“Good grief…there must have been fifty of them,” Natasha said. She had sat up in her seat and turned around, looking out the window.
Coop wiped the inside corners of his eyes with his fingers, cleaning out bits of gunk. When he removed his hand from his face, a Spinosaurus appeared directly in his path. This was the reason the Triceratops herd fled for their lives. He gasped in surprise, and before he could hit the brake, something crashed into the driver’s side of the Mule.
Will Prescott fell off the passenger’s side of the roof and landed on the track as it turned pulling the Mule forward. The track moved him like groceries on a conveyor belt and carried him to the front—where he fell to the ground and met his death as the Mule’s tracks rolled over him—crushing him like a grape.
Coop mashed the brake and the horn—inertia carried Meat’s large frame forward, throwing him between the Mule and the sail-backed dinosaur.
He turned to see what had hit them. A second Spinosaurus loomed above as Coop looked out his window. The creature had a massive head, and its jaws were tightly clamped around Gerald Hawkins’ midsection. Deep crimson spilled to the earth as the spike-like teeth dug deeply.
Gerald’s scream assaulted Coop—he felt like glass shattered down the length of his spine. Seeing the massive beast devour another human exhumed memories of Coop’s own death by the cave.
Suge hadn’t waited for orders, and the fifty burst to life, throwing out massive amounts of jacketed lead into the Spinosaurus in front of them before it attacked. “Die, you motherfucker!”
Yells and discharging ordnance laced with the Spinosaurus’ cries of pain electrified the air, gluing Coop to his seat.
Chief and Bats acted instinctually, and both bailed out the back seat with rifles in hand.
Meat was up and off the ground as fast as he could gain his footing. But even though the fifty punched holes in the Spinosaurus, its ire overcame whatever damage was being done to it, and lurched its crocodile-like head forward.
Suge let off the trigger as Meat’s head and upper body disappeared in the dinosaur’s mouth.
Coop watched Suge’s eyes glaze over as if the mercenary fought to deny what he knew to be true.
The Spinosaurus thrashed its head about, and part of Meat’s lower torso and legs flew off to the side.
Suge blinked his eyes twice, and the fifty fired again. The dinosaur’s head exploded like a melon hit with a sledgehammer. What was left of the Spinosaurus collapsed to the ground.
Before Suge could swing the gun around to the other dinosaur, the theropod had finished with Gerald and attacked the noisy mechanism on the roof. The Spinosaurus grabbed the machine gun in its jaws and ripped it from its mount.
It wasn’t until then that Coop heard the suppressed fire from the JNY-7s. The rear camera showed Caveman, Alex, Bats, and Chief in firing positions and rattling off ammo.
Coop saw Alex run to the side—was he turning cowardly and running for his life? Then Alex stopped, dropped to one knee, and took careful aim. The RPG launched from his JNY-7.
The rocket propelled grenade struck the Spinosaurus on its right leg—blowing it off, and leaving a bloody stump. The animal slung out a guttural hiss and collapsed, thrashing around on its side.
“Watch the tail!” Chief yelled. He aimed carefully and launched his RPG.
The grenade struck the Spinosaurus right under its bottom jaw—blowing it completely off and disfiguring the head.
The grenades going off so close rattled the Mule twice. A dull ringing filled Coop’s ears, and he imagined the others were in the same shape.
Susan had her face buried in the backseat and had her hands over her head.
Suge opened his door and got out; Natasha followed.
Coop’s still felt lightheaded—overwhelmed by the situation. Everything had happened so fast, and it was like his mind had problems processing it. He realized he was getting too old for this game. No matter how much effort he put into it, there was no way for him to will himself to become the man he was at an earlier age. There was nothing good about getting old.
He looked back at Susan and decided she’d have to deal with her problems on her own. He opened the driver’s side door and got out. The others looked toward him as if waiting for instruction. Right now there was only one important goal—to get as many as possible to safety and meet up with the Warthog. Coop would just have to play his role the best he could. Someone else had dealt the cards; it was up to him how to play his hand.
