Dinosaur World 5

by Logan Jacobs

  “Pretty big responsibility,” I agreed. “Glad to have you here, Joey.”

  Harris came over to join us and put his hand on Joey’s shoulder.

  “He was always obsessed with dinosaurs,” the doctor sighed. “I never knew how important that knowledge would actually be until a few weeks ago.”

  “There’s also a spinosaurus,” Joey piped up. “And an allosaurus, and a tarbosaurus. They’re all meat eaters, and they’re really big.”

  “They sure are,” I said. “I’ve never heard of a tarbosaurus before. Can you show me a picture?”

  The red-haired boy bit his tongue while he flipped through the pages of his book, and in only a few seconds, he found what he was looking for. He held the book up high so we could see it, and I looked at the illustrated image of a t-rex-like dino with brown, striped scales.

  “Oh, shit,” Kat said.

  “Kat,” Becka scolded. “Don’t say shit in front of a kid.”

  “I think he has bigger things to worry about,” the curly-haired soldier replied.

  “Thanks for your assistance,” I told the boy with a grin. “This is all super helpful. Why don’t you go and play with the other kid for a bit, okay? I need to talk with the grown-ups about really boring stuff. I’m gonna come find you when I need some expert advice, though, alright?”

  “Yeah, okay!” Joey nodded and stuck his book under his arm as he scampered back over to the tables.

  “Jason!” Becka immediately moaned as she clutched my arm. “You are so fucking cute with kids!”

  “I said like… four sentences to him,” I snorted, but Becka’s big eyes were all sappy about it.

  “You’re such a handsome role model guy,” she gushed. “All sweet and considerate and--”

  “So, you’re having all sons, then?” Hae-won snickered. “Ten mini Jasons running around?”

  Harris cocked an eyebrow and tried to hide his smirk.

  “Fifteen mini Jasons,” Becka corrected. “And he’ll be that classic American dad in a baseball cap and--”

  “So, what’s the plan, lads?” Debbie asked as she appeared next to me with her giant death stick.

  I jumped about a foot, and Becka clamped her mouth shut and stepped six inches away from me.

  “I think we need to do a food run,” Hae-won said in a completely casual tone.

  “We also need to clear the area,” I added and glanced out of the small gap in the boards. “This herd is going to make a move eventually, and they’re drawing attention to the whole group.”

  Mikey shuffled up beside Kat and held up a set of keys.

  “I've got a van round the back,” he said while he nibbled on his lip ring a bit. “If it’s still in one piece, you can use it. I could even come with you guys. Try and help.”

  “I think we should go alone,” I said. “I appreciate it, man, but we’ve got a hell of a lot of experience with fighting these things. I’m hoping our bikes are still okay. They were tucked in behind those trees out the side.”

  “I should have guessed you drive a motorbike,” Debbie said with a wink.

  “I know the fastest way,” Becka said. “Just let me ride with Kat, I’ll be fine.”

  “Like hell are you going,” Debbie snorted and waggled a perfectly manicured finger. “You're keeping your pretty little butt here where I can take care of you.”

  “I came all this way,” Becka groaned. “I’ve said so many times that--”

  “Not another word,” Debbie said. “If you trust your friends, you’ll trust they can make it without you.”

  “And we will,” I assured the blonde Brit. “Just one more thing to sit out of, and you’ll be all fixed up.”

  The flying dino screamed and swooped down near our window, and I jumped as I slammed the wooden plank back into place.

  “How are we going to get back to the vehicles?” Hae-won asked.

  “We might have to just run for it,” Kat said. “It doesn’t sound like they’re all back yet, we should be able to slip by if we get going fast.”

  “It’s the flying one that we need to be most careful of,” I pointed out. “Even if the others are out of earshot, that flying piece of shit will be able to see us.”

  “I could do another distraction?” Becka asked. “I could chuck something out of a top window?”

  “I think that would just make them even more interested in coming in here,” I said. “We need to get to our vehicles safely, and then we can lure them away from here for a bit. The less time they spend prowling around and planning out there, the better.”

