Retribution of the Atomic Creature: Book II

By D. Anthony Watters

Retribution of the Atomic Creature

Book II

Challenge of the Arrowhead Trilogy

The saga continues in this exciting sequel. Young Daniel Anderson and his best friend Herb Dillon, once again, find themselves launched on a dangerous trek back to the Arrowhead, in quest of the eternal child back to the ruins of what was once the domicile of their nemesis, the depraved Nazi despot Arthur Broderick and his secret weapons manufacturing operations and nefarious bio-eugenics experimental laboratories.

They must move quickly, lest their lost compatriot succumbs to the cold. But the frigid temperatures will not only pose a mortal danger for Bernie but they, themselves, will also encounter life-threatening Arctic blizzards, an isle of frost, a radioactive volcano, and miles of frozen desolation. As if that weren’t tough enough, they are ruthlessly being stalked by the bloodthirsty radiation-mutated beast of the volcano, hell-bent on their annihilation.

This anecdotal tale from the creative imagination of author D. Anthony Watters will transport the reader back to a time when heroes were just ordinary people called by destiny to become extraordinary. You will, without doubt, enjoy his nostalgic portrayals of teen heroism and romance penned in his characteristic nail-biting action style.

A capstone on his lifelong romance with the great outdoors, he now enjoys writing and publishing outdoor novels featuring adventures inspired by his own experience as a teen in the fifties and sixties.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662456336

Book preview

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Retribution of the Atomic Creature

Book II

D. Anthony Watters

Copyright © 2022 D. Anthony Watters

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-5632-9 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-5633-6 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Episode One: Shadow of the Hawk

Episode Two: The Reticent Wraith

Episode Three: Dream Team

Episode Four: Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen

Episode Five: The Abominable Journey

Episode Six: Isle of Frost

Episode Seven: The Passage

Episode Eight: A Despicable Assignment

Episode Nine: A Cold Day in Hell

Episode Ten: Charlotte’s Web

Episode Eleven: A Not-So-Brief Debriefing

Episode Twelve: Abra Cadaver

Episode Thirteen: Deus Ex Machina (Divine Intervention)

Episode Fourteen: An Assemblage of Abettors

Episode Fifteen: Solstice Summit

Episode Sixteen: All Fired Up

Episode Seventeen: The Pit of Apollyon

Episode Eighteen: Labyrinth

Episode Nineteen: Herb’s Baffling Malediction

Episode Twenty: The Final Countdown Begins

Episode Twenty-One: Sojourn of the Harbinger

Episode Twenty-Two: The Hornet Stings

Episode Twenty-Three: A Strange Perplexity

Episode Twenty-Four: Herb’s Amazing Peripeteia

Episode Twenty-Five: Sanctuary of the Salamander Boys

Episode Twenty-Six: Bernie’s Thanatopsis

Episode Twenty-Seven: Blinded by the Light

Episode Twenty-Eight: Bad Moon Rising

Episode Twenty-Nine: Curse of the Blood Moon

To my wife, Bonnie,

for her indispensable help in writing and producing this book

Two natures beat within my breast:

One is foul, the other blest;

One I love, one I hate;

the one I feed will dominate.

—Tara Leigh Cobble

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

—Mark Twain

Introduction and Author’s Notes

The saga that follows takes place in Rainbow Bend, a fictional rural Midwestern river town in the early 1960s. In this fictional story, Rainbow Bend also happens to be the location of a top-secret US Army weapons depository (arsenal).

Introduction

With the world’s first nuclear bomb detonation in 1945, the entire world was introduced to the horrific destructive power of atomic warfare, and things would never be the same—the atomic age had begun.

In the ’50s, there were still many who agreed—as the poplar Bob Dylan protest song prognosticated: Don’t you believe; we’re on the eve of destruction.

The term radioactive became synonymous with some of the things most feared by the populace.

Many were convinced that sooner or later if radiation poisoning didn’t get them first, they were certain to become victims of worldwide nuclear war—WWIII.

Even more believed it was inevitable that hideous mutant aberrations would, in time, be spawned from transmutations of normal Animalia, a result of exposure to long-term radioactive fallout from worldwide nuclear testing. These new apocalyptic theories spawned a plethora of science-fiction B movies featuring doomsday themes.

