The Extinction Series | Book 8 | Primordial Earth 8

by Higgins, Baileigh

  Chapter 12 - Paul

  After their first night spent underneath the stars, Paul and Terri resumed their journey. They traveled for another full day, following the trail of Callum, Ric, and the rest of the convoy. That night when they camped on a slight rise, they knew they were close.

  It wasn’t hard to follow the trail. There were signs aplenty of their quarry: Boot prints, wagon and animal tracks, trampled vegetation, abandoned campsites, the butchered carcasses of small herbivores, mounds of trash, and a trail of small country towns stripped to the bone.

  “Locusts,” Terri said with a shake of his head.

  It was just before dawn on the third day, and they were preparing to set out. After a cold breakfast of leftovers, they drank their coffee and packed their things.

  “Huh?” Paul asked, confused.

  “Humans are like locusts,” Terri repeated. “Wherever we go, we leave nothing behind. We take what we want, when we want, without regard for the consequences. All of nature has to bow down to our superiority.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Paul protested, kicking sand over the fire. He rinsed out their cups and pots before putting them away and rolled up his blankets.

  “It is that bad,” Terri said. “You’ve never seen the future, have you? The world we come from?”

  “No,” Paul said, shaking his head. “I was born here in this time.”

  “Well, I’ve seen it, and it’s not a pretty picture.”

  “Really?” Paul asked, his interest piqued. That was a side of the story he’d never heard before. Whenever the older people spoke of the future, it was of the things they missed. Their friends, families, jobs, and comforts. Only rarely did they talk about the bad stuff.

  “What we’ve seen these past few days is nothing,” Terri said. “I’ve seen humans destroy entire continents. Swathes of rain forest torn down in the blink of an eye. Hell. Hundreds of species have died out because of us.”

  “Okay, but what’s brought this on all of a sudden?” Paul said.

  “I just thought you should know what it was really like back then. The wars, the pollution, the cruelty, the experiments on animals, the biological warfare, all of it.”

  “Why?” Paul asked, baffled. This was a side of Terri that was new to him. A somber, serious Terri who didn’t joke about everything.

  “Because you’re young, and someday, it’ll be you and your generation that’s in charge. Hopefully, you’ll do better than we did,” Terri said, making his way to the horses. With a grunt, he saddled his roan.

  “I don’t think it’ll matter much what we do,” Paul said, saddling the bay.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because according to your history, we don’t have a future. At some point, the dinosaurs will be wiped out, and so will we, right?” Paul said. “It’ll be as if we were never here.”

  “Huh. I didn’t think about that,” Terri said as they both mounted their horses. “You’d better start building bunkers.”

  “Bunkers, huh?” Paul said, shading his eyes against the rising sun. “That’s an idea.”

  “But what about fossils and stuff? Surely future humans will find some trace of our existence here.”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” Paul said with a shrug.

  “What if that’s where the alien conspiracies came from?” Terri said, his forehead creased.

  “Aliens? You think future generations will think we’re aliens?”

  “Why not? Stranger things have happened,” Terri said. “Like time travel.”

  “Ugh, stop it. You’re making my head hurt,” Paul said. “Can you shut up for a bit? We need to focus.”

  “Fine,” Terri said, pulling a face. “Let’s concentrate on the road ahead.

  “Finally,” Paul said, heaving a sigh of relief. “Peace and quiet.”

  Silence descended as they crossed the terrain, and it was impossible to ignore the beautiful scenery.

  The sky lit up with streaks of orange, lavender, and mauve to the west as the sun touched the treetops. It mirrored the colors of the leaves below with its splashes of rust, brown, and yellow. It promised to be the perfect fall day. Not too warm, and not too cold.

  Paul sucked in a deep breath of the fresh air around him. It felt good to be out in the wild and in the saddle. The beauty of the wild sang to his soul, despite the danger that abounded. Whatever this world might be, it had its charms.

  “You know…” Terri began, breaking into his tranquil thoughts.

  “What is it?”

