Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 9:50 A.M. Dad told Lucas that he'd driven to Manhattan from Randall's Island as soon as the first plane hit. "I was going to head right to the scene," Dad said. "But I got the message that you were at the firehouse. So I went there first. Chief said you'd be waiting for me." "I'm sorry," Lucas said. "I just couldn't stay… I…" Dad held up his hand. There was no time to talk. And Lucas got the idea that nothing that had happened before this

morning mattered anymore — not now, maybe not ever again. "We need to find the guys," Dad said. "I need to get my gear from the truck. And then I'm going to find someone to take you back to the firehouse." Lucas didn't want to go back there. But he didn't argue. "They're not going to be able to put the fires out," Dad said. "This is a rescue operation now. We just want to get all of the people out of there." Dad's walkie-talkie crackled. Muffled voices mixed with static came through. Dad kept switching channels, trying to hear. He swore under his breath. "Nobody can talk to anyone," he said. "These radios have never worked. And now people are totally shut off. Nobody can get through to the men in the towers." They passed a pickup truck. The back was completely smashed, and a jet engine, still smoking, sat on the ground just behind it. The driver's door was open — someone had been in the car when it was hit and had gotten away. "Lucky," Dad said as he pulled Lucas along, past the truck. One mile per hour slower and the

entire cab would have been crushed. There were people sitting on the sidewalks being treated by paramedics. Some were in bad shape. Lucas tried to keep his eyes straight ahead. A woman staggered up to Dad. Her gray hair was soaked with sweat. Her face was bright red

with streaks of black under her eyes. She was breathing very hard, her hand on her chest. "Can you help me?" she gasped. "My heart. I came down the stairs…. My friends… I don't know where they are…. There was so much smoke…." Lucas knew Dad didn't want to stop — he wanted to find his crew. "Okay," Dad said in a low and gentle voice. "Don't worry. We're going to get you what you need." He turned to Lucas, pointing to an ambulance a few yards away. "Tell one of the paramedics we need help here." Lucas ran over and told one of the paramedics, then hurried back to sit with Dad and the woman. Dad kept talking to her while they waited. He introduced himself and asked for her name, and about her family. The woman was gripping Dad's arm so tightly that her fingernails were digging into his skin. Dad didn't budge. He kept talking to her, trying to calm this person he'd never met and would probably never see again. Finally the paramedics came. A minute later they had the woman on a stretcher and into the

ambulance. Dad and Lucas continued their search for Ladder 177. But suddenly there was a deep roaring noise. The ground trembled. Dad stopped short. He looked around. His eyes flew up. He grabbed Lucas by the arm and shouted. "Run!" Lucas had no idea what was happening. But suddenly there was the loudest noise he'd ever heard. Louder than a hundred freight trains. Louder than all those sirens. "What is it?" Lucas cried, his voice cracking with terror. Dad pulled Lucas along, shouting, "Run! Run!" to the people all around. Dad kept looking over his shoulder, pulling Lucas harder, urging him to move faster. They came to a convenience store and Dad pushed the door open. He threw Lucas inside and then called to people just behind them. "In here!" he called. "Hurry! Hurry!"

Just a few people followed. Then Dad slammed the door shut. "Everyone get down! Cover your heads!" Lucas dove to the ground and then — Whoosh! There was the sound of shattering glass and a powerful blast of hot wind. Minutes passed. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears. His mouth and nose filled with gritty dust. It was hard to breathe. If he hadn't known better, he would have been sure that he was in the middle of a tornado — a boiling hot tornado. And suddenly the noise and wind stopped. There was silence. Lucas opened his eyes, but he couldn't see anything. All around was pure darkness. For a long moment he was pretty sure the world had ended. And that he was the only person left on Earth.