The Extinction Series | Book 4 | Primordial Earth 4
Page 13
The medical center in the hotel was filled to the brim, and the staff had their hands full. Kat rushed about, assisted by Patti, and between them, they organized the treatment and care of those who needed it.
Rogue recognized the situation and snagged a first-aid kit and two blankets. “Come on,” she said, beckoning to Seth.
They found a sheltered corner and made themselves comfortable for the night. It wasn’t much, but there were others with a far greater need than them. With the use of the kit, they patched up their wounds. A brief sortie to the kitchen netted them some water and biscuits, and they curled up in their blankets.
Munching on the dry crackers, Rogue stared at the activity around her. She felt numb, as if she was watching it all from afar. Her mind flew to Bones, and she marveled at the man’s sheer devotion. In the end, he’d redeemed himself two-fold, and she owed him a debt of gratitude.
A deep voice yanked her from her thoughts, and she jumped up with a glad cry. “Ric!”
“Rogue!” He roared with pleasure and crushed her to his chest. “Oh, your mother will be so relieved.”
“Is she here?” Rogue asked.
“No, I’m sorry. Olivia stayed behind. We had to move fast, and there was limited room on the boats.”
“How did you know?”
“We didn’t,” Ric admitted. “After you left, I convened the council and convinced them to help.”
“But how? Why?” Rogue asked, her brow knitting with confusion.
“I realized we were selfish. It’s no longer you and us. It’s we. We are all in this together now,” Ric said.
“I’m glad,” Rogue said, sinking down next to Seth.
“I’ll see you soon,” Ric said. “I need to sort out my people first.”
“Of course. Go ahead,” Rogue said, waving him off.
With a deep sigh, she looked at Seth. “What do we do now?”
He took her hand, and their fingers intertwined. “Now? Now we rebuild, but this time, we do it better.”
Rogue thought it over. “I like that idea.” She leaned against him and closed her eyes. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Seth agreed, pulling her close.
With a faint smile, she closed her eyes and drifted away. Tomorrow was another day, but for now, she needed to sleep. Sleep and forget.
Epilogue
Rogue lay on her elbows in the shade of an apple tree, and her head lolled back on her shoulders. Dappled sunlight caressed her skin, and a warm breeze whistled through the branches. Seth lay next to her on the grass, his dark hair begging to be touched. She reached over and ruffled his curls with a wide grin. “Happy?”
“Happy,” he replied. “You?”
“Very happy,” she said with a deep sigh of satisfaction. “Today is the perfect day.”
“May we have many more,” Seth agreed.
Rogue gazed around, her heart full to bursting. Weeks had passed since the battle, and today was their first day off. They took full advantage of the opportunity and went on a picnic. It felt good to be away from everyone and everything. For once, it was just them and the horses.
As if on cue, Violet lifted her head and nickered at Goliath. He nudged her with his nose before returning to his meal, chomping on the knee-high grass. The mare followed suit; she was eating for two after all.
Callum had given Goliath to Seth with the proviso that they used the stallion to breed. Goliath wasted no time, and the two horses quickly became inseparable.
Rogue lay down on the ground and closed her eyes. She was determined to do nothing but rest. They’d worked their fingers to the bone helping Prime rebuild, as had everyone else. The wall and infrastructure were repaired, and new ground was broken for crops and livestock. With the Exiles’ help, the Primes were able to leave their prison and extend out into the world.
Joe made a full recovery and elected to stay with the Exiles. For now, they remained in the tunnels but would soon return to their former home. With Prime’s help, they would rebuild and start anew. Plans for future trade was in the works, and the two groups were at peace.
Rogue wondered idly where they would all end up. For some, the decision was already made. Kat had elected to become a doctor and was under the tutelage of one of Prime’s best surgeons. Moran and Patti served on the newly elected city council while Callum was in command of the Watch. Bruce was his second-in-command, and Bear…well, Bear was Bear. As for Ric and Olivia, they were as happy as could be and planned to get married in the fall. Rogue was chosen to be their maid of honor and Seth, the best man. It promised to be a joyous occasion.
That left only the two of them to make up their minds. They still hadn’t decided where to lay down their roots, but as Seth said, they had plenty of time. “We’re still young, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are,” she said, in full agreement with him.
As Rogue lay day-dreaming about their glorious future, she became aware of a peculiar sound. She pushed herself upright on her elbows and frowned. “Seth, do you hear that?”
“Mm?”
“That noise,” Rogue insisted.
“What noise?”
“I don’t know. It sounds different, like a droning something. The horses hear it too,” she said, noting Violet and Goliath’s pricked ears.
Gradually, the sound grew louder, and they both stood up. There was nothing in sight, and she wondered if it was thunder. But there weren’t any clouds, and it sounded… different.
“What is that?” she said, growing exasperated.