  “Now that I think about it, nothing can change in the future. You can’t do better, or create a better society, or build any bunkers.”

  The seconds ticked by while Paul debated whether he should respond or not. On the one hand, he really didn’t want to hear it. But on the other hand, Terri refused to give up. He eyed Paul with eager expectation, waiting for an invitation to continue.

  Finally, Paul couldn’t stand it anymore and said, “Why, pray tell?”

  “Because if you change anything, anything at all, the future might not happen. Or it will happen differently.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Paul asked, growing exasperated.

  “Just think about it,” Terri insisted. “If anything changes, anything at all, then future generations might not invent time travel.”

  “So, none of this will have happened,” Paul said, waving a hand around.

  “Exactly. The Shift will never have happened,” Terri said with a smug smile.

  “But, hang on,” Paul said. “If we’re still here, then the future couldn’t have changed, which means that time travel was invented, and the Shift did happen.”

  “What?” Terri said. “Now I’m confused.”

  “Exactly. Can we talk about something else, please?” Paul pleaded, rubbing his temples. Already, a headache was building inside his skull, and it promised to be a doozy. Especially if Terri won’t shut the hell up.

  “Talk about what?” Terri said.

  “Anything but time travel,” Paul replied.

  “Like?”

  Paul groaned and looked around. “Like what’s hiding inside those bushes up ahead, ready to pounce.”

  “Nothing is hiding in those bushes,” Terri said with a negligent wave.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because of the horses. You said they’ll sense anything bad before we do, and they look quite calm to me,” Terri said.

  “At least you learned something,” Paul said.

  “Pfft. I’ve forgotten more in my life than you’ve ever learned, kid.”

  “I’m not a kid. Not for a while now,” Paul said, going on the defensive.

  “Touchy, touchy,” Terri said. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of his blanket roll today.”

  Paul ground his teeth, ready to explode. Before he could react, though, they reached the clump of bushes he’d mentioned earlier. The horses picked their way through the thick vegetation, the only sound being the scrape of leaves and twigs against their clothes. As Terri had predicted, nothing was hiding inside, ready to eat them.

  Within minutes, they broke through and found themselves on the edge of a vast open field. It stretched to either side as far as the eye could see, the green grass fading to beige in patches. A few clumps of bushes and a couple of lone trees offered the only break in the monotonous flat expanse.

  About halfway across the field, a herd of mixed herbivores grazed on the luscious vegetation. They were too far away to make out the details, but Paul spotted a few Alamosaurusus towering high above the rest with their long necks.

  Paul pulled back on the reins. “This doesn’t look good.”

  Terri nodded. “No, it doesn’t.”

  “It’s too exposed. We’ll be visible for miles.”

  “Agreed.”

  “What do we do? Go around?”

  “And lose a whole day?” Terri asked.

  “I know, but I don’t like the look of this,” Paul said, shifting in his seat.


  “Let’s just take it slow, keep a careful eye out, and rely on the horses for warning,” Terri suggested. “And keep your gun close.”

  Paul removed the rifle from his back, thanking his lucky stars that Callum had equipped him with one. There weren’t many people in the Watch that carried guns, and he was one of the few. Where Terri got his weapon, he had no idea and was too afraid to ask. He probably stole the damn thing, or won it in a bet. “Alright, let’s do this.”

  “See that belt of trees on the other side?” Terri asked.

  “I see it.”

  “That’s our goal. What we want is through there, and we can’t let anything stand in our way,” Terri said.

  “Inspiring,” Paul said with a hint of mockery, but Terri was right. What they wanted was on the other side, and they needed to find it soon. If they didn’t, it was all for nothing.

  Chapter 13 - Callum

  Callum stayed true to his word the next day, rising early to begin preparations to head home. Now that the decision was made, he was eager to get moving. After a quick breakfast, he washed, dressed, and packed his gear. With his horse fed, watered, and saddled, he was ready to go. The only task that remained was to hand over command of his troops to O’Neill. “Ye know what to do, O’ Neill. You trained for this.”

