Prologue
January 12, 2015
Thursday
2:58 A.M.
Brooklyn had snowed its last gruesome winter, leaving the winds to howl like heartrending wolves in the distance. Suddenly, the thunderclap of a large explosion tore through the air like a mushroom cloud on steroids.
Dr. Adam Collins was forced into the Hudson River like a descending angel from the heavens. Into the frigid waters, he plunged violently, his body contorted. He felt cold sea water rushing in on top of him, enveloping him, bringing him down under and whirling him into a loop, then pushing him to the top only to take in a small amount of air. Another gasp and he was under again. He stayed calm, cool and collected. This is what he was trained for.
Now there was heat, a burning sensation at his temples. He held his head once again; thinking by doing so would ease the trauma. It didn’t.
He could see and feel his own body twisting, arms and legs frantically moving against the whirlpool of horror. He kicked furiously, clawing at the heavy walls of the salt sea above, his chest throbbing. He broke surface trying his best to stay on top of the dark swells.
Climb you fool! Climb!
His body submitted to his calling and he was able to yet catch another breath of air; his lungs under stress taking in droplets of the sea. Once his eyes made contact with the atmosphere he briefly saw what appears to be land; a concrete block with a steel wiring hanging out of it. It was then that he made his move, mustering all he had to crawl to safety.
He had made it and instantly grabbed for the metal bearing and pulled himself up to once again safety. Only when his feet were out of the water and onto the rock he called for assistance. It took a minute before he could manage to spit out through a salty cottonmouth, “SID, come and get me…it’s all over.”
Adam lay quietly staring at the one star the city produced. He immediately went into a conscious muse, remembering the time when life was much simpler.
