“What’s the deal with these raptors?” one of the marines asked, rifle pointed at the nearest. “Do we shoot them, or what?”
“Don’t shoot!” Jeanette said, stepping between a marine and one of her chicks.
Reacting to Jeanette’s emotion, the velociraptors all went into attack mode, heads down, tails straight. From the backpack, Do leaned over Jeanette, hissing at the marine.
“Don’t move,” Nick said.
With their rifles ready, fingers on their triggers, the marines were a second from starting a fight they could not win. With six velociraptors poised for attack, the marines might get two before they were torn to pieces.
“Enough of this,” Carson said, careful not to touch Jeanette. “Remember the asteroid thing? Running for our lives?” Carson pointed at the sky where the asteroid had been— It wasn’t there.
“There it is,” Elizabeth said, pointing low in the sky.
“It’s brighter,” Reverend said. “Much brighter.”
Nick saw it dropping, seemingly picking up speed.
“Is it my imagination, or is it going faster?” Carson asked out loud.
Before Nick could answer, the asteroid turned into a small sun that dropped out of sight.
“This is it!” Nick said.
Everyone held their breaths, even the velociraptors sensing danger. Seconds passed. Carson grew restless, then confident. Then the ground shook, enough to stagger everyone except the velociraptors, whose tails acted as balancing poles. Then the velociraptors started squealing, and then snapping at one another. Jeanette and Elizabeth clapped their hands to their ears and opened their mouths, their faces contorted in pain. The marines and Carson then did the same, with Reverend and John quickly following. Nick heard it last. A deafening high-pitched ringing that soon settled into a lower-frequency tone, as if a massive gong had been struck. Abruptly, the tremor ended, but the ringing continued, everyone pressing their hands to their ears. The pain ended, the tone dropping to low frequencies, and then was nothing more than a vibrating bass that faded away.
“What the hell was that?” one the skinnier marines asked in a near shout.
“The asteroid struck,” Nick said. “It rang the planet like a bell.”
“Planets do that?” the marine asked.
“That’s it?” Carson said. “I thought all hell would break loose.”
“There!” Reverend said, pointing across the meadow, above the trees where the asteroid had disappeared.
Bright streaks were shooting into the sky, spreading in all directions.
“That’s not anywhere near here,” Carson said. “Just what were you selling us?”
Everyone turned toward Nick.
“What you are seeing is the ejected matter being thrown up by the impact. Some of that will be orbited, but most is suborbital and will bombard the planet for thousands of miles in all directions. Forests and grasslands will ignite, burning out of control. The high atmospheric oxygen content will make it burn like no fire you’ve ever seen. But the worst is yet to come. There is a blast wave coming at us at five hundred miles an hour that will pulverize trees and rock. While we wait for that, ejecta will continue to bombard the planet, creating a massive firestorm that will suck the oxygen from the air.”
“So we should run,” Carson said, reaching for Jeanette but stopping short when Do leaned over her shoulder, the raptor’s eyes on Carson’s hand.
“How long do we have?” John asked.
Nick looked at the streaks fanning out in the sky like spokes of an umbrella. “Maybe two hours, maybe less,” Nick said.
“We’re double-timing it,” John said to his marines. “Kelton, take point.”
Two Inhumans came from the trees, one wounded, supported by the other. The marines covered them as the Inhumans hobbled past, nervously glancing at the raised weapons.
“God forgive me for my ignorance,” Reverend said suddenly. “I’ll never make it to my church and back, will I?”
“No,” Nick said. “The rest of your Community can’t be saved, but you can come with us. The ones who went with Officer Conyers might make it.”
Reverend looked pained, and then a deep calm settled in. “Good-bye, Dr. Paulson,” Reverend said. “Whether you meant it or not, you were an instrument of God’s plan.”
“What are you saying?” John said, putting his hand on Reverend’s shoulder.
“It’s clear to me now,” Reverend said. “God did not call me to lead his people; he called me to be a missionary.”
“Missionary?” John said, confused.
“To those who do not know God’s love,” Reverend said, indicating the Inhumans hobbling away.
