by Logan Jacobs
“Ah,” the Archbishop said as he breathed in a cloud of tea-scented air. “That’s the cure for just about everything. Brigadier Walston has told me of your exploits since your arrival. It sounds to me like you’re doing God’s work.”
“I don’t know about that,” Becka replied. “We’re just doing what we need to survive.”
“We all are,” the Archbishop said. “But in such dire times, it’s often difficult to find people who can do more than just survive, people who are willing to help others and who can genuinely contribute toward the preservation of the larger society.”
Hae-won looked confused, Becka looked surprised, and the brigadier rolled his eyes. My own bullshit detector was blaring in my head, and I peered at the leader of English religious life with a suspicious eye.
“Is that what you’re doing?” I asked. “Preserving society?”
“I like to believe so,” the church man replied as he took an experimental sip of the tea.
I thought he would say more, but first the Archbishop added a sugar cube and a dash of cream to his tea and stirred it. He took another sip, nodded in approval, and set the cup back on its saucer.
“There are places where tea is becoming difficult to find,” Rhys noted sadly. “I fear the whole of England will soon be in equally dire straits unless we are able to bring an end to the Devil’s work that has so soiled the planet.”
“You mean the dinosaurs?” Hae-won asked.
“I do indeed,” Rhys replied. “Who else could be responsible for such a heinous act?”
Hae-won looked at me, and I knew she was remembering our own discussions on the topic. We’d considered natural phenomena as well as alien intelligence, but none of us had listed Satan as a possible option. I could tell Hae-won was about to mention our own conclusions, and I gave a quick shake of my head while the Archbishop took another sip of his tea.
“Of course, I have done my own part to help England in these trying times,” Rhys noted.
“Of course,” Becka agreed, though only someone who knew her would have picked up on the edge of sarcasm there.
“And to answer your question, young man, that is what brings me to Peterborough,” Rhys continued.
Finally, we were to the heart of the matter, and I looked at Walston again. The army man had a bored expression on his face, but I could see the tension in the lines of his shoulders. Whatever Rhys was about to propose, it wasn’t something that Walston approved of.
“I have devised a plan to visit each of the great cathedrals in our land,” Rhys said, “and to deliver a service from each one. They will be recorded and played back on both television and radio every Sunday so that the people of England will still be able to enjoy His Presence, even though they are not able to attend Church.”
“How many have you done so far?” Hae-won asked.
“Four, including the first one at Canterbury,” Rhys replied. “It’s a project that we’ve only just been able to start, with a hand from the government. And obviously, our schedule is set in part by the movements of the dinosaurs. I find myself holding services on any day of the week, but of course, no one watching at home will know it’s not Sunday.”
“So you’re here to hold a service,” I said.
“The Cathedral of Peterborough is one of the gems of the church,” the round-nosed man replied. “It should be a memorable service, and an important moment in its history.”
“Do you want us to attend?” I asked.
“Oh, I’d never turn anyone away,” Rhys assured us as he picked up his cup.
“Here’s the thing,” Walston said. “While the Church has its own methods for dealing with this invasion, we’ve been asked to provide assistance of a more… secular variety to ensure that these services can be carried forward.”
“What?” Hae-won asked.
“I think he’s saying that the military is clearing out the dinosaurs from around the churches before the Archbishop here gives his sermon,” I said.
“There’s a small contingent traveling with the Archbishop, but we’ve been told to provide additional support,” Walston added. “I’ve tried to explain that we have our hands full just keeping the area around the plant clear, but the government is determined to see this project through.”
“It will uplift the people when times are at their most dire,” Rhys intoned.
“Let me guess,” I said. “You suggested that we might be able to help hunt down any dinosaurs that are too close to the cathedral.”
“You’ve proven quite adept at hunting dinosaurs,” Walston said. “And since you’ll be staying here for a bit longer… And then, of course, there are all these other people you keep bringing here.”
Walston and I studied each other for a moment, but at least I knew the terms of our new agreement. Well, some of them.
“You mentioned that there were people traveling with the Archbishop,” I noted.
“Just a small group,” Rhys said. “There’s the BBC crew, of course, though they usually don’t arrive until we’ve alerted them that the area is clear, as well as the Marines who have been responsible for clearing the area around each site. Whenever there is another military presence nearby, we’ve been able to conscript some of their forces to assist. Or at least to provide additional equipment.”
“And so we’d be working with these Marines?” I asked.
“And whatever men the brigadier can spare,” Rhys agreed.
“So when does this dino hunt take place?” I asked.
“Why, I believe they’ll be leaving in an hour,” Rhys said. “The brigadier has been kind enough to provide transportation to some of the areas of concern, where, I gather, dinosaurs have been spotted recently. The head of my detail is in charge of assigning everyone to patrol routes, and I’m sure he would be happy to include you.”
“We could use the bikes,” I suggested. “Just tell us where to go, and we’ll check it out.”
Walston was about to decline the offer, but Rhys got there first.
“You’ll have to take that up with Captain Hayes,” Rhys said. “He’s quite particular about how these things are run, and I’ve learned to let him have his way.”
