Project Survival

Chapter 3

Yesterday

YesterdayYesterday“Do you know how to get to this District of Lakes then?” Lee said.

“It’s called the Lake District,” Will said. “We have to go north, and that’s about all I know.”

They were on foot, walking down Hagley Road. The opposite dual carriageway, the one headed out of the city, was jammed solid with rusted cars and buses. The road heading into the city was mostly free.

Lee cradled a rifle in her arms, and they both had rucksacks on their backs. It had been less than an hour since they left the safety of the commune at the Botanical Gardens, but already the bravado that Lee had felt was rapidly diminishing. There was so much foliage surrounding them, so many places to hide a hungry creature with sharp claws and even sharper teeth. Not for the first time, Lee found herself wondering what the hell they were doing.

We’re going to rescue Dan, she thought.

We’re going to rescue DanThey had been in this dangerous new world full of carnivorous creatures from the past for less than a week, and they had almost died within the first twenty-four hours and had to be rescued by Matt Hooper, and yet here she was thinking she could go all Rambo and set out on a rescue mission.

Lee glanced at Will, walking beside her. He was going to be more of a hindrance than a help, she knew that, but Lee also knew that with Dan the three of them were a team now. They had been thrown together by that freak storm into the future and together they had to work out how to get back to their own time again.

But the very first thing they had to do was rescue Dan from Renton’s clutches. Hopefully, they could catch up with them on the road. If not, it was a case of heading for RAF Spadeadam, where Daniel’s father had created the worm hole that got them into this trouble in the first place. Hopefully, Professor Atherton was alive and well and had been working for the last twenty years on reversing the catastrophic events he had set in motion.

If he were here, Lee’s daddy would have said that as plans go, this one sucked big time. But it was the only plan they had. Best just to get on with it and not think further ahead than the next couple of hours.

So, the first thing to do was to find out where, exactly, they were headed and how they were going to get there.

“You know what we need?” Lee said.

“A time machine,” Will said.

Lee glanced at him. She still hadn’t figured Will out yet, and couldn’t work out if he was trying to be funny or if he was just being sarcastic.

“We need a map,” she said. “Then we can work out how we’re actually going to get to this place.”

Will trudged along beside Lee and said nothing. Lee glanced at him again. Everyone had taken Hooper’s death hard. He had been a lovely guy, and he had been the one to rescue them from certain death from that thing that crawled out of the canal. But Will was suffering the most because he blamed himself, thought it was his fault that Hooper got killed. If Hooper hadn’t taken him into the city centre to find a new pair of glasses, Renton would never have found them and blasted Hooper in the chest with his shotgun.

But Lee knew that was a stupid way of thinking. None of them could have known that Renton was still alive. From the look of him, with his missing hand and his charred flesh, he shouldn’t have been. Lee couldn’t understand how he was still breathing, let alone walking and talking. Maybe he was a robot underneath that burnt skin, an exoskeleton constructed of titanium.

Maybe he was a Terminator, sent from the future.

Made about as much sense as anything else that had happened in the last few days.

“Yeah, we need to find a map, that’s what we need,” Lee said. “You know where we could get one of those?”

Will shrugged, trudging along with his eyes cast to the ground. That was bad. Will needed to be alert, looking out for trouble at all times.

Looking out for dinosaurs.

“Hey man,” Lee said, and stopped walking. She grabbed Will by the arm and pulled him roughly to face her. “I know you feel bad about Hooper, and I know you think it was your fault, but you gotta snap out of this funk, otherwise you’re gonna get eaten.”

Will shrugged again. “Maybe that would be for the best.”

Lee punched him on the shoulder. “Don’t be an i***t!”

Will rubbed at his shoulder and scowled at Lee. “That hurt.”

Good. She’d got a reaction from him, at least.

“We need to stick together, man. You and me, so we can find Dan.”

Will shrugged again. “Renton’s probably already killed Dan.”

Lee punched him on the shoulder again, harder this time.

“Ouch! Will you stop doing that?”

“No, not until you stop talking like this,” Lee said. “And next time I’m going to punch you in the head, maybe knock some sense into you.”

Will glared at Lee, rubbing his shoulder.

“Renton’s not going to kill Dan,” Lee said. “Somehow he’s got it into his twisted head that he still has to get Dan back to his father, like it doesn’t matter that it was twenty years ago he got given that job, and that the world’s been overtaken by giant lizards since then. Maybe it’s because his brain got barbecued, but the guy’s on a mission and nothing’s gonna stop him. And that means Dan is still alive. Get it?”

Will shrugged.

Lee raised her fist again.

Will lifted his hands to fend her off, and said, “All right, all right, I get it!”

Lee lowered her fist. “So, even if we can’t catch up with them, the thing is this, we know exactly where they are going. So all we need to do is find ourselves a map, work out the quickest way of getting there, and get moving. Capisce?”