  “Yes, Sir. I won’t let you down,” O’ Neill said, his eyes shining.

  “Good. I’m countin’ on ye,” Callum added.

  “Yes, Sir!” O’ Neill said, tossing in a salute for extra effect.

  He was like a bloodhound on a leash, straining at the ropes and desperate to prove himself. Callum smothered a smile. He’d been a lot like that as a lad, and he knew how the younger man felt. Maybe, it’s time to give O’ Neill a command of his own. He’s ready for it.

  Callum checked his gear, and his weapons, ensuring that everything was in place. Goliath, his horse, stomped the ground, also eager to get moving. “Are ye ready to go, boy?”

  Goliath snorted and tossed his head.

  “Not to worry. Yer leaving soon,” Callum said.

  “Are you off then?” Ric asked, striding over.

  “That I am,” Callum said, “and I can’t say I’ll miss ye.”

  “The feeling’s mutual,” Ric replied with a snort. “Seriously, though. Be careful, and say hi to the missus for me.”

  “Will do,” Callum replied, and they shook hands. “Look after my men, will ye?”

  “Never fear. I’ll keep an eye on them,” Ric said.

  “Thanks,” Callum said, wheeling his horse around. He nodded at his escort and kicked his horse into a trot. The men fell in behind him, numbering six in total. They were handpicked and armed to the nines. Though he hadn’t wanted an escort, Ric and O’ Neill insisted, and the men would accompany him to the river crossing. From there, it was a straight shot to Prime.

  As they left the camp behind, Callum found it hard to concentrate. His longing for Kat was a physical ache in his chest, and he wondered how she was doing. Without me to slow her down, she’s probably running herself ragged looking after the hospital, the staff, and the patients.

  A smile tugged at his lips. Kat hated being idle. She resented being seen as a wallflower and preferred to stay busy at all times. Callum guessed it was because of her days spent in the brothel and later her relationship with Sikes. Both required her to look beautiful and little else. She was valued only for her looks and body, not her brain or skills.

  In his eyes, she was so much more, however, and he couldn’t wait to see her again. I’ll be home soon, lass. Never fear.

  Fortunately, the trip back wouldn’t take as long with only a small group on horseback. With any luck, he’d be back in Kat’s arms by the dawning of the third day. He set a brisk pace with that in mind, and the miles flew by as the day progressed.

  It wasn’t long before he spotted a familiar belt of trees. Beyond them lay a vast open field, one he remembered crossing with the convoy while herbivores browsed in the distance. It had been a peaceful crossing, and he’d enjoyed watching the dinosaurs go about their business. It reminded him that the prehistoric world had its fair share of beauty, and not everything in it wanted to eat him.

  Now, he wasn’t so confident he wanted to cross the field. Not with such a small party to back him up. Should a pack of raptors or a large predator spot them, they’d be hard put to defend themselves.

  He considered going around the field, but the thought of another delay was just too much. “Look sharp, lads. We’ll be out in the open, and we need to stay alert. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sir,” they agreed.

  Callum kicked Goliath in the side, and they entered the trees. It was quiet inside the stretch of the forest, but it wasn’t uninhabited. Small creatures flitted through the branches overhead and rustled through the carpet of dried leaves underfoot. Mild sunlight filtered through the canopy casting a dappled shade across his face, and the air smelled like damp moss.

  They passed through without any mishap and broke into the open soon after. There they paused to get their bearings, and Callum spotted the same herbivores from the day before. “Right, lads. Let’s give those creatures over there a wide berth.”

  “Yes, Sir,” they agreed, their expressions wary.

  “Sir? Do you see that?” the guard asked, pointing across the field.

  “See what?” Callum asked, craning his head.

  “It looks like people,” the guard said.

  “People? Ye can’t be serious,” Callum exclaimed, but he soon spotted the figures for himself. “Yer right. Tis two people headed our way.”

  “That’s what it looks like, Sir,” the guard said. “Shall we meet them?”

