by C. G. Mosley
Angus shrugged his shoulders. “There are plenty of dinosaurs to see, Jonathon. We were just discussing a few things.”
Jonathon adjusted his hat and put his hands on his sides.
“Like what?”
“We were trying to decide how to find the ATVs. It’s very important that we find them.”
Osvaldo stood silently and watched them talk. He could tell that Jonathon wasn’t very fond of Angus. He considered the man to be his ally, and at some point, he may have to rely on him to get Armando off the island alive. Moments before Jonathon approached them, Angus was continuing with his threats and already asking him to point them in the general direction of the fountain of youth. The shoreline they were on looked vaguely familiar, but he didn’t really see anything to indicate to him which way they needed to go. He tried to explain that to Angus, but the old man wasn’t hearing any of it. He was in the middle of another one of his threats when Jonathon approached. Somehow, he had to get a moment alone with him so he could tell him what was really going on. For now, he continued to watch their conversation with interest.
“I told you that Lucy and I will decide when and if we venture deeper inland. Stop with the secret conversations,” Jonathon demanded.
Angus held up his hands defensively, and Travis popped his knuckles loudly as if he were trying to give Jonathon a subtle hint to back off.
“You’re right, Jonathon,” Angus said. “It was very rude of me to keep you out of the loop. You’re the expert and I assure you it will not happen again.”
“Thank you,” Jonathon answered through gritted teeth.
“We believe that it is possible the crate was dropped somewhere nearby in the jungle. After all, doing an air drop on a small narrow beach is a tricky task. Throw in a misty sky and it’s almost impossible to drop it exactly where you want it. I think we should search the nearby jungle. That is, if you see it safe to do so,” Angus said.
Jonathon kept his hands on his hips and he turned his head toward the wall of trees.
“Give me an opportunity to have a quick look first, then you can come in,” he said.
Angus nodded his head.
“Very well,” he answered. “Would you like for Travis to go with you?”
Jonathon looked over his shoulder at Travis. He was staring at him with icy eyes, a crooked grin across his face.
“Uh…no that’s okay,” he said. “I’ll manage.”
Chapter 13:
Jonathon took the large hunting knife from its sheath and stepped softly toward the dense vegetation in front of him. If there was something in there waiting for him, it could lunge at him faster than he would be able to react. But as long as he had his knife, he had a chance. One quick stab into an animal’s head, it would fall limp, and he would be able to escape. That was the plan anyway. As he entered the shadows of the jungle, he tried desperately to keep from breaking and snapping too many twigs. As silent as the jungle was, the ordinarily small noises echoed loudly for anything in the vicinity to hear. As it was, he was doing a miserable job of keeping his footsteps quiet. There was just simply too much crunchy debris on the ground for his large boots to avoid. He kept his head swiveling both directions, watching for any signs of movement. With no sun, the jungle was much darker than it would ordinarily be and the environment was spooky and uncomfortable. He carefully parted bushes and shrubs out of his path and suddenly a flock of birds sprang into flight in front of him. The abrupt noise startled him and he felt his heart skip a couple of beats. He stood still a moment panting and trying to recompose himself when he heard another sound. Something was walking nearby him and it sounded like it had a little more mass than the Parksosaurus. He crouched down, trying to find an opening of some kind through the dense undergrowth to get a look at what was walking nearby. He finally found a hole and was amazed to see a Protoceratops lumbering casually through the jungle. It occasionally stopped and nibbled on some of the large leafy bushes as it walked. Jonathon stood back up and worked his way through the brush in an effort to get closer to the animal. He didn’t fear the animal that much; it was a herbivore and it wasn’t much bigger than a sheep. It had a large neck frill and a beaked mouth. In fact, it looked a lot like a miniature Triceratops, but without the horns.
This was a dinosaur Jonathon knew well. Their fossils were very plentiful throughout Mongolia, and although he’d never actually had the opportunity to unearth any, he’d examined many specimens throughout his career. Several years ago, he’d seen photos of a fossilized Protoceratops and Velociraptor in combat. The extraordinary find was reconstructed exactly the way it had been discovered in the rocky earth. Another thing that fascinated Jonathon was that the Greeks actually discovered Protoceratops and mistaken it for a mythical creature, the griffin. It was surreal now that he found himself looking at a real live breathing one. The animal finally noticed him approaching, and it let out a moan that sounded similar to a cow. Jonathon continued to creep closer to the animal. It responded by scuffing a paw through the soft soil and moaning again.
“Easy, fella. I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered.
The Protoceratops sniffed the air and took a step toward Jonathon, then immediately stepped back. It was clear that it wanted to investigate the strange new life form further, but it was being very cautious about it at the same time. Jonathon continued to take slow, careful strides toward it, and after several minutes, he finally got within arm’s reach of the animal. He held out his hand in a fist and the Protoceratops stretched its neck out so that it could sniff the hand.
“That’s it…I’m harmless,” he said softly, trying not to get too excited. “You’re just like a big old dog.”
Suddenly, Protoceratops jerked its large head back and took another sniff of air. It turned its entire body around and began looking in all directions as if it heard something.
