Lost Predator

by Alicia Brodersen

  Claudia quickly turned away, unable to comprehend what she’d just seen. Behind her, an SAS agent pulled the white sheet back over the remains of Andy, laid out on a medical stretcher in one of the rooms of the manor.

  ‘Any idea what might have done this?’ Claudia asked Cutter.

  ‘A creature of devastating power and savagery,’ Cutter remarked, shaking his head. ‘To do that in just a few minutes…’

  Claudia and Cutter looked at each other. They knew exactly what this meant. Whatever the creature was, it must have come through an anomaly. And it was still out there.

  In a hillside clearing by the rough a few moments later, Cutter and Stephen were joined by Abby, who’d been mid-yoga stretch when she got an urgent call to come out to the golf course. She’d managed to throw on a pair of trousers and a loose singlet on her way, but she looked underdressed compared with Stephen and Cutter, in their sensible outdoor canvas jackets and jeans.

  ‘No trampled or broken vegetation, no track marks and no sign of any anomaly,’ Stephen was saying as they walked through thick grass beside the rough. ‘But there is an incredibly strong magnetic field, so it’s got to be here somewhere.’ He handed the compass in his hand over to Cutter.

  But Cutter was sure something wasn’t quite right. He spun round to face his young team as realization dawned on him.

  ‘Quiet!’ he said, almost shouting.

  ‘We didn’t say anything!’ Abby protested, shooting Stephen a confused look. She practically melted when Stephen smiled back at her. His movie-star looks and muscular build made Abby seriously weak at the knees.

  ‘No! I mean –’ said Cutter excitedly, lowering his voice to a whisper. ‘It’s too quiet. Listen – there’s no bird song!’

  The three of them stopped talking. Cutter was right – all that could be heard was the sound of leaves rustling in a slight breeze.

  ‘What would scare the birds away?’ Cutter said, as he turned the compass round in his hands. Suddenly, he looked at Stephen. ‘You were wrong. There is an anomaly.’

  ‘Where?’ the young lab assistant shrugged.

  A smile spread across Cutter’s face as he looked upwards to see a familiar shimmer spreading across the sky.

  ‘We’re standing right underneath it.’

  They craned their necks in fascination. Set against the sunlit, blue sky, peppered with clouds, this one looked even more impressive than any of the anomalies they had seen before. Abby couldn’t stop herself from letting out an appreciative gasp as the splintered shards of light danced above them in a circular formation.

  ‘It’s an aerial predator,’ explained Stephen, realizing now what they were up against.

  ‘That’s one way of putting it,’ muttered the palaeontologist, turning his attention to another area of the skyline as he walked towards the rough. ‘Now, how on earth do we cordon off the sky?’

  ‘Er, Cutter,’ stuttered Stephen, as he watched an ominous silhouette pass through a patch of clouds overhead.

  But Cutter was wrapped up in his own thoughts. ‘I mean, this thing could be anywhere by now!’ he continued obliviously, walking away from the group.

  Their eyes fixed on the sky, Abby and Stephen started to back towards the professor as the enormous figure of a flying reptile became clearer, swiftly diving down through the air towards them.

  ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that!’ Stephen shouted, turning just in time to crash-tackle the professor to the ground before a screeching shadow swooped over them. The three lay on the ground for a second, watching in awe as the reptile glided away down towards the green.

  Cutter scrambled to his feet, breaking into a grin. What a magnificent creature! The flying reptile’s wing-span was at least nine metres wide, its back covered in dark fur with two salmon-coloured stripes running the length of its body. A large, red crest protruded from its head, finished off by a long, slim beak. He’d never seen anything like it.

  ‘So!’ Stephen quipped as he stood up and dusted himself off. ‘Not so hard to find, then!’

  Connor could see SAS soldiers guarding the entrance as he drove down the country lane towards the golf course. He smiled. Connor loved being on the team and this was his favourite part.

  ‘Access all areas, I think you’ll find,’ he grinned, flashing his card at the soldier as he drove up to the barricade. The soldier eyed the boy in the Mini sceptically. With his battered trilby, fingerless gloves, maroon vest and duffle coat littered with buttons and sewn-on scout patches, he certainly didn’t look like a government agent. Still, the soldier figured, what did he know? Maybe dinosaur hunters looked more like scruffy students these days.

