“Well, see, it really is your lucky day, Sir.” Morales grinned at Ford, who didn’t get the joke. “General Orders. All branches. Everything not tied down is moving east.” He chuckled wryly as he headed across the tent. “We’re all Monster Hunters now.”

East, Ford thought. Across the Pacific… after the creatures?

“Is that where they’re heading?”

The sergeant, although accommodating, was in too much of hurry to answer all Ford’s questions. He stepped lively to keep up with the other military personnel. “Our truck’s right outside.”

Ford hustled after him, even as his mind reeled at the alarming news he’d just received. Whatever relief he’d experienced from reuniting Akio with his parents was instantly dispelled by a growing fear for his own family’s safety. His worst fears were coming true.

The giant creatures were heading east… toward the west coast of North America. Toward Elle and Sam.

* * *

The observation platform overlooking the Saratoga’s flight deck, located on the carrier’s upper island, was nicknamed “Vulture’s Row.” The unnerving parallel with the crow’s nest back at the doomed Japanese base was not lost on Serizawa. A briny wind blew against him as he occupied the high balcony, distractedly twisting the stem of his antique pocket watch. The observation platform offered an excellent view of operations down on the flight deck, but he gazed out at the ocean instead, where Godzilla could be seen swimming across the Pacific.

The submerged leviathan was a great dark mass swimming beneath the waves. The peaks of his spiky dorsal fins sliced through the churning foam, directly ahead of the carrier fleet, which had to pour on the speed to keep up with the swiftly moving colossus. The Saratoga could manage a maximum speed of more than thirty knots but Godzilla was even faster. Unmanned aerial vehicles, designed for low-altitude surveillance, skimmed above the surface of the water like a flock of seabirds dogging an orca. The Saratoga and the rest of the strike group followed behind the undersea monster at what they hoped was a safe distance. To the mounting concern of everyone aboard, Godzilla remained on course for the west coast of the United States.

Which meant the MUTO was heading for America as well.

Frowning, the scientist put his watch away and descended several decks to the CDC, where the war room remained a buzzing hive of activity. Glowing monitors displayed flickering satellite imagery of the flying MUTO as well as live UAV footage of Godzilla swimming beneath the sea. Vivienne Graham stared in fascination at the visuals. Despite the undeniable danger to the human population, she was obviously intrigued by the unique organisms she had tracked and studied for most of her career.

Serizawa knew exactly how she felt.