by Logan Jacobs
“Oh, but you can send us,” Becka snapped as she suddenly understood. “It’s not Die Hard, it’s The Dirty Dozen.”
“What is a Dirty Dozen?” Hae-won asked.
“Another movie,” I replied, “about soldiers selected for a dangerous mission because they were considered expendable.”
“Oh,” Hae-won sniffed. “So we are expendable?”
“And if we say no?” Becka demanded. “Are you going to put us in shackles and throw us in a hole in the ground?”
Walston sighed heavily and shook his head.
“I don’t want to waste time dealing with crimes like theft right now,” Walston said. “Especially since it sounds like you’ve only done what was needed to survive. You didn’t kill anyone or knock over some poor old pensioner and steal her weekly food allowance.”
“We’ll need weapons,” I said, which drew offended looks from both of the girls when they realized I was onboard with Walston’s plan. “We’ll take any other weapons or ammunition you can spare. We’ll also need something other than the bikes if we’re going to bring the staff back.”
“Jason!” Becka protested.
“It makes sense,” I replied.
“But--” Hae-won stammered.
“If we make it to Coates, find Brills and the rest of the staff, and if they are alive, then get them safely back here, will you let us leave on the bikes with everything we came here with?” I asked. “And any ammo or guns we might still have as well?”
The girls both stared at me in disbelief, but a smile tugged at the corner of Walston’s mouth.
“We need the ammo,” I said to the girls. “We’ve used a lot already, and I’m nearly out of shells for the .308. We do this, and we’ll have enough to get us to Yorkshire.”
“And gas,” Hae-won said a moment later. “We’ll need to refill the bikes.”
“I was only joking when I said we should start a dino control company,” Becka muttered.
“You bring me Brills, and whatever other staff you can find, and you can keep everything you have, and I’ll resupply you with ammo and gas,” Walston said. “Though, I still want that report on all the dinosaurs you’ve encountered and where.”
“Deal,” I said quickly.
“It will take a bit to round up something you can use,” Walston mused. “I’ll see that the rifles are returned, and we might have some handguns you could use as well. Why don’t you enjoy something in the mess while I make arrangements?”
Walston must have pressed a button under his desk, because the door opened on cue and a surly sergeant entered the office.
“Take our friends here to the mess and let them eat,” Walston instructed. “And tell Irving to bring me a list of vehicles.”
“Sir,” the sergeant replied with a salute.
Walston gave us a quizzical look as if he wasn’t sure why we were still there. We stood up and shuffled from the room, and the sergeant slammed the door behind us as soon as Becka was across the threshold.
“Jason, are you sure about this?” Hae-won asked as the sergeant herded us through the cubicles.
“Would you rather sit in the local jail until we were either killed by a dino or someone remembered to press charges?” I asked.
“No,” Hae-won admitted.
“At least we’ll get ammo out of this,” Becka said. “And it will only add a day or so to our trip. Mum won’t worry too much.”
“Exactly,” I replied, although I was less certain about how long this side trip would take. And what would we do if we made it to Coates and found out the whole team was dead?
Chapter 5
The mess was a tent erected in a field near the plant, surrounded by other tents and tons of equipment. The soldiers we passed looked at us curiously, but everyone seemed to be busy, so no one actually spoke to us. The dour sergeant led us to the largest tent, then held the flap open so we could duck inside.
There was enough room for at least a hundred people inside, and possibly more since the only seating available were long picnic tables. There were about twenty people already in the tent scattered among the tables, mostly in small groups of two or three, though three people seemed to be eating alone. The air smelled like boiled cabbage and stale bread, though I was happy to see that the drinks station had hot coffee as well as hot tea.
“Grab a tray,” the sergeant instructed as he pointed us toward a table at the end of a buffet. “Lunch is strictly cold food, usually sandwiches. We limit everyone to just two sandwiches and a bag of their choice.”
