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Chapter 4:  Earthquake

        The Seismic Building, located in the heart of Houston's thriving commercial district was an impressive steel and glass structure. Nearly ten years old, it was the brainchild of Professor Shirley Masterson, an eminent geo-scientist, who had made the study of earthquakes and predicting them well in advance, her lifelong obsession.
        In the central control area of the building, an impressive atrium-like area in the central core, technicians were checking readouts and seismograph readings. Others were correlating the data, whilst radio receivers kept the technicians in touch with vulnerable sites all over the world. One side of the atrium was fitted out with a huge illuminated map of the world on which flashed various lights. The map itself was all linked up to various computers and seismographic equipment. The success record of the centre in predicting earthquakes well in advance of their arrival was impressive and it was conservatively estimated that many thousands of lives had been saved since it's inception.
Suddenly a light started flashing in the part of the map covering a remote area of Mexico and a warning buzzer sounded. Two technicians were hunched over the computer and seismograph covering that area. The readings on the latter were showing that a violent shockwave was imminent. 
        "Better get Professor Masterson to take a look at this, quickly"
        The second technician nodded and immediately went to locate the head of the project.
        "What is it Adams?" The Professor asked on arriving.
        "I'm getting a pretty violent reading for this area professor" 
        Professor Masterson looked closely at the data.
        "Hm, looks like a bad one Adams. The good thing is it's a pretty remote area. There's San Miguelo prison and the nearby village. You had better get on the special radio link and tell them what to expect, they'll need to put evacuation procedures into action."
        However the call was in vain and minutes later a grim faced radio operator approached Professor Masterson.
        "I'm sorry ma'am, but we can't contact San Miguelo, the prison radio cannot be functioning"
        The Professor looked grim "Are you sure it isn't a problem this end?"
        "Yes ma'am, there's definitely a malfunction their end."
        "We have to get through somehow and warn them of the danger" She re-iterated.
        "I'll do my best Professor"

        Paul Ford was standing looking over the technicians in the prison control room doing their best to salvage what they could from the damaged panel, but it was not looking good. 
        "Can you at least fix the radio?" He asked.
        "I don’t know maybe Senor Ford" One of the local technicians replied.
        "At least if we can contact the outside world we'll…."
        The governor broke off as he felt a slight shaking of the building and light fittings and objects rattled. Everyone in the small room turned to look at him for guidance. Then one of the prison guards entered.
        "Senor Ford, I feel the earth, she move"
        "Yeah, I felt it too Pepe. We can't take any chances with the radio out of action. Condition red, put into effect emergency evacuation procedures now. Get the prisoners together and into the special vehicles.
        "Si Senor Ford"
        "Right, you guys leave this. Everybody out"
        The building started to shake some more and this time there was no escaping the ferocity. Everyone ran for the outside. People were shouting and masonry was falling. The inmates under armed surveillance from the guards were herded out quickly and efficiently to a special fleet of trucks. These were equipped with caterpillar tracks and were secure holding units with fresh air pumped into the rear compartments. Ford ran out just in time to see the trucks starting to leave. Several times he was almost thrown off balance and cracks started to open up in the prison courtyard. The dust was like the thickest fog and was choking his lungs. There was always a danger that one or more of the inmates could try to slip away in the confusion, but this eventuality had been rehearsed on numerous occasions.
        "Climb in Pepe and get this truck out of here now" He ordered.
        "But Senor, where you go?"
        "I've got to get to those two guys in solitary, here let me have your pistol"
        Pepe duly handed Ford the gun.
        "Now beat it Pepe, that's an order"
        The trucks were hurrying away through the prison gates, but now came the biggest shock. It lasted for only a few seconds but reduced whole sections of the prison a nothing more than dust and rubble. Ford ran for the emergency exit to the basement area, but huge chunks of masonry and rubble fell, blocking his path and the exit. There was little hope of him being able to gain access. He turned and ran for his life. The shaking felled him and he just managed the roll aside as a huge chunk of rubble fell and just missed him by inches. By some miracle he managed to pick his way through the remains of the building and out to where the trucks were parked with just a few minor cuts and bruises.
        Meanwhile down in the basement, Symonds and Sanchez were hammering desperately at the cell door as they felt the earth shake. Cracks appeared in the walls and ceilings and huge chunks of concrete were falling in the access passageway outside the cell door. The room was becoming more and more filled with dust and Sanchez lost his balance.
        "Hey, what about us, let us out of here, you can't just leave us down here to die. Hey anybody there, don't forget us we're down here" Symonds yelled as loud as he could, beating the door desperately with his fists. 
        The frame started to buckle and suddenly the electronic lock fused and sparked.
        "Is no good, they cannot get down here, even if they deed, they could not open the door now, she is blown" Sanchez stated.
Symonds coughed and composed himself. Suddenly the shaking stopped. The two men looked through the small barred window, but when the dust cleared they could see that the passageway was blocked in both directions by huge piles of rubble.
        "Hey, the earthquake, it is over" stated Sanchez optimistically.
        Symonds was waving his right hand in front of his face now in an effort to clear the dust. Both he and Sanchez were caked in it.
        "Yeah, but there is such a thing as aftershocks. It aint gonna take much to bring this whole lot down on top of us."
        Ford's wounds were being attended to by one of the guards while the others stayed in position outside the rear doors, which were sealed to prevent escape. The governor looked in despair at what remained of his prison. Only two walls were left partially standing. The remainder was now just a twisted pile of concrete and steel. Such was the severity of the collapse that the dust had yet to settle.
        "You do your best Senor, but I fear the men down there are no longer alive"
        "Those basement cells are pretty hardy, they were built to stand up to earthquakes, though nothing like this one. We have to try some kind of rescue."  

On to Chapter 5.