Part 5: Tracking Down the Target

It was three minutes pass five in the afternoon, and the general’s unit was ready to go on a search and destroy mission. Along with the general on the ride were Professor Eisenhower and Sergeant Schott. Since Asrar hadn’t had anything to eat all day, she took a turkey sandwich to maintain her energy for the rest of the mission. As the chopper took off, the professor explained her theory on how to eliminate the killer whale.

“Let’s say I understood that,” Belquad said since Asrar used scientific terms and college words. “What are the chances of that actually accruing?”
“… about thirty percent.” She told him the truth.
“We can scratch that from our to-do list!”

Asrar was felling a bit worried about their targeted specie, and decided to share what’s in her heart with the general: “But what I’m really concerned about is that, well …” Asrar paused out of nervousness, but continued anyways: “ .. I have reason to believe that this being we are dealing with is biogenesis.”

“meaning?”

“meaning that it has the ability to give birth.”

“Great! Just what were needed.” Belquad was worried that the matter would get out of hand. “But doesn’t it require a .. you know, mate? for this process?” the general asked as he started to get a little nervous himself.

“Not really, he’s like a hydra .. oh look at the view, it’s beautiful!” Asrar changed the subject. At this point, both of them blushed beyond control, embarrassed about the discussed subject of mating. Both of them turned their heads to the other side with the attempt to change the subject.

While avoiding Belquad’s eyes, Asrar looked down on the far ground by mistake, and started to breathe hard and fast, as acrophobia was returning.

“Oh no, here we go again.” Belquad said, referring to her mental condition.

●●●

Thirteen minutes had passed and there was still no sign of the killer whale. Since it was last seen headed northwest, Schott was flying above the ocean in that area. Multiple military ground stations, battleships and units have been assigned to look for the flying fiend as well.

“Talal ..” the general said in a calm low voice as he stared at a photo he took out of his wallet.

“Your sweetheart?” Asrar joked.

“He’s my son.” he answered.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Asrar apologized for her insensitive joke. “You’re married?”

“What? Are you crazy?” Belquad shouted at her. “Of course not!”

“Of course .. my mistake.” Asrar replied sarcastically, but Belquad didn’t catch it. “May I see it?” she asked about the photo.

Belquad handed the photo of his son over to her. When she saw the photo she was surprised: “Oh, he’s a grown man!”

In the photo, Asrar saw Belquad and his twenty year old son, Talal. Talal had blue eyes and blond tall hair with a light beard. What caught Asrar’s attention was what Talal was wearing in the photo, an red T-Shirt written on it ‘I’m too cool for school’.

“I see he’s turning out to be like his father.” Asrar was sarcastic again, and like before, the general didn’t get her mocking.

As Asrar passed back the photo, she spotted something in the distance. “General,” Asrar got up, pointing out at the far horizon: “I see the target!”

●●●

“Schott, follow that fish!” commanded the general as he stood up in the helicopter, and grabbed a hold of a handle in order not to fall. General Belquad lifted the microphone connected to his headset which was around his neck, and placed it over his head, and gave an order to his men as well: “All units, this is General Belquad, target is in sight and in motion, and will be flying over Europe from south unless we take it down now!”

“Are you sure you have jurisdiction general?” Asrar asked Belquad about his power.

“Let me worry about that.” The general said as he took control of the situation, then added: “That is, after I make canned tuna out of this flying fish!” Belquad said as he stared at the winged whale, following it in its path.

In no time, a unit of six F15 Eagles arrived at the location to assist the general, guided by Lieutenant Arbocke.

“You know general, I think you like this critter!” Ariel Ace joked over the transmiter as he flew next to the helicopter.

“About time lieutenant!” The general replied shouting.

“Twice in one day?” Asrar wondered “He’s one outstanding lieutenant, I bet he’s Belquad’s favorite.”

“I’m also here Lot,” Gwinn, the same woman from the earlier battle which took place over Glynville before noon, was also present.

“Who’s that?” Asrar asked Belquad about the woman on the other end of the line.

“A close friend.” The general replied.

“I’ll say.” Asrar said, indicating that there was something going on between the two.

“Eisenhower, this isn’t the time” Belquad answered, realizing that Asrar sounded a bit jealous.

“Target in range,” Lieutenant Arbocke locked on the target. “Awaiting orders.”

“Fire!”

‘BOOM!’

Lieutenant Arbocke send two missiles at the flying beast, both of them hit.

“Alright!” Arbocke gloated as he kept tailing Bombutachakua at a low speed.

Schott also kept a short distance between the target and the chopper, although all what anyone could see was a cloud of smoke floating in mid-air. The smoke was caused by the blast of the missile. Once the smoke was gone, the target was seen clear flying in its same path as if nothing happened.

“Impossible!” To the general, as well as the others, it was a complete shock. The missiles appeared to have zero effect on the target.

