IT LIVES IN THE BASEMENT (13 page)

Alvarez smiled as he explained, “Not exactly, but I do think we can freeze one of them solid.  That will keep the medical people doing the examinations on the Tescara out of harm’s way, as well as us.”

Carter elaborated, “Mick and Daniels are bringing a big container of dry ice, and several fire extinguishers.  We know they don’t like the cold, so maybe freezing one will work.  I sure hope so; it’s the only plan we came up with that could work.”

“Dry ice?  Fire extinguishers?  Jeez John, this isn’t a martini we’re trying to chill here.  This bastard eats people
, man.  We have to stop it cold.”

“Exactly,” Carter said.  “I’ve read where they use big chemical extinguishers to flash freeze snakes and other types of critters.  We
’re hoping if we can sedate one, we’ll be able to blast away until its frozen solid.”

Sagano didn’t look very happy.  “In that case, I hope you’re getting a truckload of the damn things, ‘cause I doubt just one extinguisher will do much but piss it off
.”

Alvarez said, “Listen Mark, you can go home if you prefer.  Once the drug took effect, we know the Tescara from last night stayed unconscious for around twenty to thirty minutes.  If we can stick the creature with just one dart, I can inject additional tranquilizer as needed, until we have it frozen solid and packed in the dry ice.  And today we will have several tranquilizer rifles with us, so it might be hit with multip
le darts.  This is our hope anyway.”

“Uh, where exactly do we look for this Tescara, John?  Somewhere in that house on 18th street, right?”

Again Alvarez answered.  “Yes, but in the basement.  The basement has a dirt room where I am convinced the creature comes and goes from.  The creature probably has tunnels to travel by, and possibly even a den or cave where it lives.  We must go in after it, I am afraid.  The last time I advised against doing this, but now, I do not see that we have any choice in the matter.”

The rest of the trip was made in silence
, but for the occasional sighs and a few groans from the backseat whenever Sagano moved his head.

When they turned off the Interstate onto Martha Street, Carter mentioned, “Doctor Lewis, from the Henry Doorly Zoo, will be there too
, Mark.  She’s an old acquaintance of mine from the volunteer security staff meetings where I’m one of the advisors.  Doctor Lewis, Cathy is the resident expert on the sedation of large primates.  She’s the veterinarian the zoo officials call to anesthetize the gorillas when they require medical treatment.  Cathy was kinda skeptical at first, but I finally convinced her.  She guaranteed me she’d bring along enough tranquilizers to put half of Omaha to sleep, and to help keep the creature asleep for as long as we needed.”

Alvarez stopped at the 24th Street traffic light.  “And Officer Kaslowski is bringing some special equipment she is checking out from the weapons room, and other equipment she thought we might need.”

The Blazer turned north on 18th Street, and from a block away, Carter could see the gathering of vehicles at the old house.  Alvarez drove up into the yard and along the north side of the house to the backyard where several people stood waiting.  One was the pretty Cathleen “Pepper” Kaslowski, standing with an older woman Carter recognized as Doctor Cathy Lewis.  Behind them, sitting on the steps and some upside-down, five-gallon buckets were three men, each in civilian clothing, but wearing their police gun belts.

Introductions went around for those few that didn’t know each other.

The Doctor asked, “John, I’d like to see the videotapes you mentioned over the phone.  I’m afraid I remain unconvinced as to the danger involved, and well, the actuality there could be a species out there biologists are totally unaware of.”

Pepper said, “Sure, I bet we’d all like to see the tapes
before we go into the house and search for this thing.  I have a camcorder with a built-in small TV screen, so we can watch them right now, if you don’t mind.”

Carter glanced at Alvarez, then Sagano.  “I guess that’s alright, Pepper.  But I was kinda of hoping not to show these videos, in case somebody wanted to back out.  But that wouldn’t be fair, so I agree.  Here.  Let’s go over in the shade and look at the tapes.  Oh, did the landlord ever show up?”

