by C. G. Mosley
Hardcastle smiled. “I thought you’d never ask,” he said. “When the animal came ashore, it immediately attacked the French Quarter Market just past the park over there,” he explained, pointing in the direction of Woldenberg Park. The park, as well as the market, bordered the Mississippi River and it was Jonathon’s understanding that the crocodile had entered the river from the Gulf of Mexico, swam a short distance into the city, and climbed out to search for food.
“It killed a few folks in the market before moving into the park where it finally settled down,” Hardcastle continued. “It remained there until the National Guard arrived”
“And they didn’t kill it when they had the chance?” Jonathon asked, still astonished.
Hardcastle nodded and stared back in the direction of Mr. Cold and the soldiers he was arguing with. “Oh, they tried,” he replied. “But Cold told them to take it alive instead.”
Jonathon shook his head in disbelief. “I’m not believing what I’m hearing. How utterly stupid can he be? Is anyone going to learn from the mistakes of Angus Wedgeworth and Eric Gill? These animals can’t be controlled and we can’t coexist with them. They must be left alone.” He paused and seemed to ponder the situation a moment. “Is the animal still in the park?”
Hardcastle smiled and seemed to be amused by the question. “I’m getting to that,” he said. “You see, Cold brought me along to put a couple of darts in the croc and knock it out like we did on the island. He had me take cover behind a park bench along the Riverwalk so that I could take a shot when the Guard drove the croc toward me.”
“Something tells me this plan didn’t work,” Jonathon said.
Hardcastle shook his head. “Of course it didn’t,” he grumbled. “They tried to drive the thing at me by shooting the ground in front of it. All that did was scare the hell of it and drive it back into the river. It was a stupid plan.”
Jonathon looked toward the river. Now that the sun was set, it was hard to see the water, much less anything that happened to be in the water. “So it’s still in there?”
“We think so,” Hardcastle replied, peering toward the water himself. “It’s probably on its way back into the gulf by now.”
“Good, you made it,” Mr. Cold said suddenly.
Hardcastle and Jonathon had not even noticed that he was approaching.
“Yeah, I made it,” Jonathon replied, holding out his hand.
As Mr. Cold shook it, he said, “I trust that Glenn has gotten you up to speed with everything that is going on?”
“Yeah, you could say that,” Jonathon replied with a bit of a scowl. “He tells me that you’re interested in catching the animal and keeping it alive?”
Mr. Cold nodded. “Yes, that’s right,” he answered, and there was obvious confusion on his face. “I thought you’d agree with that sentiment,” he added. “But your tone is telling me otherwise.”
“Look, I’m all for the preservation of these animals,” Jonathon explained. “But only on the island. When these animals get on our soil—or any civilized soil—then the safety of human beings should take precedence.”
Mr. Cold bit his lip and lowered his head. He placed his hands in his jacket pockets and strolled a few steps away from Jonathon, gazing out toward the river. “You’re right,” he said. “Lives were lost today and don’t for one second think that I take that sort of thing lightly.” He suddenly spun back in the direction of Jonathon and Glenn. “For the record, not one life has been lost since we arrived on the scene. If we get into a situation where I feel the animal is endangering lives again, trust me, it will be destroyed.”
Jonathon took a step toward him. “Any efforts you make to try and catch this animal will be endangering lives,” he replied, poking a finger into Mr. Cold’s chest.
Mr. Cold looked down at his chest and smoothed out the fabric on his shirt where Jonathon had just poked him. “The opportunities that these animals present to this country are tremendous,” he said. “There is no telling what we can learn from them. If we could figure out how they’ve managed to survive extinction, it may unlock secrets that will ensure the ultimate survival of our own race.”
Jonathon looked away as he thought of the fountain of youth. It seemed that Mr. Cold was still unaware of its existence and the role that it played in keeping the dinosaurs alive. “Look, I see your point,” he said finally. “And trust me, I get some of the reasons why the United States is interested in studying the animals. Keep in mind that I showed you where that island is so that you can do all the things you’re preaching to me about. Why do you have to have this particular animal?”
