Behemoth 2

by Michael Cole

“Make communication with that aircraft. Have the SEAL team on standby.”

  ********

  The enormous shark continued its pursuit of the chopper. The Huey flew in reverse, keeping an altitude low enough to maintain the beast’s interest, but out of range in case it breached. The Behemoth was mostly submerged, except for the tip of its dorsal fin. Its girth appeared like a red cloud beneath the huge swells it pushed aside, as if hell itself was traveling within the shallows.

  Finally, to gain a new visual on its target, the monster lifted its head above the water. Its dull black eyes gazed unblinkingly at the chopper.

  “Fire another,” Salkil ordered the pilots. With a press of the trigger, a rocket fired from the starboard pod. It exploded on the creature’s nose, doing nothing other than to fuel its desire for pursuit. “Good, keep pissing it off.”

  A voice came through the radio frequency, “This is Captain Danaher of the USS Carnahan. Please acknowledge this transmission.”

  “Captain Danaher, this is Colonel Richard Salkil of the U.S. Army.” The Colonel looked to the northwest, seeing the cruiser approaching in the distance. “I have a visual on your ship.”

  “Colonel, what is the status of the situation?”

  “Are you carrying Seahawks aboard your vessel?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Dispatch them at once,” Salkil said. “Have them approach our position.”

  “Colonel, what exactly is the situation? Where is the Pyramid?” Salkil bit his lip. He knew he was going to sound like a lunatic, but it was essential for the Navy to know what they were up against.

  “Captain, the Pyramid has been destroyed with all hands,” he said. “There is a new threat lurking near the island, and it is imperative that it is eliminated. The target is a colossal organism. A giant shark.” Radio silence followed. He could envision everyone on the bridge to be staring at each other in confusion. Laughter was possibly even breaking out. Who the hell knows. But one thing was for sure, they certainly thought he was crazy.

  “Colonel, please repeat last.” What the Captain omitted was, “Did I hear you right?”

  The impact of another missile turned into a burst of heat against the creature’s snout. It remained uninjured, but increasingly frustrated. It reached up with its head, but the small mechanical enemy was still out of reach. The shark splashed its head down and submerged again.

  As it pressed forward, new vibrations were picked up on its lateral line. They came from different directions. Some of the vibrations came from the northwest, indicating that something larger than it was on approach.

  Simultaneously, there were new vibrations coming from the east. These sources were much closer and spontaneous, much more like that of prey. Unable to catch the airborne challenger, the Behemoth decided the pursuit was no longer worth the effort. With a swing of its massive caudal fin, it launched itself forward, zipping underneath the chopper.

  “Sir, it’s increasing speed!” the co-pilot announced. Salkil looked down, seeing the rolling water as the shark passed under them. It had picked up speed, but not in a manner of retreat.

  “Keep after it,” he said. The pilots had already turned the chopper around to pursue. By the time they rotated, the creature was already several hundred meters ahead of them. He pressed his headphones back to his ear. “Captain, do you still have a sonar reading on that mass?”

  “Affirmative. It’s moving toward the shore, along the west peak of the island.”

  “Make sure your choppers are armed with Hellfire missiles,” Salkil said. “Alert the rest of the fleet to do the same. Deploy all units.”

  ********

  Captain Danaher’s jaw was slack, visually representing his bewilderment. The Colonel sounded insane. A giant shark? And even if it existed, Hellfire missiles? A few good bursts from an M60 should do the trick. But Salkil was a well-respected commanding officer, and he wasn’t going to openly challenge his advice.

  Danaher opened up communications to the approaching Naval Destroyer, Donavan. “We are dispatching Seahawk units to identify a new target. I request additional aerial units for support.”

  “What is the target?” the Captain of the USS Donavan asked.

  “According to the Colonel, the target is a colossal organism. A shark,” Danaher knew how he sounded, and scrunched his eyes shut with slight embarrassment. “His words, not mine.”