We each picked up a tray, then took in that day’s offerings. It was, as stated, wrapped and unmarked sandwiches and bags of chips, as well as fruit cups and packets of crackers and cheese. We filled up, under the sergeant’s watchful eye, and then retreated to an empty table at the far end of the space.
“Drinks?” I asked as I set my tray and rifle down. “I saw coffee and tea, and it looked like orange juice, as well as cans of Coke.”
“Tea,” the blonde said quickly.
“Coke,” the Korean added.
I crossed the mess tent again and inspected the drinks on display. The coffee and tea had already been brewed and sat in two large metal urns, so I picked up a pair of plastic cups and filled one with coffee and one with tea. I grabbed a can of regular Coke as well, then carried everything back to our table.
“The sandwich is actually good,” Becka said as I sat down. “This one’s a chicken tikka kind of thing, and Hae-won’s got one that’s roast beef.”
“With very spicy horseradish,” the Korean added around a mouthful of food. “Very good.”
“Well, let’s see what sandwich number one holds for me,” I said as I unwrapped my first sandwich and lifted the top of the roll. It looked like tuna fish salad, a fact confirmed by a quick sniff. I was a little disappointed, since tuna salad wasn’t my favorite, but a quick bite revealed something that was tangy, with little bits of celery for extra crunch.
I did better on my second pick, which turned out to be one of the roast beef sandwiches with spicy horseradish. It was as delicious as promised, and I ate it down with gusto. I thought I’d slow down by the time I turned to the potato chips, fruit cup and cheese pack, but I still had coffee left in my cup by the time I finished eating and I realized that I’d put away my entire lunch very quickly, despite having breakfast and a pair of scones.
“I didn’t realize I was so hungry,” Becka said as she stared at her empty wrappers.
“I’m surprised,” Hae-won said. “After the scones, I didn’t think I would want much lunch.”
“I guess riding motorcycles and dodging dinosaurs is hungry work,” I chuckled.
“Oooh, a new diet plan,” Becka replied. “We’ll have to write a piece for Vogue. ‘How to Stay Trim while Defending Your Homestead’.”
“‘Maintain Your Perfect Weight and Your Perfect Fighting Form’,” Hae-won suggested.
We started to laugh, which drew a few looks, and I noticed that the tent was starting to fill up. Despite the crowd, no one had yet tried to sit near us, and I wondered what type of stories had already been spread among the troops about us. The girls started to chat again while I studied the soldiers, and then the sergeant reappeared and signalled for us to follow. We stood up, shouldered our rifles, emptied our trays into the bin, and left the empty cups and trays on the stack by the door.
Rather than returning to Walston’s office, the sergeant led us around the side of the building and back toward the original parking lot for the power plant. There were cars scattered around the lot, as well as more than a few military vehicles. But parked by the front door was a minibus, painted bright orange with giant black, smeared polka dots. The words ‘Ronnie’s Haunted Tours’ were emblazoned on the side, and I realized the black polka dots were supposed to be ghosts.
“Is that what we’re supposed to drive to Coates?” I asked the sergeant.
The man stared at the minibus but didn’t say anything. A moment later, Walston ste
pped from the office area and walked toward us.
“Best I could spare,” Walston said as he looked over the minibus. “But there should be plenty of space for everyone.”
“How are we supposed to sneak around in this thing?” Becka asked. “They’ll be able to pick us out from miles away.”
“I’d say that was true no matter what you’re driving,” Walston replied.
“I like it,” Hae-won declared. “Though we need to work on the ghosts. They’re not very scary.”
“It drives just like a car, so it shouldn’t give you any problems,” Walston added. “We have a large bus nearby, but that’s a good deal more complicated. Requires a special license, you know.”
“This will be fine,” I said. “What about weapons and ammo? We have our rifles, but you said you could supply us with more shells.”
Hae-won and Becka had helpfully held up their rifles when I mentioned them in their best Vanna White poses. Walston considered the military grade weapons for a moment, and I could tell he was debating whether to let us keep the weapons.
