Casey sprinted into the hanger. It was the nearest shelter, and the only chance either of them had to escape. She shot Imogen a terrified look. “Run!”
Imogen hesitated, unwilling to abandon Allen, but it was too late. He screamed as a gigantic foot descended upon him and crushed his body to a pulp.
The Spinosaurus never slowed, charging straight at Imogen. She whirled around and ran into the hanger’s confines. It welcomed her into its shadowy recesses, but its promise of safety was flimsy. It was a simple square structure made from sheet metal and wooden beams.
The dinosaur crashed through the entrance, and the walls shook beneath the assault. Pallets, boxes, and drums of aviation fuel went flying as it rampaged through the building. It took no heed of any obstacles, its sheer bulk enough to demolish anything in its path.
A door on the opposite side promised safety, and she headed straight for it. Casey had reached it ahead of her and hovered in the entrance. “Come on! Come on!”
A blast of hot air washed across the nape of her neck, and she ducked to the side. The Spinosaurus’s jaws missed her by mere inches, and its enraged bellow nearly blasted her off her feet.
She snapped off a quick couple of shots with her gun. At such close range, the slugs did enough damage to hurt. With a snort, the beast paused to claw at its face. The left eye was gone. All that remained was a bloody hole in the skull.
With renewed effort, Imogen zigzagged across the remaining distance. She yelped when the Cessna-172 slewed past her, one wing cutting through the air above her head when the Spinosaurus smashed into it. She covered the last few yards and burst into the bright sunlight on the other side. Straight ahead, their living quarters beckoned. A squat structure made of brick and mortar. She hoped it was enough to shield them and placed all her faith in the building.
“Hurry!” Casey shouted, running toward the entrance.
Imogen pushed her body to the limits, drawing on her last reserves. The shotgun weighed her down, but she dared not drop it. With a cry of relief, she dashed through the door and helped Casey to drag it shut. It was a solid sheet of metal with a bar across the middle to secure it in place.
As the door swung shut, she caught a final glimpse of the Spinosaurus. Unable to follow her, the creature butted its head into the hanger’s walls. The sheet metal panels shook beneath the attack, and a portion of the ceiling collapsed onto the beast. With a last roar, it retreated back the way it came.
Silence fell, broken only by her own heavy breathing. Imogen sagged to the floor, her legs numb. With one trembling hand, she pushed the hair from her face. It clung to her temples, dampened by sweat, but she didn’t care. She was still alive, and she’d never appreciated how precious life was until that moment.
“What do we do now?” Casey asked, joining her on the ground.
“I don’t know,” Imogen said, her voice faint. At that moment, it was difficult to think ahead. Tomorrow seemed like a distant dream, an impossibility when faced with all the dangers of the prehistoric world. Will there be a tomorrow? Or were we doomed from the start?
For the first time, Imogen questioned her decision to lead the expedition. Sure, it was risky. She’d always known that, but the Spinosaurus attack had gone beyond that. Three members of the team were missing, and two more were dead.
“I can’t believe Allen and Ralph are dead,” Casey said.
“Me neither. I always thought Allen was too mean to die,” Imogen said.
“I suppose death gets us all in the end,” Casey said. “What about us? What do we do now?”
“I guess we wait for the Spinosaurus to leave.”
“And then?” Casey asked.
“Then we go home.”
***
The Spinosaurus took its frustration out on the strange object that stood in its way. Smooth and winged, it crumpled beneath the attack. The metal screeched like a wounded animal, and the sound soothed the beast’s rage.
It lumbered toward the far exit and emerged into the sun. The bright light hurt its wounded eye and sent fierce pains stabbing into its brain. It snorted and clawed at the ruined eyeball. Many wounds punctured its hide, adding their own fresh agony, and the extensive blood loss drained it of energy and the need to kill. Even the fresh corpses of its victims failed to excite its senses.
Defeated, but not broken, the Spinosaurus headed back to the river with ponderous steps. Its cool waters waited to receive it into its murky depths. It was a place where the sun couldn’t reach it with its searing rays and the fish were plentiful. There, it could rest and recover from its injuries in peace.
Chapter 2
Rogue walked next to the loaded wagon with her spear slung across her back. The track they followed was rough and pitted, but it provided a straight shot to the river. Callum had contracted a group of workers to clear the way and build a dock on the bank of the Willamette for visiting Exiles. Since traveling by boat was the easiest, safest, and fastest, it was set to become the preferred method.
There was even talk of expanding the dock into a fully functional harbor. Such a place would facilitate trade between the two settlements. It would also create a haven for a hydroelectric power station to cater to Prime’s electrical needs. But these plans and many more were now percolating on a back burner thanks to the Red Flux.
The wagon bumped over a rough tussock of grass, and a cloud of gnats rose in the air. Rogue brushed them away with a wave of her hand. The bloodsucking fiends were a nuisance, but she felt sorry for the mules. Their tails waved constantly to discourage
