Project Hyperion (A Kaiju Thriller) (Kaiju #4)

“Too long.”


“There’s a Coast Guard cutter five minutes out. And a Navy Destroyer ten minutes out.”

“Turn the cutter back,” I say. The ship is big, but the mounted machine gun will be useless again Nemesis. “Bring the Destroyer into visual range, but instruct them to engage from a distance, and only if I give the order.” From sea level, the average person can see three miles to the horizon. But Nemesis is so tall that they should be able to see it from twice as far. I know the ship’s Tomahawk missiles could probably be deployed from the ship’s current position, but I don’t feel remotely comfortable shooting long range missiles, which sometimes miss, toward my city. “Air Force?”

“Hold on. Just hearing now.” The line goes quiet for a few seconds, then she’s back. “On the way. Two F-22 Raptors. ETA five minutes.”

“Thanks, Coop,” I say.

“Hudson,” she says, sounding more serious than usual. “Is that going to be enough?”

It’s a good question, but the answer is an easy one. “Not remotely.”

“We’ve got a fleet between you and Boston,” she says. “Three Destroyers, two subs, two cruisers and an aircraft carrier. I can have all of them sent your way.”

“Have them on standby,” I say, watching Nemesis through the window. The monster has stopped short of Essex Bridge. “What’s she looking at?”

“I can’t see from here,” Cooper says.

“Sorry,” I say. “Wasn’t talking to you. Just keep everyone ready. I’m not sure what’s happening here, and I’d like to avoid blowing up the neighborhood if possible. Best if we engage out at sea if we can.”

“Agreed,” she says. I hear a click and she’s gone, no doubt already relaying my requests. Can’t really call them orders, but at this point they might as well be.

“I think it’s interested in that building,” Collins says, pointing down. “What is that?”

I recognize the location. “It’s a luxury condo.”

“It’s just staring at it,” Collins says.

“Watson, you there?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says. “I can see you out the window. You guys look like a fly.”

“That makes me feel so much more confident, Ted, thanks,” I say. “Listen, do you know the condo between Dane Street Beach and the yacht club?”

“By the bridge?”

“Yeah.”

I hear computer keys clacking. “Seaside Condos,” he says. “Big bucks with full access to the docks.”

“See if there is anything interesting about them,” I say. “Nemesis can’t take her eyes off of them.”

“On it,” he says, and then he’s gone.

“What now?” Woodstock says. “We could distract it. Get it to chase us back out to sea? Might remember us.”

It’s a horrible plan that could very well end in our deaths. I’m about to agree when the membranes over the creature’s ribcage flare to life.

“Something’s happening!” Collins says.

“Take us down,” I say to Woodstock, and then to Collins, “Get ready to remind it who we are.”

She nods and opens the side door, letting in a whoosh of morning air. But before she’s done readying the weapon, Nemesis raises her long, black arm. A sense of dread fills me as I realize she is about to level the condo. My eyes scan the streets behind the building. They’re empty. Anyone living in the building would have fled already.

I feel a little better knowing the damage will only be structural, but this feels like the opening shot of a battle. A lot of people are going to die.

Nemesis roars, and swings.

And then stops.

Her giant hand must be just feet from the side of the building, but hasn’t destroyed it. The hell?

We watch in silence as Nemesis continues to just stare.

“What’s it doing?” Collins asks.

Nemesis takes a step back.

Then another.

“F-22s are two minutes out,” Cooper says, making me jump. “But they can fire now.”

“Tell them to hold their fire!” I shout, far louder than necessary. “I think she’s leaving.”

When Nemesis turns around, she looks slow because of her size, but I know she’s actually moving quite quickly. As the massive tail spins around behind her, it kicks up a thirty foot wave that rolls upstream, heading up the three rivers—Bass, Danvers and North—that converge in the harbor. It flows under the Essex Bridge, but will no doubt destroy a good number of homes and small bridges. Still, it’s a mercy compared to what could have happened.

“Stay with her,” I tell Woodstock. “I don’t want to lose sight of her.”