“We’ve gotten very good with these,” I said. “We’ve taken down some seriously large dinos with them.”
Walston still looked unconvinced, but he waved toward the glass doors to the office and a moment later, a young woman in uniform stepped through. She had our ammo bag, belts with holsters, and three extra handguns, which she held out for inspection as Walston pointed to the collection.
“We’ve added more magazines to your supplies for the SA-80’s, as well as chest ammo rigs,” the brigadier said. “And I’ve added three Glock 19s along with belts, holsters, and spare magazines for those as well. Lightweight, reliable, even someone unfamiliar with firearms should be able to handle them.”
My companions both sniffed, and Becka crossed her arms across her chest, so I had to fight the urge to remind the pair that neither had fired a gun just two weeks ago, something I didn’t want to admit in front of the army man who still didn’t think they could handle the rifles.
“Those are perfect,” I said. “I’ve fired a nine millimeter before at my grandfather’s farm.”
“I’ve also taken the liberty of adding some lightweight jackets to the bag,” Walston said. “Large enough to conceal the Glocks if need be.”
The dusky-skinned man took the ammo bag from his subordinate and pulled out one of the jackets. They were olive green, but bore no insignias or obvious signs that they had come from a military store. I wasn’t sure if Walston was expecting us to run into trouble with the townspeople in Coates and therefore decided to give us a way to hide the Glocks, or he simply didn’t want to risk us soiling the good reputation of England’s army by appearing to be part of them if something went wrong.
The soldier handed over the belts and holsters first, followed by the Glocks once the holsters were in place. Under the brigadier’s gaze, we cleared and checked each Glock before we added them to our gear. The army man nodded in approval, then handed the ammo bag to me. I handed the girls the two smaller jackets, then did a quick check of our ammo supply. The brigadier hadn’t skimped, I was happy to see, and we had enough casings to refill the rifles several times as well as the Glocks.
The brigadier watched as I pulled on the jacket, and after he checked to make sure the Glock was out of sight, he nodded in approval. The girls followed my lead and slid the jackets on, and the army man nodded once again.
“That should be good enough,” Walston replied. “Try to avoid being patted down if you don’t want anyone to find them. So, easy enough to get to Coates from here. Make a right out of the gate and head toward the Perkins Parkway, then a left onto the Whittlesey Road. That will take you straight to Coates.”
“We’ll see you soon,” I replied as I ushered my two companions onto the minibus.
Hae-won started to sit in the driver’s seat, but I shooed her away and claimed the spot for myself. I tucked my rifle beneath the window, slid the ammo bag beneath the first passenger seat, and cast a grin at the girls as they tried to decide which empty seat to take.
“You’re driving?” Becka asked. “When do I get a shot to demonstrate my skills?”
“I’m just driving for now,” I said as I studied the controls. “You can drive on the way back if you want.”
“Never driven one of these before,” Becka mused. “But I just might. After all, I’m riding around on a motorbike now.”
“I have driven one,” Hae-won offered as she peered over my shoulder.
“Why am I not surprised?” I said as I turned the key in the ignition.
The engine sputtered for a moment, then caught, and a few seconds later a wave of cold air started to fill the minibus as the Monster Mash started to play.
“Oh, no,” Becka protested. “Are we going to have to listen to this all the way to Coates?”
“Uh,” I muttered as I looked at the array of buttons.
I looked toward the three soldiers who still stood nearby. Walston and the unnamed woman looked like kids trying hard not to laugh at a friend’s misfortune while the sergeant remained stoic.
“I think this is for the sound system,” Hae-won said as she sidled up next to me.
The Korean fiddled with a few buttons, and the Monster Mash gave way to static for a moment, and then someone who sounded like a British Rush Limbaugh. Hae-won frowned, pressed a different button, and the minibus was blessedly silent at last.
“It’s a bit cold,” Becka commented. “Do you suppose that was done to convince people they were driving through a haunted cemetery or such?”
