Fight for Survival Page 3

  ‘Do something!’ Abby yelled, pointing at the gun he’d been waving around just seconds before.

  Connor was petrified. He’d never used a real gun before. With shaking hands, he levelled it at the Raptor, trying to aim properly as the creature and the cleaner flailed about the room. Shooting off the first dart, he was horrified to watch it sail through the air and connect perfectly with Abby’s thigh. Without time to think, he reloaded the gun as the cleaner and Raptor crashed to the ground. Running over and kicking the creature away, Connor fired a dart at it at point-blank range. The dinosaur bared its teeth at him before wobbling for a second and falling over, temporarily out cold.

  Connor bent down to check on the injured cleaner. His neck was bleeding pretty badly, but at least he was alive. He turned to check on Abby. She glared at him accusingly as she leant helplessly against the wall, half sitting, half standing. She was tugging feebly at the dart in her leg.

  ‘You… idiot…’ she slurred, as her eyes rolled back in her head and she slowly slid down to the floor and passed out.

  Connor looked around in dismay. One cleaner, one baby Raptor and one potential girlfriend were all lying at his feet. And not a single one of them conscious!

  Elsewhere in the shopping centre, Stephen and Cutter had just brought down a Raptor of their own. Swiftly tracking the large adult through the amusement arcade and then the hi-fi section of a department store, they’d finally sent it hurtling to the ground with a heavily laden dart in the women’s clothes section. Judging by its size, this was possibly the same Utahraptor that had attacked Abby and Connor in the food court.

  But they had to decide what to do quickly. They both knew Abby had guessed the dosage of the dart – there was no way to tell how long they had before it woke up again.

  ‘Look at it,’ Cutter sighed, stopping for a moment. No matter how many dinosaurs he’d been chased by these last few months, he was still in awe of every one of them. He and Stephen had spent their whole careers studying fossils and bones. To have the opportunity to see a real live creature was something else. ‘The perfect killing machine,’ he added, crouching down to inspect the Raptor’s brilliant blue head crest. ‘In a fair fight we mammals wouldn’t stand a chance.’

  ‘Speaking as a mammal,’ Stephen chuckled, ‘I’m all in favour of cheating.’

  For a moment, it felt like old times. Cutter looked up at Stephen, wondering if now was the time to discuss what had happened at the anomaly this afternoon. After all, they’d been friends for a long while and Stephen had known Helen before her disappearance eight years ago as well. But when she’d asked him to go back with her into the Permian era, she’d also revealed to everyone that the two of them had once been more than just friends. Cutter had no idea about it, and as Helen had hoped, he had been shocked. But he didn’t want to lose his long friendship with Stephen over it.

  ‘Listen,’ the professor said, taking a deep breath. ‘You could have gone with Helen, but you didn’t. Right now, that’s all that matters. The rest is history.’

  Stephen ran his hand through his dark brown hair nervously. Cutter was right – anything that had happened between him and Helen was in the past. If Cutter was willing to leave it at that for the moment, then so was he.

  ‘Do you think she’ll be back?’ he replied finally.

  ‘You mean has she finished messing with us yet?’ Cutter wondered, remembering Helen’s face as she’d watched him kissing Claudia in the Forest of Dean. She hadn’t been happy. ‘I seriously doubt it. Helen never handled rejection very well.’

  Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by Connor’s shouts. It sounded as though he was over by the atrium. Quickly binding the dozing Raptor, they ran towards the noise.

  Over by the lifts, they were shocked to come across Connor impatiently hopping from one foot to the other, a knocked-out Abby lying at his feet, since he had carried her there from the locker room.

  ‘What happened?’ Cutter asked, kneeling down beside Abby.

  ‘I shot her,’ Connor said as Cutter and Stephen stared at him. He realized how ridiculous it sounded. ‘It was collateral damage!’ he protested. ‘I got the Raptor too.’

  ‘You brought down a full-size Raptor on your own?’ Cutter asked, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

  ‘Well, nearly full size,’ Connor replied, not wanting to admit the creature was just a baby. He looked helplessly at the unconscious Abby by his feet. ‘Will she be all right?’