  “You’re going to make yourselves dinosaur bait?” Harris asked. “You can’t be serious, you’ll be killed.”

  “Nah.” I grinned. “Four giant, flesh-eating beasts won’t stop us. We came here to be with Debbie, and we can’t let the castle get destroyed before we even settle in. Debbie promised me a bubble bath.”

  “And you’ll get that,” Debbie said and patted my bicep. “I imagine my daughter will be joining you, but don’t worry, they’re really big baths. Might even be able to fit Hae-won and Kitty Kat in if you four squeeze in real… tight like. I’m sure Jason likes tight squeezes.”

  “Jesus, Mum,” Becka sighed as Harris turned pink.

  “I have a bath in my room, too,” Mikey said to Hae-won as he puffed out his chest.

  “That’s nice.” The Korean smiled politely as she grabbed my arm and plopped it over her shoulder. “I will use the bath with Jason. I am his woman.”

  Mikey blanched, and I offered him an amused shrug.

  “Okay, so let’s choose our route to the shop,” Hae-won said and pulled out her phone.

  “Remember to steer clear of open areas,” Becka hastily began. “And please be careful around the cliffsides, they’re steep as hell. If you flew off one of those you would not live to tell the tale. But Jason, don’t forget to look out for--”

  “We’ll be careful,” I calmly interrupted, and I knew the gorgeous blonde was anxious to be missing out on another mission. I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek as Hae-won looked through her GPS.

  “I take it nobody has had luck with phone signals here?” Kat asked.

  “Nope,” Debbie replied. “I paid fifty quid a month for my phone, and I couldn’t even send a text to my daughter during the apocalypse. Bloody scam, if you ask me.”

  “The nerve of some people.” I grinned. “Okay, let’s head back to the pantry and scope out the dino situation while Hae-won’s working on a route. Have you guys got your Glocks on you for when we’re driving?”

  “Loaded and ready.” Hae-won smirked and pulled her gun from her belt and twirled it.

  “That’s cute,” Debbie chuckled.

  “You guys have a lot of guns,” Harris said as he flinched away from Hae-won.

  “There are many things to kill out there.” Kat shrugged. “Okay, let’s roll.”

  “So, you guys are going to want to head to the stock room at the store,” Mikey said as he hurried along beside us. “That’s where most of the long-life stuff is. There’s big crates of cans and pasta and stuff.”

  “Can you get me some ciggies,” Debbie asked. “And some magazines, and don’t forget the wine. God, I need some wine. Are you sure you don’t want my spear, love? You could shove it right in the eyeball of those big bastards, you know.”

  “I’m alright for now, but I’ll remember that,” I said with a charming grin.

  I already loved Becka’s eccentric mother, and despite the fact we were about to go on a dangerous mission, I couldn’t stop smiling. I had a belly full of chili, and I’d successfully brought my girls north through dino country. One more mission didn’t bother me in the slightest, especially when I knew that it would just get me extra brownie points with Becka’s mom.

  We left the dining hall and headed back through the long corridor to the pantry.

  I grabbed the freezer that still blocked the door, and Kat and Mikey helped me shuffle it out of the way while we all grunt
ed through the effort.

  “So, we need to lure these assholes away from Raven Hall,” I sighed once we were done. “Which means we have to get noticed on purpose.”

  “Always a fun game,” Kat chuckled. “This means we’ll probably need to split up at some point.”

  “It’s worked for us before.” I nodded. “I don’t know how many are out there at the moment, but if we split up the herd, they’ll already be more manageable.”

  “The route to the shop is easy,” Hae-won said. “We just need to get down the hill and keep along the main road.”

  “It’s only like fifteen minutes away.” Becka nodded. “And the main road is pretty good for coverage. You have the woodlands running right alongside it.”

  “So, we get them away from the castle,” Kat said, “get our supplies, and get our asses back here before dinner.”

  “That sounds good to me.” I grinned. “Don’t worry, Debbie, we’ll get some ingredients for something other than chili.”

  “Good man,” Debbie said and popped her eyebrows up just once.