“Come back with me,” John said. “There are plenty of people who need saving there. You can keep the family business going.”
“I go where God calls,” Reverend said, shaking John’s hand. “I’m glad you found your way, John. Be happy that I’ve found mine.”
“They hate you,” Nick said. “They’ll kill you.”
“My life is in God’s hands,” Reverend said, hurrying after the Inhumans.
As Reverend approached, the uninjured Inhuman pulled his black knife, jabbing it at Reverend to ward him off. Reverend opened his palms, spreading his arms wide. Walking slowly, he went to the injured Inhuman and lifted him in his arms, and then hurried down the trail toward the Inhuman village. Wary at first, the other Inhuman kept his knife out, following closely, and then put the knife away and trotted along behind Reverend.
“Can we go now?” Carson asked, inching down the path.
“Kelton, the point!” John shouted.
Then they were jogging, Kelton setting a brisk pace, but slow enough for the weakest member of the group to keep up—Nick. They ran, the velociraptors keeping close to Jeanette, Carson with Kelton in the lead, occasionally glancing back for Jeanette. Elizabeth came next, then Nick and Snead, the trailing marine. After a mile, Nick settled into a rhythm, jogging at his own pace, breathing deeply, but not out of breath. Keeping track of his troop, Kelton adjusted his pace so that Nick could keep up.
Running behind Elizabeth, Nick found himself thinking about his life, and how much of it he had spent alone. Elizabeth changed that. Even though they were both career focused, they found ways to spend time together, even if it was only for walks, trying new restaurants for lunch, or taking in shows. Once, they went to New York, seeing three musicals in two days. Nick remembered it as the best time of his life. There could have been more of those times, Nick thought, and there would be in the future if they made it home. The grade rose and became rocky, forcing Nick to focus on his footing. Soon Nick was puffing loudly. Eventually, the grade leveled out, Nick’s respiration slowing, allowing him to talk.
“If we get out of here, I’m joining a gym,” Nick gasped as they jogged, thankful for the oxygen-rich atmosphere.
“Save your breath,” Elizabeth said. “You might join, but you’ll never go. You’re a workaholic.”
“Look who’s talking,” Nick said. “We could go together. I’d like to spend more time with you.”
“Very romantic, Doc,” the marine taking up the rear cut in. “Folks, you better settle this soon ’cause we’ve got incoming.”
Arcing overhead was a fireball trailing black smoke. It crossed their track at an angle, whistling to an impact far to their right. A sharp crack followed a loud thump, a fireball rising above the trees in the distance.
“Pick it up, Kelton,” Snead called to the marine in front.
Taking a deep breath, Nick fought to keep up, the gap between him and Elizabeth slowly increasing.
“Incoming!” Snead shouted.
This fireball hung in the sky, not moving, just growing larger.
“Get down!” Snead shouted, tackling Nick and covering his body.
Nick felt the heat of the bolide as it whistled overhead, striking in the trees just ahead. The explosion was the loudest thing Nick had ever heard, the pressure wave rocking them as
they lay on the ground. Shredded trees, earth, and burning debris rained down. Covered by Snead, Nick was protected from most of the fallout, but the others brushed burning material from one another and patted out flames.
Snead got off, letting Nick up. The path they had been following led into the trees ahead, which were now an inferno.
“Incoming!” Snead yelled, and tackled Nick again.
47
Obstacle
It is impossible for a man of average sensibility to observe closely and to note the painful expression and the intelligence of these creatures [horses] … to witness their sufferings [and] the brutal treatment which they too often meet from ignorant and cruel men; it is impossible for him to see these things without sorrow, without endeavouring to alleviate their agony.…
—Sir F. W. Fitzwygram
Sixty-five Million Years Ago
Unknown Place
On Torino, Conyers could have reached the passage home long ago, but would never leave the people in her charge. Walking as fast as they could were men, women, and children. Small children were carried, and older men and women were assisted. They had no wagons to carry the old and the injured, so the pace was slow. Dr. Gah was one of the injured, his ankle getting worse with each mile. Wynooski supported him with an arm around his shoulder, but the price was endless pontificating from the overconfident ranger. Many had wounds from the Inhuman attack, bandages seeping from the constant motion. Some might bleed to death before they reached the passage, but every time someone pleaded to stop, Dr. Gah would insist that they would all die if they did not get out of this land soon.
