Godzilla Returns Page 14

  Could his friends survive in such chaos? Brian wondered. He prayed they could.

  * * *

  "Come in, Mr. Shimura," Everett Endicott said as May ushered Brian into the bureau chief's office.

  Brian sat down, and the two men faced each other. Endicott had bags under his eyes. He looked tired. But then, everybody did. The portly man rubbed his bloodshot eyes and cleared his throat.

  "Have you heard from your uncle lately - in the last few days, perhaps?"

  "No, I haven't." Brian replied honestly. "I thought the admiral was working with Dr. Nobeyama and the Japanese Self-Defense Force."

  "He's missing," Endicott said. "And so is Dr. Nobeyama."

  Brian sat up straight. "Missing?" he cried.

  Endicott nodded. "For at least forty-eight hours now... since Dr. Nobeyama presented the military leaders with his proposal to lure Godzilla away from Japan."

  Brian shook his head in disgust "A Proposal that was flatly rejected," he said bitterly, "in favor of a pointless rocket attack that did more damage to the area than Godzilla himself!"

  "Well," the bureau chief replied. "That's not our concern - we only report the news. Which is why I sent for you. Since Gordon and Masahara are... out of touch, I'm sending you out into the field again. In less than an hour, you'll join Max Hulse and Blackthorn Adams on the INN helipad."

  "Just where am I going this time?" Brian asked, excited about getting field work again - but at the same time not happy about being sent away from headquarters while Nick and Yoshi were still missing.

  "The Japanese Self-Defense Force will make one final assault to try to stop Godzilla from reaching Tokyo," Endicott said. "They are going to launch a combined air, sea, and ground assault at the Seto Ohashi Bridge. We've been given permission to broadcast the event."

  Brian swallowed hard. "So Godzilla is still moving along the coast of the Inland Sea," he whispered.

  "Yes," Endicott answered. "And there is bad news, too, which will be released to the public around noon."

  Brian sat forward in his chair, all ears.

  "Last night, Godzilla destroyed a nuclear power plant near Kurashiki," the bureau chief said evenly.

  "Then -"

  "Yes. Godzilla has absorbed the nuclear cores of two reactors. That means he's even stronger now. He's increased his speed, and is heading for the water again. The army is absolutely certain Godzilla will move through the Inland Sea and swim directly to Tokyo - if this final attack at the bridge fails."

  * * *

  Three hours later, Brian sat in the personnel compartment of a U.S. Marine Corps Blackhawk helicopter - on loan to the INN news service for use during the crisis.

  Along with Brian, a British cameraman named Ian Smelt and science correspondent Blackthorn Adams rode in the helicopter.

  Another Marine Corps Blackhawk followed behind. That one contained Nick's nemesis, Max Hulse, and an INN technical crew. There was also a small contingent of Marines on both Blackhawks. Their job was to protect American lives, even if the Americans in question were members of the hated news media.

  "Three minutes to touchdown," the sergeant, a huge black man with sharp features and bulky Kevlar body armor, informed the passengers. Brian nodded and looked out the window. He saw the blue-green waters of the Inland Sea twinkling in the sunlight far below.

  Suddenly, the Blackhawk banked and swung over land. It began to descend rapidly. Brian's stomach flew into his throat. He swallowed and strained his eyes but could see no signs of the chaos that ruled the island below.

  The helicopter kicked up dust as it settled onto the landing site, a parking lot outside a now-deserted shopping mall near the abandoned city of Tamano. The Marines jumped out of the chopper and took defensive positions. Brian, Ian Smelt, and Blackthorn Adams made a less dramatic departure.

  On the other end of the parking lot, Brian noticed an INN helicopter.

  An INN technician, whom Brian recognized, waved them to the entranceway of the mall. Brian took off in a jog, running to the man's side.

  "We've got a setup on the roof," the man said. "Cameras, satellite uplinks, telescopes - the whole shebang."

  While they spoke, the second Blackhawk helicopter landed, and Max Hulse joined them.

  A few minutes later, Blackthorn, Ian Smelt, Max Hulse, and Brian all crowded into a small service elevator and rode it to the top. When the doors slid open, Brian was surprised to see that they were already on the roof. Another INN technician ran up to them.

