by C. G. Mosley
He tried time and time again to get a hand in his pocket to retrieve the key so that they could escape, but the violent rolling of the cage prevented him from getting it. Before he knew it, the cage was in the water and becoming more and more submerged with every roll. Just as he began to think he was going to have a fate just like his father and Silas, the rolling stopped. He had just enough room to get his neck and head out of the water. Much to his surprise, he could see the jeep was still attached to the trailer.
He quickly reached down, grabbed Charlie by her shirt collar, and pulled her head above water as well. He was unsure if she was breathing, or if she was even alive, but he could only assume that she was. Jonathon moved toward the rear of the cage, dragging Charlie along with him. When he reached the door, he wedged her against it with his knee to keep her head above water. He then thrust a hand down into his pocket again to retrieve the key.
There was another scream of utter terror from the jeep, and Jonathon then noticed the water around him turn red. He quickly reached between the bars, and fumbled at the lock. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely insert the key. Just as he was about to turn it, the cage again violently rolled forward. This time, they were fully submerged.
Jonathon felt his body fall away from the door, and Charlie fell from his grasp as well. Holding his breath, he swam back toward the lock and again tried to reach for it, but again the cage shook violently. He then thought he heard a crack of thunder and suddenly a dark shadow fell over him. The cage was pushed hard into the sandy bottom and he then realized that the tyrannosaur was lying on top of the cage. Again, the water began to turn red.
Jonathon again reached between the bars and tried desperately to feel for the lock and key. Due to the stirred-up sand and bloody water, he could see nothing. He could no longer ignore the burning desire inside of him to take a breath of air. It was no longer a choice any longer. In mere seconds, his mouth would involuntarily open, and his lungs would fill with water. Oddly, he thought, At least I won’t be eaten alive. Just as he was about to embrace death, the death that had been chasing him repeatedly on the cursed island, he felt the cage door swing open and a strong hand pull him upward.
Jonathon burst through the surface and gulped a sweet breath of air. His first thought was Charlie, and just as he was about to reach into the cage for her, he was pulled away. Someone was dragging him toward the beach, and when they reached the sand, an older man fell down beside him. He was dressed in a khaki shirt and shorts to match. He had a graying beard that still had hints of the blond color it once was.
“Just lie still a minute,” the man barked at him.
“But you’re—you’re…” Jonathon mumbled.
“Dead?” the older man asked, and he laughed. “Don’t you know me better than that?”
Jonathon stared at him and then saw someone drag Charlie ashore next to him. It was another older man, and he looked up at his partner, concern etched in his already wrinkled face.
“Silas, she’s not breathing!” Henry said, panicked. “How is Jonathon? Is he alright?”
“He’s fine,” Silas said, dropping to his knees. “He looks like he’s seen a ghost though.”
For a long moment, Jonathon could not speak. He could only watch in amazement as his father and Silas Treadwell worked together to perform CPR on Charlie.
Chapter 31
Eric had no idea how long he’d been unconscious. All he knew was that when he awoke, he had a splitting headache and some sort of makeshift bandage wrapped around his head.
“What happened?” he asked, still groggy.
Glenn Hardcastle leaned over to where he was lying and pushed his hat back, exposing more of his forehead. “That happened,” he said with a smirk and he gestured toward the semi-truck idling on the road behind them.
Eric slowly turned his head and looked at the truck. The trailer was obviously enduring a great deal of weight. The Sarcosuchus’s tail was so long that it hung limply off the rear of the flatbed. The prehistoric crocodile had multiple straps and chains draped over the body, but it was clearly unconscious.
Eric allowed a half smile and then returned his attention to Hardcastle. “How difficult was it? I hate that I missed it…”
“Yeah, be thankful you slept through all of it because that old girl is nasty,” he said, his tone turning serious. “We had to put about four darts in her before she finally began to calm down. And I’m real glad you spared no expense on the wench or the cable. Truth be told, the tensile strength is probably still a little low…but somehow it held.”
Eric took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, help me up,” he said, raising his hand.
Hardcastle pulled him to his feet and Eric walked toward the trailer. His first few steps were wobbly, but his balance got better with every step. He felt the urge to reach for a cigarette, but he was afraid if he did, he may just throw up. Right now, he didn’t have time for throwing up.
He slowly placed a hand on the side of the large animal’s belly. Although he was fully aware that it was unconscious, part of him was still terrified to touch it.
“How long was I out?” he asked.
Hardcastle glanced at his watch. “Ah…well, it took us about twenty minutes to get the croc out and loaded on the trailer. When I came back to check on you, you were already lying here with your eyes open. I’d guess ten or fifteen minutes.”
“So you’re telling me the animal has been asleep at least twenty minutes?”
Hardcastle nodded. “Give or take a few.”
“And remind me how long the tranquilizer will last.”
Hardcastle gave him a puzzled look for a moment. “Well, it’s hard to say.”
Eric’s eyebrows tightened. “What do you mean ‘it’s hard to say’?”
“Well, it’s just that none of us anticipated it taking four darts to put the thing to sleep. We’d anticipated two darts doing the trick and keeping it out cold for at least an hour before another dose would have to be applied. My guess is we’ll get at least an hour with four darts, but someone has gotta keep a close eye on this beast in case she begins to stir sooner.”