Conyers regularly rode ahead of the column, checking the route, scouting for danger, and then rode back to report to Lieutenant Weller, who kept the people moving. Marines were positioned around the slow-moving group, watchful for Inhuman activity. Now a half mile ahead of the column, Conyers reined Torino in as she came through a particularly dense stand of the peculiar palm trees. Torino gave a soft whinny and danced sideways, resisting moving forward. Stopping, Conyers peered through the deepening shadows. Late in the day now, there were only a couple of hours of sunlight left. While Conyers was sure she could find the exit in the daylight, she was equally confident she could not find it in the dark.
One of the shadows moved, and Torino bolted. Jerking the reins, Conyers turned Torino 180 degrees and kicked him into a gallop. At a piercing screech, Conyers looked over her shoulder to see a T. rex run from the forest, and it was moving fast. In open terrain, Torino could outrun it, but on an uneven surface, Torino had to pick his footing, jump logs, and sidestep boulders. The T. rex crushed or bulldozed everything in its path. The trees hampered the T. rex, so Conyers left what little trail there was to race through the trees. Angry at having its meal delayed, the T. rex roared its frustration, terrifying Torino.
Fighting to keep Torino’s run under control, Conyers kept a tight rein, guiding the horse into a wide zigzag. At best, it kept the T. rex at bay, but the damn thing would not give up. Then the earth shook, and Torino stumbled, nearly fell, and then caught himself, stumbling sideways and grazing a tree, crushing Conyers’s leg. With a wider stance and more mass, the T. rex seemed unaffected by the earthquake, closing the gap now. Struggling to stay on the back of the staggering horse, Conyers felt a shooting pain cut through her head, her ears ringing with the deafening bonging sound. Instinctively, Conyers clapped her hands to her ears, just as Torino bucked in reaction. Conyers fell, bounced off Torino’s flank, and tumbled to the ground, thankful for her helmet.
As the ringing stopped and the ground settled down, Conyers poked her head above the patch of ferns where she lay. The T. rex was disoriented, walking in circles, shaking its head. Conyers touched the grip of her pistol, but then smiled at the silliness. It would be like shooting a whale with a BB gun. As if it had forgotten it was in the middle of pursuit, the T. rex stood stupidly, occasionally shaking its head. Carefully, Conyers looked for Torino, but he was gone. Keeping low, she studied the T. rex, which had its head high, sniffing, searching for a scent. Now the T. rex walked a few steps back the way they had come, repeating the sniffing routine.
Conyers inched away, her left knee hurting when bent. Biting her lip against the pain, she crawled through ferns and around the trunk of a tree, where she sat with her back against the trunk, letting herself breathe deeply. Her pants were torn, her knee exposed. There was no blood, but when she lifted her leg, sharp pain shot through her knee.
“Great,” Conyers whispered. “Just when I might need to run.”
Once she caught her breath, Conyers looked back around the tree, seeing the T. rex still sniffing. Now Conyers stood, keeping her weight on her right leg, and hopped away from the tree, keeping it between her and the T. rex. Reaching another tree, she inched around it and then repeated the routine. Angling away, Conyers put several trees between her and the T. rex, grimacing at every step with her left leg. Finally feeling safe, she turned and hobbled carefully and silently away, frequently checking over her shoulder.
She found Torino in a large clearing, grazing as if nothing had happened.
“I wish I had your memory,” Conyers said.
Taking the reins, she hopped to Torino’s side and then stopped. Her bad knee would not support her weight in the stirrup. Hanging on to the reins, Conyers limped to the other side and tried mounting from the right side, confusing Torino, who turned when she tried to mount. Falling from the stirrup, she landed on her rump, her left knee slapping the ground, and she gasped, stifling a scream. Letting the pain pass, she screwed up her courage, stood again, and talked to Torino as she tried mounting again.
