“We started renaming the constellations,” Jacob said, as if reading Nick’s mind. “See that near circle over there? That’s Ezekiel’s Wheel. The vee-shaped clump over there is Noah’s Ark, and that box shape is the Ark of the Covenant.”
“All your constellations have biblical names,” Nick said.
“The names have to be approved by Reverend. He’s the head of our Community.”
Nick looked at Jacob, judging his feelings about this Reverend. “It’s a religious community?” Nick probed.
“It’s the only Community,” Jacob said. “Don’t repeat this, but I wouldn’t live there if I had any choice, but my wife’s a believer, and even if she agreed to leave, how could I take care of my wife and kids out here? We don’t have any choice of where to live. No one has a choice. You live in the Community, or you don’t live at all. If you don’t obey, you get expelled—and that’s a death sentence.”
“If we find your people, will they come with us?” Nick asked.
“Why wouldn’t they?” Jacob asked. “It’s a chance to be safe again.”
“Even in the modern age, people drop out and form their own communities,” Nick said. “The religious are particularly prone to doing this. The Amish have lived separate from the world into the modern age, but if they could have a world of their own without the temptations of modern conveniences, wouldn’t they take it? Then there were the Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate. They were willing to die to live separate from the world.”
Jacob lay flat, looking at the sky, thinking. “I don’t know if the reverend survived the attack last night,” he said. “Maybe he didn’t. Maybe there won’t be a problem.”
“Maybe you do what the hell’s best for your family and stop letting this Reverend guy boss you around,” Wynooski said.
“It’s not that easy,” Jacob said, staring at the sky again.
“It sure as hell is,” Wynooski said.
They lay quiet then, Nick finishing his turn on watch, and then nudging Wynooski, who grumbled, “I wasn’t sleeping,” as she woke up. Nick slept poorly, as did most of the others, only Carson seeming to fall into a deep sleep. As the sky began to lighten, they were all awake, waiting for enough light to walk by.
Nick’s attention returned to the sky. He wondered about Polaris, the polestar of his age. Polaris was actually three stars, a bright giant and two companions that lined up with Earth’s north pole. Nick wondered if Polaris’s three stars would be close enough in this age to be seen as one, or as three separate stars? Then Nick saw a shimmering light he thought was a planet, maybe Venus, low on the horizon. Searching for other planets, he spotted a bright light coming over the trees, trailing a bright smudge. Puzzled, Nick studied the strange star. Suddenly, he sat up.
“How could I be so stupid?” Nick said suddenly. “I know where we are. I mean when we are.”
“Who cares,” Carson mumbled, still half asleep.
“How long has that star been in the sky?” Nick asked Jacob.
“Long time, I guess. We used to see it in the night sky, but now it’s a daystar. It’s been getting a lot brighter lately, so you can usually see it during daytime. The reverend calls it the Fire of God. He says it’s the same fire that wouldn’t consume the burning bush that God used to speak to Moses.”
“Has anyone in your Community been tracking it?” Nick asked.
“Tracking it? No, not really. I don’t know if anyone would know how. The reverend has been telling us it’s going to bring a new age and that everything is going to change when the light comes.”
“He’s right about that,” Nick said. “I think we are on the brink of the K–T event—the end of the Cretaceous era.”
Only Dr. Gah understood, sitting up, looking aghast.
“What are you talking about?” Carson asked, now fully awake.
“The K–T event is what ended the age of dinosaurs. That light in the sky is an asteroid the size of Mount Everest, and it is going to impact the Earth near where the Yucatán is in our present. That explains the earthquakes and the time junctions. They’re all because of the coming impact.”
Nick looked around, seeing that they only half understood.
“The impact of that comet is going to kill nearly every living thing on this planet,” Nick said.
“It’s the big one?” Carson asked.
“Yes,” Nick said.
“Of course it’s the big one,” Wynooski said.
“When?” Conyers asked.
Nick looked at the bright glow. “Soon,” Nick said. “Very soon.”
“Yes, I would say soon,” Wynooski said.
“Then maybe we better get the hell out of here,” Carson said.
23
Taking Charge
JEANETTE JOHNS: Is there any news today about Carson Wills?
