The Mesmerized (14 page)

Arthur victoriously raised his phone to his
ear. “I’m here, I’m here!”

A woman’s voice was barely discernible
through the noise from outside and Arthur’s heavy, anxious
breathing. Disappointed, Minji leaned against the wall and pushed
her smartphone back into the pocket of her shorts.

Bailey sniffled. Maybe the baby was too
tired to wail anymore. The building continued to quiver, but as the
din of the debris cloud faded it gradually stilled.

“What do you mean you’re driving to your
mother’s? You can’t do that! Don’t you realize what’s happening?”
Arthur erupted, fury painting his face an ugly red. “You have the
kids with you, June! You’re going to get them killed! No! I can’t
believe you were stupid enough to get on the highway! Of course
there’s a traffic jam! A bunch of other idiots are trying to do the
same thing you’re doing! Aren’t you listening to the news! They’re
saying to stay in the house and blockade your doors and
windows!”

Simone lifted an eyebrow, her dark eyes
sliding toward the angrily pacing man. Arthur’s rage flowed out of
him in tangible waves. Minji literally felt the heat of his fury
lashing out into the air. Bailey let out a whimper before launching
into a full fit. Jesse lightly tapped Arthur’s shoulder, then when
he had the irate man’s attention, motioned to the baby and made a
shushing motion.

“Fuck the baby! My kids are in a car stuck
in fuckin’ Atlanta traffic because my stupid ex-wife is a
moron!”

The woman’s voice on the other end of the
phone continued to speak, though her words were indecipherable.

“Yes, June, I’m immune, but that doesn’t
mean you’ll be. Or the kids! Out of all the people in Vegas, so far
only four are still in control of our minds. Which means if this
thing hits Atlanta, you’re going to end up under its control and
you’re probably going to wreck the car and kill yourself and the
kids.” Pacing, Arthur was beside himself with anger and
frustration. “Stop crying! I’m not the bad guy here! You’re the one
being stupid!”

The lights wavered overhead and the low
rumble of the collapse continued. Minji comforted Bailey while
warily watching both Arthur and the fissured windows in the waiting
room. Though Arthur’s face was shadowed by the hand he had pressed
to his brow, she caught a glimpse of tears on his face. Turning
toward the wall, Arthur rested his forehead against it.

“You don’t understand, June. I don’t want to
lose my kids. I don’t want them to die. They’re all I have left,”
he said in a much quieter tone. There was a long silence in the
hallway as Arthur listened to his ex-wife speak. At last he said,
“Then get off the highway and park somewhere safe. Where other
vehicles can’t hit you. Make sure the doors are locked and crack
the windows open enough to let air in, but don’t leave enough space
that the kids can wiggle out. Make sure they have their seatbelts
on. Yes, yes...I’ll speak to the kids.”

The tone of Arthur’s voice completely
changed when he spoke to his children. Minji noted how much more
loving and kind it sounded. His sorrow hunched his shoulders and
made him seem smaller, more vulnerable.

“Yeah, Bobby, the job is good. I like it.
I...yeah, I’ll get a new place so you can come visit me. I won’t be
living at Uncle Ryan’s anymore. No, son, I can’t go buy the old
house. The bank took it and sold it to someone else. When I get a
raise, I’ll get a new house. Yeah, there’s some bad stuff going on,
but you’re going to be all right. Your mom is going to take care of
you. I wish I were there, too.”

Jesse stepped closer to Arthur and laid a
comforting hand on his arm. Though Minji expected Arthur to shrug
it off, surprisingly, he didn’t. In fact, the look he cast in
Jesse’s direction was grateful.

Simone rested one shoulder against the wall
and slanted her head toward Minji. In hushed tones, she said, “That
explains his bluster, huh? Must have lost it all in the
recession.”

Minji nodded briefly. Austin hadn’t been hit
hard by the economic downturn, but she’d heard the horror stories
on the news. Arthur’s voice again changed as he obviously was
speaking to a toddler. She exhaled slowly and made a mental note to
be more forgiving of Arthur’s attitude.

Arthur abruptly lowered the phone, his eyes
widening. “It’s not happening again, is it? The call got cut
off.”

Minji wagged her head in the negative. “No,
I’m sure it’s not.”

