"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit," said Glitch.
Crowther gestured to them. "After you."
Anderson led Glitch and Zheng through the opening and into the tunnel beyond. The gunner followed them in. They'd made it maybe twenty feet down the tunnel when the steel door clanged shut behind them, sealing them in.
Chapter Five
A Monstrous Plan
Crowther led them down the corridor while the second man followed at the rear. They passed half a dozen unmarked metal doors before Crowther opened one and ushered them through. Glitch had lost all sense of time, but he was sure it couldn't have been much longer than ten minutes since they'd entered the tunnel, fifteen at most. The door itself was as unremarkable as the rest, but the room beyond was anything but.
Glitch's jaw dropped the moment he got inside. They were in a control room to rival any Hollywood had put up on the big screen. A huge, curved display dominated the main wall. It showed a high-resolution, top-down photograph of the island. The site of their unexpected landing was clearly visible as a line of damaged trees ending in a pile of wreckage.
Dozens of green dots moved slowly across the image. Some were clustered around the river, but there were a lot more roaming the rest of the island. The wall they'd used to escape the Sarcosaurus was clearly visible, cutting completely across the island.
A line of smaller images ran along the bottom of the screen. These showed video, live feeds from around the island. Most showed one sort of dinosaur or another.
A long control desk faced the screen. It, too, ran the length of the room, but there was only one chair. High-backed and leather, it was mounted on a rail so that it could move left and right, like a stair-lift without the stairs.
Crowther closed the door behind them, and the chair spun around to reveal a balding, portly black man. He wore a lab coat that looked as though it had just been cleaned and pressed, a pale blue shirt with a dark blue bow tie, and thick, round glasses. When he saw them, his eyes sparkled and he broke out in a broad smile.
"Ah, welcome!" said the man. He had a strong British accent, his pronunciation even more crisp than Zheng's. "I'm so glad you dropped in."
The man laughed enthusiastically at his own joke, going so far as to actually clutch his stomach as though trying to keep it from splitting.
"Sorry, sorry," he said, getting himself back under control. "I'm sure the crash was very frightening. It was certainly dramatic. I was quite riveted."
Zheng stepped forward, her hand outstretched. The man grasped it and pumped it enthusiastically.
"My name is Doctor Zheng, and this is Captain Scarlett Anderson and Dwayne Mitchell."
"Captain?" said the man. "Marines?"
"Air Force," said Anderson.
"Ah. Good, good."
There was a long pause that became awkward before the man spoke again. "Ah, sorry. I'm being terribly rude. My name is Professor Snelling."
Zheng smiled, then gestured toward the video screen. "What is this place? It's… incredible."
Snelling's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. "Isn't it?"
When Snelling didn't elaborate further, Zheng tried again. "Are the dinosaurs real? We saw species from the Triassic and the Jurassic, and Eoraptors and Utahraptors living together."
"Oh, yes! They're quite real. We've divided the island in half to keep some of the more aggressive species separate, but for the most part, they are quite happy to live together."
"But… how?" said Zheng.
Professor Snelling grinned and flared his fingers. "Aliens!" He laughed and shook his head. "No, no, sorry. I'm just joking. It's all thanks to the wonders of modern science." He grimaced. "It's a bit of a secret, though, I'm afraid. I'm sure you understand."
Zheng nodded but she was focused on the screen.
"It's very cool," said Anderson, "but why create an island of dinosaurs in the first place?"
"The planet needs them," said Snelling.
"Why?" asked Glitch.
Snelling spun his seat around. "Let me show you something."
He kicked out his legs and sent the chair sliding down the control desk. He stopped in front of a keyboard set into the desk. Keys clattered as his fingers swept across them.
The main screen flickered and switched from the map to a 3D representation of a pair of lungs. Red spheres floated around them, pulsating slowly.
Snelling tapped the keyboard again and the pulsating spheres moved toward the lungs. Where they touched them they turned black. The dark patches spread quickly, leaving the lungs shriveled and decayed.
