CHAPTER 303
Light poured into the nursery through a crack in the door as Lew Dodgson pushed his way in. He walked a few feet forward and Howard King followed him inside. Further into the nursery there was gloom. It was dark and shadowy as well as eerily silent.
Dodgson stopped and looked around. Howard was at his side. The others filed in quietly, carrying a shared sense of anticipation and caution.
Dr. Levine stepped up beside King and took her first look at the corridor of cages. She was ready to see dinosaurs. Her eyes rushed over the bars and fencing and then peered in deeper. She hadn't caught sight of a single creature yet, but it was shadowy. Perhaps they were hiding. But then there was the silence, that eerie silence that brought her quickly to the reality of the situation.
Now she could see it. The cages were open, the gates ajar, empty, vacant. No animals were in them. No dinosaurs. Hence the silence.
Arby and Kelly poked their heads around Dr. Levine's shoulders.
Arby let out a long uncertain, "um?"
Kelly slapped his shoulder and gave him a biting look.
Arby recoiled, holding his arm. "Ow! What?"
Diego, Arby, and Kelly all proceeded to exchange glances, knowing that what was unraveling would not be good.
Dr. Levine was quiet, unmoving, not saying a word.
All three of her companions did not dare to get a glimpse of her face or address her.
Meanwhile, Lewis Dodgson was contorting into a far more volatile mental condition.
In the midst of what was happening George Baselton pushed his way through everyone and took a confused gander around. He looked at Dodgson and said, "hey, where's all the dinosaurs?"
Dodgson cracked. His hands shot out like lightning, and with seemingly superhuman strength lifted Baselton into the air and threw him against the nearest cage. Baselton shrieked, his shoes dangling a few inches off the concrete, heels knocking the cage. Dodgson didn't give anyone else around them a moment to react before he burst out laughing in hysterics. George was terrified as Dodgson did this, but it was short lived as he was soon released.
Baselton gripped his chest and slumped against the cage. Next to him Dodgson had contorted his face into a half smile half grimace. His fingers curled through the chainlink of the ajar cage door, and he rattled it with another laugh. A bucket lay on its side nearby, and he kicked it down the corridor. Then he threw the cage door open, walked in, and crouched on the floor with his hands on his head.