by K D McNiven
“As a matter of fact,” he said, pushing himself to his feet and walking casually to the doorway. He grabbed a straw hat off a leaning coat rack just inside the door and stepped outside.
“I guess he wants us to follow?” Meg said rolling her eyes, more than a little frustrated by his nonchalant attitude. Perhaps over the years, with all the deaths, he’d simply grown hardhearted? No matter the reason, it troubled her.
Fernando walked to a shed at the rear of the station, inserting a key into the lock. When the door swung wide, they all stared in amazement. There were several boxes filled with weapons of various sorts.
The team went inside the dim-lit room, crouching to inspect what they would have available for them to use. Obviously, Fernando intended for them to go it alone since there were no extra troops being brought in. It was somewhat discomforting to know they would have to face the giant beasts alone, but at least they would have some protection.
Rourke picked up an SMT-9, 9X19 mm caliber submachine gun to inspect. Eighteen-and one-half inches in length, eight pounds, with a thirty-round capacity. Impressive, but he wasn’t sure it would bring down one of them. Regardless, they would each tote one. Putting it back into the box, he withdrew a grenade launcher.
He grinned. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!”
“Definitely gives me more courage,” Meg said.
“This, along with several hand grenades, ought to do some damage.”
He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a portable, muzzle-loaded M949 60 mm AGR, light mortar. He smiled. This would do the trick. The mortar had a bipod mount and sight with explosive shells. It would launch surface-to-air munition and would do a lot of damage.
“Wow! Would you look at that!” Jayden said, leaning over Rourke’s shoulder to inspect the artillery. “This hunk of machinery will no doubt blow the Purussaurus to pieces. Now, learning to use it is another matter.”
“I’ll give you some instructions. I’ve used these a couple of times,” Kyle said, having served in the army. He knelt and began pulling out more equipment.
“You and some of your team will be lending a hand to combat this situation, right?” Rourke asked Fernando.
“Yes. However, I have to say, my men are wary.”
“As are we, Commander.”
Fernando opened his mouth to reply when the ground began to shake. Loud, pounding noises echoed through the sultry air, followed by a trumpeting sound. All of them turned, staring into the thicket. What followed was a blood-curdling scream.
“Hell’s fire! They’ve come into the town!” yelled Jayden.
“Grab weapons!” Rourke said. He turned to stare into Meg’s pale face. “Meg…”
“I’m going too! We’re all in this together.”
No time to argue, he reached down and tossed her one of the submachine guns and a box of shells, then two hand grenades. “Stay as hidden as possible. We’re going to make our way into the town.”
“I’ll round up my men,” Fernando said, taking possession of the mortar. “I’ll set this up at the edge of town and shoot off the shells as we need.”
The team sprinted off in the direction of chaos, the ground vibrating. Ducking down behind a shed, they could see two of the beasts. Meg gasped as she spotted a woman running across the street and in three steps, the Purussaurus clamped its mouth over her, blood oozing from its teeth. Screams of panic filled the air.
Meg pinched her eyes shut and turned her head. From where they were, she could hear the crunch of bone, and muffled cries. The beast threw its head back and opened its mouth two more times to devour the woman. No sooner had it finished, it zeroed in on an elderly gentleman running wildly down the road. The scene was like watching a horror movie as they stormed through the narrow street, only dreadfully real.
Jayden rushed up beside Meg and Rourke and dove onto his belly. He stationed his rifle, and looked through the sight, zeroing in on the rampaging beast not far from them. His finger locked onto the trigger, his heart thundering in his chest. From a side view, he spotted Kyle racing around the side of one of the buildings, his hand clutching a grenade.
“Let’s open fire on them. If our bullets don’t take one of them down, hopefully, Kyle’s grenade will accomplish it,” said Meg, throwing a quick glance at Rourke.
He nodded. “Let’s let loose.”
