by C. G. Mosley
Jonathon gave Lucy a soothing kiss on her forehead and redirected his attention to Armando. He drew near and put a comforting hand on the young man’s shoulder.
“Your grandfather is a hero,” he began. “He’s the bravest man I’ve ever met.”
Armando looked up at him; his eyes were full of pain.
Lucy crawled over to Armando and put her arms around him in a maternal way. “Armando, your grandfather is now free of his curse.” She continued to sob, but her words were soothing. “I don’t think he saved just us. I think he was trying to save himself too.”
Armando sat motionless, but he appeared to be listening.
Silas took a seat on a nearby log, his eyes were red and tears streamed down his face.
The four of them rested for around twenty minutes, each of them working out Osvaldo’s death in their own way. Jonathon had been ready to move on long before that. He wasn’t sure if Angus had slipped away or not, but if he had, it was only a matter of time before him and the ship departed. There wasn’t any more time to waste.
He coaxed them all onto the ATVs. He and Silas piloted the vehicles, while Lucy and Armando were passengers. As they drove back, Jonathon almost had the sense that dinosaurs and the island itself had finally had their fill of torturing them. The ride back was pretty much uneventful, and although the countless herds of dinosaurs still remained in the valley watching them with obvious curiosity as they motored across the landscape in retreat, Jonathon didn’t spot a single animal that appeared to be threatening to him. The majestic animals had apparently survived extinction thanks to the fountain of youth. It was a power that for literally millions of years, only they possessed. All of them at some point had drunk the magical water. He wondered if there were other pools of it on the island that had not yet been seen with human eyes. He thought of the Troodons and how aggressive they were. Although he could never be sure, it certainly seemed that they were protecting the powerful fountain that rested in the heart of their island home. Many paleontologists believed that the Troodon was the most intelligent of all the dinosaurs. Jonathon just couldn’t help but wonder if they had underestimated the intelligence of the Troodon. Maybe they were fully aware of the fact that their species, and many of the other less intelligent dinosaurs, had somehow cheated death when the rest of the world had not. They were the last of their kind, and no doubt they felt the power of the fountain when they drank from it just as Osvaldo and Angus did. It was an incredible thing to consider, and Jonathon even chuckled to himself when he thought of just how far out his imagination was taking him.
When they finally arrived at the large shipping container, Annie began to shed tears of joy. Maybe they were tears of joy since she saw that Jonathon and the others were alive. Maybe it was because she was on the verge of giving up and accepting that her own life was going to end. Maybe it was a little of both, but the only thing Jonathon was sure of was that she was clearly excited to see them. After a brief embrace with Lucy, they continued across the beach until they finally caught sight of Bethany. The large ship was the most beautiful thing any of them had seen all day. Jonathon knew before he even got on board the ship that it was deserted. He couldn’t help but smile when, for the first time, he realized that Angus didn’t make it. The man was either dead, or wandering around aimlessly through the jungle. He wasn’t sure which fate was worse.
When they reached the ship’s bow, Jonathon and Silas made Armando and the ladies wait in the small boat while they climbed on board to make sure there weren’t any flying reptiles waiting for them this time. Silas took time to drag Captain Blackstone onto the deck next to what was left of Denny and he covered them with a canvas tarp. He and Jonathon had no intentions of filling in the others on what was under the tarp, but they figured it would be pretty easy to figure out. There was too much blood all over the deck and bridge for them not to be able to figure it out. When they finally did board the ship, Jonathon quickly ushered them into the bridge and locked the door.
Silas took control of the ship, and Jonathon suddenly felt anxious to see the sun again. The ship rocked back and forth in a much more pronounced fashion than it had when they arrived days earlier. The ocean seemed choppier, but no one on board seemed to care. They were all overcome with exhaustion and no one said a word when Bethany finally broke through the other side of the fog. The sun bathed the ship in warm, golden rays that seemed to welcome them back to the normal world they were familiar with. Jonathon walked out on deck and made his way to the stern. He took a seat and watched the horizon until the misty island disappeared. He wondered if he or anyone else would ever see it again. Deep down, he hoped no one ever did. Of course, the last thing he wanted was for more lives to be lost, but the main reason was because he felt that the dinosaurs had overcome extinction. Clearly, they had earned their place in the world. If the rest of the planet learned of its existence, the dinosaurs would never know freedom again. He suddenly felt a tremendous responsibility to keep the island a secret. The unfortunate truth was that he didn’t know if it would be possible. There were more of Angus’s people that knew of the island’s existence. He immediately thought of Eric Gill, Angus’s pilot he’d met on board the Gulfstream. There would be questions to answer when they returned. Jonathon knew he would have to think of some good answers. Then he thought of the fountain of youth. Did Eric know of its existence? There was no way to know for sure, but he decided it was best to not mention it. If Eric brought it up, then it would be discussed. If he didn’t know about it, then Jonathon decided he never would. He didn’t want to give him, or anyone else, a reason to venture back to the deadly island. He cringed when he considered what would happen if the world found out about the island, the dinosaurs, and the fountain of youth. The world wasn’t ready to know about the island. If anyone did return, more lives would certainly be lost.
