veronica from her chair and pushed her toward the man.  ‘Where’s the bedrooms bitch?’

Veronica rubbed her arm and glared back at Jilly. ‘Up..stairs.’ She said.

All the while the thin man remained aloof and silent, his penetrating eyes roving around the apartment, stopping to rest when he spied something of interest, then moving on, covering every area of the room. It was unspoken but Nick realised that this man was in charge.

His cultured voice spoke slowly. ‘I’ll watch these two.’ Indicating Karen and Nick. ‘While Daddy here and his lady give you a personal tour.’

Jilly and the bandanna man marched Bill and Veronica ahead of them out of the dining-room into the foyer, just as the lift doors were opening to reveal Graham inside. Veronica called out and made a dash towards Graham and the lift. The bandanna man raised his hand gun to fire at her.  Bill, realising what was about to happen threw himself between Veronica and the gun. There was a loud explosion as the gun went off and Bill spun around. As he fell against Veronica, a searing, blinding pain clutched at his right shoulder, and they both went down on the floor. Graham froze in the lift facing the frightening scene, the bandanna man had his gun trained on him. At the sound of the shot the three others rushed from the dining-room to find Jilly leaning over Bill, as he writhed in pain on the floor. Veronica was sitting on the floor beside him crying hysterically.

‘Good Lord man. What did you shoot him for?’ The thin man growled. ‘Bobby said no killing!’

‘Shut up! I didn’t kill him, he’s only winged. Good thing too, show them we mean business. Who’re you?’ He said to Graham who remained rooted to the spot.’ Where’d you come from?’

‘I’m a neighbour.’ Graham said thinking quickly, horrified at the scene confronting him.

‘Get in here and shut your mouth. Don’t do anything stupid’ He said as he patted Graham down for a weapon.

Karen rushed to Bill’s side. ‘Look out of the way!’ She demanded. ‘I’m a nurse.  Bill, let me see that wound.’ His shirt was stained red and blood was flowing profusely from the gunshot wound.

‘Cut his sleeve.’ She ordered Jilly.

Jilly whipped out her long-bladed knife and hacked at Bill’s sleeve. ‘Euww,’ she said as blood oozed from his arm.

Karen examined his arm, wadded the material and pressed it against the wound. ‘It’ll be okay, the bullet went straight through. I’ll need to sterilise this and wrap it up. Here, hold this tight against the wound.’  She instructed Bill. ‘I’ll go look for some first-aid equipment.’

Karen knew she had her kit in the Veto and started toward the lift. Graham shook his head, warning her not to let them know about the Veto. She paused, understanding Graham’s silent signals, they shouldn’t let the looters find out about the Liberty.

‘Veronica, where do you keep your first aid kit?’

Veronica looked up. ‘We’ve got a good kit. It’s in the kitchen, above the fridge.’ She blubbered.

Veronica continued sobbing. She was amazed and grateful that Bill had thrown himself in the path of the bullet, and stroked his good left arm with a tenderness that she hadn’t felt for Bill since they were first married.

Karen wasted no time finding the kit. The looters didn’t try to stop her, and watched silently as she dressed and bandaged the wound. Nick and Graham helped Bill to his feet and led the others back to the living room, settling Bill gently into a chair while Nick went to the bar and poured him a stiff scotch.

‘Thanks.’ Bill mumbled gratefully. ‘For once I really need this.’

‘He’ll be okay,’ Karen reassured Veronica. ‘I’ve taped the wound shut. The bleeding’s stopped.  It’ll be painful for him but it should heal with no permanent damage.’ She glared at the bandanna man who was still holding the gun in his hand. The thin man waved the gun at Graham and inclined his head toward the other lounge chair.

‘Hud?’ The bandanna man said.

The thin man he called Hud spun around and scowled at him.

‘Idiot! Search the place while I keep an eye on these people.’

