by C. G. Mosley
“No,” Eric replied. “But that’s not unusual. He usually sleeps late.” Eric paused and looked at his watch. “But, by now he’s probably at the hangar getting the trucks ready as we speak—why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Dave replied. “Just wondering,” he added wistfully. “Well, I suppose I’ll head on over and get ready to head out with them. You got anything else for me?”
Eric shook his head. “Nah, you be careful and bring me back a juvenile tyrannosaur.”
Dave nodded and turned to walk away.
“Oh Dave,” Eric called out after him. Dave stopped and glanced back as Eric tossed something at him. He caught the item—it was a candy bar.
“In case you get hungry,” Eric said. “Good luck.”
Dave put the candy bar to his brow and saluted it to Eric as he turned away.
***
The eight thousand square foot hangar only had one airplane and two helicopters in it. The rest of the space was occupied with four jeeps and two large trucks. All of the vehicles were army surplus and were perfect for the terrain on the island. Aside from the black paint jobs, Gill Enterprises logos, and the outfitting of the protective metal cages on the jeeps, the vehicles were otherwise in the exact same condition they were upon purchase. They’d been reliable and durable. Dave knew that Glenn Hardcastle knew that better than anyone. He’d had to depend on the jeeps a time or two to escape rampaging dinosaurs.
Upon his arrival at the hangar, Dave spotted Hardcastle backing one of the jeeps up to a caged single-axle trailer. The trailer appeared to be five feet by eight feet and was painted completely black to match the jeep. There was another man standing at the tongue of the trailer and immediately began lowering the jack once the jeep was in position. With the trailer attached, Hardcastle jumped out of the vehicle and headed for a second jeep parked behind the trailer. Dave briskly trailed him.
“So what’s the plan today, Glenn?”
At first, Hardcastle seemed to ignore the question. He reached into the glove box of the jeep and retrieved a first aid kit. After examining its contents, he turned his attention to Dave.
“I think we’ll head to the wood line on the southern portion of the island. It’s only about four miles from here. Most of the tyrannosaurs nest along that interior edge of the jungle. It’ll be the best place to find a juvenile,” Hardcastle said, though he never actually looked at Dave.
Dave was surprised and caught off guard with the fact that Hardcastle had made no attempt to insult him or initiate any kind of confrontation. It was a welcomed change.
“Well, why do you think the tyrannosaurs nest on the interior edge of the jungle?” Dave asked, trying to make conversation.
“Because they feed off the herbivores that inhabit most of the valley in the center of the island,” Glenn replied. He climbed into the back of the jeep and studied the large mounted machine gun. “There are also a lot of smaller dinosaurs that live in the jungle between the valley and the southern beach. There are lots of opportunities for the tyrannosaurs to find a meal in all directions around where they nest.”
Dave nodded, and he was genuinely impressed with how well Glenn knew what he was talking about. “So…on a scale of one to ten, how difficult do you think this is going to be?”
For the first time, Glenn stopped what he was doing and looked at Dave. “I’d say ten, but I’m saving that for the dino-croc. So I suppose I’ll have to settle for nine.”
Dave swallowed hard. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Really?” he said, doing his best to sound unrattled. “That high?”
“Well yeah,” Hardcastle answered. “The terrain is going to be difficult. There are lots of gulleys and sandy soil in that area. It’s really easy to turn over one of these jeeps if you don’t know what you’re doing. On top of that, we’re going after a kid belonging to one of the nastiest dinosaurs on this island. God help us if Mama gets wind of what we’ve done.”
“I see,” Dave said, still trying to sound confident.
Glenn Hardcastle could see right through it. “Oh, don’t worry, Dave,” he said, climbing down out of the jeep. “You’ve got me to look after you,” he said, slapping him on the back as he strode past. “It’s a good thing we’re such great friends.” He grinned as he said the words.
Something about that grin troubled Dave considerably.
Chapter 15
Jonathon awoke with a nagging backache. He supposed it could’ve been worse considering his sleeping arrangement. Silas and Henry had been the lucky ones in his opinion. The three of them had fashioned a pretty nifty hammock the night before using the camouflage tarpaulin and rope stored away in the ATV’s storage compartment.