Chapter 25:
One Week Later…
Eric Gill sipped soda through a straw as he watched his hired help finish loading what was left of his supplies on Bethany. When Jonathon and the other survivors had returned to Fort Lauderdale a week earlier, the stories they told were frightening to say the least. Eric did his best to seem genuinely happy for their safe return, but the truth was he was fuming mad. He’d learned the awful news that Travis and Frank were dead. That was a mess he really didn’t want to deal with, but fortunately for him, he didn’t know of any family the two had besides Angus. On the other hand, the demise of Captain Blackstone and Denny was a different story. They did have family that would miss them being gone. Eric would allow Angus’s lawyers to handle that. There were waivers the good captain and his first mate had signed when they agreed to do the job. Then Jonathon told him the unfortunate news that Angus was missing in action. He even hinted around that he believed the man was dead, but he was adamant that there was no way he could confirm it because he had no body. Eric listened with sincere interest as Jonathon told him an interesting tale about how Angus, Travis, and Frank held Lucy hostage and left the others for dead. It was all Eric could do to keep from smiling as he listened because he knew all along that something like that was a possibility.
The news that the Puerto Rican, Osvaldo, had died mattered very little to him. He figured that was eventually going to happen anyway. He knew better than anyone how Angus acted when he didn’t get what he wanted. Angus never accepted the word “no” and anyone who ever tried to butt heads with the old man always got the horns. Jonathon and his buddies learned that the hard way.
Annie didn’t seem very upset about her missing uncle when she returned. Eric knew they’d never been close, but judging by her mood, Angus hadn’t cut her any slack just because she was a part of his family. Eric did what he could to accommodate her, but in the end, he knew it was useless. Word would get out to other members of the Wedgeworth family. People would begin to ask more questions. Thank God for those lawyers! They could deal with that mess too.
Jonathon had made it very clear that returning to the island w
as not something for Eric or any other employee of Angus Wedgeworth to consider. He told him how frightening some of the dinosaurs that roamed the island were. Eric kept his thoughts to himself, but the whole time he believed some of the stories he’d been told were embellishments. He wondered if there was some other reason that Jonathon wanted him to stay away from the island. The prick probably wants to go back with some of his own people and claim that he discovered it, he thought. He shook the thoughts from his head. There was no reason to dwell on what Jonathon’s intentions were. Eric had his own agenda at the moment.
Angus Wedgeworth was his boss, and he’d been a faithful employee for fifteen years. He was almost certain the man was still alive somewhere on the island. The man was too mean to die. The only thing that puzzled him was that Jonathon had made no mention about the fountain of youth. Eric guessed that he still wasn’t aware of it, and he certainly was not going to volunteer the information. The fact of the matter was that if Angus was alive, (and Eric believed he was) then he would be waiting on him to come get him. As far as he knew, Angus didn’t have any other employees that knew of the existence of the island, the dinosaurs, or the fountain of youth. If Angus was alive, he would fully expect Eric to come for him. If he sat around and did nothing, then there would be hell to pay if Angus found a way back. And knowing the old man the way Eric did, he knew that someway, somehow he would find a way back. He would be as good as dead if he didn’t try to find him. Of course, he couldn’t do it all alone. He’d hired four college kids to accompany him “while he went to pick up a friend from an island.” He didn’t have to tell them much more than that once they found out how well they were getting paid. It was easy to find one of the locals to pilot the ship for him; once again, money made all the difference. Now as the sun began to set, the only thing left to do was board the ship and begin the voyage.
Once on board, Eric walked across the deck to a large wooden crate. He grabbed a crowbar that was lying on top of the crate and began to pry the lid open. Inside, there were several assault rifles and countless rounds of ammunition. He’d tried to tell Angus repeatedly they needed to bring more guns. All the old man could think about was the fountain of youth. He would not make the same mistakes. One of the tall, lanky college kids strutted over to where he was. Eric quickly slid the lid back over the crate and turned to face him.
“I think we’re all set, Mr. Gill,” he said.
Eric smiled. “What’s your name, kid?”
“David, my friends call me Dave though.”
“Well alright, Dave. Are you excited about the trip?”
Dave’s face lit up and answered the question before he even spoke. “Yes, sir. I can’t wait. I’ve always wanted to travel a lot when I grew up. This is a good start. I’ve never been out on the ocean. To be honest, I’m kind of nervous about it.”
Eric frowned. “Nervous? About the ocean?”
Dave seemed embarrassed; he ran his fingers through his bushy, brown hair. “Yeah, I know this is going to sound really silly, but it’s not really the ocean that bothers me. It’s what is in the ocean.”
Eric raised his eyebrows. “And just what are you referring to?”
“Well, there are sharks, and giant squids. There’s a lot of stuff in the water that is larger than this ship. That makes me a little nervous,” he said sheepishly.
Eric smiled, and shortly after his smile turned into laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“Kid, trust me when I say the monsters in the water should be the least of your worries.”
