HERE IT IS! I've held you guys in suspense long enough so I'll get right to it! This picks up where 'New Dawn' left off. Enjoy, review if you feel like it, but mostly ENJOY!
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The triceratops raised her head from the grass she'd been eating. She turned her head just as the allosaurus circled on the far side... its sights on her child, who was already running for her. She answered his cries and charged as the predator bent its neck and made ready to pounce! She smelled the saliva on its teeth, caught the sheen of its claws, but she bore down on her assualt. Her long horns reamed into the underbelly and she threw her weight to the left, knowing the allosaurs' body would dinosaurs widened their stances as they struggled for control of the baby squalled for its mother from the treelike, refusing to move without her.
The roars of the animals climbed over each other. The allosaurs clawed along the mother's head, catching her eye. Still, the triceratops gained the upper hand, pinning the allosaurs down with her right horn. She proceeded to stomp her foot over it, driving her horns further in... until they fell back, tipped in blood. The allosaurs, while wounded, picked itself up and started away. The triceratops snorted its victory, lumbering back to her baby.
Neither beast got very far as tranquilizers were suddenly fired. They hit their marks, though the ones going into the triceratops were more visible. The dinosaurs- even the baby- wobbled and moaned, before finally collapsing. At this, the cameras moved in. The soldiers behind them ordered the trucks brought forward, everyone moving on the double.
"This is one sampling of efforts by the United States' militant forces to subdue the dinosaurs." the news anchor's voiceover returned. "With so much destruction already caused across the California state, we hope it to be the first of many-"
Rodion Aldovich looked up from the video for the two seconds needed to enter the back seat of the car. He closed the door firmly, a signal to the driver to continue on his way. By contract, there was no direct dialogue between them and whoever commanded the wheel; so long as he or she followed the rules, there was no need.
"You made it." The crusty, yet confident voice of Mr. Gavrill gave its approval from the opposite seat. He had already poured Rodion his customary tumbler of samogon.
"Bol'shoye spasibo." Rodion expressed, taking the tumbler. He passed his phone to his boss as he toasted with Mr. Gavrill and Kolov. Kolov sat in his familiar spot beside his cousin. The men downed their glasses expertly. Rodion closed his eyes, delighted with the lingering taste. He looked back up to watch Mr. Gavrill scroll through the slideshow on his phone. "The initial cleanup took a day more then expected, but it is finished. Your investments are in the clear and any loose ends have been…" his lips turned up with cruel memories. "Severed."
Kolov leaned in to catch his own glimpse of the photos. He let out a whistle. "These were all from the auction?"
Rodion closed his eyes again at the annoying interruption. Kolov was paid as a bodyguard and atop being young, thought too highly of himself.
"What Pasha was able to procure from the files." Rodion specified. "We are still working on tracing the individual accounts used to pay Mr. Mills. The other buyers were as careful as we were-"
"Trivial facts." Mr. Gavrill handed back the phone, a signal of his satisfaction. Rodion nodded his agreement, glancing over the photos once more. It was extraordinary… the Triassic beasts, alive and roaming once more. It was surreal; and yet, it was the reality hitting the world all over. The outbreak in California was just the more obvious hit.
"If this is to move forward correctly, all the necessary components are required." Mr. Gavrill assessed, rotating the tumbler in his hand. Rodion nodded. "I understand. It has, however, been a week and no response."
Kolov laughed with his second gulp of samogon. "It was a long shot in any case. I told you not to waste your time-"
"Aren't you missing a staring contest with yourself." Rodion jabbed at the man's vanity. Kolov was always undermining him, despite his twelve years in Mr. Gavrill's service!
"Ladies." Mr. Gavrill commanded their silence. He never raised his voice, proving that it wasn't necessary to evoke fear into people. Kolov relaxed against his seat, head rolling to watch out the window. "So… our next play?"
Mr. Gavrill waited for the car to complete a turn, eyes serious in their planning. He finished the samogon as the car straightened. "The American government has given its answer to their crisis. Now that we know their next move, we can make ours."
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A bird flew off of its branch, catching Maisie Lockwood's attention. Her bright brown eyes followed the bird's path as it soared, until the tree branches of the forest hid him from her. It'd been going so fast... Maisie returned to the backpack that was open in front of her, where she had been placing pliers into one of the inside pockets. She zipped up the pocket and looked again for the bird.
Maisie was enjoying this new road her life had taken. Her favorite thing though was being outside, learning the terrain with Owen. She'd gone outside on occasion at Grandpa's- picnics mostly- but had never been allowed farther then the 'grounds'. She didn't have those limits here. She'd gone into the town below Owen's place in the Sierra Nevada Mountains! There was a lake, a meadow where they were building a cabin, and a thick forest that led up to several snowy peaks. Maisie knew they were far away, but she liked thinking they were right in her backyard. Her lungs were ever hyper with the cool air and there was so much to learn out here! It made it easy to forget the things that made her sad.
"I don't want to leave." Maisie said aloud with a shrug. Owen looked up from the proud pine he was crouched beside, checking on the motion sensor. "We're coming back, Maze."
"But I might miss something while we're away." Maisie exclaimed, the last few days racing through her mind. "We discovered those fawns yesterday; their spots could disappear! And we didn't finish the roof like we wanted-"
"And," Owen threw in the screwdriver and closed the pack. "We'll miss the passing of a two-headed calf. Only happens every five hundred years."
