“Guys, don’t you realize that both sides of this argument are tearing our country apart?” Andrew said. “The American Republic was founded on the belief that all people are created equal. Fundamental rights, such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, and due process of law, are for everyone.”
“Yeah? Tell that to the American Indians. The white man took all of that away,” Rev. Scott said.
“Native Americans are citizens of their tribal nations as well as the United States. So, your point is not valid. And, you aren’t championing the Native Americans’ cause anyway.”
“You’re wrong. Native Americans recognize the atrocities of the white supremacists. You can sing Yankee Doodle Dandy all day long, but that’s just keeping the boot on minorities’ throats.
“If you preach a scorched-earth you will inherit a scorched-earth,” Andrew said. “There has to be a way for you, the Sons of the Confederacy, and even the Alt-Left and Right to coexist. That is the only way for America to survive.”
“If that’s what it takes for America to survive, then I don’t care if America burns to the ground. We can build a new America. One where all men and women can truly be equal,” Rev. Scott said.
“See, he wants war,” the NSM member said.
“Not if you back out of the way and do the right thing,” Rev. Scott said.
“That will never happen,” the NSM member said.
“And how many innocent people will die on both sides because neither will compromise?” Andrew asked.
“Only one side is innocent. Everyone on the other side is guilty and deserves to die,” Rev. Scott said.
“I’ve had about enough of your mouth,” Doug said. He reached out to grab Rev. Scott, but Randy seized his arms. Andrew stepped in front of the protest leader.
“Boy, your momma raised you better than that,” Randy said.
“Get out of my way,” Rev. Scott said to Andrew. “I don’t need a white man to fight my battles.” He then winced in pain and grabbed his hurt knee.
“You need to sit down and rest,” Andrew said. Then, he said to all, “If we somehow make it out of here without killing each other, we can pick a time and a place to meet and kill each other later.”
His outburst seemed to diffuse the situation for the moment.
Rev. Scott nursed his knee.
Doug jerked his arm from his uncle’s grip.
The NSM member frowned like he had a bad taste in his mouth.
Tim continued to pretend he wasn’t in the room to avoid conflict and gazed through the window.
*
Lieutenant Kevin ‘Nuke’ Tassin held his 9mm pistol with both hands up near his right shoulder as he warily entered the baggage gateway on the first floor of the airport. He had always wondered how the luggage got from the airplane to the conveyor belt and now had a bird’s-eye view.
Something was definitely going on outside of baggage pickup.
Kevin hopped on the conveyor belt and dropped to his knees as he rode it past the cloth strips and into the baggage area.
Suitcases and carry-ons littered the floors. There were several dead bodies, three of whom wore TSA uniforms, and a few of the bird-reptile creatures like the one he had encountered before also dead.
At least the doors leading outside were closed and hopefully locked. A large shape moved past a window, but he didn’t get a good enough look to tell what it was.
“Help!”
Kevin ran past the conveyor belt and saw near the escalator to concourses C and D, a TSA agent awkwardly poking a chair at a velociraptor.
Watching his footing, Kevin dashed to help the man before it was too late.
This dinosaur hadn’t been knocked senseless from a fall like the one he’d killed earlier. It leaped and savagely slashed the bottom of the chair with the claws on its feet.
“I’m out of ammo. Watch out for those claws!” the TSA agent yelled.
The agent was in the line of fire, so Kevin didn’t have a shot. He veered his path so that he could run even with it without getting too close.
But the velociraptor sensed him coming and stopped its assault, turning and hissing a warning.
Now Kevin was in the dinosaur’s sights, and he couldn’t fire his pistol without risking the TSA agent. Who dat say who dat when I say who dat?
Instead of running for cover, the TSA agent smashed the chair against the raptor’s body.
The dinosaur hissed and stumbled, but then felt the full force of Kevin’s 9mm.