  ‘She’ll have a nasty headache, but she’ll be fine,’ Stephen said briskly. Although he knew Connor didn’t mean to hurt Abby, he was like an annoying little brother. But surely even annoying little brothers wouldn’t go around shooting people with tranquillizer darts!

  ‘She better come round soon,’ mused Cutter. ‘One Raptor was a problem. Two means we’ve got an infestation. God knows how many are running around out there. I’m going to need all of you to get the Raptors back alive.’

  ‘Alive?’ Connor spluttered, momentarily forgetting the professor’s rule about returning all creatures to their proper place in time. He shrugged as Stephen frowned at him. ‘They’re trying to turn us into sushi and we have to play nice. Doesn’t seem fair somehow.’

  With Connor carrying Abby, the four of them headed back to the locker room to collect the Raptor Connor had knocked out with the tranquillizer dart. Cutter wanted all the dinosaurs back down in the bowling alley so they could be sent back through the anomaly. But as they pushed open the door, Connor immediately realized something was terribly wrong.

  The cleaner was missing.

  Cutter and Stephen placed the bound giant Raptor as carefully as they could on to a sheet they’d got from the bedding section of the department store. They’d figured this was the only way they’d be able to move something this large down to the anomaly at the bowling alley.

  But as they passed through the hi-fi section, Cutter noticed something unusual. All the radios were tuned to the same spot on the dial and were emitting a strange pulsating noise. It was like a regular pattern of interference coming through the radio waves. Cutter wondered if the magnetic field of the anomaly had anything to do with it. As the team’s electronics wiz, he’d have to get Connor to look into it.

  It wasn’t long before they had the Raptors lying in Lane One and ready to send back. Cutter was looking at the stirring baby Raptor thoughtfully.

  ‘It’s coming round,’ noticed Stephen, readying his gun. ‘I’ll put it under again.’

  ‘Wait,’ said Cutter, shaking his head and realizing there might be an easier way to check whether more than two Raptors had escaped from the anomaly. ‘One Raptor’s an infant. Chances are they’re a family unit. Maybe we don’t have to go looking for Daddy – maybe junior will bring him here for us.’

  The baby Raptor began to stir, thrashing wildly at the rope Stephen had used to secure it to the gutter running down the side of the laneway. For a creature so small, it certainly was vicious. Cutter wondered how on earth the cleaner had managed to survive – with no trails of blood or further evidence of attack, they figured he’d been well enough to leave the mall on his own. From Connor’s description of his injuries, perhaps he’d taken himself to the hospital for treatment.

  It wasn’t long before the distressed cries of the baby Raptor confirmed Cutter’s suspicions. While Abby dozed happily on a seat beside the electronic ball return chute, Cutter, Connor and Stephen hid behind racks of sports equipment, watching as an ominous shadow passed by the windows of the bowling alley. Seconds later, the terrifying figure of an adult male Utahraptor came into view in the doorway.

  It was at least a metre longer than the other adult Raptor they’d captured earlier. Everything about its size was multiplied tenfold – its teeth, its muscular hind legs, its tail and especially its claws. Stephen could see a pair of yellow eyes glinting malevolently in the bowling alley. He was already wondering whether the dosage of tranquillizers they were carrying was enough to knock this one out.

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nbsp; The baby continued its high-pitched shrieks, furiously trying to escape its binding as the adult Utahraptor finally drew up beside it.

  They flinched as they realized why the infant Raptor was so distressed. Standing over the smaller creature, the giant Utahraptor sliced through the rope with its claws, and with a single movement tossed the baby into the air. The dinosaur caught the infant in its mighty jaws and began to eat its prey.

  ‘Oh,’ whispered Connor, wincing. ‘Probably not related, then?’

  But things were about to take a turn for the worse. While everyone was paying attention to the drama unfolding on the other side of the bowling alley, Abby had begun to stir. With her eyes half closed, she yawned, standing up groggily.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she said loudly, as Connor, Cutter, Stephen and the adult Utahraptor turned to look at her simultaneously.

  Abby’s face fell as she saw the massive creature. It had obviously just made a fresh kill. And Abby could tell from the look in its eyes that she was next on the menu.

