Pacific Rising by John W. Dennehy

Author:John W. Dennehy [Dennehy, John W.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2017-06-22T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

Penton stared at the screen in disbelief for the second time in one day. Bursting flames from Baker’s plane still fresh in his mind, he watched as Captain Able’s fighter crashed to the earth and exploded.

The attack hadn’t been a success. It was an utter failure, and the creature pressed ahead and decimated the remaining tanks. He’d watched the Kaiju scoop up tank crew members as they fled the scene, gnawing on flesh and bones with massive teeth. Penton could imagine the ear-splitting wails of pain from the soldiers.

Now, the damn thing was destroying a building. Kate’s parachute dangled from the rooftop. Penton clenched his fists, anger spurned by helplessness. He wanted desperately to get out there and do something.

“Let me fly out there in an Osprey,” Penton said to the colonel.

Colonel Tomkins raised an eyebrow, then glanced around the room as though requesting feedback.

“The storm is winding past its peak,” said Lieutenant Colonel Brady.

Tomkins nodded in agreement. “You can get out there with a rescue team. But just remember, the admiral is fixing to launch a nuclear missile at the damn thing.”

“Understood, sir.” Penton snapped to attention, then clicked his heels together. He marched out of the conference room and headed up the steps. A fighting Marine, he’d already spent more than enough time in the committee room.

Penton grabbed his poncho, draped in a corner of the small entrance area, and then he headed toward the door. He bid adieu to the duty Marine and pushed the hatch open. Wind and rain whipped into the building.

Outside, he jogged over to the truck he’d commandeered earlier in the day and slid behind the wheel. The keys were in the ignition. Penton fired up the truck and headed back toward the MALS-36 hangar.

He reached into a pocket for his cellphone. And took a deep breath before hitting the call button. “Top,” he said. “Penton here.”

“Jesus… what the hell is going on now?”

“We’ve got a situation on the ground in Tokyo.”

“Yeah,” Top Anderson said, befuddled.

“We’re going to need to send a rescue team over there.”

“The Ospreys from the Fighting Tigers. Got it.”

Penton rumbled through the storm and dodged around fallen palm trees. Windshield wipers squeaked back and forth. “Appreciate it.”

“Knew we needed to keep a couple of birds on reserve.”

“Can you get it in motion?” Penton said. “I’ve got to swing by my place and grab my gear.”

“You’re going with them?” Top Anderson questioned.

“Yeah,” Penton replied. “And we’re only going to need one aircraft.”

“Roger,” Anderson said. “We’ll load her with an M2 machinegun.”

“Much appreciated.” Penton hung up the phone.

He wheeled the truck up to his barracks, and found his Jeep parked safely in front. Penton shook his head and smiled at the diligence of his Marines. Climbing from the truck, he dashed for the door.

Penton stepped inside. He recalled how only hours earlier he’d been on the phone with his daughter, hunkering out a storm. Now, the world was turned upside down, and a giant creature he never knew existed had gone berserk in Tokyo.

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