A second later the phone rang again. “Hello?
June? What happened? Oh, okay...I just...okay. I didn’t realize
she’d hung up. I panicked.” Resuming his brisk pacing, Arthur’s
color once more flared crimson. “I don’t care if you’re only a few
miles from your folks! Get off the highway! You don’t know when it
will hit again, June! This thing is...don’t hang up!” With a
furious grunt, Arthur banged the side of his hand against the wall,
but kept a firm hold on the phone. “She hung up. It’s what she
does. Whenever she goes against my wishes, she hangs up and won’t
pick up.”

“You don’t think she’ll pull over?” Jesse
asked.

“I don’t know...” Arthur stared at the phone
as he redialed. The small voice that emanated from it indicated the
call had been diverted to voicemail. “I hope so.” Closing his eyes,
Arthur dragged air into his lungs, obviously trying to calm his
temper. “If she doesn’t pull over, I just...I don’t know.”

The quiet that descended on the hallway that
reeked of the blood smeared on its floors and wall was strained and
uneasy. Jesse remained close to Arthur, but didn’t attempt to
comfort the man further. Simone stared with longing at the
cellphone in Arthur’s hand. Meanwhile, Minji directed her attention
to the world beyond the splintered glass. She could still see
shapes wading through the thick haze.

The lights flicked on and off, then went
dark. A deep gloom instantly consumed the hallway and waiting
room.

“Give it a sec,” Jesse said out of the
darkness. “The emergency generator will kick on in a second or
two.”

On cue, the lights flashed on and
illuminated their frightened faces.

“Arthur...” Simone said into the
silence.

He glanced at her.

“Can I use your phone to call my
family?”

Thrusting out his hand, Arthur nodded.
“Sure.”

Simone took it in her slim fingers and
quickly dialed.

Minji didn’t want to hear another personal
conversation, but didn’t dare move out into the waiting room. The
cloud of debris ebbed and swirled outside while an unnerving groan
filled the air. Perhaps another building was on the verge of
collapse. Minji hoped it was far away.

“Hey, babe. It’s me! Yes, I’m okay. I’m not
affected. I wasn’t on any of the planes that went down.” Simone’s
smile was rapturous with relief. “I’m in a medical center right
now. I’m safe.” The remainder of Simone’s conversation was much
calmer and more loving than Arthur’s. After reassuring her husband,
she spoke to several other people that Minji assumed were older
children. When she ended the call, Simone offered the phone to
Arthur.

“Let them call,” Arthur said, flicking his
fingers toward Jesse and Minji. “Who knows how long it’ll have
bars.”

Sadly, Jesse’s calls went unanswered and he
paled beneath his dark tan. When he passed over the phone to Minji,
she noticed that his hand was unsteady. She gave it a gentle
squeeze before taking the phone and attempting to reach her
parents, in-laws, and brother. No one answered. Somehow, that was
the outcome she’d expected. She was already blessed to have her
immediate family safely with her, so it seemed natural that the
fates would keep the status of her extended family swathed in
mystery. Life had a way of balancing the scales.

“Thank you, Arthur,” she said, returning the
phone. “Maybe you should call your ex again?”

“She never listens to me. She never believes
what I say.” Arthur stared at the phone. “I...I...I’m not an idiot,
but she just ignores what I say.” When he raised his eyes, the
frustration in them gave way to anger. “Just because I lost my job
doesn’t mean I’m an idiot, you know?” A second later, the anger was
replaced by the spark of revelation. “But, I know who will listen
to me! I will save my kids!” Storming out of the hallway, Arthur
nearly slipped on the bloody floor.

“Do you think it’s safe to go out there? The
windows are cracked,” Simone called after him.

“That’s safety glass. I believe it should be
okay,” Jesse assured her. “But if another building comes down, who
knows?”

The sound of the television flaring to life
echoed through the large room and reached Minji’s ears. Clasping
Ava’s hand, she cautiously stepped out of the safety of the
hallway. Arthur came into view, punching at the phone screen. With
a frustrated grunt, he stalked back to the others.

“No bars out there! Only in the hallway.
What the hell kind of reception is that?” Still fuming, he dialed
again.

“Who are you calling?” Simone started to
follow Minji, then hesitated to watch Arthur.

“People who will listen to me. Yes, hello?
My name is Arthur Freestone and I am in Las Vegas. I only have a
few bars, so my reception is a bit shoddy, but I’m ready to go on
the air.”