SHIRLEY NICHOLS (receptionist, Ocala Dinosaur Preserve): No, Mr. Wills has not returned yet; however, as I have told you repeatedly, I will call you when I know when he will return.
JEANETTE JOHNS: I’ll call you tomorrow.
Present Time
Near Hillsdale, Florida
After dinner, Jeanette played with the chicks, teasing them with the fishing-pole mouse and then playing tug-of-war with a knotted rope. Then she sat on the front porch with Sally, enjoying the evening, watching the house next door for signs of activity. The sun was just touching the horizon when a car came down the road. Sally stiffened, and Jeanette stood, positioned near the door so she could bolt inside for the gun. The SUV was new and nothing like the cars that had been parked next door when the meth lab was running. The car pulled up and a woman got out. She was tall and pretty, with red hair hanging to her shoulders. Jeanette thought the woman, in her forties, was a little old to wear her hair that long, but it looked good on her and it wasn’t Jeanette’s business if the woman tried to look younger than she was. Dressed in a long-sleeved, cream-colored cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and cargo pants with zip-off legs, she had a taste for expensive-casual clothes.
“This can’t be good,” Jeanette said to Sally.
“Is this the Dinosaur Wrangler?” the woman asked.
“You found us,” Jeanette said. “If one is running loose, we round ’em up.”
“My name is Elizabeth Hawthorne. Nick Paulson is my husband. He was with someone from this business investigating two Visitor velociraptors when they disappeared.”
“Disappeared? Carson disappeared?”
“Maybe we better talk,” Hawthorne said.
“Yeah, maybe we better, Ms. Hawthorne.”
“I’m Elizabeth.”
They sat in the office, drinking iced tea, the ceiling fan stirring the air, Jeanette listening to the story of how Carson and others disappeared. Elizabeth Hawthorne explained the situation clearly, in simple terms, and in a linear fashion. Obviously a brilliant woman, she was not condescending, and Jeanette warmed to her.
“I know that Nick and Mr. Wills went back to the place where Mr. Wills found the velociraptors, but I’m not sure where it is. I want to go there to look for myself.”
“I have the address,” Jeanette said, going to the computer and opening the call file, scrolling back three months. She found the record. “It’s not far. Let’s go together. I want to find Carson too. It’s high time he got back and did his share of the work.”
“There might be marines guarding the place,” Elizabeth said. “They won’t want to let us in.”
“If the marines are men, I can handle them,” Jeanette said.
Suddenly, Sally jumped up, giving a sharp bark. The screen door was yanked open, torn partially from its hinges. An aluminum baseball bat smashed the computer monitor. Throwing herself back, Jeanette tumbled out of her chair. Rolling onto her knees, Jeanette scrambled for the gun in the box. The baseball bat whistled down, smashing the box. Jeanette jumped back, saving her hand as Sally attacked, giving Jeanette and Elizabeth time to escape. Sally’s yelp and squealing broke Jeanette’s heart, but there
was nothing she could do.
“Who are they?” Elizabeth asked as they ran through the kitchen and out onto the back porch.
“There were two?” Jeanette asked, having seen only the swinging bat. “Drug dealers.”
Footsteps behind them drove them off the porch.
“This way,” Jeanette said, pulling Elizabeth toward the barn.
The men behind were closing on them when they reached the door, getting inside and pulling it closed. The men immediately pulled on it, jerking repeatedly, making it impossible for Jeanette to latch it.
“Is there another way out?” Elizabeth asked, finding a light switch and turning it on.
“Yes, but we’ll never make it,” Jeanette said. “I can’t hold them.”
Elizabeth took a hammer from the workbench, backing up.
“Stop there,” Jeanette said, and then released the door, the men nearly falling to the ground as the door suddenly flew open. Grabbing a screwdriver, Jeanette stood in front of Elizabeth.
Two men stepped in. Jeanette recognized one as the man that the cops had dragged off her fence. With long blond hair, three-day growth of beard, wild blue eyes, and wearing a denim shirt with cutoff sleeves, he carried the baseball bat, now slapping it in his palm. His denim shirt was unbuttoned, and Jeanette saw a dagger-through-a-heart tattoo in the middle of his chest and a pistol shoved in the waist of his jeans.