“They want to weaponize it,” Hardcastle said, unexpectedly.
Jonathon snapped his head around to look at him. “Did someone tell you that?” he asked.
Hardcastle shook his head and looked past him to Mr. Cold. “No one told me that,” he replied. “It’s just a hunch. It’s the only feasible reason I can come up with. That animal should be killed, period.”
Jonathon glanced over at Mr. Cold. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that’s not what’s going on here.”
Mr. Cold took a deep breath through his nose and looked Jonathon straight in the eyes. “The truth is, I’m not at liberty to say exactly why we want this animal alive. You both were brought here for very specific reasons,” he snapped. “Glenn, you’re here to tranquilize the animal as you’ve clearly got experience with that. And Jonathon, you’re here due to your expertise and experience dealing with these animals as well.”
“What neither of you are here for is some sort of authoritative role. That’s why I am here,” he growled, pointing at his own chest. “Now both of you please do what is asked of you, and nothing more. If I want to be lectured on how dangerous the animal is and what all can go wrong, trust me, I will come straight to the two of you.”
Jonathon smiled and shook his head in clear annoyance. “My God, you people never learn,” he whispered. “So since you’re calling all the shots, what is the next step?”
Mr. Cold paced in front of them for a moment. “Well, truthfully, we’ve lost the animal for the time being,” he said, almost sheepishly. “We’ve got eyes all over the river and searching for any sign of it. When we find it, the plan remains the same. We will hit it with a tranquilizer and once it’s captured, we will ultimately return it to the island where it belongs.”
“And if you don’t find it?” Jonathon asked with a raised eyebrow.
Mr. Cold clenched his teeth and slightly cocked his head to the side. “Then I suppose you can continue to lecture me on why I should’ve had it killed immediately.”
Jonathon was about to argue the point further when something caught his eye in the river. It got Hardcastle’s attention at almost the same moment.
“Cold, I thought you told me no one was to be permitted in the river?” Hardcastle asked.
“That’s right,” he replied, and then he caught sight of what they were looking at.
“Then why the hell is there a ferry crossing it?” Jonathon asked.
Chapter 2
“Do you think they are in real danger?” Mr. Cold asked as he squinted his eyes trying to get a clear view of the ferry.
Jonathon shrugged. “I suppose it depends on where the Sarcosuchus is,” he replied. “If it is in the vicinity, then I’d say absolutely there is a real danger.”
“I know that like the crocodiles of today, they are definitely attracted to splashing and unusual movements in the water,” Hardcastle chimed in. “When we were trying to catch one of these things, they always came when something got in the water making a racket.”
Jonathon looked behind him to where the soldiers were standing. “I think it would be best to get these guys ready just in case,” he said. “There is probably no sense in trying to call the ferry back since it’s already halfway across.”
Mr. Cold shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels as he watched the ferry intensely. He was growing increasingly frustrated an
d seemed conflicted on what his next move would be. It wasn’t helping when he came to the realization that Jonathon and Glenn Hardcastle seemed to have different ideas on how to handle the Sarcosuchus.
“What is that?” Hardcastle said, taking a few steps closer to the river.
“What do you see?” Jonathon asked, suddenly alert and very concerned. He squinted and quickly saw what had gotten Hardcastle’s attention.
Directly behind the ferry, the waters began to swirl and bubble furiously. Clearly, something was chasing after it just below the surface.
***
Claire Hutton and her daughter Samantha had taken a streetcar to the ferry terminal in hopes of finding their car and making a quick escape before things got any worse. Much to her dismay, Claire quickly discovered that the lot where she’d left the car was now surrounded by the National Guard and it appeared that Canal Street had been closed off too. She and other citizens that were unable to get to their vehicles were advised to remain in the parking lot near the ferry terminal until it was safe to leave. Claire looked back in the direction of the French Quarter Market and wondered where the enormous crocodile was now. The nightmarish images of the unfortunate patrons being eaten alive were etched in her mind and made it impossible for her to feel completely safe until she and Samantha were back at home.
