CHAPTER 320
Thorne threw open the door to the nursery and yelled, "hey!"
Before he could do anything else a creature leapt out of the shadowy interior at him. It happened so fast, and he wasn't expecting any of it. There was an animalistic scream that sounded to Thorne like the cry of a baby bear. He saw a child sized body covered in what looked like white fur jump at him. Thorne dodged the creature, but he immediately felt a sensation like he'd been clubbed in the shin with a metal pipe.
Thorne jumped back, hopping on one leg. "What the hell!"
Howard King burst from the nursery next. Thorne had never seen him so animated. He hadn't been sure until this point that the man was capable of such expression.
"God damn it, Thorne!" King shouted as he bolted past. He started yelling at Smith who was near the sonic deterrent device. "Stop her! Don't let her get away! No, don't shoot her you idiot! It's a god damned baby! Just catch it! Grab the pole! Grab the pole!"
Smith saw the little t-rex running his way, and he didn't know how to react. He had drawn his pistol, but now King was yelling at him not to kill it. Smith hesitated to do anything at all. He fumbled in place, and the baby tyrannosaur zipped right past him, crashing into the sonic deterrent device.
As the sound cannon fell over Stella's ankle got tangled in the power chord, and she came down with it. The little rex wailed and kicked. She writhed around and tore at the power chord with her teeth until it snapped apart and she was free.
Stella jumped to her feet and made a break for the jungle but stopped in an instant when she gagged, choked, and coughed. Her hind talons dug at the dirt with futile effort. She had been caught by Howard King, who yanked at the snare around her throat with heartless muscling. Stella snapped her teeth and cried, but she wasn't going anywhere.
An out of breath George appeared near King, bent over with his hands on his knees.
King started to shout, "god damn it. God damn it! George!"
Baselton looked up, still gulping for air.
"George, take her!"
George straightened himself and limped over.
"Don't let her go," King pointed at George's nose so closely that it made him go crosseyed.
Baselton found his composure and took the pole from Howard. He held it tight, and regained an exhilarating confidence in doing so as he kept the hissing and snapping little beast subdued.
Howard hoisted the sonic cannon back to an upright. The whole time he was shaking his head and swearing.
By this time the rest of the group had caught up.
"What's the problem, Howard?" Dodgson inquired. His demeanor was icy and harsh.
King tried to assume his usual stoic nature, but it wasn't hiding his anger. "The power chord." He held up one end of the rubber coated wire. "She chewed right through it."
"Don't we have a spare?" Dodgson fumed.
"This device is a prototype, Mr. Dodgson. Remember? We fashioned it specifically for this trip."
In the background Smith was pointing at Stella uncomfortably. "Um, what the hell is that thing?"
Reuben and Sparrow had come over, and both of them were gawking at the creature in disbelief.
"My God!" Reuben exclaimed.
King was saying, "I can't fix it here. We have to get back on the choppers. We have to leave now."
Dodgson had an aggression bubbling to the surface. "No." He shook his head. "I'm not leaving without more specimens."
King was looking more nervous now than angry. "Mr. Dodgson, we are totally defenseless here. With all due respect."
"With all due respect, don't be a little bitch, Howard! For Christ sake! We've come all this way! Do you know what I had to do to get us here? This is our last chance Howard! Our last chance! Don't chicken out on me now."
Stella was barking and crying louder and louder, and Dodgson realized that he was shouting over her. He snapped his head toward Baselton.
"George, will you shut that thing up!"
From somewhere in the nearby jungle a thunderous commotion ensued. What sounded like wrenching metal was followed by a series of crashes and snapping tree limbs. The disturbance tapered off to a short lived silence wherein everyone stood motionless. Eyes were wide. Heartbeats were jumping.
Stella had quieted to a trill. A calmer expression covered her face, and her body language was at ease.
The little rex pointed her nose to the air and sniffed. Dr. Levine caught this behavior and watched Stella intently. The young tyrannosaur seemed to have no qualms over the presence of whatever animal was out there. It, in fact, appeared to be soothing to the tiny t-rex. This made Dr. Levine both excited and very concerned.