Bullet after bullet tore into the dinosaur’s torso. The shots didn’t stop until the velociraptor went down for the count.
Kevin kept a bead on it as he approached it. When he was close enough, he gave it a swift kick to ensure it was dead.
“You okay?” Kevin asked, keeping his gaze on the creature.
“Yeah. I’m good,” the man said. “Who are you?”
“Lieutenant Kevin Tassin. I’m from the Joint Reserve Base.” He turned and saw the agent had a nametag that read CRAIS. “I was sent here to check on the pterodactyls that invaded the airspace. Long story short, I crashed my jet and ended up here.”
“Crashed your jet? That must have been one of the explosions I heard,” Crais said.
“Yeah. The other one was a fuel truck. That’s a long story too.”
Crais dropped his head. “I have no idea what’s going on around here. One minute it’s business as usual and then all hell breaks loose.” He turned his gaze over to the dead bodies on the floor. “We lost some good men today.”
“That’s too bad,” Kevin said, knowing what it’s like to lose a teammate.
“I’m not sure how many of these creatures made it in here before we locked-down. I think most are dead, but a few made it up the stairs.”
“I’m down to half a magazine and have one full spare. You said you were out of bullets?” Kevin asked.
“Yeah, and as much as I hate to, I will have to get some from…” the words caught in Crais’ throat.
Kevin looked toward the fallen heroes. The thought of pilfering their ammo seemed so disrespectful.
“Hey, you two okay ?” a voice said from the top of the escalator.
“Darren!” Crais called out. “There are several people down. I don’t think any are alive. How are things up there?”
“A few of those creatures made it to Concourse D. We had four casualties, but we’re secure now as far as I know,” Darren said.
Darren turned his head and yelled, “Over by the baggage pickup. You need to hurry.”
An emergency team of six appeared and took the steps down to the next level.
Crais waved his hand as they hit the floor, and said, “We’re okay! We’re okay! Keep going.”
“Crais, you look white as a ghost. Why don’t both of you come up here and take a load off.”
Crais turned his gaze to Kevin, who put his pistol in its holster, and said, “After you.”
The two rode the escalator. Kevin had his hand on the small of Crais’ back in fear the man’s knees might buckle and fall.
The heavenly scent of southern fried chicken wafted in the air as Kevin neared the top.
Darren welcomed Crais and helped him over to a chair. He then told another TSA agent to get him a drink.
Looking around, the food court bustled with business. People stranded at the airport had to do something to fill the extra time on their hands. The famous Dooky Chase’s offered genuine soul food guaranteed to satisfy the hardiest of appetites. He couldn’t believe after all he’d just been through, his stomach rumbled reminding him it was empty.
Seeing that Crais was well taken care of, he headed toward the restaurant.
Before he made it halfway there, someone yelled, “Where y’at!”
He turned his gaze and saw two men sitting at a table having beers in front of a bar. One man had a shining black eye and looked familiar.
“Tassin the assassin!” Ritchie Lemonie said; assassin the nickname Kevin earned on th
e football field.
“Ritchie!” Kevin hurried over to shake hands.
“Man, I wondered if you were okay. We saw your parachute after the jet crashed,” Ritchie said.
“I wondered what happened in the control tower. Those pterodactyls fell out of the sky like rocks,” Kevin said.
“We lost one teammate,” Ritchie said. “A pterodactyl smashed through the window and killed him instantly. Mark,” he tilted his head toward his fellow air traffic controller, “and the rest of us made it out alive.”
“Hi, Kevin. I’m the controller you spoke with earlier. Hook you up with a beer?” Mark said and spat into an empty cup.
“Sure, hook me up.” Kevin took a seat in an empty chair.
Mark caught the attention of a server, and said, “Three more.”
“This whole situation is crazy,” Kevin said. “How is it possible for dinosaurs extinct for millions of years to just pop up from out of nowhere? One thing I’m curious about is how widespread is this going on?”
