Drained, he lowered the binoculars and let out a sigh of relief. Part of him was actually disappointed that the owner of the fins had not fully revealed himself, but he suspected that that fateful moment would be upon them soon. He turned toward the unsuspecting island only a few miles away. He had visited Oahu before. It was a beautiful island, full of friendly locals and vacationing tourists.

Little did they know what was heading toward them.

FOURTEEN

Piano music tinkled softly in the background as Bob and Barbara McQueen celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in an elegant restaurant on the top floor of their luxury hotel. An open bottle of champagne rested on the table between them as they finished off their entrées. Bob had ordered the surf and turf while Barb had gone for the coconut shrimp. A picture window offered a lovely view of Mamala Bay, but the elderly couple only had eyes for their meals and each other. Bob had vaguely registered some noisy planes zipping by outside, but knew they weren’t all that far from the Honolulu airport. Certainly, he had no intention of letting some inconsiderate pilots spoil this romantic dinner. He and Barb had been saving up for this Hawaiian vacation for years.

Caught up in their celebratory meal, the couple completely failed to notice as, less than a mile away, a huge reptilian beast rose up from the bay to tower over Waikiki. Torrents of cascading seawater veiled the monster’s form so that only the titanic proportions of the leviathan were revealed. Standing erect on two stout legs, the monster was nearly four hundred feet tall and solidly built, with a broad chest and brawny forearms. A pair of enormous jaws, resembling those of some prehistoric saurian, opened wide, but the creature’s roar was drowned out by the urgent wail of a tsunami warning.

Bob lifted his head irritably from his steak. Now what?

* * *

A massive tidal wave surged onto the shore. Terrified vacationers, including Jenny and her family, ran in panic, seeking higher ground, as the tsunami roared over the beach to flood the crowded streets and buildings beyond. The raging water washed over blocks of bars, night clubs, shops, and restaurants. Telephone poles and power lines snapped one after another, causing a total blackout to envelop Waikiki. Clinging desperately to her daddy and looking back over his shoulder, Jenny stared in fear as the merciless wave chased after them. Her father stumbled in the dark, but kept on running. The wave finally spent itself, only a few blocks behind them, and Jenny thought that maybe they were safe. The roar of the wave died away, only to be supplanted by a series of thunderous impacts, like the slow, ponderous footsteps of a giant, getting closer and closer. Boom. Boom! BOOM!