by David Rhodes
“Uh, well, sure, I guess so.”
“Great. Lauren, is there a dining hall here at Buckland or a restaurant close by we could all go to for lunch?”
“Sure, there’s a nice little pizza place about a mile from here that we like.”
“Sound good, Danny?”
“I’ll drive and pick everyone up about noon.”
“See you then,” Charles said. Then he turned to Lauren and asked, “Do I get a tour of the paleontology department too?”
Lauren smiled and said, “Yes, but I don’t think it will be as much fun as Dad’s tour.”
“This is very good pizza,” Charles said.
“We like it,” Lauren said. “At least usually. Dad why are you eating a salad?”
“You know I’ve been watching my weight recently.”
“How recently?”
“Oh, about the last two hours.”
Lauren shook her head and said, “Oh, brother.”
“Not to change the subject,” Charles started, “but tell me again about your book, Danny.”
“You wrote a book?” Lauren asked.
“No, no, well, not yet. I’m just taking a writing class - ”
“His second writing class,” Lisa corrected.
“Yes, my second writing class and I’m…you know, I read a lot and these classes have started me thinking that I could write a book. That’s all.”
“What would it be about?” Lauren asked. “Police work?”
“Maybe, but I was hoping to write about something different. I don’t know what yet.”
“Well if it would help,” Charles said, “I have an idea or two about a dinosaur time travel suspense type of book. I just don’t have time to write anything but if you are interested I can send you my outline.”
“But I don’t really know anything about dinosaurs.”
Charles pointed at Ron and Lauren and said, “But you know people who do.”
Danny smiled and replied, “That is an idea. Sure, send me what you have and maybe we can write a book together. I’m taking a few days off and I’ll put some thought into it”
“You are taking a vacation?” Ron asked.
“Okay, who are you and what did you do with the real Danny?” Lauren asked.
“I know, I don’t usually take a real vacation,” Danny said, “but the Chief would like to see me actually take some time off. Says I need it.”
“Going anywhere?” Charles asked.
“When I take time off I like to fish and there are a lot of places around here to go for largemouth bass or pike.”
“Ever go deep sea fishing?”
“No, it does look interesting though.”
“You could catch a sea bass instead, or other interesting fish. When is your vacation?”
“Anytime I want it.”
“Well, let me do this for you. Fly to Jacksonville and stay at my house. It’s huge, lots of room. I can line you up with a deep-sea fishing charter and you’ll have a great time.”
“Well, I don’t know. I - ”
“Danny,” Lisa interrupted, “Charles likes to do things for interesting people who do interesting things. Let him do this for you.”
“I…well, okay.”
“In fact,” Lisa continued, “why don’t both of you come out too after our field trip?”
“What a splendid idea,” Ron immediately said.
“Well I don’t know,” Lauren said. “I don’t know if I can get away.”
“I understand,” Charles told her. “In fact, Danny, that does remind me that I won’t be at the house for a couple of days, I’ll still be here. But just make yourself at home when you get there. I’ll let Aria, she’s my housekeeper, know that you’ll be staying.”
“That’s great. I really appreciate this.”
“Write us a good book and I’ll appreciate that,” Charles said.
“Uh-oh, writer’s block,” Danny laughed, and everyone laughed with him.
“What do you see when you look out there?” Charles asked Lauren.
“The setting sun, the land, a few clouds.”
“Okay, I get that. But don’t use your eyes, what does your heart see?”
Lauren squinted her eyes at Charles and then looked out again. “Okay, what I really see is a thick jungle with towering trees under a clear blue sky. It’s a hot day, even hotter than it is now, and there are all types of animals out there. Most I recognize but some I don’t, and I want to go and look at them close up, to touch them to know what they are like. To not have to guess. But that’s only for an instant and then I’m happy just digging up their bones.”
“I like that,” Charles told her as they started walking into a deep ravine. “I may have Danny put that in his book.”
