by C. G. Mosley
Henry rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. “Son, when we’re on that boat and headed for this godforsaken island, you’re going to have plenty of time to fill me in.”
“Okay, I will,” Jonathon replied.
“I want to know everything,” Henry said, forcefully grabbing his son’s arm. “Do not hold a single thing back from me.” He then turned to Silas. “And Mr. Treadwell—”
“Please, call me Silas,” Silas replied.
“Silas, I’d very much appreciate it if you’d sit in on our conversation and fill in any gaps my son conveniently leaves out.”
“Be glad to, Henry,” Silas said with an irritating grin aimed directly at Jonathon. “Now follow me, gents; let’s board the ship and get on with this.”
***
Silas’s ship, appropriately named Wild Lady, was a forty-foot-long fishing vessel that many fans of Wild World would be quite familiar with. Silas had filmed many adventures at sea chasing sharks, octopuses, whales, and a wide variety of dangerous fish. Wild Lady had become a character on those shows in her own right, and Henry grinned like a schoolboy as soon as he stepped on board.
“I can’t believe I’m standing on this boat,” he said in awe.
Silas was amused. “Henry, when we get done with this little adventure, you and I are going to go fishing wherever you’d like to go.”
“Oh no, I’m not trying to imply that—”
“Henry,” Silas interrupted. “The man that raised that tough son of a gun is more than worthy of going fishing with me on this girl whenever he wants,” he said nodding toward Jonathon.
Jonathon did his best to not show the embarrassment Silas was making him feel. He wanted to say something but knew there would be a long discussion about the things he’d done on the island later. For now, something else had gotten his attention.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing toward a large, bulging object hidden under a heavy tarp on the deck.
“That’s something I had some boys slap together for me the very afternoon you called me,” Silas said, approaching the curious object. “It’s an amphibious vehicle. It’ll seat four people.”
“You had them ‘slap it together’?” Jonathon asked, confused.
“That’s what I said,” Silas replied as he jerked the tarp off the vehicle.
Once exposed, Jonathon could clearly see what Silas was referring to. And he instantly felt grateful. True enough, it was an amphibious all-terrain vehicle, and aside from the six wheels, it resembled a boat more than a car. But it was the steel cage mounted over the seating area of the vehicle that Silas was referring to. It was obviously added for protection from dinosaurs. The cage was painted the same color as the body of the vehicle…black.
“Very thoughtful of you,” Jonathon said, clearly pleased.
“I thought you’d appreciate that,” Silas said. “And don’t worry, we tested it out. The weight is distributed evenly. Once that cage is locked, nothing is going to get inside there unless it reaches an arm inside and unlatches the door. And last I checked, those tyrannosaurs are severely lacking in the arm department.”
Jonathon wrapped his hands around the cold steel tubing of the cage and tugged on it.
“It’s going to add much-needed protection, no doubt,” he said. “But, this won’t save us from a tyrannosaur.”
Silas seemed offended. “Oh come now, that’s the same-sized tubing NASCAR uses for the roll cages in their race cars. If it’s good enough for Richard Petty, it’s good enough for us.”
“Richard Petty isn’t driving into the jaws of a tyrannosaur, Silas,” Jonathon groaned.
Silas crossed his arms and shook his head; he seemed genuinely bothered by Jonathon’s assessment.
“Look, I’m not trying to discourage you. I just don’t want us taking any unnecessary risks because we’re under some illusion that this thing will keep us completely safe. It will be a tremendous help, but we’ve still got to be extremely cautious.”
“I know, I know,” Silas conceded, “but, if it saves our lives, you’re never going to hear the end of it.”
“I have no doubts about that,” Jonathon said with a chuckle.
Chapter 8
Eric leaned against the damp metal door of the hangar that sat at the far end of the tiny runway. After taking another drag off his cigarette, he peered up at the misty sky above him. This mist—or fog—whatever it was, kept everything damp all the time. No one knew why or how the mist just seemed to hover over the island, but it was due to that anomaly that the island had been kept secret and hidden for so many years.