“Is everyone okay?” Coop asked.
“We’re alive,” Chief said.
Coop had seen Gerald’s and Meat’s death, but he realized he hadn’t checked to see if Will had somehow survived. “Did anyone see if Will—”
“I stepped on him when I jumped off the track. He was flatter than a doormat,” Bats said.
“That’s unfortunate. The whole situation is fucked up,” Coop said. “Some good men died today.”
Natasha had tears rolling down her cheeks and struggled to keep herself together. “Poor Clint.”
“I’m gonna miss that big Samoan,” Caveman said.
“We all will,” Coop said. “Guys, I don’t want to sound insensitive, but it’ll be dark soon. We need to set camp.”
“And the bodies?” Chief asked.
“We leave them where they are. See that over there,” Coop said and pointed. “That’s the lower half of Clint Perry’s body. Clint Perry is gone. I don’t remember Clint Perry being half a man. Clint will live in our memories from now on. He’ll be whole again. He’s part of us now, and we’ll keep him alive in our thoughts until we die. I knew Hawkins better than any of you. His body is just a chewed up mess over there—but that’s not Gerald. And Will—I don’t even want to look at what happened to that poor man. He’s gone. We’re alive, and we need to do what’s best for us to stay that way.”
“What are we waiting for then?” Bats said.
Coop pointed to the fifty laying on the ground. Suge had knelt by it and was giving it a once-over. “Do you think we can fix the gun?”
“I don’t think so,” Suge said. “The mount’s twisted, and the bolts are broken. We don’t have any spare parts to make repairs. The gun still works, but regardless of what you’ve seen in the movies, it’s impossible for a man to hold this thing and shoot and hit a target.”
“As much as I’d like to still have it, at some point we’re going to have to abandon the Mule and travel on foot anyway. At least it got us this far,” Coop said. He licked his lips, and said, “Time to go.”
“Alex, you or Caveman want to take my place in the Mule? I can ride the bumper for a while,” Chief said.
Coop hesitated before jumping in and killing the offer. He didn’t want to become a dictator, but he didn’t want Susan sitting next to Alex. She had been in bad condition when he left her in the Mule, and figured she’d need support from Chief, not her ex-husband and killer.
“I’m good,” Alex said.
“We ain’t got long before we set camp. Plus, my ass takes up a lotta room. It’d be like four people riding in the back,” Caveman said.
“Okay then, let’s head out,” Coop said. He looked one last time and the horrific theropods—memories of being eaten alive weakened his knees.
Chapter 15
The survivors had to settle for the protection of a fault escarpment to one side of the Mule. The earth wall wasn’t much taller than the vehicle, which meant a constant fear that some long neck dinosaur might sneak up on them and play claw machine—with humans as the prize. Still, their rear was protected, and they could hide in and behind the Mule if something approached from the ground.
Coop thought that whatever inner fortitude the others had built the previous night had weakened greatly. There was less talking to one another—everyone caught up in their own thoughts. Even Caveman was quiet, and as aggravating as the large man could be, Coop missed his ridiculous banter.
There would be no fire tonight. Dinner would be
MREs heated in their pouches and washed down with cool water from the Mule’s reservoir. Coop had noticed that unlike the night before, where the others had carved out personal spaces, they now hung out in a loose cluster—even Bats. Today’s tragedy had brought them with a need to be physically closer—consciously or not. So be it. Drawing closer would only increase their chances of survival.
Coop had already made the report to Waterman. Actually saying the words that Clint and the other two were killed was more of a challenge that he had imagined, but he was able to push his way through it.
Progress clearing the path between the mountains was ahead of schedule. Waterman believed the Warthog and nine-member crew would set off on the mission before midnight. With any luck, the Warthog should be inside of the lost world of Patagonia shortly after sunrise. If there was one word Coop hoped to remove from his vocabulary, it would be luck. If he survived this mess, he was going to make an effort to avoid using it ever again.