The professor spun back to face them. He swept his hand to one side in a triumphant gesture.
Anderson looked confused. "What are we looking at?"
Snelling rolled his eyes. "You are looking at Mollivirus bisellicon. Well, a representation of it. The actual virus is… well, it's somewhere else."
"A virus?" said Zheng.
"Yes. A prehistoric virus, in fact. Evidence suggests that back in the Triassic it was the equivalent of the common cold, although far more deadly, of course."
"And it's still around?" said Glitch.
"Until recently, no. It died out along with the dinosaurs, but as with the dinosaurs, science found a way."
Glitch stared at Snelling in shock. "You've brought a prehistoric virus back from the dead? Why would you do something like that?"
"Do you not watch television? Do you not read what passes for news these days? It's time for the Anthropocene Era to end."
"End? As in everyone dead, end?" said Glitch.
"Absolutely."
Glitch opened his mouth but the sheer number of questions bouncing around in his mind was overwhelming and he couldn't speak.
"And where do the dinosaurs fit in?" said Anderson.
"They're immune to the virus, of course. So, once mankind has been dealt with, they will be able to repopulate the planet."
"You're going to destroy the human race and bring back the dinosaurs?"
"Technically I've already brought back the dinosaurs, but yes, that's pretty much the gist of it."
Glitch finally found his voice. "You're… like some insane evil genius. You even have a secret lair."
Snelling considered the idea for a moment, then grinned. "Yes, I suppose I am."
"How can you be evil?" said Glitch. "You're wearing a bow tie!"
"But if the virus kills everyone on the planet, you'll die too," said Zheng.
Snelling rolled his eyes, and Glitch felt a flicker of satisfaction. Normally he was the one on the receiving end of the condescension.
"There's no need to worry about me," said Snelling, as though he was talking to a small child. "I'll be fine."
"Do you really expect us to just let you get away with this?" said Anderson.
Snelling smiled. "No, I expect you to die, Captain Anderson. Crowther, take them to see Isabel. It's feeding time."
Anderson took a step forward, but Crowther was at her side immediately, his pistol pressed against her forehead.
"Now, now," said Snelling, "don't do anything rash."
Crowther grabbed Anderson's arm and pulled her toward the door. "Come on."
Anderson yanked her arm free, but she did as she was told. Crowther waved his gun at Glitch and Zheng until they too walked through the door.
It led to a short corridor that ended at another of the circular vault-like doors. This one was encrusted with salt and rust. The locking mechanism complained loudly when Crowther spun the wheel.
The door screamed as it swung open to reveal a broad, slow-moving underground river running through a tunnel carved out of the rock. The air stank of rotting fish and seaweed. A metal walkway ran along the side of the tunnel, while a short dock protruded about halfway into the river. Metal railings ran along its edge.
Crowther gestured down the walkway with his gun. "Stand over there."
Glitch, Zheng, and Anderson moved a few feet down the walkway and then watched as Crowthe
r unhooked a metal box from the wall. It was roughly the size of a DVD case and attached to a long metal chain. Crowther took the box to the end of the dock and pressed his hand against the top of it. The box began to flash, pulsing with a bright white light every couple of seconds. Apparently satisfied, he hooked the chain onto the railing and dropped the box into the river.
Crowther's walkie-talkie crackled. He unhooked it from his belt and keyed the mic. "Peters?"
"The prof's leaving!" came a panicked voice.
"What?"
"In the sub, he's taking the virus and leaving."
A red light mounted on the wall above the door began to flash. A few seconds later, a warning klaxon went off.
"What's going on?" shouted Crowther into the radio.
There was a pause before the voice on the other end replied. "He's opened the hangar doors. He's… he's let them i—" The radio cut out.
"Peters! What's going on?"
There was no response.
Crowther looked up, horror on his face.
"Looks like your boss double crossed you," said Glitch.
