Read Online Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins - Free Book Online
Authors: James Rollins
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tree-trunk-sized legs. Massive claws clenched and sank deep into the ground. One leg kicked back and threw aside a thick clot of mud and rock, leaving a deep gouge in the forest floor.
Jake lay shoulder to shoulder with the other boy. His companion kept a grip on his spear, but the weapon wasn’t long enough to reach the tunnel’s end. Their eyesmet. They sized each other up. The boy seemed about his age.
“My name’s Jake,” he offered as introduction, not knowing if he’d be understood. He didn’t know what else to say. What was proper etiquette when hiding in a hole with a stranger while a T-rex outside wanted to eat you?
“Pindor,” the boy replied. “Pindor Tiberius, second son to Elder Marcellus Tiberius.” Jake heard a note of shame in his voice. “And that’s Mari.” Pindor pointed a thumb behind him.
“Marika,” the girl corrected.
“Who cares who you all are!” Kady blurted out. “What the heck is going on?” Her exasperation and anger made her move too quickly. Her head hit the rocky roof of their cave. “Ow.”
Before anyone could answer, the T-rex began to kick and claw again. It ripped more gouges, like a chicken digging for worms. But the four of them were the worms. The T-rex slashed at the entrance to the tunnel.
If it didn’t stop, the beast could bring the whole place crashing down on them. Jake glanced around. There was no other exit. They were trapped.
He stared out again. Why was the T-rex so determined? There had to be easier prey.
The explanation came from Marika.
“You shouldn’t have tried to steal her egg,” she accused her friend.
Pindor twisted around. “I would’ve gotten it if you hadn’t stepped on that broken shell and made so much noise.”
Jake sighed. So the T-rex was a female, a mother guarding her nest. No wonder…
The beast suddenly slammed again into the rock face and rattled their shelter. Somewhere overhead, a boulder crashed. They all held their breaths—but their shelter held.
Only for how much longer?
From behind, Kady poked Pindor in the back of his leg. “You have a spear. Go out there and drive it away.”
The boy’s face blanched. He turned aside and mumbled under his breath. “It wouldn’t do any good.”
“He’s right,” Marika said. “One spear is not enough. Not against such a creature.”
Still, Jake noted how Pindor’s fingers tightened on his spear—to stop the trembling in his hands.
“We’ll have to hope she goes away on her own,” Marika said with little conviction.
Kady swung around, as if putting her back to the matter would make it all go away. It was how she faced anything beyond her control. By denying it existed. Out of sight, out of mind.
He remembered her heated words back at the museum. About their mother and father. She seemed to find it easier to bottle the hurt away, to deny it, to turn her back on it all.
Jake refused to do that.
What would his parents do in this situation?
He struggled for a long breath and came to one firm conclusion.
He had no idea.
The T-rex struck the rocks again with its shoulder. Another boulder came crashing down outside and bounced across the forest floor. Startled, the T-rex grumbled at the stray boulder—then returned its attention to its buried prey.
Claws began to dig.
Jake backed away and bumped into Kady. She pulled him closer. “This has gotta be a dream, right?” she asked.
He had wondered the same thing. But from the fear in her eyes, she didn’t believe it. Neither did Jake. This was all real.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
With his eyes accustomed to the dimness, Jake spotted movement at Kady’s shoulder. Dangling from her vest pocket were the earbuds from her iPod. As the buds bobbled and swayed, Jake stared for a second, half hypnotized. An idea struggled through his panic.
Something…
Hadn’t he read…
High ranges of pitch…
“Watson!” he suddenly yelled out.
Kady jumped and struck the crown of her head on the
Jake lay shoulder to shoulder with the other boy. His companion kept a grip on his spear, but the weapon wasn’t long enough to reach the tunnel’s end. Their eyesmet. They sized each other up. The boy seemed about his age.
“My name’s Jake,” he offered as introduction, not knowing if he’d be understood. He didn’t know what else to say. What was proper etiquette when hiding in a hole with a stranger while a T-rex outside wanted to eat you?
“Pindor,” the boy replied. “Pindor Tiberius, second son to Elder Marcellus Tiberius.” Jake heard a note of shame in his voice. “And that’s Mari.” Pindor pointed a thumb behind him.
“Marika,” the girl corrected.
“Who cares who you all are!” Kady blurted out. “What the heck is going on?” Her exasperation and anger made her move too quickly. Her head hit the rocky roof of their cave. “Ow.”
Before anyone could answer, the T-rex began to kick and claw again. It ripped more gouges, like a chicken digging for worms. But the four of them were the worms. The T-rex slashed at the entrance to the tunnel.
If it didn’t stop, the beast could bring the whole place crashing down on them. Jake glanced around. There was no other exit. They were trapped.
He stared out again. Why was the T-rex so determined? There had to be easier prey.
The explanation came from Marika.
“You shouldn’t have tried to steal her egg,” she accused her friend.
Pindor twisted around. “I would’ve gotten it if you hadn’t stepped on that broken shell and made so much noise.”
Jake sighed. So the T-rex was a female, a mother guarding her nest. No wonder…
The beast suddenly slammed again into the rock face and rattled their shelter. Somewhere overhead, a boulder crashed. They all held their breaths—but their shelter held.
Only for how much longer?
From behind, Kady poked Pindor in the back of his leg. “You have a spear. Go out there and drive it away.”
The boy’s face blanched. He turned aside and mumbled under his breath. “It wouldn’t do any good.”
“He’s right,” Marika said. “One spear is not enough. Not against such a creature.”
Still, Jake noted how Pindor’s fingers tightened on his spear—to stop the trembling in his hands.
“We’ll have to hope she goes away on her own,” Marika said with little conviction.
Kady swung around, as if putting her back to the matter would make it all go away. It was how she faced anything beyond her control. By denying it existed. Out of sight, out of mind.
He remembered her heated words back at the museum. About their mother and father. She seemed to find it easier to bottle the hurt away, to deny it, to turn her back on it all.
Jake refused to do that.
What would his parents do in this situation?
He struggled for a long breath and came to one firm conclusion.
He had no idea.
The T-rex struck the rocks again with its shoulder. Another boulder came crashing down outside and bounced across the forest floor. Startled, the T-rex grumbled at the stray boulder—then returned its attention to its buried prey.
Claws began to dig.
Jake backed away and bumped into Kady. She pulled him closer. “This has gotta be a dream, right?” she asked.
He had wondered the same thing. But from the fear in her eyes, she didn’t believe it. Neither did Jake. This was all real.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
With his eyes accustomed to the dimness, Jake spotted movement at Kady’s shoulder. Dangling from her vest pocket were the earbuds from her iPod. As the buds bobbled and swayed, Jake stared for a second, half hypnotized. An idea struggled through his panic.
Something…
Hadn’t he read…
High ranges of pitch…
“Watson!” he suddenly yelled out.
Kady jumped and struck the crown of her head on the
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