Seth’s eyes widened, and he tilted his head to the sky. “It can’t be.”
“Can’t be what?”
“There hasn’t been one in over twenty years,” he said.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about a plane,” he said.
“A plane? You can’t be serious,” she cried, shocked to the core. She’d never seen one in real life and scarcely believed such a thing existed. How could a hunk of metal fly?
Suddenly, the noise increased ten-fold, and a shadow passed overhead. Rogue cried out and ducked, her wide eyes following the strange object across the field.
“It is a plane,” Seth exclaimed. “A small one, but still a plane.”
The airplane dipped lower and lower, its flight path carrying it beyond the open fields toward Portland’s ruins.
“What’s it doing?” Rogue asked.
“I think it’s trying to land, but….” The plane dived down and disappeared from view. Seconds later, a plume of smoke rose in the air. “It crashed.”
“Crashed?” Rogue repeated, horrified. “Were there people inside?”
“Yes, there had to be,” Seth said, running toward Goliath.
“Do you think they survived?” Rogue asked, grabbing Violet’s reins.
“If they did survive the crash, it won’t be for long,” Seth said. “That’s close to Utahraptor territory. Too close.”
Rogue swallowed as a knot formed in her throat. “We have to help them.”
“Yes, but we’ll need help. Backup. Plus, we can’t risk the horses,” Seth said. “We need to talk to Callum.”
“Then we’d better move fast,” Rogue said, swinging into the saddle.
At a gallop, they raced toward Prime City. With the plane going down near raptor territory, every second counted.
I wonder where they’re from and who they are? Rogue wondered. Suddenly, the world seemed a whole lot bigger than before. Maybe, it was time for another adventure.
The End.
Turn the page for a sneak peek at one of my other books, now available on Amazon!
Glossary
Primordial Earth (Book 4) – Glossary
Glossary terms are listed in alphabetical order and without reference to their locations within the book.
Generally speaking, physical location references are not listed in the Glossary.
Measurements are provided in both metric and US/Imperial units.
A
lamosaurus – A genus of sauropod dinosaurs containing just one species that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 30 meters (98 feet) in length and weigh as much as 79 metric tons (88 tons). For comparison, the largest living land animal in the present day is the African elephant, which can weigh up to 6.3 metric tons (7 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Albertosaurus – A genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weigh as much as 2.5 metric tons (2.8 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Ankylosaurus – A genus of armored dinosaurs that lived at the very end of the Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 10.6 meters (35 feet) in length and weigh as much as 5.9 metric tons (6.5 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Ballistae – Plural form of the ballista, an ancient weapon that hurled large stones, javelins, or bolts. The weapon dates back to the 4th century BC in Greece. (Wikipedia.)
Bambiraptor – A carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) The estimated size for an adult would measure 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) in length and weigh 5 kilograms (11 pounds). (Wikipedia.)
Brachylophosaurus – A genus of hadrosaur dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Estimates suggest that an adult could measure at least 9 to 11 meters (29 to 36 feet) in length and weigh as much as 7 metric tons (7.7 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Clidastes – A genus of large carnivorous marine lizards called mosasaurs. An average size specimen could measure 2 to 4 meters (6.5 to 13 feet). A large one could be 6 meters (19.6 feet). It existed in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)
Cretaceous – The Cretaceous period is defined as beginning 145 million years ago (mya) and lasting until approximately 66 mya. (Wikipedia.)
Dryptosaurus - Pronunciation: drip-toe-SORE-us, Name meaning: ‘tearing lizard’ Dryptosaurus is a genus of tyrannosauroid that lived approximately 67 million years ago during the latter part of the Cretaceous period in what is now New Jersey. Dryptosaurus was a large, bipedal, ground-dwelling carnivore that could grow up to 7.5 m long. Estimated Mass: 1 500 kg (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia)
Gorgosaurus - GOR-gə-SOR-əs; meaning “dreadful lizard”) is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period (Campanian), between about 76.6 and 75.1 million years ago. (See Cretaceous) Like most known tyrannosaurids, Gorgosaurus was a bipedal predator weighing more than two metric tons as an adult; dozens of large, sharp teeth lined its jaws, while its two-fingered forelimbs were comparatively small. (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia)
Lambeosaurus – A genus of hadrosaurid herbivore dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous) These dinosaurs had duckbills and could feed on trees as high as 4 meters (13 feet). (Wikipedia.)
mya – an acronym for “million years ago,” also “m.y.a,” used in astronomy, geology, and paleontology. (Wikipedia)
Nyctosaurus – A genus of nyctosaurid pterodactyloid pterosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. An adult could have a wingspan of 2 meters (6.5 feet). Compared to terrestrial dinosaurs, Nyctosaurus were small-bodied and weighed less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds). (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)
Prime City - A settlement of survivors that formed around the former Prime hotel, owned and run by the self-proclaimed Senator Douglas. He used the Watch to patrol the walls and keep the people in line.