He thought about Osvaldo, the Puerto Rican man that had literally stumbled upon the island over 500 years ago. It was Osvaldo, or Chief Macuya as he was known back then, that then discovered the fabled fountain of youth. He drank from the fountain and, after surviving for over 500 years unnoticed, later crossed paths with none other than furniture tycoon Angus Wedgeworth. The old man’s obsession with cheating death eventually led them all to the island and now here he was.
Eric smiled as he thought about those series of events. Was it a bunch of crazy coincidences? A bunch of chance encounters? Fate?
Fate, ah yes, he thought. What else could it be?
Fate led Angus Wedgeworth to his eventual death, and it did the same to Osvaldo for that matter. Somehow, some way, Eric had managed to avoid that terrible outcome when two men before him had not. It seemed to him that very fact meant everything he found himself doing now was meant to be.
Fate.
He dropped the cigarette on the ground and crushed it with the heel of his boot. In the distance, he began to hear a sound. It was faint, but very distinct.
Whop-Whop-Whop-Whop…
His heart began to flutter. A smile formed on his face, and when he realized it, he then immediately rid himself of it. He felt like a goofy schoolboy. The sound grew louder.
Whop-Whop-Whop-Whop-Whop-Whop…
He looked to the skies and squinted, trying desperately to see anything.
“Damn mist,” he whispered.
Before he knew it, the smile had returned to his face. This time, he didn’t hide it. What was the point? He was downright giddy. He’d been trying for so many weeks and months to convince her to visit the island. And now—
Whop-Whop-Whop-Whop…
The chopper was really close now, and in mere minutes, she’d be standing on the same soil as he. She’d see what all he’d built. She’d see the fortress he’d built around the facility and finally she would realize that he was in control of this place. She would be safe here and now she would no longer have to rely on what he told her. She would see it for herself. If she was going to play any role in his business, she was going to have to start showing up at the office. He knew that day would arrive sooner or later. And now it was here.
The silhouette of the helicopter finally appeared over the trees. The vehicle was black with the familiar G.E. logo scrawled on the sides. The chopper touched down about forty yards away from him, and as soon as it did so, Eric rushed forward to greet a beautiful redhead that exited it.
Her red hair was straight, and very long. The helicopter did a masterful job of messing it up, but she was still gorgeous anyway. She wore a short, gray skirt with a white blouse to top it off. Her lips were a bright, candy apple red, by far the most striking feature after her hair.
“You made it!” Eric called out over the whirring sound the helicopter made as the engine shut down.
“I made it,” the woman replied. “I can’t believe you talked me into this!”
“Look around you,” Eric said. “Nothing is getting through that fencing. And even if it did, I’ve got the men that can take care of it!”
The woman looked around in all directions, surveying the new environment. She noticed four guard towers, one on each corner, with men holding large rifles. Eric watched her and he could see the fear in her eyes. He noticed that soon her eyes drifted away from the buildings and fencing
around her. It was the trees and dense vegetation surrounding the entire base that seemed to captivate her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
“Listen to me,” he said. “What happened here seven years ago isn’t going to happen again.”
She nodded, but her eyes made it clear she was unconvinced.
“Annie,” he said softly. “What happened to you last time isn’t going to happen again. You’re safe, I promise.”
Annie smiled, and for the first time, she seemed to relax a bit. “I trust you,” she replied. “If I didn’t, there would be no way in hell you’d have talked me into coming back here. You just don’t understand what it’s like out there without all of these fences.”
Eric laughed. Annie opened her mouth, appalled that he would laugh about such a terrifying memory. “Something funny?” she asked, annoyed.
“No, sweetheart,” he answered, trying to sound apologetic. “It’s just hard for me to accept the fact that you and old Angus share DNA. He was all gung-ho about coming here, dinosaurs be damned.”
“Yeah, well after what he did to me back then, I’d be just fine if I somehow found out that we don’t share any DNA at all.”
