Trapped in Time-Extinction (10 page)

Andy shook his head, “I hate being right.”

Olivia looked at Tyler and said, “The gun they had on the wall firing at the dinosaur only had one barrel.”

Ophelia looked at Olivia, “Did you say, dinosaur?”

Tyler nodded, “We had to make a run from a Spinosaurus that was chasing a T-Rex.”

Ophelia looked at Olivia, “You didn’t tell me about that.”

“Tyler handled the situation perfectly. He kept us moving as the Destroyers were rushing down the wall over our heads. It didn’t get closer than ten or twenty yards.”

Everyone in the room looked at Tyler and he raised his eyebrows and shrugged, “Getting out wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be. The Spinosaurus really made things get interesting.”

Melody chuckled, “I’ll bet it did.”

Harvey said, “What do you mean by as simple as you thought?”

“I intended for Olivia and I to walk on top of the wall to the cliffs. Our camouflage suits would have kept us from being seen. However, when the Spinosaurus showed up, Destroyer Warriors crowded the top of the wall and forced us down into the forest. We were nearly hit by numerous warriors being swept off the wall by the Spinosaurus’ jaws.”

Maxius stared at Tyler for a moment and then said, “That means you were right under it.”

Tyler shrugged.

Andy looked at the group and said, “We can’t wait.”

Harvey looked at Andy and nodded, “I believe you’re right but how do we take them on without incurring massive losses?”

Tyler saw Olivia staring at him and she made a triangle shape with her fingers. He furrowed his brow and saw that it looked like a tree. Then it hit him. “I think I know a way to possibly attack without losing huge numbers initially.”

Andy looked at Tyler and said, “Do tell.”

“What do you think the Destroyers will do once our fleet moves into their harbor?”

“They’ll open fire with their cannons and start those spitters firing up into the air above our ships.”

Rory said, “I also believe they’ll move some of those spitters on the wall behind their city to fire above the cables.”

Tyler nodded, “I don’t hear anyone saying they’ll be firing into the forest.”

Andy’s eyes closed and Melody knew he was visualizing the attack in his mind. He nodded, “There would be no need to do that. The forest is much higher than the wall and anything flying over it would have to come into the coverage of the spitters on the wall.” Andy looked at Tyler, “How did you get to the wall without being seen?”

“I landed in the top of a tree deeper in the forest than the trees where the cables are tied off.”

Andy shook his head, “That could have gotten you killed.”

“I did fall a ways before I caught myself. I also had to dodge a Rex about four times. He couldn’t see me but he could smell me and kept showing up at the worst possible times. I couldn’t kill him because it would warn the Destroyers of my presence.”

Maxius looked at Mark and both of them looked at Harvey who knew what they were thinking. He nodded. This young warrior was good at improvising in dangerous situations.

Andy thought for a moment, “How many predators do you think are in the forest close to the city’s wall?”

Olivia said, “I think I can answer that. I could hear them at night. Their thunderous steps and roars never seemed to end and the numbers were high. I think forcing slaves, who broke a rule or made their master angry, over the wall has taught the predators that it’s a good place to hang out for a regular meal.”

Andy nodded, “So they think no one in their right mind would come from that direction?”

Olivia said, “I wouldn’t.”

Andy looked at Tyler, “But you did.”

“I didn’t know the magnitude of the danger. After doing it and seeing what was there, I don’t think I would have tried it if I knew in advance.”

“How thick are the trees close to the wall?”

Tyler thought for a moment but Olivia spoke first, “Within fifteen feet of the wall, it’s pretty clear from where the Destroyers skinned those threes to install their cables. Outside of fifteen feet, they’re really thick.”

“Is there enough room for a T-Rex to run through them?”

Olivia looked at Tyler and he said, “Barely. It probably couldn’t run but it could move among them. That Spinosaurus was trapped close to the wall. There is no way it could have moved out into the trees.”

Andy nodded, “Did you hear Raptors?”

Tyler shook his head, “I was too distracted to notice.”