“Okay…I guess,” Dave replied, and he looked at Eric as if he thought the man he was speaking to was on drugs or something. The kid strolled away and began helping his buddies move some of the gear down to the cabins.
Eric walked over to the railing at the bow of Bethany and leaned forward. He stared into the water and thought of the sharks and giant squids Dave had spoken of. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, kid,” he whispered.
The End
Read on for a free sample of Jurassic Island.
CHAPTER ONE
When he heard the high-pitched trill of the phone, Joseph Thornton sat up in bed like a vampire awakening for a night of feasting. He took a moment to look around his bedroom, as if making sure this was really happening and that he was not dreaming. The cell phone rang again, an unfamiliar sound because this particular cell phone only rang on special occasions. Shaking his head as if to clear the sleep from it, Joseph jumped out of bed and ran to the other side of the bedroom.
There were three cellphones sitting on his desk: one for personal use, one for business and one that he had specifically set aside for his special interests. It was this last one that was ringing now. He recognized the number on the display screen and his heart felt as if it might burst with excitement.
With hands still partially numb from sleep, he grabbed the phone and answered the call.
"Yeah?"
"Mr. Thornton, I'm sorry to call at such a late hour," the man on the other line said. "But I have news that is going to make you very happy."
"What is it?"
"I've just sent you an e-mail to your secure account. Check it while you're on the phone with me, would you?"
Slightly irritated that his contact would not just tell him what the news was, Joseph brought the laptop on his desk to life and logged into an e-mail account that only a handful of people knew about. He'd gone to great lengths and paid a handsome sum to ensure its security. When his inbox came up, he saw only one new mail, sent two minutes ago. The subject line read: SATELLITE IMAGE_01446. The body of the mail was empty, but there was an attachment.
Now very much awake, Joseph opened the attachment. He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing at first, but once his eyes adjusted to the colors, his heart once again felt like it might burst.
"What am I looking at?" Joseph asked, although he knew deep down exactly what it was; it was something he had been waiting for over the course of the last twenty years of his life.
"Your Holy Grail," the man on the other end said. "And if I were you, I'd act quickly, Mr. Thornton. That photograph was taken less than three hours ago and was sent directly to me when my man on the inside saw it. It would likely take some time, but this will be accessible to any motivated competitors within a few hours."
"Thank you," Joseph said. "If this turns out to be legit, you'll be rewarded more than you can imagine."
"Satellite photos rarely lie," said the man on the other end. "Well, sometimes they do…when the military gets them first. But the military hasn't even seen these yet."
"Thanks," Joseph said again and hung up.
He set the phone down gently and looked lovingly at the photograph on his screen. In it, there was a wide patch of the South Indian Ocean. It was a rather bland photograph, with the exception of one thing.
A small land mass sat isolated in the midst of all of that water—an island that looked no more special than any other island.
But what made this island special is that it had not been there yesterday or the day before.
And it was an island that Joseph Thornton had been waiting twenty years to discover.
He closed the picture down and logged out of the account. He then packed very quickly, wanting to get as much of a head start on his competition as he could. Within half a day or so, he imagined that there would be at least one more highly motivated and financially astute party that would also be heading to the South Indian Ocean.
Time was money, and Joseph Thornton never wasted a cent. He was packed within five minutes and after he called his car around to the front of the building, he made a few more calls to get a team assembled for what could potentially be the most historic expedition ever recorded.
CHAPTER TWO
It was just after midnight when Christopher "Colt" McKinnon ordered his seventh beer of the night. He had toyed around with the idea of taking a few shots to put an exclamation point on the night's lonely festivities, but h
ad decided against it. Whenever Christopher got obliterated, he preferred the slow and reassuring comfort of beer rather than the toxic and sneaky buzz that shots of liquor caused. There was something deliberate and almost poetic about taking time with simple beers.
That was the extent of his train of thought these days. Once known to a great many people as Colt McKinnon, he was trying his best to regain the name of Christopher. It was the name he had been born with and had adorned the marriage license that now lay somewhere in a cluttered closet in his rundown apartment. That wife was long gone now and even she had taken to calling him Colt near the end.
Those that recognized him from time to time called him Colt, dropping the Christopher. They knew him as such from countless TV shows and YouTube videos. Scary-Ass Monsters, with your host, Christopher "Colt" McKinnon. After a while, the networks had caught on to his growing popularity and had dropped the Christopher from his name. After that, he'd been Colt to everyone.
He hated Colt McKinnon these days, though. Colt had ruined his life but, before that, had also given him the life he'd always wanted. Fame, money, the adoration of internet geeks and cryptozoology nerds all around the world. Looking back on it, he was often embarrassed to be associated with it all, although he knew that half of the things he had spent his career chasing down were, in fact, legitimate. But Colt was the sort of name frat boys had, something to be chanted while chugging beer.
Still, "Christopher" felt sort of soft and he didn’t like that most of the time either. He figured that it was without a doubt the lamest identity crisis any human being had ever endured.
He was soaking in this sort of self-pity as he started drinking beer number seven. The bartender was giving him an iffy look, maybe trying to telepathically imply that drinking so heavily alone was pathetic and last call was in less than an hour.