If they hadn’t been caught in the open, that is, on their way to that café. If nothing had fallen on them amidst all those swaying buildings.
What was happening down there? How bad was this? How bad was it going to be?
You can’t know. So climb, you bastard. Climb. Get these people to safety.
Climb.
27
ACTION
Skylar and the kids walked up two flights of stairs behind the rest of the visitors, all of them moving much too slowly. Moving at the pace of little kids and old people.
It feels too slow, but it’s what’s happening, and there’s no speeding it up. Accept it.
Nobody pushing and nobody shouting, at least. Just people climbing too many stairs, kids excited and chattering, parents shocked and quiet, except some of the tourists who seemed as excited as the kids. As if this were entertainment.
But then, they probably didn’t know much about earthquakes. Or tsunamis.
On the fifth floor, finally, because that was safest. Not as many people here; most seemed to have stopped at Four. The milling crowd staying near the stairwells at first, and then, as more people arrived, retreating into the main exhibit area. Feeling safer up here, probably, because they were closer to the windows now. She was still trying to keep all the kids close to her, to make sure nobody strayed. Forrest was still holding Scarlett’s hand, and nobody was calling for him. Was anybody even looking for him?
What did that mean, if it were true? Nothing good.
“Mum,”Finlay said.“Mum.”
She looked at him. It seemed to take an age to turn her head.
“The water’s going out,” he said. “Isn’t it?”
Don’t go to the windows,she thought, and then,But I have to. I have to know.Edging closer, looking back to make sure the rest of the kids were still with her. Wanting to tuck all seven of them in close.
The last remains of twilight out there, and she struggled to see. A big boat was the closest thing, some kind of work vessel. It had been floating just below the level of the boardwalk, hadn’t it? She closed her eyes and visualized it. Yes, that was where it had been, because they’d looked at it, speculated about what its job was and whether it was still doing it. Now, it was … lower than that. Two meters? More?
The fear gripped her, and she had to force herself to breathe. Force herself to think.The boat isn’t in the mud, so the water isn’t all the way out yet. And if the quake was this strong here, it was probably on the Wellington Fault, or possibly the Alpine Fault. Close to us, and in shallow water. Tsunamis can’t build up as much height and strength in shallow water, and without traveling over the seas. We’ll be all right up here. We’ll be safe.
Right along the shoreline, though? Right where Zane would be. Were they in the stadium already? That was on the waterfront.
He could climb, though. All those levels. All those steps. He—the team—could get high. They could escape it. That stadium had to have been built to survive this. In Wellington? It had to have been.
It was too early for the stadium, though, wasn’t it? He’d still be on the bus, wouldn’t he? On the coast road?
You can’t do anything about that.
Wait. There werepeopledown there. People on theconcrete in front of the museum. Thecrackedconcrete, heaved in places. People on the walkway along the water. Just standing there, staring around them.
Somebody will tell them,she thought.Somebody will gather them and bring them up.
The kids were talking, but she couldn’t focus. She was staring at the people milling about like ants, gesturing, unsure what to do, where to go. People with bum bags, with backpacks, with hats. Tourists.
Tourists who didn’t know.
One minute. Two.
She didn’t make a decision. She just did it. “Scarlett,” she said, talking fast, “you’re in charge. Keep them together. And here.” She pulled her phone out of her purse and handed it to the girl. “I’ll be back in five minutes. Ten at the most.”
“Where are you going?” Scarlett asked. “What are you?—”
“Ten minutes.” And Skylar was gone.
