The Island In The Mist: A Dinosaur Thriller Read online

  “Would you like to meet my grandfather?” he asked excitedly.

  At this point, Angus couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you serious? Do you actually think I believe that load of manure you just told? Kid, I take back what I said about you being a good salesman.” Angus’s friendly attitude suddenly expired as he leaned over and opened the car door. “Get out of my car,” he commanded.

  Armando boldly leaned over and pulled the door back shut. “Sir, I am not lying to you. I speak the truth. Come speak to my grandfather and you will see for yourself.”

  Angus stared at him, trying to sort it all out again in his head.

  “Sir, please believe me!” Armando pleaded.

  Angus deeply wanted to believe the young man. What would it hurt to go meet his grandfather?

  “Okay, kid, tell me how to get to your grandfather,” he said.

  Armando’s smile widened even more and he slapped his knees happily. He reached over to grab the seat belt when Angus grabbed his arm firmly. His eyes were not as bright as they once were.

  “You better not be toying with me, boy. I have little patience for games,” he said fiercely.

  Armando felt his pulse quicken and suddenly wondered if this was a good idea after all.

  “I am not playing games,” he replied softly as he yanked his arm away. “You will see when you meet my grandfather.”

  Angus slowly leaned back in his seat, but his icy gaze held strong on the young man.

  ***

  The limo arrived at the house much faster than Armando’s bicycle would have gotten him there. The bike ride usually took between thirty and forty minutes, but in slightly less than fifteen, they had arrived. Angus peered through the tinted glass at the worn-out shack Armando called a home. Many of the shingles were ripped off or peeling away. Probably hurricane damage from the past, he figured. The wood siding was an awful light green color and the paint was flaking off all over. Many of the windows across the front were cracked, but amazingly none were broken out completely.

  “You’re telling me in five-hundred years, your grandfather still has not figured out how to get a decent home?” Angus asked grumpily.

  “We’ve never had much money, that’s one reason why I decided to reveal his secret to you,” replied Armando. “You said you’d pay a lot of money for eternal life.”

  That single statement infuriated Angus as he suddenly realized what was happening. This kid is playing me for my money, he thought. As Armando reached for the door handle, Angus quickly slapped his arm down and clutched the boy’s throat tightly. He leaned forward and pushed the young man back against his seat. Armando was surprised at just how strong the seventy-four-year-old man was. He struggled to breathe, and now more than ever he regretted bringing the old man to his home.

  “You’re trying to steal money from me, aren’t you?” Angus growled. “There isn’t any fountain of youth. You’re lying, aren’t you?”

  Armando tried desperately to pull the boney hand from his throat. He shook his head and struggled to answer Angus’s question. The grip loosened slightly.

  “No!” he rasped. “I’m not lying to you! Please take your hands off me!”

  Angus held on for a few more seconds then finally released the young man. “I may be old, but I’m very independent, kid. This is one old man that won’t be taken advantage of. I pray for your sake you’re not lying to me.”

  “I’m not! I swear it!”

  Angus opened the car door and Armando bolted out. He considered running away but quickly realized that it would be useless when he found Travis and Frank already waiting for him outside. Angus stepped out of the car behind him and slammed the door.

  “Let’s go see Grandpa,” he said gingerly.

  As they reached the battered front door of the house, Armando stopped abruptly and turned to face his hostile guests.

  “You must give me an opportunity to speak to my grandfather first. He’s probably going to be angry with me for revealing his secret to you. I need to explain to him that you’re willing to pay us for the information. My hope is that he will understand when he realizes this is a chance for his family to have a better life. Please give me the chance to talk to him,” he pleaded, nearly tearful now.

  Angus was becoming unsure of things the more they went along. At first, he thought Armando was trying to get in the house alone so he could lock the doors and call for help, but the look in the boy’s eyes suggested something different. He was on the verge of tears much like any boy would be if he suddenly came to the realization he’d made a terrible mistake and told something he shouldn’t have. He now seemed to be more fearful about how his grandfather was going to react than of what Angus and his bodyguards could potentially do to him for lying.

  “We’re going to follow you into the house, but I will allow you a moment to explain things to your grandfather. Just be snappy about it,” he said.

  The boy nodded, then immediately twisted the knob and barged into the house. Angus followed with his bodyguards close behind. Armando walked toward a hallway and quickly glanced back at the other three, signaling for them to wait where they were. Angus stopped, but listened carefully as he heard a conversation begin in Spanish. He couldn’t understand a word that was being said and thoughts of trickery crept back into his mind.

  “We have no idea what they’re talking about; they could be planning something,” Travis said, obviously thinking the same thoughts.

  “Easy, Travis. We’ll give him his moment with Grandpa like we promised. You know as well as I do that they’re not going anywhere fast,” Angus responded calmly.

