CHAPTER 322
Rebirtha lifted her head, and dangling from her jaws was the broken remains of the snare. Down at her feet an excited Stella hopped with gratitude.
"Well look at that," Dr. Levine smiled.
Stella barked happily around the adult's ankles as Rebirtha tossed the snare aside. A touching moment ensued as the little one nuzzled the giant's feet and toes.
"Remarkable." Dr. Levine glowed with an admiration for the two creatures.
Rebirtha took a few steps, being careful not to stomp on the little one. With a sudden swift dip her jaws swung down and scooped up George Baselton by the legs.
"Oh dear," Dr. Levine said.
George became a screaming frenzy and flailed his arms at the ground. Rebirtha dangled him low so that his fingertips were hardly an inch from the dirt. In moments it was clear to see what was happening.
A hungry and much enticed Stella trotted over to the suspended human, salivating and licking her chops. Stella snapped at George's arms, and he punched back. Though the execution of his fists were without any direction at all he managed to give the little rex one good wallop in the nose. Stella hissed and backed away, looking up to Rebirtha for an assist. The adult tyrannosaur issued George one fierce rattle after which he moaned pathetically and became more or less limp.
Stella latched onto George's right hand and wrenched it around. George no longer fought, but he did let out a long wail. After a lot of tugging his hand came loose in Stella's mouth. The baby rex dropped it to the ground and started stripping the flesh off of the meaty base of the thumb. Pinning the hand with her foot she pried the fingers off one by one and gnawed on them for a time.
"My God," Smith said from the other side of the pickup truck.
Beside him, Thorne said nothing.
In the helicopter Dr. Levine had begun an unsolicited narration. "Rebirtha kept George alive intentionally. It's a first lesson in hunting. Most unfortunate for George."
King gave Dr. Levine a peculiar look. "You don't say."
A shower of blood sprayed down from George's severed wrist, and Stella was drawn back to him. She tore apart his sleeve and sheared the muscle from his forearm. The whole time Rebirtha stood patiently.
When the little rex had a good portion of meat in her mouth Rebirtha raised her head, lifting George much higher above the ground. With a grunt the full grown tyrannosaur beckoned Stella to follow, and she tromped off toward the trees from whence she came. Stella happily trotted along after the giant, toting precious shreds of meat in her teeth.
Rebirtha's head, body, and hips crashed amongst the foliage, and her tail slithered in after her. With a few precocious hops Stella was out of view as well. Rebirtha's booming feet faded over time, and an unsettling peace resided.
"Jesus," Howard King looked shaken. His abs crimped inward as though he were about to heave. "Was George still alive?"
"Presumably." Dr. Levine gave a light shrug. "Rebirtha is finding a more private area to consume the meal." Her eyes fixated on a point out near where the two tyrannosaurs had just been standing. A look of intrigue dawned her face. "Ooo! Some kind of coelurosaurians." Dr. Levine pointed and whisked herself away.
Arby and Diego were still processing what had just happened to George. They looked at each other.
Arby muttered, "¿más, Diego?"
"No más, Arby. No más."