“Let’s just hope someone hasn’t already made a reservation,” Jenny said.
Ben eased to his feet and then looked skyward for a moment. “I estimate we’ve got about an hour of light left, and then it’ll be darker than hell without a moon or stars. We need to be in there by then.”
Koenig peered one way then the other. “Options: skirt the lake, left or right, or we go as the crow flies.”
Jenny turned slowly towards him, her brow furrowed. “You did just see that pterosaur get taken a few minutes back, huh?”
“That big dumb bird wasn’t carrying an assault rifle.” Koenig grinned.
“We’re not crossing the water in the dark, and we’re not going to be acting as fish bait.” Ben looked along the lake edge on both sides. “I think we’ll skirt around to the left; seems to be the thickest growth — gonna make traveling a little harder, but will also give us the best cover.”
“Pretty dense cover and some of those trees are huge.” Koenig squinted. “No branches though, but plenty of predators could hide in there. Still think the other side is best, there’s some good open space, we could make a run for it rather than slogging through more jungle.”
Jenny scoffed. “Two things; those tall trees you spotted aren’t trees.”
Everyone turned back to the huge trunks and as they watched, one of the trees seemed to bend down and vanish, before reappearing.
“Is that what I think it is?” Emma asked.
“I think so; some sort of huge sauropod herbivore — spend their entire day just eating and could easily weigh a hundred tons. Looks like a herd of them.” She turned to Koenig. “They’re too big to be troubled by most predators, so if these guys are hanging around and don’t seem agitated, it usually means there’s no carnivores threatening them. And that’s good for us.”
“A hundred tons?” Koenig rubbed his neck. “This all makes no sense.”
“What doesn’t?” Ben asked.
“Look at them.” He pointed his chin. “This plateau is huge, but not that huge. I’ve been in plenty of jungles, and tracked herds of prey animals and also big predators. And I can tell you right now those big guys should not be able to survive in this cliff-top greenhouse; it’s just not damn big enough.”
The group swung back to look at the sauropod’s necks that must have been ten feet around. Ben could imagine just how big the bodies of the creatures were.
“I’ve thought the same thing.” Jenny placed her hands on her hips. “This entire place doesn’t make sense. And something else; these massive creatures were warm-blooded, so if anyone was doing thermal mapping overhead from either a LINDAR or satellite, they’d show up like Christmas lights, cloud or no cloud. They couldn’t hide.”
“Do you think people do know and are covering it up?” Emma asked.
“Unlikely,” Ben said. “Governments leak like sieves. They’d never be able to keep this secret.” He sighed. “I guess we just don’t know enough about them or this place.”
Jenny nodded, but her forehead was creased. “Yeah maybe.” She continued to look along the lake edge.
“So which route?” Koenig asked.
Jenny turned to the far bank of the lake. “Walt, there’s something else that makes me real nervous about the easier side you suggested.” She pointed. “See those flat rocks near the water’s edge? They’ve been smoothed and stained, and remind me of beaching stones at a seal colony rocks. I think something has been dragging itself up on those rocks from time to time… something big.”
“Yeah, I see it.” Koenig’s eyes narrowed. “The thick jungle it is then. So what are we waiting for?”
Ben waved him on. “Then take us out, Mr. Koenig.”
Out in the oil-black water, and towards the far side of the lake, a mound eased to the surface. It glided towards the group as they stood on the bank where the trees came all the way to the water.
It stayed motionless for many minutes, before once again gliding closer, this time a little faster.
When the group moved back in amongst trees, it stopped and stayed on the surface for several more minutes. After a time, it slowly sank below the surface without making a ripple.
CHAPTER 29
Janus Bellakov sliced a huge vine that barred his way. He paused for a few seconds, just listening to the sounds of the jungle — they were all still there, the squawks, chirrups, hums and shrill cries — good. It was when those background sounds vanished that the shit usually came down.
They’d been attacked several more times, smaller creatures moving fast, but not big enough to really trouble them. Some of them only needed a good kick to send them screaming back into the jungle.
Finding the lake a while back had meant they could be linking up with the others real soon, and looking across the dark water, he’d seen the caves — he bet his last buck that both Koenig and Cartwright would head straight for them. And if that’s where they were going, then that’s what he’d do too.
Bellakov had chosen the route to the right that looked easiest to traverse, and soon he hoped to make it to a large flat area at the water’s edge where he planned to make a dash for it. Once that was done, he expected to be in the caves well before it got real dark.
Bellakov’s priorities were to be somewhere defensible, and with a goddamn fire, pronto. He half turned. Behind him, Barlow looked a wreck — nervous, exhausted, and his fear making him totally docile. The man was pathetic.
The other two were competent enough, and together they should be able to make it. Or at least the pair would put up enough of a fight, and distraction, so he could make it. Bellakov’s one objective was to get off the plateau. First prize, he’d do it with Barlow and end up a rich man. But the bottom line was saving his own skin; anything and anyone else was expendable when it came to achieving that end.
They came to the edge of the flat rocks and Bellakov stopped.
“Phew, Jesus Christ, what’s that smell?” Dan put a hand over his face.
“Like shit,” Steve added. “Fishy shit.”
“Keep it down,” Bellakov growled.
The four men crouched, the fading light making them all indistinct shadows.
“I don’t like it,” Dan whispered.
Bellakov snorted. “And which part have you liked so far? The giant snake, your guide being eaten alive, or maybe…”
“Yeah, yeah.” Dan shook his head. “You know what I mean.”
Bellakov shrugged. “Maybe it’s a dumping ground for these monsters. Good thing is, it’ll mask our odor, right?”
Steve got to his feet. “Quicker we’re at the cave the better.”
“Good man.” Bellakov grinned. “You take point. Head out about 20 feet and scout the terrain.”
Steve’s head snapped around. “Seriously? I had point at the stream.”
“Yeah, seriously, you’re good at it; now hurry the fuck up,” Bellakov shot back.
Steve pointed at Barlow. “When’s that asshole gonna do some work?”
“When I say. Now hurry up.” Bellakov waved him on.
Steve grumbled, but gripped his shotgun and headed out.
The creature gently lifted its head from the water for a moment, and then let it slide back down a few inches so it was below the surface. The freshwater mosasaur was forty feet long but squat and powerful. It had four paddle-like flippers that were the last vestiges of limbs, plus a scythe-like tail akin to that of a dolphin. It was a powerful water hunter, and an apex ambush predator.