Standwall frowned and said under his breath, “English snob.”
“You can follow anyone you want,” Halfway said. “Now, gentlemen and Nails you know your job, let’s get to it.”
Everybody left except for Mark. Halfway said, “Mark, I want to make it up to you for the harsh treatment you received from my military police.
I want to invite you for dinner at my house in Colorado. Betty’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“General, I thought you had a war to fight.”
“If something happens, Nails will inform me. I have my jet ready.
We’ll be at my place in no time.”
Walking in the corridor, Standwall headed to his new command. Nails was with him. She said, “I thought when, the general caught us making love on his briefing table he would be angry and relieve us or bust us, but instead he laughed.”
“That’s because he’s paying me back. Years ago I caught him and his wife making love on a briefing table. I laughed until I cried. You should have seen his face.”
They both laughed. “I hope you like your new command. Why haven’t you pinned on your new rank?” Nails asked.
“I want to surprise someone.”
“After you finish, come back here. We can finish where we left off.
Halfway won’t be here. He’s having dinner with his wife.”
Standwall kissed Nails and left the building.
A short while later, Standwall arrived at his new headquarters and walked into the command tent. Inside were a few army personnel and
Johnson’s deputy commander who was a brigadier general, frowning, saying “What are you doing here, ass kisser?”
“I can have you busted for that remark.”
“You bust me, you’re only a colonel,” laughing, “Get the hell out of my tent before I have you busted!”
Standwall handed him his orders, surprising the commander as he viewed them. He said, “I’m sorry, Major General Standwall, I didn’t mean what I said.
Will you accept my apology?”
Standwall ginned, pinning on his rank. Then, angry, he yelled, “I want you to get on the phone and order the engineer battalion commander to have his troops survey and dig the entire area where the celebration was held to find a tunnel! And inform all battalion commanders send troops to protect the engineers! Then have all the commanders to report here! As your new commander I’m going to make some changes around here immediately, nincompoop!”
Nervous, the commander said, “Yes, sir.”
The few personnel smirked and one handed the commander the phone, who nervously grabbed it.
Halfway’s jet landed on an airstrip in Denver. He and Mark got off the jet and into a limousine that drove to Halfway’s mansion in the
hills. Driving through the automatic gate, Mark stared, amazed, at the beautiful brownstone house, the trimmed lawns and trees and said,
“Wow, this must have cost you a fortune. It’s fabulous.”
“Wait ‘til you see the inside.”
“General, you must be a very wealthy man.”
“Not wealthy enough.”
Halfway’s chauffeur got out, opened the car door and Halfway and Mark walked to the mansion’s front door. A butler opened it without Halfway knocking and said, “Good to see you, sir. Your wife is in the kitchen preparing dinner.”
Mark was still amazed as he looked around the spacious house and at the expensive furniture. “With the help and money you have, your wife still does the cooking?”
“She wants to do the cooking. She’s an old-fashioned girl.” They walked in its study. Halfway poured Mark and himself some brandy from a crystal decanter.
Mark stared at the large portraits and said, “I see you have a portrait of General Patton. You know, he didn’t have any blacks in his command except for a black butler.”
“What are you trying to say, that Patton was a racist? I don’t think he was. He didn’t set personnel policy. At that time the whole country was segregated and quite naturally the military was. If Patton didn’t defeat the Germans, we would probably be under Nazi rule, and they
wouldn’t tolerate integration.”
Mark pointed. “Who’s that black Roman?”
“That’s not a Roman, that’s General Hannibal, he and his army battled the Romans on their land with fewer soldiers and defeated them.”
“Dinosaurs certainly could have used him,” Mark quipped.
“Mark, you’re a joker.”
A graceful, middle-aged woman came into the room. She walked to Mark, grinned and said, “Hi, you must be Mark Water. My husband told me a lot about you-”
“Is the damn dinner ready?” Halfway shouted angrily.
“Stop being so rude. Can’t you see I’m introducing myself to Mark.”
Mark bowed and kissed the back of her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Halfway.”
“Oh, you’re a gentleman. Pat why can’t you be like that?”
Halfway rolled his eyes.
“That food smells good,” Mark said. “What are you cooking?”
“I have a roast in the oven.”
“Beef or dinosaur?”
Giggling, “Beef. My husband told me not to cook dinosaur. It gives him gas, but I think his meanness give him the gas.”
They laughed as Halfway frowned.
“You’re a charming woman with a good sense of humor,” Mark said.
She blushed. “Let’s take a seat at the dining table. The butler has set it.”
As they ate their dinner, Mark asked, “Mrs. Halfway, how did you and the general meet?”
“You can call me, Betty. We met twenty-six years ago-”
Halfway shouted, “Oh, here she goes again-”
“Oh, shut up!” Betty snapped. Then said to Mark, “I was employed at an ice cream parlor. He was a first lieutenant. He came into the parlor and yelled at me, ‘Hey woman, give me some cherry vanilla!’ I shouted back, ‘Don’t they teach you manners in the military!’ I shoved his ice cream at him with a frown. The next day he apologized and asked me for a date. Then we fell in love.”