Lauren looked up and Charles asked, “What is it?”
“Looks like a trackway,” Lauren replied excitedly. She jumped up on a rock and as she pushed up on her tiptoes the rock moved, and Charles reached up quickly and put his hands on her waist to steady her. She turned to say something but instead she smiled and just relaxed as he held her there. After a few seconds she said, “It is a trackway. There are all types of tracks in it, we need to get back and tell Dad.”
As they got closer to the camp they could hear Lisa and Ron laughing then Ron asking, “You do what?”
Lauren turned to Charles and said, “By the way, I took care of the business I had to finish, so I can come to Jacksonville with Dad if that’s okay.”
“That’s fantastic,” Charles told her.
“Good afternoon, sir, how can I help you?”
The man who had just walked into his office quickly shook his hand then sat down and said, “Mr. Young, you were expecting me I hope.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Please, it’s Charles, and everything we say here is to be kept strictly confidential.”
“Yes…Charles.”
As Charles opened a briefcase he asked, “Mr. Young, I heard you like to read a lot of science fiction, is that right?”
Mr. Young nodded and said, “I do read a lot of science fiction. How did -”
“Ever write any of your own?”
“No, no. I’m not a writer.”
“You also are a bird watcher and, what would I say…a part time ornithologist?”
“Yes, I am. I belong to…but how did -”
“Here, I brought you a present,” Charles interrupted. As he set a two-inch thick, by one foot by two feet flat metal container on Mr. Young’s desk, he continued, “Please, open it up.”
Mr. Young did so then he paused and asked, “What do you have here? Are these birds stuffed?”
Charles shook his head and said, “No, they are not stuffed. In fact, I found their bodies just this morning. They were alive just a few hours ago.”
Mr. Young looked up slowly with a puzzled look on his face and asked, “Why would you think I would be interested in these two dead birds?”
“Because in a few minutes you’re going to take a closer look at them. And then you’ll realize you need to have a detailed examination of them.”
“What are they?”
“The light grey one with the dark grey wings that have black spots is a pigeon. Those bronze feathers on its neck are beautiful aren’t they?”
“Well, yes they are, but a pigeon, I mean -”
“And the other one is obviously a parakeet. It’s also beautifully colored, I mean look at how the red-orange face and yellow neck really contrast with the green body. Just fantastic.”
“Yes, I agree it is a beautiful bird, but I have several parakeets at home and I -”
Charles leaned in close and whispered, “Not like this one you don’t. Go home and check your books, all your bird books. And when you figure out why this pigeon and this parakeet are so special, think about your science fiction books.
“At first you won’t believe what you are thinking but then you’ll realize you have to. Nothing else will explain things. And then you’ll kno
w why I chose to speak with you, Mr. Young. A man with a passion for birds and science fiction and who works in a department of the United States Government that knows how to keep secrets.”
Charles stood up and continued, “And this must be kept secret. Only you, and the very few people you have to tell, can ever know about this. If this information passes past a certain point of, let’s say secretiveness, I can guarantee you an immediate prison sentence without due process.”
As Mr. Young started to protest, Charles held up a hand and said, “Next, you will make sure this container is kept in a refrigerated area from now on and that it will only be looked at again under certain specific, and highly unlikely circumstances. In an envelope in the lid of the container is an explanation of those highly unlikely circumstances. Then make sure I am never contacted reference this item unless those highly unlikely circumstances occur.”
Charles looked at Mr. Young for several seconds then asked, “Is there anything I have just said that you do not understand?”
Mr. Young blinked his eyes a couple of times and replied, “Well, yes, just about everything. But I will…” he trailed off as he looked at the pigeon again and then his head snapped up. “Is this a Passenger -”
Charles put a finger to his lips and then smiled as he said, “And Carolina was beautiful this morning. Thank you, Mr. Young,” then he turned and walked out.