  He studied the interior of the house just as he had done when they drove up on the outside. The interior was dusty, most of the carpet ripped and frazzled. There was very little furniture in the room they were in, only a couch and two wooden chairs. Angus briefly considered taking a seat on the couch but changed his mind as he saw a small mouse take refuge underneath it. He couldn’t imagine what living in these conditions would be like. The once-muffled conversation down the hallway became noticeably louder, and Angus could clearly make out the voice of another man. The other man sounded very young; there wasn’t a hint of anything in the voice that indicated he was a grandfather. Angus was about to storm down the hallway when he caught himself. He shook his head when he remembered that Armando had told him his grandfather had the body of a twenty-two year old. The talking finally stopped and the only sound now was footsteps approaching down the hallway. Armando returned to the living room with another man who looked only slightly older than him. The man was much more muscular than Armando; his eyes were full of life and at the moment, full of anger.

  “Grandfather, tell them about the fountain of youth,” Armando urged.

  His grandfather shook his head angrily, his bronze face turned red with rage. “You brought these strangers to our home. You tell them what they want to hear,” he answered, poking a finger in his grandson’s chest.

  Armando paced across the floor a moment and tears began to stream down his face as the realization of his betrayal fully set in. He knew he’d gone too far, but there was no turning back now. The three men who now stood in his home could harm them if they wanted to; he had to tell them the story.

  “This is my grandfather, Osvaldo,” he began, weeping. “He was once the leader of a Taíno tribe back in the early 1500’s. At that time, he went by the name Macuya. When Ponce de León and the Spaniards invaded this island, my grandfather fled to the sea. He landed on a mysterious island and discovered the fountain of youth. He drank the water and has remained young ever since.” He paused to wipe the moisture from his eyes. “That’s all I know, please leave us now; I changed my mind about the money. I don’t want it!”

  Osvaldo tried his best to remain distant, but finally embraced his remorseful grandson. Angus, Travis, and Frank looked on, unsure what to say next. Angus eventually broke the awkward silence.

  “So why did you change your name?”

 
Osvaldo continued to hug his grandson tightly as he glared at Angus.

  “I grew bored with it.” His words were clearly sarcastic. “Now leave my home.”

  Angus crossed his arms and shook his head. “That’s not a very nice way to treat your guests.”

  He made eye contact with Travis. “Grab the boy,” he commanded.

  As Travis approached, Osvaldo pushed his grandson behind him. “Don’t come any closer,” he said in a threatening tone. When Travis kept walking, Osvaldo prepared to rush at him when he suddenly heard Armando cry out to him from behind.

  “Grandfather, stop!”

  Osvaldo forgot about Travis as he whipped around to see what the matter was. He had been so worried about Travis, he never saw Frank slip behind him and grab Armando. Suddenly, he felt completely helpless and could only watch as Frank held a handgun tightly against his grandson’s head. Osvaldo stared into Frank’s eyes and did his best to read the quiet man’s intentions. It was clear that the he had used guns to hurt people before, and he certainly wouldn’t hesitate to use one on Armando to get what he wanted. He knew there was very little he could do now and he didn’t struggle at all when Travis wrapped his arm around his neck and squeezed tightly. Osvaldo felt the room spin around him and before he knew it everything began to fade to black. The last thing he saw before he slipped out of consciousness was the look of horror on his grandson’s face. He tried to speak, to tell him it was alright, but it was too late. He was out like a light.

  Chapter 5:

  When Osvaldo awoke, he found his hands bound tightly behind his back and he was lying face down on a damp concrete floor. He attempted to get up and immediately realized his feet were bound together also. His mouth was gagged, but it didn’t stop him from attempting to cry out for help. He yelled with all his might but the gag did its job, keeping the volume of his cries low enough to prevent anyone nearby from hearing them. The room was dark except for a few beams of light coming in through a glass window that had been painted over many years before. Some of the paint had chipped off, allowing a small ray of sunlight to pierce sharply into the darkness. Judging by the small size of the windows and the fact that they were installed almost at ceiling level led him to believe he was being held captive inside a basement. He felt no pain, probably because the old man and his two henchmen had been careful not to hurt him while he was unconscious. He figured it had everything to do with the fact that he still had information they wanted. They wanted to know where the fountain of youth was and, unfortunately, they didn’t realize that he genuinely had no idea how to find the island. He wondered where Armando was and did his best to convince himself that his grandson was fine. Worrying about that now would do him more harm than good; he had to remain calm. He turned his attention back to the twine that bound his hands and feet. He had to find a way to get free! As he tried desperately to pull his wrists apart, he felt the twine cutting deeper into his skin. It seemed that the more he struggled, the tighter it got.

  “Stop struggling, it’s useless. You’re just making it worse,” a familiar voice called out from the veil of darkness.

  The voice startled Osvaldo and he immediately recognized it to be the old man. He tried to curse his captor, but the only sound that came out was muffled and distorted. The old man grabbed a chair and dragged it across the concrete floor as he walked toward Osvaldo. The sound of metal grinding against concrete echoed loudly and it made his skin crawl. When Angus got within a few feet, he stopped and sat down in the chair. Osvaldo tried desperately to see the old man’s face, but it was useless in the thick blackness of the room. Angus eventually leaned over and one of the beams of sunlight shone directly on his face. That was the only part of the old man he could see and it was an eerie sight seeing total darkness except for the old face shining brightly before him. Angus reached down and carelessly ripped the gag free from Osvaldo’s mouth. He took a moment to open and close his mouth in an attempt to work out some of the soreness before he spoke.

