Over the next three days, Alan and Ellie went out every morning with lunches packed in their backpacks, intending to spend the entire day in the field studying the animals, but when they returned to the dormitory in the evening, they did so with few new sightings and very little useable information to add to Alan�s meticulous documentation. By the third day, every species that had populated the area near the compound seemed to have vanished without a trace.
�It�s like all the animals in the area have moved to another part of the island,� Alan commented on the fourth day as they trudged through a large grassy field, puzzled by the mysterious evacuation. �Nothing like this has ever happened during the whole time I�ve been on the island.�
�Why do you suppose that is?� Ellie asked. �Do you think this is evidence that they�re trying to migrate?� Noticing that her shoe seemed a little loose, she glanced down and watched as her shoelace flopped back and forth with each step. �Oh, great,� she muttered as she knelt down in the gently waving knee-high grass to retie it.
Alan stopped beside her to wait. In answer to her question, he lifted his shoulders in a bewildered shrug, at loss for a rational explanation to the peculiar phenomenon that they were witnessing. �That�s a good question. This didn�t happen when I was here in the fall, and I would have thought a seasonal migration would include attempts at both spring and fall migrations. Up until recently, I encountered multiple species every time I left the compound.� He paused with a thoughtful frown etched on his brow, considering the frequency of the earlier sightings compared with the lack of them, now. �Now that I think about it, though, it does seem like I�ve been seeing a gradual decrease in sightings over the past couple of weeks, but I never thought of it as an exodus of any kind. I assumed that the animals were here, but we just weren�t connecting with them.�
His eyes traveled across the island�s landscape, studying the scattered groves of trees that dotted the plains, the long treeline that marked the edge of the jungle on their left, and the distant forested mountain ranges directly ahead of them. Intently, he listened for the trumpeting calls of the great giants that were usually present in the open grassland, but only haunting silence came back to his attentive ears. The complete absence of wildlife of any kind gave an eerie mood to the entire area. Even the birds seemed to have vanished.
�What else could it be?� Ellie wondered. With her shoe retied, she shifted position to tighten the other lace to prevent it from working its way loose as well.
�I haven�t a clue, but if this lasts, we�re either going to have to go to other parts of the island to find them, or throw in the towel and go home.�
�You really want to do that?� she asked, surprised. She tilted her head to look up at him, but the noon sun was high in the sky and nearly blinded her. Blinking away the glare, she lowered her eyes back to the shoelace.
�No, but this is a big island. It would take us days of traveling in the open to reach the areas that the animals might be, and that would open us up to all sorts of danger. Not to mention, we wouldn�t be able to carry enough provisions with us to last for an extended amount of time.�
�What about the four wheeler?� she asked. �We could use it to transport our provisions.�
�Maybe,� he responded, doubtfully. �It isn�t easy to push, though, and it would be especially difficult if we had to cross rough terrain. And that doesn�t solve the problem of how to protect ourselves.�
The ground beneath their feet trembled briefly, as if a minor earthquake had struck the island.
Kneeling on the ground, Ellie felt the mild shudder radiate upward through her body, a curious sensation, but she experienced no immediate sense of apprehension. Seismic activity was common on many tropical islands, particularly in the Pacific. Many of the islands had, in fact, been formed by volcanic events.
�Earthquake?� she asked. When Alan did not comment on the tremor, she suggested, �You know, animals have a sixth sense. Maybe they felt it coming, and have tried to move away from it.� With both shoes securely tied, she stood up. Her idea seemed a feasible answer to the situation, but when Alan uncharacteristically made no comment, she turned toward him and lifted her eyebrows to await a response. Then the eyebrows dropped again as her eyes widened with sudden unease.
The paleontologist stood frozen in place, and the unsettling expression of alarm on his face sent a ripple of panic through the woman�s body, chilling her blood as if ice water was suddenly being pumped through her veins. Alan remained silent, but his appearance spoke volumes. His typically casual posture had stiffened. He knew what had caused the tremor, and he now knew exactly why the other animals had left the area. They had not migrated; they had fled.
Slowly, he turned his face toward her, his expressive blue eyes wordlessly conveying the message that they were in mortal danger. How he could determine that fact without actually seeing it remained a mystery to her, for the large sauropods also generated the same earthshaking vibrations, but she had been with him long enough to trust his instincts, and at that moment, there was no doubt in her mind that there was cause for grave concern.
