Time crawled. Luke, despite his protests, actually slept for a bit, head lolling and jaw slack. At the sixteen‑hour point, finding cover under the spreading dark green canopy of a copse of jackalberry trees, Xai allowed himself a catnap, falling asleep immediately and waking twenty minutes later with a preternatural promptness. Then on they went, the hours melting slowly and stickily around them.

  ‘Xai, you’ve been driving for nearly twenty‑four hours,’ Ralph protested.

  ‘Yeah, I feel tortured enough without the extra guilt you’re piling on,’ Luke joked. ‘I’ll drive. He’ll drive. Better yet, make Gerhard take a turn – it’s his place.’

  Xai slowed the truck to a stop and turned to face them, his grim smile stopping short of his bloodshot eyes. ‘That’s exactly what I’m going to do.’

  Ralph frowned. ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘Luke called it. This is Gerhard’s place. There’s a track up ahead – must be an approach road to one of the entrances. If there are guards on duty, and we look like we’re trussed up in the back seat, then they should buy the idea that their boss is bringing us in.’

  ‘Seriously?’ Luke snorted. ‘Bruh, you can’t trust Gerhard to play along.’

  ‘He’ll have my gun in his back,’ Xai said.

  ‘Guess we can’t keep Gerhard caged up in the back,’ Ralph reflected. ‘One shout from him and everything’s blown. But what if I go behind Gerhard and you swap places with him, Xai, hiding under the tarp, totally undercover?’

  Luke nodded slowly. ‘If things go south with Gerhard and his goons, you could launch a counter‑attack or whatever.’

  Xai considered it. ‘The plan is sound,’ he conceded. ‘But Ralph – would Gerhard believe you’d use the gun on him?’

  ‘After what he did to me,’ said Luke, ‘he’d better believe that I would.’

  The plan was put into action. Against all odds, Ralph found he felt an actual twinge of pity for Gerhard as the man emerged from his cage, nursing his cramped limbs. He looked shabby and unkempt, straw sticking to his sweat‑stained clothes, and he stank; he was a thousand miles from the well‑groomed tech baron of old. Gerhard listened as Xai told him quietly and persuasively what to do, then he looked at Ralph and Luke.

  ‘You sure you want to go through with this?’ he asked. ‘You’re taking a hell of a risk trying to break in here. Maybe we should follow Roland and Robyn to Crocodile Lodge. I’d love for you to see what’s going to happen to them.’

  ‘Shut up,’ Ralph said. ‘You’re bluffing.’

  Gerhard bared his teeth. ‘They’re dying!’ he hissed.

  Ralph tried not to react, but his confidence was dribbling away. ‘Bull.’

  ‘I’ve convinced the world that you Ballantynes are monster‑makers, remember?’ Gerhard was still smiling. ‘Think I wouldn’t leave some evidence behind, to be discovered at the right moment?’

  ‘That’s enough. Don’t let him inside your head, Ralph. If anything is there, your dad can handle it.’ Xai pulled out his revolver and pushed the gun into the back of Gerhard’s neck. ‘Now, move. Time we swapped places. And remember, this is a four‑eighty‑calibre Ruger Super Blackhawk. I can fire through the rear window and the headrest and you’ll still lose the back of your brain.’ He handed Gerhard the keys. ‘Try anything, Gerhard – anything at all – and you’re dead.’

  ‘How poetic.’ Gerhard slid carefully into the driver’s seat. ‘I think you’ll find the cage to your liking, Xai. Enjoy.’

  Feeling uneasy, Ralph got into the back seat with Luke while Xai climbed into the back of the truck. Gerhard’s body odour caught in Ralph’s nostrils. ‘We’ll act unconscious,’ he said. ‘But I’ll be holding the gun to the back of this seat, Gerhard.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ Gerhard said, as he started the truck and began to drive towards the approach road. ‘Please be careful. I won’t try anything.’

  ‘That’d be a first,’ said Luke.

  ‘You have no objection to our taking the quickest way inside, do you?’ Gerhard asked.