Eric pondered that a moment and bit his lip. “Alright,” he said finally. “If that’s the case, let’s get a move on. The doc should be at the beach waiting. Maybe she’ll have a theory.”
Hardcastle looked toward the cab of the truck and made a circle motion with his arm and finger in the air. George took the signal’s meaning and immediately began to move forward with the semi.
“Come on, boss,” Hardcastle said, gesturing for Eric to follow. “You’re gonna have to catch a ride with me I’m afraid.”
Eric rubbed his aching head and began following him. “So where is the other jeep?” he asked as they walked.
Hardcastle said, “Your ride is over there,” and he pointed toward the tree line on the other side of the road.
It took Eric a moment to find it, but eventually, he saw it. Beyond the colorful flowers and vegetation that bordered that particular part of the road, he could see what appeared to be the bent and mangled wreckage of the jeep he’d been driving when he’d lost consciousness. The vehicle was standing on its rear bumper, the roll cage resting against the trunk of a large tree. The distance from the road to the tree gave him a chill.
“That thing threw me that far?”
“Well, at least you got a nap in while me and the other guys were doing all the dirty work,” Hardcastle said, still walking with his back to Eric.
***
The tyrannosaur was sprawled lifeless across the top of the cage that still rested underwater and several yards away from the beach. Silas and Henry arrived just in time, and Silas finally got the opportunity to bring down the tyrannosaur he’d dreamed about killing since he’d left the island the first time.
“Dad,” Jonathon said, still in awe. “How? How are you guys alive?”
The two men were seated on the sandy beach. Henry looked over to Silas as he tended to Charlie a
few feet away. “How is she?” he asked.
Silas glanced over at him and gave a thumbs up. “Way better than one would expect,” he said. “She’s banged up, and her left arm may be fractured, but all things considered, she’s in pretty good shape.”
Henry breathed a sigh of relief, and Jonathon could see that the weight of some burden seemed to be lifted from his father’s shoulders.
“Thank goodness,” he said gratefully. Then he gave a bit of a stern look to Jonathon. “You both are very lucky. How on earth did you get yourself into that mess?”
Jonathon shook his head and chuckled. “Excuse me?” he said in disbelief. “How about you tell me how you and Silas aren’t trapped on the bottom of the river and then I’ll fill you in on what I was doing.”
Henry took his straw hat from his head and fanned himself. Jonathon couldn’t tell if the older man was hot, or just trying to swat insects away. “Well,” he began, “I thought I was a goner, son, I really did,” he said. He paused and scratched his head before returning the hat to its rightful place. “All I knew to do as that monstrous snake pulled us beneath the water was to take in the biggest, deepest breath of my life and hope for a miracle. And well, I got one.”
Jonathon crossed his arms. “Go on,” he said, leaning back slightly.
“Well, I suppose it was all thanks to a couple of miracles,” he replied, pointing to Silas. “That man must’ve been a boy scout because he is the most prepared individual I’ve ever met.”
Silas had gotten up and strolled over to them. Charlie seemed to be unconscious.
“I was one hell of a boy scout,” he said as he took a seat next to them. “But none of that would have mattered if our old friend didn’t show up just in the nick of time.”
Jonathon rolled his eyes and stood up. He dusted the sand off his pants. “Okay, alright,” he said, patting his legs down. “You guys have obviously begun a lifelong friendship, and that’s all fine and dandy, but will one of you please tell me what exactly happened?”
“Alright, alright,” Silas said, clearly enjoying the moment. “Remember the Spinosaurus?” he asked. “Did you know those things are aquatic?”
“There has been some debate about that,” Jonathon said. “There are a lot of paleontologists that believe the Spinosaurus was a good swimmer and spent a lot of time hunting in water.”
Henry smiled. “Well, son, I’m here to tell you that they are indeed spectacular swimmers. That same Spinosaurus that we saw when we first arrived on the island showed up and attacked that giant snake. Fortunately, Silas had some Spare Air to keep us alive until it was safe to surface.”
“Spare Air?” Jonathon asked, confused.
“It’s a tiny submersible air tank,” Silas explained. “It has a mouthpiece on it and it gives you an additional ten to fifteen breaths in case there is an emergency. Since the vehicle I brought is amphibious, I knew we’d probably find ourselves in some water at some time or another. I also knew that since I’d built the protective cage that there would be an added danger if something happened and the vehicle began to sink.”
Jonathon’s mouth opened slightly, and he tilted his head as he began to play it all out in his mind. “So you’re telling me when the vehicle was going down, you were going for the tanks?”
“Actually, Silas already had his hands on the tanks before we were all the way underwater,” Henry added, and Silas nodded in agreement.
“So you’re telling me the Spinosaurus killed the Titanoboa, and you guys used the Spare Air to stay alive until it was all over?”
Henry nodded. “That’s exactly what happened. If that big dinosaur hadn’t shown up, I’m not sure we’d have made it.”
