The Extinction Series | Book 8 | Primordial Earth 8 Read online

  Baileigh Higgins

  Primordial Earth - Book 8

  The Extinction Series - A Prehistoric, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi Thriller

  Copyright © 2021 by Baileigh Higgins

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  Baileigh Higgins asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  Baileigh Higgins has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

  First edition

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  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Chapter 1 - Lt. Cummings

  Chapter 2 - Tony

  Chapter 3 - David

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7 - Paul

  Chapter 8 - Callum

  Chapter 9 - Sandi

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12 - Paul

  Chapter 13 - Callum

  Chapter 14 - Terri

  Chapter 15 - Sandi

  Chapter 16 - Kat

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19 - Lt. Cummings

  Chapter 20 - Tony

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23 - Kat

  Chapter 24 - Sandi

  Epilogue - Rogue

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  About the Author

  Glossary

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to Christian Bentulan for the stunning book cover design. You can check out his portfolio at http://www.coversbychristian.com. He’s an amazing artist.

  Plus, a huge shoutout to everyone else for their support and help, and to all the fans and readers out there. I truly appreciate you all!

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to a special reader, Joanne Macintyre. I hope you love this story of survival and prehistoric monsters. May you enjoy many more great books in the future!

  Chapter 1 - Lt. Cummings

  The Humvee’s wheels crunched across the bed of dried gravel next to the river, followed closely by two more of its kind. Each vehicle was heavily armored and topped with a turret sporting a 50—caliber machine gun. Four personnel operated each truck, among them a driver and a gunner. They carried enough supplies to last them three weeks. Four if they rationed their food.

  Lieutenant Tomi Cummings rode shotgun in the lead Hummer. Despite the season, late fall, it was hot inside the cab, and sweat beaded his forehead. It trickled down the sides of his face and stained his collar, mimicking the damp patches underneath his arms and down his back.

  “Piece of shit,” he said with a grunt, slamming the dashboard with one fist. It creaked with the force of the blow, protesting its abuse. “They couldn’t give us something with air-conditioning?”

  “Ah, man. I’m dying in here,” Sergeant James Horton complained from behind the wheel. He scratched at the five o’clock shadow on his jaw with one hand, navigating the rough terrain with the other.

  “We’re all dying here,” Private Sonja Barnes, the gunner, said from her perch at the turret.

  “Oh, for God’s sake. Open a window before we all succumb to heat exhaustion,” Private Linda Longo added from the backseat. She shifted in her seat, her expression mirroring the irritation all of them felt.

  The lieutenant leveled a stern stare at her, and she shrank back in her seat. “Sorry, Lieutenant. The heat is making me testy.”

  “It’s making us all testy,” Tomi said as he cranked open his window. “Keep an eye out for danger. I don’t want anyone snatched through a window.”

  A rush of cool air filled the cab, and he sank back into his seat with a sigh of relief. With a keen eye for danger, he studied their surroundings.

  It was mid-afternoon, and the sun shone high in the sky. Clouds drifted across the pale blue heavens, and a crisp breeze whistled through the thick reeds that choked the muddy banks. A dragonfly as big as his hand flitted past his face, its wings flashing iridescent in the light. It darted toward the river, dipping into its emerald waters.

  It was a beautiful day, but that did nothing to lift his mood as he thought back over the past few days. They’d been briefed for a search and rescue operation by the Mayor of Vancouver herself. The success of the mission was of the utmost importance, and failure was not an option.

  They were the city’s best, after all. Called the 105 Search and Rescue Squadron, or 105 Squad for short, each member was handpicked and trained as a SAR Tech. They were experts in military free-fall, diving, mountaineering, rappelling, wilderness survival, and various other skills.

  Despite that, the operation was not going well. It was supposed to take a few days at most, but they’d been out over a week already. Tomi knew they needed a break soon, or morale would suffer. Being stuck out in a strange and hostile environment filled with dangerous creatures was enough to wear on even the toughest of minds.

  The gears creaked as Sonja rotated the turret into a better angle as they drove. He glanced at her and asked, “See anything?”

  “Nothing, Lieutenant,” she answered with a shake of the head.

  “Keep looking,” he commanded, turning his gaze to the world outside the Humvee.

  A grove of willow trees crowded the edge of the water, their long branches trailing in the river. A rustle of movement shook the leaves, and he squinted at the thick green foliage. Before he could blink, a flyer darted from within its cover. Its leathery wings flapped through the air, and its sharp beak hit the water in a spray of silver droplets. A fish wriggled within its grasp, desperately trying to escape. The flyer, a Nyctosaurus, circled the area before landing back on its former perch.

  Upon closer inspection, Lt. Cummings noticed several more of the lizard-like birds nestled within the trees. It appeared they’d settled there for the day, fishing the rich waters below and resting in the shade. “Look alive, folks. We’ve got flyers.”