Parasaurolophus - Pronounced pa-ra-saw-ROL-off-us. A genus of ornithopod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of what is now North America, about 76.5–73 million years ago. Its name means “near crested lizard.” (See Cretaceous) Length: 11.0m Weight: 3500kg (Wikipedia)
Parksosaurus - A genus of hypsilophodont ornithopod dinosaur from the early Maastrichtian-age Upper Cretaceous. A small, bipedal, herbivorous dinosaur. (See Cretaceous) Length: 2,5 m (Estimated) Height: 100 cm Mass: 45 kg (Estimated) (Wikipedia)
Pteranodon (genus Pteranodon), flying reptile (pterosaur) found as fossils in North American deposits dating from about 90 million to 100 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. (See Cretaceous) Pteranodon had a wingspan of 7 meters (23 feet) or more, and its toothless jaws were very long and pelican-like. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Pterosaur – Pronounced “tero saur.” Science considers pterosaurs to be flying lizards that are distinct from dinosaurs. There are many different species. Pterosaurs existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous period. (See Triassic.) (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)
Stegoceras - is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now North America during the Late Cretaceous period, about 77.5 to 74 million years ago. (See Cretaceous) The first specimens from Alberta, Canada, were described in 1902, and the type species Stegoceras validum was based on these remains. (Wikipedia) Height: 1,2 m Length: 2 – 2,5 m Mass: 10 – 40 kg
Quetzalcoatlus – Pronounced “ket suhl kow at luhs.” A genus of pterosaurs. Triassic – The Triassic period is defined as beginning approx 251 mya) and lasting until approximately 202 mya. (Wikipedia.)
Triceratops - a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur that first appeared during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago (mya). It is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs and the best-known ceratopsid. It was also one of the largest, up to 9 meters (29.5 feet) long and 12 tonnes (13.2 tons) in weight. (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia.)
Tyrannosaurus rex – A bipedal carnivorous theropod dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. These dinosaurs could grow to lengths over 12.3 meters (40 feet) and up to 3.66 meters (12 feet) tall at the hips with a weight of 14 metric tons (15.4 tons). (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia.)
Utahraptor (meaning Utah’s predator) is a genus of large dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in North America during the Early Cretaceous period. It was a heavy-built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore. Height: 1,8 – 2 m (At the hips), Length: 5 – 7 m, Mass: 300 – 1 000 kg (Adult, Estimated) (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia.)
Watch – A security and/or law enforcement guard force as described for Prime City in this book.
Zuniceratops – Pronounced “Zooni ceratops.” A genus of ceratopsian herbivore dinosaurs having two horns and a head frill. It is thought to have been a herd animal. Specimens suggest a length of 3 to 3.5 meters (10 to 11.5 feet) and a weight of 100 to 150 kilograms (220 to 330 pounds). Height at the hips was approximately 1 meter (3 feet). (See Cretaceous) (Wikipedia.)
The Zoo - A second settlement of survivors who’d made their home inside the old Portland Zoo. Because they were denied entry into Prime City directly after the Shift, they despise all Primes and call themselves the Exiles.
Special note: While every effort was made to use dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous Period existing in North America, this remains a work of fiction. Certain creative license was taken in instances where it better served the plot, for example, the Utahraptor.
Do you want more?
So we’ve reached the end of Primordial Earth - Book 4, and I really hope you enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, please consider leaving a review as that makes it so much easier for an author like me to reach more readers like yourself and to keep writing. You can review it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P3TPRBZ
And, that’s not all. Primordial Earth - Book 5 is now available on Amazon for preorder. You can secure your copy right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V3CK75C
Plus, there’s lots more where that came from. If you enjoyed this series, why not check out the other books on my Amazon Page? I have numerous completed series, boxed sets, and plenty more projects planned for the future. You can view it all right here: https://www.amazon.com/Baileigh-Higgins/e/B01LYMGFUG
Even better, I’ve included a sneak peek at my latest completed series, Apocalypse Z. If you’re looking
for a thrilling, post-apocalyptic tale, then this is the book for you. Check it out!
Apocalypse Z - Book 1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XKVD6NH
Chapter 1
The people of Springfield thronged the entrance of the shopping center, jostling for space as they fought their way inside. Angry shouts were overlaid by shrill screams and the cries of frightened children. The blare of car alarms filled the parking lot, and columns of black smoke rose against the skyline. A single ambulance pushed its way through the dense traffic, the first one she’d seen all day despite the bloodshed.
Dylan grabbed a free shopping cart and added her struggles to the rest of the crowd, trying to get inside the supermarket. Coming here was a huge risk, but she needed food and water, or she’d never survive the coming days.