Donna Mixon is the first to speak, her voice ringing out loudly in the quiet room. "Has anyone been able to get in contact with S&P?" She isn't asking but giving a command. "Homer," she addresses Simpson, "get on it now."
"Yes Ma'am!"
Her eyes are daggers as she snarls, "Do I look like some ninety year old Queen?"
The young man looks unsure. "Ummm, no?"
"Damn right!" she snaps. "So whenever you address me, you will do it with 'Sir'. You get me?"
Simpson is up on his feet standing at full attention as he shouts, "I get you Sir!"
Donna waves him away and turns to Chris Winder and JR Handley who are both trying to contain their laughter. "Something funny?"
Both men stop chuckling and look like children caught acting up. Winder nudges Handley who opens his mouth, "No Donna."
"Are you sure?"
He nods and spots McTiernan. "Sir, still nothing to report. All we know is that something took out the power."
"No shit Sherlock," Donna says before turning to McTiernan. "What's the plan?"
The CO of Security looks at the expectant faces of his team and instantly worries about the rest of his people scattered all over the park. "Any word from the rest of our people?"
Winder answers, "Sir, yessir. Everyone is accounted for and ready for orders."
"Good," McTiernan says. "Do we know anything about the status of the Kaijus?"
Handley shakes his head. "Not presently."
"Okay." McTiernan looks to Robert Tillsley. "Can we do anything to get the power--"
"--Sir," Simpson calls out. He holds up his phone. "S&P are reporting that they can get power back."
The room erupts with sighs of relief and lots of whoops for joy. There is something about the young man's tone of voice that has McTiernan worried. "What else, Simpson?"
"Well...It's just that...they haven't finished writing the code for the backup power yet. All they can give us are cameras and basic communications," the young recruit answers with a grimace. He really doesn't want Donna to yell at him, or anyone else too for that matter.
"Figures," Handley mutters.
McTiernan nods. "That'll have to do for now. Thank you." He looks at his people and is thankful they are all professionals and have not panicked. "I want to thank all of you for your hard work these past years. But I'm afraid that this will be the end of Kaiju World."
"What?"
"Are you serious?"
"What will we do?"
McTiernan raises his hands. "I personally guarantee you will be given fair compensation. Each of you will receive three years pay and will be given the highest recommendation for any job you want." He smiles as some of the screens flicker to life. "Good," he sighs. "Bernardi, you Handley and Winder focus on getting a sitrep on the Kaijus. I want to know what each and every single one of them is doing." He turns to Donna, "I want you and Simpson to do everything you can to get a lock on Pryke and his guests."
They nod and set about performing their tasks while the rest of the room sits and waits patiently for their orders. Most are positive they know what is about to be said but they wait anyway.
"As for the rest of you," McTiernan says. "We will begin evacuation of the island. You know the drill, all personnel will be airlifted off the island while data and research will be uploaded to Pryke's servers. I also want physical backups ready within the hour. There is no telling--"
"--Sir," Drue Bernardi looks pale as he speaks. "I have good news and bad news."
"What now?"
"Well," Handley speaks. "It ain't good, that's for sure."
"Spit it out," Donna barks.
"Relax, Donna," McTiernan says, then waits for one of the three men to speak.
"We can't track them, that's the thing. S&P hasn't patched us in to Ikari's system yet. All we can do is cycle through the cameras until we can find them," Winder says, always the voice of reason.
James McTiernan nods, "People you have your orders. I want this island cleared within three hours. Somebody alert the mainland. We're gonna need helicopters, and carriers ASAP." He looks at Winder. "Well? Let's start."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Why does this keep happening?" Rick Shaw sobs as his legs threaten to give up and have him collapse.
"Maybe," Christopher Michael huffs and puffs as he weaves between trees, ferns and bushes. "Just maybe it has something to do with being on an island inhabited by gargantuan monsters!"
None of them are certain how long they've been running for. It could be minutes or hours, but either way the raging beast thundering behind them has no plans of changing course any time soon.