  “Flyers?” Sonja echoed, rotating the turret. “What kind?”

  “Nyctosaurus, I think,” Cummings replied.

  Sonja sighed with relief. “Not the big ones, then.”

  “No, thankfully not, but they’re still dangerous,” Cummings said as he reached for the radio. “We’ve got flyers in the willows by the riverbank. Let’s take it slow and give them a wide berth. Out.”

  “Copy that. Out,” came the dual reply from the other two Humvees.

  Sergean
t Horton eased up on the gas and swung away from the trees in question. As they drove past, everyone watched the flyers with tense expectations. Volatile and aggressive, they often attacked for no reason other than feeling threatened.

  The creatures stirred as the Hummer rumbled past, their crested heads cocked toward the humans. Their beady eyes followed each vehicle with deep concentration, but they showed no inclination to engage. Instead, one of them dive-bombed the river and scooped up a juicy snack. It tossed the fish down its gullet before inspecting the river for more.

  “That was close,” Tomi muttered to himself. The flyers’ behavior reminded him yet again that the creatures were unpredictable. You could never tell what they were going to do from one minute to the next.

  With that thought in mind, he looked at the forest. It loomed to the left, dark and menacing. The interior was shrouded in gloom, and he suppressed a shudder. Its vast depths hid untold horrors, all of it armed with teeth and claws—a prehistoric melting pot of fearsome creatures waiting to pounce on the unwary.

  Tomi consulted the map on his lap, tracing their progress with his forefinger. They’d followed the prescribed route looking for signs of the missing plane, but so far, they’d found nothing. It must’ve veered off course.

  Folding the map, he tucked it back into his pocket and looked ahead. The riverbank rose into a steep hill, the landscape curving upward until it formed a cliff on the right. It also provided the perfect look-out point, and his heart quickened in his chest. “Sergeant Horton, get us on top of that rise. It’s time we get a better look at our surroundings.”

  “Yes, Sir,” James acknowledged. He notified the other trucks via radio, and the convoy headed up the hill.

  Once they reached the top, Tomi called a halt. “Look alive, people. This spot is as safe as any, meaning it’s not safe at all.”

  He opened his door and straightened his gear before exiting the Humvee. His boots hit the ground with a thud, and he paused to orient himself. “Sonja, you stay put.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Sonja acknowledged with a flash of brilliant white teeth. They looked startling against her tanned skin, and he wondered how she managed to get them looking that perfect. She could star in a damn toothpaste commercial.

  With a toss of her dark-blonde hair, she returned her attention to the 50—caliber. It was reassuring to know she was up there, her and the other two gunners. Between them, they packed a hefty punch. Big enough to scare away even the nastiest of dinosaurs. Or, so he hoped.

  Turning in a slow circle, Tomi took a careful look around. On his right, the ground ended abruptly, plunging downward in a cliff. Far below, the river continued on its journey across the northern continent toward the sea. To the left stretched the forest, a vast ocean of trees that formed an impenetrable green canopy. Except…

  “What’s that?” Sergeant Horton said, pointing at something in the distance.

  Lieutenant Cummings stepped closer and raised one hand to shield his eyes. His keen gaze picked up a swathe of destruction that ran through the forest in a straight line. It cut through the trees before stopping in a rough clearing.

  “It’s the plane, Lieutenant. That must be the crash trajectory,” Linda Longo said, popping up at his side. “And that open patch must be where it landed.”

  Tomi nodded, and excitement stirred in his chest. At last. We found it.

  He stared at the clearing for a few more seconds, judging the distance between it and them. It was a fair number of clicks away, but he reckoned they could reach the site by nightfall if they hurried. Impatience filled his chest, and he whirled around. “All right. Let’s move out.”

  “Lieutenant, wait,” Linda said, grabbing his elbow.

  “What is it?” he asked, pausing.

  “Look over there,” she replied, her hand sweeping across the canopy.

  Tomi looked where she pointed, right at the start of the broken line of trees. At first, he failed to see what she saw. Then he noticed it—a tremor in the canopy. The trees on both sides of the destroyed path shook with the passing of something within its depths. Something big.

  He looked at Sonja, perched on top of the Humvee. “Do you see that?”

  She nodded, her expression somber. “I see it, Sir.”

  “What do you think it is?” he asked, not truly expecting an answer.

  “I… I don’t know, Sir, but whatever it is, it’s heading toward the crashed plane,” Sonja said.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Linda said, her dark eyes flashing. “Those are predators, and they’re looking for survivors.”

  “They?” Sergeant James asked.

  Linda shrugged. “There are at least two of them, and they’re not big. They’re huge.”

