Dinosaur Lake 3: Infestation Read Online Free PDF Page B

went. Promising to also provide her with a rifle
when he could get to headquarters and retrieve one.
    Henry had accepted, as Ann had, that from that
night on living in the park was going to be a little different. Just like those
poor human survivor wretches in The Walking Dead television show…they would
have to be forever vigilant, armed and prepared. Always. Because, if Justin was
right, a new age had just begun.

Chapter 2
    Henry
     
    When Henry left his house the following morning,
the sun still hadn’t lifted from the horizon and it was that glowing dark right
before sunrise, but already warm. It was supposed to be an extremely hot day
and he’d dressed for it. His summer uniform and ball cap. A water bottle attached
to his belt and plenty in his jeep. His duty weapon snug in the holster at his
waist.
    His eyes were peeled for any of the little
cat-hungry critters like the one he’d run into the night before. His nerves were
on edge, watching for them, but none showed up. He didn’t know if he should be
relieved or suspicious. If the one that had attacked him wasn’t lurking around
their cabin, it had to be somewhere else and he didn’t want to think about
where. He hoped any cats in the vicinity were safely tucked away in their
homes. Or dogs. Or small people.
    After a stop at headquarters, he stashed a couple
high-powered rifles and extra ammunition in the jeep’s rear seat. Best to be
prepared, no matter what they came across in the water, or on the land. On the
way to joining up with Justin, he phoned Ranger Kiley and Ranger Stanton to
inform them the entire park was also being shut down. Again. He filled them in
and gave instructions, then hung up, satisfied they’d take care of everything.
They were his best rangers. Besides they’d been through all this dinosaur craziness
before and not so long ago. The visitors would be escorted from the park and any
new ones turned away at the entrances; the businesses within would be closed
until he was sure the park was safe. He’d learned his lesson the first two
times and would never put unsuspecting people in danger again if he could help
it. And he could help it.
    He’d notify the National Park Services and Superintendent
Sorrelson of the developments as soon as it was late enough. There usually
wasn’t anyone in the offices this early and Sorrelson didn’t like being
disturbed before nine in the morning. Then he’d put in a call to the man in
charge at the National Forest Service because the park also had forests within
its boundaries and came under their jurisdiction as well. He had to alert both
of them. They’d need to know.
    He pulled into the parking lot at Crater Lake
Lodge. The sun was inching up over the lake and the light was permeating the murkiness
around him. He loved this time of day in the park. The mists that eddied around
his boots gave everything an eerie ambience and he imagined the land, the
woods, must have looked just this way hundreds of years past. Perhaps thousands.
More.
    No wonder the primeval beasts returned over and
over to reclaim it. It was their home and always would be.
    He strode into the lodge’s dining room. At this
hour it was practically empty though it opened at the crack of dawn. Many
visitors liked getting an early start on their hikes or park tours, but there
weren’t many up at this hour yet. And as they came down today they’d be
politely asked to leave the park. The windows lining one wall and overlooking
the lake framed a beautiful dawn. The view, as always, was inspiring. It made a
person love and appreciate the raw beauty of nature and everything in it. The
lake with the new sun shining across the water, the birds dipping their wings
in flight across the sky, and the trees a circle of emerald around the blue
oval of water created a panorama Henry never got tired of looking at, even
after all these years.
    He spied Justin as soon as he entered. But the
young paleontologist wasn’t alone. There was another