The Dinosaur Four by Geoff Jones Read Free Book Online Page A

He snaked his arm further around her, feeling the weight of her breast against his wrist. Sitting with his arm around Lisa Danser was more unbelievable than finding himself millions of years in the past. He shifted as he felt himself growing aroused and hoped she did not notice. She rested her head against his shoulder and Al lowered his face into her hair, breathing in the scent of her. Unbelievable .
    “What’s happening?” Hank whispered.
    William leaned around the counter, looking out front. He spoke softly back toward the others. “It’s sniffing around. Its head is just inside the room.”
    The animal snorted. The sound filled the space and Al felt the air move all the way in the back of the café.
    “Somebody do something,” whispered Helen.
    “What the fuck are we supposed to do?” Hank answered.
    William turned to face the group. “I think it’s leaving. It pulled back outside.”
    The building rumbled. Lisa let out a scream and Al squeezed her. The vibration continued, as if someone was operating a jackhammer in the room upstairs. Plaster dust fell from the ceiling.
    “What’s going on?” demanded Hank.
    William took another peek and then put his hands up. “It’s okay,” he told the group. She’s just scratching herself.”
    “She? What, did you get a look at her titties?” Morgan craned his neck.
    The building continued to shake. “She’s rubbing her belly on the front corner,” William said.
    Al rose to look for himself. He peered over the counter. Several others joined him, including Lisa. The wall of bookshelves on the right blocked most of their view. At the end of the wall, one muddy paw hung in front of the window as the hadrosaur scratched against the corner.
    The shaking stopped and suddenly the building was jolted to the left. Al steadied Lisa.
    The dinosaur out front dropped back down to all fours, her head visible through the window again. The wattled face of the alpha appeared, nipping the back of the female’s muddy neck. She jerked away and they both disappeared from view. The alpha bleated a low, stuttery warning.
    “I think that’s the only male,” William said. “That’s why I called the other one a ‘she.’ He’s got a harem.”
    The alpha reappeared at the front window.
    “Down!” William whispered. They all dropped back behind the counter again. “He’s looking for us. Keep your voices down.”
    “Why is this happening?” asked Helen.
    “Ma ybe the world was about to end,” Beth said. “You know, back in the present. We all got saved by aliens. They sent us back in time so someone would survive.”
    Lisa rolled her eyes. “Beth, you have made up a lot of weird stuff, but that might be the winner.”
    “Hey, now,” said William. “Maybe it’s true and maybe it isn’t. Right now we don’t know anything. Any ideas could be helpful. Even if they are wrong . They might spark other ideas.”
    Hank leaned in to the group. “Here’s an idea. I think that as soon as those dinos are gone, we should get the hell out of here. Remember what the girl said earlier? There might be other groups like us. This may not be an isolated event. It could have happened everywhere, for all we know. We have to look for others and try to group up.”
    Al wondered what would happen if they joined another group. “This is our only shelter. There’s food here, and tools.” In the back of his mind, he wasn’t sure he wanted to find anyone else. He knew where he stood with everyone in the café.
    “This shelter is going to get knocked into the river if it takes many more hits like that,” Hank said.
    Helen squeezed the handles on her purse. “Do you know how long it took me to walk two blocks from the parking lot? You can’t really expect me to go traipsing off through the jungle with you.”
    Callie prodded. “You said Lawrence used to take you hiking all over the place on his hunting trips.”
    “Young woman, my days of hiking died with Lawrence a long time ago.”