  Peeping through the truck’s side window, Ralph saw that the chain‑link fence that ringed the perimeter of Gerhard’s complex had been blown open. One section had been reduced to a spiky tangle of blackened wire framing a massive hole.

  ‘We didn’t do that when we escaped,’ Ralph said. ‘We came out further north, away from the road.’

  ‘I’m afraid my own staff are to blame.’ Gerhard sounded regretful. ‘The incident with the sarcosuchus, combined with the urban spread of the pandemic, led to something of a mutiny.’

  Ralph raised his eyebrows. ‘Your rangers blew their way out?’

  ‘I remember people threatening to bail, back when I was held here,’ Luke jeered. ‘Ha! You couldn’t stop your own people walking out.’

  ‘Mbato had them . . . contained upon their entry to Pretoria,’ Gerhard said smoothly. ‘Can’t have loose tongues wagging. But, regrettably, their leaving has compromised security here.’

  ‘Regrettably for you,’ Ralph said.

  The truck rolled on. The gun sat sweatily in Ralph’s grip. He thought, If I had to shoot Gerhard, could I? That would make me as bad as the monster the media’s making me out to be. Bring me down to Gerhard’s level. Ruin my life –

  ‘We’re in,’ Luke hissed.

  Gerhard drove the truck slowly but steadily over the rough ground. The ride was smoother once they’d rejoined the ribbon of asphalt trailing through the terrain, the single mark of civilisation. It led, eventually, to a sturdy metal gate between a white concrete building on one side and a steep rise of bushland on the other, with scattered trees and boulders, that swept away to the east – a natural fortification. Beyond that was the main complex, a collection of modern buildings at odds with their wild surroundings.

  ‘Checkpoint,’ Gerhard announced, slowing the vehicle. ‘No guards. Which means, I’m afraid, no one to raise the barrier and let us in.’

  ‘There’s some kind of keypad on the wall,’ Luke said, sitting up. ‘You must know the entry code?’

  ‘I don’t need to know it,’ said Gerhard dismissively. ‘This is the goods entrance. I usually arrive and leave by helicopter.’

  Ralph believed that. He looked at Luke. ‘You’re our tech whizz and heir to the VanRok Security business. Anything you can do to get us in?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Luke said.

  Ralph checked again that the area was clear. He could see no one and nothing – the complex seemed abandoned, the landscape uncannily still beneath the sun. He opened the car door and stepped out, half‑convinced he would be mown down by bullets the next second. But the silence, disturbed only by the mournful call of distant birds, lay over the checkpoint like a smothering blanket.

  Ralph quickly brought Xai up to speed on the state of play. ‘We’re going to see if we can get inside.’

  ‘I’ll keep you covered,’ Xai promised. ‘Take Gerhard with you. Keep him in my line of sight. Make sure he knows I’ll shoot him at the first sign of an ambush.’

  ‘He knows,’ Gerhard said, opening the door of the truck and squinting in the bright sunlight. ‘Let’s just get this over with. I want cool shade and refreshments just as badly as you do.’

  ‘So, help us find the evidence we need to prove that the predasaurs and the virus are all down to you, and that your old pal Mbato is in on it too,’ Ralph said. ‘Then maybe you’ll get something.’

  ‘Yeah, I hear prison canteens serve a great glass of water,’ Luke added.

  Ralph and Luke marched Gerhard over to the gatehouse. The door was locked, but Ralph peered through the window. The room inside was empty apart from a chair, a table and a bank of computer screens. He saw a large green button on the wall which must surely open the gate when the gatehouse was manned.

  Glancing at the keypad, he frowned. ‘It’s blank.’

  ‘LED keypads project the number keys in a random order,’ Luke explained. ‘So you can’t work out which digits are used from wear or dirt on the keys.’

  Ralph swore under his breath. ‘We don’t have a hope of –’

  ‘Ralph, Luke!’ The sheer horror in Xai’s frantic shout was underlined by the crack of his revolver.

  Ralph turned, and his gaze zeroed in on three nightmare forms tearing over the scrub towards them – massive predators from a million years ago, with long, curving fangs and muscular bodies, moving with a grace that defied their size.

  Ralph’s voice came out as a croak. ‘Smilodons.’

