NightFall by Roger Hayden Page B

disoriented and
frightened packs, trying to escape the noxious fumes.
    Those in the thick of the smoke fell
to their knees gagging, with their eyes watering and thick mucus
pouring from their mouths and nostrils.
    More canisters flew into the air,
striking the ground, and rolling as they exploded into colorful
clouds that spread down the street. Rob led his family in one long
chain, out of the smoke and farther down the road. The unruly
crowds were getting more dangerous, and he feared a
stampede.
    A thundering crash echoed
down the street, followed by an explosion of glass and metal.
People stopped, stunned and frozen in their tracks. An enormous cargo truck, wide enough to take up
all three lanes, barreled down the street, smashing cars and
heaving them out of the way with its front-end plow
blade.
    The machine tossed vehicles to the
side in wrecked heaps, and showed no signs of slowing down. With
smoke billowing from its exhaust pipe, the truck chugged down the
road at a steady speed of thirty miles an hour, tossing cars aside
with startling precision and no regard for anything in its
path.
    Rob pulled Mila close and
shouted over the din surrounding them. “We’ve got to get through! Follow me!” Rob pushed his way
through the crowd and they made it to the corner on 84th Street.
They ran as fast as they could down the sidewalk, joining others,
hysterical and desperate to get as far away as possible.
    Soldiers dropped from ropes all around
them as Black Hawks circled the city.
    “ Let’s go. Try to keep
up,” Rob said.
    Kelly was falling behind.
Her legs could only move so fast. Mila kept a tight grip on her
hand, slowing just enough for her to keep up. Mila suddenly lost
Rob ’s hand as he quickly moved ahead. She
shouted for him, drowned out by the noise of the truck.
    The disorder in the streets shocked
her senses. Helicopters, panicked screams, voices blaring from
intercoms above, roads blocked with motionless vehicles, and the
methodical destruction of vehicles was unbelievable. It couldn’t
have been happening. But it was.
    After a quarter mile, they reached
Park Avenue, only to find two green-military cargo trucks clearing
the roads like snow plows. Anyone in the road soon discovered that
the trucks were not stopping—no matter what. Commuters jumped out
of the way and watched helplessly as their cars were crushed and
swept along the road like debris.
    Rob looked north down Park
Avenue. Platoons of armed soldiers walked behind the trucks,
scanning the road. The Black Hawks continued to blare from
overhead. With blocks to go, the odds seemed insurmountable, but
they had no choice but to push on. “Everyone stay together,” Rob said.
    Kelly, close to tears,
wrapped her arms around Mila. “I’m scared.
Why are they doing this?” she cried.
    Mila was helpless to move
with Kelly attached to her. Rob pulled Josh back as he tried to run
ahead. “Wait,” he said.
    He went over to Mila and picked Kelly
up, holding her in his arms against his chest. She was trembling
and drenched with sweat.
    “ All right,” Rob said to
Mila and Josh. “ Now we move. And don’t stop until we get to the car.”
    They moved forcibly through the
crowds, trying to stay focused on their narrow path ahead, trying
to ignore the impossibility of what was happening around
them.
     
     
     
     
    Race to the
Cabin
     
    After a long, exhausting
journey, they finally neared the parking garage. Sirens wailed from
every direction. Smoke and tear gas rose
into the city skyline, toward the top of skyscrapers. New York City
was a disaster, and the sooner they escaped, the better. The
three-story parking garage offered temporary refuge. They were all
exhausted and equally shaken—Rob’s arms strained from carrying his
daughter, Josh in a state of shock, and Mila rendered nearly
catatonic.
    “ Guess we should have
taken the subway,” Mila said in a dry tone.
    Rob laughter with uneasy. “Guess
you’re right.”
    They had no clue if the