countries were able to keep a pretty tight lid on the news. All we got were some grainy satellite shots, and no reporter ever penetrated the security cordons around the fires. I just hadn’t been aware of how…of how
cataclysmic
it all was.”
“None of us were, Dale. There are a lot of things we haven’t been told, and I don’t mind saying, I think we’ve been lied to by our government. I think it’s about time—”
The little box in the corner disappeared, and the larger helicopter shot turned into a maze of those squares that are what static looks like on digital television. Dave was about to click away when the image stabilized again. This time the helicopter shot was the PIP and the anchor desk filled the screen.
Kathy and Dale sat perfectly still for a moment. They seemed to have run out of things to say. Then Dale cleared his throat and glanced down at a sheet of paper.
“Ah…Kathy, we’re getting a live report from Susie Mihashi at Hollywood Park. Go ahead, Susie.”
Dennis leaned toward him in his lawn chair.
“I think Kathy and Dale just got slapped down, big-time.”
“I think you’re right. You think it was the government or the station management?”
“You think there’s a difference, now?”
Susie Mihashi didn’t look so good. She was wearing a pantsuit that had started out the day white, but was now streaked with black soot and what looked like globs of tar. Her hair and face were no better. She was being buffeted by a high wind.
“Kathy, Dale, it’s getting pretty windy here at Hollywood Park, and the wind is erratic. A fire marshal just told me that there are firestorms to the north of us, and air is being sucked toward them. That’s doing battle with the westerly wind we had before. So we never know just what’s going to be coming down. Several times…Uh-oh, here it comes again.”
She held a scarf to her face as a cloud of ash blew around her, tugging at her clothes. More black goo landed on her. She was seized by a coughing fit.
“She should get out of there,” Addison said. Dave looked over at her. Her lower lip was trembling. He got up and put his arm around her and she buried her face in his chest. There wasn’t much he could say to her, but he murmured encouragement.
“Okay, okay, I’m all right,” Mihashi was saying. “As I said, the wind has been shifting. Authorities have established a command post here at the racetrack. Medical personnel have set up a triage center, and I’ve seen hundreds of people brought in on stretchers. Many more have walked in. I’m told all the hospitals are full. There are a lot of elderly with respiratory problems. They are being given face masks and loaded onto buses, when they are available, and driven away from the fire. Police and rescue are working against great odds, what with the traffic jams and the sheer number of people who are hurt. Therehave been some severe burns. Doctors have put out emergency calls. If you were a paramedic in the military, they need you down here. I’m told that there are only a few hundred beds in local burn centers. In the past they did drills simulating a nuclear attack, and it was clear even back then that all our facilities would be quickly overwhelmed. And that’s exactly what has happened.”
“Susie, we’ve been instructed not to use the word ‘nuclear.’ ” That was Dale, and he sounded furious.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you. Anyway, many of these burns are really nasty, very painful, caused by a hot, tarlike substance like you can see on my clothes. It sticks like napalm, and it can keep on burning right into your flesh.”
Somebody was honking a horn out on the street. Dave broke away from the group and went to the gate. Outside was Jenna’s little red Smart Car. He opened the gate and she drove in and quickly hopped out.
“This is it, isn’t it?” she said. “This is what you were talking about.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“The president is going to be talking to us, is
cataclysmic
it all was.”
“None of us were, Dale. There are a lot of things we haven’t been told, and I don’t mind saying, I think we’ve been lied to by our government. I think it’s about time—”
The little box in the corner disappeared, and the larger helicopter shot turned into a maze of those squares that are what static looks like on digital television. Dave was about to click away when the image stabilized again. This time the helicopter shot was the PIP and the anchor desk filled the screen.
Kathy and Dale sat perfectly still for a moment. They seemed to have run out of things to say. Then Dale cleared his throat and glanced down at a sheet of paper.
“Ah…Kathy, we’re getting a live report from Susie Mihashi at Hollywood Park. Go ahead, Susie.”
Dennis leaned toward him in his lawn chair.
“I think Kathy and Dale just got slapped down, big-time.”
“I think you’re right. You think it was the government or the station management?”
“You think there’s a difference, now?”
Susie Mihashi didn’t look so good. She was wearing a pantsuit that had started out the day white, but was now streaked with black soot and what looked like globs of tar. Her hair and face were no better. She was being buffeted by a high wind.
“Kathy, Dale, it’s getting pretty windy here at Hollywood Park, and the wind is erratic. A fire marshal just told me that there are firestorms to the north of us, and air is being sucked toward them. That’s doing battle with the westerly wind we had before. So we never know just what’s going to be coming down. Several times…Uh-oh, here it comes again.”
She held a scarf to her face as a cloud of ash blew around her, tugging at her clothes. More black goo landed on her. She was seized by a coughing fit.
“She should get out of there,” Addison said. Dave looked over at her. Her lower lip was trembling. He got up and put his arm around her and she buried her face in his chest. There wasn’t much he could say to her, but he murmured encouragement.
“Okay, okay, I’m all right,” Mihashi was saying. “As I said, the wind has been shifting. Authorities have established a command post here at the racetrack. Medical personnel have set up a triage center, and I’ve seen hundreds of people brought in on stretchers. Many more have walked in. I’m told all the hospitals are full. There are a lot of elderly with respiratory problems. They are being given face masks and loaded onto buses, when they are available, and driven away from the fire. Police and rescue are working against great odds, what with the traffic jams and the sheer number of people who are hurt. Therehave been some severe burns. Doctors have put out emergency calls. If you were a paramedic in the military, they need you down here. I’m told that there are only a few hundred beds in local burn centers. In the past they did drills simulating a nuclear attack, and it was clear even back then that all our facilities would be quickly overwhelmed. And that’s exactly what has happened.”
“Susie, we’ve been instructed not to use the word ‘nuclear.’ ” That was Dale, and he sounded furious.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you. Anyway, many of these burns are really nasty, very painful, caused by a hot, tarlike substance like you can see on my clothes. It sticks like napalm, and it can keep on burning right into your flesh.”
Somebody was honking a horn out on the street. Dave broke away from the group and went to the gate. Outside was Jenna’s little red Smart Car. He opened the gate and she drove in and quickly hopped out.
“This is it, isn’t it?” she said. “This is what you were talking about.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“The president is going to be talking to us, is
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