  “My God, look at that,” James added with a shake of his head, and Tomi had to agree. The canopy shook with the force of the creatures’ movement below, and the snapping of broken branches rang clear in the air. Even at this distance, the passing of the beasts was evident, and the world quailed before their might.

  “Damn,” Lieutenant Cummings said, mulling over the sudden turn of events. “This complicates things.”

  “Yes, it does, Sir,” Linda agreed, her smooth forehead drawn into a deep frown. She shifted from one foot to the other, settling her heavy gear back into place. “What are your orders, Sir?”

  Tomi remained silent for the span of a single heartbeat before he replied. “We’ll make camp and set out in the morning. There’s no sense in going out there with nightfall right around the corner.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Linda acknowledged. She turned toward the Humvee and collected the rest of her things.

  “Alright, pull up the Hummers. Form a half-circle with the cliff behind you,” Tomi ordered, watching as the drivers pulled into formation. “Gunners, you stay put while we set up camp.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Sonja acknowledged with a quick salute.

  The other two gunners nodded as well and stayed at their posts, on high alert for danger. With the 50-caliber guns pointed outward, they formed a wall of protection for the rest.

  With his hands on his hips, Tomi oversaw the group. His eyes traveled from face to face. He knew every one of them, some better than the rest, like Sergeant James Horton, Private Linda Longo, and Private Sonja Barnes. But he’d worked extensively with all of them in the past, and he knew he could count on them.

  The group pitched their tents, collected kindling, started a fire, unrolled their sleeping bags, and settled in with swift efficiency. Sergeant Horton swept the perimeter while Linda worked out a Watch Duty Roster. Staff Sergeant Plumm, their go-to cook, got a pot of coffee on to boil and sorted through their rations.

  “What’s for supper, Plumm?” Private Thomson, the driver from the third Humvee, asked.

  “Meat and beans,” Plumm replied.

  “Again?” Thompson said, pulling a face.

  “Want to take over from me?” Plumm replied with a glare.

  “God, no,” Linda said. “Do you want to kill us all?”

  “She’s right,” James said. “Last time Thomson cooked, I nearly died.”

  Laughter broke out, and even Lt. Cummings cracked a smile.

  “Shut up,” Thomson said, his face flushed, but the mood was one of good humor, and he soon joined in on the joke.

  While they set up camp, Cummings paced the perimeter, his eyes fixed on the distant movement in the forest. When night fell, he’d lose sight of it, but that didn’t mean he’d forget. The thought of setting out in pursuit of something that large made him break out in a cold sweat. What can it be? A pair of Gorgosaurus? Albertosaurus? Or even worse, T-rexes?

  Whatever it was, they were after the same thing: the plane and its survivors. The question was, who’d get there first?

  Chapter 2 - Tony

  Tony moved through the forest at a steady pace. He wove his way between the trees, careful not to brush against the rough bark that encased the trunks. Silence was of the essence. He couldn’t afford to alert any predator
s in the vicinity.

  David followed in his wake, his eyes glaring white against the layer of mud that coated his face. They’d smeared the stuff all over their exposed skin to minimize their scent. Whether it really worked or not, Tony didn’t know, but it was worth a shot.

  Thankfully, a carpet of moss and damp leaves covered the ground and muffled their footsteps. But the thick undergrowth tugged at their limbs and impeded their progress. Every yard they gained was a battle, both of the mind and body.

  Tony thought back over the past few days. It had been nothing short of nerve-wracking. Lost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by danger, armed only with hand weapons, and low on supplies, the odds were stacked against them.

  Shifting these thoughts aside, Tony focused on the present. He pushed aside a curtain of hanging vines and threaded his way through a stand of trees. Insects buzzed around his face, and he waved them away with a muttered curse. At least the layer of dried mud protected him against their stings and bites.

  He pressed onward, and the afternoon passed slowly. The sun dropped toward the horizon, its golden globe obscured by the thick canopy overhead. The atmosphere was humid inside the microcosm created by the forest cocoon. Not a whisper of a breeze disturbed the stifling air, and sweat trickled down his face and the back of his neck.

  Tony licked his lips, tasting salt. He was thirsty and longed to reach for the canteen hanging from his belt, but he resisted the urge. Their water supply was low, and he had no way of knowing when they’d find more.

  A light touch on the shoulder caused him to pause, and he looked around. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s getting late. We need to look for shelter soon,” David whispered.

  “Alright,” Tony agreed. “Keep your eyes peeled for a likely spot.”

  “Will do,” David said with a quick nod.

  Wiping his brow, Tony moved on, ignoring the various discomforts that plagued him: The blisters on his feet, the damp sweaty clothes he wore, the ache in his head, the hollow in his stomach, and the exhaustion that dragged at his limbs. It was all part and parcel of the ordeal.