The second man was taller, with a shaven head and a tattoo of a dragon on his scalp. He had Elvis sideburns that seemingly sprang out of nowhere, since his head was bald. He wore a muscle T-shirt with a skull on it, and dirty cargo shorts. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes. He had a knife in a sheath on his belt. Both had the nervous energy of heavy users.
“Damn, I thought we were going to have to share, amigo,” the one with the baseball bat said. “Looks like we’re taking turns instead.”
The big one snorted, then smiled, showing the bad teeth of a meth addict. “Dibs on the redhead,” Amigo said.
“Suits me,” the other said, still slapping the bat.
The men advanced slowly, expecting the women to bolt.
“Stay still,” Jeanette said, reaching behind her to hold Elizabeth’s hand. “Let me sing you a song,” Jeanette said.
“What the hell?” the bat man said.
“Do, Re, Me Fa, So, La, Ti,” Jeanette sang.
Amigo laughed, showing his rotten teeth. Then his smile faded as velociraptors crept out of dark spaces and from under piles of straw. Heads low, tails straight, mouths open showing sharp teeth, they spread out, taking positions around the men, Do on one side of Jeanette and La on the other.
“What the hell?” the bat man said, looking around. “Those are some ugly chickens.”
“They’re raptors,” Jeanette said.
“Raptors?” Amigo repeated, understanding finally cutting through the drug fog.
“Little bastards,” the bat man said. “What? You expect us to be scared of some pissant dinosaurs?”
“You should be,” Jeanette said.
“Well, batter up!” the man with the bat said, taking a swinging stance.
Stepping toward Ti, the littlest raptor, he swung hard enough to bat the turkey-sized velociraptor into the loft. Ti dodged, the bat swishing through empty space, the man with the bat stumbling as he missed. Re leapt from behind, slashing with his toe claws, slicing through his pant leg and deep into the calf. Screaming, the man collapsed to one knee, using the bat as a crutch. Amigo fumbled for his knife as Do and Ti attacked, leaping waist high, slashing with toe claws, bouncing off the ample stomach, landing on their feet, and running out of range of the slashing knife.
Jeanette entered the fray, running forward and kicking the bat man in the side, knocking the wind out of him. Now he dropped the bat, going down on both knees, reaching for the gun in his belt, one hand flat on the floor. Jeanette drove the screwdriver through his hand hard enough to stick to the floor. Screaming, he jerked his hand up, pulling the screwdriver free. Coming up onto his knees, he gingerly touched the handle of the screwdriver, eyes wild with fear. Velociraptors attacked from all sides now, slashing and biting, opening wounds in his belly, chest, arms, and legs. La cut a deep slice across the right side of his neck, and he slapped a hand to the wound to stem the flow. Three more slashing attacks and he collapsed to the ground, curling into a protective ball.
Swiping wildly with his knife, Amigo caught Do in midair, knocking the biggest velociraptor down, opening a gash in his side. Instantly, Do was up and attacking again. Panicky now, Amigo slashed and spun, finally turning on Jeanette.
“Call them off!” Amigo yelled, lunging.
Then Elizabeth was there, swinging the hammer, hitting Amigo in the back of the head. Surprisingly, he did not go down. Instead, his arms went limp, and he staggered in a circle, as if looking for who had hit him. Velociraptors struck over and over, slicing him, finally bringing him down.
“Hide!” Jeanette yelled.
This time the velociraptors hesitated, looking at Jeanette and then at the prostrate men.
“Hide,” Jeanette repeated.
Reluctantly, the velociraptors ran to hiding places.
“Help me drag them outside,” Jeanette said, taking the gun and knife.
“What? Why?” Elizabeth Hawthorne said, frozen, looking for the velociraptors.
“They won’t hurt you,” Jeanette said.
Moving slowly at first, Elizabeth gained courage, coming to help Jeanette. With each woman taking an arm, they dragged the unconscious men outside. Both men were bleeding badly.
“Where did those velociraptors come from? How can you control them?” Elizabeth asked.
“Later. I’ve got to feed them.”
Jeanette ran to the kitchen, coming back with two bowls of chopped fish. She took the bowls into the barn and then called the chicks, who ate greedily.