“How is your ankle?” she asked Sam.
Samantha winced and did her best to put on a brave face. “I’m okay, Mom,” she said. “I’m just ready to go home.”
Claire held her daughter close and decided that the best thing for them to do was to hunker down and wait on the National Guard to handle the situation. Sam’s ankle was swelling, but Claire was pretty sure it was not broken. She wondered if Gavin was aware of what was going on and knew that if he did, he would be extremely worried about them. Claire noticed a payphone at the edge of the parking lot but unfortunately there was a line of people waiting to use it. Just as her pulse was beginning to slow down back to a normal rate, gunfire began to ring out from the direction of Woldenberg Park.
“What is going on?” Samantha asked, her voice cracking with fear.
“I’m not sure,” Claire replied, unable to hide the worry in her tone. “Maybe they’re killing it.”
Suddenly, several people came running from the direction of Woldenberg Park. They were screaming and as they ran near Claire, she pleaded for them to tell her what was going on.
“The soldiers are shooting at that thing!” a woman with tears in her eyes screamed. “But they weren’t even trying to kill it—it’s like they were forcing it to come in our direction!”
“What? Why would they do that?” Claire asked, confused. The woman never responded; she was pulled away by who Claire thought may have been her husband.
Claire looked around to see what the soldiers nearby were doing and suddenly realized they were headed toward the gunfire.
“Something is wrong,” Claire told Samantha. “Get on your feet, we can’t stay here.”
As she pulled Samantha off the ground, she then noticed that a crowd of people were making their way onto the ferry. She figured that must have meant the killer crocodile was indeed heading straight for them and their only real escape was to cross the river.
“We’ve got to get to the ferry, Sam,” she said as she threw her daughter’s arm over her neck. “Come on, I’ll help you…we’ve got to hurry.”
With Claire’s help, she and Samantha made it to the ferry just as the captain was ready to leave. The lower deck was usually filled with cars, but now there were only people. Everyone was seated near the center and most of them were visibly scared.
“Mom, what was going on?” Sam asked once they’d found a spot to sit.
“Someone said the soldiers were shooting at the crocodile and it was headed for where we were,” Claire explained. “I guess the captain of the ferry decided he had to get everyone away from the danger.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Sam said, sounding relieved and pleased that they’d just escaped another close call. Then she looked up at her mom and tears began to form in her eyes.
“What’s wrong, Sam?” Claire asked, clearly worried.
“This is my fault,” Sam said, trying to choke back tears. “If I hadn’t wanted to come here, we’d be at home safe right now.”
Claire kissed her daughter’s forehead and held her tightly. “This is in no way your fault,” she said reassuringly. “I wanted to come just as much as you did. Everything is going to be fine so just relax…okay?”
Samantha nodded but said nothing; she just stared out into the black water of the Mississippi. Claire wanted to console her further, but decided it was best to just be quiet. They’d be on the other side of the river in a matter of minutes. Once over there, she’d find a phone and call Gavin. He’d come get them away from here and his job afforded him people in high places that could assist him if need be. Suddenly, once again, there was more screaming.
Claire stood up abruptly to see what was the matter. To her horror, she saw the water behind the ferry swirling violently. The people around her suddenly began to panic and frantically scramble toward the stairs that led to the upper deck.
“Okay, come on,” Claire said, pulling Samantha to her feet yet again.
Samantha moaned and was clearly in pain, but she was too scared to complain. Unfortunately, her injury slowed them down enough that they found themselves at the end of the line of people trying to get up the stairs. Claire looked over her shoulder and what she saw terrified her. The giant crocodile’s massive head was out of the water and it was touching the rear gate of the ferry with its snout.
“Oh my God,” she said. “I’m scared it’s going to try and climb on board.”
***
“We’ve got to do something,” Jonathon muttered, his voice a mixture of panic and determination. He could now clearly see the Sarcosuchus’s head rising out of the water behind the ferry. It was going to board…there was no doubt about it.
“Darn right we do,” Hardcastle said, throwing his large rifle over his shoulder.
