Jurassic War

by Hinton, Charles

  serious injury.”

  “I’m not going to argue with you, Patton. If you want to go, fine.”

  Halfway frowned. “My name isn’t Patton, wiseguy! How did that dinosaur get out here without my soldiers spotting it?”

  “General, it’s probably been out here staying close to its eggs and baby you killed. It probably saw you killing them from a distant. That’s why it went after you first.”

  “Amazing how these dinosaurs think. Well, Mark, I’ll be back shortly with help.”

  Standwall’s and Nails’ troops were combing the projects and neighborhoods throughout the city. Standwall walked alongside Nails in one of the areas. “Captain Nails,” he said, “days ago this was a community, now it looks like an atomic bomb has hit it.”

  “That’s the cost of war, Colonel,” Nails said.

  “How did you make it through a rough unit like the Seals and become its commander?”

  “Well, Colonel, I didn’t go to bed with anyone to make it,” she quipped.

  “It took a lot of hard work and dedication. The physical training was rough, but I managed to overcome it.”

  “Are you married, Captain?”

  “No, are you?”

  “I was. My wife divorced me. She and my kids couldn’t put up with me, maybe because I brought my job home with me. I ordered them around

  like they were soldiers. My wife got fed up with it and divorced me.”

  “Colonel, would you like to have dinner, when the war is over?”

  Grinning, “It will be a pleasure, Captain.”

  A radio operator ran to Standwall and said, “Sir, it’s Major Hightower.”

  He handed him the receiver.

  “What is it, Major?”

  “Colonel, we found a few dinosaurs alive and terminated them, and our troops found burned body parts of dinosaurs from the bombing.

  We haven’t found anymore dinosaurs that survived the bombing in these areas.”

  “Have your troops search them for a few more hours and then close your mission?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Standwall clicked off the receiver. “Captain Nails, looks like our mission will be over soon.”

  At Johnson’s headquarters, Johnson asked his sergeant major, “Where is General Halfway? He left his office hours ago. My troops are ready to move out.”

  “Sir, maybe his jeep broke down.”

  “Send a driver out on the west road to look for him.”

  The sergeant major shouted, “Private Dickerson! Get over here!”

  Dickerson ran over quickly and stood at attention. “Yes, Sergeant Major!”

  “Get a jeep and take the west road. See if you can find General Halfway.”

  Lying on the ground in severe pain from a broken leg was the cameraman. Mark had two sticks and a bandage. He applied traction,

  stabilized the man’s leg, putting a stick on each side and tying them, saying, “This should keep your leg stabilized. I can’t do anything for your

  pain. Here, take a sip from my canteen.”

  The cameraman took a few swallows and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Mark saw an army jeep coming toward him. He waved it down. It was

  Senator Stewart, who stopped, looking irate and shouting, “Where’s

  Halfway?”

  “He’s wounded and on his way to get help.”

  “What direction?”

  Mark pointed and, as the senator’s jeep pulled off, yelled, “Wait Senator! I need some help!”

  Halfway limping slowly along the road, whistling the theme song of Patton. A jeep pulled up beside him. Surprised, he said, “Senator, what are you doing out here?”

  Stewart simpered, pulling a gun. “I came to kill you.”

  Scared, Halfway pleaded, “No, please don’t, Senator! I supported you in every election.”

  “Look at you, begging like a dog. You’re ruining my life and I thought I could trust you. You no good back-stabbing nigger!”

  “You’re the one who back-stabbed me, white boy! I had your office bugged. I heard how you low-graded me in front of your bigot friends, calling me a nigger! You weren’t going to support me as President,

  you racist bigot! Kiss my black ass-”

  “Shut up, nigger!” Stewart shouted angrily.

  Halfway fell to the ground, yelling in pain, “Oh my leg!” The yelling distracted Stewart. Halfway quickly pulled his gun, shooting him in the chest. Stewart’s body slumped on the jeep’s seat.