The hammock was hidden in some of the thick lower branches of the large tree his father had discovered, and soon after, the Protoceratops living underneath. Jonathon had volunteered to sleep on the ground within, what he still considered to be, the minimal safety of the armored amphibious ATV. He’d slept with one of Silas’s large rifles in his arms, and he clung to it with the ferocious grip of a toddler with a favorite teddy bear. Truthfully, he didn’t get much sleep at all, and what he did get didn’t seem to do him a whole lot of good. Now he was aching, and still tired.
“You alright down there?” Silas grumbled to him from somewhere above.
“Yeah, relatively speaking,” he answered softly. He unlocked the cage and swung it open, allowing himself the first opportunity to stand. He stood right there in the ATV and stretched. The jointed appendages on his body popped and cracked so loudly he feared the nearby Protoceratops would hear the sounds and protrude it’s wailing head out of the burrow again, drawing unwanted attention. The stretching did do wonders for his aching body, however, and for the first time, he felt ready to take on the day. The task at hand was simply finding the fountain of youth as quickly as possible and then getting the hell off the island.
Jonathon had to admit to himself that he was immensely curious about the road that they’d encountered the afternoon before. That curiosity was in fact partly responsible for his lack of sleep. He’d tried to imagine the whos and the whys all night and had been unable to come up with a good explanation for any of it. Finally, he told himself that he really didn’t care. He had to stay focused on his reason for being there in the first place. Lucy’s life depended on it.
“So, what’s for breakfast?” Henry asked rather loudly, shortly after arriving on the ground again.
Jonathon held a finger to his mouth in an attempt to shush his father. Henry’s brow tightened, but then softened when he realized his son was pointing to the burrow where the Protoceratops lived.
“There’s food in the ATV,” he whispered. “We’ll talk when we find a safer spot.”
Henry nodded. He and Silas then climbed back into their respective seats in the vehicle.
***
Dave clasped the handle mounted on the dashboard and held on for dear life. Glenn Hardcastle was driving like a madman, and he was sure it was all in an effort to scare him. It was becoming more and more apparent that Glenn had decided he’d attack him all day with subtle jabs. Dave was determined not to give in. The important thing was that Glenn had still not made a single insult, nor had even tried to start the slightest hint of a confrontation. That was progress; the proverbial train seemed to be on track, and Dave wasn’t going to do anything to cause it to derail.
Occasionally, Glenn would glance over at him, but Dave would only look back and smile as if to suggest, will this thing go any faster? Dr. Cruz, and a middle-aged African-American man named George Powell, trailed behind them in the jeep hauling the trailer. George was a likeable fellow, and Dave was certain he had no enemies to be found on the island. He’d gone on many hunts with Hardcastle in the past and seemed to be almost as fearless as he.
“How much further do we have to go?” Dave asked loudly, trying to be heard over the whining of the jeep engine.
“About another mile,” Hardcastle shouted back.
“Patience,” Hardcastle replied. “We’re almost there. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Less than five minutes later, Hardcastle slammed hard on the brakes and the jeep skidded to a stop in an area where the edge of the jungle met the valley in the center of the island. Dave peered out at the flat land and noticed a herd of Triceratops moving toward the large lake that all of the animals frequented for water. There were other, smaller dinosaurs scurrying about. Some of them were in herds, while some of them seemed to be all alone. Moments later, George and Dr. Cruz arrived with the trailer. Hardcastle stood up in the jeep and directed his attention to them.
“Alright, gentlemen…are we ready?” he asked.
“We’re ready,” Dr. Cruz replied. He glanced disapprovingly over at Dave. “Are you sure you don’t want George to accompany you?”
Hardcastle laughed off his suggestion. “Of course not! We’ve got this…right, Dave?”
Dave said, “I’m just here to make sure we come back with the prize. You guys do what you do best.”
Hardcastle laughed again. “That’s the spirit, Dave,” he said. “You guys be ready to snag that baby T-rex when the window is opened,” he said, pointing at them.