  “We might as well,” Callum said. “Look alive, lads.”

  Callum and his group set out into the field. They stuck close together, their senses on high alert and their guns ready to shoot. While they walked, Callum wondered who the mystery people were. They were either very brave, very stupid, or very desperate to set out on their own like that.

  He didn’t have to wait long to find out. The other party sped up at the sight of them, and they met in the middle. To his astonishment, he faced Paul and Terri, the two people he’d least expected to see out there.

  “What in hell’s name are ye two doing here?” Callum bellowed, forgetting to mind his volume.

  Terri winced and looked around. “Would you keep it down? You’ll disturb yonder beasties with that booming voice.”

  “Sorry,” Callum replied on autopilot. “Now, answer my question.”

  “You’re up, Paul,” Terri said. “It’s your story to tell. I’m just along for the ride.”

  Shoved into the spotlight, Paul reddened and stuttered. “I… I came… What I mean to say…”

  “Spit it out, lad,” Callum said, growing impatient.

  Paul cleared his throat. “I came looking for you, Sir. It’s a matter of life and death.”

  Callum stared at Paul, and a premonition swept over him. “Tis Kat?”

  Paul nodded. “She has the Red Flux.”

  Callum blanched. “Is she dying?”

  “She’s very sick.”

  “What about the babe?”

  “When I left, the baby was still alive,” Paul said. “Also, a plane arrived from Vancouver with medical supplies, including antibiotics.”

  Hope blossomed in Callum’s chest. “And you gave some to Kat?”

  “Dr. Bloomberg did, but it doesn’t seem to be working. She isn’t doing well, especially after the fall.”

  “Fall? What fall?” Callum cried, ice water filling his veins. “Ye’d better tell me what’s going on right now.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Paul said, and he told Callum the story as fast as he could.

  By the time he’d finished, Callum was worked up into a state of furious desperation. “Listen up, lads. Ye heard the man. My Kat’s in danger. The sooner I get home, the better. So, I’m setting a fast pace. Ye can keep up, or ye can go back now. No complaining. No
whining. Those are yer choices.”

  All of them elected to carry on, promising they’d keep up, and the group set out once more. Callum wanted nothing more than to race against the wind to get home. He wanted to run and run, even if it meant killing the horses. The only person he loved in this world lay dying, and he needed to get to her side.

  But he knew he had to keep his wits about him. If he didn’t, he might as well give up on the spot. He’d never get home by making foolish mistakes. That much he’d learned. With an effort, he forced his fears and worries to the back of his mind and focused on his surroundings.

  Suddenly, the herd of herbivores grew restless. They stopped grazing and milled about in a frenzy. Mothers bawled for their calves, and the matriarchs snorted with alarm.

  Callum pulled up and stared at the herd, perplexed. His eyes roved across the field, but he saw nothing to explain the creatures’ reaction. Then he realized the wind had shifted, and a warning went off in his head. They smell something. “We’d better get out of here. Now.”

  “What’s going on?” Paul asked.

  “There’s no time to explain, lad. Run!” Callum cried.

  The tree line shook and crackled. Branches snapped, and foliage exploded outward. An Albertosaurus burst from hiding, its massive hind legs powering its bulk forward. Its head snaked from side to side, the fearsome jaws gaping wide.

  The herbivores panicked and charged around in abject terror. The matriarchs herded the young ones into the middle while the rest formed ranks around them. As one, they stampeded across the field with the predator snapping at their heels.

  A Lambeosaurus bugled with fright, while the ponderous Alamosaurus swept all from their path. The Triceratops brandished their horns and bawled a warning to all around them while the smaller species had to avoid being trampled underfoot.

  Frozen in horror, the small group of humanity stared at the oncoming calamity. They ignored Callum’s pleas to run, too shocked by the scene.

  “Oh, shit. They’re coming straight for us,” Terri yelled.

  “Well, stop dawdling like sheep and run, damn it,” Callum repeated.