Another chapter. I hope so far the story hasn't been too stale. If so you should be pleased to hear that the dinosaur action scenes are about to kick in.
Chapter 4
Alan didn't like the word 'big' when it concerned anything on these islands. He wiggled on his feet while Pavel and the crew silently discussed what to do. The captain had given the order to start reverse-engines in order to decrease speed and now the vessel lay still. One of the bodyguards kept a watchful eye on them, hence they couldn't reach the radar to see the object of interest. When they had made their decision, the captain returned to his post and called a few commands over the intercom. Pavel and his guards left the room and Harold gestured Grant and Malcolm to follow. Seconds before leaving the cabin, Ian caught a glimpse of the sonar screen and sighed.
When they were walking down the stairs, Ian poked his friend.
"Relax Alan." he whispered, "I took a peek, it's not a dinosaur thank god."
"Don't be too relieved. I'm sure we're about to see some dinosaurs before we're out of this mess." he paused when Harold glared at him, then went on: "You saw what it was?"
"Yea, it's -.."
Ian was given an irritated thump to the shoulder and Harold demanded him to be quiet. Malcolm only obeyed for a moment and when the guard lost his attention again, he continued.
"It was a long thick line, I looked like a wall."
"A wall? In the water?"
His friend nodded. Alan was convinced that it was probably not just for keeping away prying eyes. When they got to the hind deck, Pavel stopped and turned to them.
"Gentleman, I have some business to attend to, feel free to retreat to your cabin or walk around this part of the deck. For the time being, we're not yet setting foot on land."
He walked away with two of his companions, the third stayed to keep track of their whereabouts. Harold.
Just when both decided to return to their room they heard noise of machinery. They headed outside, tailed by Harold, and saw that a large crane was in motion. A small boat was being lifted from the cargo space. It was placed with crew and all into the water next to the hull of the ship. Alan looked at Ian, but before he could ask what they were about to do the man already shook his head in ignorance. Once they got a hundred metres or so from the ship, a small package was thrown into the water.
*Kaboom*
Both Ian and Alan were spooked by the explosion that followed, shooting the water 10 metres straight up. This action was repeated several times until the tiny boat returned and one of the men aboard it raised his thumb. When the crane started to it back up, the ship began to move forward.
"I think they blew up the wall." Ian spoke.
"I believe you are right." a voice behind them said.
The two men turned around and saw the bold elder standing behind them. Arie had woke up by the noise of the explosives and on his way to the deck overheard sailors saying they cleared a path. Alan apologized for involving him in his abduction, but the Dutchman waved it away.
"You are not to blame for their actions, doctor Grant."
"Alan, please. Since it's only us three against all of them I suppose we can call ourselves all friends."
"The enemy of my enemy, I like it. Ian Malcom." Ian introduced.
"Arie Vliegenthart." and they shook hands.
.
It was still an hour before the ship dropped anchor and during that time they had been discussing their situation, briefing Arie on what he was about to face and tried to think of an escape plan. For the moment, however, it seemed there would be no way out. Ian recollected as much he could about these islands and was pretty sure that the isle in front of them was Isla Pena. A small island with a few radio posts, presumable without dinosaurs, but life finds a way as Malcolm so eagerly insist upon.
"We will use the transport craft to load the heavy gear onto this island. We will set up our base at the beach. From there we can easily maintain radio-contact with the Russian Jewel."
Pavel showed up behind them, still discussing with a guard, who left once instructed on what to do.
"The Russian Jewel? What a pathetic name for a ship." Ian mocked.
Pavel only presented him a smile. It was one of sadistic pleasure. He enjoyed the fact that he was only moments away from proving his captive wrong.
"I suggest you prepare to leave for the island instead of making bad jokes, doctor Malcolm." he replied before leaving again.
In the cargo hold a lot of commotion was going on. The men were loading all the necessary gear onto the transports which were subsequently lifted by the crane one by one. Ian withdrew a small binoculars from his pocket. Alan wanted to ask why the man had such an item with him, but choose not to. Probably it was for something like spotting lonely good-looking women. He leaned on the railing and peered at the land in the distance. He felt an uneasy stir climbing from his gut through his stomach and into his liver. It wasn't for long until he would be faced with the monsters of his nightmares again. What he didn't know, was that Ian was only hiding behind his binoculars to avoid someone seeing that same fear, which was written all over his face. He too had visited that place too often.
Alan broke free from his hollow stare when he was nudged by Arie. The man pointed at the water below them.
"Did you see that?"
"Hmm?"