“Probably,” I agreed. “But we’ll have to figure out the temperature control later. Let’s just get out of here before Walston changes his mind.”
The minibus was an automatic, thankfully, and I shifted into drive while the troops looked on, and we chugged out of the parking lot and back onto the road. When we reached the Perkins Parkway, I was very glad that we had left Tim in Cambridge. The minibus wasn’t nearly as wide or as cumbersome, but it was still a chore trying to steer around the cars, downed trees, and other debris. It took us three times as long as it should have to reach our next turn, a time made more tense by the appearance of a Pterodactyl in the distance and the sight of several smaller four-legged lizards walking slowly across the road in front of us.
The Whittlesey road was smaller and less crowded at least, though we ended up on the shoulder for most of the drive. Eventually, it looped east again and widened out, but in England that really just meant that there was room for two cars to pass each other.
“Uh, Jason,” Becka called out as we passed a sign for the King’s Dyke Reserve.
I didn’t respond right away as I stared at the mess ahead of us. There was a rail line that cut across the road, and a dino had obviously attacked the area as a train was passing through. There was a stalled train blocking the road, its engine lying on its side in the field and half of the passenger cars ripped open. There was also a long line of cars that had stopped for the train and been caught with nowhere to go. Several vehicles had been crushed when one of the passenger rail cars had been tossed on top of them. And, of course, there had been road construction nearby as well. A nearby sign touted the soon to be complete level crossing that would allow motor vehicles to travel over the rail line on a bridge rather than having to wait for the train to pass. Both ends of the bridge were in place and the cranes still stood ready to set the middle section in place.
“Uh, Jason,” Becka repeated.
“What?” I asked as I came to a stop.
“Stopping’s not a good idea,” Hae-won said. “Something is coming toward us.”
I finally looked out the window to where the girls were pointing. It was a tract of land, probably part of the nature reserve, filled with trees and grasses. I caught the shimmer of water in the distance and saw something that could have been a hawk drop into the protective cover of the canopy of leaves.
That’s when I saw what had caught the girls’ attention. It
looked like a rounded sail that floated above the tops of the trees, painted a pale orange color with streaks of red. It moved slowly, just like a sailboat on the water, and for a moment, it was a lovely sight. But then the sail’s owner stepped into view as it reached the edge of the tree line, and I felt a chill run down my spine.
It was another carnivore, this one on two legs with short arms and a long, narrow head. The skin was a mottled gray and orange with splashes of red, a theme carried over to the spikes that ran along the back of its neck. The teeth were clearly visible, even with the jaw clamped shut, just like the teeth on an alligator, and they were long and sharply pointed at the tip. The longest teeth were nearly a foot long, but even the shorter ones looked like they could drill a hole right through an average sized human.
“Maybe if we sit still, it will just think we’re part of the mess?” Becka suggested.
The spinosaurus, at least, that’s what I thought it was, had stopped near the edge of the water and stared into the depths. Something seemed to have caught its attention, and it didn’t even look in our direction.
“We’d have to turn the engine off,” I remarked. “Or else it will hear it if it comes closer.”
“And then what?” Hae-won asked.
“We could hide under the seats,” I suggested.
“But what if…?” Becka began.
The rest of her sentence was cut off as the dino stood up, sniffed the air, and then let out a strange, high-pitched howl. It looked around, then started to walk toward the road, right through the water as if it were little more than a puddle of rain.
“Well, it’ll see for sure if we move now,” I muttered.
“Turn off the engine,” Hae-won urged.
I looked toward the massive roadblock again, then toward the approaching dinosaur, and turned off the engine. We slipped low in the seats, and peeked out over the bottom edge of the windows as the massive dinosaur neared the road. It studied the carnage that had already occurred, then walked over to the train. It poked at one of the passenger cars, then stood up and looked out over the traffic jam. It sniffed the air one more time, then leaned down to survey the scene more closely.