"I wonder," Christopher muses, enjoying the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "How can they see us?"
"Why don't you stop and ask?" Jeremy Smith calls as he narrowly misses being struck by the beam of electricity that shoots past him and engulfs a tree in blue flames.
"No thanks," Christopher shouts back. "I'm good!"
Ellen Scott's been running in silence since the Kaiju spotted them. Shaw screamed and took off, leaving her and the others looking confused. Then the taloned foot crashed down, demolishing a couple of acres of trees. The foot had thick tufts of coarse looking fur pushing up and out between the scales. Christopher had opened fire instantly, emptying a magazine of his Beretta 9mm. Jeremy pulled on him until the man realized it was a futile exercise trying to shoot through the thick scales.
Now Ellen wants only one thing; for her men to shut up so she can figure out a plan. Is that too much to ask for? she thinks as she feels the hair on the back of her neck stand up. That can only mean one thing and Ellen slides, looking up briefly to catch a glimpse of a lightning bolt scream across her vision.
"You sure we're going the right way?" Shaw cries over the rumbling from the Kaiju, it sounds like a coming storm.
Jeremy grunts as he misjudges a leap and catches his foot on a tree root. He hits the ground and rolls easily. Then he is back on his feet. "Positive! We keep going straight until--"
He yelps as they all tumble down a small incline; the branches and heavy leaves from shrubs slap and cut any bare skin as they tumble until they land in a pile of splayed limbs.
Quickly, Shaw crawls out from under Ellen and begins dusting the sand off his pants. "Who put that fucking there?!"
Ellen rolls and pulls the man down as a giant tree crashes down, the roots impaling the ground Shaw was just standing on. "Move!"
Running on sand is normally difficult; it gives way too easily and has the habit of trapping the foot of whoever is running on it. But when being chased by Godzilla's pissed off cousin and the adrenaline fighting for control, sand is the single worst thing to encounter.
The four members of Animal Alliance sink, slip, trip and knock into each other as they try to outrun the Kaiju.
"Thank you Jeebus!" Shaw howls as the boat comes into view.
Ellen feels rejuvenated, as do the others, and pushes her body harder. Her lungs burn with each breath she takes and her muscles are screaming for a break. She can't stop now, they must reach the boat. Though the thought of the electrical beam makes her pause; it seems like the monster can fire at will and without needing to recharge it.
Dropping to her knee, Ellen expertly wedges the four magazines into the sand and steadies her aim, holding the gun with both hands and pressing her elbows against her body.
"What are you, crazy?" Christopher yells at her.
"Get the boat into the water!" she shouts back, ignoring his question. "I'll buy you enough time!"
A rocky mountainous shadow rears up through the forest canopy. The bulbous eyes glow pale indigo and the cat-like ears swivel, trying to track the humans. It rumbles and breathes heavily.
Ellen raises the gun, her plan is to take out one of the gelatinous eyes, which she hopes will distract it long enough for her men to get off the damned island.
The air crackles and the gigantic shadow ripples as it begins sucking in oxygen. A deafening whoosh
ing sound surrounds Ellen who opens fire, her finger squeezing the trigger again and again and again.
She has no idea if the tiny hunks of lead get anywhere near their target and frankly she doesn't care as the Kaiju opens its mouth and a bolt of bright blue electricity explodes forth. Ellen spins, following it and gasps as all she can do is watch helplessly.
Rick Shaw screams; an unholy sound of absolute pain that reminds Ellen of a wounded animal, as his insides burn and liquefies. His skin catches fire as the blast engulfs the boat, the wood offering no protection from the attack. The man's body convulses as the skin blackens, the hair on his head and face bursting into flames and the cries of anguish become hoarse as the vocal cords melt.
Jeremy and Christopher drop flat on their bellies as the boat and Rick Shaw both explode in a fiery ball of disaster that showers them with debris.
Ellen can't believe it, every single one of her plans on the island has so far failed spectacularly. The gun slips from her hand and lands with a dull thump as slowly she stands. Behind her she hears the triumphant roar of the beast as it steps out of the trees and onto the soft sand of the beach.