Coop opened his backpack and pulled out an MRE. The others were in one stage of preparing their own, with the exception of Caveman, who was eating. He had his spork deep in the pouch, and his mouth was chewing away. Another entrée pouch set next to him, steaming puffing out the cut end.
“John, what’s for dinner?” Coop asked.
“Hog jowls and speckled butterbeans. Stewed squirrel in red gravy. Fried chicken and mustard greens. Big ole cathead biscuits with fig preserves.” Caveman smacked his lips and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Really.” Coop chuckled, and a few of the others did too. “I didn’t have anything like that to choose from. Looks like I’m stuck with Salisbury steak.”
“Yeah, I ain’t got none of that either. I was just thinkin’, if I was ahavin’ my last meal, what I would get.”
Coop sat next to Caveman and begin preparing his meal. “Do you think this is your last meal?” Instead of avoiding the 800-pound gorilla in the room, Coop thought it best if people did open up and express their fears.
“Don’t know. I try not to think too far ahead with things. All I know is when I go out to face the enemy, its him or me. I take things one step at a time until I reach the end. Tomorrow ain’t gonna be any different. But I’ll say this, if I am takin’ a dirt nap, I’ll at least have a full belly.”
“I wonder if they have soul food in Heaven,” Suge said.
“Don’t know, but I hope they have Jack Daniel’s in Hell,” Bats said.
The mood quieted as others begin to eat. Coop said as his MRE heated, “I’ll take first watch. I’ve got the rear camera set up to keep a lookout overhead. After we eat, I’d like everyone to settle down and rest. Tomorrow is a big day—a moment of truth. We need to be at the top of our game to make it.”
***
The Warthog traveled across the fissure cut through the mountains during the night. The headlights only illuminated a little more than three hundred feet ahead, but the low-level radar had Matt confident that nothing blocking the path would take them by surprise—unless, of course, there was another earthquake. That was something he didn’t want to think about. If they did rescue Alex and his crew, they would still have to chance the ride back through. Wouldn’t it be tragic to come so far only to be snuffed out on the way back? Again, it served no purpose to worry about such. He began to realize his situation was no different from those who took chances to do great things—like astronauts. Risking life heading into the great unknown, trusting men and technology for safety. Men and women like those were heroes. Matt wasn’t a hero. He was making this trip to save his own life, not just the lives of others.
Ben had the wheel all night. Santos rode co-pilot with Diaz sitting to his left. The Captain was fascinated with the instruments, asking questions about the radar, and manipulating the thermal cameras.
The other four mercenaries sat on the floor and played a card game they called Trucko. The game was played only using certain cards, and score was kept by the number of tentos won. Tentos were seeds that looked a lot like dried black-eyed peas. The pot started with twenty-two seeds, but the first team (four people played, two to each team) to win twelve tentos won.
Logan was curious enough to watch, and occasionally Gomes would explain parts of the game.
Matt was too distracted to really give a damn. He was more curious about the Brazilian soldiers on the mission. Who were these people? They acted more like robots—following orders seemed to be their only concern. Seeing them play cards showed him a softer side he hadn’t seen before; after all, Rodrigues had shoved the end of a rifle’s barrel in his face two days ago. The next day the mercenary acted as if nothing life threatening had happened and treated Matt and the rest cordially. In fact, outside of Lear’s mistreatment of them on arrival, the Brazilians proved to be polite—especially Diaz, their leader.
The team of Barbosa and Alvarez rambled off something in Portuguese, and team Gomes and Rodrigues fired back in loud voices.
Matt looked over at Logan, who shrugged his shoulders.
Gomes pulled himself from the fray, and said, “They are trying to raise the stakes. Don’t worry, it’s part of the game.”
Grown men arguing over a game without money being a factor. There was some innocent beauty in that, Matt thought.
“We’re almost out,” Ben said.
Matt had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he realized he had lost track of time. The glow of day had emerged to where the headlights served no purpose. He walked up to the cab’s open door and looked over Diaz’s shoulder. “We made it. We really made it.”