The air filled with the rapid-fire of semi-automatic weapons, sounding like a war zone. Bedlam hit the streets, people running to find shelter, donkeys, dogs, and horses running wildly down the road trying to escape the sharp jaws. Nothing was safe from their violent pursuit. Their enormous bodies crashed into the sides of buildings, shattering them, and the people inside tried their best to slip away to safety, though presently, there didn’t appear to be any place to hide.
The bullets were not bringing the Purussaurus down, and the one closest to the team, turned, its yellow eyes looking crazed. It changed its direction and headed straight towards Meg, Jayden, and Rourke.
“We have to get out of here!” Jayden yelled, scrambling to his feet, continuing to shower the beast as he crouched low and moved back towards the police station.
All three of them split up, running to find somewhere to take cover, wielding their weapons in an attempt to bring down the animals but not having any luck. The beast barreled forward, the ground trembling under its weight.
Meg was breathless, adrenalin pumping wildly through her veins as she popped off several rounds, her body half-twisted. Her shoulder felt bruised from the kickback of the gun and for a brief time, she wondered if she would hyperventilate. The beast was gaining quickly. She fought to hasten her steps, her heart pounding so hard, it felt as if it would rip through her chest. The toe of her tennis shoe caught on a stone, and she screamed as her body was thrown forward, landing with a thud on the ground. Pebbles tore through the flesh at her knees, but in spite of the pain, she desperately fought her way back onto her feet. The beast closed in, now only feet away.
“Run Meg!” came Rourke’s panic-stricken voice.
Just when Meg prepared for the sharp-bladed teeth to pierce her flesh, a loud explosion occurred. She felt her body hurling through the air, her ears ringing from the concussion. Dropping like stone, the air in her lungs forced out of her, she lay gasping. Lifting her head, she saw the beast’s front legs and snout had been blown off, blood and chunks of flesh raining around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the other Purussaurus rushing off into the thick backdrop of trees.
Meg rolled onto her back, closed her eyes, and simply breathed. The blood coursing through her pounded in her ears. She heard the sound of feet running her direction and slowly opening her eyes, she saw the three guys swooping in around her.
Rourke dropped to his knees, drawing her into his arms. She could feel the pounding rhythm of his heartbeat against her. “Thank God,” he wheezed, holding her tightly. “I thought…” his voice cracked with emotion.
“I’m all right, Rourke. Really. Just shaken, is all.” She saw her knees were bloodstained, her T-shirt ripped, but thankful she made it out alive.
“What a foul stench,” Jayden said, wrinkling his nose, looking around at the large portions of meat strewn about the area. There were chunks of meat even dangling from the tree limbs. “Nasty creatures. And Kyle, thank you for blasting the sucker or we’d probably be hamburger by now.”
“Glad I could help. At least we know one thing that will bring them down. We’d better get a bigger supply. We have about five more to rid ourselves of.”
“My guess is they’ll head back toward the compound,” Rourke said, still cradling Meg.
Meg pushed his arms away and struggled to her feet. Five more. She saw the damage they could inflict and hoped they would all survive another bout with them. Her heart finally steadied its rhythm and her shaking limbs had calmed. She wagered the terror would remain forever in her mind.
Commander Fernando and his partner Hernandez rushed up alongside them. Their
faces were ashen from the carnage they saw in the streets. His dark eyes panned the area, guesstimating there were probably ten people who had lost their lives in the rampage. Bile caught in his throat, the reality slamming him in the face. No longer could he turn a blind eye to the atrocities that had been happening around him for years. In fact, all he felt now was shame.
“I tried to get the mortar to work but it jammed,” he explained, not wanting them to think he hadn’t made an effort to help them.
“Well, for some of us, it turned out okay,” Jayden said, throwing a look over his shoulder where pieces of human carnage lay. He gagged, nearly losing his breakfast.
“Maybe your staff can clean up the mess,” Rourke said. “We’re going to head over to Dietrich Laboratories. Pretty sure that’s where the rest of these creatures will be.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
⁂
Ramon and Aberto burst through the lab doors, their faces stricken and pale. Eyes turned to look at the two men who were visibly shaken.
“What?” asked Wilhelm.