George nodded and said, “Good luck, Glenn, you crazy fool.”
With that, Hardcastle slumped back into the driver’s seat and stood on the gas. The jeep took off, leaving a plume of sand in its wake. Dave held onto the edge of his seat and suddenly felt very confused. What is he doing?
Hardcastle piloted the jeep along the wood line until he found a spot where there was no grass, only a narrow road roughly ten feet wide. The road originated from somewhere within the dense foliage of the jungle. The canopy of trees and flowering vegetation seemed to create a natural-made tunnel where the road eventually disappeared into the shadows. Hardcastle stopped the jeep a moment at the entrance and tried to look within those shadows.
Dave caught a whiff of a pungent odor. It was an odor he’d never smelled before and it favored death and decay. He started to comment on it, but when he glanced over at Hardcastle, it was apparent he was concentrating. He thought it best not to interrupt. This was Glenn’s domain, and he was going to let the man do his job.
Suddenly, Glenn whipped the jeep around and put the vehicle in reverse. He was now slowly backing down the shadowy narrow road.
Dave’s curiosity was getting the better of him. He had tried to be quiet, but now he felt his clueless state could potentially cause problems. What was Glenn doing? He had to ask.
“Glenn,” he whispered. “Where does this road go?”
“This ain’t no road,” he snapped back. “Now keep quiet and listen!”
“Listen for what?” Dave asked nervously.
It was then that he noticed it. There on the ground, just outside of the jeep, was the largest three-toed footprint he’d ever seen. It had to belong to a tyrannosaur, and suddenly it became quite obvious what Hardcastle was doing. After he noticed the large footprint, then he noticed the bones. There were perhaps hundreds of them littering both sides of what Dave had thought (until Glenn corrected him) was a road. The bones were all different sizes and many still had chunks of rotting flesh clinging to them. Flies were buzzing everywhere. Hardcastle was exactly right when he said what they were on wasn’t a road. It was a game trail—an extremely large game trail. Dave trembled when he considered what the trail probably led to. Hardcastle was backing the jeep into a tyrannosaur nest!
“Are you nuts?” Dave whispered through clenched teeth. “Get me the hell out of here!”
“Shut up!” Hardcastle growled. “You wanted to accompany me on a hunt, well you’re here. So shut up before you get us killed!”
“No,” Dave argued. “This is not what I meant. Get me out of here right now!”
Suddenly, there was a rustle in the foliage behind them. Dave watched in terror as entire trees seemed to sway back and forth. A monstrous creature was headed for them from somewhere further down the road. The ground vibrated slightly underneath them.
“Showtime,” Hardcastle said with a low grumble. “These things hunt a lot and often they’ll carelessly leave the young ones behind.”
“So how are we going to get by the big ones?” Dave asked.
“We’re not,” Hardcastle replied. “We want Mama and Daddy to chase us so that George and the doc can go after junior.”
Dave felt as if he were going to faint. He broke out in a cold sweat. “We—we’re…the bait?” he asked, unable to believe it.
“That’s right,” Hardcastle said, a sly grin on his face.
“Damn you,” Dave snapped. “Damn you!” He pulled the gun Eric had given him and pointed it at Hardcastle. “Take me out of here…NOW!”
Hardcastle glanced over at the revolver and then back at the large tyrannosaur lumbering out of the shadows. “I’d put that away if you’re interested in living,” he said. “You shoot me and we’re going nowhere at all.”
As soon as he finished his sentence, Hardcastle jammed the jeep in drive and stomped on the gas. He didn’t waste any time to see if Dave had heeded his warning. Instead, he focused on the terrain ahead and piloted the vehicle straight into the widespread valley. His goal was to drive into a herd of smaller dinosaurs in hopes that the tyrannosaur would lose interest in chasing after them and instead go after its normal prey. Then, what he feared might possibly happen, actually did.
“There are two of them!” Dave screamed.
For an ever so brief moment, Hardcastle wondered if Dave was going to begin weeping. He’d always thought the man was a coward, but seeing how quickly fear had taken him over—it was somewhat disappointing. This one’s got no backbone at all, he thought. It was quite obvious the big chicken believed he was going to die.
