He returned glumly to the group. ‘No luck I’m afraid.’ He announced calmly, careful to hide his rising panic.
Despite the pain killers Karen had administered to Bill, he complained of a throbbing ache in his shoulder and his face was a light shade of grey. ‘I could do with another drink.’ He said.
Softening to his plight Veronica resisted her normal sarcasm and responded. ‘I’ll get it for you dear.’
‘No.’ Nick said, ‘he’s had enough, we don’t want him drunk.’
‘At least I wouldn’t feel anything.’ Bill whined.
Graham paced from room-to-room. He pulled Nick aside and asked in raspy tones, ‘How long have we got?’
Nick didn’t answer immediately, he was gazing at the horizon. ‘The continental shelf’s about 80k’s from here. The wave could be travelling at over a 1000k’s an hour when it meets with it, which will slow it right down to eighty or a hundred.’
‘Then what?’
‘When that happens, the ocean rushing in behind will pile up increasing it’s height over twenty times. We can see about 24k’s from here with the naked eye, so once we spot the rise on the horizon we’ll have about twenty minutes before it hits us.’
Graham’s eyes locked onto the horizon. ‘Bill! He called over his shoulder. ‘Have you got any binoculars up here?’
‘I think so. Veronica, have a look in the desk, that’s if the looters haven’t taken them too.’ Bill said.
‘Don’t bother!’ Nick whispered. ‘It’s on its way. Look at the edge against the dyke below, the ocean’s receding!’
Graham looked down in horror not quite believing his eyes. The sea began to retreat from the wall, slowly at first, then rapidly, exposing the sea floor to a degree never before witnessed, uncovering rocks, stranding fish. ‘Jesus Nick, what’s happening?’ He said white faced, unable to tear his gaze from the surrealist scene facing him. ‘You didn’t say anything about this!’
‘It’s normal.’
‘Normal!’ Graham squawked.
‘The quakes have collapsed the sea bed, creating vast depressions on the ocean surface. Then the sea instantly sweeps in from all sides to close those depressions, sucking water away from the coastal areas with such speed that it overfills the depressions and creates counter surges that flow back to the land as tsunami. Then there’s the added factor of new islands displacing more sea water.
Remember in the past how the water receded from the beach a little before a wave came in. It’s the same thing only a million times bigger.’
The others had gathered on the balcony as Nick spoke, and Veronica handed him the binoculars. They waited apprehensively as he peered wordlessly toward the horizon. Nobody spoke. Overcome by terror ordinary words seeming superfluous. They were struck dumb, dreading the inevitable event that until now had seemed like a story from a Hollywood disaster movie. ‘I see it!’ Nick hissed.
Chapter Thirty-seven
The Tsunami
The flat line of the horizon began to break up and undulate slowly. It stretched the entire length of the coastline like a black snake slithering from its lair, gradually eating up the distance between the sea and the dusk clouds in the sky.
Nick glanced at his watch, four forty-five! At this time of year the sun sets at around five ten, so it would be on them just on dark. Nick snapped his head around to find the terrified group mesmerised, paralysed with fear. ‘Veronica see if you can find a torch.’ He barked, realising that action would help to alleviate their panic. ‘We’ll lose power.’
‘There’s a generator in the basement.’ Bill said. ‘It kicks in automatically.’
Nick knew there would be nothing left of the lower floors, maybe even the entire building. Veronica looked as if she was about to faint, her fair skin had taken on a death-mask appearance and the pupils in her eyes were enormous, reflecting the terror raging inside her.
‘It won’t be any good the basement will be flooded.’ He replied.
Nick knew this was just the first wave, there would be three, four, or more before it was over, each one larger than the last. He didn’t know when, or how soon the sea level would start to rise, or if the building could withstand the massive overpowering thrust of all that water. Fear crawled through his veins, nerves tingled as his adrenalin pumped rapidly, making him feel slightly light-headed. A tight knot developed in his abdomen and he had to fight the urge to run.
What would they say about this tsunami in years to come? Will they name them like they did tropical cyclones? Tsunami Ellen, Robert? No, he didn’t think so. Why not? That thing certainly had a life of its own. Life? God. How many lives will it destroy? Probably thousands, millions around the world. If he lived to be one hundred years old, he never would expect to see anything as evil or destructive as this again. He gritted his teeth.Christ! Pull yourself together mate, he thought.You’re going to have to be strong, or the others will never get through this!
Veronica returned with a small torch. Nick checked the battery before stuffing it into his trouser pocket. ‘There’s nothing we can do, is there?’ Veronica pleaded, wringing her hands.
‘I’m afraid not.’ Nick answered. ‘Even if we were to find a way out, it’s too late. We’d never make it before it hits us. Veronica, find something to tie us all together: tablecloths, anything. We can tie us to the revolving floor in the dining room. All of you, start tying yourselves together!’
He walked out on the balcony again. There was a strange and eerie feeling in the air and the sky in the east was darkening, deep purple clouds gathered their stormy heads as if in sympathy with the land about to be pulverised by a force unknown, and unexpected. The setting sun behind them illuminated the surrounding buildings with the soft glow from its failing rays, highlighting the stark outlines of several news Vetos flying out over the sea like a swarm of black bees hovering excitedly over a hive. The exposed sea bed glittered as the sun’s dim rays bounced off thrashing, dying, silver fish. An ominous green luminous band of colour reached up from the surface of the black sea in the distance, meeting the pale and darkening hues in the sky, staining them with its inky fingers. Looking around they noticed many people on the balconies of other buildings, unbelievers, recklessly waiting with cameras and binoculars in hand to capture their ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ shot.
‘Brian’s in one of those Vetos.’ Karen said wrapping the knotted line of table clothes, towels, and curtains they had stripped from the walls around her body. ‘Why don’t we try to signal for help?’
‘He couldn’t help us, we’re out of time.’ Graham said as he slid the makeshift line around the revolving floor. ‘Besides it’d be impossible to lower a rescue sling against the building in this wind. It would put their lives in danger as well as ours.’
Five minutes had passed and Nick estimated the distance now at fifteen kilometres. They could see the wave in more detail now, but it was hard to calculate the height from where they stood looking down on it, but he guessed it to be at least thirty metres and growing. Nick’s thoughts flashed again to the waves recorded in the North Sea, where eleven metre waves had destroyed high man-made breakwaters constructed of thousands of tons of rock, steel and concrete. This one was going to be five times bigger!
He drew in his breath and continued to watch in awe. They were all transfixed, not daring to speak. The line of Vetos advanced towards them, as if guiding the monster in its frenzied path. Five more minutes passed and it was only about seven or eight kilometres away. The distinctive roaring sound from the Vetos jets was hardly discernible above the unearthly roar from the sea, a continuous thunderous boom, sending chills up their spines and shaking the ground beneath their feet. It sounded like a dozen freight trains racing helter skelter down a mountain, screeching, wailing, deafening. A ferocious wind preceded the wave, bending everything in it’s path.