“Don’t say that, honey,” Eric replied. “If it wasn’t for your psychotic uncle, we’d have never even met.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Annie said with a smile. She leaned forward and kissed him.
Eric pulled back from her and put his arms around her. “You’re trembling.”
“Yes, just cold, that’s all,” she said.
Eric quickly ushered her inside, and Annie was grateful that he bought her little lie. It was hardly cold enough to make her tremble.
Chapter 9
Atlantic Ocean
Henry Williams stared at his son in disbelief for several long seconds before looking back to Silas.
“My son did all of that?” he said just above a whisper.
“Darn right he did,” Silas replied. “Saved our butts out there is what he did.”
“Dad,” Jonathon said. “Silas is exaggerating a lot of details. The tyrannosaur that chased me off the cliff never got close enough to really worry me.”
Henry held up a dismissive hand. “Not another word, son. I don’t care to hear any more about the death-defying stunts you performed all those years ago. All I care about is the fact that you made it through. And I have to insist that you don’t take any unnecessary risks on this trip.”
“Dad, nothing I did on my first visit was unnecessary. Everything I—we, went through…it was all about survival. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you guys and myself alive. If you have it in your mind that this is going to be easy, then you may as well stay on the boat. Actually, I’d prefer both of you to stay on the boat.”
“Ain’t gonna happen,” Silas chimed in.
Jonathon shook his head and then turned to stare out the cabin window. “I know, Silas. I know why you’re coming, and I want you to know I don’t like it.”
“And just what is it you think you know about me?” Silas growled.
Jonathon turned back to face him again. “You want another trophy. You want a tyrannosaur head to put on your wall. I’m not an idiot; I’m fully aware that was part of the deal you made with Angus before your last visit to the island.”
Silas clenched his jaw and shook his head. “Whatever happened to that crap you said about not judging me? I mean, I’m not really crazy about your reasons for wanting to return either, by the way.”
Jonathon sighed. “Yes, yes, I know.” He closed his eyes and suddenly regretted what he’d said. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I just think that the animals on that island have been disrupted enough by man. Going in there shooting them isn’t the natural order in their world.”
“True enough, and drinking some magic water to live eternally isn’t the natural order in our world either,” Silas countered.
Jonathon opened his mouth to argue his points further, but suddenly realized he had no argument. Silas was right, but that didn’t mean he had to accept it.
Henry felt he’d let the bickering between the two men go on long enough. He stepped between them and accepted the role of peacemaker he felt was thrust upon him whether he liked it or not.
“Gentlemen, that’s enough,” he said calmly. “The fact of the matter here is that you are both right…and you are both wrong.”
Jonathon and Silas stared at each other as they listened to Henry speak.
“And because of that fact, neither one of you has any right to try and persuade or counsel the other. You each have your own demons to battle here.” He turned to face Jonathon and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Son, Silas is exactly right. What you’re trying to do is not the natural order of things.” He then glanced over at Silas. “And for the record, I think shooting animals that have managed to survive extinction for over 65 million years for sport isn’t very sportsmanlike at all.”
Silas huffed and turned away.
“But,” Henry said, refocusing his attention on Jonathon, “you asked for Silas’s help, son. You needed his help to find this place and he’s provided this vessel we now stand upon and plenty of other weapons to use as protection. Not to mention that dino-proof all-terrain vehicle sitting on the deck. If he wants to kill one dinosaur as payment, then you have no right to deny him of that, whether you agree with it morally or not.”
Jonathon pulled his wide-brimmed hat off his head and raked his fingers through his brown hair. He then placed the hat back on his head and rubbed his eyes. It was obvious his father’s words had gotten through to him…and he hated it.