  "The attack is going to start in thirty minutes," he cried. "Godzilla is already visible through binoculars!"

  But instead of trying to spot Godzilla, Brian examined the huge structure that spanned the Inland Sea. He was amazed at the size of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. It seemed to go on forever.

  "Some bridge, eh?" Ian Smelt said.

  Brian nodded.

  "That's the longest bridge in the world," the young British cameraman added with enthusiasm.

  Blackthorn Adams, who was awaiting his turn in front of the camera, joined in the conversation. "It's really six bridges built into a single span, you know," the science correspondent informed them. "The bridges connect a bunch of small islands that dot the Inland Sea, and join the main island of Honshu with the island of Shikoku. There's a highway and a rail line that use that bridge daily.

  "The builders claim that the cables used in the construction are long enough to wrap around the Earth several times. They also claim that the bridge is earthquake proof."

  "I think were about to see if the bridge is Godzilla-proof," Ian Smelt interrupted, pointing toward the span. "Here he comes!"

  * * *

  The morale was low among the forces stationed on the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Many of the men felt that they were going to be sacrificed for no good reason. The soldiers had all heard about the futile attack on the San-yo plain. Word was traveling through the ranks that guns, tanks, and bombs were like toys against Godzilla.

  Rumor had it that Godzilla was virtually indestructible.

  Even an emotional pep talk by General Nakamura failed to inspire the men. But despite their reservations, the men performed their duties obediently. As Godzilla approached, they lined the bridge with Type 75 tanks armed with the less-than-successful cadmium shells, as well as more multiple rocket launchers and a variety of towed and self-propelled artillery pieces.

  The Seto Ohashi Bridge was bristling with guns. All were pointed at the approaching monster.

  The sky, too, was filled with aircraft from the Japanese Air Force - F-15J Eagles purchased from the United States, mostly. They were armed with guided bombs, machine guns, and air-to-ground missiles.

  On the water, two Chikugo-class frigates - the Noshiro and the Mogami - followed Godzilla's every movement. The frigates were small, but they were the only warships that could navigate the shallow waters of the Inland Sea. They also sported fearsome, boxlike multiple rocket launchers on their decks, instead of the standard gun turrets most frigates are armed with.

  Oblivious to the military might arrayed against him, Godzilla continued to wade through the sea, moving slowly toward the suspension bridge that blocked his path.

  On the bridge, General Nakamura checked his watch, which was synchronized with the timepieces on the ships below and in the aircraft above.

  "Thirty seconds to attack!" he announced over the command radio.

  A thousand men placed their sweat-slicked fingers on the triggers of cannons, machine guns, rocket launchers, and artillery pieces. Breathlessly, they awaited the general's final command.

  "Ready... aim... fire!" General Nakamura cried over the radio.

  * * *

  Even from the vantage point on top of the shopping mall, miles away, Brian's ears were pounded by the tremendous sound of a thousand guns. The entire Seto Ohashi Bridge seemed to sway from the recoil of the tank and artillery cannons as they spat steel and fire at Godzilla.

  The frigates, too, opened fire. Missiles streaked from the boxli
ke launchers, leaving trails of orange fire and white smoke in their wake.

  Overhead, a dozen jets dived down out of the clouds and aimed their sights on Godzilla. The monster was soon engulfed in clouds of smoke and flame.

  Godzilla bellowed in rage as the munitions struck him again and again. The beast covered his eyes with his mighty five-fingered claws. His gigantic tail thrashed, stirring up the waters of the Inland Sea. Powerful waves battered against the frigates with colossal force, but still the warships pressed on, pouring fire on the gigantic creature that loomed ahead.

  The noise of the blasts and the echoing howls of the beast rolled across the sea and land. The clamor slammed against Brian's ears in waves, pounding his eardrums until he reached up and covered them with his hands. Still, the awesome sound penetrated his ears and made his chest vibrate. Brian closed his eyes, shutting out the terrible vision of destruction unfolding in front of him.

