Leaving aside what happened inside that tiny helicopter, the camera turned once more to the military on the other end of the bridge.
General Ross had not only brought in all kinds of experimental weapons on large trucks, but his soldiers had also begun setting up tents along the riverbank as a temporary command post, looking as though they intended to outlast the monster until the end of time.
No one knew where the military got its confidence, but they had actually brought reporters along for this deployment. With the magnificent river behind them and the distant battlefield as a backdrop, they were going to film a news documentary.
To create that tough-guy military atmosphere, General Ross sat atop a pile of green ammunition crates for the interview, looking relaxed but actually stiff as a board. The crates even bore the words: "Do Not Crush. Flammable and Explosive."
Perhaps reporters were selectively blind. Once the camera started rolling, the female anchor conducting the interview did not care what was inside the crates. She swept back her hair, introduced herself, and began questioning General Ross.
"Hello, General. Could you share your assessment of the current situation with the viewers watching from home?"
The reporter flashed a seductive smile and, outside the camera's view, undid two more buttons at the collar of her shirt.
For the news, for a Pulitzer Prize, she could sacrifice anything. Her assignment to put on this performance with the military today had been earned through sleeping with station executives in the past. She had also keenly sensed that the military representative seemed to have some issue with her, so she did what every competent female anchor would do.
Give the interviewee a little sweetness, making it easier to get more news from him later. That was how