Mark smiled. “How wonderful.”
“How did you and your wife meet?” Betty asked.
“I was protesting the Gulf War. She was a protester, too. She dropped her sign. I picked it up for her. We talked, dated then married.”
“That’s lovely,” said Betty. “Have you met Halfway’s best friend Standwall?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That man is ruder than my husband. He had the nerve to smoke his cigar at my dinner table, blowing smoke at my food. I told him, please put out that cigar, it’s stinking up the room. Then he insulted me, calling me Edith Bunker, the white lady on ‘All in the Family.’ He still wouldn’t put out his cigar.
“I took a glass of water and threw it at his face. The water put out the cigar.” She and Mark laughed. “He got mad and left the table. Oh, you should have seen his face.”
Frustrated, Halfway whispered under his breath, “Oh, won’t she shut up.”
Betty continued, “My husband had the nerve tell me to apologize. I said, I’m not apologizing to that poor white trash. He’ll never light his cigar at my table again, honey.”
Mark laughed until he cried. Halfway said, “I see you enjoy her yapping.”
Betty continued, “Some lady called here, had the nerve to say, how can you live with your husband after he ordered the bombing of Los Angeles, killing innocent people? I said, you just watch me, bitch,
and hung up the phone. She didn’t call here again. Doesn’t that bitch know, being the general’s wife, I can have her ass bombed.”
Mark and she giggled and sipped wine. Halfway continued frowning.
The butler came with a phone and said to Halfway, “Sir, it’s Captain
Nails.”
“What is it Nails?” Halfway asked.
“Sir, the engineers have found the tunnel.”
“Outstanding! I’m on my way. Te
ll the commanders to be at the briefing room in a few hours, and have the engineer commander there too.” Halfway gave the phone back to the butler. “Let’s go, Mark. We’re heading
back, they’ve found the tunnel. Sorry Betty, your yapping has to wait.”
“I’m not finished eating,” Mark said.
“Take the plate with you,” Halfway ordered.
Chapter 14
Halfway begun his briefing, “I’ll give appreciation to the engineers for finding the dinosaur tunnel. The engineer commander, Lieutenant
Colonel Roberson, will explain the tunnel.”
“The tunnel was used to mine gold during the California gold rush,” Roberson said. “It’s amazing how these dinosaurs found it. I have a map of the inside of the tunnel.” He placed the map up on a board.
Halfway and his staff gathered around Roberson as he begun to explain it.
“There’re two exits to the tunnel the south and the north. It’s a half mile from end to end, twenty feet wide and twelve feet high, and it’s a dirt tunnel. Since the tunnel is over a hundred years old, the supports holding it may be weak. Heavy noise may cause part of it to collapse. Since no light is entering the tunnel, it’s dark.”
Halfway asked Roberson, “You said the tunnel supports may be weak, will they be weaker if I send many troops in there?”
“It depends, General, on the number of troops. I would say no more than two hundred. You have to account for the weight of the dinosaurs and your troops and this weight may weaken the tunnel even more and
may cause it to collapse.”
“Remember, Halfway,” Mark said, “these dinosaurs aren’t going to stand still while your men shoot at them like deer. They’re going
to charge your men and it will be one big scuffle.”
“I say we should have the people evacuate California and drop a nuclear warhead on the tunnel,” Hutton said.
Halfway grinned. “I like that idea, but the President isn’t going to stand for it.”
“General, because of the noise factor, we’ll need silencers on our weapons,” Nails said.
“Silencers will be provided,” Halfway said.
“Due to limited wideness of tunnel. The men have to enter at intervals,”
Standwall said.
“I agree,” Halfway said. “Now, gentlemen and Nails, this operation will be called Hell Tunnel. A hundred troops will enter from the north led by Standwall, and the other hundred from the south led by Nails. They’ll go in cautiously and terminate the dinosaurs, then wire the tunnel with explosives. Then the two groups will meet up at the center of the tunnel and exit north. When they exit, it will blow. I want a play-by-play like a football game of what’s occurring in the tunnel. Nails will radio Hutton from the south and Standwall will radio me from the north. We’ll begin the operation after this briefing.”
“Shouldn’t we wait ‘til morning, General?” Mark asked.
“Wa-”
“I know, General, wars aren’t won during the day.”
Dickerson entered the room, yelling, “General Halfway!”
Halfway turned his head, furious, “You idiot! How dare you disturb
my briefing?”
Nervous, Dickerson said, “It’s the President, calling on your office phone.”
Halfway said to his staff, “I’ll be back.” He quickly left the room.
In his office he grabbed the phone. “Yes, Mr. President?”
Irate, the President yelled, “Why did I have to learn from your wife that the tunnel where the dinosaurs are located was found?”
“Mr. President, I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you when the dinosaurs were destroyed. They’ll be terminated tonight.”
“No, General, don’t have them terminated tonight. Wait ‘til the morning.
Let’s say, about Ten AM. I want the operation broadcast on national
TV. I want the nation to see the troops go in the tunnel and come out victorious.”
“Okay, Mr. President, I’ll order the attack tomorrow. And thanks for not firing me.”