For several moments, everything was still and quiet as they waited, their eyes locked upon one another, hoping that the animal had not spotted them, that it would move on in search of more significant prey. Then, it came again, that rumbling shudder, stronger this time, which could only be an impact tremor caused by the footstep of a very large animal, an animal that was obviously moving slowly toward them. A low growl resonated in the hot air, breaking the intense silence, a growl that Alan had heard before.
Ellie�s pulse increased, but she forced herself to remain statue-still. �T-Rex?� she asked, her voice a whisper.
�No,� he replied. �Worse.�
She drew a deep shuddering breath. There was only one animal on the island that could be worse than the Tyrannosaurus Rex. �Oh, no,� she whispered.
As one, they turned to look behind them.
It was the Spinosaurus.
The approximate distance of about one average city block separated them from the most terrifying creature Ellie had ever imagined. It stood on powerful hind legs, and its strong forelegs, tipped with long, sharp claws, were curled at its massive breast. The huge sail, like that of a sailfish, stood up on its rounded back. It cocked its head, dominated by its elongated, crocodilian snout, watching them inquisitively. Its tail swished from side to side, as a cat watches a mouse, waiting for it to flee.
�Can it see us if we stand still?� she asked, thinking about the Rex�s visual acuity, and hoping that the Spinosaurus was plagued by the same affliction.
�It can see us whether we move or not,� he replied. �In fact, it sees us right now.�
As if in response, it opened its long snout, filled with sharp yellow teeth, and bellowed a roar so terrifying that Ellie felt her heart leap into her throat.
�Oh, God,� she whispered, shakily. �What do we do?�
The Spinosaurus continued to observe them, playing a curious waiting game. Alan knew that as soon as they moved, it would probably follow them, but with a little luck and if it had just fed, perhaps it would allow them to back away from it without following. Even as the thought entered his mind, he knew it was unlikely, since the animals it typically fed upon had obviously fled the area. In all probability, it was hungry and likely to eat anything it came across.
He glanced over his shoulder, seeking a possible escape route. The only option seemed to be the dense jungle in the hopes of losing it in the thick tangle of trees and vines. His hand sought Ellie�s smaller hand, and seized it in a firm grip. �Let�s get into the jungle.�
They backed away slowly, keeping their eyes on the creature. At first, it merely stood and watched them as they withdrew, inspiring the hope that it would ignore them as insignificant in the food chain, but their relief was short lived, for their movement stirred it into mobility. Its massive hind legs took strong, powerful steps as it advanced toward them.
As if by mutual concurrence, the two humans spun around and began to run as fast as they could, still holding tightly to the other�s hand. They did not have to look over their shoulders to know that it was rapidly gaining on them. They could feel the increasingly heavy footfalls and the tremors it generated in the ground beneath their feet.
�Hopefully, these trees will slow it down,� Alan shouted as they entered the tree line. Without hesitation, the Spinosaurus followed, crashing through the foliage after them. The humans zigzagged through the jungle, sidestepping the trees that blocked their path and ducking under the higher branches of the taller trees that stretched across their path in an effort to elude the massive beast.
Alan�s healthy stamina would have allowed him to easily outdistance the weaker woman, but his grip on her hand did not allow her to fall behind. Whenever she lagged, he pulled hard, forcing her to keep up even though she could barely keep her legs under her. Already, he could hear her ragged gasps for breath, and knew that she was nearing the point of exhaustion.
Glancing over his shoulder, Alan estimated that it was less than a half block behind them. Had they remained on the open plains, it was obvious that it would have overtaken them by now, yet any advantage they had gained by the forest trees was only minimal and probably temporary, for they could not maintain this speed very much longer.
The ground vanished suddenly from beneath his feet, and he felt himself falling. He immediately released Ellie�s hand in an effort to avoid taking her over the edge with him, but it was too late. With a cry of surprise, she toppled over the steep bank behind him. An instant later, they struck the sloping rocky ground and skidded and rolled all the way to the bottom, coming to an abrupt halt only a few yards from the stream bed that had carved the thirty foot deep ravine into the earth sometime during the island�s distant past. Stunned, Alan lay still for a moment on a hard surface of river pebbles, watching as a cloud of dust, stirred up by their rather dramatic tumble, drifted across the surface of the gently trickling water.