Mr. Cold threw up his hands up as if he were trying to persuade the men to remain calm. “I’ll get a team of soldiers headed over there,” he said. “It hasn’t boarded yet. Glenn, there is a tiny fishing boat docked near the edge of the park,” he added, pointing. “You and Jonathon take that boat and get into position where you can safely fire the tranquilizer.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Jonathon groaned. “You still think you can take that animal alive?”
Mr. Cold glared at him. He seemed to be agitated. “Mr. Williams, I’m not going to debate this with you any further. If you want to help those people, then do as I say. Take Glenn out there and get him into position to stop that animal.”
He turned away without another word and began to jog back toward the soldiers waiting near the rear of the aquarium. Jonathon then looked over at Hardcastle, unable to hide his disgust.
“He’s nuts,” he said. “Why don’t these people ever learn?”
Hardcastle shrugged and began sprinting toward the boat. Jonathon followed and once they arrived, he was a little disheartened with what he saw.
“This is suicide,” he said, staring wide-eyed at the tiny boat. “If you miss and that thing comes after us, it’s over.”
Hardcastle climbed in the small aluminum boat and began yanking on the outboard motor. “Just get me close,” he said between pulls. “I won’t miss.”
“Alright,” Jonathon said, climbing aboard. “But for my own peace of mind, do we have any lethal weapons at our disposal?”
As the boat roared to life, Hardcastle looked down at his tranquilizer rifle and then back to Jonathon. “Well, we have that,” he said, pointing at the large hunting knife on Jonathon’s belt.
Jonathon looked down at the knife and then back to Hardcastle. Jonathon was unable to see his eyes thanks to the shadow the brim of his hat was creating. But there was no mistaking the smirk Hardcastle was gi
ving him.
“Let’s go,” he said, crouching down at the bow.
Jonathon maneuvered the little boat toward the center of the river and released the throttle once they were approximately fifty yards away.
“It’s so dark,” he said. “I don’t know how you plan to hit that thing in the right spot.”
Hardcastle was aiming the rifle at the Sarcosuchus through the high-powered scope. “Well, it’s a lot easier when it’s quiet and I can concentrate,” he quipped.
Jonathon bit his tongue and looked back toward the aquarium to see if the soldiers were moving yet. To his utter surprise, they had remained in the same spot. He squinted hard and scanned the area for Mr. Cold. He finally found him and could clearly see that he and whoever was in command over the soldiers were having another heated disagreement.
“I don’t believe this,” he said with exasperation.
“What?” Hardcastle asked, still concentrating on the dinosaur.
“They’re on the shore arguing,” he replied, still staring with disbelief.
Hardcastle lowered the rifle and peered over to see for himself. He sighed. “Looks like one too many chiefs,” he grumbled. “I’m assuming the National Guard probably shares your point of view. Everyone seems to want this animal dead except Cold.”
“I don’t get it,” Jonathon said. “Why is he so hell-bent on keeping it alive?”
“I told you,” Hardcastle replied. “They want to weaponize these things.”
Jonathon was about to reply when he suddenly heard screaming from the ferry. He and Hardcastle looked over just in time to see the Sarcosuchus pull the front half of its body onto the lower deck of the ferry. The entire rear of the vessel sank lower into the water due to the added weight.
“We’ve got no time to wait on them,” Jonathon said. “Can you take the shot?”
Hardcastle again raised the rifle and used the scope to zoom in on the enormous animal as it pulled itself further onto the ferry. The animal began thrashing wildly as it appeared to be struggling to get the rest of its body on board. Hardcastle hoped that it wouldn’t, and not just because of the unfortunate souls that would probably become a quick meal. He also feared that if the animal got any more of its body on board, it would probably be enough to cause the vessel to sink. As he scanned the lower deck with the scope, he soon noticed a woman and a teenage girl that were getting much too close to the prehistoric crocodile’s snapping jaws. It appeared that the young girl was injured, and as the weight of the Sarcosuchus shifted the rear of the vessel lower, the girl seemed to have lost her footing and slid toward the animal’s snout. He pulled the gun down.