  “What have you done with my grandson?” he asked.

  Angus stared at him a moment, then held up a small glass to his lips and took a drink. Osvaldo figured he’d brought the drink in with him; he had just been unable to see it. There apparently wasn’t much left in the glass because as soon as Angus chugged it down, he threw it over his shoulder and it shattered all over the floor.

  “You’re grandson is just fine…for now,” he replied menacingly.

  Osvaldo felt a mixture of fear and fury all at the same time. He thrashed about once more, trying unsuccessfully to break free again.

  “Where is he?” he asked softly, but firmly.

  “He’s nearby, but that’s not really important right now. What is important is for you to tell me the truth. Is there or isn’t there a real fountain of youth?” Angus asked.

  Osvaldo didn’t say anything at first. He couldn’t decide what the best answer should be. He figured he could easily tell the old man that his grandson made the entire thing up. Angus would be extremely angry, no doubt, but he just might let them go. On the other hand, he’d already proven that he had no problem using violence to get his way. He may become so furious that he killed them both just to make himself feel better.

  The other option, of course, would be to tell the truth. He could tell Angus that the fountain of youth truly did exist, but then he’d almost assuredly hold them longer while the desperate, obsessed old man launched a search for it. After he thought a few seconds, he decided to deny everything.

  “My grandson did a very bad thing to you,” he began. “He made a poor choice to lie to you in an effort to get money from you. I assure you that if you release us—” Angus abruptly kicked him hard in the face. Osvaldo felt his nose break and he yelped in agony. So much blood poured from his nose that he began to feel lightheaded. He wasn’t sure if was from blood loss or the violent blow he took to the face. The blood ran into his mouth, and he couldn’t speak at first because he was too busy spitting it all back out. Angus’s voice began to thunder above him, and he did his best to stay conscious long enough to hear what he had to say.

  “Do you think I’m a fool?” he yelled. “The first hole in your story is that you don’t look a day over twenty-five years old. You just said yourself that Armando is your grandson. Explain to me how a man your age can be the grandfather of a seventeen-year-old boy?”

  Osvaldo closed his eyes and the realization of his mistake set in. I should’ve denied he was my grandson!

  Angus continued. “Furthermore, with the help of your dear grandson, I did a little research while you were napping. We got our hands on a few history books, and as it turns out, there once was a chief named Macuya listed in all of those books. Armando continued to plead with me to believe him. He really wants me to believe that you are Chief Macuya.” He paused and chuckled. “You know, I think I’m actually starting to believe that kid.”

  Osvaldo continued to spit blood and he decided he wouldn’t speak now even if he could. There was nothing more to say. He and Armando were in serious trouble and there was nothing to do now but cooperate. The old man before him was clearly deranged. There was no reasoning with someone in Angus’s mental state. Eternal life meant so much to him that the possibility of finding it had totally consumed him and clouded his judgment. There would be no convincing him that it didn’t exist now. The only thing left to do was conjure up every memory he could of that harrowing adventure he’d lived almost five hundred years ago. He had to try and remember every detail to feed the old man’s obsession. Suddenly, a chill swept across him as something he’d tried to block out throughout his entire life slammed into his mind like a freight train. There was one part of the equation that he’d never even gotten the opportunity to explain to his insane captor. As hard as it was going to be to find the mysterious island, that was probably going to be the easy part. Actually getting to the fountain was going to be the hard part. He remembered the monstrous reptiles that called the island home. He learned later in life th
at the giant lizards were called dinosaurs. He decided at that moment that he would help Angus in any way he could to find the island, but he vowed he would not set foot on it when it was found. If the old man killed him, so be it. That would certainly be better than being eaten alive.

  Chapter 6:

  Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, MS. Two months later…

  Jonathon Williams carefully held up the recently reconstructed Basilosaurus vertebrae and breathed a sigh of relief that the tedious job was finally complete. He gently placed it in a holding tray with the other vertebrae, and as he gazed down at them, the feelings he had could only be described as bittersweet. He’d received a phone call a couple of weeks earlier from Peter Reinhart, an amateur paleontologist that frequented the museum just for the occasional opportunity to speak with him. At first, the enthusiasm of the middle-aged dino hunter was a breath of fresh air for Jonathon. He appreciated the man’s passion and his genuine interest in his branch of science. There were many times that Peter popped in with curious looking fossils, usually shark teeth, that he casually asked Jonathon to identify. Jonathon always obliged, even at times when he really didn’t have the time to do so. One day, on a typical Thursday afternoon, Jonathon’s office phone rang and he answered it only to hear a frantic voice on the other line. It was Peter, and he’d apparently discovered something pretty impressive. It had been a scorching, dry summer and many of the lakes and rivers across the state were drying up in vast numbers. It wasn’t the first summer the state of Mississippi had experienced with that sort of heat and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. When the water in the rivers had all but dried up, many times it uncovered astonishing treasures. At least, they were considered treasure to the paleontology community.