●●●

“This is unheard of!” The general was confused as he fell back on the cushion.

“General, snap out of it!” Asrar ordered Belquad. “Your units need you out there.”

“General B.,” Schott alerted Belquad. “The fish has crossed the boarders of Italy.”

“Fine you stinky fish, if that’s how you wanna play it,” the general got back up again and gave a new order to initiate a last-minute plan B.: “F15 units, stay on the target. Do not fire until permitted. Schott, take us ahead of this fish.”

“What are you planing on doing Belquad?” Asrar asked worried.

“Shut it Eisenhower.” Belquad replied, then took out his cellphone and dialed a number. “This is General Belquad, get me Sergeant Melchiott on the line now!”

“Who’s Sergeant Melchiott?” Asrar asked Schott.

“He’s a tank-man, one of the best.” Schott told her what he knew. “If my memory doesn’t device me, I believe he’s currently in Sweden.”

“Sweden .. so that’s where we’re heading.” Asrar figured out the general’s plan.

Within ten minutes, Belquad’s helicopter was over Sweden. Asrar looked down below on the ground and saw military tanks ready for action. Asrar knew that Belquad was planing on taking it down before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean again.

In no time, the fish was right on cue. From the sight of the many tanks lined up, Asrar was getting a little worried.

“Think before you command General!” Asrar shouted, warning Belquad not to make another mistake and attack an allay like the earlier war on that same day. “Don’t just fly off on some wild hunch whenever the sun hits you.”

“Stay back Eisenhower, this is war!” Belquad shouted as he grabbed a hold of his headset and ordered: “Melchiott, fire!”

Sergeant Melchiott shot a cannon ball at the target.

‘BOOM!’

It hit Bombutachakua from underneath it, but it still flew over Sweden towards the ocean.

“Keep at it men! Never give up, never surrender!” Belquad ordered all of his men to fire at the beast.

Arbocke and the F15s fired from above, while Melchiott and the other tanks fired from beneath.

“At this rate Bombutachakua will die.” Belquad smiled as he pictured his victory.

‘AHUUU’

A strange sound was heard, it came from the whale. It cried as it began to spin out of control. Just as Belquad predicted, the whale was effected by the missiles and cannon balls after all.

“General B., the target is starting to fall.” Schott stated, then added: “estimated crash point is in the ocean.”

“What?!” Asrar was more angry then confused, “That fish is making a run for it! Once in the ocean, it will be nearly impossible for us to track it down!” Then she faced the general and took him by his shoulders: “General, I just know it can regenerate once underwater, trust me.”

Belquad had no choice but to believe her. “Okay listen up!” Belquad thought of an instant plan C., “Melchiott, you and your tank-men aim at the tip of the beast’s jaw, concentrate all your firepower at that point.” Belquad then addressed Ariel Ace and the other F15s: “As for you Arbocke, I want you and your wingmen to get ahead of the fish by at least fifty meters, then take a u-turn and come at it from front. Once locked on, fire at will!”

Asrar was amazed that Belquad was manage to issue a well studied plan on the spot. “maybe he’s not that dumb after all!” She thought.

“It might not work,” Belquad said, knowing the odds against him, “but we have no choice but to try!”

Belquad’s plan was to ensure that Bombutachakua falls on Sweden’s far north coast where there were no civilians. Unfortunately, the winged whale’s will was much more stronger, and was able to maintain enough strength to fall back into the ocean.

“Damn it!” Belquad was pissed. “I thought I had it this time!”

“Plan D.?” Asrar said, “maybe submarines could follow it underwater and inform us where and when it will reemerge again.”

“No can do. The nearest submarine I’ve got is near Canada.” Belquad told Asrar with a face of a beaten man. “By the time they’ll be here, the fish would have been long gone.”

●●●

Only six minutes remained from seven o’clock. It was a beautiful sunset on the pacific ocean. Belquad’s helicopter was low on fuel so he told Schott to land on the deck of a nearby marine ship.

As Belquad and Asrar walked on the gigantic ship’s deck, they saw two F15s land on it as well. Belquad recognized the pilots but didn’t brag about it, knowing that they probably landed to salute their general.

Asrar and the general were drinking a cup of coffee as they tried to think of a new plan.

“Hey stranger!” a voice came from behind the two by at least eight meters. It was the pilots that landed from the F15s. Gwinn addressed her general as she approached them. Gwinn was accompanied by the famous F15 pilot Lieutenant Arbocke, however, he went to get a drink first.

Gwinn had dark hair, but a wide nice smile. Although she was a little taller than Asrar, she was a lot younger, by six or seven years at least. Both Gwinn and Arbocke were wearing a pilot’s gray jumpsuit as any F15 pilot would wear.

“Shouldn’t you be out there looking for that beast?” Belquad responded rudely.