Ellie stirred beside him, and he scrambled quickly to his knees. Leaning over the woman to check her for injuries, he asked, �Are you all right?�
She raised her head, and nodded. �Yes,� she gasped as she sat up, rubbing her left elbow with her right hand. It stung, and she folded the arm back to look at it, noticing the ragged bits of skin that had been torn from it. �I skinned my arm.�
Alan brushed away the bits of dirt and gravel that clung to the injury. �It�ll be all right. It�s only bleeding a little bit.� Her face was scuffed and bruised as well, and he knew that he had probably obtained similar injuries. At least there were no broken bones to worry about. They had been fortunate. He could only hope that the cameras had survived the fall. However, there were more pressing issues to deal with at that moment.
Lifting his eyes to the top of the ravine, he saw that the Spinosaurus had stopped at the edge, and was observing them from above. It roared and shook its head angrily, yet it hesitated, uncertain how to traverse the steep, rugged surface. Then, it began to pace back and forth at the edge. With a little luck, their chance encounter with the deep stream bed would provide them with a successful escape.
Alan took Ellie�s hand again. �Come on. We need to get going before it finds a way down.�
She would rather have remained there in the cool shade to rest, but a loud roar from up above reminded her that the Spinosaurus would eventually find a way to get down the steep slope. She managed to get her feet under her and stood up with Alan�s help, then turned to face the opposite bank. Her resolve weakened. It was as high as the one they had just slid down, a steep surface of loose dirt and leaves, moss-covered rocks, and a tangled weave of tree roots exposed by erosion.
She shook her head, doubtfully, her chest heaving as she struggled to recover from the sprint through the jungle. �It�s too steep, Alan. I don�t think I can climb it.�
�Yes, you can,� he urged.
Without waiting for a response, he tightened his grip on her hand and led her across the stream. Although very wide in breadth, it was shallow, and they were able to use the rocks as stepping-stones until they finally reached the other bank. Perhaps thousands of years ago, it had been a mighty river, but the flow of water from the mountains had shifted course, reducing it to a trickle in comparison to the forces it had taken to carve out the ravine. Now, it was a gently flowing stream, its crystal clear water gurgling peacefully over the smooth pebbles that covered the streambed. It would have been a perfectly soothing place to lie down and take a nap, but that was a luxury they could not afford.
When they reached the other side, they paused again to look up at the steep bank that faced them and the summit that loomed high overhead.
Alan was nodding as he studied the slope�s uneven surface. �Well, this shouldn�t be too difficult,� he said, expressing more confidence than he actually felt.
Ellie stared at him, slack-jawed. Was he serious? �For whom?� she challenged.
�No, seriously. Look. There are plenty of rocks and exposed roots to serve as handholds and footholds.�
�Maybe we could walk upstream and find an easier incline,� she suggested, reluctant to climb the rugged surface.
�The Spinosaurus will follow us, and if we find an easier incline, you can bet it will too,� Alan replied, the dependable voice of reason. �No, we have to go up it here, where it�s steep, or we�ll have it right behind us.�
High above them, the beast roared again, still trying to find a way down. Spurred into action by their retreat, it placed one foot tentatively over the edge of the embankment as if to start down the steep slope, then pulled it back when the soil beneath the foot began sliding. Whatever thought process the animal may have possessed, it seemed to understand that a misstep would send it crashing to the bottom where it would incur serious if not fatal injuries. It resumed its pacing back and forth, its steps carrying it farther and farther each direction before it returned. Finally, it disappeared into the trees, then returned and moved into the trees in the opposite direction. With a stab of concern, Alan worried that eventually it would find a spot where the bank was less steep, possibly even shallow enough that it would easily cross the gully.
�Give me your pack,� Alan commanded.
Without bothering to ask why, Ellie slipped off her backpack and handed it to the paleontologist. Placing his free hand on Ellie�s back, he pushed her toward the steep bank. �Go,� he told her.
Resigned to the fact that she must climb, she started up the bank without protest. At first, the going was not too rough. The grade was gradual and there were plenty of rocks on which to find good footholds, but after about ten feet, the slant became steeper, forcing her to use the outcroppings of rocks and exposed roots to pull herself along. With concerned eyes, Alan watched from the bottom as she slowly made her way up the steep grade.
