Andy McDermott
The Last Survivor (A Wilde/Chase Short Story)
About the Author
Andy McDermott is the bestselling author of the Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase adventure thrillers, which have been sold in over 30 countries and 20 languages. His debut novel, THE HUNT FOR ATLANTIS, was his first of several New York Times bestsellers. THE REVELATION CODE, out this November, is the eleventh book in the series, and he has also written the explosive spy thriller THE PERSONA PROTOCOL.
A former journalist and movie critic, Andy is now a full-time novelist. Born in Halifax, he lives in Bournemouth with his partner and their son.
The Last Survivor
‘No!’
Nina Wilde jerked awake, the single word a fearful gasp. She looked about in near-panic before familiar surroundings took on form in the half-light seeping through the curtains. Her bedroom, safe and secure. Heart still thudding against her chest, she forced her breathing to slow.
A mumble from beside her. ‘What is it?’ asked her husband, Eddie Chase.
‘Nothing,’ she lied. ‘Go back to sleep.’
The Englishman seemed to return to his slumber, but Nina knew after six years together that he was a very light sleeper; his former career in the British military’s elite Special Air Service had trained him to snap to full alertness at the slightest prompt. She checked the bedside clock: 4.32 a.m. The light outside was spill from the street lamps eight floors below, dawn still almost two hours away.
But Nina knew she would not get back to sleep — nor did she want to. She had suffered the same nightmare for weeks, the recurring scene all the more terrifying because it had actually happened.
And just as in reality, she was powerless to stop events from playing through to their terrible end.
She remained still until Eddie’s breathing became slightly heavier. He was as deep in sleep as he would go. She slipped out from the covers and groped for her dressing gown, then crept to the door and eased it open. Comfortably navigating the darkened apartment, she only switched on a lamp once she had reached her study and closed its door behind her.
Sitting at her desk, she opened her laptop. The menu bar clock read 4.36. ‘No time like the present,’ the redhead whispered, calling up several documents. They were the notes for her book: a memoir of the archaeological adventures that had led to the discovery of Atlantis, the lost golden city of El Dorado and the ancient Viking hall of Valhalla, amongst many other wonders. She had spent the past two months researching and re-examining her past exploits; with her publisher paying an advance of over half a million dollars, the time had come to get on with actually writing about them.
So far she had two full chapters and a portion of a third. She scrolled through her notes to refresh her memory, then returned to the manuscript and started to type.
The words came easily, her focus fully upon the work — until a hand upon her shoulder made her jump. ‘Jesus, Eddie!’
‘What’re you doing up?’ Eddie asked, scratching his close-cropped, thinning dark hair. ‘You know what time it is?’
‘Yeah, it’s…’ She glanced at the clock: almost six. ‘Okay, it’s later than I thought.’ The sky outside was starting to lighten. ‘I must have really gotten into a groove.’
‘I didn’t mean it like you’ve been working too long. I meant it like, “Why in the name of arse are you working at all?” It’s the middle of the night!’
Her reply was slightly defensive. ‘I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I might as well do something constructive.’
‘You’ve hardly done anything else lately. Christ, you’ve barely left the flat for the last few days.’ A concerned look. ‘Everything all right? Is the baby okay?’
She glanced at her midriff. At three months pregnant, Nina was convinced she could make out a small bump, though so far it had proven beyond everyone else’s perception. But she knew the baby was there — not least because of the whirlwind it had already wreaked on her appetite and emotions. ‘Yeah, as far as I can tell. I’ve got another prenatal check-up today.’
‘It’s not the baby I’m worried about right now. You need to get more sleep.’
‘I’d love to, but my hormones don’t want to cooperate.’
‘You sure it’s your hormones?’
‘What else would it be?’ Her defensiveness returned, with more of a bite than she had intended.
‘Just want to make sure you’re all right,’ said Eddie, peering at the laptop. ‘So when do I get to read this? I mean, I’m in it. Aren’t I?’
‘Of course you’re in it,’ she said, firmly closing the machine’s lid. ‘But it’s not finished yet. I don’t want anyone to see it until I’m happy.’
‘Okay,’ he said, disappointed. ‘What time’s your appointment?’
‘Eleven. Will you come with me?’
‘I would, but I’ve got to meet Natalia at the airport, remember?’
‘Oh, yeah. When?’
‘Her plane’s due in at twelve.’ He rubbed his neck. ‘Well, I’m up now — I’ll put the kettle on.’
‘Decaf for me,’ she said, grudgingly. Cutting her caffeine intake had been an unwelcome medical recommendation.
He grinned, exposing the gap between his front teeth. ‘Finally! You’ve taken somebody else’s advice. For once.’ He headed for the kitchen, with a quizzical flick of his eyes at the laptop as he left.
Nina turned back to the computer. But she didn’t open it, again feeling oddly defensive without being quite sure why. It was probably just because she didn’t want anyone looking over her shoulder at a work in progress.
Wasn’t it?
Nina spent the morning working, reluctantly stopping when she realised that she needed to leave for her obstetrician’s appointment. She closed the laptop and headed for the bedroom to change. ‘You off?’ said Eddie as she passed. He was on the sofa, reading something on his phone.
‘Yeah. You’ve been quiet all morning — what have you been up to?’
His reply was somewhat pointed. ‘Same stuff I’m always up to when you shut yourself in your office.’
‘Oh, looking at porn?’
The joke disarmed him. ‘Not all the time,’ he said with a grin. ‘I was just reading about that airship — you know, the massive one that’s going up and down the East River?’
‘Yeah, it was on TV.’
He turned the phone towards her, revealing a picture of the giant craft. ‘It’s flying over Little Italy this afternoon as part of a festival.’
‘The Feast of San Gennaro? I used to go to that every year with my parents when I was a kid. They did really good food.’
‘We could take Natalia.’
‘I’m not sure she’ll want to tour Little Italy on foot right after a transatlantic flight,’ Nina pointed out. She took a closer look at his phone — or rather, its bulky rubberised case. ‘I can’t believe you paid good money for that,’ she said, teasing.
‘We’ll see how long your iPhone lasts if you drop it down the bog,’ he retorted, smirking.
‘Unlike you, I don’t spend hours reading things on it in the bathroom.’
‘Then what’s the point of having it?’ They both smiled. ‘But yeah, you’re probably right — Natalia’ll be pretty knackered after her flight. Shame, I wouldn’t have minded seeing that blimp close up.’
‘Maybe you’ll get another chance soon. Speaking of Natalia,’ she added as she continued into the bedroom, ‘shouldn’t you be setting off?’
‘No, I’ve still got a bit of time left, and I’ll find out if her flight’s on schedule before I go. Don’t want to be hanging around the airport for hours.’