by Russ Watts
Amanda watched Jay leave and she scrambled to her feet. She heard the clamour of the crowd behind the red curtain and didn’t know what to do next. She was supposed to be at Zola’s side for the presentation, the on-hand expert to answer any questions. Did Zola even want her around anymore? Was she supposed to stand there smiling, having her photograph taken as Diablo lay dead at the bottom of the tank? Amanda stood and looked around. She felt utterly hopeless. In what should be the biggest night of her life, she wanted to cry.
As the curtain began to pull back, revealing thousands and thousands of cheering people, she knew she had left it too late to do anything else. There was Zola at the front, beaming, and the flashes of cameras going off were almost blinding. Amanda stood to the side of the stage and forced a smile. The show must go on.
***
“James, Terrick, you in position? Any problems?”
Don saw them give him a thumbs up on camera twelve, and settled into his chair. He was going to watch the event from the security office, so that he could monitor the whole thing. The rest of the park was quiet now, as almost everyone was watching the unveiling. The concourses, pathways, cafes and stalls were all empty, save for a few employees who were waiting for the exodus at the end. In the stadium, there were officially five thousand people. Unofficially, it was closer to six. He turned to the main screen, and watched Zola begin. She walked up and down the stage, telling the crowd that what they were about to see was a miracle of nature. He could see Amanda at the sidelines and was impressed that she was still there. He didn’t know if he would’ve quit by now.
He focussed camera three on the front rows of the stadium in the splash-zone, and saw Hamish and Curtis side by side. A few seats down from them, he recognised the state governor, and finally, he saw Meghan. He just got her into her seat in time, and even though she’d complained about not having enough time to get ready, he still thought she looked hot. She wore a simple floral blouse over jeans, and she had curled her hair. Even though her presence reminded him of the Old Station, he didn’t feel like a beer. Maybe he would take her out afterwards and go easy for a change. This time, he wanted to remember everything about her.
As he panned the camera out to take in the whole stage, the phone in his pocket vibrated. Who would be calling at a time like this? He drew the camera back to the water, and saw Diablo there. The creature had sat quietly in the pool since arriving, and showed no sign yet of waking up. Zola was going to have to keep talking a while longer if she wanted to show them a bit of animation.
The vibrating continued and reluctantly Don drew it out; he didn’t know the number displayed on the screen, but there was a chance it could be important. One day, he was bound to get the call; his mother couldn’t keep living by herself for much longer, and he knew he was going to have to answer it, just in case. If it was an offer to buy a timeshare in the Bahamas, they would receive some choice words about where they could stick their offer.
“Don speaking.”
“Don, is that you? Thank God. You have to help me. You’ve got to do something. It was huge, just so big we couldn’t stop it.”
“Who is this?” asked Don. The voice sounded young, and he didn’t recognise it. “If this is some sort of a joke, then…”
“No, don’t hang up! It’s Ryan, Taggart’s son. I tried dad, but he didn’t answer, and I don’t know who else to call. I phoned the authorities, but they didn’t believe me. It’s coming, Don, it’s heading your way. Oh, Jesus, it was big.”
“Ryan? Hold on.” Don told another guard to watch the cameras and then went to the back of the room. “Ryan, what’s going on? You in some sort of trouble?” It occurred to Don that he didn’t really know his cousin. Taggart had always said good things about the boy though, so Don had to take him at his word. It was inconvenient timing though, to call right now.
“Don, listen. We were attacked.”
“Attacked? Taggart said you were still in training. I didn’t think you’d be on active duty yet. Am I missing something?”
“I am still in training. That’s where we were attacked, on San Clemente Island. I was running the course and then it came up out of the ocean. It climbed up the cliffs and it…it ate them, all of them. This thing, Don, it must be a hundred feet long at least. It killed everyone. I’ve been trying to find someone alive, but there’s nobody left.”
Don instinctively wanted to help Ryan, but he could not believe what he was hearing. “Ryan, I’m going to ask you something and you have to be honest with me. Your Dad asked me to look out for you, and that’s what I’ll do. Tell me now - are you being straight with me? Have you been drinking or smoking? Are you on the level?”