The sloping ground beneath her trembled again as the Spinosaurus returned and strode along the edge behind them, watching as the woman continued to climb. Opening its snout, it roared, then disappeared into the trees again.
When Ellie was well on her way, Alan draped Ellie�s backpack over one shoulder, and scrambled up the slope behind her, gripping the same rocks and roots that Ellie had used to assist her ascent up the incline.
Halfway up, Ellie was forced to stop to rest. Sinking to her knees, she clung desperately to a strong tree root and lowered her head as she gasped to recover her breath. �Oh, God,� she whimpered, her breathing frighteningly labored. �I can�t keep this up much longer.�
They heard a loud roar from somewhere upstream, and Alan realized with a jolt that it was coming from below, in the ravine. It had found a way down!
�Ellie, I know you�re tired, but we can�t stop,� Alan told her. His voice was kind, yet contained an urgent quality that reminded her that they were in imminent danger. Keeping a wary eye upstream, he said, �Ellie, you have to go. Now!�
Reaching upward again, she grasped an outcropping of rock, noticing as she did that her arm was trembling from the exertion. Trying to ignore the quivering of her exhausted muscles, she slowly pulled herself upward.
�That�s it, honey,� he said from directly below, his voice encouraging. �You�re doing good. You�re almost there. Just a little farther.�
She glanced over her shoulder. Alan was only a few feet below her. Seeing her face looking down at him, he smiled encouragingly. She was too tired to smile in reply, so she turned back to the slope, and managed to pull herself up a few more feet before she was forced to stop and rest again.
Again, Alan quickly caught up with her, but this time he came up alongside her, and stopped beside her, hanging on to an exposed root that hung like a vine. �Take a moment and catch your breath,� he instructed.
Sinking to her knees again, she allowed her body to relax for a moment and flexed her tired hands, first one, then the other. �I can�t go much farther, Alan.�
�You�re almost there,� he told her. �Look up. We only have another six feet or so. You can make it that far.�
As she looked up toward the summit of the ravine, she wasn�t so sure. She had very little left to give. Those six feet may as well have been sixty.
At that moment, the Spinosaurus came into view from a bend in the streambed. Fixing a malevolent gaze upon them, it rushed toward the bank they were climbing.
Ellie felt her pulse step up a notch. �Oh, God,� she whispered.
The Spinosaurus stood a little more than fifteen feet tall, but Ellie knew that it probably had an overall reach of several feet more if it stretched its long frame, a fact which placed them in immediate danger.
Galvanized by fear, she reached upward again, and seized another rock that protruded from the ground and used it for leverage to pull herself up. Just a few more feet. She set her teeth in a determined fashion, and continued to climb.
Below her, the dinosaur snapped at the air just beneath her feet, so close that she heard its teeth click together. She quickly pulled herself higher, keeping her feet out of reach as she tried to move faster, but her tired body had expended nearly every ounce of strength it possessed. She stopped again and hung there for several moments, arms quivering uncontrollably, desperately praying that she would not lose her grip and fall back into the ravine.
Realizing that Ellie was drained, Alan increased his pace until he reached the summit. Quickly, he shed the two backpacks, then lay down on his belly and extended his hand over the edge. �Ellie, take my hand. I�ll pull you up.�
Gratefully, she reached up as far as she could until her hand was grasped by his, and he pulled her with all his might. Using her feet for momentum, she assisted him as best she could until finally she was pulled up over the edge. Safe at last, she rolled onto her back on the ground to rest.
Below them, the Spinosaurus was becoming more agitated. It bellowed its rage as it attempted to follow them up the steep slope, then fell back, landing in the stream with a splash so great that threatened to empty the streambed of all its water. The earth trembled beneath its weight. It quickly recovered its feet, and approached the bank again.
Alan stretched out beside the exhausted woman on his back, and both of them rested on the cool mossy ground as they gasped for breath.
�We made it,� he panted.
�What about the Spino?� she asked, listening to the sounds coming from inside the ravine.