“Our job is just beginning,” Diaz said. “We must be prepared for the worst.”
Yep, it was all business all the time with the Captain. Matt couldn’t blame him; the mercenaries were hired to do a job, and he was the commander.
The Warthog’s tracks soon found purchase on flat land. The mountains now behind them slowly shrank in the distance.
“I’m going to stop for a break,” Ben said.
“Now would be a good time to call Coop,” Matt said. “Waterman gave us permission to speak directly with the others once we crossed over. Captain Diaz, can I make the call?”
“Sim, Senhor Matt,” Diaz said. “I will connect your phone with the Warthog so we all can hear.”
No conversation over an Ace Corporation phone was private anyway. Having everyone listening wouldn’t matter.
Logan walked up behind him, and the four mercenaries had ended the card game and were ready for the next command.
Matt hit the fast-dial icon on his phone, it rang, and someone answered:
“This is Cooper.”
“Coop, it’s Matt. We made it.”
“That’s a relief to hear. You can imagine all the wild thoughts we had last night. Sometimes the what-ifs are more distracting than the dangers at hand.”
“I trust you had a good night, then.”
“We did. We’re finishing up breakfast…waiting for your call.”
“I’m—we were all sorry to hear about Ron and Don, Meat, and the others. We wanted everyone to come back. But I know what it’s like out there.”
“Yeah, it’s bad. Just when you think you’re in the clear all hell can break loose.”
“For us the rendezvous is a little over two hundred miles away. According to the map, we can be there in five or six hours. There’s two miles of thick jungle between the river and our location. You’ll have to cross that on foot.”
“We understand. At best we can be at the river in four hours. But if we have to abandon the Mule, it’s going to take longer.”
Diaz pressed a button on the communication system. “This is Diaz. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to reach us, Senhor Cooper. We will be safe in the Warthog waiting for you. You will contact us when you reach the river. We will provide assistance in getting you out safely.”
“Thank you, Captain. We know the risks you and your men are taking, and we’re all grateful,” Coop said.
“My rewa
rd will be in bringing you all back and handing Senhor Lear the diamonds,” Diaz said.
The phone went silent for an uncomfortably long time. “Diamonds? Oh, a T-rex ate the diamonds,” Coop said.
Diaz stood, and shouted, “What?”
Coop giggled. “I was joking with you, Captain Diaz. I’ve got Lear’s goddamn diamonds. In fact, I’d like nothing better than to take them and sho—” Coop’s voice trailed away.
“Hello? This is, Chief. Coop had to leave to get the Mule ready to go.”
“Hey, Chief,” Matt said, realizing some of Coop’s pent-up emotions were about to impede the mission. “We’ll probably break here for another ten minutes and then be on our way.”
“Trust me, we’ll be glad to see you,” Chief said.
“I’m praying for the best. Bye.” Matt cleared his throat as his words started to stick. This was it. A defining moment in his life. The stakes were high, and it was all or nothing. Saving Alex and the others would be the first step toward his redemption.
***
“What the hell, Coop?” Chief said.
“I’m sorry, but every time I think of that son-of-a-bitch Lear I start to lose it,” Coop said.
“We don’t know anything about these mercenaries. If Diaz thinks you’re making threats against his employer, you might not make it back alive even if you make it to the Warthog. Some mercenaries respect their employers as much as their own fathers. He could kill you after taking the diamonds.”
“All right, I’ll put a lid on it,” Coop said, knowing Chief was right. Mouthing off to someone about Lear was a childish thing to do anyway. If Coop had a problem with Lear, he would take it up with the man face-to-face. That thought alone had him wanting to make it out alive, to settle a score with his old friend.
“Everyone, let’s load up and head out,” Chief commanded.
“Alex, I’m riding the bumper. You take my seat inside the Mule,” Bats said.
“That’s okay. My legs are sore—I’m not as in good of shape as you guys, but I’ll make it,” Alex said.
Lost World II: Savage Patagonia Page 18