“And the families?” I asked.
It was the Archbishop’s turn to look puzzled, but it didn’t matter. My question was for Walston only, and after a moment, the army man gave me a slight nod.
“We’ll find a place for them,” Walston agreed.
“Do we have time to eat?” Becka asked. “All I’ve had so far was an old granola bar. And Jason needs to find some dry clothes.”
“I was going to ask what happened,” Walston said. “Did you fall in a pond or such?”
“We went through a car wash,” I replied.
“I suspect there’s a good story in there,” Walston said with a smile. “But if you want food and dry clothes, you’d best tend to it now. I’ll notify Captain Hayes that you’ll be joining his group. They’ll be assembling in the trucks in the front lot here in an hour.”
We were clearly dismissed, and both Walston and Rhys stared at us as they waited for us to leave. I felt like I should say something else, but I wasn’t really sure what that would be. I suppose I could have thanked Walston for letting the last group in, even if it did mean we were stuck on a dino hunt with members of the Royal Marines and whatever army men the brigadier was willing to contribute.
“Food, then,” Becka finally said as the silence dragged on. “And tea.”
The girls and I left the office and returned to the lobby. There was a young black man manning the desk this time, and he took in my wet clothes with a laugh that quickly became a snort.
“He needs some dry clothes,” Becka said. “And we don’t know what happened to the rest of our gear.”
“Can’t help you with that,” the soldier replied. “But I can find you some dry clothes.”
“Soon?” I asked. “And we’ll need more ammo for this hunt.”
The soldier nodded and picke
d up the phone on his desk. He had a quiet conversation in what sounded like Creole French that involved several quick glances in my direction, and when he hung up, he grinned at the three of us.
“Private Robeson will be here in a moment with something you can wear,” the soldier announced. “They’ll have ammo for you before you leave.”
We drifted over to the lobby windows and looked out on the uninspiring scene of the parking lot. A few gray clouds had started to gather, and I wondered if I should even bother with changing. As I debated whether we were going to get any more rain, the door that led into the powerstation itself opened and a young black woman in an immaculate uniform stepped through with an armload of clothing. She took in our sorry appearances with a smile and handed over the stack of uniforms to me.
“One for each of you,” she said. “And rain gear as well, in case that weather gets here while you’re on patrol with the Marines.”
“Are you sure you can spare these?” Becka asked. “The way the brigadier has been carrying on, I didn’t think you had much in the way of supplies.”
“You can return them before you leave,” the woman said. “Just leave them with whoever is on duty at the desk, and they’ll see that they’re cleaned.”
“I guess we’ll get changed first,” I said. “And then we can grab something to eat real quick.”
The woman smiled again and turned to leave, while the man on the desk pointed us toward the public bathrooms. I ducked inside the men’s room and quickly pulled off my damp clothing. I found a hand towel that someone had left behind, and after giving it the sniff test, I dried my skin and wrung out my hair before slipping into the drab green and brown uniform. It fit well, if a little wide around the waist, though I was surprised at how heavy the fabric felt. I found the promised rain gear at the end, a tiny plastic square that fit into the front pocket of the shirt and held one plastic rain poncho.
“Just like Disney World,” I chuckled as I tucked the plastic poncho out of sight.
I stepped back into the lobby, and the soldier on the desk gave a nod of approval. A few moments later, the girls emerged from the women’s bathroom, also in their new army gear, though I noticed that they still wore their armor and chest rigs as well.
“It’s a bit itchy,” Becka noted. “But I guess it will do for tonight.”
“I’m not sure I like this,’ Hae-won added. “But if it is only for tonight, then it will be okay.”
“Let’s see if they have any sandwiches left,” I said. “Maybe we can convince them to let us take three instead of two.”
“What should we do with our clothes?” Becka asked as she held up her pile.
“Leave them here,” the soldier at the desk said. “I’ll see that they get returned to you.”
We left our clothes in a rumpled pile on the desk and then ventured back outside. We followed the now familiar route to the mess tent and ducked inside. It was mostly empty, though the food looked like it had been pillaged and the scraps picked over. Addie’s mom was sorting through the various leftovers, and when she saw the three of us arrive, she told us to sit while she prepared a meal. A few minutes later, she presented us each with a sandwich, a hunk of cheese, dried apricots, and a tall glass of ice-cold water.
“I never thought apricots could taste so good,” Becka declared.
“Or that I would be happy eating a block of cheese,” I replied.
“Oooh, it’s another roast beef with horseradish,” Hae-won laughed. “I love these.”
We ate quickly and washed it down with the water, and as we prepared to leave, the mom handed us each a box of M&M’s. We thanked her, tucked the candy out of sight, and returned to the parking lot to meet Captain Hayes.
The parking lot was busy, and three armored personnel carriers took up most of the space. Other soldiers had started to gather, all armed and all wearing vests and radios. We received a few amused looks, mostly from the Marines who hadn’t seen us before, but no one asked why we were there.