Low-budget productions (especially popular in drive-in theaters) exploiting spine-chilling story lines of giant radiation mutations abounded. Box-office busters included titles such as The Black Scorpions, Them, The Fly, The Giant Locusts, Worm, Tarantula, and so on and on and on.

Author Note 1

In the writing of this entire trilogy, I have borrowed from the theme and style of the ’50s and ’60s era; therefore, I divided each story into episodes instead of chapters, mimicking the format of the comic books and movie serials that were popular at the time.

Continuing adventures of crime-fighting heroes like the Green Hornet or Captain Midnight were regularly screened at the local movie houses, with a new, continuing episode every Saturday afternoon—each beginning with extended highlights of the previous week’s episode (just in case you missed one).

Three things in common with these movies:

As in popular comic books, whether it was Batman, Shazam, or Wonder Woman, the hero always won out in the end.

There was good and evil in every plot, and good always won out over evil.

All included, either expressed or implied patriotic themes.

*An example is the famous Superman motif: truth, justice, and the American way, still popular today (as are many ’50s era superhero characters).

If you like nostalgia or if you’re young at heart and would like to immerse yourself in an exciting ’50s–’60s style adventure story, I believe this fast-moving fiction novel will be a sprint right up your ally (or a stroll down memory lane), depending on your individual inclination, so turn on some eerie background music and enjoy.

Author Note 2

This is a genuine sequel. It begins where the first book left off.

It is also written to be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

For those who have not yet read the Challenge of the Arrowhead trilogy Book I, I have added a Cast of Primary Characters page. If you wish, you can easily familiarize yourself with all the main characters of both books. Also, to minimize confusion for those reading the entire trilogy, the protagonists and villains remain the same throughout the series.

The foreword page will also give you some plot review (like was done each time in the movie serials discussed above).

Whatever your age, I believe this exciting adventure book is for you. I would welcome your comments on our webpage or on Amazon. I look forward to meeting you on these pages.

D. Anthony Watters

Cast of Primary Characters

Daniel (Danny) Anderson—first-year cadet at US Air Force Academy; protagonist in entire Arrowhead trilogy

Danny (Herb) Dillon—best friend of Daniel; brilliant and creative, erratic and unpredictable in his behavior, but loyal to the core

Justice Blackwater—mixed-blood Cherokee; retired military intelligence colonel; Korean war buddy of Mark Anderson; close friend of the whole Anderson family

Donna French—girlfriend of Daniel; nineteen years old; blonde, intelligent, and comely; Mission code name: Goldfinch

Gretchen Anderson—Daniel’s strawberry-blonde sophomore kid sister; sixteen years old; perky, feisty, attractive, but petulant; mission code name Sparrow

Chad Bellamy—nineteen-year-old college student; son of noted Professor Clarence Bellamy; Gretchen Anderson’s boyfriend

Chester Weaver—high school friend of Gretchen; electronics nerd

Col. Mark Anderson—father of Daniel and Gretchen; retired military intelligence

Dr. Elizabeth Lassiter—forensic pathologist and writer; close friend of the Anderson family

Dr. Thaddeus Van Dyke—colleague of Liz Lassiter; forensic scientific investigator

Capt. Buck Grey Eagle—friend of Justice Blackwater; Army arctic survival expert

Foreword

The saga continues in this exciting sequel to Challenge of The Arrowhead Book I.

Young Daniel Anderson and his best friend, Herb Dillon, once again find themselves flung into a perilous trek back to the federally restricted wilderness area known as the Arrowhead—recently confiscated from the Broderick Mining Company for crimes against the people, including sedition, treason, developing and manufacturing illegal atomic weapons, and organizing and training a militia (to overthrow the United States government).

Last summer, Daniel and his compatriots accidentally stumbled across Broderick’s dastardly operation and inadvertently foiled the depraved despot’s diabolical Nazi scheme to employ a plundered post-WWII atomic bomb and use it to destroy the top-secret US Army arsenal in Rainbow Bend, North Dakota.