"I thought I saw… never mind. It's probably this island playing tricks on me. I'm beginning to see dinosaurs where there are none."
"Dinosaurs in the water?" Ian asked.
"There are dinosaurs that can swim, but it is not like that those would venture into this far from land."
"Spinosaurus swam in rivers, if I remember correctly." Arie thought out loud.
"Swims. He's one of the guys you can but don't want to meet. I know from experience."
"But isn't he supposed to be ichtyofagus?"
"Ichtiwhatnow?" Ian let out, lowering his binoculars.
"Ichthyofagus means his diet consists mostly of fish." the professor elaborated.
"Mostly? I don't like that possibility for exceptions." the man replied and stared back at the island.
"Well, since the supply of large fish on these islands is not highly abundant I'm afraid to say that this Spinosaur survives totally on a diet of meat. Something I can confirm from my own experience."
Suddenly Ian called out. His friends waited for the alarmed man to explain what it was that frightened him.
"I think I saw something move over there. On the shore of Isla Pena."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. There! Again! Here look over there at the rocks."
He handed Alan the binoculars. He saw nothing but the island's sandy beach. Ian pointed to the rocks and Alan followed the imaginary line that was made. A couple of minutes he watched, but nothing. Then just nanoseconds before he wanted to blame it on Ian's lively imagination, his caught sight of a disturbance. Having seen them first hand it was easier to spot the miniscule movements. He gave back the looking glass and confirmed that there were indeed living things on Isla Pena.
"You think we should mention that?"
"I believe we have already done so."
Arie pointed at the balcony of the bridge where the captain stood with a bigger variety of Ian's toy. Pavel was also present, but he was communicating through a walky-talky. The noises originating from the lower levels was now accompanied by some commands being called back and forth between the sailors. Two transports were already in the water, but the third that was lowered back into the cargo hold.
After a few minutes, a different boat came up. This one was armed with two heavy machine guns on the side and one on the top of the steering cabin. It also possessed more plating around the sides. This boat was meant for killing anything that moved.
"I don't know what you saw up there Ian, but I sure hope it can be scared off with that."
.
With the same reluctance as with which they had joined the expedition, they went aboard the transports to hell. Ian even had to be coerced with a smack to the head. While the mathematician was knock-out, the two palaeontologists stood at the front of the metal raft. Still by their side was Harold. He leaned against a jeep that was chained to the deck. The armoured vessel was only a few metres in front of them. Alan had been given his own binoculars by Pavel as token of friendship, but he had only accepted it because it might come in handy not because the man was kind. He had no intention whatsoever to form an alliance with the man who abducted him, yet knew better than to decline practical gifts in his current position. They would need all the equipment possible and even then Alan was confident they were not safe. Arie was less troubled, but from what he had been told he deduced that this was not going to be a safari.
"Look there on the beach!" Someone shouted.
Grant shifted his view to the indicated area and saw some creatures lying on the rocks. They were grey with an inconsistent black pattern all over their backs, causing them to virtually blend in with their environment. He distinguished a colossal body, about five metres long, four paddle-like flippers, and a short tail. The neck was half the size of the animal with a small head at the end.
"Styxosaurus." Arie identified, "A marine reptile from the cretaceous period. Member of the plesiosaur family. That long neck makes them capable of reaching out to schools of fish. While the fish focus on the big body far away, the head chomps its way through the school."
Alan's headed started spinning. There was no doubt that Vliegenthart was right, these were marine reptiles. But Hammond never mentioned the creation of those as well. Now it all became clear. The wall was not meant to keep them out, it was meant to keep those things in.
"What are they doing on land?" Harold asked.
It was the first time the man spoke since their departure from the cargo ship and the first time since they've met that he spoke words that did not imply a threat. Arie explained that they were likely warming up in the sun as most reptiles do and at the same time rest before venturing into the water again.
"Are they dangerous?"
"On land? Not at all. They can hardly move around out of water. I reckon they can bite you if they want, but they hunt small fish so I don't believe that we can consider ourselves in any kind of danger form these giants."
As the army boat sank its hull into the shore, one of the Styxosaurs raised its head and looked at the newcomers. A hatch opened and a small Armoured Personal Carrier rode onto the beach, followed by heavily armed men. One of them walked over to the rocks and more sea creatures popped up their heads to inspect their visitors. They didn't feel threatened by the small mammal that was approaching them and regarded themselves untouchable by such a tiny being. Unfortunately, the animals were unaware of the man's intentions and it was already too late once they sensed the danger.
End of chapter