“Something got you spooked, boy?”
Jonathon squinted and did his best to peer into the jungle. He saw nothing, but suddenly an uneasy feeling overcame him. Then the most terrifying sound he ever heard erupted somewhere deep within the jungle ahead. It sounded like ten lions roaring in unison. It was a thunderous blast of sound and almost impossible to detect exactly how far away it was. The Protoceratops wailed and frantically tore away through the bushes, clearly familiar with and terrified of the roaring beast. Jonathon felt his heart rate pick up as a realization began to overcome him. Deep down, he knew what made that sound without even seeing the animal. He had wondered to himself all along if there would be Tyrannosaurs on the island and now he was certain that there were.
This definitely changes things, he thought.
He turned back, knife still clutched tightly in hand, and began running furiously in the direction he had come. Thoughts of tripping and falling on the knife crossed his mind, but he felt much safer with it in his hand than not. As he ran, it became apparent he’d wandered a lot further into the jungle that he had realized. Time seemed to escape him as he too had become enchanted with the majesty of the mysterious island. The roar had done wonders to break that enchantment, and the only thing he wanted to do now was get back on the boat. There was definitely research to be done here and he no doubt wanted to come back, but as things were now, they were way unprepared for exploring the island. They needed more men and weapons than they had now. More exploring needed to be done from the air; it was simply too dangerous to blindly venture further inland the way that they were. He knew Angus wouldn’t like his recommendation that they get off the island at once, but at this point, he also didn’t care. If the old man wanted to get himself killed that was fine, and if he could convince Travis and Frank to follow him, so be it. The rest of them, however, would head back to Bethany immediately.
***
Angus looked down at his watch and released a sigh of disgust. He stood at the edge of the ocean as the others unloaded the supply boat further down the beach. He needed a moment alone to think. His plans were already going into disarray and they
hadn’t even left the beach yet. Playing along and acting like he wanted to listen to Jonathon’s advice was frustrating and demeaning. He was the one in charge and he knew he had to start acting like it. The only thing he wanted to do was locate the fountain of youth and take a drink. He needed the others to accomplish this and he wanted nothing less but for all of them to receive the gift of immortality also. Part of him wondered if he should just spill the beans and tell them everything. After all, they had just come to realize he was telling the truth about the dinosaurs, getting them to believe there was a fountain of youth on the island should now be easy.
On the other hand, he also knew that telling the truth may result in more chaos. If he told them the truth, they would quickly realize he lied to get them all to the island. It could be argued that he was asking them to risk their lives for his own selfish reasons. They may all turn on him at once and that could be disastrous. The unfortunate truth was that he needed them all to accomplish his goal. The risk of telling them the truth was just not worth it. His thoughts turned to Jonathon and he wondered what was taking him so long. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe he wasn’t coming back. He grinned and knew it was unlikely he would get that lucky. Nevertheless, he had to be ready to adapt to the possibility. Good thing I brought two paleontologists, he thought.
“We’ve finished unloading the supply boat,” Travis said as he approached, sweat beading up all over his forehead.
“Very good. Tell Frank to keep a close watch on Osvaldo and Armando. I’m afraid they’re getting a little restless, and I don’t need them complicating things any more than they already are,” he replied. Travis nodded and began to walk away in the direction of Frank.
“Travis,” Angus called out.
He stopped and glanced back. “Sir?”
“Make sure your gun is loaded and ready. Tell Frank to do the same. I’m going to give Jonathon five more minutes, and if he hasn’t shown back up, we may have to go on without him,” he said coldly.
Travis snorted. “But how in the world are we gonna convince the others to go on without him?”
“Leave that to me, we will be able to persuade them,” he answered, pulling his jacket back to reveal a sleek, silver revolver in a shoulder holster. “But don’t worry, I feel confident Jonathon will be back. Better to be safe than sorry though.”
“I understand,” Travis replied, his smile revealing a few crooked teeth.
Lucy had just plopped down on a fallen tree trunk when she heard a rustle behind the trees. She squinted, trying to see into the darkness of the jungle.
“Jonathon, is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” he answered, stepping out onto the open beach. He was out of breath from all the running.
Lucy could see a look of excitement and fear all over his face.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
She helped him sit down on the log, and Silas, Annie, and Angus came running over.
“We can’t do this. We’ve got to call the expedition off,” he said, panting heavily.
Annie sat down beside him.
“What do you mean? What happened?” she asked.
Jonathon took off his hat and fanned himself as he spoke.
“I took a long walk into the jungle. I went much deeper than I meant to go. I heard something…something really, really big.”
“Did you see what it was?” Silas asked.
He shook his head. “No…I didn’t go looking either. It was the most terrifying sound I’ve ever heard. There is only one thing it could be.”
“Tyrannosaur,” Lucy said, her voice quaking just a bit. “You think it’s a tyrannosaur.”
He nodded, saying nothing.
Angus kneeled down in front of him and put one knee in the sand.
“Jonathon, do you need some water?”
“Yeah…that would be great,” he replied.
Angus looked over his shoulder and shouted for Travis to bring over some water, then turned his attention back to Jonathon.
“You say you didn’t see what made the sound?”