“Don, I promise I’m telling the truth. I was going to radio NAB Coronado, but it’s all smashed. I couldn’t find a working unit anywhere. The monster destroyed nearly everything. I managed to find a phone, and I called 911, but they thought it was a prank. To be fair, gigantic monsters don’t exist, right?”
Don looked at the monitors. Zola was walking toward the back of the stage and waving her arms around animatedly. Without sound, he didn’t know what she was saying, but he knew it was something about Diablo. Something about a gigantic monster that came from the ocean and was now under her control. “Ryan, what did you see? Tell me.” Don left the office and slipped into a corridor. He began walking toward the stadium with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“It was like, a hundred feet tall. I was standing right there when it tore them apart. It just picked them up in its mouth and…”
Don heard Ryan sigh. “Go on, son. Tell me what you can.” Don stopped by a locked room and punched in the entry code quickly. He went into the arsenal and picked up an ASM-DT Amphibious Rifle, hoping he was wrong.
“I got knocked out. Its tail struck me and I was out for a while. It was like being hit by a truck. When I came to, I followed its path over the island. It took apart the base and killed everyone. Don, with all the firepower we have here, it should be dead, but it’s like we didn’t even scratch it. This thing was hideous. Its skin was dark and it had teeth, oh fuck, did it have some teeth. It had these horrible, big yellow eyes and…”
“Hang on,” said Don as he loaded the rifle, “did you say yellow eyes?”
“Yeah, but what does it matter what colour its eyes are. It reminded me a little bit of a crocodile, but it wasn’t a croc’. I’m not crazy, Don, and I’m not lying to you. This thing was standing up, like a freaking Tyrannosaurus or something. Don, it’s heading straight towards you. I figure it’s headed somewhere. I mean it crossed the island in no time, and judging by the tracks it left behind, it was going in a straight line. If it hasn’t changed direction, it could get to you anytime. I’d hate to think what will happen if it gets to San Diego. I’m hoping it will surface around Camp Pendleton and the marines can blast it to hell. That fucker killed my friends, my instructor…it was relentless, Don, fucking relentless. I promise, I’m not lying about this.”
Don was halfway to Shakti Stadium, and he crossed down into the underground corridor that led right around it and came up by the staging area. He didn’t want to be seen walking around with a rifle. Zola wanted publicity tonight, but not that kind of publicity. Besides, he wasn’t convinced he was right. There was a chance he was completely wrong about this.
Please, God, let me be wrong. Don’t let it happen. Just let me be wrong. This is all a big misunderstanding. Ryan’s freaked out about something, but it’s not what you think. It can’t be.
“Ryan, listen to me. Stay where you are and call 911 again. Ask them to put you through to Commander Ravensbrook at NAB Coronado. Tell him that Don O’Reilly asked you to call. First of all, they need to get you out of there, so ask him to pick you up. Secondly, tell him to call me. He’s an old friend of mine. He’ll listen to me. You did the right thing, Ryan. I’m glad you’re okay.”
The phone crackled and Don knew the reception was beginning to cut out. Down by the tank under street level, the phones
often failed. “Ryan, if you can hear me, make yourself useful and gather up anything that still works. I’ll try to get the troops ready at this end. Ryan?”
He had gone and Don shoved his phone away. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and called the main office. “Sam, I want the park put on high alert, copy? Tell James and Terrick to meet me at…Sam, you copy?”
There was no answer from the other end. “God damn cheap…” The first thing Don wanted Zola to get with her new found wealth, was a decent communication system that wouldn’t cut out every time they went through the underground corridors. Don broke into a sprint and he passed Jay running the other way. A minute later, and he was at the bottom of the steps to the stage. He was still out of sight of the crowd, but he could feel the excitement and hear Zola.
“As you can see, Diablo is an immense creature, coming in at sixty feet in length, and around two thousand pounds of pure muscle.”
Don advanced up the steps, just so he could see the top of the stage. Amanda was there, but the look on her face was not one of happiness or pride. She was pale, and nervous. Don could see her hands shaking, and wondered what had spooked her. Then he saw Diablo.
