Ransom

“Have you seen them?”

“Seen what?” Kyrien looked up from his meal: a mountain goat that Jolene had caught for them. Jolene had stopped eating, though he couldn’t tell if it was because she’d already eaten her fill or if she was so focused on her question. It was hard to tell with her.

“Oviraptors. Those new dinosaurs that have been showing up everywhere. Popping out of the ground like weeds.”

Kyrien thought for a moment, chewing slowly. “Not up close, no. But I’ve seen them around.”

“Isn’t it strange? All of a sudden, with no warning, new dinosaurs showing up on the island? It’s rather… suspicious.”

“You think they’re up to something?”

“I don’t think, Kyrien. I know.”

Her certainty was a little startling; but Kyrien knew better than to question her. She had an excellent intuition, and had explored every inch of Isla Kela. If the newcomers were up to something, she would be the first to know about it.

“And I know what we can do about it.” She grinned, seeing Kyrien leaning forward with interest. “Finish eating first. Then I’ll show you.”

Jolene could be very secretive at times. Enigmatic may have been the best word he could use to describe her. But the mystery only drew him in further.

He nodded his assent and ate quickly, eager to hear what she had in mind.

#

“I saw a group of them down the mountain earlier, while I was tracking that goat,” Jolene said as she led Kyrien over crags and narrow, rocky paths. When he looked down, he could see little three-toed tracks in the dust and feathers floating in the breeze. She was definitely on the right trail.

“What are we going to do when we find them?”

“Ask some questions.”

“And you think they’ll just give us answers? They’re so secretive, no one knows what they’re up to.”

“Oh, they won’t.” She looked back at him and smiled. “We just need a bargaining chip.”

“Food?” Kyrien guessed. The best way to a wary dino’s heart was through the stomach, after all.

“Not quite,” Jolene said in that captivating, ambiguous way of hers. “Look! There they are.”

Peering over the edge of the outcropping, Kyrien saw a small group of oviraptors. They were scattering seeds in the grassy turf, chatting among themselves as they did. Keeping low and quiet, the two cryos made their way down to the prairie, sticking to the areas with the tallest grass and trying to keep out of the oviraptors’ sight.

Jolene whispered, “See the little one? With the black stripes?”

Kyrien nodded; indeed, there was a small oviraptor, clearly the youngest of the bunch, brown with dark stripes, white face, and brightly-banded legs.

“Look at him, prancing around like that. Be patient and wait for him to get close, then grab him. But don’t hurt him.”

“Of course I’m not going to hurt him,” Kyrien said, shocked. “He’s just a hatchling.”

Jolene looked at him like he was crazy. It made his insides wither in shame. “Obviously. Just making sure you don’t get carried away. Now, pay attention.”

Kyrien did. He didn’t want to disappoint Jolene. He didn’t even ask why they had to grab the hatchling.

It took some time for their opportunity to arise. Their target wandered throughout the group, sometimes near the adults and sometimes straying, but never getting too close to their hiding spot.

“Macaw!” one of the adults called, a male covered in a swirling orange pattern. The hatchling bounded up to him. “Here, these seeds will grow well in that darker earth over there—less competition for water and sunlight. Do you want to plant them?”

The hatchling, evidently named Macaw, nodded vigorously and took a handful of seeds in his beak. The adult laughed good-naturedly as he went off towards the rockier ground… where Kyrien and Jolene were waiting.

Kyrien held his breath as Macaw drew closer, not noticing his tan scales in the grass. Then, when Macaw was just a foot away, Kyrien pounced and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

Macaw’s spines made it difficult to keep a comfortable grip on him. Why couldn’t the ovis have a feathered hatchling with them? He’d feel much better about holding onto a crest of feathers instead of leathery skin. The squirming didn’t help.

Jolene watched the two of them, eyes narrowed. “He’s not crying out,” she mused. “Come on, little one, aren’t you scared? Cry for your mama!”

Though Macaw’s red eyes were wide with fear, he still didn’t make a sound.

Jolene rolled her eyes. “I guess we have to do everything ourselves. Come on, Kyrien, let’s get out into the open where they can see us.”

Kyrien did not like the idea of walking with a wriggling hatchling in his mouth, but Jolene left no room to argue. Walking slowly, he followed her out into the meadow.

“Hey, eggheads!” Jolene roared. “We’ve got your spiky little baby! And if you want him back, you better answer us.”

The oviraptors’ heads whipped around and they gasped in horror, especially the one who had sent Macaw out to begin with. Macaw struggled between Kyrien’s teeth, but he did as Jolene ordered and didn’t let go of him. It was all for a good cause.

The oviraptors shared wary looks. They outnumbered the cryos two-to-one, and in a fair fight Kyrien and Jolene may not have fared very well. But with their hatchling in danger, the weird little spies had no choice but to go along with their demands.

At last, the orange one stepped forward, wringing his hands nervously. “If we tell you, you swear you’ll let Macaw go?”

“Of course,” Jolene said, smiling, which happened to show off her teeth. Kyrien would have done the same, if his mouth wasn’t already occupied.

“Okay.” The oviraptor looked over at Kyrien and the hatchling. “You’re going to be okay, Macaw, everything’s going to be alright.”

To his credit, Macaw stopped flailing around.

“We came from…”

Jolene grinned wider. Kyrien listened intently to every word out of the oviraptor’s mouth.

Jolene really knew what she was doing.