Maisie pushed his arm as she grabbed the pack, shouldering its weight. "Claire's right, you're not serious about anything."
Owen laughed with a final glance at the sensor. It was one of the three that surrounded the cabin, alerting them if certain animals got within a one-mile radius. He spoke into his walkie-talkie. "It workin' Claire?"
The walkie beeped and Claire Dearing Grady's voice came through the static. "Yes… I can't believe you reduced me to desk duty…"
Owen took his finger off the button, cutting her off. She had said the same thing at the first and second sensors. He grinned at Maisie as they started walking. "Gotta keep the house balanced, kid. Workaholic attitudes like Claire's have been known to brainwash people."
Maisie giggled at that, trying hopelessly to match the tall man's stride. I better hit a growth spurt soon!
"Your trailer's never looked cleaner." She joked to his back.
"Because everything's packed in the car." Owen said as their hike took them up into the trees. When they got back, they'd be throwing their gear into said car and driving to Carson City. It was in Nevada and it was their designated 'safe haven' for the coming weeks. Maisie had been warned that it would be a long drive since they had to go around the mountains. And Claire wanted to map out her education while they drove. She had purchased an assessment manual for every subject. Maisie groaned at the thought of them piled in the back seat.
"She made a list for which subjects she thinks I should study, first to last." Maisie mentioned. "And she wants me to rate each one based on likability." She rolled her eyes up at him. "Who does that?"
Owen answered with an odd pride. "Claire Grady, that's who." He looked back, gauging the pack lopsided on her back. "You need me to carry that?"
Maisie stared up the path that climbed the hill, before dipping down and reaching the far side of the lake. She'd been carrying the pack all morning and she was a little tired. Sunlight marked the grass in patches and that reminded her. "Sure. But I want to practice my directions again."
Owen glimpsed his watch. "Maisie, we need to get back-"
"I might not always have a compass." Maisie referred to the present he was promising for her birthday. That was five months from now, emphasizing her point. She shrugged the backpack off, eyeing Owen eagerly. He took it, throwing a hand up in surrender. "Find the position of the sun."
Maisie backed up a few feet, where the leaves were thinner and allowed more sky through. She knew it was morning, but the tilt of the sun coming through helped her to place it more accurately. She stepped into a warm halo, pointing her thumb up to hide the sun. "East."
She dragged her thumb down through the air, arm stark straight. She then pointed in the opposite direction with her other arm. "West."
Owen folded his arms. "Making the cabin where?"
Maisie concentrated, pressing her brain cells together. She pointed to Owen's left. "South… by southeast."
Owen followed her point, cocking an eyebrow. "You sure?"
Maisie's confidence faltered a bit, dropping her arm. "I… think…"
"Cuse when you're right," Owen beamed. "You're right."
"You're horrible." Maisie spat, though her chest swelled with pride. They resumed their trek and she climbed on a fallen trunk to follow the incline. This somehow caught her up to Owen and she jumped down. The earth let out a rumble as she did.
Maisie stumbled to all fours and looked up at Owen, startled. That footstep had been way too loud for the sinoceratops. So far it had been the only dinosaur in their vicinity. An herbivore, harmless if left alone. But there were still the others to worry about… she had released many dinosaurs that rainy night, from Grandpa's manor. She had heard a few news stories, how the dinosaurs were causing damage, and people… Claire and Owen decided not to talk about it around her anymore. Maisie didn't like being treated like a child, but was silently happy that they didn't. Having only to watch out for the sino and a pack of compsognathus in the area, they had been fairly removed from the carnage.
Until now? Maisie wondered, cringing as another footfall jostled her.
Owen went into his silent, squinting mode, extending a hand to get Maisie up. There was a long, breathless pause… then another rumbling footstep. Followed by a long moan that spooked any birds out of the nearby trees. Maisie glanced up, watching through the branches. Until one of them moved!
"Apatosaurus." Owen relaxed slightly at the gray and tan head lifting above the treetops. It seemed a ways off, just before the foot hills where the forest was cut off by rocks. Otherwise, they would've heard the trees snapping and falling in its massive wake.
Maisie got her footing, then edged forward to get a better look. An apatosaurus was a smaller cousin to the brachiosaurus, but it was still tall, thick-necked, and lazy-eyed. It snorted, surveyed the trees, then dipped its snout for a leafy bite. Maisie continued forward, taking in the spectacular animal. She had seen plenty of pictures, played with a lot of the toys, and with all the times she had watched the sino, this still astounded her. The apatosaurus was so calm, minding its own business; enjoying the day like she was. Maisie swallowed. And she's going to die.
That was the reason she and Owen and Claire needed to leave. Everyone within the state of California was being evacuated, to make room so that the military could issue coordinated attacks on them. Maisie didn't know how; only that given another week, dinosaurs would be extinct again. That was the decision of the government; and it put an unsettled pit in Maisie's stomach.
Owen's hand was suddenly on her shoulder. "Pretty cool. You okay?"
"They're… alive." Maisie sighed, tilted her head back to view the apatosaurus's height. She thought of the Indoraptor, of the compies that had attacked Owen. The fear she'd felt each time had been real. Still, this took her breath away.
"Dinosaurs can't live like this, Maisie." Owen squeezed her shoulder. "You can."
Maisie rested her head against him. They observed the apatosaurus chomping, then sending out another call. It sounded happy.
"Let's head in." Owen said after a minute, turning back up the hill. Maisie followed, lingering a glance or two back at the dinosaur.
Off to a good start?