"Ellen!" she feels Christopher pulling her arm. "We've gotta go!"
Her mouth moves but no sound comes. Ellen wants to talk but something inside of her has given up. She is ready and willing to let the monster devour her, just to end her suffering.
Shouting and gunfire draws her back to her senses.
Blinking, Ellen sees lines of purple and red flashing through the sky, smacking into the side of the Kaiju. Each hit tears the flesh causing bright orange blood to explode and rain down onto the trees and sand.
The Kaiju screeches in pain and spins around, the tail kicking up a wave of sand.
Jeremy grabs Ellen by the other arm. "The cavalry?"
"I could hazard a guess," Christopher says with a smile. They watch as the lasers fire quicker and quicker, each one hitting the same spot causing smoke to slowly form. The grouping of shots is truly impressive; there is barely any change in where the laser hits. Whoever is firing knows exactly what they are doing.
Finally the Kaiju roars in frustration, turns then flees into the forest. Christopher whoops and fist pumps the air. "Yeah! That's how you do it!"
Faint voices can be heard approaching and Ellen says, "Leave this to me." She promptly faints just as Dutch and the A.R. Team get close; their weapons are raised and pointed at the three survivors.
"What's all this then?" Dutch asks with a raised eyebrow.
#
"Rejoice! Rejoice for I have returned!" Gideon Pryke booms as his small band of sorry looking people burst into the main hall of the resort. Expecting to be flocked by worried employees and Department Chiefs, the man is more than surprised when nobody takes any notice of him. All around them people are hurrying about, carrying boxes of documents and files, rolling racks of servers and checking tablets. The other odd thing is that the hall and staircase are being lit by work-lights connected to portable generators.
"So much for a grand reception," Winston wheezes. He is leaning against a pillar and is breathing hard. The sweat on his brow mingles with the blood from the cuts and gashes on his face.
Beacham, Crichton and Teresa look just as bad; the two men's clothes are torn and stained with already drying blood. Their faces are muddy and each man looks dazed and slightly confused. Teresa, meanwhile, has a distinctly singular expression on her face; that of wanting to murder one Gideon Pryke. Her shirt has singe marks on it and her long hair is in tangles. Combined they look perfectly miserable.
Pryke looks annoyed at being ignored by his people and he claps his hands hard. "Hey!" Nobody stops as they are all too focused on their jobs. Pryke scratches his head. "What's going on?"
"Why not try using your phone?" Teresa sneers. The sheepish smile Pryke gives her flames her anger. Part of her wishes that he had been the one to get eaten by the monster and not the two businessmen. "Where is it?"
Pryke holds up his hands. "I must’ve dropped it on the trek back."
"You shitheel," she says and walks over to a techie that is having trouble with the rolling rack of servers. Teresa grabs the poor man by the arm and spins him. "Phone, please." The man squeaks and hands her a walkie-talkie before pushing the rack away. Casually Teresa tosses the communication device to Pryke who fumbles with it slightly.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asks, staring at the twin dials on top.
"Call your Head of Security!"
Pryke doesn't like being ordered about and glares at the woman. Definitely a mistake inviting her, he thinks as he spins the knobs to the correct channel. When this is over, he tells himself, she won’t publish a single damn word. He knows that given the chance Teresa Hernandez will do everything she can to destroy his reputation and the park. That is something he cannot and will not allow to happen. The billion and billions of dollars invested means that he personally will always be in debt, unless Kaiju World is a resounding success. She better had signed that NDA. "James? Come in James McTiernan?" he says into the walkie and waits.
"I need to lie down," Winston moans mere seconds before collapsing with a loud thud. Beacham and Crichton stare, stunned from the sudden fall and are late in reacting. They drop to their knees and try shaking the massive bulk but Winston is unresponsive.
"Help!" Crichton calls out.
"James! This is Gideon Pryke! There's a situation in the main hall and we need a medic!" Pryke barks into the walkie talkie, his voice is commanding and has the same tone as Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
"Pryke?" McTiernan's voice crackles in surprise. "Where the fuck have you been?"