  Connor ran across the bowling alley as Stephen and Cutter fired at the Raptor. It was already moving towards Abby, and Connor had to sprint to get ahead of it. He grabbed Abby’s hand and pulled her out of the way just as a dart lodged in the creature’s shoulder.

  But it wasn’t enough to slow it down. The two friends bolted across the room, wondering if anything could stop it.

  Just as they thought it was finally the end for both of them, a most curious thing happened. The Raptor suddenly stopped dead in its tracks, seemingly losing interest in them. Hearing silence behind them, Abby and Connor turned round to be confronted with one of the strangest things they’d ever seen.

  The angry Raptor was pacing around, seemingly mesmerized by the slushie machine, churning its lurid blue ice confection. As the machine hummed quietly, the Raptor’s electric blue crest fanned open. While Abby and Connor watched in amazement, the incensed creature let forth a ferocious snarl and attacked the glass, smashing it to pieces. Blue ice spewed out across the counter as the carnivore let out a cry of victory.

  As Stephen managed to hit the Raptor with a second dart, the dinosaur roared angrily and took off out of the doorway, back into the shopping centre.

  ‘Look at the colour of his crest!’ Cutter cried. ‘He must have identified the slushies as a threat!’

  ‘You can see his point,’ laughed Connor, as Abby stood, dazed, by his side. ‘Think of the additives in those things!’

  Stephen was the only one not willing to see the funny side of things. He’d had it with the tranquillizer darts – they obviously weren’t working. Without saying a word, he furiously threw down the gun and, ignoring Cutter’s earlier warning, headed out to the car park. He was determined to get hold of a more useful weapon.

  Cutter chased after him, catching up as Stephen reached their truck parked outside. Stephen was in no mood to compromise. For goodness’ sake – Abby and Connor had almost been killed!

  ‘These creatures are too dangerous,’ he said firmly. ‘We can’t keep taking stupid risks.’

  ‘Everything we do has an impact,’ Cutter urged.

  Stephen’s reply was curt. ‘We’ve killed creatures before and nothing happened,’ he said, unlocking a box in the back of the truck and pulling out a rifle. He frowned as Cutter looked at him uncertainly. ‘Look,’ the younger man added, trying to be sympathetic, ‘maybe the strain of going through the anomalies had got to you. Maybe you only think these changes took place…’

  Cutter stepped back in shock. Stephen had always backed him up and trusted his judgement before. And now here he was, making his own rules and telling Cutter he was delusional?

  ‘You think I dreamt Claudia Brown?’ the professor couldn’t help laughing.

  ‘The whole pattern of evolution changed but just one person disappeared?’ Stephen replied, not answering the question directly. ‘One person who happened to be a friend of yours?’

  ‘It’s not that simple,’ Cutter began. How could he explain this to Stephen and make him believe it? ‘The ARC didn’t even exist when I left. There’s a whole team of people there I’ve never met. There could be countless other things, big and small. I don’t know yet –’

  Stephen looked at him, not knowing quite how to respond. He knew Cutter had always seen him as an ally, but after the business with Helen he wasn’t sure what Cutter thought any more. And since coming out of the anomaly he just didn’t seem himself.

  ‘Look,’ Stephen said finally, closing the boot of the truck and indicating the rifle in his hand. ‘I’ll only use this if I have to.’

  However, Cutter wasn’t finished with the conversation. As grateful as he was for Connor’s earlier pledge of support, he desperately wanted Stephen to believe him.

  ‘Who knows what we did wrong back there in the Permian, but whatever it was, we somehow allowed evolution to take a different turn,’ Cutter said, trying to match his assistant’s stride.

  Stephen turned to look at him, a mixture of confusion and annoyance etched on his face.

  ‘I don’t feel any different,’ he sighed. ‘I’ve got the same life I always had.’

  ‘You might feel the same,’ Cutter continued, wondering which tack to take, ‘but believe me, there was another version of the world once.’

  ‘In my opinion, evolution can stand a little interference,’ Stephen challenged.

  Cutter rose to the bait.

  ‘You want to play Russian roulette with our future?’ the professor said, raising his voice. ‘Go ahead! But don’t expect me to help you!’