Olivia said, “Are Raptors the Dinosaurs that are much smaller than the Rex and are really fast?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard them in large numbers as long as I’ve lived next to the wall. The guards would take many of us slaves to the top of the wall to witness what would happen to us if we broke their rules or made them unhappy. The Raptors avoid the large predators but I’ve seen large numbers of them challenge a Rex for a kill. There was a large number eating whatever was killed after the Rex ran away.”

Melody looked at Olivia, “How were you ever able to get to sleep?”

“It’s something you have to get used to. I will tell you this. The Destroyers put on a show whenever they throw a slave over the wall. I’ve seen hundreds thrown over the wall over the years and their screams usually followed in less than a minute. I’ve heard the Destroyers betting on how long the slave would survive and the longest bet I’ve ever heard from a Destroyer was seven minutes.”

Andy looked at Tyler, “What’s your idea about going in?”

“I would land on the wall close to the cliffs if I had to do it again but that won’t work with more than one or two. We have to train on landing in the tops of trees. Once we’re in the tree, we take off our gliders and move in on the wall. Climbing it is not difficult and one warrior will be assigned to each spitter on the wall. He will take out the crew with his red beam and take their place manning the spitter. We have enough Destroyer uniforms that were captured when we took their fleet. Once the crews are removed, the ones in the Destroyer uniforms will go up and replace the crews. If no one is manning the spitters, it will be noticed by those manning the main defenses on the coast. The others will go over the wall and attack the spitters on the coast wall from behind.”

Rory looked at Andy, “Our blue archer uniforms are the same color as the Destroyer’s and from a distance would look like them. We wouldn’t need to put on their uniforms.

Harvey’s eyes narrowed, “Why didn’t you see any spitters on the wall?”

Olivia quickly said, “I think they’re going to do it soon. They just finished placing them on the coastal wall a week or so ago.”

Maxius tilted his head, “And just how are you going to keep the carnivores off our fliers while they’re taking out the spitter crews?”

Andy waved his hand, “The ones not involved in that exercise will form a line between them and the forest.”

Melody said, “You know if they use the red beams, the spitter crews will see it.”

Andy nodded, “Yes, but we have enough Master Archers to keep them at bay. We know where to hit the carnivores to kill them with one shot.”

Tyler snorted, “If you kill one large predator, the feeders will come running to the meal and the roars will wake the dead.”

Andy looked at Tyler, “Did you think about this when you suggested landing in the trees?”

“I did. The dinosaurs are whistle trained and if we arrive a day or so ahead of the attack, we can use the whistles to herd them out of the area. We won’t be seen moving in the forest.”

Harvey looked at Maxius again and saw him saying something to Mark. This kid was going to play an important role in the coming fight.

Andy stared at Tyler and after a moment slowly nodded and said, “I want the Leadership Council to plan to meet again tomorrow to come up with a plan.”

Olivia said, “You need to include in the plan just how far you’re willing to go to win.”

Everyone in the room looked at her and Melody said, “I’m not sure what you’re saying, dear.”

Olivia looked around, “I’ve only been here a brief moment and I can see that you are good people. Your hearts are warm and you all love each other and are willing to die to defend your community.”

Melody smiled, “You’re absolutely right.”

“Do you have it in you to kill every man, woman, and child in that city?” The room instantly grew silent. Those that were talking quietly heard the question and were shocked into silence. Olivia looked around the room and said, “You need to understand that there are just as many of them as you have living here and they will not assimilate into your society.” Olivia nodded toward Zeck, “I think Zeck has told you that the women are more evil than the men in their society and the men are evil indeed. Once the children are eight or older, their cruelty is just as bad as their parents. I’ve seen a group of ten-year-old children skin a slave while he was still alive just to hear him scream. Are you really prepared to go in and eradicate that society down to the last one?”

Melody slowly started shaking her head, “They all can’t be as bad as you say.”

Annelise said, “They’re worse!”

Ophelia nodded, “I’ve seen the children being taught in school how to slowly kill a slave so that he, or she, dies very slowly. They actually brought in live slaves to train them.”