Charles sat in his bedroom and listened to the sound of voices and laughter coming from downstairs. For the millionth time it seemed he opened the packet of yellowing paper and took out his, well…his, notes. He crossed off the last item and as he stood up to go downstairs to his friends he picked up the picture by the door and said, “Charles, I started meeting these people when you said I should. I have done almost everything you asked. I hope everything turns out the way you hoped it would. Que será, será.”
Read on for a free sample of PRIMEVAL VALLEY
1
Tall evergreens creaked and swayed as a breeze redolent of pinecones and moisture pushed through the forest and up the river valley. Clouds of flies and gnats clogged the air, and the gentle sound of water falling over stones eased Gill’s nerves. Birds chirped, and squirrels and chipmunks bolted in and out of the woods, looking to take a drink from the river but fleeing upon discovering human intruders.
“Look, da, a rainbow,” Brian said. The three-year-old’s pudgy little finger pointed at the sky.
Sunlight refracted off cool mist that rose from Clear River like smoke and arced lines of color spanned the gurgling stream like a bridge. Water rushed around Gill’s waders as he snapped his wrist back and forth, pulling his fly from the water and flicking it back into place. Brian stood silhouetted beneath the rainbow, and sadness washed over Gill. The boy looked so much like his mother.
Steep mountains covered in Douglas fir, hemlock and whitebark pine filled the horizon, and rocks and sediment ran along the stream’s edge. Mist snaked beneath the thick tree canopy, the forest a shadow world where plants and animals fought for every beam of sunlight. Midsummers in the Rocky Mountains are mild and pleasant when the snow and ice retreat to the mountain peaks.
Clear River bent sharply twenty yards downstream, and Brian stood in a shallow pool behind a line of stones, watching his father. A thick cloud slid by overhead. Brian’s rainbow disappeared, and the boy’s hand fell to his side.
Gill stopped fishing, his fly floating downstream. A chill ran through him and he shook himself, rolling his shoulders, but he couldn’t shake the unease. The cube of ice in his stomach grew to a block, yet there was no cause, no visible reason to make him feel like he’d eaten a plate of Tijuana tacos. Gill stared at his son, whose attention was locked on something upstream.
The boy wiped blonde hair from his face and frowned, his expression passing from wonder to fear.
“Brian?” Gill said.
The cloud passed, and warm sunlight filled the dell.
Brian squealed, a whimper of terror muffled by fear of making noise.
Sweat slid down Gill’s back and forehead, and he cracked his neck. Panic twisted him like a cyclone.
Brian lifted a trembling hand and pointed upriver.
Twenty yards upstream, the snout of an animal stuck from the tree break. Douglas fir packed the far shore, their thick branches encroaching to the water’s edge. The beast’s long jaws were open, and rows of white teeth stood out against bloody gums. Dark eyes the size of golf balls stared from within the shadows of the forest.
The animal’s head twitched like a bird’s, and it made a clicking sound Gill barely heard over the flowing river. Whatever the thing was, it was big and stood as tall as him.
A lizard-like head pushed past evergreen branches, bobbing side-to-side.
Gill searched the shoreline for his supplies. Their lunches and backpack sat on a rock and his Remington .22 leaned against a tree above the waterline forty-feet away. It was farther from him than the beast was from Brian.
The creature stepped from the forest into the river. Gill shook his head and blinked.
The beast moved to the center of the stream and rotated its long head to face Brian. The creature stood on two thick legs, one of which clawed at the river as if spoiling to run. Thin arms hung from a sleek torso, which was covered in tiny brown feathers. A patchwork of darker and longer feathers ran down the center of the beast’s back out to the tip of its ten-foot tail. It took a step toward Brian, clicking and snapping its jaws, head bobbing.