“So you’re the lot Brigadier Walston has been going on about,” a man with a captain’s insignia remarked. He had hair as dark as Hae-won, a red face, and eyes that were too small for his head. He squinted at us as he took in the military camo, the armor, and the rifles and Glocks we wore.
“He said we should report here for this dinosaur hunt,” I said. “Are you Captain Hayes?”
“I am,” the dark-haired man replied. “You needn’t worry. I’ve given you an area well away from the main sightings. I expect you’ll have an easy time of it. You just need to walk around for a bit, and then the truck will be back to pick you up. If you do see anything really large, you can just call us on the radio, and we’ll send someone in to take care of it.”
Everything about the man was annoying, from his presumption that we had no idea what we were doing to the way he dismissed the girls with barely concealed contempt. I didn’t rank much higher, that was clear, though as a Yank with a rifle, I apparently earned a slightly elevated status.
“It’ll be nice to have a night off,” Becka sniffed. “Killing dinosaurs all the time can take it out of you.”
“Walston mentioned you had killed a few,” Hayes replied without even looking at the blonde.
“Several,” I said. “Mostly big ones.”
“Uh-huh,” Hayes said dismissively. “You’re in number three there. Load in last because you’ll be the first ones out. There’s ammo in the trucks but don’t take too much. Leave some for the real shooters.”
Hayes walked away and started shouting orders to the other Marines. I looked at the girls, and I could tell they were having the same thought I was, that we could just walk away from this assignment and no one would know. Hayes certainly wouldn’t miss us, and I doubted whether he would even tell Walston whether we had even bothered to show up or not.
“Here,” a friendly voice said.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Corporal Grant. She had three of the radio units, which she handed to us, then she helped us attach them to our belts.
“Are you part of this, too?” Hae-won asked.
“I’m one of the drivers,” Grant replied.
The black eye had faded a few shades, so the curly headed blonde looked like she’d missed a few nights’ sleep rather than taking a fist to the face. Sadly, most of the curls were all carefully contained into a tight roll on the back of her head, but one stray strand hung alongside her uninjured cheekbone. She tried to tuck it behind her ear, but it refused to stay in place.
“So, we just got dropped off and then what?” I asked.
“We’re doing this in three hour blocks,” Grant said. “There will be another one at sun up, just to make sure nothing’s appeared overnight, and then a smaller, tighter check of the area around the cathedral just before the service.”
“Just so I’m clear, we’re just wandering the streets of Peterborough for three hours, looking for dinosaurs,” Becka said.
“Basically, yes,” Grant agreed.
“I assume someone’s going to give us a map or something, so we don’t wander into some other patrol’s area,” I added.
“Didn’t Hayes hand you anything?” Grant asked.
“He said we were in one of the sections where nothing’s been spotted, but that was it,” I replied.
“Let me check,” Grant said with a frown.
The corporal walked away, which left the three of us in the middle of a group of Royal Marines. I smiled and nodded, but none of the five men spoke to us.
“I hope we don’t meet any difos tonight,” Becka sighed. “I’m really getting tired of having acid spit at me.”
“We haven’t seen any since we left Cambridge,” Hae-won said. “They seem to have different dinosaurs around here.”
“Like that giant snake the other night,” I said. “That’s the one I don’t want to meet again.”
“That was pretty gruesome,” Becka agreed. “It ate those two men before they even knew it was there.”
&nbs
p; The Marines remained unimpressed, so we stood around for a few more minutes until Grant returned. She handed us an old fashioned paper map with a small section of park and a nearby street marked off in red.
“You’ll be dropped off here,” Grant said as she pointed to a spot where a small road ended at the edge of the park. “The cathedral is just over here, so I would focus on the park rather than the surrounding streets.”
“Got it,” I replied.
“And here,” she added as she handed me another rifle. “I’ll swap with you. You’ll probably need this more than me.”
As I studied it, I realized it wasn’t just an ordinary SA-80 rifle. There was a second barrel below the main barrel, wider and with its own trigger.
“A grenade launcher,” I noted as I handed over the hunting rifle.
“Just don’t kill yourself with it,” Grant said. “Or I’ll be in water so deep I’ll never again see the light of day.”
“Load in!” Hayes called out.
“That’s the signal,” Grant said. “Good luck.”
We waited until everyone else had piled into the armored carrier that Hayes had pointed out to us, then we climbed inside. We were with a mix of Royal Marines and regular Army, and they all seemed determined to ignore us. Hae-won started to sing something in Korean and was soon joined by Becka, but the soldiers remained steadfast. I spotted the ammo bag, and while the girls entertained the stoic men, I reloaded all our weapons.
My girls had started a third K pop song when the vehicle came to a halt. We waited for a moment, and then the man riding shotgun turned around.
“First team, this is your stop,” the soldier called out. “We’ll be back in three hours at this same spot. Don’t be late, or you’ll be left behind.”
I opened the back door, and the girls climbed down first. I jumped down as soon as it was clear, and somebody inside the truck slammed the door shut before I even had a chance to turn around. The carrier sped away, and it wasn’t hard to imagine everyone inside laughed as they drove off to the next point.