“Silas,” Jonathon said. “I appreciate your help, really I do. I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
Silas turned toward him and waved off the apology. “You don’t owe me anything. I never expected you to like what I’ve been planning. Hell, I’d have been shocked if you hadn’t put up some sort of fight. I don’t expect you to understand it. Just know that this is something that I have to do. It’s something that’s been eating at me ever since I laid eyes on one of those vicious monsters. It’s not that I want to bring down one of those beasts; it’s that I have to do it. It’s just who I am.”
“I respect that,” Jonathon said. “What I’m doing is something I feel I have to do as well.” He held out his hand.
Silas shook it. “Well alright then,” he said, turning to Henry. “Now where were we? Ah yes, did I tell you about the time a Dromaeosaurus pinned your son down on the ground and tried to rip his belly open with its claw?”
Henry suddenly turned white. “No,” he muttered.
Jonathon wanted to intervene, but it was obvious to him that Silas was doing what he could to break the tension in the room. He decided to say nothing and just watch his poor father endure another terrifying story instead.
Chapter 10
Glenn Hardcastle took a liking to Annie Wedgeworth the first moment he laid eyes on her. He was, and never had been, the shy type. So it was no surprise to anyone when he rushed to greet her as soon as he caught sight of her in the foyer of the office building in which Eric Gill’s business flourished. Hardcastle, without saying a word, removed his hat and took her hand. He then kissed it as he knelt on one knee.
“Will you marry me, honey?” he asked, theatrically.
Annie looked at the onlookers around her, one of which was Eric, and did her best to hide the embarrassment she knew was all over her face.
“Glenn, stop scaring my girlfriend,” Eric said, and pulled Annie away with Dave Turner in tow.
Hardcastle scowled at him, but said nothing as he and Dr. Cruz followed them to the conference room.
“So what’s the scoop on the super-croc?” Eric asked, no sooner after he’d shut the door.
“Well, Sarcosuchus certainly is super,” Dr. Cruz replied with a somewhat nervous chuckle as he took a seat at the large, wooden conference table. “The beast nearly got to me and Glenn.”
“Oh pleas
e,” Hardcastle interrupted. “That thing never had a prayer once I trained the gun on her.”
“Guys, all I want to know is what you learned and how it’ll help us,” Eric said.
“Well, we found out that they can eat an entire Parasaurolophus with relative ease,” Dr. Cruz answered.
“Really?” Eric said, surprised. “Just the head on those things are around four feet long…isn’t that right?”
“That’s correct, and on average, they weigh about four tons.”
“And our super-croc ate an entire one in front of you?”
“Yeah, he did,” Hardcastle chimed in. “And he did it fast too.”
Eric looked back to Dr. Cruz, clearly awaiting some sort of plan on how to catch the Sarcosuchus.
“The road that runs through the swamps on the southwest corner of the island,” Dr. Cruz began. “Those swamps, as you know, are the only known place on the entire island where we’ve found Sarcosuchus. I’m thinking we capture a few Parasaurolophus and use them as bait along that road…maybe every mile or so.”
“Okay, I’m with you so far,” Eric said.
“Then we have scouts assigned to watch each animal from a safe distance. Of course, they’ll all have to have a radio, and as soon as they spot one—”
“They alert a team that’s armed and ready to capture the beast,” Eric finished the statement.
“Exactly,” Dr. Cruz said, happy that Eric seemingly liked his idea.
“Then what?” Dave Turner asked suddenly.
Dr. Cruz looked at the young man with an ever-so-brief expression of annoyance. He hadn’t cared much for Dave and never understood why Eric treated the boy as his pet.
“Then,” Dr. Cruz replied, “we tranquilize the animal and bind it with restraints.”
“But how will you get it to sea?” Dave asked.
Glenn Hardcastle suddenly slapped the table with his hand, startling Dave and everyone else in the room. Annie shrieked.
“Then we drag the damn thing to the shoreline and onto a barge…it’s not that far from the swampland. Then the barge can be pulled out to sea and deliver it to whoever this crazy S.O.B. is that wants it. Does that sound okay to you, Dave?” Hardcastle asked. He seemed to be just as annoyed with the young man as Dr. Cruz was.