  "Nothing can survive that!" Ian Smelt cried over the noise. "Godzilla's finished."

  But Brian knew better. Dr. Nobeyama is right. Nothing can kill Godzilla, he said to himself. The monster is like a force of nature, like a typhoon, an earthquake or a hurricane...

  Mankind is helpless against brute force such as this!

  Unexpectedly, there was a split-second lull in the firing. It was just enough time for the Japanese fighters to dive down and drop their ordnance on Godzilla. But instead of explosives, Brian was surprised to see that the fighters were dropping guided bombs filled with napalm - burning jellied gasoline.

  He watched in horror as Godzilla burst into flame!

  In seconds, the greater part of Godzilla's body was covered with hot orange fire. The monster bellowed and flailed his arms wildly as the napalm scorched his head, neck, chest, and back.

  Godzilla's wails of pain rolled across the water.

  "God, how horrible," Ian Smelt muttered.

  Then, as the F-15Js released the last of their bombs and climbed into the sky, a burst of blue fire streaked toward them. Two of the aircraft were engulfed in the radioactive stream and exploded instantly.

  The other fighters kicked in their afterburners and flew away as fast as possible.

  Still on fire, Godzilla dropped down, splashing into the Inland Sea. Waves washed over the frigate that was closest to the monster. The Mogami capsized as tons of water slammed against her.

  Within moments, Godzilla rose again. Most of the chemical flames had now been extinguished. Yet parts of his arms, face, and head still smoldered, and he cried out in agony once more.

  The tanks and artillery on the bridge resumed firing, but the barrage was much less intense. They must be running low on ammunition, Brian realized.

  Whatever the reason for the weakened attack, it had tragic consequences. The diminished firepower allowed Godzilla to get alongside the Seto Ohashi Bridge.

  As Godzilla loomed over the soldiers and tanks stationed on the bridge, the men began to abandon their posts. With nothing standing in his path but the span of the bridge itself, Godzilla charged.

  The monster slammed his massive bulk against it. Incredibly, the structure held. Although the cables that reached from one end of the bridge to the other shook and vibrated, they did not break. But the men, tanks, trucks, and rocket launchers that dotted the span were not so fortunate.

  As the bridge shook, everything on it was bounced violently around. Men and machines were tossed into the air. Helpless soldiers were thrown over the edge of the bridge. They plunged, screaming, into the waves that lapped against the foundation hundreds of feet below.

  Godzilla flailed again. This time one of the towers cracked. When he slammed the bridge once more, several trucks exploded, spreading fire and burning fuel along the entire span. The screams of frightened men mingled with the sound of Godzilla's roar.

  Again Godzilla struck, and, at last, the bridge gave way. It literally split into two, spilling vehicles and men into the Inland Sea.

  In less than a minute, the entire span of the Seto Ohashi Bridge came tumbling down.

  With a mighty roar of triumph, Godzilla moved past the tangled wreckage of steel cable, concrete, and vehicles. The frigate Noshiro's path was blocked by the shattered bridge, but still the warship futilely fired missiles at Godzilla's retreating back.

  As Brian watched from his vantage point on the shopping mall roof, Godzilla moved slowly away from the destruction. Smoke still poured off his body where the napalm had scorched him. But as Godzilla departed, he did not look back.

  The battle at the bridge was over.

  Sickened by the destruction he'd witnessed, Brian sank to the roof. He hung his head and blinked back tears. He sat, motionless and speechless, for a few moments. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.

  Ian stood over him. "We're going," he said. "Max is staying behind to wrap things up and give a final, on-camera report. But we've been ordered back to Tokyo."

  Brian nodded dumbly and struggled to his feet. Without saying a word, he walked slowly toward the service elevator.

  * * *

  Forty-five minutes after the Blackhawks departed for Tokyo, Max Hulse and two technicians were loading the INN helicopter in preparation for their own departure.

  Two Marines, including the stern-faced sergeant, served as their bodyguards. They were almost ready to lift off when three ragged figures appeared on the other end of the parking lot. The strangers began to shout and wave at the helicopter.

  The figures began running toward the INN aircraft. The sergeant, wary of trouble, dropped to one knee in a defensive position. He pointed his M-16 at the strangers.