  ‘Thank you very much!’ whistled Connor as the SAS soldier reluctantly waved him through.

  The soldier watched as the Mini disappeared in the direction of the golf club and shook his head in disbelief. Was that really a flying lizard staring at him from the back window? It couldn’t be. With all this talk of crazy creatures he must just be imagining things.

  Connor drove into a deserted car park and got out of the Mini. Pulling off his coat, he turned round to throw it back through the driver’s seat window and was stunned to come face to face with an effervescent Rex, bouncing around happily on the roof.

  ‘Oh my –’ he cried, startled. Rex took a step back and flattened his brilliant green crest against his head in fright. ‘Sorry… I didn’t mean to shout,’ Connor tried to speak calmly. The last thing he wanted was to scare Rex off. ‘I was just a bit shocked – that you’re here.’

  Rex chirped and looked questioningly at Connor, who was starting to panic. What was Abby going to say? She’d throw him out of the flat if she knew he’d let Rex go!

  ‘I mean, it’s lovely that you’re here and everything,’ continued Connor, his voice wavering nervously. ‘But it’s probably best that you stay in the car, mate. Yeah?’

  Connor continued talking, trying to sound calm as he realized how absurd it must look – he was trying to reason with a flying reptile!

  Rex straightened up on his front legs and waved his long green tail from side to side. Connor looked at him anxiously. He didn’t have all day to play games. It was now or never.

  Connor lunged, trying to grab hold of the reptile’s long body. But Rex was too quick. He flexed his wings and launched himself off the roof of the Mini, gliding over the car park and through a gap in the hedge beside a fairway.

  Connor had no choice. Groaning, he chased after him.

  Back by the rough, Cutter, Abby and Stephen watched as the massive creature continued to fly around the course below them. They had identified it as a reptile from the Pterosaur family. This particular one was known as a Pteranodon, which meant the anomaly must be open to the mid-Cretaceous period.

  ‘Is it what killed the golfer?’ Abby asked, as Cutter watched the elegant creature through his binoculars.

  ‘I’d say it’s definitely in the frame,’ Stephen answered.

  However, Cutter wasn’t so sure. ‘The Pteranodon was supposed to have mainly eaten small reptiles and fish,’ he insisted.

  ‘Probably just snacking until humans came along,’ Stephen scoffed.

  They watched as the creature suddenly seemed to change its course. It began to circle, looking for a suitable roost.

  Elsewhere on the golf course, Connor was having troubles of his own. Rex was playfully darting out of reach every time the hapless Connor tried to grab at him as they ran through the shrub.

  ‘Rex!’ Connor said breathlessly, as the two of them finally came through the trees and on to the green. ‘I swear, when I catch you, you’re going to become the first animal to become extinct twice!’

  Rex cheeped cheerfully and flitted over to the sand trap in the middle of the fairway.

  Further up the course, Stephen gasped as he noticed a familiar figure floundering through the bunkers.

  ‘Is that Connor?’ he said, taking a step forward.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ cried Abby, failing to notic
e her pet also skipping around on the fairway.

  ‘More importantly,’ said Cutter worryingly, raising his binoculars to look at the Pteranodon in the sky. ‘What’s our friend up there doing?’

  ‘It’s not looking for a roost,’ said Stephen, his eyes widening as the creature began circling just above Connor. ‘It’s looking for lunch!’

  The three of them began shouting, urging their friend to get under cover.

  Down on the green, Connor’s heart sank as he heard yelling coming from further up the course. Looking up from the bunker, he could see the small figures of Abby, Cutter and Stephen waving at him.

  ‘Connor! Come here quickly!’ Cutter hollered desperately. When it became obvious Connor couldn’t hear him, Cutter called out to Captain Ryan and Claudia, who had been searching the grounds nearby.

  Connor winced. Now he was in trouble. Even though he couldn’t hear what they were saying, they’d obviously seen him with Rex, which meant he was going to get a real talking to. After nearly being thrown off the team a few weeks ago when his friends Tom and Duncan followed him to an anomaly, Connor realized he was looking down the barrel for a second time… and all because of a pig-headed lizard!