"You've got to help me," said Crowther. The horror had been replaced by desperation now. "The sub is protected from the virus." He pointed down the walkway. "We can get to it before he lea—"
The water behind Crowther exploded as a huge gray-green shark-like creature leapt out of the river. The shark crashed through the dock's metal railing and slammed into Crowther. Its jaws clamped around his torso as its momentum carried it over the dock. Crowther let out a scream that was cut off as he hit the water and the creature carried him beneath the surface.
Glitch staggered backward. "What the hell was that?"
"It's a megalodon. I'd say thirty feet long," said Zheng, her voice filled with awe.
"That's very interesting," said Anderson, "but we need to stop the professor from releasing that virus." She ran down the walkway. "Come on!"
Glitch moved to follow, then turned back. The box was still hanging in the water. He grabbed the chain and pulled, hauling the device back out of the river. He pressed his hand against it to stop the flashing.
"What are you doing?" shouted Zheng.
The sound of the klaxon was destroying Glitch's concentration, and his hands were shaking so much it took him a few seconds to work out how to open the carabiner that attached the box to the chain. When he finally did, he raised it triumphantly and began running back toward the walkway. He'd almost reached it when there was the screech of tearing metal, and the megalodon tore through the dock in front of him.
Chapter Six
To a Watery Grave
Metal screamed as the giant shark tore through the dock, shredding it as though it was damp tissue paper. The floor tipped. Glitch's sneakers lost their grip on the slick metal klaxon
and he slid toward the megalodon's open jaws. The dock shifted again as one of the floor panels broke free and fell into the river. Glitch grabbed the railing, his feet coming within inches of the creature's teeth. The megalodon twisted, shearing off more of the metal as it fell back into the water.
"Glitch! Run!" shouted Anderson.
Glitch ran. The dock tilted and he careened into the railing. His hip hit a metal post, sending pain shooting down his leg. He fumbled with the metal box and almost dropped it. An ominous dark shape swept beneath the surface of the river.
The shark slammed into the dock and the air was filled with the sound of rending metal. Glitch could see Anderson ahead, her hand stretched out toward him, but as he reached for it, the dock gave way.
Glitch leapt forward. His hand brushed against Anderson's and he began to fall back. Anderson grabbed his wrist and hauled him toward safety. He managed to get one foot onto the walkway, but his trailing leg dragged through the water. His shin hit metal. The box slipped from his grip and clattered to the floor.
"It's coming round again," shouted Zheng.
The creature's massive bulk sideswiped the walkway. The metal beneath their feet shuddered. Glitch could see the megalodon coming back for another pass. Pain lanced through his shin as he bent down to retrieve the box. He clipped it to his belt, then charged along the walkway with Anderson.
Zheng was standing at the other end of the tunnel, beside another of the circular metal doors, this one already open. "Hurry up!"
Glitch could hear the water splashing against the tunnel walls. It didn't take much to imagine the beast leaping out of the water and devouring them both.
The walkway shook again as they reached Zheng. The megalodon lunged at them as they threw themselves through the door. The walkway buckled beneath its weight. The shark thrashed and twisted, ripping the walkway from the wall before disappearing back beneath the surface, taking most of the metalwork with it.
"This way!" shouted Anderson.
The klaxon grew louder as they ran down the corridor to a narrow metal door. It was similar to the one leading to Snelling's control center, but this one was marked "Bay 1.”
The door opened up to a large hangar. The curved roof was made of corrugated metal and extended out a couple of hundred feet. Beyond it lay crystal clear blue sky and the broad expanse of the ocean. Large shutters stood open in the left and right hangar walls, leading outside onto the plain. Piles of equipment dotted the hangar—pieces of bodywork, metal contraptions covered in copper piping, irregular objects cocooned in plastic. The klaxon continued to blare angrily as half a dozen red lights flashed in time to its call.
