Tom grunted out a soft ‘sick’ sound, turning his head as he stepped into the doors that led into the lobby.
Gabe, like his father and brother, couldn’t help but glance down to the poor soul who lay there.
The smell of rotting flesh carried from him and wasn’t any better inside.
The large lobby with the fountain in the center was strewn with bodies across the marble floor.
All of them decomposing. Gabe couldn’t image what it would be like in another day.
It was a catch, the casino connected to the lobby. Visitors and guests would have to walk through to the elevators. A way to entice them to spend their money.
Like the airport, the slot machines flashed and played their automatic calling noise.
Not many bodies were in the casino, the ones there were either on the floor by a machine or against it.
Silently they made their way to the elevator area. The power was still on and Gabe hoped that it stayed that way until they made it up to the floor. It would be a horrible way to die, trapped in there, counting down to the next eruption.
Just as he had that thought, the ‘ding’ announced the arriving elevator and the doors opened.
A horrid, putrid odor blasted them exposing three bodies in the carriage.
Hurriedly, hand covering his mouth, Gary reached in the elevator, withdrew his hand and the door closed.
He pressed the ‘up’ button and another elevator opened.
Gabe was prepared for the same scenario, but that one was empty.
The four of them stepped inside and Tom pressed ‘fifteen’.
As the doors closed, Gabe let out the breath that he held and hoped his father was right.
They were running out of time.
The second Tom stepped off the elevator and from the elevator lobby to the floor, he knew it was going to be a challenge.
There were four hallways that extended off the fifteenth floor lobby.
“What room?” Owen asked.
“I don’t know. She only said the fifteenth floor,” Tom replied.
“Jesus, Dad,” Gabe said., “Look how long the hallways are. There has to be a hundred rooms, at least. What do we do?”
“We call out,” Gary said. “Each take a hall and call out. If she’s on this floor, she’ll hear us.”
“And if she’s not?” Gabe asked. “Owen?”
“I … I don’t know.”
“At what point,” Gabe said. “And I’m not being a dick, but at what point do we say, this was useless.”
Tom held up his hand. “Before we cross that bridge, let’s cross this one. Gary has a plan. Let’s each take a hall and call out.”
They all agreed and they spread out.
Tom took the hall to the right. As soon as he began his walk down the long corridor, he could hear Gabe, Owen and Gary calling out.
One of them was knocking on doors.
“Delaney!” Tom yelled. “Delaney, it’s Tom! Delaney!”
He moved slowly, calling out steadily.
Halfway down the hall, he heard the unlatching of the door and he stopped.
Delaney stepped out of a room from the right, about four doors up.
“Boys, Gary, I found her,” Tom hollered. Almost instantly he could hear their running footsteps.
“What are you doing, Tom?” she asked.
“Looking for you.” Tom walked to her. “When we couldn’t find you at the airport, we came looking for you.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
“Your app. You told me about it. I figured this is where you came.”
She nodded, backing into the room, leaving the door open for Tom.
He waited at the open hotel room door for the others to get there and once they made it from the other hallways, Tom walked it.
They followed.
The room wasn’t completely dark, the curtains were open all the way, allowing the sun to shine through.
A small hallway led in. The room was large, a hybrid between a suite and a room. Immediately there was a couch and chair. A glass top table served as a room divider where the king size bed was on the opposite side.
He could see the outline of a body, covered by the bedding.
The room was exceptionally tidy. A suitcase and small gym bag were on the couch.
“Delaney,” Tom said. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.” She stared at the bed. “I had to see her, you know?”
“I do.” Tom stepped nearer to her.
She ran her hand over the outline of the body. “I made a key downstairs. I had the mobile one on my phone.”
“Delaney,” Owen spoke. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Sad. Very sad. She died in her sleep.”
Tom looked over his shoulder, the others stayed back. “Listen, I know you wanted to see her. You shouldn’t have left. At least without telling anyone. I don’t mean to sound like I’m scolding.”
“I know,” she said. “But how do you just go on? How do you, me, any of us, just say, ‘those we love are gone’ and not look back? I’m just so confused over that. How do we do that?”
“We don’t,” Gabe said. “We don’t. we have to have resolution or we’ll never be able to move forward. This was your resolution with your sister. We … we’re gonna find my mom, my girlfriend, and you know what … when all this eruption shit ends, I will go with you to find your family.”
“We all will,” Tom said. “We have the country to search, empty airports to refuel at. But we have to go.”
“I know,” Delaney said with an exhale. “Thank you for finding me.” She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and unplugged it.
“Thank …” Gary paused. “You’re thanking us? So it wasn’t your intention to stay?”
Delaney shook her head. “I wanted to leave. Look.” She pointed