  ********

  After collecting the surviving gear from the helicopter and the ravaged Zodiac boats, Phillip brought the group into the harbor. Once there, they boarded his truck. Luckily, the airport was a short drive away from the harbor, and speeding double over the limit did much to reduce drive time. Screeching tires brought the truck to a halt as they burst through the front gate. As the truck skidded, everyone was already boarding out the doors.

  “Thanks, Phillip!” Forster waved at him.

  “Don’t mention it,” he said, and waved back. They hurried toward Lisa’s yellow and black R44 helicopter. Lisa and Rick took the front seats, while Forster and Nelson sat in the back. On their laps were large bags resembling duffle bags. Luckily, the mercenaries were able to salvage most of the explosives. Just as importantly, they located a triggering device in the console of one of the Zodiacs. On the way to port, they gave a crash course on how to detonate the explosives.

  Nelson was growing increasingly nervous. “Can we be sure this’ll work?”

  “It’ll work,” Forster said. Her assurance unfortunately did little to help.

  “Let’s think about this. First, we’re gonna draw the little one up, and sedate it in the mouth with a needle. Then second, when it’s conked out, we’re actually gonna try and rig these explosives on the little hybrid…” thinking of a twenty-four-foot creature as “little” was overwhelming in itself… “and then we’re gonna try and use it to lure the big one?”

  “They don’t seem to have any qualms about eating each other,” Forster said. “We need to give it the enticement of blood. We’ll attach a tracking device on the harness. The sedation will wear off quickly, and when it does, we’ll release the bastard out into the water. Best case scenario, his mom will gobble him up and we’ll blow them both up. Worst case scenario, the big one doesn’t eat it, but we still can blow up the little one.”

  Rick looked back at the open duffle bag Forster held. In addition to the C-4, the mercenaries were kind enough to give them some spare grenades. With a little luck, they could use them to kill the little one while keeping its body mostly intact.

  Lisa started up the chopper. The cockpit shook as the rotors gathered their momentum. After reaching the required rotation, Lisa yanked up on the stick, causing the chopper to lift rapidly. Nelson grabbed his seat, swallowing hard. Even Rick tensed from the rapid ascension. Lisa sped the chopper to the north toward the resort.

  ********

  The rollercoaster zipped down the hundred-foot slope and sprayed water as it grazed the ocean. It continued up, twisting into a loop-de-loop. As it went, another car started loading passengers, ready to start cranking up the incline. Further up the peninsula, the gaming docks were packed with visitors. With the increase in visitors, many of whom had arrived to see the new attraction, the park was packed for the first time in months.

  “Hell no, I’m not shutting the place down!” The volume in William Felt’s voice could be heard down the hall as he argued with Dr. Tucker. The biologist was still in shock after witnessing the creatures devouring the skier. The two aides had resigned on the spot, disgusted with Felt’s seemingly deliberate lack of understanding.

  Word had spread like wildfire when the foreign warship had passed by. People could see the Air Force jets passing overhead, providing reconnaissance of the situation. Then the news reports hit the airwaves, informing the public of a stolen decommissioned Navy corvette stolen by a group claiming responsibility for the oil rig bombing.

  William Felt could not be bothered with any of the concerns. As long as people brought their wallets to t
he resort, he wasn’t going to do anything to reduce their interest.

  “Sir, there’s something going on! Didn’t you see the ship? It might be in everyone’s best interest if we got everyone off the water,” Tucker argued.

  “I didn’t bring you along over here to advise me how to run my resort,” Felt said. “You’re here to study the hybrid.” Dr. Tucker shook his head. He didn’t care about the hybrid anymore, especially after narrowly escaping the other one.

  “You know what, Felt?” he said. “I’m catching a flight back and informing the board to keep their funding.” He turned around and left.

  Oh shit. Felt stood up from his desk and followed him out the door. Despite the booming business, he still couldn’t afford any drop in funding.

  “Oh, give me a break! You can’t be serious…” Felt stopped in his tracks as soon as he entered the hallway. Everyone had hurried out, rushing outside. Chatter could be heard, both in and out of the building. He peeked out the nearest window, looking at crowds of people along the docks and shoreline. Everyone was looking out into the bay. He looked further out into the horizon. At the far end of the peninsula, there was some sort of disturbance in the water. His first worry was a possible tsunami, but the swells weren’t quite large enough for that.