"Get down here with medical and I'll tell you."
"Medical? What's going on...you hurt?"
"Not at all dear boy," Pryke's voice has returned to its usual easy-going tone. "One of our visitors seems to have suffered a coronary."
"On our way," the walkie talkie crackles again and Pryke looks smugly at Teresa. His face rapidly changes to concern when he sees the woman performing CPR; she is blowing air into Winston's mouth while Crichton is providing the compressions on the flabby chest.
Maybe I should get at least one signature, Pryke thinks as he spies Beacham standing to the side looking as if his life has ended. "How you doing, chap?"
Beacham glances up at Pryke and swallows his emotions before speaking. "How do you think I'm doing?"
Pryke blinks, in the twenty years he has known these men not once has he ever heard Beacham raise his voice. "I can hazard a guess," he says, placing a consoling hand on the man's shoulder. "You're not the only one to lose a friend."
Beacham shakes loose the comforting hand. "It's always about you. Isn't it?"
Gideon Pryke tries to hold back his smile and unfortunately fails. "Well...Look at--"
"--Pryke! What the hell is going on?" James McTiernan's voice stops everyone in the hall. The only sounds apart from the clacking of boots on the tiled floor that can be heard are the squeaking wheels of the server racks. Not a single soul wants to make a sound. "Well?"
Pryke smiles pleasantly and steps to the side allowing the Chief of Security and the four man Medical Team to see the unconscious Winston. "No idea," he says.
McTiernan snaps his fingers and the room erupts in movement; the techies and personnel return to their tasks as the medics race over and begin preparing the body.
The owner of Kaiju World watches McTiernan who closes the distance between them in five long steps. "James!" Pryke is all politeness. "How are you? It's been forever, I must say."
"Why haven't you been answering your phone?"
"Funny story," Pryke says with a chuckle. "So, over at Mechs Vs Kaijus...we really need to rename it...Ifukube attacked us." His smile grows bigger at McTiernan's shocked reaction. "So," the billionaire continues with a clap of his hands. "What's all this then?"
It takes McTiernan ten seconds to register the question. "Wait...You were attacked by Ifuku
be?" Quickly he counts how many people are standing before him. "How did you get away?"
Gideon Pryke actually belly laughs, holding his stomach he arches forward with great big guffaws. It is the first time in a while that he has properly laughed. Waving his hand dismissively he says, "Oh, I shan't bore you with the details. But suffice to say it involved some pretty quick thinking, a lot of running and using Kaiju dung."
His Chief of Security nods, he knows that he'll never get a more in depth answer and honestly he's fine with that. Glancing down McTiernan sees the Medics mumbling and shaking their heads. James McTiernan has seen so much death over the course of his life that now he can easily spot it.
"What's going on James?"
McTiernan pushes past Pryke and stands next to Beacham, "It's never good when you lose a man."
"I suppose," the money-man says with a nod.
The ex-military man nods too. "My old Sargent Major had a saying for these occasions." He clears his throat and uses his best gruff voice, "Shit happens." McTiernan turns and walks back over to Pryke. "We need to talk."
#
Mako Ikari sighs in relief for the hundredth time.
With the emergency lights and communications back on she and her team feel more at ease. That is until they receive word of Isayama's death and the attack on Pryke and the investors. Now the island's resident Kaiju expert is fighting two completely different feelings; on the one hand Mako knows that if there are, or have been any deaths then the entire project is done. There will be no appeals, no chance to prove that a freak accident had happened. Everything will instantly be shut down. But, on the other, if the situation does escalate as it surely will then she will have the perfect excuse to show the world the next stage in--
"Repeat that," she says into her phone.
"You need to get out of there!" Lathrop Preston's voice is panicky.
The Japanese woman turns just in time to scream as one of Ishiro's six feet slams into the control room.
The wall cracks and splinters, huge chunks of concrete and steel beams tumble to the floor as sparks fly and shards of glass rain down.
Kaiju World Page 12