The Grant Files: Stranded on Isla Sorna

Chapter 10

A full moon passed behind clouds.

Thunder quietly rumbled, and lightning flickered in the distance. Paul was still at the wheel. The river was narrower here, and cautions must be taken to avoid the banks. As the barge began to round another bend. a familiar high-pitched sound pierced the darkness. Muffled but unmistakable, it was the ringing of the satellite phone. All exchange looks of sheer panic, expecting the Spinosaurus to leap out at any moment. Grant scanned the riverbanks, "keep quiet."

Paul cut the motor, and time seemed to stop as the six stood posed for action. The barge finished rounding the curve, and the ringing grew louder. The suspense was excruciating until finally, their eyes widened at a disgusting sight. Seven mounds of dinosaur dung sat on a patch of treeless flat ground just beyond the riverbank. As the group considered the sight, an idea came to three of them almost simultaneously. "I am not putting any part of my body into that shit," Jasmine crossed her arms, refusing.

"Eww," Jami held her nose closed.

Amanda, Paul, and Grant jumped into the river and rushed to the bank. "Eric, stay on that boat," the blond woman ordered.

The three companions sprinted toward the source of the ringing, "find it before it stops ringing!" Grant shouted.

Bracing themselves and holding their breath, the three plunged their arms into their respective dung-heaps and only after a few moments of this disgusting search, "I've got something. I think I've got something!" All turned to Paul, who was clearing away the clinging defecation, he held up to a beeper but still the phone rang. Returning to their bleak task, they shoveled the excrement with their arms.

Finally, "I've got it! I've got it!" Amanda exclaimed.

Grant snatched the ringing satellite phone from Amanda's hands, pressed a button, and put it to his ear, "hello, hello?!"

"You too can own a timeshare in beautiful Guadalajara. Enjoy a meal in one of our four-star restaurants, explore our coral reefs, or just walk on the beach-" It was just the recorded voice for an advertisement.

The Kirbys heard the recorded voice and let out a collective, heavy sigh. Grant shut off the phone. In all the excitement, none of them noticed a fierce horned Carnosaur right behind them. Jasmine had noticed it though, "oh, shit," and she leapt out of the boat, "Jami, stay with Eric," she rushed over to the three adults, to the Carnosaur. The giant creature roared, ready to eat them when Jasmine held up her hands, "alright now, stay back," she said softly but as it got in close, it smelled them, "yeah, they're kind of marinated in some stinky stuff," Jasmine giggled nervously.

Even a dinosaur won't eat something that is covered in shit and after giving the dinosaur whisperer a look of disgust, and what she swore was an obscenity, the Carnosaur turned and slunk back into the jungle. "I can't help but be a little offended," Paul said, and all eyes turned to him.

The satellite phone's display had been cleaned; the battery level indicator was flashing. "You got juice for maybe one call," Paul said, turning off the phone, "whatever you do, don't call the U.S. Embassy. They won't do a damn thing."

"Well, we don't exactly have a Costa Rican phone book here, so it will have to be somebody we know in the states. Someone we can absolutely count on to send help," Grant pointed out.

"Stan," Paul suggested.

"I wouldn't trust Stan with a snowball in a blizzard," Amanda replied, Paul glared at her.

Now the teenagers noticed something odd in the river, "what's that?" Eric said to Jami and Jasmine.

"I don't know," Jami shook her head.