  He hurried downstairs, eventually running all the way to the front of the aquarium. There, he joined a crowd of his customers as they witnessed the rolling water in the distance rise into a huge mountain of ocean. At the top of this mountain, a ten-foot dorsal fin emerged.

  Terror struck the docks. People turned and ran over the narrow pathways, knocking each other over to get to shore. Employees abandoned their assigned posts and joined the exodus.

  Drawn by the numerous vibrations on the gaming docks, the Behemoth propelled into the shallows. Its huge bulk cut through the surface, plowing it through the furthest section of dock. Huge fragments of wood and metal sprayed the air, joined by the bodies of those unlucky enough to be standing on it. The beast thrashed its body in the shallow area, biting into the water. With each mindless chomp, the shark scooped up mouthfuls of debris and visitors.

  Madness and panic struck the shoreline. Many people turned and ran inland, screaming for dear life, while many others desperately searched for separated loved ones. There was no sense of direction. Security rushed into action, but upon seeing the enormous shark, they joined the chaos.

  Felt couldn’t help but stare in a combination of disbelief and horror. The shark, a gigantic version of what he had in the exhibit, was destroying his resort. It smashed the rest of the docks, then rammed the empty pen nearby. Large fragments of steel and glass swished in the bay as the shark passed through.

  In the madness, the rollercoaster technicians abandoned their posts, not bothering to hit the emergency brake. The car had just reached the top of the incline as the shark made its attack. It fell down the slope, and the screams that followed were not thrills. The car splashed into the water in the usual routine, drawing the attention of the Behemoth.

  It sprayed ocean as it shot toward the slope. Its belly scratched the floor, and it used its legs to push itself up. Reaching with its head thirty feet high, its jaws clamped down on the arm of the rollercoaster. The whole structure shook from the tension. The shark yanked back, breaking off the entire initial slope of the rollercoaster. Thousands of pounds of metal came crashing down, creating a domino effect for the rest of the rollercoaster as the weight distribution became uneven. The car, having made two-thirds of its run, fell off the rails with every soul aboard.

  The shark spat out the inedible portion of metal and began to climb inward. Its tail extended into the bay, thrashing back and forth in a natural motion. People lucky enough to survive its initial attack were swiped from the water by the enormous caudal fin. Thick metal splashed on shore and the bay as sections of the rollercoaster came apart.

  The Behemoth planted its two front legs onto the shore, looking inland toward the abundance of prey that ran about.

  “Follow my lead,” Colonel Salkil spoke into the radio, communicating with the four Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawks that followed him into the bay. He felt his face flush when they entered the area. The shark had moved completely inland. Only its tail was in the water.

  Commander Rivado, who piloted the lead Sikorsky SH-60, found himself dumbfounded. He was looking at an honest-to-God giant shark…with lobster legs.

  “We have a visual on the biologic,” he said, communicating with Captain Danaher. “Target is moving inland. We are seeing multiple casualties and are moving in to engage.”

  “All units, prepare to fire Hellfire missiles on target,” Colonel Salkil said.

  “Negative, Colonel,” Commander Rivado said. “There are too many civilians in the blast zone. We must draw it out into the water with the M60.”

  “If you do that, all you’re going to have is a giant pissed off shark with an impenetrable shell,” Salkil said. “We can’t allow this creature to escape.”

  Commander Rivado ignored the Colonel. His orders were from the Navy, and he was not going to fire explosives where civilians were present. “Unit Two, descend to fifty meters with me. Units three and four, hang back two hundred meters and be ready to hit this thing with missiles. We’re gonna draw it out.”

  The two Seahawks hung back while the two leads descended. Hovering just over a hundred feet above the massive shark, they turned to allow the starboard machine guns to protrude outward. Both gunners opened fire, sending a barrage of bullets onto the shark’s back.