“I thought I’d say hello first.”

“That’s what telephones are for.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Gwinn said to Belquad, referring to Asrar.

“Eisenhower, Gwinn. Gwinn, Eisenhower.” Belquad said it so fast that Asrar didn’t have time to shake her hand. “Now go!” Belquad ordered Gwinn to leave.

“See you around cupcake.” Gwinn said baldly as she turned to walk away. Asrar had no idea why she was hitting on the general so hard although he was treating her like dirt.

In no time, Arbocke came walking towards them holding a cup of coffee.

“Hey Arbocke, over here!” the general signaled Arbocke to come say hello.

“General, It’s been a while.” Arbocke said as shook Belquad’s hand smiling, “and who’s this beautiful lady?” He asked about Asrar.

Asrar blushed by Arbocke’s kind words. She found him extremely attractive. Arbocke had American blue eyes, and golden fluffy hair. He was much taller and thinner than General Belquad.

“I want you to meet some,” The general said, “My top pilot, Lieutenant John S. Arbocke. This is Professor Ashly Eisenhower.”

“Asrar Eisenhower,” She corrected as she gave a quick angry glance at the general, then she turned back to Arbocke with a nice welcoming smile adding: “Anthropologist.”

“Enchanted.” Arbocke said as he smiled, then excused himself. “Well I’m off.”

“Good luck Arbocke,” The general encouraged him: “keep it up.”

As the lieutenant walked back to his F15, Asrar couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“Yo Eisenhower,” Belquad called as he waved his hand in front of her eyes as if she was blind. “Wake up!”

Asrar looked at Belquad with a ‘I had to be stuck with you, why couldn’t I pear up with that gorgeous man’ look. At that point, Asrar noticed a man sneaking up from behind Belquad in a creepy way. The man noticed Asrar seeing him so he gestured to her not to inform the general of his approach. Once standing behind Belquad, the man slammed his two huge hands on Belquad’s shoulders opening with a: “Hey Lot!”

Belquad jumped, startled by the strong impact of his barbaric hands. “Kay? What are you doing here?” The general asked, laughing yet surprised.

“Sweden isn’t that far you know.” Melchiott replied laughing.

“Oh,” the general remembered to introduce him to Asrar. “this is Sergeant Keanu Melchiott, he’s a good friend of mine.”

“Delighted to make your acquaintance Sergeant Melchiott” Asrar said politely.

“See, now why can’t you be nice to me like that?” The general asked Asrar sounding pathetic, then whispered to Melchiott: “I tell ya, this is not the real her, just an act!” Melchiott was still laughed lightly.

“General sir,” a soldier from a distance called Belquad, “there’s something I think you should see.”

“Excuse me,” Belquad left immediately to see what was important.

Once the general was out of the picture, Asrar approached Melchiott with a daring question: “You two seam like close friends,”

“Yeah, me and Lot go way back.” Melchiott said smiling.

“tell me something, who’s that Gwinn girl.”

“Oh, her.” Melchiott said. “Long story short, she used to be Lot’s neighbor. She was eleven years old when Lot enlisted in the military. Ever since then, she wanted to become a soldier herself.”

“Wow, Belquad inspired her.” Asrar was surprised hearing about Lot’s childhood.

“Yeah, she’s one strong cookie. She’s in love with Lot and isn’t afraid of showing it. But Lot on the other hand only thinks of her as a kid sister.”

“Ouch!” Asrar related to the condition, sympathizing with Gwinn.

‘BERJ!’

Out of the blue, Bexis emerged with full power, damaging the battleship severely. Everyone received a horrifying shake. As Asrar got up regaining balance, she saw the massive whale right in front of her. She couldn’t help but drop her jaw wide open in amazement. The killer whale was twice as big as the massive battleship.

●●●

The nice weather soon turned into a nightmare. Dark clouds appeared, starting to rain heavily on all lifeforms below. The wind blew stronger as if a storm was coming. The anthropologist realized that this was scientifically unexplainable, a storm in the middle of summer, but soon realized that the night of apocalypse was upon them .. there was nothing natural about it.

“The damage is minimal,” Belquad said estimating the hit to the strong ship “it’ll sustain for the time being. You’ve done your job Professor,” Belquad addressed Asrar in particular, “thank you for all your hard work. You are a national hero .. heroin, that is.”

“What?” Asrar said angry, understanding what Belquad was saying, but refusing his order.

“You’re staying here, there’s nothing more you can do.”

“No way general, I’m coming with you!” She protested.

“Damn it Eisenhower I don’t have time!”

“Then except my presence, Belquad!”

“Sir, we’re losing the target!” one of Belquad’s men informed him over the headphone. The winged whale was heading north.

“Ah,” Belquad gave up arguing to save time. “you better not get in my way!”