“From what little we’ve been told, the phenomena hasn’t been reported outside of New Orleans. People are posting YouTube videos, and the whole nation knows what’s happening. The president’s already declared an emergency, and the military and police are moving as fast as they can. Everyone is ordered to stay in place.”
The server set three fresh beers on the table.
Kevin brought his beer up with the two others and clinked mugs. After a taste, he said, “Like mother’s milk.” He followed the taste with a chug. “Hey Ritchie, that’s a nasty looking black eye you have there. Dinosaur land a haymaker on you?”
Ritchie’s face went blank for a moment. He turned and looked at Mark.
“He fell and hit a door,” Mark said and spat into a cup.
Turning his gaze back to Kevin, Ritchie said, “I fell and hit a door.”
Uncomfortable silence rolled over the table for several moments.
“It’s all good now,” Mark said, and then loaded his bottom lip with a fresh dip.
*
Broderick Brown had one hand on the streetcar’s brake as he sat awkwardly in the seat. He had switched the control of the vehicle’s motion so he could pilot it in reverse.
Dionne, his wife, and Keesha, his daughter, sat snugly together on a front seat, hunched over and with arms crossed over their chests.
T-Bob, the zoo employee who had risked his life multiple times to help Broderick’s family, knelt on a seat in the front and kept watch for sudden dangers.
The streetcar rail ran on the levee, with the Mississippi River to one side and a block or so deep of wooded area on the other side.
So far he had seen five different types of dinosaurs eating from tree leaves. Three were of the two-legged variety, and two had four legs. None seemed interested in pursuing the streetcar. He was certain Keesha could identify them, but this was no time for games.
Poor Keesha! The little girl had been through so much in such a short amount of time. What was she dealing with internally?
Dionne looked broken. A wave of guilt washed over Broderick as he had seen that same expression several times over the years; after their proverbial knock-down, drag-out arguments. He saw for the first time the depths of the damage he had done to the woman who was supposed to be the love of his life. By failing his wife, he had undoubtedly failed his daughter. Was there really any way to repair what he had destroyed?
“We’re about to lose the trees. Coming up on Mardi Gras World,” T-Bob said.
Mardi Gras World was a 300,000 square foot working warehouse where large floats were made for Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. Tourists also visited to get an up-close view of the magnificent creations.
Broderick considered stopping the streetcar and taking refuge there, but then saw several dinosaurs lurking in front of the warehouse.
The convention center was right next door. The parking lot had their share of prehistoric creatures too.
By this time Broderick figured everyone had sheltered in place. Roaming the streets was suicide, and yet he and his family were riding in a tin can that didn’t protect the earlier riders. He wanted four walls and a roof in the worst sort of way.
They were about to go under the interstate. Traffic had come to a standstill. He didn’t envy that situation at all.
Vehicles clogged Canal Street as they passed. They were only a few blocks away from their destination. Everything felt surreal. This area by the river normally teemed with people, but there were none. Zero. There weren’t any dinosaurs either. That was encouraging, but he knew not to let his guard down.
“We’re still going to the cathedral?” T-Bob asked.
“Yeah. We’re getting close,” Brodrick said. He adjusted the accelerator to begin a smooth stop.
“Dionne, Keesha, get ready. The cathedral is only about three blocks from the river. We need to stay together and move as fast as possible.”
Dionne looked up, bit her lip, and nodded.
“Keesha, Poppy is waiting for us. You know where the cathedral is. We’re all going to stay together. But, if anything happens…if for some reason something bad happens, you need to run away as fast as you can to the cathedral. Don’t worry about mommy and daddy. Don’t look back. Keep your eyes on those doors and run. Can you do that for me?”
Keesha shifted her gaze to the side. A tear rolled down her right cheek. “I understand, Daddy.”
“Coming up on the park,” T-Bob said.