  The creature continued climbing inland, not even feeling the gunfire.

  Raven Two circled inland. Salkil watched the operation and was now growing angry at the Navy ignoring his instructions. The shark took another step on land. He had no idea how long it would last without an oxygen supply, but if his military training and experience had taught him anything, it was to prepare for the worst.

  He tapped the pilot on the shoulder. “We have what, five missiles left?” The pilot nodded. He didn’t bother waiting for instruction. He turned the Huey toward the beast. They passed several meters above the Seahawks, being sure to keep them out of the line of fire. The co-pilot pressed the trigger, raining three of the five rockets onto the back of the shark’s head.

  The wave of heat and pressure caught the Behemoth’s attention. It swung its body around, seeing the helicopters hovering over the water.

  Commander Rivado was about to shout into the radio at the Colonel’s interference. But the smoke cleared, and his anger turned to astonishment when he saw that the creature was unharmed.

  “Holy…” he said. He studied the surrounding area. “Does anyone have a visual on any civilians near the target?”

  “Nobody that’s alive,” answered Unit Three’s pilot. Rivado took a breath.

  “Alright, Unit Two, on my command, launch Hellfire missiles.” Rivado flicked a switch, arming the missiles.

  “Standing by, Sir,” Unit Two said.

  “Fire,” Rivado said. Two missiles launched from both Seahawks. The entire side of the shark erupted into a huge explosion. Both pilots backed their choppers away from the ball of fire. What was left of the rollercoaster was now in flames, as was much of the artificial shoreline.

  A huge red mass broke through the huge wall of smoke. The Behemoth lurched toward the choppers, frustrated from their assault. Its shell was completely intact, with some minor scarring and burns. Nothing that wouldn’t be fixed over time.

  “It’s still alive!” a pilot yelled over the radio.

  “Colonel Salkil, what the hell is this thing?!” Rivado said.

  “Keep hitting it,” Salkil responded. The beast crawled back into the water, the resulting surge sweeping the shore. The choppers proceeded out of the bay, followed by the shark.

  Two more Hellfire missiles struck the Behemoth near the dorsal fin. Another huge explosion followed, as did the same result. The beast kept coming.

  ********

  Dead silence struck
the cockpit of the R44 Helicopter as they approached the resort. Forster and Nelson leaned in between Rick and Lisa to get a better view of the horrific devastation. The park was demolished. Smoke billowed from the shore and water. The wrecked remains of the dock and rollercoaster filled the shoreline, and bodies lay adrift. Further out into the bay, they could see the shark in pursuit of several military helicopters. Flashes of orange lit up in the water as they continued hitting it with missiles.

  Forster closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. It took that long to calm her nerves. The resort where she had worked had become a warzone.

  Lisa began the descent. “Okay, help me keep an eye on the pavement below. Don’t want to set down on anybody.” The chopper slowly came down in front of the exhibit. Water gushed from the edges of the shark pen. Forster watched the turmoil taking place inside. The hybrid’s sensory system was overwhelmed by the overabundance of vibrations and smells from the giant and the military bombardment.

  The chopper touched down, and they all stepped out. Rick and Forster both took a few steps toward the pen, only to stop short. The hybrid had smashed into one of the walls, then doubled back to attack the other side. “Oh, shit,” Forster said. “This’ll be harder than I thought.”

  Nelson saw a police car pull up. He ran over to the officer, who appeared shocked to see him arrive in a helicopter.

  “Chief! Where have you been?”

  “That’s a story in itself,” Nelson said. “What’s the status of the situation? Is the Navy sending additional forces?” The officer shrugged.

  “All we know is they were responding to reports of a hijacked ship,” he said. “Then this…shark…it just came up and started attacking.”

  “Just proceed with evacuating everybody,” Nelson said. “Oh...and do you have a spare radio?” The officer tossed him one. “Thanks.”

  Nelson rejoined the others several feet away from the pen. The bay shook as several more missiles struck the giant. The baby hybrid struck the wall again. Metal groaned as it dented outward.