The US government deemed the entire area off-limits—a top-secret national security restricted tract.

Now Daniel Anderson and the same group that had been so successful in foiling Broderick’s diabolical plans last summer are being asked to return and complete the job. A new challenge for Daniel and his (now) seasoned troop of brave, young adventurers to save the day and to once again become unwilling heroes.

But that was summer, and now it’s mid-December—they will face deadly winter storms and miles of ice and snow-choked desolation (including an island of frost and a radioactive volcano)—to say nothing of constantly being bedeviled by the bloodthirsty beast of the Arrowhead, intent on their annihilation.

Daniel’s visionary dream turns out to be more of a prophecy than a mere dream, as again they are flung into a perilous and tangled quest of destiny—this time to locate and rescue their lost comrade, Bernie (the eternal child), given up for dead after the nuclear explosion’s devastation of Broderick’s compound and, once and for all, solve the enigma surrounding the vile place known only as the Arrowhead.

Dream visions and supernatural premonitions abound, as Daniel and the guys, one by one, have dreams of Bernie still being alive. If he truly has somehow miraculously survived, they know they must find him now before it’s too late.

Although they will face December’s bitter-cold weather, they just can’t wait for summer. Their friend Justice’s favorite expression, "It’ll be tough sledding," may turn out to be a literal divine portent of the harrowing adventures ahead for them.

Stay tuned for lots of vintage comic-book-style action-adventure in the tenor of ’50s/’60s Saturday movie matinee productions.

We are still masters of our fate.

We are still captains of our souls.

—Winston Churchill, The Crisis

Part I

The Abominable Journey

Episode One: Shadow of the Hawk

Deep inside the government-restricted Arrowhead area

A heavy December fog hung like a drab gray curtain over the bog that bordered Artesian Lake. Daniel Anderson sloshed through the putrid-smelling, snow-crusted verdure. His partner, Buck Gray, followed close behind, protecting his back trail.

It was like being stuck in a bad dream. He really didn’t want any part of this perverted place, but if there was even a remote chance of rescuing his comrade, Bernard Behringer, it would be worth it. They had been sent as a two-man team because it would be much quieter and lessen the chance of being detected by the savage beast that constantly daunted them with its wretched caterwauling night after miserable night.

Daniel hand-signaled Buck to take a stand on an elevated rock outcropping, where he had a high vantage point to have Daniel’s back. They were nervous; they figured the dangerous creature was close by.

Though subjected to its bloodthirsty caterwauls every night, neither of them had actually seen it in the flesh. So far, it had only been heard, not seen. They might be able to better assess the danger if they could somehow get close enough to actually observe the beast.

As a tactical matter, the beast was of utmost importance because it could stand between them and the successful completion of their rescue mission to find the eternal child.

Daniel carefully stalked farther into the quagmire. I feel like a hunting dog trying to flush prey out of hiding. His carbine hung by a sling over his shoulder—the weight of it dug into his flesh. His legs ached from wading through the sucking, decaying muck. Damn it, Bernie, where the hell are you?

The mission, to locate and rescue Bernie, was his primary concern. But with the creature closing in on them, his very survival, as well as that of his partner, weighed heavily on his mind—especially if the creature turned out to be as vicious and odious as its distant caterwauls suggested.

I’ve never experienced mortal danger, but this feels like it could turn out to be the real thing.

There had been no sign of Bernie, not even a dung pile or footprint—nothing but cold, dusky desolation since they had landed and bivouacked three days ago. He had been chosen for this rescue detail because he was the only person who had prior experience in the government-restricted Arrowhead. But it was completely different now, after the accidental A-bomb detonation last summer.

If not for his close comradeship with Bernie, he would never have volunteered to go back here. This vile place sure wasn’t his idea of fun. Past experiences had taught him not to expect positive outcomes in this abominable cesspool.

After hours of prolonged exposure to the damp, cold air, he was becoming weaker and more dehydrated. He wiped his brow with his jacket sleeve to keep sweat from running into his eyes and obscuring his vision.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling, ear-piercing screech reverberated from the trees that surrounded him. The sound of it jolted him, sending nerve spasms, like electric shocks, up his spine, and through his body, throwing him into a momentary state of disorientation. Out of control, he spun around so fast he nearly lost his balance. It was the same sound he had constantly been hearing, but now, instead of resonating from some distant unknown place, it was close—very close.