The President clicked off the phone, and Halfway hung up. Bitter, he said to himself, “My wife with her freaking big mouth, can’t keep out of my business. Why can’t that damn woman keep it shut? I need
to divorce that loudmouthed bitch.”
He returned to the briefing room. “I have orders from the President, he wants the operation to start tomorrow at 1000 hours.”
“Why didn’t you tell him that wars aren’t won during the day?” Mark joked.
Halfway’s staff giggled.
Not answering, Halfway was annoyed. “This meeting is adjourned!”
In the Oval Office the President said to Bob, “I’ll have that press conference now to let the press know the dinosaurs have been found
and will be terminated.”
Bob asked, “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Yes, the press and the people need to know. I’m having Halfway’s operation broadcast.”
Bob smiled. “Mr. President, if Halfway’s troops are victorious in front of the American people, your ratings in the polls will skyrocket.”
The President grinned. “I know.”
The next morning, Operation Hell Tunnel was ready to begin. The TV
cameras were focused on Standwall’s and Nails’ troops which were about to enter the tunnel.
Halfway stationed troops a few hundred feet from the tunnel exits for precaution. Millions of TV viewers were tuning in for the event.
Anchormen were set up to broadcast it.
Halfway was in a parked jeep with Mark and Dickerson. Hutton was in a jeep with Larry. Radios were hooked up in the jeeps to receive
information from the group commanders who were Standwall and Nails.
The troops entered at intervals. Each interval was a twenty men squad, each man wearing night-scope glasses. All had their automatic small-arms weapons drawn. The commanders of the squads were majors, holding
portable phones to advise the group commanders of the situation.
The group commanders-Standwall and Nails-entered last, holding portable phones to broadcast the situation to Halfway and Hutton.
The first squad was the point squad, and the second, third, fourth, and fifth followed.
Standwall was contacted by his first squad leader. “Sir, there’re no dinosaurs as of yet. Some of my men have begun setting charges.”
“Tell your troops to be careful. They still have a while to go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nails’ first squad leader contacted her. Excitedly he said, “Ma’am, we’re being attacked by groups of dinosaurs!”
“How many?”
“It’s impossible to count them! My squad can’t hold out for long!”
“The second squad will be there soon!”
Millions of TV viewers were tuning in for the event. Anchormen were set up to broadcast it.
Standwall was contacted by his first squad leader. “Sir, there’re no dinosaurs as of yet. Some of my men have begun setting charges.”
“Tell your troops to be careful. They still have a while to go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Standwall’s first squad leader contacted him again. “Sir, no sign yet.”
“Major, tell your troops to step up the pace, you’ll run into them
soon.”
Nail’s second squad arrived and saw several dead dinosaurs and first squad ripped apart. Some of the men vomited at the sight of spattered blood and flesh on the ground and walls.
The second squad leader contacted Nails. “Ma’am, first squad was eliminated. They terminated forty dinosaurs. Some of my men are sick to their stomachs from the gruesome sight the creatures left.”
“Move on with caution, Commander.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Nails informed Hutton, “We lost the first squad, sir. Forty dinosaurs were destroyed.”
“There hasn’t been an attack on Standwall’s grou
p yet, maybe the majority of the dinosaurs are heading in your direction,” Hutton said.
“Sir, it’s like a booby trap in here,” Nails replied.
“What did you expect when you asked for this dangerous assignment?”
Hutton asked.
“I really don’t know, General.” She clicked off the phone.
A group of dinosaurs charged Standwall’s first squad. His troops fired, killing several and the dinosaurs retreated.
The first squad leader contacted Standwall. “Sir, we killed ten dinosaurs, the rest retreated. We suffered no injuries.”
“Good, Major, move on.”
Standwall contacted Halfway. “General, we destroyed ten of the enemy, no losses.”
“I’m surprised. Nails first squad was wiped out. Tell your men to keep up the good work.”
“I will, sir.”
Halfway said to Mark, “I can’t understand why Standwall’s group suffered no losses?”
“Maybe his group haven’t faced the raptors yet.”
Nails’ second, and third squads killed sixty dinosaurs, but both squads were eventually overpower and killed.
Hutton informed Halfway of the termination of Nails’ squads.
Halfway asked Mark, “Why are Nails’ troops dying and none of Standwall’s? She only had two squads left. I knew I shouldn’t have sent a woman to command that group.”
“General, stop being such a chauvinist. The reason Nails is losing a lot of troops is because the majority of the dinosaurs are heading in her direction. In that majority probably are the raptors.”
“I hate to agree with you, Mark, but I think you’re right. I better tell Hutton to order Nails troops out of there. I’ll have to come up with another strategy. If all of the men died in that tunnel it will be a disaster to this nation. Also I’ll informed Standwall to retreat.”
As Nails and her troops turned around and headed back, a part of the tunnel collapsed and blocked her and the troops’ way. Suddenly, all
the dinosaurs left in the tunnel charged toward them.
As the hundred and sixty dinosaurs charged, Nails’ troops fired at them, killing some, but the dinosaurs’ numbers were too great. Several reached some of the troops and ripped their bodies apart, killing them.
Jurassic War Page 11