That’s not to say that Hardcastle himself wasn’t feeling any fear at the moment. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The tyrannosaurs were every bit as terrifying as he’d imagined they would be as a child. The jagged teeth jutting from the animal’s jaws were by far the most striking and frightening feature. He’d seen them before today, of course, and had even had a few close calls. But no matter how often he’d seen them, or how many times he’d managed to evade them, one never got used to the sheer majesty and overwhelming presence of such a nightmarish beast. In Hardcastle’s mind, the main difference between him and Dave was the fact that he was managing to keep his composure. Keeping one’s composure in a situation such as the one they were now in was crucial to survival.
It seemed with every beat of Hardcastle’s heart, those snapping jaws drew ever so closer to the rear of the jeep, and his view of the animal in the mirror became more and more detailed. The skin was a shade of brownish-green color. The tyrannosaur’s back was darkest and the coloring became lightest on the stomach and chest. The eyes were an unsettling shade of orange, lifeless and seemingly non-blinking.
“I was hoping we’d get lucky and only have to contend with one,” Hardcastle yelled as he wheeled the jeep around a large tree stump. Dave’s body slammed against the door during the sudden motion. He shoved the handgun back into his waistband for fear that it would be jostled out of his grip. “But I knew going in that we might have to deal with two. All we’ve got to do is keep them busy long enough for Cruz and George to snatch the baby up. Of course, that’s assuming that these two have a kid!”
“What?!” Dave wailed. “You don’t even know if there is a juvenile in the nest?”
“No, I don’t,” Hardcastle replied matter-of-factly. “Did you see one?”
Dave dropped his head in his hands and did not offer a reply. Glenn continued to maneuver the jeep around any obstacles he could spot in an effort to slow their rampaging pursuer.
“It’s been several months since mating season,” he added thoughtfully. “I’d say that the chances are good there’s a kid in that nest. Have a little faith, Dave.”
Hardcastle peered into hi
s side view mirror and saw the larger of the two tyrannosaurs charging in closer to them. The smaller, the female, fell further behind and drifted to the right as if anticipating that they might turn in that direction. He caught sight of a large group of styracosaurs marching toward the lake. Styracosaurus was a bluish-gray, large frilled dinosaur that was similar to the triceratops in stature. The frill was quite large and adorned no less than six spikes that jutted upward. The nose of the animal was armed with a two-foot horn, also similar to a triceratops. This particular species of herbivore was not what Hardcastle had in mind to use as a means of getting the tyrannosaur off their tail, but it was the closest herd in their vicinity. He had to give it a try.
He held the throttle wide open and pointed the vehicle straight toward the seemingly oblivious group of herbivores. As he did so, he spent more time looking in the rearview mirror than he did out of the windshield. Unfortunately, this kept him from seeing a large terrace straight ahead of them. When the jeep hit the abrupt incline, the vehicle launched into the air. The jeep flew high enough for all four wheels to leave the ground. When they returned to earth, the jolt sent Dave hurtling upward and his head struck the protective cage. He landed awkwardly between the two seats, inadvertently knocking the vehicle out of gear and into neutral. The engine revved loudly, and by the time Hardcastle realized what had happened, it was too late.
The pursuing tyrannosaur pulled even with the jeep and then violently slammed its entire right flank into the side of the vehicle. The jeep went on two wheels and, despite Hardcastle’s best efforts to keep it upright, went into a barrel roll. When it finally stopped rolling, fortunately, the jeep settled on its wheels. The tyrannosaur stomped toward the vehicle as if it were peering down at a wounded animal and released a deafening roar.
Hardcastle felt as if he was on the verge of falling unconscious, but the sound erupting from the tyrannosaur quickly snatched him back. He could feel that his hat was gone, and he then felt a trickle of warm blood flowing down from the top of his head and across the front of his face. The vehicle’s roll cage was severely damaged, and the hinged part that fastened over the passenger side was ripped away. It was then that Hardcastle realized Dave was gone. If he wasn’t in so much fear of losing his own life, he may have smiled at that, but there was no time for it right then.