Read Dinosaur Lake 3: Infestation for Free Online Page A

she’d
interrupted a conversation.
    “The usual. Three eggs, over easy, three pieces of
toast and burnt bacon. About another five cups of coffee whenever you see my
cup is empty.”
    “It’ll be right out. And I’ll keep the coffee
coming like an endless faucet.” The waitress scribbled on her tablet, amusement
on her face, and scurried away.
    Henry’s attention went back to the musician,
waiting for the man to finish what he’d begun.
    Instead it was Justin who spoke up. “I told Steven
he could come along with us on the boat today on our little…voyage. Boating is
second nature to him. We’ve been on many a boat ride together and he can handle
himself like a pro. And he’s a true dinosaur fanatic and has been following our
exploits here in the park for years. He’s grilled me endlessly for every detail
of every dinosaur odyssey we’ve ever been on.”
    “Mr. James–” Henry began, not looking at Justin but
his friend.
    “Again, please call me Steven.”
    “Okay, Steven…why in heavens name would you want to
come along? It could be touchy if we run into any of the creatures we think we
might. Sometimes they tend to react violently to intrusions in their territory.
I can’t vouch for your safety.”
    “Because,” Steven admitted, ignoring the thing
about his safety, “I’m not only a musician. I also write fiction novels under
an alias and I self-publish them on Amazon Kindle. EBooks, you know? They make
me a tidy second income I’ve come to depend on. And I’ve been toying around
with the idea for years, ever since Justin regaled me with the story of your
first dinosaur incident here, of writing a dinosaur tale.
    “Accompanying you and Justin today on the lake,
searching for a school of possible American Loch Ness Monsters…wow, what a
story that would make! Firsthand experience can’t hurt my writing, either. It’d
give it that genuine touch which makes the narrative so believable.” He
clenched his fist and dramatically shook it a few inches above the table. There
was the fever of a zealot in his eyes and voice.
    “I don’t care if there’s danger. Our lives are tottering
on the precipice of danger every moment we’re alive. Anything can happen at any
time. Sitting at this table…a stray scrap of meteor could come crashing through
the roof and squash me dead. Outside in the parking lot, a sink hole could open
up under my feet and suck me in. Riding in a car could be dangerous. Walking
across a street. Taking a trolley ride.”
    Henry caught that reference. For a moment in his
mind he saw the rim trolley being snatched up by a flying monster and tossed
into the lake. It made him cringe inside. The man had quite an imagination, but
he was right. There was danger everywhere, every second.
    “So what’s the difference? So can I come along?”
    Henry stared at the man. Was he nuts? Putting himself
in harm’s way for what…an eBook? He had to stop himself from laughing out loud.
Instead he tried one last time. “It could not only be dangerous, it could be extremely dangerous, based on past experiences. I don’t know what we’ll come across, or
if we’ll come across anything at all. See anything at all. But whatever we find
could be hostile. Do you know how to handle yourself in such an emergency, protect
yourself? Can you even shoot a weapon?”
    The man’s expression was serious. “I joined the army
when I was nineteen and logged in four years. Not in a war zone, mind you, but I
know how to defend myself. Shoot a gun. Hit the side of a small barn.”
    Henry met eyes with Justin, who was nodding his
head. “I’ve known him for a long time and he knows how to handle himself,
Henry. He won’t get in our way. Let him come along. He is, besides a fantastic
singer/songwriter, a pretty good writer. Don’t tell Ann this, but even better
than she is.”
    “Don’t ever say that to Ann.”
    “What, do I look stupid?”
    Henry mulled it over for a second. “Oh, what the
heck. Okay.