“The animals, th-they’ve gone crazy wild!” Ramon huffed, trying to catch his breath. “They went into town and went on a killing streak. It…it’s as if they’ve gone mad!”
“They’ve what!” Wilhelm gasped. “Where are they now?”
“They’re headed back here. One of them was blown to smithereens,” he said.
Daisuke, who had been walking down the hall and just short of the doorway, heard what Ramon had spoken. He tore through the door, his face twisted in anger. “How could you let this happen, Wilhelm?”
“They’ve always stayed close by,” he fought to explain. “I had no idea they would do such a thing.”
Daisuke grabbed the satellite phone clipped to his belt and punched in a phone number while everyone stared blankly at him. “Hiroki,” he said with urgency ringing in his voice. “Prepare the helicopter and nets. I need you to be ready to load the Purussaurus! Get on it. Now!”
“You’re going to try to capture them? Don’t you think the police will be onto us in a flash? Didn’t you hear? They killed people in the village.”
“If the police get in my way, they will die!”
“You can’t be serious?” Wilhelm yelled. “These animals are already rabid. If you bring in helicopters and more men, I can’t even imagine what they might do in response.”
Daisuke flipped the back of his hand toward Wilhelm, a look of disgust on his face. “You little man. Afraid of taking on a couple of large beasts? I’m a hunter. I understand their workings. I see no problems of shooting them with tranquilizers and netting them, then lifting them over the water to the cargo hold where they’ll be locked safely up until I get them to Japan.”
“But…”
“Shut the hell up, you whining coward. I’ve had enough of you!” Daisuke gave Wilhelm a hard shove knocking him into the wall, and marched out of the door, heading for the entrance, now secured.
Fumiko stood in silent horror. She had seen the beast up close. This would not be a simple matter, she realized. Most likely it would prove to be a fatal one—at least for some. She glanced over at Wilhelm who looked deflated. But then, that had been Daisuke’s purpose, hadn’t it, she mused. Anger raced through her. Wilhelm was a kind man. A man who had shown her the utmost respect and honor. It galled her that Daisuke had treated him with such humiliation.
“I’m so sorry, Wilhelm,” she said in a hushed tone, empathy sparking in her ebony eyes.
“It’s not your fault. He’s an insolent man…I hate him!” His words were like a double punch to the gut—enough to back Fumiko up a couple of steps. Everything he had worked so hard to build was crumbling around him. What provoked him still further, Daisuke had gone out of his way to rub gravel into his open wound, seeming to actually revel in Wilhelm’s demise. The worst part of it all was there was no way to stop him—short of taking his life, that is—which at this very moment, Wilhelm considered.
“What will you do now?”
“I’ve no idea, Fumiko. Not a one.”
From outside, they could hear the bugling of the beasts as they crashed through the dense thicket. One of them smashed into the side of the building near the river, no doubt trying to get into the cave, which had collapsed on their last stampede.
Wilhelm hurried into a side room where he grabbed a rifle from its case. He had already deduced a rifle did not have enough power to put one of the beasts down. Nevertheless, he had to make some effort. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Daisuke would actually put a bullet in his head since he had already made plans as to how he would capture the Purussaurus and transport them to Japan.
As he rushed to the stairs, Fumiko stayed on his heels, fear stabbing her. In spite of it, she refused to allow Wilhelm to go it alone. No sooner had the two of them stepped out of the safety of the compound than they heard a helicopter’s rotor whirling loudly above them. Looking up, he spotted a Boeing CH47 Chinook, closing in on the area. In front of him stood Daisuke, satellite phone in hand, shouting out instructions. Wide straps were partially lowered as the helicopter made a sweep of the area, trying to locate one of the Purussaurus out in the open so they could have a shot at tranquilizing it.
As if on cue, one ran into the opening just outside the compound, forcing everyone outside to run indoors for safety. A man inside the helicopter leaned precariously out of the side door, sighting crosshairs on the rampaging beast. There was a popping sound that split the air, followed by a loud roaring sound. The dart had pierced the thick scales on the Purussaurus, and though he wavered, he began crashing into whatever got in its way. It threw its head back bellowing, its eyes incensed and wild. It staggered but managed to stay on its feet. Once more, the man in the chopper readied himself, and as the chopper swung around, he squeezed off another dart. Again, he struck the target and within a matter of minutes, the beast dropped to the ground.