While definitely the scream of a wild beast, in some inexplicable way, it had a human quality about it—like an anguished, tortured scream. Using the rifle’s Polaroid scope-sight to aid him, Daniel desperately scanned through the thick fog; He still couldn’t detect any signs of life. I know you’re there, you demon son of a bitch!

Without warning, unseen from behind, something clobbered him hard on the side of his head. From the corner of his eye, he barely glimpsed the blurry image of a huge, furry arm and clawed hand. The blow catapulted his body head over heels through the air and left him helplessly sprawled on the ground, momentarily incapacitated. His vision rapidly changed to a blur, then to blackness.

Seconds later, he opened his eyes. Dazed and in shock, he heard the enraged snarl of the beast as it turned and charged him again. Instinctively he rolled over on his belly in a protected position. He wiped blood from his face and regained his full vision. It came into focus—lumbering toward him—huge and hair-covered like a bear but standing upright like an ape. He shouldered his rifle, pulled back the hammer, and took aim. He fully intended to squeeze the trigger and kill his attacker, but something stopped him. The beast froze in his tracks with a bewildered expression on its face, as if primitive intuition had forewarned its impending death. For a split second, they were frozen in each other’s stare. Again, he attempted to pull the trigger and end it, but his trigger finger was paralyzed like in a nightmare. Buck fever? No, not that. I just can’t kill it. Somehow I sense vibes of a human soul pulsing deep within it. The beast stared at him and cocked his head, baffled, as if to say, "Why didn’t you kill me?"

Daniel sprang to his feet like a ninja wrestler and readied himself to fight back. The beast, growling and foaming at the mouth, let out another screech and continued to attack. Daniel dodged to the side like a bullfighter, but the creature’s charge grazed his side, stripping the cocked rifle from his grasp and onto the ground. It discharged upon impact, but the bellow of its report didn’t deter the beast at all. Instead, it was immediately upon him again, knocking him to the ground, tearing at him with huge claws. Daniel somehow twisted free again and ran from it. I know I can’t run fast enough to escape. I’m going to die—damn, I should have killed the ugly piece of crap while I had the chance.

Miraculously, just in the nick of time, something grabbed him, hoisting him into the air and out of the grasp of the snarling beast. Seething pain paralyzed him as huge talons sunk into the flesh of his back. Pain and the thrashing turbulence of huge wings overwhelmed his senses as he was helplessly launched on a dizzying flight out over the lake. Without warning, the giant hawk released him, sending him plummeting to the icy water.

He thrashed on the surface. The black shadow of the monster hawk’s huge wings swept over him, as if to make sure he was okay.

The cold water shocked him into full consciousness, and he began desperately swimming for his life toward the safety of the nearest shore. Finally, his feet touched bottom, and he was able to splash his way to the rocks, where he fell facedown in exhaustion. Although bleeding and in pain, he still felt good—he had survived certain death once again, thanks to the giant black hawk.

He heard Buck calling to him and feebly attempted an answer—then Buck’s voice began drifting away, and his vision once again faded to a blue blur—everything started spinning around him as if he had just stepped off a tilt-a-whirl at the carnival.

07:30 Zulu

US Air Force Academy

Daniel opened his eyes. He felt confused and disoriented until he realized that the pale morning sky he thought he was gazing up at was actually the barracks ceiling, brightly lighted by the sun shining through the window.

Damn it, another nightmare! I hope it’s not a prophetic vision like what happened last summer.

He felt weak and his insides quivered as he rolled out of his cot, stumbled into the latrine, and splashed water on his face. Looking into the mirror, he felt for claw gashes on his head but found none. His back still throbbed and stung like crazy, but upon inspection, he found no blood, puncture wounds, or scars. He walked back to his study desk, sat down, and gazed out the window. The pale morning sun bathed the green grass and concrete expanses of the campus. He looked at the textbook he had been