“He’s calling the news,” Simone said. “Not
someone who can actually help...”

Minji returned to the couch, collapsed onto
it, and pulled her girls onto her lap. Bailey sniffled loudly. Ava
just mimicked a gasping fish and stared at her mother. Simone took
a seat near them, crossed her legs, and fastened her gaze to the
television. Jesse didn’t rejoin them and Minji suspected he was
checking on his few patients.

A minute later the doors to the hallway
slammed shut.

It only took a few minutes before Arthur’s
name was scrolling along the bottom of the newscast and he appeared
in a small box in the corner, his visage shuddering as he streamed
live from his phone. Other images of the chaos inside The Palazzo
Shoppes began to appear in the opposite corner. Minji hadn’t
realized Arthur had snapped photos of the event. Simone folded her
arms over her chest and gave the television an incredulous
look.

“...yes, I’m here. I’m in Las Vegas with
three other people who are not affected. We need immediate help.
Also, I need someone to go and get my wife and kids in Atlanta,”
Arthur said when the interview started.

“Arthur, can you tell us what you’ve seen
and how you’ve avoided being infected?” the anchorman asked.

“I don’t know why I’m immune, and what I’ve
seen is awful. Now, if someone could go get my ex-wife and kids.
They’re at the...” Arthur prattled off an exact location and
ignored the attempts of the neatly coiffed anchorwoman to interrupt
him with a question.

“He’s something else, isn’t he?” Simone said
with the shake of her head.

Minji shrugged a shoulder. “He’s trying to
save his family.”

“True. My husband has it taken care of. Kids
and dogs are all in the house. He took all the furniture out of the
dining room and has them all in there on mattresses. If the event
spreads, they’re not going anywhere.” Long lashes shielding her
eyes, she continued, “So...they’ll be safe until help comes.”

If
help
comes
...

The unsaid words hung menacingly in the
air.

“Maybe they’ll be immune like Bailey. That’s
two people in my family that aren’t being affected. You’re immune,
Simone, so maybe the kids will be, too.”

A wry smile pressed onto Simone’s lips.
“From your lips to God’s ears. If He’s listening...and I’m not sure
He is. But if the kids aren’t affected, they’ll take care of their
dad, the dogs, and themselves. They’re smart kids. We’ve raised
them well.”

Arthur’s irate voice pulled Minji’s
attention back to the screen.

“...somewhere on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s
near the Stratosphere. And yes, the city is on fire. I’m pretty
sure the Luxor is the building that collapsed earlier. I’m not sure
what came down a few minutes ago. And there are dead people
everywhere. Once this thing hits, people just die left and
right...”

“Well,
that
won’t cause a panic.”
Simone raised her eyes heavenward.

Minji thought of all the children walking
silently into the lake on live television. She doubted that
anything Arthur said would have any significant impact on the
public after all they were witnessing on the news. “He can't make
it worse than it already is.”

The doors opened and Arthur’s voice
reverberated through the television speakers for a brief second
before Jesse hastily closed them to cancel the feedback. Walking
over, he perched on the end of the coffee table and focused on
Minji.

“I checked on your husband and all the other
patients. They’re all doing fine right now. None of them had life
threatening ailments or injuries, which is a good thing because
we’re not a long term care facility. Most of the center’s patients
are people who fall ill while on vacation, such as a sprained or
broken a bone, they caught a bug. Sometimes it’s something more
serious and we arrange transportation to another facility. All in
all, we’re in good shape.”

“Especially because you’re the only one here
to take care of everyone,” Simone said.

“Well, my job is a little easier since I’ve
sedated them to keep them from...” Jesse jerked his chin toward the
windows. “I’m going to move Jake into a room and you can relocate
there, Minji. It’ll probably be a little calmer.”

“Are we safe here?” Minji was seriously
having doubts. “I know the fires aren’t that close and the
construction sites near us will act as a firebreak, but what if
more buildings come down?”

“But how do we leave? The roads are packed,”
Jesse answered with a grim look.

“We wait until the city is empty.” Simone
tapped her long nails against the black leather armrest. “It might
take the rest of the day, but it’ll happen. The mesmerized are
walking into the desert, so we wait until they’re all gone. Then we
leave. We’ll have far fewer obstacles to worry about.”