The creature was swimming up and down the length of the pool wildly, its wide body twisting and turning, and its tail gracefully arching as it flew through the water. It wasn’t exactly jumping out of the water, but it was close. Clearly, it was agitated, and Don had never seen it so alive. How had Amanda managed it? Had it finally begun eating? Diablo reached the stage and poked its head above the water, showing off an array of pointed teeth. At this, the crowd gasped and Don saw more flashes of light, as a thousand cameras went off at the same time. Then the monster slipped back beneath the water, only to resume gliding through the cool water back and forth, back and forth. It was almost as if it was waiting for something.
Like rolling thunder, a boom echoed across the stadium, shattering the ambience, and sending a ripple of giddy excitement amongst the already over-stimulated audience. Don saw Zola look at Amanda, an expression of confusion drawn on her heavily made-up face. She and Amanda looked around for the source of the noise, as did Don, but there was nothing. The sound was deep and low, like the boom a sonic jet makes when it flies low over the ground. Don felt like the sound was sad. It was like the plaintive calling of a cow that has had her calf taken away. Yet, it was so much louder than a cow that Don could not help but feel he was right. He couldn’t risk leaving it any longer.
“Amanda, I think you should get off the stage. Zola, you too,” said Don. He climbed up onto stage, still carrying the rifle, and saw Zola’s mouth drop open in shock.
“Don, what are you doing here?” asked Amanda. “What was that noise?”
A murmur rose from the spectators, many of whom still seemed unsure if this was a part of the show, or not. Some cheered when Don walked out, some went quiet. The mood of the night was changing.
“Amanda, get over here,” hissed Don.
“Don, you can’t…” Amanda stopped, as the stage began vibrating.
The ground seemed to be shaking all around them, and clearly, the crowd was feeling it too. A spotlight crashed onto the ground as the stadium shook. Don felt his blood turn to ice, as he saw it. At first, it was just a head, but then the enormous body followed. The monster was even bigger than Ryan had described. It came from the west, crashing through buildings, trampling over the Rescue Centre, and barging through the animal house as if it wasn’t there. With a terrible roar, the monster bellowed again, the sound this time echoing not just around the stadium, but the whole park. It approached the stadium, and the terrible sound filled Don’s ears. Its open jaws revealed a plethora of teeth, each one as big as a man was. As it roared, its whole body trembled, and drops of saliva fell from giant teeth onto the shaking ground. Huge eyes looked around hungrily, and Don knew then that this thing was looking for Diablo. The monster reared up on its extended hind legs, and the stadium was cast under a shadow, as the setting sun was blotted out. Standing easily over a hundred feet tall, the watching crowd was stunned into silence. The belly of the creature was pink and white, covered in molluscs and barnacles. As it roared, the monster’s body quivered, and Don was fascinated by the colour of its skin. Dark and green, it was also covered in patches of maroon and purples. The ragged spots seemed to change colour as he stared at it, as though the monster was trying to blend into the background by changing colour. It was as if a shimmering film had stretched across his eyes, blocking out the truth, hiding the hideous animal.
It crashed down to the ground, and the stage shook again with so much force that Amanda was knocked to the floor. Don reached out for her. He was worried that if the creature lashed out, she would be first to feel the strength of the brute. Zola stared, astounded, and Amanda took Don’s hand as they slowly crawled away.
“Um, folks, please stay calm,” said Zola, “just stay in your seats and…” She trailed off as the monster took a step forward. The crowd was silent, struck dumb by the awesome sight standing and breathing right before them. It made Diablo look like a child’s toy.
Don saw a lone figure walk from the front row out into the middle of the concourse. The man was dressed in a smart suit and suede brogues. He clapped his hands together and then laughed. “Wow, what a show!” The man turned around and laughed once more, emitting a throaty guffaw that reminded Don of sitting with his father, and both of them laughing as they watched Cheers.
Playing to the cameras, the man turned back and looked up at the giant beast. “Wow. Who needs Godzilla, huh? It’s genuinely amazing what you can do with a few pyrotechnics and mechanics these days. How lifelike is this? Am I being filmed right now? Am I going to be in the Jurassic Park remake?”