“What?” Will said.

“Do. You. Under. Stand?”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” Will said, glowering.

Lee placed her hands on her hips. “So, where can we find a map?”

Will sighed. “We need to head back into the city centre, look in the bookshops.”

“Okay, great. Where’s the city centre?”

Will pointed down the road. “We just keep heading that way.”

They started walking again. Up ahead, the dual carriageway widened along the middle and rose towards a large traffic island. The middle lane of the road they were walking along forked off to the right and down beneath the island. The entrance to the tunnel beneath the junction was obscured by trees with large leaves dipping to the ground, and a tangle of vines creeping around their trunks.

Lee and Will stopped walking.

“I’m not going down there,” Will said.

“No, me neither,” Lee replied, and then lifted her eyes to the traffic island. “That way’s out of the question too, right?”

A dark mass of pterosaurs hovered over the traffic island, their wings a blur of motion in the bright morning sunshine. There were more on the ground, pecking at something they had found. As the two teenagers watched, a couple of the prehistoric birds started fighting each other, squabbling over a scrap of food.

“What do you think they’re eating?” Will said.

“I don’t want to know, if I’m honest,” Lee said. “Is there another way we can get into the city centre?”

Will looked to his left and right. “I suppose we could take one of the other roads and then double back once we’d got past the Five Ways island.”

“You think you can do that without getting us lost?”

Will was silent for a few moments. “I’m not sure, everything looks so different now. It’s like the city I once knew has been lifted up and planted in the middle of a jungle. Here, on the Hagley Road, I’m fine. But once we start diverting off the main route, I don’t know, I’m not sure.”

Lee could understand what he was saying. The last twenty years had ravaged this place. Another twenty and she was sure it would look different again. She thought back to what Hooper had told them, about how he thought maybe not just the dinosaurs had been transported from prehistory but how maybe spores, or something else too, something that had altered the climate. Because, although she had never been to England before, she was pretty damn sure it wasn’t meant to look like a rain forest.

“Maybe we should just sit down and wait,” Lee said. “Those big turkeys will finish eating eventually and get bored and fly away. Then we can carry on.”

“Maybe,” Will said.

They sat down where they were and eased their backpacks off. The tarmac was warm to the touch, pitted and broken up with eruptions of roots and weeds. Lee wondered what her hometown was like back in America. She had a thought, that maybe it was just Britain that had been affected by the wormhole. That maybe the dinosaurs only returned here, and that the rest of the world was carrying on as normal. That Britain was quarantined off from the rest of the world.

Nah, she thought. That’s a stupid idea.

NahThat’s a stupid ideaThe two teens both snapped their heads around at the same time when they heard the noise. A rustle in the undergrowth. Something moving, approaching them. Something hidden.

Lee picked up the rifle she had lain down beside her, gripping the unfamiliar stock so tight it made her knuckles hurt.

More rustling, more hidden movement.

“Shoot it,” Will hissed. “Shoot it, Lee!”

Lee motioned him to keep quiet. She got on one knee and levelled the rifle at the swaying mass of greenery at the side of the road. The rifle was a touch too long for her arms, and she struggled to hold it properly.

What were we thinking? We should have stayed back at the commune. We are going to die out here.

What were we thinking? We should have stayed back at the commune. We are going to die out here.The rustling started up again, closer this time. Whatever it was, it was coming their way. Lee got the rifle positioned as best she could, hovered her finger over the trigger.

Don’t be trigger happy now, she thought. Don’t want to go wasting bullets if that thing in there isn’t any danger to us.

Don’t be trigger happy now Don’t want to go wasting bullets if that thing in there isn’t any danger to usBut how would she know? Lee couldn’t see how she would have time to discuss with Will what type of dinosaur they were looking at, if it was a meat eater or not.

The long grass parted and Lee held her breath. A dark shape emerged from the undergrowth, its tongue hanging out, dark eyes staring right at them.

“Iggy!” Will said. “Don’t shoot, it’s Iggy!”

Lee was already lowering the rifle and letting out a deep breath she hadn’t been aware she had been holding.

The black Labrador bounded over to them and knocked Will over onto his back. Incredibly, Will was laughing as the dog bounded around him, its tail wagging furiously. Lee started laughing too. Although he had given them a fright, it was good to see Hooper’s dog. Good to see Will smiling and laughing again, too.

“Hey, boy, how did you get here?” Will said, sitting up now and rubbing the dog’s head.

Iggy licked his hand in reply.

Lee suddenly scowled. She didn’t like this, not one bit.

“What’s wrong?” Will said, still fussing the dog.

“What’s wrong?” she said. “We’ve gotta double back now, and take the dog back to its home, that’s what’s wrong.”

“No we don’t.” Will scratched Iggy behind the ears, who arched his head back in pleasure. “He can come with us, we can look after him.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lee said. “We can barely look after ourselves, let alone a dog, too.”

