The Lost World - Michael Crichton [63]
Thorne said, “Didn’t they think of that when they released the animals in the first place?”
“Oh, I’m sure they just planned to release them for a few weeks or months, then round them up when they were still juvenile. I doubt they ever thought they—”
They were interrupted by a crackling electrical hiss, like static. It was coming from inside the Explorer. Behind them, Eddie hurried toward the car, with a worried look.
“I knew it,” Eddie said. “Our communications module is frying. I knew we should have put in the other one.” He opened the door to the Explorer and climbed in the passenger side, picked up the handset, pressed the automatic tuner. Through the windshield, he saw Thorne and Malcolm coming back toward the car.
And then the transmission locked. “—into the car!” said a scratchy voice.
“Who is this?”
“Dr. Thorne! Dr. Malcolm! Get in the car!”
As Thorne arrived, Eddie said, “Doc. It’s that damn kid.”
“What?” Thorne said.
“It’s Arby.”
Over the radio, Arby was saying, “Get in the car! I can see it coming!”
“What’s he talking about?” Thorne said, frowning. “He’s not here, is he? Is he on this island?”
The radio crackled. “Yes, I’m here! Dr. Thorne!”
“But how the hell did he—”
“Dr. Thorne! Get in the car!”
Thorne turned purple with anger. He bunched his fists. “How did that little son of a bitch manage to do this?” He grabbed the handset from Eddie. “Arby, God damn it—”
“It’s coming!”
Eddie said, “What’s he talking about? He sounds completely hysterical.”
“I can see it on the television! Dr. Thorne!”
Malcolm looked around at the jungle. “Maybe we should get in the car,” he said quietly.
“What does he mean, television?” Thorne said. He was furious.
Eddie said, “I don’t know, Doc, but if he’s got a feed in the trailer, we can see it too.” He flicked on the dashboard monitor. He watched as the screen glowed to life.
“That damn kid,” Thorne said. “I’m going to wring his neck.”
“I thought you liked that kid,” Malcolm said.
“I do, but—”
“Chaos at work,” Malcolm said, shaking his head.
Eddie was looking at the monitor.
“Oh shit,” he said.
On the tiny dashboard monitor, they had a view looking straight down at the powerful body of a Tyrannosaurus rex, as it moved up the game trail toward them. Its skin was a mottled reddish brown, the color of dried blood. In dappled sunlight, they could clearly see the powerful muscles of its haunches. The animal moved quickly, without any sign of fear or hesitation.
Staring, Thorne said, “Everybody in the car.”
The men climbed hurriedly in. On the monitor, the tyrannosaur moved out of view of the camera. But, sitting in the Explorer, they could hear it coming. The earth was shaking beneath them, swaying the car slightly.
Thorne said, “Ian? What do you think we should do?”
Malcolm didn’t answer. He was frozen, staring forward, eyes blank.
“Ian?” Thorne said.
The radio clicked. Arby said, “Dr. Thorne, I’ve lost him on the monitor. Can you see him yet?”
“Jesus,” Eddie said.
With astonishing speed the Tyrannosaurus rex burst into view, emerging from the foliage to the right of the Explorer. The animal was immense, the size of a two-storey building, its head rising high above them, out of sight. Yet for such a large creature it moved with incredible speed and agility. Thorne stared in stunned silence, waiting to see what would happen. He felt the car vibrate with each thundering footstep. Eddie moaned softly.
But the tyrannosaur ignored them. Continuing at the same rapid pace, it moved swiftly past the front of the Explorer. They hardly had a chance to see it before its big head and body disappeared into the foliage to the left. Now they saw only the thick counterbalancing tail, some seven feet in the air, swinging back and forth with each footstep as the animal moved on.
So fast! Thorne thought. Fast! The giant animal had emerged, blocked their vision, and then was gone again. He was not accustomed to seeing something that big move so fast. Now there was only the tip of the tail swinging back and forth as the animal hurried away.