Broderick slowed the streetcar and brought it to a stop. There still wasn’t a soul to be seen—human or dinosaur. This was no time for second thoughts. It was do or die, or do and die. The thought hit him in the gut so hard he thought he might puke.
He had to push through, though. “Let’s go.”
Broderick opened the door and went down the steps onto the pavement. He had his pistol in his hand and looked around. “All clear.”
Dionne stepped out with Keesha in tow.
T-Bob popped out next.
“I’m taking the lead,” Broderick said. “T-Bob, take the rear.”
“Got it,” T-Bob said.
After filling his lungs with fresh air, Broderick trotted down the walkway leading to the Washington Artillery Park memorial. His head on a swivel, he kept shifting his gaze to the front and sides, with an occasional glance behind to see Keesha just a step or two away and Dionne hovering over her.
T-Bob’s expression showed his determination to stick this thing through to the bitter end, no matter what the consequences.
They came to the wall where a set of stairs to the left and right led to the top of the memorial. He turned left and climbed quickly to the top, intending to reach the open area well before the others.
No one in sight. The park benches were empty, and the ancient artillery cannon in the center of the tiled deck free of the usual tourists.
“Still good,” he said and moved to allow the rest onto the deck.
St. Louis Cathedral laid directly in front of them; separated by Decauter Street and Jackson Square. As he stepped cautiously forward, the battlefield came into view.
There were parts of dead bodies and bloodstains on the street. Abandoned cars and an overturned horse carriage remained as casualties.
Then, it hit him. The statue of Andrew Jackson that stood proudly for decades in front of the cathedral was no longer there!
“Is it safe to go down?” Dionne asked.
“I don’t know,” Broderick said. “I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t make a run for it. We can’t just stay up here.” There was the fear that if good fortune had given them a window, they would lose it if they delayed any longer.
“T-Bob?” Broderick said.
“You have a plan. We have to stick to the plan unless there is a reason not to,” T-Bob said.
It was the simplest of conclusions but unarguable.
“We just have to cross the street and the park. We’re going to run as fast as we can once we get down the stairs,”
Broderick said. “Stay close.”
The first set of stairs had ten steps. That led to a flat walkway that turned into more steps. They hurried down, with Keesha stumbling once and kept from falling by her mother until they reached the street.
Looking around, Broderick was amazed that they were all alone. It was as if the angels protecting St. Louis Cathedral had extended their arms over the whole area.
“Stay away from the dead bodies,” Broderick said, knowing there was no way of shielding his daughter from the carnage.
The four crossed the street and entered the gates of Jackson Park. There were dead members of the Sons of the Confederacy and the Alt-Right and Alt-Left. There were dead dinosaurs too. What Broderick didn’t know, was if any of protestors had killed each other.
As they neared the middle of the park, Broderick saw the remains of Jackson’s statue. It looked like it had been toppled over and broken into large chunks. Poppy got his wish, he thought.
As he led the four past the broken statue, his insides twisted when a dinosaur concealed behind the statue’s base roared.
The dinosaur was twice the size of a grown man. It stood on two legs and had feathers on its arms and tail. The long mouth and sharp teeth looked deadly, but it was its long claws that Broderick feared the most.
There was no way his gun could take that thing down. He, his family, and T-Bob would die if they tried to outrun it.
There was only one thing to do.
He would rush the dinosaur and engage it, hopefully giving the rest enough time to make it to the cathedral.
Broderick pointed, and shouted, “Get to the cathedral! Now!”
There was no time to explain. There was no time to say goodbye and tell Dionne and Keesha how much he loved them and how sorry he was for not being there for them in the past.
The Utahraptor lowered its head and began its attack.
Broderick sprang forward and fired a shot after a few steps. Anything he could do to delay the monster a few seconds might be enough to save his family—even if it meant giving up his flesh for food.
The next thing Broderick knew, his back foot was kicked out from underneath him, and he rolled onto the ground.
The Dinosaur Battle Of New Orleans Page 17