CHAPTER 194
Poised against the body of the fallen stegosaurus Daniel watched the remaining battling herbivores disperse into the jungle in many different directions. The pounding feet of the lingering ankylosaurus was shaking the earth just on the other side of the stegosaurus. Choosing his path wisely Daniel backed away from his hiding place and circled around the stegosaur.
As the ankylosaur came into his line of sight the armored herbivore side eyed him with a glare.
Although Daniel's revolvers perked up he said, "Easy does it. You're not the one I'm after."
The ankylosaurus swooshed its tail and huffed. Stomping its feet it snorted and took another swing.
Daniel was looking through the herbivore. His eyes were searching for Tomahawk. "I know you're still out there." He began to turn in circles, panning the whole jungle around him. "Come out. Come out." Daniel holstered both his pistoles and raised his hands. "It's just you and me."
He heard a purr but could not tell what direction it came from. His gaze covered the jungle and then fell back upon the ankylosaurus. The armored dinosaur was still swinging its club the way a thug in an ally would pound his fist against his palm. Daniel saw movement on the other side of the herbivore. Spiked feathers cut the air. A dark scaled face remained somewhat obscured by the knobby back side of the ankylosaur, though Daniel could still see a glistening spark in its eye.
"There you are." He matched its stare.
Tomahawk's gaze pierced back at him. Her prickled feathers lowered against her body and she hunched like a football player preparing to sprint and tackle.
Daniel crouched in a similar poise, and the ankylosaurus huffed at his aggressive stance.
When Tomahawk let out a bark it was made known to the ankylosaur that she was there. The herbivore made a startled quarter turn towards her while keeping one eye on Daniel. The clubbed tail began to swing as though the beast were now in imminent danger. Its attention fully shifted to Tomahawk and the tail club cracked her way. Tomahawk skillfully remained just out of range.
Daniel took advantage of the opportunity and made an advance, rushing toward the ankylosaurus. The herbivore turned to see Daniel sprinting its way and swung her tail. Ducking away from the club he dove beneath the belly of the ankylosaur and slid out to the other side. Daniel expected to see tomahawk here, but he didn't. When he heard the utahraptor's purr behind him he knew where she was. Daniel reached into the bag at his hip and gripped the handle of a tranquilizer pistol. As he spun around he pulled out the gun and moved his arm to aim. What he saw was Tomahawk crouched on the back of the ankylosaurus. Her legs were in the midst of kicking off to leap at him.
There was a sound like a rocket slicing through the air, and then an explosion burst forth from beneath the belly of the ankylosaurus. The herbivore was thrust into the air just enough to get its feet off the ground. Daniel dove for cover as a fireball engulfed the ankylosaur and sent Tomahawk blasting into a tree trunk. Daniel felt heat rumble over his back as he fell into a fern bed. As soon as he was sure the blast had subsided he began to roll around, as there was no question that his clothes were on fire.
Patting himself off he got to his feet. The ankylosaur was on its back. As it smoldered it looked like some kind of fiery dragon and smelled like badly burnt barbecue. Daniel shifted his attention to Tomahawk. The utahraptor was laying at the base of the tree trunk she had struck. She appeared to be unconscious.
A glint of metal among the ferns caught Daniel's eye. Bending down he picked up the tranquilizer pistol. With caution he approached Tomahawk's crumpled body. His free hand unholstered a revolver as he drew closer.
She was breathing. He could see it, the chest heaving, the nostrils pulsating. One arm twitched. Her lip curled up to bear her teeth in a grimace. Daniel inched a little closer. The glossy silver of an eyeball appeared between two scaly lids as a shiny slit. That's when Daniel shot the tranquilizer dart into her neck. There was a flinch. The body tightened as though Tomahawk wanted to spring up and attack him, and then she fell limp.
Daniel leaned in, examining the shallowing breath and the lips sliding down over her teeth as they relaxed. He bent in further. Tomahawk's eye was all but entirely shut now.
A twig snapped at Daniel's left. His pistol whipped over at the sound. Gary and Bill were walking side by side around the ankylosaur's burning corpse, far enough away that they avoided the wafts of smoke coming off its scorched flesh. Gary was holding a machine gun, and Bill had the bazooka in his arms.