When the crowd failed to acknowledge he had spoken, the man turned his back towards them and Don could see it was a movie star. Zola had invited several celebrities to boost the show’s profile, and he was undoubtedly the biggest name to come.
A photographer crept closer to the tank and took a snap of the monster up close, although twenty feet away was as close as he dared. The movie star smiled broadly, and Don watched as with one lightning-quick movement, the monster flicked its front leg forward and the actor was sent hurtling back into the stadium headfirst. He splatted against the stadium roof like a bug on a windshield, and blood splattered everywhere as his body came apart. Another quick kick followed, and the photographer followed him into the mosh pit of other journalists. A scream came from the crowd and Don’s legs turned to jelly, as the behemoth took a step forward, now ignoring the buzzing photographers and paparazzi. Instead of pushing and shoving to get to the front for the best shots, they were pushing backwards, trying to get away from the advancing monster.
It let out a low grunt, then a series of noises that sounded like the bark of a rabid dog. Its cruel bark seemed to tease, and was certainly intimidating, even more than the bellowing it had produced previously. The rough barks resonated with Don at the back of his mind. He was reminded of how a vicious dog barks at intruders, both as a warning and an invitation to a fight you could never hope to win. Don grit his teeth and held onto Amanda tighter, as he listened to the primordial noises echoing through the park.
The titan turned its short neck slightly and seemed to look straight at Don. Large yellow eyes narrowed and then its neck twisted around, its flesh wrinkling up as it kept its feet firmly planted on the ground. It scanned around the stadium, at the people frozen in awe, at the photographers and media who were embarking on a frenzy below, and finally at the tank where Diablo was being held captive. As those huge, dark golden eyes went past Don, he shuddered. This was no base creature, without feeling, without conscience or consciousness. It knew exactly what it was doing. It looked mad and there was an unrestrained wrath and evil behind those yellow eyes.
The short, sharp barking stopped, and then a terrifying noise erupted from the belly of the creature, a roar so brittle and deep that it set Don’s teeth on edge. His stomach squirmed and
writhed as he tensed, and he knew it was inevitable now. The creature was not going to slink off, back to the depths of the ocean. It wanted its family back, and it was not going to disappear quietly. Don looked over at Diablo who was still swimming up and down, only with more urgency.
Zola sank to her knees and let the microphone tumble from her hands. It rolled across the stage and a whistling echo came from the overhead speakers, the painful sound distorting as it rang around the stadium. She looked around at the stadium that was threatening to become a morgue. Somebody had laid a blanket over the famous movie star’s prostrate body, and people around him were crying and holding each other. The photographer who had been so casually brushed aside was surrounded by paramedics. His colleagues were moving up into the grandstand seats, trying to get away, whilst the people in the stadium seemed oblivious to the immediate danger. Some were calling 911, some shouting and gesturing, not knowing what to do or where to turn. Some were headed for the exits, only to find them blocked as more and more people tried to cram through. Some sat in their seats expectantly, as if waiting for the show to continue. Nobody was being told what to do, and Zola was in a daze, as her expensive world collapsed around her.
Don saw the microphone tumble over the side of the stage and into the tank, as it sank into the water out of view. This couldn’t be happening. He could see Zola on her knees now, her mouth agape and her eyes just staring into space. It was as if her mind had been wiped. He wanted to tell her to do something, to call the police, to order an evacuation of the stadium, to do anything instead of sitting there like a dummy. But he couldn’t. Amanda was clinging to him tightly. Don was absorbed like everyone else at the sheer size of the thing that had gate-crashed the party. It was almost as tall as the stadium itself, certainly much longer. Its head was flat and oblong, and its skin was thick and oily. Its rubbery hide reminded Don of a snake, and Diablo.
Don reached around for his radio, wanting to alert security to the situation. Although, if they hadn’t already heard or seen what was happening by now, then half of America had. He knew the event was being screened live on CNN. Well, they were certainly getting a show. Like fifty million Americans, Don felt powerless to take his eyes off the monstrosity that was standing between the tank and the seats of Shakti Stadium.