Nick and Yoshi heard the woman moan. Then she opened her eyes and stared up at them.

"Welcome back, Emiko," Yoshi said in j.a.panese.

She smiled up at him. "The attack is over?" she asked.

"Hai!" Yoshi replied.

She sat up immediately. "Then we have to go," she said. "If G.o.dzilla has not been stopped, this attack will be followed by others."

At that moment, G.o.dzilla's distinctive roar echoed across the San-yo plain. All three of them shivered.

"Come on," Nick said. He and Yoshi helped Emiko scramble to her feet. They warily stepped out into the gray morning - made even gloomier by the smoke and dust that still lingered in the air after the rocket attack.

Again, Lieutenant Takado pointed to the building on the other side of the parking lot. The building had sustained some minor damage, but remained mostly intact. "The car is over there."

Together, the trio ran across the pavement and circled the building. When they got to the other side, Nick halted in his tracks. Emiko and Yoshi stopped too.

A red rental car, its finish still shiny, sat next to the battered building. Unfortunately, much of the damaged structure had collapsed - and was lying on top of the car.

Behind the mostly intact engine and front seat, the rental car had been totally crushed by tons of steel.

Nick stared at the unwelcome sight. "I don't think you'll get your deposit back."

At that moment, they heard a high-pitched whistling that sounded ominously familiar.

"The second wave of the rocket attack has begun," said the lieutenant.

Nick looked at Yoshi. "Not again!"

"Come on," cried Emiko. "We must seek shelter!"

CHAPTER 18.

THE BATTLE ON THE BRIDGE.

June 11, 1998 9:16 A.M.

INN newsroom

Tokyo, j.a.pan

Brian stepped into the crowded newsroom. He took a look at the television monitors, then he looked around the room. He spotted Mr. Takao's grizzled features. The newsroom chief was approaching Blackthorn Adams's office. Brian quickly cornered the older j.a.panese man.

"Any word?" Brian asked eagerly.

The man frowned. "Still nothing."

"Brian! Over here!" May McGovern cried from the elevators, her auburn ponytail bouncing as she rushed toward him. "Mr. Endicott wants to see you immediately."

Brian followed her back to the elevators, and May held the door open. When the elevator began to rise, she turned to Brian. Her expression was hopeful. But Brian shook his head sadly.

"Sorry, May. Still no word from any of them." he informed her. May's expression quickly turned grave.

"Don't worry," Brian added, trying to cheer her up. "If anybody can take care of himself, it's Nick. And with Lieutenant Takado and Yoshi with him, he'll be fine."

"Then why haven't we heard from them?" she asked, a catch in her voice.

"Since the rocket attack three days ago, that whole section of Honshu is in total chaos," he said. "The highways are choked with refugees, and only military vehicles are permitted into the area. There's no communications in or out, no flyovers are permitted, and no live news reports either." Brian paused.

"Look, May, I was going over the reports this morning. The military can't evacuate people fast enough. The wounded are still out in the fields, and emergency procedures have completely broken down.

"It makes sense that Nick and Yoshi are just stuck out there somewhere in the middle of that mess," he said as the elevator doors slid open on the executive floor.

"I'm sure that they're just fine." Brian tried to sound more confident than he really felt. But by the expression of torment on May's pretty face, he could see he'd failed miserably.

The fact was, Brian hadn't told May everything. There were unconfirmed reports of looting, and even murder, coming out of the emergency areas. One story going around was about a bunch of yakuza gangsters - the j.a.panese version of the Mafia - who had hijacked a military helicopter, killed the soldiers, and used the chopper to safely carry out the booty they'd looted from abandoned towns.

Could his friends survive in such chaos? Brian wondered. He prayed they could.

"Come in, Mr. Shimura," Everett Endicott said as May ushered Brian into the bureau chief's office.

Brian sat down, and the two men faced each other. Endicott had bags under his eyes. He looked tired. But then, everybody did. The portly man rubbed his bloodshot eyes and cleared his throat.

"Have you heard from your uncle lately - in the last few days, perhaps?"

"No, I haven't." Brian replied honestly. "I thought the admiral was working with Dr. n.o.beyama and the j.a.panese Self-Defense Force."

"He's missing," Endicott said. "And so is Dr. n.o.beyama."

Brian sat up straight. "Missing?" he cried.

Endicott nodded. "For at least forty-eight hours now... since Dr. n.o.beyama presented the military leaders with his proposal to lure G.o.dzilla away from j.a.pan."

Brian shook his head in disgust "A Proposal that was flatly rejected," he said bitterly, "in favor of a pointless rocket attack that did more damage to the area than G.o.dzilla himself!"

"Well," the bureau chief replied. "That's not our concern - we only report the news. Which is why I sent for you. Since Gordon and Masahara are... out of touch, I'm sending you out into the field again. In less than an hour, you'll join Max Hulse and Blackthorn Adams on the INN helipad."

"Just where am I going this time?" Brian asked, excited about getting field work again - but at the same time not happy about being sent away from headquarters while Nick and Yoshi were still missing.

"The j.a.panese Self-Defense Force will make one final a.s.sault to try to stop G.o.dzilla from reaching Tokyo," Endicott said. "They are going to launch a combined air, sea, and ground a.s.sault at the Seto Ohashi Bridge. We've been given permission to broadcast the event."

Brian swallowed hard. "So G.o.dzilla is still moving along the coast of the Inland Sea," he whispered.

"Yes," Endicott answered. "And there is bad news, too, which will be released to the public around noon."