  ‘Great,’ he said, waving his hands at Rex. ‘That means “Game Over”!’

  But Rex wasn’t going anywhere. Instead, he was lowering his body to lie flat on the golf course, looking at something over Connor’s shoulder. His normally gleeful chirrup became urgent. Connor turned round and suddenly lost all thought of catching the lizard.

  Because there, screeching as it came towards him and Rex from the sky at breathtaking speed, was something that obviously wanted to catch both of them!

  Stephen’s voice instantly registered, loud and clear.

  ‘Run, you idiot!’

  Abby, Stephen and Cutter watched helplessly as Connor belted across the green, the hungry Pteranodon metres away from him. Claudia quickly took control of the situation, commanding Captain Ryan to raise his weapon.

  ‘Shoot it!’ she ordered, as another band of SAS personnel readied their guns beside her.

  ‘No, wait!’ Cutter raised his hand. ‘There’s something that doesn’t add up. I’m just not entirely sure what it is yet.’

  Claudia glared at him. Was he completely insane?

  ‘Do it!’ she urged the captain.

  ‘No!’ Cutter insisted. ‘We should only kill these creatures when there’s absolutely no other choice!’

  ‘What other choice?’ Claudia reckoned, pointing at the figure of Connor as he zigzagged across the grass. ‘In a matter of seconds, Connor’s going to be ripped to shreds!’

  Claudia turned to Captain Ryan and demanded he follow orders. But as Ryan took aim at the winged reptile, Cutter threw himself against the captain, sending his fire off target. Ryan steadied himself and tried another shot, but the creature was already out of range and too focused on its own target to notice.

  Unfortunately for Connor, the flying dinosaur could move faster than he could run. With one final burst of its mighty wings, the creature opened its long, powerful beak and leant down to claim its prey.

  It was in that instant that Connor and Rex found themselves falling through the air, not realizing they’d been hurtling towards the edge of the seventeenth hole as they tried to escape their pursuer. As the Pterosaur had leant down to scoop them up, both Connor and Rex had tumbled over the edge. The frustrated creature missed them by mere centimetres as they landed on the grass and watched it fly off above them.

  Cutter, meanwhile, was observing his young charge through the binoculars. He wasn’t happy with what he saw.

  ‘Wait a minute,’ Cutter said, as he got a better look at who – and what – exactly was on the green. ‘There’s a lizard with him!’

  ‘Ooh,’ Abby groaned, momentarily forgetting no one knew she’d rescued the small reptile when it had returned from the anomaly in the Forest of Dean. ‘He let Rex escape!’

  Abby’s mouth dropped open as she realized she’d just blown her own secret.

  ‘What have you done?’ Claudia cried furiously. If everyone just kept dinosaurs they’d found wandering around, it could seriously jeopardize the whole operation. ‘What do you think we’re doing here? Running a private zoo?’

  ‘You kept him?’ added Cutter incredulously. He was also disappointed – surely Abby knew better than that. Cutter had always been adamant that all creatures who came through the anomalies should be returned. Who knew how even one tiny dinosaur from the past could affect the future?

  Abby tried to think of an excuse but it was no use – she couldn’t lie to Cutter. ‘He came back,’ she stuttered. ‘I was just looking after him!’

  Claudia threw her arms up in the air in frustration. She’d had it with these dinosaur-crazy people.

  ‘Lester was right!’ she ranted, shaking her head. ‘You people are a menace! What do you think we’re doing here, Nick – playing some kind of game?’

  ‘I’m sorry, guys,’ Abby whispered, looking like she was about to cry. Now she was going to lose Rex forever.

  ‘Nobody is taking this more seriously than we are,’ Cutter yelled back at Claudia, suddenly losing his cool. Why did she always have to be so melodramatic?

  Claudia ushered the SAS unit back to the golf club, as Stephen looked at the professor curiously.

  ‘She’s got a point,’ he said finally.

  ‘I’m not being sentimental,’ Cutter shot back, keeping his eye on the horizon as the Pteranodon dipped out of view. ‘There were good reasons for not killing the creature.’

  ‘And you’re sure of that?’ wondered his lab technician out loud.