  "Halt!" the Marine cried, raising his hand. Two of the figures slowed down, but the third kept coming. He was shouting something now, but the Marine couldn't hear him over the sound of the chopper's engine. Max Hulse turned and saw the man approaching.

  "Halt and drop to the ground!" the Marine cried again, still pointing his weapon at the trio.

  Now the youth in the lead slowed, but still approached warily. He continued to shout something. Finally, they understood what he was saying.

  "Mr. Hulse!" the man shouted. The newsman heard his name being called. He reached down and touched the barrel of the sergeant's weapon.

  "Let them come closer," the newsman said. Then he waved the three dirty figures forward. The tallest youth reached the helicopter first. He stopped when he saw the soldier, who still held the M-16 at the ready.

  "Whoa," the man said. He wore a dirty safari jacket and tattered pants. He was covered in mud, as were the two who remained behind.

  "I'm an American," he said. "Look!" He offered them his plastic I.D. card.

  "I work for INN," the man insisted. Max Hulse took the plastic card out of the youth's grimy hand. The other two figures cautiously approached. The Marine was surprised to see that one of them was a woman.

  "My name is Nick Gordon," the youth said. "And that's Yoshi Masahara and Lieutenant Emiko Takado. We've been following Godzilla for days - since the rocket attack on the San-yo plain - and boy, do we have some great footage for you!"

  Max Hulse smiled at the three of them. "Hop in," he said. "We'll take you hack to Tokyo."

  "Gee, thanks, Mr. Hulse," Nick said as he climbed into the chopper.

  As he settled into his seat, Nick leaned over to Max Hulse.

  "You know, Mr. Hulse," he said with a grin, "I'm a really big fan of yours..."

  CHAPTER 19

  TOKYO!

  June 18, 1998, 10:27 A.M.

  INN network headquarters

  Tokyo, Japan

  Brian sat in his cubicle, watching the monitor in front of him, which was tuned to CNN. The world was still on emergency footing, but things had been a bit calmer in the last few days.

  After the terrible attack at the Seto Ohashi Bridge, Godzilla had moved through the Inland Sea virtually unopposed. When he hit the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, he vanished from sight. Even the submarines that were detailed to follow the creature soon lost t
rack of him in the silent depths of the ocean.

  For over a week now, the people of Tokyo had lived in fear - waiting for the attack that they were sure would come.

  After the debacle on the San-yo plain, the Japanese government was reluctant to order a city-wide evacuation of the capital. There was nowhere they could send the millions of people who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area, anyway. All of the rail lines and highways southwest of the capital were smashed already. Many of the cities were leveled as well.

  Despite the reluctance of the government to move people out of Tokyo, many citizens left on their own. The NHK network estimated that fully one-third of Tokyo's population had already fled. More were trying to leave. Airports and docks were jammed. Prices for airline tickets at first doubled, then tripled. Now you couldn't get a ticket out, at least not legitimately - they were available only on the black market, for exorbitant prices.

  Godzilla's present location was still unknown. The one bright light in all the darkness was Nick and Yoshi's triumphant return to INN headquarters. In his heart of hearts, Brian had nearly given up hope of ever seeing his friends again. But they had defied the odds and happily returned from the dead.

  The two men were given a heroes' welcome. News executives - including the ever-skeptical Everett P. Endicott - were thoroughly impressed with the massive amount of footage and verbal reports they brought back with them. Nick and Yoshi had assembled a unique record of a society devastated by a force unlike any other.

  For days, Yoshi's hours of taped footage was aired on INN. Nick's verbal reports - kept on audiotapes - were also broadcast. No one had any doubt that Yoshi would win an Emmy Award. There was even talk that Nick might win one, too. He had already been offered a very lucrative book contract by Random House.

  In the days alone in the "wilderness," Yoshi and Lieutenant Emiko Takado had grown very close. After their return, Emiko had been called back to Japanese Self-Defense Force headquarters and reassigned. Now Yoshi just moped around the INN offices, missing her terribly. But at least he knew that, after the crisis was over, he would be reunited with her.