“I don’t want them to think of people as food,” Jeanette explained, checking the unconscious men.
“Good thinking,” Elizabeth said, keeping well away from the feeding predators.
Working on the men, Elizabeth used one man’s belt as a tourniquet, stemming the blood loss from the badly gashed leg of the bat-swinging thug.
“It’s cut to the bone,” Elizabeth said. “This one could bleed to death.”
“Yeah. That would be too bad, wouldn’t it?” Jeanette said.
Elizabeth looked at Jeanette with concerned green eyes, Jeanette regretting the black humor.
“No one can know about the velociraptors,” Jeanette said.
“Why?” Elizabeth asked. “How do we explain this?”
“I cut them with this,” Jeanette said, holding up Amigo’s knife.
“Jeanette,” Elizabeth said doubtfully.
“We’ll call an ambulance to take them to a hospital,” Jeanette said. “I know a cop we can call. He’s a friend.”
Sally came limping up, whimpering. She flinched when Jeanette touched her, checking for injuries.
“She’s not bleeding,” Jeanette said, “at least on the outside. Good dog, Sally. Good dog.”
“Call for help,” Elizabeth said.
“Give me a chance to get the chicks home,” Jeanette said. “We can take them to where Carson and Dr. Paulson disappeared. That’s where they came from in the first place. When Carson found the velociraptors, they were protecting a nest. He brought the eggs here before he turned the carcasses in. Maybe if we take them back where he found them, they can go home. If we don’t, they’ll be killed for what they did here.”
Jeanette studied Elizabeth’s face. Clearly conflicted, Jeanette tried pushing her over the edge. “They saved your life,” Jeanette said. “Help me save theirs.”
“They’ll turn on you,” Elizabeth said. “Their instincts will take over, and they’ll kill you.”
Jeanette stroked Sally’s head, soothing the hurting dog. “Give me the chance to get them home,” Jeanette said. “That’s all I ask.”
“They’ll never
believe you did this,” Elizabeth said, falling in line.
“As long as they’re men, they’ll believe me,” Jeanette said.
Jeanette called Les first, giving him a head start, and then the ambulance. Then Jeanette called the chicks from the barn, and she and Sally herded them into the back of Elizabeth’s SUV. They parked the SUV behind the house.
Les made it to the ranch first, lights flashing and siren blaring, his white patrol car bouncing recklessly down the unpaved road. Les pulled to a stop a few yards from where the men lay. Jeanette had never seen Les in his patrol uniform, and he looked impressive. The uniform included a black shirt with a patch on his shoulder, his gold badge on his left chest, his name tag over that, and gray pants. A wide black belt held his radio, cuffs, Mace, and gun.
“Are you all right?” Les asked, pulling his weapon and holding it on the prostrate men.
“They’re unconscious,” Jeanette said. “I cut them pretty bad.” Jeanette held up the hunting knife from Amigo’s belt.
Les looked from the knife to the two bleeding men. “You’re kidding?” Les said, looking at Jeanette in a whole new way.
“They were high,” Jeanette said. “And Sally helped.”
“Me too,” Elizabeth injected, holding up a kitchen knife.
“Wow,” Les said, struggling for words. “They picked on the wrong damn chicks,” he said, trying to be funny.
Jeanette and Elizabeth exchanged looks, and then smiled at Les, accepting the praise. Les cuffed Amigo and then used a cable tie to secure the bat man. Les took both wallets.
“Yeah, this is them,” Les said, wiping blood from both faces and comparing driver’s license photos. “The big guy is Rodney Dalton. That pile of hamburger is Sean McCord.”
The ambulance arrived with two more patrol cars. The sheriff followed shortly, taking charge. Strapped to gurneys, Dalton and McCord were whisked away, bags of fluid feeding into their arms. Jeanette and Elizabeth spent hours repeating the story over and over, careful to stay together so they kept their stories straight. Like Les, the sheriff and his deputies were astonished by the number of cuts on Dalton and McCord, but all the questions were designed to make the case against the meth dealers. The only awkward moment was when the sheriff squatted inside the barn, looking at footprints.
Dinosaur Thunder Page 15