Officer Paul Daniels held up a key.  “Yeah, about ten minutes before you arrived.  Weird guy.  He couldn’t get out of here fast enough.  Anyone want a cold beer while we watch?  Mick has a whole cooler full in the back of his pickup.  He also brought the dry ice and extinguishers.  He could only find four extinguishers, but they’re pretty good-sized.  Do you think they’ll be enough, Captain?”

Carter replied softly, “I wish the hell I knew, Paul.  Look everybody, we’re all off duty here, and volunteers, so don’t call me Captain
, John, or Carter, but not Captain.  And listen to me people.  After you see this creature on the tapes, if any of you want out, please don’t hesitate to say so.  Believe me; we’ll understand.  This bastard is damn dangerous.”

Sagano snorted
as he opened his beer, “No shit Sherlock.”

In the shade, they crowded around the small screen to view the tapes.  There wasn’t any talking, except Carter’s narrative, and that stopped when the Tescara screamed, which
froze everybody in their tracks.

Retired Captain Mike Reames was the firs
t to react.  “Holy fuck, Carter, what the hell is that thing?  Is this a joke?  That’s what killed Flynn, this little animal?”

Suddenly everyone was asking questions simultaneously, so Carter held his hand up for silence.  “Well, Cathy?  What do you have to say now about the possibility of danger or that some unknown creature is roaming around biologists have never uncovered?”

The Doctor studied Sagano’s bandages for a second, then back to the small TV screen, where the frozen frame displayed the Tescara vaulting into the camera and tripod.  She slowly shook her head.  “John, everything you told me on the phone, and this tape, convinces me we must capture one, but alive and unharmed.  We have to study the creature.  Bringing one back alive could be the most important discovery of the Century.”

Sagano asked sarcastically, “Doctor, how in the hell do you plan to capture one?  And if somehow you did, where the fuck do you think you’re going to contain the bastard?  That bastard tore its way out of a big, stainless-steel cage Alvarez made specifically to hold it.  Every one of us here, together, wouldn’t be able
to bend just one of those bars.  That creature bent them all, and in a split second.”

The Doctor responded evenly, “Mister Sagano, I am a scientist, and based on the information John revealed to me over the phone, I came prepared for whatever eventuality may unfold.  In my truck are another cage, and a child-sized straitjacket with heavy web straps, along with leg manacles and handcuffs we use on the gorillas, and other items I thought might be useful.  I came here prepared to be convinced this creature was either some sick joke, or possibly the biggest discovery I
’ve been involved with.  The latter proves to be the case, and I intend to capture one, keep it heavily sedated, and transport it to the security cell in the zoo infirmary, which was constructed to contain the largest and strongest of the gorillas.  We can contain the animal, of that I’m sure, but we must capture it at all costs.  We must.”

Sagano snorted.  “Lady, I don’t care if the cell was built to hold King Kong
.  I can promise you, your cell won’t hold this little bastard.”

Alvarez nodded.  “He may have a point, Doctor.  We saw the Tescara in action, and for its size
, it’s the strongest animal you can imagine.  The creature jumped through the rear window while we were traveling at fifty miles per hour, got up and ran away.  That transpired after it was already sedated, then tore free of a big, webbed cargo net plus broke out of the stainless-steel cage.”

Holding up her finger, the Doctor said with a
n arrogant smile, “Yes, but that’s the point, don’t you see?  You were successful in sedating the animal.  If it worked once, it will work again.  All we have to do is keep the creature sedated, and it will be harmless.  All you need do is sedate one again, and I’ll do the rest.”

Sagano said with disgust
, “Yeah.  Sure, Doc, whatever you say.  But you should think about this people.  Last night Alvarez shot that Tescara with enough tranquilizer to stop a charging rhino, and the little bastard was still able to jump up, ran about eighty feet, tore the rifle from John’s hands, then jumped up on me.  That’s when the drug finally took effect, when it was wrapped around my head.  In another ten seconds, I wouldn’t have had a head left.”

Alvarez stopped the Doctor from talking by adding, “Yes Doctor, he is correct.  We estimated it took almost a full minute before the tranquilizer took effect, and if John and Mark had been any closer, they would both surely be dead.  Tescara kill very quickly, and from what we witnessed last night, they fear nothing.”