  Halfway raised from the ground and looked at the Stewart’s body.

  Smiling, he said to himself, “I can’t believe the jerk fell for that trick. Oh no, I killed a senator. The whites will hang my black ass. I’ve got to think of something quickly.”

  Halfway pushed the jeep in the direction of a tree, then shot at the jeep’s gas tank and it exploded in a ball of flame as it hit the tree.”I’ll say a dinosaur chased him off the road,” laughing loudly.

  Halfway continued whistling and limping toward Johnson’s camp.

  He saw Dickerson’s jeep coming toward him. He waved and it stopped.

  “What happened to you, General?” Dickerson asked. “Did a dinosaur attack you?”

  “None of your damn business, Private.”

  Dickerson sniffed. “General, I smell a dead corpse. Someone must have died around here.”

  “You idiot, that’s me! A dinosaur vomited on me.” Halfway got in the jeep. “What’s your name, Private?”

  “Dickerson! Sir!”

  “Well, Dickerson, you’re my new driver. Keep straight ahead.”

  “Sir, there’s a jeep on fire.”

  “It’s the senator’s jeep. A dinosaur chased him off the road, making him run into a tree. We can’t help him. The flames engulfed him.”

  Minutes later, the jeep arrived for Mark and the cameraman. Dickerson helped Mark carry the cameraman to the backseat of the jeep and said, “You look too old to be a private. Did the general bust you?”

  Mark laughed. “No, young man. I’m a civilian. I’m wearing this uniform temporarily.” Then he said to Halfway, “General, the senator was looking for you, did you see him?”

  Halfway said mournfully, “Mark, I have terrible news for you. The senator’s jeep crashed into a tree like ours did. A dinosaur attacked the jeep. I shot at the dinosaur, but it was too late.”

  Mark was saddened by the senator’s death. “Did you killed it?”

  “No.”

  “What kind of dinosaur was it?”

  “Same kind that attacked us. It probably was the thing’s mate.”

  “Well, you’re lucky it didn’t get you.”

  Back at the projects, Standwall’s and Nails’ troops continued their search. Larry walked to Standwall and said, “Chap, there’s a Troodon

  trapped with a baby in a collapsed house.”

  “I’ll have my men completely demolish the house. That will kill them both.”

  “You, bloody old fool, the baby isn’t a dinosaur!” Larry shouted.

  “What do you mean-someone abandoned their baby? I can’t send none of my men in there. They’ll be killed.”

  “I’ll rescue it,” Nails said.

  “You can’t do that you’re the commander of the Navy Seals. Send one of your men,” Standwall said.

  “No, I’ll not sacrifice my men.”

  “What? I thought the Seals were used for sacrificing?”

  “Well, Colonel, you’re wrong. Larry, show me this house.”

  Larry led Nails to the house and Standwall and a few commanders followed. Nails entered the house, and rubble fell from the ceiling, spraying her uniform. She walked cautiously up the cracked steps with her pistol drawn. Hearing a baby crying in one of the rooms, she carefully headed toward the sound. The door was partly open. She touched it, pushing

  it slightly and saw the dinosaur staring at the baby with curiosity.

  The Troodon turned, looking at her, growling, then leaped at her.

&n
bsp; She shot it several times, killing it. She walked over its body and gently grabbed the baby, holding it tightly in her arms, and walked cautiously out as the rubble fell. As soon as she exited, the whole house tumbled.

  Standwall, Larry and the commanders were amazed and ran to her,

  congratulating her.

  Standwall grinned. “An outstanding job, Captain Nails.”

  She smiled. “What a beautiful baby! I better get it some milk.”

  Standwall ordered his commanders to comb the area again.

  A short while later, Larry approached Standwall and said, “Chap, your troops have combed the area well. It looks as if all the dinosaurs have been destroyed.”

  “I hope so. I called headquarters to inform Halfway about the situation, but he hasn’t arrived yet.”