“Easy boy,” Conyers said. “Just let me get into the saddle from this side one time.”
Confused, the horse began rotating again, looking to see what she was doing. Then she heard commotion in the trees. Fearing the T. rex, she held the saddle horn and leaned, looking under Torino’s neck. Weller was there, leading the column of refugees. Waving her arms, Conyers hobbled across the clearing, making shushing sounds and leading Torino.
“There’s that police girl!” Crazy shouted, waving his machete in greeting.
“Quiet!” Conyers replied as loudly as she dared.
“What?” Crazy hollered, Weller putting a hand on his shoulder and whispering something to him.
Then as one, the column froze, eyes wide. Conyers turned to see the head of the T. rex poking between two trees. Then it bellowed satisfaction. It had found its prey
48
Cousins
Imprinting is a process where right after hatching, newborn animals attach to their mother—well, usually their mother. Actually, chicks will imprint on anything that moves or makes noise. I’ve see baby ducks swimming after a man they think is their father. Since birds descended from dinosaurs, we know that dinosaurs imprinted, just like birds do today.
—Carmen Wynooski, Senior Dinosaur Ranger
Sixty-five Million Years Ago
Unknown Place
The fires flushed hidden creatures from the forest. Pterosaurs took to the air, disappearing into the murk. Small bipeds and quadrupeds ran past, oblivious of Nick and his group. Larger quadrupeds crashed through the forest. The earthquake, disorienting Earth-ring, and now fire put the herbivores in flight mode.
Ejecta continued to fall randomly, most of it nothing more than a distant boom. The size of the bolides reassured Nick, reasoning that the smallest mass would travel the farthest. Still, Nick stood by his guess of a couple of hours before the blast wave hit them. In the meantime, the spreading fires were the bigger danger.
Landmarks were disappearing, either burned or obscured by smoke. Fleeing dinosaurs crisscrossed trails, and the falling ash accumulated like snow. Snead, at the front, moved quickly, with a preternatural sense of direction, the others following blindly in faith. Jeanette’s velociraptors were strangely vigilant, hissing and snapping at unseen dangers in the gloom. A sudden squeal in the distance, followed by snarling and a roa
r, told Nick at least one predator was in attack mode. The velociraptors ran a few feet off the trail, heads low, tails straight, oriented toward the distant fight.
Jeanette stopped for her velociraptors, Elizabeth, Nick, and Kelton, the marine taking up the rear, also stopping. Nick had his hands on his knees, breathing deeply. He felt like he was running a marathon he’d never trained for.
“Keep moving,” Kelton said gently to Jeanette, careful not to touch her.
Do, riding in Jeanette’s pack, eyed Kelton, jaws open slightly, showing razor-sharp teeth. Jeanette lifted the straps on her pack, relieving the weight on her shoulders. In addition to Do, Jeanette carried a rifle. Elizabeth had dropped her pack but kept her rifle. Nick realized he had been carrying nothing but a pistol, while Jeanette carried a rifle and a velociraptor on her back. Yet Nick was the most tired.
“I am joining a gym,” Nick said, wiping sweat and ash from his face.
“We’re joining a gym,” Elizabeth said, smiling, helping Nick clean gray mush from his brow.
“Ma’am,” Kelton said gently to Jeanette, “would your raptor let me carry him?”
Jeanette stood tall, arching her back, accentuating her voluptuous figure. She smiled at the kindness, revealing a small gap in her teeth. Covered in sweat and ash like everyone else, Jeanette somehow managed to make it look sexy.
“That’s kind of you,” Jeanette said. “But I don’t think Do would like it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kelton said. “We need to keep moving.”
A distant boom, and a bright flash startled everyone.
“That was a big one,” Elizabeth said.
Nick realized Snead, John, and Carson had disappeared through the trees and gloom.
“Let me lead until we catch up,” Kelton said, taking the point.
Dinosaur Thunder Page 31