  ‘Well, of course I’m not sure!’ Cutter exploded. Stephen was his most trusted ally. It wasn’t like him to second-guess Cutter, and it made the professor angry.

  Lowering his voice, Cutter looked away. ‘I’ve probably made the biggest mistake of my life. It’s just a hunch… that’s all.’

  Connor had now reached the top of the hill, whooping with delight. He was too wrapped up in his own jubilation to notice the icy atmosphere around him.

  ‘Wooh!’ he shouted, jovially patting Cutter on the back with a bit too much familiarity. ‘That was a bit of a laugh, wasn’t it?’

  Cutter fixed him with an unimpressed glare and shook his head. Connor obviously had no idea how much trouble he’d just caused them.

  The professor stormed off to follow Claudia and the SAS unit back to the manor.

  ‘What?’ Connor asked stupidly, turning to Abby for an explanation. But Abby was too upset about Rex and didn’t want to talk to him either. She needed to explain herself to Cutter.

  ‘Hey, look…’ Abby said, as she caught up with the professor on the edge of the rough. ‘I just didn’t want Rex to be locked up. To be poked and prodded by Lester’s people.’

  Abby looked up at Cutter shyly. His scowl seemed to be softening and it looked like he understood. Abby bit her bottom lip before adding, ‘Can I keep him?’

  Cutter scanned the golf course behind them.

  ‘You better find him first,’ he pointed out, before walking off after Claudia.

  Abby watched him go as a wave of fear rose in her chest. Cutter was right – the Pteranodon was still out there. But where on earth was Rex?

  Cutter paced back and forth across the gravel driveway of the manor, talking out loud as SAS agents patrolled the area around him. Stephen and Captain Ryan were working on computers set up on the bonnets of their vehicles.

  ‘The Pteranodon hunted from high vantage points,’ Cutter explained. ‘Cliff tops, mountains, anywhere that gave it a good sight of potential prey.’

  ‘We need to be looking at all the highest points within a couple of miles,’ Stephen directed, nodding to Ryan as the captain listened intently to his radio headset.

  ‘Real-time images coming through now,’ Ryan said urgently, as a series of satellite pictures began downloading on to Stephen’s laptop screen.

  Scrolling th
rough the shots, Stephen finally zoomed in on the familiar outline of the Pteranodon. It looked like it was resting on the rooftop of an office block in the south of the city.

  ‘Less than a mile away,’ said Ryan, as the satellite controllers confirmed the location Stephen had pinpointed. ‘Should be empty on a Saturday,’ the captain called to his team standing at various points around the golf club driveway. ‘Let’s go!’

  But Cutter still had a feeling something wasn’t quite right – that this wasn’t the creature they were after. He couldn’t let Ryan and his men kill it.

  ‘We’ve got to get there first!’ he muttered to Stephen frantically, while Claudia hopped in the back seat.

  As Abby and Connor began searching for Rex back at the golf course, the Department of Evolutionary Zoology cruiser screeched into a dark side street in Battersea. As Cutter and Claudia jumped out, Stephen quickly offloaded a serious-looking firearm. Claudia was torn between going with them or waiting for Ryan, but the other two were already at the entrance. She knew they wanted to get to the Pteranodon before Ryan and his squad.

  Frustrated, Claudia followed them into the high-rise building. She needed to keep an eye on them.

  As they travelled up in the lift to the top floor of the building, Claudia noticed Stephen’s over-sized weapon.

  ‘It’s a tranquillizer gun,’ he admitted.

  Claudia came to an immediate halt. She’d calmed down after the episode on the golf course earlier, but this was too much. For goodness’ sake – there was a killer on the loose!

  ‘No way!’ she shouted. ‘I’m not taking any more chances – I want it dead!’

  ‘Just trust me. Please,’ Cutter said earnestly. ‘Killing these creatures without good reason is not the answer.’

  Claudia looked from Cutter to his loyal sidekick Stephen, who was standing defiantly behind his boss with the tranquillizer gun in his arms. She took a deep breath. There was no way she was going to win this argument.

  ‘You’ve got until Ryan gets here,’ she said ruefully. ‘One chance – one shot.’