  “Be careful,” Becka whispered as she came over to me, and I grabbed her by the waist to take her in for a kiss. She snaked her arms around me and gave my ass a squeeze, and she giggled when I managed to tweak her backend where her mother couldn’t see.

  “We’ll be back before you know it,” I promised. “Any requests from the shop?”

  “Just for all of you to come back,” the blonde sighed.

  “Of course we will,” Hae-won said. “You can pick us out a room while we’re gone. Just make sure the bed is big enough.”

  “On it,” Becka replied with a salute.

  “Okay, guys, we’ll take it from here,” I announced. “Keep this door blocked, and we’ll radio you as soon as we’re back in range, okay?”

  The blonde nodded, and she pulled her radio from her hip to check it was still going strong.

  Mikey looked warily at the door as the sound of heavy wings flapped by, and he shuffled further back as I grabbed the handle.

  “Good luck, guys,” the man with the lip piercing said. “Remember, check the stockroom. Oh, and you’ll need these.”

  The young man took a set of keys from his pocket and threw them over to me.

  “The silver one is for the front entrance, and the gold is for the back.” Mikey continued. “Take whatever you can carry.”

  “Thanks,” I nodded as I carefully tucked the keys into my inner jacket pocket.

  Mikey immediately rushed out of the room, but Becka and Debbie held hands as they stood and watched.

  “You better come back,” Debbie warned. “I’m not having my little princess getting all sad and mopey over a boy.”

  “I won’t let that happen.” I smiled, and I slowly inched open the door.

  I peered through the crack and could see the low stone wall and the trees that hid our bikes on the other side. There were no dino-shaped shadows on the gravel, and the wings sounded like they were relatively far away.

  “I think we should run for it,” I hissed to Kat and Hae-won. “It looks clear for now.”

  “Okay, Jason,” Hae-won said. “We’ll follow right behind you.”

  I took one last glance at Becka and gave her a reassuring smile before I opened the door and sprinted out into the open air.

  It was difficult to be quiet on gravel, but we took as few steps as we could to get back over to the stone wall. Even Hae-won’s short legs managed to fly over the courtyard without making too much noise on the loose stones.

  When I reached the low wall, I flung myself over, and then I dove down behind the trunk of the largest tree. Kat and Hae-won arrived a second behind me, and we pressed our backs up against the bark in a huddle as we listened out for any signs that we had been spotted.

  The fresh air was almost completely still now, and the sound of the far-off wings continued along with the grunt of something on the other side of the castle.

  The vehicles were in one piece, although they were sprayed with blood from the giganotosaurus attack.

  Kat scowled at her stained Jeep, and Hae-won peered around from behind the tree.

  “I can only see two dinos,” the Korean whispered. “Flying dino is over the fields, and I think that’s the allosaurus on the other side of the Hall.”

  “I guess the others are still scared off,” I said. “Maybe they just won’t come back at all, but that’s probably being too hopeful.”

  “The allosaurus must be injured pretty badly,” Kat said. “Look at all that blood.”

  “This might be easier than we expected,” Hae-won agreed. “An injured dino and a flying one. We can lure them away no problem.”

  “I’m cleaning the Jeep as soon as we get back from this,” the curly-haired soldier muttered. “Look at the state of it.”

  “You’re allowed to be a bit messy now, soldier,” I teased. “As long as your shark is still safe inside, then we’re good.”

  “True,” Kat said with a grin.

  “What was the flying dino called again?” Hae-won asked.

  “Dsungaripterus,” Kat quickly answered. “But I’m just going to call it that flying fucker.”

  “Our best chance of losing that one might be in the woods,” I said. “The tree cover seemed pretty thick, and it’s going to be hard for a wingspan that size to fit between the branches.”

  “The allosaurus might bleed out on its own,” Kat said as she continued to glare at the bloody Jeep. “That would be handy.”

  I peered around the wide tree trunk and watched as the flying dino lazily swooped over the fields near the front of Raven Hall. The allosaurus’ tail was visible as it stuck out from the other side of the building, and there was blood smeared all over the gravel near it.

  “Okay,” I whispered. “Let’s lure these guys away and get our supplies.”