Brian sat forward in his chair, all ears.

"Last night, G.o.dzilla destroyed a nuclear power plant near Kurashiki," the bureau chief said evenly.

"Then -"

"Yes. G.o.dzilla has absorbed the nuclear cores of two reactors. That means he's even stronger now. He's increased his speed, and is heading for the water again. The army is absolutely certain G.o.dzilla will move through the Inland Sea and swim directly to Tokyo - if this final attack at the bridge fails."

Three hours later, Brian sat in the personnel compartment of a U.S. Marine Corps Blackhawk helicopter - on loan to the INN news service for use during the crisis.

Along with Brian, a British cameraman named Ian Smelt and science correspondent Blackthorn Adams rode in the helicopter.

Another Marine Corps Blackhawk followed behind. That one contained Nick's nemesis, Max Hulse, and an INN technical crew. There was also a small contingent of Marines on both Blackhawks. Their job was to protect American lives, even if the Americans in question were members of the hated news media.

"Three minutes to touchdown," the sergeant, a huge black man with sharp features and bulky Kevlar body armor, informed the pa.s.sengers. Brian nodded and looked out the window. He saw the blue-green waters of the Inland Sea twinkling in the sunlight far below.

Suddenly, the Blackhawk banked and swung over land. It began to descend rapidly. Brian's stomach flew into his throat. He swallowed and strained his eyes but could see no signs of the chaos that ruled the island below.

The helicopter kicked up dust as it settled onto the landing site, a parking lot outside a now-deserted shopping mall near the abandoned city of Tamano. The Marines jumped out of the chopper and took defensive positions. Brian, Ian Smelt, and Blackthorn Adams made a less dramatic departure.

On the other end of the parking lot, Brian noticed an INN helicopter.

An INN technician, whom Brian recognized, waved them to the entranceway of the mall. Brian took off in a jog, running to the man's side.

"We've got a setup on the roof," the man said. "Cameras, satellite uplinks, telescopes - the whole shebang."

While they spoke, the second Blackhawk helicopter landed, and Max Hulse joined them.

A few minutes later, Blackthorn, Ian Smelt, Max Hulse, and Brian all crowded into a small service elevator and rode it to the top. When the doors slid open, Brian was surprised to see that they were already on the roof. Another INN technician ran up to them.

"The attack is going to start in thirty minutes," he cried. "G.o.dzilla is already visible through binoculars!"

But instead of trying to spot G.o.dzilla, Brian examined the huge structure that spanned the Inland Sea. He was amazed at the size of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. It seemed to go on forever.

"Some bridge, eh?" Ian Smelt said.

Brian nodded.

"That's the longest bridge in the world," the young British cameraman added with enthusiasm.

Blackthorn Adams, who was awaiting his turn in front of the camera, joined in the conversation. "It's really six bridges built into a single span, you know," the science correspondent informed them. "The bridges connect a bunch of small islands that dot the Inland Sea, and join the main island of Honshu with the island of Shikoku. There's a highway and a rail line that use that bridge daily.

"The builders claim that the cables used in the construction are long enough to wrap around the Earth several times. They also claim that the bridge is earthquake proof."

"I think were about to see if the bridge is G.o.dzilla-proof," Ian Smelt interrupted, pointing toward the span. "Here he comes!"

The morale was low among the forces stationed on the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Many of the men felt that they were going to be sacrificed for no good reason. The soldiers had all heard about the futile attack on the San-yo plain. Word was traveling through the ranks that guns, tanks, and bombs were like toys against G.o.dzilla.

Rumor had it that G.o.dzilla was virtually indestructible.

Even an emotional pep talk by General Nakamura failed to inspire the men. But despite their reservations, the men performed their duties obediently. As G.o.dzilla approached, they lined the bridge with Type 75 tanks armed with the less-than-successful cadmium sh.e.l.ls, as well as more multiple rocket launchers and a variety of towed and self-propelled artillery pieces.

The Seto Ohashi Bridge was bristling with guns. All were pointed at the approaching monster.

The sky, too, was filled with aircraft from the j.a.panese Air Force - F-15J Eagles purchased from the United States, mostly. They were armed with guided bombs, machine guns, and air-to-ground missiles.

On the water, two Chikugo-cla.s.s frigates - the Noshiro and the Mogami - followed G.o.dzilla's every movement. The frigates were small, but they were the only warships that could navigate the shallow waters of the Inland Sea. They also sported fearsome, boxlike multiple rocket launchers on their decks, instead of the standard gun turrets most frigates are armed with.

Oblivious to the military might arrayed against him, G.o.dzilla continued to wade through the sea, moving slowly toward the suspension bridge that blocked his path.

On the bridge, General Nakamura checked his watch, which was synchronized with the timepieces on the ships below and in the aircraft above.

"Thirty seconds to attack!" he announced over the command radio.

A thousand men placed their sweat-slicked fingers on the triggers of cannons, machine guns, rocket launchers, and artillery pieces. Breathlessly, they awaited the general's final command.

"Ready... aim... fire!" General Nakamura cried over the radio.

Even from the vantage point on top of the shopping mall, miles away, Brian's ears were pounded by the tremendous sound of a thousand guns. The entire Seto Ohashi Bridge seemed to sway from the recoil of the tank and artillery cannons as they spat steel and fire at G.o.dzilla.

The frigates, too, opened fire. Missiles streaked from the boxlike launchers, leaving trails of orange fire and white smoke in their wake.