  Minutes later Dickerson’s jeep arrived at Johnson’s post, stopping directly in front of Johnson’s jeep.

  Johnson fanned his hands. “What’s that smell?”

  “It’s General Halfway, sir. A dinosaur vomited on him,” answered Dickerson.

  Johnson smirked. Halfway said, “Don’t you start.”

  “I’ll have one of my troops bring you a set of fatigues,” chuckled Johnson.

  The medics came, removed the cameraman from the jeep and put him on a stretcher. “Johnson, have a medic look at Halfway’s ankle,”

  Mark ordered.

  “I’m okay! There’s no time for a medic to check my foot! I have a war to fight!” Halfway wiped his upper body with a cloth, changing

  into fatigues.

  “General, let the medic look at your foot,” said Mark.”

  “Halfway, I’ll not move my troops until the medic looks at that injury,”

  Johnson said.”

  “All right, I’ll let him!”

  The medic examined Halfway’s ankle, told him it was a minor sprain, wrapped an ace-bandage around it and gave him a few aspirin. Halfway

  was able to walk without limping. “Johnson, I told you before that I’m the boss. Now get your damn troops moving!”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Johnson rode with Mark and Halfway in Dickerson’s jeep, following the massive army as it moved toward the city of Los Angeles.

  An hour later, the Army reached the city. Some headed toward the suburbs and some toward the business districts.

  As Dickerson’s jeep followed the Army through the business district; Halfway received a call from Standwall on his portable phone, who said, “All the dinosaurs in the city projects and neighborhoods were terminated.

  I’m pulling my troops out, General.”

  “Move some to the business districts and to the suburbs to join up with the Marines and the Army. And, Colonel, you did an excellent

  job. You’ll be promoted to brigadier general.”

  Grinning, “Thank you, sir.”

  Halfway could almost hear the grin.

  Dickerson’s passengers viewed the demolished buildings, dead dinosaurs and humans, rubble on the streets and sidewalks as the jeep drove over the bumpy roads.

  Mark said, “What a mess your army made, General. This place looks like its been hit by an atom bomb.”

  “It does,” with a wide grin, Halfway said joyously. “Oh! I love the sweet sounds and smells of war!”

  In the city two rexes raised from a huge pile of rocks as a few tanks fired at them. One of the rexes turned a tank over, stomping it. Four tanks surrounded it, firing, killing it slowly. The other ran to avoid the firing.

  A commander informed Johnson by phone of the escaped rex. “General, one of our tanks has been destroyed by a rex, and our tanks killed one. We can’t pursue the other because of the debris on the road.”

  “I’ll call Colonel Standwall. His fleet of helicopters shouldn’t be far from your location.”

  Dialing to inform Standwall, Johnson said to Halfway, “There’s an escaped rex out there. I’m going to inform Standwall to have some his of fighter helicopters disperse and head to the business district where the rex is.”

  Halfway nodded.

  Moments later five fighter helicopters hovered around the rex and released machine gun fire and missiles. The creature cried out, leaped and grabbed a helicopter with its mouth. Its powerful jaw crushed

  down on the chopper, making it explode, and the creature was killed by the explosion. The rest of helicopters retreated.

  Later, Standwall informed Johnson that the rex has been destroyed.

  Johnson gave the news to Halfway.

  Hutton phoned Halfway, “General, the bombing created many brushfires but they were put out by the heavy rainfall. My troops haven’t found any wounded dinosaurs as of yet, but they did find dead dinosaurs, killed by the brushfires and the heavy bombing. Our search should be over in a few hours.”

  “Your troops are doing an excellent job, General.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Dickerson picked his nose while driving. “Private, keep that hand out of your nose and keep two hands on that steering wheel and look out for the damn potholes!” Halfway yelled. “I don’t want another accident!”

  “Sir, the bombing created too many potholes, it’s impossible to watch them,” said Dickerson.

  “Nothing’s impossible, Private!”

  “By the look of things, this war should be over soon, Halfway,” Mark said. “You’ll meet your deadline.”