Jilly and the bandanna man began systematically searching the lounge room, opening cupboards, pulling everything out onto the floor with no regard to the amount of damage they wrought. They smashed vases to see if they contained any valuables, pulled priceless paintings from the walls and hurled them onto the pile of items gradually accumulating in the centre of the room. Veronica started to whimper, despondently watching her treasures being desecrated. Karen placed her arms around her offering comfort, there had always been an unspoken rivalry between the two women, and a show of affection from Karen was completely foreign. The looters continued in this careless manner until they were satisfied they had not missed anything, then they moved into the next room to repeat the exercise.

Time was marching on and Nick was nervous. Three o’clock!  He looked out the window to see the afternoon shadows deepening. Didn’t these idiots know they were risking their lives; they could never escape now, it was too late. His eyes scanned the horizon anxiously looking for any sign of the sea rising.

The man with the bandanna stormed angrily back into the room waving the bunch of keys he had found on a hook by the stairs entry. ‘The lift won’t go up to the next floor! These keys are no good. Needs some sort of code! Get up, all of you! Jilly, bring them!’

They moved into the foyer that was littered with debris from the bomb blast. ‘All of you, into the lift. What’s the pass code?’ He demanded, pushing his gun into Nick’s side.

‘I don’t know!’ Nick pleaded. The man raised his gun, but Veronica called out first.

‘Please, don’t hurt anyone else. I’ll do it.’ Veronica cried.

Jilly pushed Veronica into the lift and motioned for Veronica to punch in the code. The lift moved silently to the next floor, stopping with a soft hiss.

***

The accommodation floor of Bill’s penthouse was as sumptuous as the one below. The marble floors had given way to thick plush cream carpet that caressed the feet and softened the sounds.  The walls were covered with velvet wallpaper, but in soft pastel tones creating a feeling of tranquillity and silence. Bill had all the interior walls insulated and the windows were of the soundproofing Navilon, so once one entered a room and closed the door they would be completely divorced from any sounds from other rooms or the outside world. Each room was a suite containing its own bathroom, dressing room and a sitting room.

The looters began in the master suite, tearing open all the drawers just as they had done downstairs. They hooted with delight at finding fifteen hundred dollars in old money Veronica had stashed in her bedside table. Bill and Veronica sat grim faced side by side on the king size bed, watching the destruction of their prized possessions, while the others found seats around the expansive suite.

Jilly was busy picking out pieces of jewellery, shoes and clothes from Veronica’s walk-in wardrobe. ‘Holy shit, this’s like a department store.’ She commented, pulling out sequinned gowns.  ‘I’ve never seen so many posh clothes.’

You’ve only seen half of i
t
Nick thought, thinking of Veronicas fur coats, cashmere sweaters and leather clothes she had taken up to the roof.

‘What’s on the next floor?’ Jilly asked Veronica.

‘The gymnasium and pool.’ She answered matter-of-factly.

“The gymnasium and the pool!’ The bandanna man parroted as he ambled toward the lift. ‘I’ll check it out, make sure this bitch’s not lying.’

They all held their breath as the lift door closed behind him.They prayed he would be stupid enough to see the gardens, pool and gym, decide there was nothing there and not continue onto the roof. Minutes ticked by as they waited in silence. The thin man had followed them around the apartment watching them closely, and now a smirk crossed his face as he watched Jilly stuffing jewellery into a pillow case stripped from the bed, and admiring the ring she had commandeered from Veronica’s finger.

Nick sat on Veronica’s chaise lounge in the corner shaking his head in disbelief
.
As if things could get any worse
,
he thought
.
Here we are facing the most terrible natural disaster and this bunch of imbeciles are picking pockets! They must know about the tsunami, how on earth do they expect to escape
?
Knowing they would surely die, he did not feel sorry for them. His curiosity prompted him to ask. ‘You do know about the tsunami coming, don’t you?’

‘Yeah. D’you think we’re stupid.’ Jilly said. ‘That’s why we’re here. All those stupid bastards left their places wide open, just asking for us to help ourselves.’

‘Just how do you plan to get away?’ Nick said.

‘We’ve got our bikes downstairs. Soon as we see it coming we’ll head for the hills. Probably be a fizzer anyway.’

Nick smiled inwardly at the thought of them trying to outrun a giant wave travelling at around one hundred and fifty kilometres per hour. Even if the streets were clear, they could never escape.