  “Are we blowing them up?” Hae-won asked with eager blue eyes.

  “Not if it’s going to draw more attention to this place,” I said. “If we can get far enough away from here and injure them with the Glocks, or maybe get a chance to stop and pull a rifle, then that should clear up the area without making too much noise.”

  “I can take the flying guy,” Hae-won said. “My bike is the fastest, and I can get through the woods the easiest.”

  “Alright,” I agreed. “Then me and Kat can take the allosaurus. That should be easy seeing as he’s injured already.”

  “Simple.” Hae-won grinned.

  “It’s never as simple as we think it’ll be,” Kat chuckled.

  “Let’s do it,” I said with a shrug.

  We crept over to our vehicles, and I wiped the blood from the seat of my motorcycle before I got on. Both dinosaurs seemed relatively docile for the time being, which meant the sound of our engines would be easily heard.

  “Okay,” I said once the girls were ready in their seats. “Hae-won, you’re going to need to move as fast as possible down into the trees. Once the flying dino is after you, me and Kat will get the allosaurus’ attention and lead him in the opposite direction.”

  “There’s a farmhouse down in that field,” Kat said as she peered out of her Jeep. “If we get it to follow us down there, we can shoot it while getting some coverage from the house.”

  “Perfect,” I nodded. “Hae-won, are you sure you can handle the dino by yourself? I don’t mean to harp on about it, I just worry--”

  “Jason, I’ve got this.” The gorgeous Korean winked at me playfully, and I knew I was being too overprotective. In all likelihood, she would easily be able to lose the creature with her ninja-like moves and quick thinking.

  “They’re going to notice the second we start our engines,” I said. “Once your dino is down or lost, head back to the main road and toward the center of town. We meet at the shop, okay?”

  “Radios on,” Hae-won said. “Guns loaded. Badass… engaged.”

  I smiled at my two gorgeous girls, and even though we were missing a team member, I knew we were
fully equipped to spill some dino blood and save Raven Hall.

  “Three, two, one… go,” I said.

  We all turned our engines on, and Hae-won immediately sped out from under the trees and tore down the hillside toward the woodland.

  I watched as the flying dino took a moment to locate the sound, and then it cried out as it dove after the Korean girl’s motorbike. Its bulbous beak snapped as it flew, and it screamed as Hae-won disappeared into the maze of trees. The dino followed her trail and attempted to dive into the woods, but it was blocked by the tangle of branches.

  The allosaurus took longer to realize something was going on, and it lazily started to plod away from the castle and down the hill in search of the noise.

  “Let’s go to the farmhouse,” I muttered.

  I throttled up and drove off with Kat by my side, and we tore over the grassy hillside and right behind the injured dino. It spun around with a confused-sounding cry when we sped past it, and then it started to snarl and limp after us.

  “Holy crap, it's slow,” Kat yelled as we drove down the hillside. “I don’t even know if we’ll need to shoot it, I think the chase might finish this guy off.”

  “I think you’re right,” I laughed as I glanced in my side mirror. “Its eyes are barely open, that giganoto did a real number on it.”

  Two gunshots ricocheted from the woods, and I looked over just as the flying dino screeched. Its wing was hit, and the creature slowed down just a little bit as it attempted to find Hae-won in the maze below.

  The allosaurus didn’t even acknowledge the sounds. It just kept its focus on us as we neared the farmhouse.

  “This is way too easy,” Kat called over. “Let’s get this guy in that big barn before we put it out of its misery.”

  “Perfect,” I hollered. “That hides the corpse, too. Maybe we’ll even have time for a roll in the hay.”

  “That is so cheesy,” Kat snorted. “But I mean, I’m not going to say no to that. Hae-won deserves some love and attention, too, though. I haven’t seen you pounce on that sweet ass once since I joined up with you guys.”

  “You read my dirty mind,” I snickered.

  We reached the side of the large barn, and it was painted a deep red and sat next to a big farmhouse. There were a few scattered bones of various farm animals, and I wrinkled my nose at the stench of the rotting cow that laid by the barn.