  “I hope so, Mark, I don’t want any more of my troops dying from this war. We have already lost three thousand troops. We haven’t lost that many since the Vietnam War.”

  “Sir, you fought in Vietnam?” asked Dickerson.

  “No, I’m not that old, you idiot!” Yelled Halfway.

  Johnson laughed and said, “Dickerson, his father fought in that war.

  If the military would have bombed Vietnam like we did L.A., we would

  have won it.”

  “Plus we didn’t have the public backing, the technology and war equipment like we have today,” Halfway said.

  A few hours later, Dickerson’s jeep stopped. Halfway and his crew got out and stretched their legs and chow on food rations.

  Johnson’s communicator rang, He listened then shouted excitedly, “I’ve just been informed my one of my commanders that all dinosaurs have

  been terminated! The war is over!”

  Everybody cheered except for Mark. Halfway grinned and patted him on his back. “You hear that, Mark? We won the war!”

  “If this is winning, General, I wonder what losing would have been like?” Mark said unhappily.

  “Well, we’ll never know, will we?” Grinning, Halfway put a cigar in his mouth and gave one to Mark. “You know, Mark, this was a terrific

  war. I’ve enjoyed it.”

  Mark tore up the cigar, shouting, “Thousands of people and dinosaurs died, this city is completely demolished, and you called it a terrific war! You have no conscience, General! One of my students was right: man has created a Frankenstein monster and that monster is you!”

  Johnson and Dickerson were astounded by Mark’s reaction.

  Halfway became angry. “Then you’re Doctor Frankenstein! You created these damn dinosaurs which my military had to destroy! This is your

  damn fault that people were killed and this city destroyed!”

  Mark looked at him angrily, turned and walked away as Halfway screamed at his back, “I’m not finished! You come back here! You damn, hypocrite! You hypocritical jackass!”

  Mark turned and stuck one of his fingers up. “F you, General!”

  Halfway stared indignantly at Mark giving him the finger sign as Johnson and Dickerson laughed.

  “What are you two, laughing about?” Halfway angrily asked.

  “Nothing, sir,” they answered, smirking.

  Chapter 12

  The President entered the pressroom. TV cameras were focused on him. “The President of United States!” a voice shouted.

  The press rose from their chairs as the President walked on a platform a
nd said, “My Fellow Americans, the war has ended. We have defeated

  the dinosaurs.”

  The press applauded and cheered. A reporter yelled, “Can you tell us how many people died?”

  The President frowned. “I’ll get to that! Today, Senate Majority Leader Senator Ned Stewart died in an automobile accident. His jeep crashed

  into a tree while escaping a dinosaur. He was a dedicated senator who did his job well. A good man and full of integrity. He’ll be missed in the senate.”

  Tears came from the President’s eyes.

  Q: Mr. President, can you tell us, how many people died and were injured in the war?

  A: I can’t gave you the exact figure, but I estimate over twenty thousand dead and thirty thousand injured.

  Q: Was the majority killed by military bombing?

  A: No.

  Q: What will be the cost of this war and to rebuild Los Angeles?

  A: Over trillions of dollars.

  Q: Will the cost of the war bankrupt this country?

  A: No.

  Q: Mr. President, do you know that the city of Los Angeles looks like an atomic bomb was dropped on it?

  A: I know the city is completely demolished. It will be rebuilt.

  Q: But how long will it take?

  A: I can’t tell you because I’m not a builder.

  Q: What companies will rebuild it?

  A: You’ll know in a few weeks.

  Q: Mr. President, will there be an investigation of the senator’s

  death?

  A: The military police have investigated it and ruled it as an accident.

  Q: What was the senator doing in a dangerous area where dinosaurs

  were located?”

  A: He was on his way to congratulate Halfway on the excellent job

  he was doing.

  Q: Will there be an autopsy on the senator’s body?

  A: There is no body. It was completely destroyed in the accident.