Pepper interjected, “While you experts stand here and argue, I’m going to my car for the equipment I brought.  Come give me a hand Mick and Daniels.  And Captain, er, John, we’ll be ready to go into the house with you once we get equipped.  If, that is, you still plan to search for the Tescara, sir.”

Carter studied her for a moment, then the rest of the group.  “Well people, anyone want out?”

No one said a word, so Kaslowski, Daniels and Mickosky walked away.  They weren’t gone but a few minutes, and came back under a staggering load of gear, which they carefully laid out in the yard.

Handing equipment out, Pepper instructed, “Everyone wears a bulletproof vest, as well as a riot-helmet with a face-shield, and a pair of these gloves that I borrowed from my brother from the packing house.  The gloves are heavy mesh-metal
and should give our hands some protection.  At least they work perfect for knives and other sharp objects.  We have four tranquilizer rifles and six riot shotguns, all fully loaded with .00 buckshot, so be careful where you point them.  Each shotgun has ten rounds, and that’s all I could acquire, so don’t run out of ammo or you lose your shotgun.

“Sergeant Alvarez, here are the two sound dishes you requested.  Each sound dish has headphones, and
I was told the batteries should last for about two hours.  We have five propane lanterns and five flashlights, so we’ll have plenty of light.  Captain, uh, John, have you thought about what we might run into down there?  I don’t mean this Tescara thing, I mean if we’re in a tunnel?  What if we end up crawling one behind the other?  Whoever is out front could be in a world of hurt I think, sir.  Those bringing up the rear couldn’t help him without the possibility of shooting him.”

Daniels said, “I think me and Mick should go in first.  We’re the youngest of the men, plus we’ll be carrying picks and shovels, so we may be able to widen a tunnel if needed.  What do you think, sir?”

Carter nodded and said, “Alright, but let’s see what we find down there first.  Who knows, we may have to dig the entire way as these creatures are pretty small.  They wouldn’t need much of a tunnel to move around in.”

Looking around at his small group of volunteers which consist
ed of close friends and fellow Officers, Carter was amazed they were willing to help him with his possible suicidal plan.  Starting to feel the weight of having their lives in his hands, he asked, “I have to ask all of you a question, and if you don’t want to answer, I’ll understand.  Why are you doing this?  You know how dangerous catching this creature will be, and we could end up getting killed.  Even if we get out in one piece, we can still get fired for this.  Or even end up in jail.  What we’re doing is unofficial, and damned illegal.”

Pepper answered right away.  “Sir, I’ve hated myself for being a coward.  When we were at this house for the murder of that Mexican kid a few years ago, we were forced to turn in a false report stating the murder was by person or persons unknown, but probably another illegal alien.  We all knew how he died.  Well, I have to do this or I’ll never feel right about myself again.”

The other cops nodded in agreement, and even the retired Reames said, “Me too, Pepper.”

The Doctor said, “You know why I’m here, John.  I have to get my equipment from the truck.  Would one of your Officers give me a hand, please?”  Mickosky gave an acknowledging nod and left with her.

Sagano stared daggers after the Doctor.  “I’m here because I want to see the bastard dead, John.  And I don’t give a fuck what that screwy doctor friend of yours says either.  I don’t plan to take any chances.  I’m gonna blast the little fucker the instant I see it, because I know what it can do. She can study a dead one just as easily.”

Fifteen minutes later they were in the small, dirt room at the back of the basement, sweating profusely under all the armor and gear they were wearing.  Because the power had been turned off, the single lightbulb hanging from the cobwebbed ceiling didn’t function, so the lanterns were lit, which added tremendously to the heat level.  The room was ten-foot square, had three dirt walls and an uneven dirt floor.  With all their bodies in the room, it became smaller and hotter.

A few feet from where an old, rusty water pipe ran into the meter, stood a small piece of cardboard, leaning unobtrusively against the north wall.  Using a shovel, Daniels pushed over the cardboard.  They all stared nervously at the small hole in the dirt wall.  Kneeling with a flashlight, Daniels peered in as far as he could see.