“But he’ll look after us, he’ll protect us,” Will said.

“And what are we going to feed him with?” Lee snapped. “It’s not like we can just drive into town and buy some dog food, right?”

Will was starting to look increasingly miserable again, and Lee hated herself for it. But they had to think about this. The dog could end up being more of a hindrance than a help.

At the sound of sudden movement behind them. Lee and Will both whirled around, Lee picking up her rifle again.

“Wait! It’s me, don’t shoot!”

Lee lowered her rifle again.

“I don’t believe this,” she said.

Matt Hooper’s daughter, Helen, emerged from the high grass where Iggy had appeared from just moments before. She pushed back her long, blond hair and held up a hand in greeting.

“Hello,” she said, giving them a sheepish smile.

“What are you doing here?” Will said, his arm around Iggy’s neck, as though afraid that Helen had come to take him back.

“I was following Iggy,” Helen said.

“You were following us,” Lee said.

Helen screwed up her face. “Well, sort of.”

“I can’t believe you did this!” Lee said. “Look at you, you haven’t even got a pack with you. You haven’t brought a change of clothes, let alone a weapon, or food, or... or...”

“I know,” Helen said. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

“We’re going to have to take you back,” Lee said.

“No!” Helen folded her arms. “I’m not going back. I’m coming with you, me and Iggy, we’re both coming with you.”

“It’s a good idea,” Will said. “We’re better off if there’s more of us, surely?”

Lee shook her head. “Uh-uh. No way. We’ve got enough to worry about without babysitting her.”

“Babysitting!” Helen uncrossed her arms and jabbed a finger at Lee. “I’m the same age as you! I can look after myself, you know. I’ve been here longer than you, I know how this world works.”

“Yeah, you know how to milk a dinosaur and sweep up, all in the safety of your compound, but out here it’s different. Out here, you could get eaten.”

Helen’s eyes filled up, and she looked away. “You can’t make me go back.”

Lee looked at Will, who looked back helplessly and shrugged. Iggy licked her hand, and she looked down at the dog, who gazed back up at her. She could imagine maybe taking the dog with them. He would be good company and might be useful for defence.

But not Helen. Not only was she totally inexperienced in survival out here, but she was upset over her father’s death. How on earth could they depend on her at a time like this? And why did she want to come with them? It had to be some kind of irrational response in the face of her loss. No way could Lee let Helen tag along.

“Come on, Will, we’re going to have to head back the way we came,” Lee said, and picked up her backpack.

Will’s body visibly sagged at the thought of turning back. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Helen turned to look at them.

“I’m not coming with you,” she said.

“That’s up to you,” Lee replied, shouldering her backpack on, whilst Will did the same. “But when we get back to the compound, we’re telling them where you are and they’ll send people out after you to bring you back. Your Mom will probably lock you in your room or something and then we’ll head off again. There’s absolutely no way you’re coming with us.”

Helen wiped roughly at her eyes. “My dad liked the three of you. He said you were tough, to have survived the way you did, and clever too. He said you made a good team together.”

Lee glanced at Will. She could see the pain on his face, in his eyes. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Another good reason for Helen to not come with them, as she would be a constant reminder to Will of Hooper’s death at the hands of Renton. A constant guilt trip.

Lee was about to open her mouth, even though she wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to say, when she felt the tremor through the soles of her feet. Lee looked at Will, his eyes wide and staring right back at her.

Another tremor, this time accompanied by a low rumble.

Helen came and stood by Will and Lee.

“We have to go,” Helen said. “It’s the T-Rex.”

Even before she had finished the speaking, the massive dinosaur appeared from behind a tall, wide building, the damaged words Tricorn House still visible at the top. The T-Rex paused, surveying its kingdom. It had a scar running down its head, across its jaws. Somehow, she wasn’t sure how, Lee had the impression the tyrannosaur was old. But then, what did she know? How many years did a creature like this live? How could she know how old it was?

Tricorn HouseThe T-Rex hadn’t spotted the teenagers. Lee was amazed at how calm Helen was. She had thought Hooper’s daughter would have broken down into a screaming fit by now, but here she was standing stock still, hands out as though saying to the others, keep still. And Lee had an idea that the T-Rex had poor eyesight, that its vision was more attuned to detecting movement than anything else. But then, how did she know that? Hollywood probably. And they just made stuff up.

keep stillFor the moment, though, keeping still seemed to be their best option. The tyrannosaur was swinging its head from side to side, completely oblivious to their presence.

It was the pterosaurs that caught its attention, flapping their broad wings and rising and descending over whatever it was they were feeding on and fighting over. The T-Rex immediately lumbered into motion, the ground shivering with each of its massive footsteps, heading straight for its prey.

The only problem with that was, the teenagers were directly in its path.