That was enough for Gill. He started for his gun, slow at first, then picking up speed. The creature turned in his direction, but didn’t move, its head shifting from Brian to him. Gill remembered where he’d seen a similar animal. It looked like one of the raptors from the Jurassic Park movies, but instead of grey leathery skin, it had tightly packed feathers and its head was thinner. Dinosaurs had been extinct for millions of years, so the thing had to be a mutant, a bastard spawn of an eagle and an alligator.
The beast took another step toward Brian, and Gill doubled his pace. Water sloshed and splashed, and the creature turned its full attention to Gill.
“That’s it. That’s it,” Gill said.
The animal took two steps in his direction, jaws open in a tooth-filled smile. It clicked and chuffed, pushing through the water, tossing its head back like a horse.
Gill dove the last ten feet, turning his back on the animal as he lunged for his rifle. He grabbed the gun and spun around, bringing the stock to his shoulder.
The creature was gone.
Brian stood in the eddy, staring into the forest. Gill’s heart pounded in his ears, and he got up and pushed through the river toward his son.
“You alright, partner?”
“What… what was that?” the boy sputtered.
“I’m sure I don’t know. Come to me now. It might come back and there could be more of them.”
Brian stomped through the water until he was at his father’s side. He threw his arms around Gill’s waders, and said, “I don’t think I want to learn how to fish.”
“Aw, don’t say that. You just—”
The creature appeared from within the trees twenty feet away, its dark eyes appraising them.
Gill didn’t raise his rifle, he was lost in the awe of seeing something that shouldn’t be, one of those rare oddities that made you feel special for having seen it. The beast was damp with mist and sparkled in the sunlight. It raised itself to its full height, lifting its narrow head and nodding at them.
Gill pushed Brian behind him and lifted the rifle.
The creature stepped back into the dense forest, disappearing in the mist.
“If I didn’t know better I’d think the thing was playing with us.” Gill wanted Brian safe, so he could focus on… what? Shooting the creature? If he could take it alive... He remembered the teeth, the powerful legs. “Brian, go wedge yourself into that pile of rocks.”
The boy stared up at his father, then at the boulders he pointed at, fear and betrayal filling
the kid’s face. “No. Stay with you.”
Something screamed then. Gill knew it was a thing because human vocal cords couldn’t roar with such ferocity and shrillness.
The primal wail was all Brian needed to push him into motion. The boy sloshed through the river toward the pile of rocks. Gill scanned the forest, but there was no sign of the monster. Brian reached the stone pile and was climbing toward his hiding place when the creature stepped from the forest behind the boy.
Brian couldn’t see the beast and Gill decided not to alert him. If he knew the monster was behind him he might panic, and the animal would attack. Brian was almost to a gap between two large stones where the creature couldn’t get to him.
Gill brought the rifle stock to his shoulder and put the beast in his sights. He took his eye from the scope. Brian had climbed in front of the creature, and if the beast moved, or he missed, or the bullet ricocheted off a stone…
The monster squawked and jumped atop a boulder. Brian froze, but didn’t look back.
“Keep going son, you can make it.” Gill was trying to convince himself. If the monster leapt twice more it would be on the boy.
Gill sighted the rifle and took a shot at the thing. He missed, and the bullet smacked a tree just as Brian slipped into his hiding place.
Air rushed from Gill’s lungs. He pulled back the bolt and dropped another round in the firing chamber and jacked it closed. He fired again, but the beast was too fast. It zigzagged across the river, darting in and out of the trees.
The buzz of insects and the chatter of birds died away. Mist puffed from the forest as something moved within. Gill loaded the rifle and brought it up, searching for a target. Was there more than one? He felt exposed, standing in the river alone, gnats dive-bombing his head.
Gill bolted for the cover of the trees.
2
As soon as he entered the mist Gill knew he’d made a mistake.
Not only had he left Brian alone, but now he was blind. He walked into a wide fir branch, its tiny green leaves poking him like a thousand toothpicks as he pressed through it. Gill peered out at the river, but didn’t see Brian in his hiding spot, which was good. He didn’t see the creature either, and that was bad.