Rising on his elbow, he leaned over the edge to look into the ravine. It spotted him and lunged upward, but fell short. Reflex caused Alan to jump back, even though he knew it was unable to reach him. �It�s very angry,� he replied. �And it hasn�t given up, yet. Are you able to go on?�
She groaned in protest. �We must surely be safe here! There�s no way it can climb up that slope! The bank is too steep.�
�It�ll find a way,� Alan said with certainty. �You have no idea how persistent this beast is. We�re going to have to lose it before it finds its way out of there.�
Apparently realizing that it could not climb the steep bank, the dinosaur turned toward the bend in the streambed again. Alan watched as it moved away, presumably returning to the shallower bank that had enabled it to descend into the ravine.
�It�s moving up the ravine, looking for a way out. It�s only a matter of time before it finds it. And when it does, we need to be gone from here.� Grasping her hand, he urged her to get up. �Come on. It�ll work its way back.�
Ellie submitted to his pull on her hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet, and they made their way through the dense jungle again, traveling downstream, increasing the distance between them and the beast.
For the next hour, they traveled as quietly as possible, careful to avoid calling attention to themselves. They could no longer hear the dinosaur, and gradually, they began to relax, believing they had lost it. They walked slower, occasionally allowing themselves a few moments to rest.
At last, they found a wide section of the stream with a gradual slope that enabled them to cross back over to the other side, increasing that feeling of confidence that they were finally safe.
They paused to rest in the shelter of a high rocky bluff, and sat down on the ground to examine the cameras for damage. To Alan�s great relief, although one contained a dent in the casing, they both seemed to be working, protected by the sandwiches and paper towels he had included in the packs. The sandwiches, of course, had been flattened. Humorously, one plastic-wrapped sandwich contained the imprint of the camera it had cushioned during the tumble down the ravine. The back had popped open on the 35 mm snapshot camera, exposing an entire roll of film, but it was a new roll with no pictures on it, so they had lost none of their photographs.
As Alan returned all three cameras to his backpack and rolled up the extra one and stuffed it inside to relieve Ellie of the burden, she lay back on the cool ground and closed her eyes, grateful for the respite.
Alan set the backpack aside and started to lean back as Ellie had done, but something peculiar caught his eye. In a dark, shallow depression near the base of the bluff, a pair of yellow eyes peered out at them from a motionless creature that was concealed there. It watched them silently, sending a shiver of apprehension down Alan�s spine, recognizing the creature for what it was. It had been lying in its lair, observing them the whole time they had been relaxing.
�Raptor!� Alan whispered.
Ellie sat bolt upright and her eyes snapped open, seeking Alan�s face as if to confirm the seriousness of his declaration. Following his gaze to the shallow depression, she scrambled to her feet in fright and took an involuntary step backward. To have escaped the Spinosaurus only to be ripped to pieces by a velociraptor was a cruel twist of fate. Tensing, she waited, staring at the pair of eyes that continued to gaze at them.
The raptor remained hidden beneath the overhang, and obviously had no intention of leaving the safety of its lair. Its eyes shifted from the two humans to the area of the forest behind them, having heard something that had thus far eluded the human�s inferior ears.
�It�s hiding from the Spinosaurus,� he told her. Reaching down, he picked up the full backpack. �I don�t think it�ll bother us right now, but let�s move away slowly.�
Keeping a watchful eye on the raptor, they slowly walked away from the carnivorous dinosaur that had not moved a muscle, except for those yellow eyes that shifted from the forest back to the two humans, and then back again to the forest, aware that a much large predator was approaching.
The sounds of a massive animal pushing through the undergrowth moving toward them caused them both to whirl around to face it. Even though they could not yet see it, they knew it was the Spinosaurus. It had been following them.
The man and the woman exchanged disbelieving glances.
�How does it know where we are?� Ellie asked, reaching up to brush a lock of stray hair from her face in a gesture of frustration.
In that instant, Alan saw the blood trickling from her elbow, and instantly knew the answer to her question. He grasped her arm. �It smells the blood from your injury.�
�Then there�s no place we can hide that it won�t find us.�
�There is one place,� he said, quietly. �I know where there�s a safety bunker not too far from here. Trouble is, I don�t know if we can reach it in time.� Reaching out, he took her hand again. �Come on.�
Together, they began to run again, leaving the watchful raptor safely concealed in its hiding place.
Go to Chapter 16