Zeck shook his head, “Melody, You’ve seen their society.”

Melody lowered her head, “Actually, I haven’t. I was kept by the Commandant’s wife and I never went out into the community. I know I was beaten for the slightest error but…”

Zeck interrupted her, “You never saw the slave pens and the site at the harbor where slaves that didn’t pass the test of being an asset to the community were fed to the sea predators. Thousands would come to watch the spectacle and the cheers were loud for the predator that could bite a slave in half.”

Andy shook his head, “We should try and save the slaves.”

Olivia said loudly, “NO YOU SHOULDN’T!”

Everyone turned to her and even Ophelia was shocked by her comment. Andy’s eyes narrowed in confusion, “How can you say that? You were a slave.”

“Since you’ve stopped the Destroyers from going out and collecting new slaves, the slaves that are lost working in the community are being replaced by Destroyer Warriors that were originally captured slaves. Those slaves are more evil than their masters. You would probably find one in twenty slaves that is worth saving. Most of those you free will lie to you and you’ll end up with thousands of the evil bastards in your society. I just can’t see you risking the lives of your people to save those that don’t deserve it.”

Andy looked at Melody, “We’ve had numerous slaves join us from our capturing the fleets they sent against us?”

Olivia said, “How many?”

Andy looked back at her and heard Harvey say, “Two hundred and thirty six.”

“Out of how many that came to kill you?”

Andy stared at Olivia and the room was silent. After a few moments, Annelise said, “More than fifty thousand sailors and warriors were on board those ships.”

Andy said, “But almost all of the slaves sailing their ships have joined our society.”

Annelise nodded, “Andy, we were forced to sail their ships and we were never put on shore to be contaminated by their society. We were abused by the crews and kept our dignity only by living together in captivity below decks. The slave crews sailing their ships are the exception, not the rule. However, if you count the ones you killed when you saved Melody and the ones you just killed attacking us here at the community, Olivia is about right in that one in twenty is worth saving. All of them will pretend they are peaceful and worth saving; it will be later when they start killing our citizens that you’ll find out differently.”

Olivia shook her head, “Are you capable of killing a young child that is standing in front of you crying his eyes out? You lower your weapon to comfort them and they’ll pull a hand gun out of their belt and shoot you in the head.”

Andy looked at Steve, “Is what they’re saying true?”

Steve lowered his head and took a deep breath. He shook it for a moment and then looked up at Andy, “I do know there are those scattered around the Destroyer Community that take no joy in the cruelty and horror being done. However, you’ll end up losing a large number of lives trying to find them. And let’s just say you come up with a way to find the good ones, are you then willing to shoot the others if they’re unarmed? I hate myself for suggesting this but if I were going to attack them, I’d come up with a plan that would eradicate them in large numbers during battle.”

Andy stared at Steve and slowly shook his head. Harvey saw his duress and said, “Couldn’t we just kill as many as resist and leave the others behind?”

Olivia said, “I rather you just go ahead and kill me before you left me in the hands of any of them. They’ll just rebuild and you’ll have to do it again.”

Andy remembered the struggle the original Andy had with those brought back from Atlantis. He knew that someone had to stand up and make the hard decisions. He looked at Melody and it was like she could read his mind. She saw his expression and she slowly closed her eyes, opened them, and then nodded. He said, “The plan the Council will develop will be designed to remove everything between us and the coastal wall. We will not take chances in defeating them.” Andy looked at Olivia, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We hadn’t really thought this through.”

Olivia nodded and said, “I hope you don’t see me as being hard hearted. I would just hate to see any of you killed unnecessarily.”

Melody smiled, “Olivia, after all you’ve endured, I’m surprised your heart is as good as it is. You are a welcome addition to our family.”

• • •

Tyler watched Olivia during the meeting and felt something. She was really something special. Most new comers would have been intimidated by the powerful personalities in the room; she wasn’t. She thought things through clearly and expressed herself well. She looked at him and caught him staring at her. He saw a brief expression of sadness and then she smiled and looked away. He forced himself to look at the floor and thought about what he had seen.