And in the middle of the hangar, moored alongside a long concrete dock, sat a submarine that would make Captain Nemo proud. It was seventy feet long with a large conning tower sitting right in the middle. The sub's polished silver surface was covered with dozens of antennas, brass pipes, grilles, and a block of six small circular hatches. There were two other hatches, these ones bigger, situated at either end of the deck. Both were fitted with the large locking wheels they'd seen on the interior doors. One of the hatches was closed, but the other one stood open, and as they entered the hangar, Glitch saw Professor Snelling disappear below deck.
An erratic burst of gunfire cut through the klaxon, and a man appeared at the right-hand shutter. Glitch didn't recognize him, but the terror on his face was clear. The man slammed his hand against a large red button, then fired an automatic rifle back the way he'd come. The shutter rattled and clanked and began to descend.
The man fired again as two shapes appeared, outlined by the bright sun—sarcosaurs. The man let off another burst of gunfire and then turned and ran. He barely made it five steps before the two dinosaurs reached him. They leapt onto his back, dragging him to the ground. Glitch looked away as they tore into him, his screams echoing around the hangar.
A third Sarcosaurus appeared and tried to follow its companions, but the shutter was too low. Its head slammed into the metal with a heavy clang, and the dinosaur fell back. It shook its head and advanced again, but the shutter shuddered closed before it could get through.
The water behind the submarine began to churn, and a low-pitched rumble started up.
"We've got to stop that sub," said Anderson.
One of the Sarcosaurs lifted its head from the remains of the man and let out a raucous cry. Its companion looked up, directly at Glitch.
Glitch shuddered. "I think they may have other ideas."
Anderson stepped in front of Glitch. "I'll take care of them; you two stop Snelling."
Before Glitch could object, Anderson was running across the hangar, directly toward the Sarcosaurs.
Anderson waved her arms in the air. "Hey, Geico, over here!"
Glitch hesitated until Zheng pulled on his arm, dragging him toward the dock. As they got close to the submarine, Professor Snelling popped his head out of the hatch. His eyes widened when he saw them.
"Crowther! That useless pile of…"
"Please!" shouted Zheng. "Don't do this."
Snelling sneered at the doctor. He raised a pistol and fired.
Bullets clanged off a metal
crate beside Glitch. He threw himself sideways, ducking behind a pallet holding some sort of engine.
Glitch peered around the side of the machinery and caught sight of a shadow moving behind Professor Snelling. Another dinosaur, a smaller version of the Sarcosaurs that had come in through the shutter door, stalked around the side of the conning tower.
The dinosaur's claws tapped against the submarine's metal deck. The professor looked over his shoulder. The dinosaur lunged at him. Snelling dropped into the submarine, the hatch clanging shut behind him. The dinosaur jumped onto the hatch and began biting and clawing at it.
The rumble of the submarine's engine increased in pitch, and the water around it churned and thrashed. As the sub juddered to life, the dinosaur backed unsteadily onto the dock. It let out a harsh barking cry that was quickly echoed by one of the dinosaurs Anderson was trying to deal with. She was still shouting at them, pulling them away from the submarine, but she was also backing herself into a corner.
The submarine started pulling away from the dock. Glitch searched desperately for a weapon. He spotted a heavy bar wedged into the pallet in front of him. He pulled it free and hefted it in his hand. It would have to do.
He looked at the dinosaur and shouted. "Who wants to live forever!"
Raising the metal bar, he ran toward the submarine. And the dinosaur.
Chapter Seven
Battling the Beasts
Glitch met the dinosaur in the middle of the dock and swung the metal bar as the creature lunged at him. The bar slammed into the side of the thing's head with a wet thunk, deflecting its attack. The dinosaur's jaws snapped shut inches from Glitch's shoulder as he dodged around the Sarcosaurus and ran onto the dock.
The submarine had pulled away. Water swept over the sub's deck as it began to dive. Glitch threw aside the metal bar and jumped.
The Jurassic Chronicles (Future Chronicles Book 15) Page 13