Daisuke’s men cheered as they hurried outside, glancing both directions to make sure they weren’t going to be charged. As the group gathered around the drugged beast, they were awe-stricken. None of them had ever seen anything quite so humungous, nor anything so deadly. Silently, they watched as the chopper lowered straps and when they touched the ground, a couple of men jumped in their vehicles, backing up to the monster in order to secure the straps. Heavy chains were positioned around its two back feet. Feeling confident the chains would hold, they hopped back into their jeeps, revved the motors, and began trying to pull the beast. The tires spun wildly, shooting rocks and dirt into the air, but inch by inch they managed to pull the creature onto the straps that had been stretched out across the ground.
As they worked to fasten the straps, the team continually looked over their shoulders warily. There was no telling when another Purussaurus might come barreling through the thicket, giving them no time to get out of its path.
Wilhelm stood with feet apart, hands clasped behind his back, and his face set like flint. He could barely control his rage. He had known all along this day would come, that the animals would be removed from this area and taken to Japan, but he never realized he would have to endure such appalling treatment from Daisuke, arrogant man he was. Nor did he ever imagine he would be thrown out like dinner scraps. Had it not been for him, there would have been no Purussaurus at all. He and Anna had given up two years of their lives in this hell-hole with no social lives to speak of. This was to be their moment in history.
Engrossed in what they were doing, Wilhelm did not catch sight of Daisuke going back inside, climbing the ladder to the laboratory. Daisuke had every intention of ridding himself of Wilhelm and destroying all evidence of his work. If he played his cards right, a door of opportunity would open up and Wilhelm would be permanently eliminated. Who would ever miss him? He’d been holed up in the rainforest for two years and not once had he left the compound—at least that is what he professed. With all of his logs and the information stored on his flash drives, Daisuke could create his own laborator
y in Japan, minus Wilhelm, who he found stodgy and unhinged.
Currently, his only goal was to acquire all of Wilhelm’s stored data from day one. He would be able to use the information once he returned to Japan, and Fumiko would be set up in her own lab to continue the cloning. Before departing, he would return to collect the eggs, now a couple of weeks away from cracking open, and take them with him as well.
He took out his satellite phone and made a call to Tokyo. “Aiko, I need you to do something for me asap. I plan to be returning in a few days. I expect you to locate and purchase the largest warehouse available suitable to be used as a laboratory. I will also need incubators and any other equipment used in scientific research stocked, ready for immediate use.”
“I’m not sure I can fulfill all of that in just a few days’ time, Daisuke.”
“Use whatever means necessary, Aiko,” he pressured. “It’s imperative I have an incubation lab put into place upon my arrival.”
“I-I’ll see what I can do.”
There was a nerve-wracking span of silence on the other end, then Daisuke’s compelling voice broke through the line. “No excuses, Aiko. You will have it done or suffer the consequences of your failure!”
“Of course.”
Once Daisuke was off the phone, he went to work, stuffing information into his leather briefcase. He took the time to pop a memory stick into the computer to gather Wilhelm’s notes from the day before and began downloading the data. He needed every detail from the very first day he’d begun his experimentation to early this morning, nor could Daisuke afford to let anything slip by or else his team might not be able to replicate Wilhelm’s success. In the long run, Daisuke would get recognition and no one would know the better for it.
Everything had not gone as planned, he mused, but he had worked around the setbacks, though he had to admit he missed the fringe benefits of having Fumiko in his bed over the past couple of days. She was exquisite and to be honest, it had bothered him lending her out to Wilhelm. Hard to say if Wilhelm took him up on the offer, he was such a disgrace to mankind, likely he wouldn’t be able to perform anyhow. Regardless, he didn’t want to imagine the two of them wrapped up in a knot of ecstasy. She belonged to him.