“No, but like I said, I didn’t go looking for it either. It was unlike any roar I’ve ever heard before. We’re not prepared to travel deeper into this island with tyrannosaurs back there.” He paused a moment as Travis tossed him a bottle of water. He took a gulp and wiped his mouth with his arm.
“I’m sorry, Angus, it’s just not safe. We’ll have to come back with more help.”
Angus nodded, and then stood back up, his knee popping as he did.
“If you didn’t see the animal that made the sound, then how can you be sure it was a tyrannosaur?”
Jonathon put his hat back on and stood up.
“Look, Angus,” he said, slightly annoyed by the question. “I believe with all my heart that it was a tyrannosaur. But if it wasn’t, it was still something I don’t want to be anywhere near. It was loud and it sounded extremely dangerous. I realize how badly you wanted to explore this island, but I’m telling you, it’s not safe. You wanted my expert opinion and I’m giving it to you. We need to leave right now.”
Angus stared at Jonathon for a few seconds then turned to look across the ocean all the way to where it met the mist. The others remained quiet, unsure how to react. Angus looked to Silas and smiled.
“What do you think, old friend?”
Silas adjusted his hat and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I don’t know, Angus, Jonathon seems pretty shook up by whatever it was that he heard. Maybe he’s right. Maybe we need some more help.”
Angus shook his head and chuckled. “I would’ve never expected an answer like that from you of all people.” He shot Lucy a look. “I guess you agree with them?”
She looked down and shook her head.
“Yes, we’ll have to come back,” she said softly.
Angus rolled his eyes and threw his head back, frustration beginning to appear in his movements.
“What about you, Annie? Don’t you want that prize winning photograph?”
Annie walked over to him and gently grabbed his arm.
“Uncle Angus, they’re right. Jonathon and Lucy are the ones we need to be listening to. If they say it’s too dangerous, then it is. A prize-winning photograph won’t do me any good if I’m dead.”
Angus jerked his arm away and stomped off.
“I can’t believe how easily you are all persuaded by an animal that Jonathon didn’t even see,” he muttered. He stood for a long moment thinking. He was so close to finding the fountain of youth. There was no way he was going to turn back now. Travis drew near him and patiently awaited an order. Angus could sense that he was practically begging him to allow him and Frank to pull their guns and force them forward into the jungle. The truth was, he desperately wanted to oblige him, and he knew that all he had to do was say the words and Travis would gladly spring into action. They were armed and the others were completely at their mercy. He glanced over at Jonathon. He and the others hadn’t moved, they just watched and waited for him to say something. Angus noticed Travis inching closer to him.
“Just say the words, boss,” he whispered.
Angus held up a dismissive hand. He’d made up his mind. As bad as he needed the others help, he decided kidnapping them all would be an unwise decision. He still had Osvaldo to point him in the right direction. He and Travis had handguns. Frank was equipped with a high-powered hunting rifle. Armando was expendable. If they found themselves in a desperate situation with a hungry tyrannosaur, one bullet in the young man’s leg would allow them to escape with their lives. He spun around and smiled widely.
“Jonathon,” he began. “I wanted you and Lucy to give me your honest opinions about the dinosaurs on this island. You both have done so and I truly appreciate it.”
Jonathon stood and nodded.
“Angus, I’m sorry, I know you were looking forward to this,” he said, displeasure in his voice. He truly felt bad for having to spoil the old man’s plans.
“And for the record, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I believe you now,” he said with an awkward chuckle.
“You only did what I asked you to do, don’t apologize,” Angus replied. “I do, however, wonder if you could do me a favor?”
“Yes, of course. What do you need?”
“Please take one of the boats and return to the ship with Silas, Annie, and Lucy. The four of you will be safe there, and as soon as we get back tomorrow, we will return to the states,” he said, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
Jonathon blinked and shook his head.
“What? I don’t understand?”
Angus let out a deep breath. “Jonathon, I don’t know how else to say it. Take those three back to the ship with you. We’ll see you tomorrow,” he quipped, then turned away to gather Osvaldo and Armando, still being guarded closely by Frank.
“He’s lost his mind,” Silas whispered.
He jogged over to Angus and grabbed him tightly by the arm.
“Have you lost your mind?”
Angus stopped walking and gave Silas an icy stare, and ordered him to let go of his arm.
Silas released his grip and Angus immediately began walking again without saying another word.
“Let him go,” Lucy said.
Annie started to speak, but she knew better. Angus had always done what he wanted and when he set his mind on something there was no talking him out of it.
“She’s right, let him go. There’s no way to get through to him now.”
Jonathon began walking toward the boat and motioned for the others to follow.
“Come on, let’s get out of here. If he wants to get himself killed, who are we to stop him?”
The others half-heartedly padded across the sandy beach and began to board the boat. Jonathon was about to step on board when he suddenly heard angry shouting began between Osvaldo and Angus. He stepped back onto the beach and the others looked on curiously to see what was happening. Angus pushed the much younger and stronger Osvaldo. The younger man was just about to retaliate when Travis threw an arm around his neck and restrained him. Frank immediately did the same to Armando.