  Stephen couldn’t stop himself from scowling. Maybe Lester was right. Maybe Cutter did have amnesia. Whatever it was, it was beginning to get quite tiresome now. What’s more, it was beginning to interfere with his job.

  Cutter, Abby, Connor and Stephen looked down at the two giant Utahraptors, bound together on the bowling alley floor. Once they had the dosage right, it hadn’t taken long to bring the second one down after all.

  Now, as they marvelled at the prone dinosaurs, Cutter made it clear he was going to return the Utahraptors through the anomaly himself. But he had some unfinished business in the shopping centre first.

  Taking Connor with him, Cutter headed up to the hi-fi section of the department store. The radios were still pulsing with interference. Instructing Connor to tune all the stereos to the same frequency, the professor’s face lit up as he recognized an old S Club 7 tune playing on the radio.

  ‘Doesn’t that seem strange to you?’ Cutter asked, a smile spreading across his face.

  Connor began to shake his head, unable to figure out why interference would mean anything unusual. Unless…

  ‘You think it had something to do with the anomaly?’ he figured excitedly, before checking himself. ‘Probably just a technical problem at the radio station.’

  ‘Get on to them and find out,’ Cutter suggested.

  But a light bulb had suddenly flicked on inside Connor’s head.

  ‘If it is the anomaly,’ he stammered. ‘It could mean there’s radio interference on this wavelength whenever one opens –’

  ‘Which would explain why Helen was always one step ahead of us,’ Cutter grinned, finishing off his student’s sentence. ‘She must be using some kind of short-wave receiver to spot them.’

  ‘We could build our own detector!’ Connor added, happy to see Cutter nod in agreement. ‘Something that traces an anomaly within seconds of it appearing.’

  ‘If the interference stops when the anomaly disappears, then maybe we’re on to something,’ Cutter said, suddenly growing serious. The Raptors had to be returned through the anomaly, no matter what. ‘If I don’t make it back this time, it’s down to you.’

  As Cutter kitted himself up with weapons and prepared to go into the anomaly a short time later, Abby took the opportunity to voice her concerns to the professor.

  ‘You really think this is worth the risk?’ she asked, as he slung a tranquillizer gun over his shoulder. Cutter
just shrugged. ‘Something in our lives could change because we kill an animal that doesn’t belong here?’ Abby continued, pressing him for an answer.

  ‘Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, probably not,’ Cutter replied cautiously, keen to avoid a repeat of his argument with Stephen in the car park. Abby was probably the easiest member of the team to get along with, and Cutter needed all the supporters he could get right now. ‘But even if there’s one small risk, I don’t want to take it.’

  Abby bit her lip uncertainly. She understood the importance of defending members of the animal kingdom more than anyone. And Cutter had always been protective of the creatures that came out of the anomalies. But his behaviour since he returned to the Forest of Dean had seriously rattled her.

  Cutter read her thoughts. At least she should know she wasn’t alone.

  ‘Stephen thinks I’m crazy,’ he added helpfully.

  ‘He might be right,’ Abby smiled, before curiosity got the better of her. ‘This Claudia Brown – what was she like?’

  ‘Does it matter?’ Cutter shrugged, wondering whether talking about Claudia was just going to make life more difficult for him in the long run. But something about Abby’s expression made Cutter want to open up. She seemed genuinely interested.

  ‘She was OK,’ he began, picturing Claudia’s pretty face and feeling a stab of pain as he wondered if he was ever going to see her again. ‘Loyal, good at her job, a team player. Not as tough as she pretended to be, but strong when it mattered.’

  ‘She meant a lot to you,’ Abby said, looking him straight in the eye.

  Cutter hesitated, not knowing what to say. He and Claudia had just figured out where they stood with each other when she disappeared. He couldn’t deny they had strong feelings for each other.

  ‘Yes,’ he said simply.

  ‘I’m sorry that I didn’t know her,’ Abby replied sadly. ‘And that you lost her.’ She glanced at the professor, and was startled to see him terribly upset.

  The young zoologist felt completely bewildered. Cutter talked about this Claudia girl as if she was so… real. He was a difficult person to read at the best of times, but he certainly wasn’t an actor. It wouldn’t be easy for a man like him to fake something like this.