CHAPTER 299
A loud shrieking noise ripped through the air. It was intense and unnatural. Everyone ducked and covered their ears. The sound was incapacitating.
"Oh God!" Baselton screamed, but he couldn't even hear himself. He dropped to the ground, and swore he was about to be eaten. The very soil beneath him was shaking like an earthquake. Something huge was certainly bearing down upon him.
Everyone else was sure of the same thing. This was the bellow of a wild animal attacking them. Everyone thought this except for Howard King and Dodgson.
Howard stood behind the sonic device he had just assembled on the tripod. His ears were snugly protected by a pair of noise reduction ear muffs. Dodgson was beside him with the same protection. Howard continued to let the device blare for a full minute, and then he let go of the trigger he was squeezing.
The shriek subsided at once, but the air was filled with other sounds that were no longer drowned out. There was rumbling that sounded like a herd of elephants in the midst of a stampede. One crack after another went off like a thunderclap as tree limbs split and crashed to the ground. The moaning of huge animals overlaid these noises, but there was one bellow in particular that stood out among the rest of the commotion. It was violent, and angry, and sounded like something out of a Godzilla movie.
Thorne was the first to raise his head and uncover his ears. The color drained out of his skin as he said, "what in the name of God."
One by one everyone else stood up and took their palms away from the sides of their head, and each person had a likewise reaction to Thorne's.
Howard and Dodgson had removed their ear protection. Dodgson had a wide grin on his face as he watched the reactions of the others.
The powerful sounds were dying down, but in the sky scatterings of birds went every which way as they had fled the nearby trees. Their squawking was mainly what remained of the commotion.
Smith looked at Thorne like he had just seen the face of God. His jaw was slack. The toothpick fell from his lips. "That must be one big ass tiger," he stammered.
Thorne walked over to King and Dodgson. He found himself struggling for words. Smith was beside him, still looking awestruck.
Thorne said, "what in the name of The Lord Almighty is in that jungle?"
Dodgson was wearing a proud face. "That's what we're here for, Mr. Thorne." He pointed towards the trees. "That's our product."