“Once the snake was removed, I wrestled the cage open and we swam to the river bank. By the time we were out of the water, the Spinosaurus was feasting on its kill. Of course, you and the goons that were chasing us were long gone,” Silas said.
Jonathon crossed his arms and chewed his lip. “So what have you gentlemen been doing these past two days?”
Silas and Henry looked at each other, both of them smiling simultaneously. Jonathon blinked at them and raised an eyebrow. Silas began walking toward him and as he did, he reached into one of the large cargo pockets on his khaki shorts.
“We knew you were detained,” he said, still walking. “So your father and I thought it was best to go and take care of the very thing we came here for.”
Jonathon watched as Silas retrieved an object wrapped in a handkerchief. The older man unwrapped it and proudly held a small glass vial out to him.
Jonathon’s eyes widened and now he felt a smile of his own spread across his face.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked, taking the vial. He held it up to the bright light originating from the sky and could see the propitious liquid sloshing gently around the interior.
Silas didn’t speak; he only nodded and then reached over and embraced Jonathon. Henry joined them and said, “Son, we’ve got what we came for. Now let’s get off this island before things get worse.”
Jonathon hugged his father for a long moment and clutched the vial tightly in his right hand. He then pulled away from his father and clutched his shoulder with his free hand.
“Dad, I can’t do that,” he replied with a sad reluctance. “As much as I know you’re right, I can’t leave here knowing that Eric Gill is about to take a very dangerous animal off this island. People could die, and if that happens, I won’t be able to forgive myself.”
Henry closed his eyes and slowly dropped his head. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder to where Charlie was lying on the beach.
“What about her, son?” he asked, looking back to Jonathon. “She needs some medical attention, and we aren’t doing her any favors by sticking around here.”
Jonathon stared at Charlie and felt a pang of guilt. “You’re right,” he said. “Take this vial of water and take Charlie back to Silas’s ship. It’s probably best if you both head back without me.”
Silas looked to Henry and then over to Jonathon. He began to laugh, a slight chuckle at first, and eventually swelling into a full-blown hearty cackle. “Jonathon, I can always count on you for a good laugh, you know that?”
“We’re not leaving you here, son,” Henry said very sternly. “You may as well get that idea out of your head. We didn’t just become reunited only to separate once again.”
Jonathon clenched his jaw and considered his options. Time was running out.
“Okay, how about this,” he began. “Dad, you take Charlie back to the ship and me and Silas will stop Eric. Give us two hours, and if we’re not back, then you head back without us.”
Henry shook his head, seemingly just as defiant as he was after the first suggestion. “Absolutely not.”
Jonathon opened his mouth to argue, but before he could speak, Silas trudged past him and leaned over to whisper something to Henry. He watched as his father looked into his new friend’s eyes and then slowly nodded his head.
“Alright then,” Henry said, looking toward his son. “I’ll give you both two hours.”
Jonathon’s eyes narrowed and he looked to Silas for some sort of explanation regarding what had just happened. Silas only shrugged in response as he knelt down to pick up Charlie.
“How are we going to get them safely to the ship?” Jonathon asked, peering out to sea.
“The same way we got here,” Silas answered. “The ATV is parked just beyond the beach over there,” he added, pointing.
Jonathon was puzzled. “I figured it was resting at the bottom of the river.”
“Nah,” Silas replied, carrying Charlie across the sand with ease. “We managed to use the winch to get it out. She’s not running great, but she’s running good enough to get to the ship.”
Once Henry and Charlie were safely in the water and headed toward the Wild Lady, Jonathon and Silas found a hiding spot behind a collection of large jagged rocks that bordered the surf.
“So,
what’s the plan?” Silas asked, checking the chamber of his rifle.
Jonathon removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “Well, I’m thinking when they arrive and see the carnage of all their dead guys and the large T-rex lying in the water, they’ll be pretty surprised and confused.”
Silas nodded. “Yeah, that’s a safe bet.”
Jonathon looked at him. “I think we better take advantage of that confusion. We’ve got to attack them quick. If they get that dinosaur onto the barge and into the water, our job is going to get significantly more difficult.”
“Okay,” Silas replied. “How many guys do you think we will have to contend with?”
Jonathon leaned back against one of the tall rocks and pondered the question. “Well, of course there is Eric,” he said. “And I think George is behind the wheel of that semi.”
“That it?” Silas asked, sounding hopeful.
Jonathon shook his head. “Nope, there is at least one more guy…goes by the name of Hardcastle, and he is the one that we’ve really got to worry about.”
Jonathon retrieved the 9mm handgun he’d stuffed into the back of his pants and checked the magazine. There were only six bullets left, and he knew he’d have to make each one count. He looked over to Silas and was glad the big man was by his side once again.
“So what did you say?” he asked.
Silas looked over at him, confused. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
“To my father,” Jonathon explained. “You whispered something to him and suddenly he was on board with my idea. What did you say?”
Silas nodded and smirked. “Oh, I just reminded him that he didn’t know how to pilot that ship—that he may be able to figure it out, but it would take him a little while to do it.”
Jonathon huffed and shook his head. “So you two are conspiring against me now?”
Silas glared at him. “Well, when you come back from the dead with someone, you form a special bond. We wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