  Luke’s face screwed up like a baby’s before it cries. ‘Those things’ll tear us apart!’

  7

  Ralph couldn’t believe how fast the sabretooths could move. Gerhard doesn’t need security guards, he realised. Not when his predasaurs are loose. Xai fired again, and his second shot found its mark; one of the smilodons fell, its head jerking back as its body skidded in a cloud of dust. But as if spurred on by its demise, the two others pounded forward still faster.

  ‘I’m out of ammo!’ Xai shouted.

  ‘No!’ Luke shrieked in panic, his voice cracking. ‘Not again. Please!’

  Gerhard easily broke Luke’s grip and shoved him back against the bonnet of the truck. Then he pushed past Ralph and started to run for the steep rise.

  Damn it, thought Ralph. With Xai out of ammo, he thinks he’s got nothing to lose!

  Ralph realised that, even if he’d had the stomach for the shot, by the time he had properly aimed the predasaurs would be on top of them.

  ‘Get in the truck!’ Ralph grabbed Luke, dragged him around to the still‑open passenger door and shoved him inside. The fastest smilodon was already skidding around the front of the truck: its fur was mottled with patches of tawny gold and obsidian, its narrowed eyes blood‑red. Ralph aimed his revolver and fired, but the smilodon dodged aside even as he pulled the trigger, and the bullet missed its mark.

  Thunk! Ralph turned at the sound and saw that, in his panic, Luke had pulled the door shut.

  As if sensing Ralph was distracted, the smilodon bounded towards him. Swearing, Ralph fired twice, wildly, then grabbed the wing mirror and used it to scramble onto the roof. The big cat snapped at his heels, clawing at the glass and metal of the truck in a frenzy. Ralph felt a claw hook his boot and start to pull him back down.

  Then the passenger door was kicked open, slamming against the sabretooth’s ribcage, knocking it backwards. The beast lost its balance and fell. Ralph clung to the hot rusting metal, catching his breath. ‘Thanks, Luke,’ he panted.

  ‘Ralph?’ Luke called from inside. ‘What the hell do we do?’ He yanked the door closed again, and the smilodon yowled with primal rage.

  ‘Here, Ralph!’ Xai shouted. ‘Get inside the cage with me, it’ll protect you –’

  He broke off as the other smilodon bounded into the back of the pickup. Ralph took careful aim with the gun this time, but the chamber turned with a hollow click. No rounds left. The beast tore savagely at the tarp covering the cage, then tried to reach through the bars with its claws. Xai recoiled and hugged his knees to his chest, keeping his limbs out of reach as best he could. Roaring in frustration, the creature beat its head against the bars, biting at them, drooling.

  Suddenly there was a huge impact to the side of the truck. It lurched and Ralph nearly lost his balance, scrabbling to hold on to the roof. The other smilodon had charged the truck, denting its side – trying to shatter the glass, perhaps. As Ralph stared around, frantic, he saw Gerhard, halfway up the slope, lose his footing and slip back down on his front in a storm of dirt.

  The smilodon menacing Xai managed to shift the heavy cage a few centimetres. It grew angrier, wilder. Ralph thanked God that the predasaur was so focused on the object of its rage that it didn’t see the easy prey perched helplessly on the roof. But the other smilodon had. Slowly it backed away, its red eyes fixed on him like laser sights, sun glinting on its curved ivory fangs. Ralph realised it was getting ready to jump.

  With the smilodon still backing away for its lethal run‑up, Ralph swung himself off the roof on the other side of the truck. He landed with a gasp of pain and looked down to see his ankle soaked in blood. But the pain was a distant sensation, overshadowed by sheer terror as he tried to open the driver’s door and found it locked. In his panic, Luke must’ve hit the central locking.

  ‘Ralph, wait!’ Luke shouted.

  Ralph saw him flail about inside for the switch. But there was no time to hesitate. He sprinted after Gerhard. If I’m going down, he thought, that monster’s going down with me.

  Both smilodons were running after him now, their massive paws thundering on the ground. Ralph’s lungs burned with every desperate gasp for air, and his vision blurred. He could hear the guttural growls and snarls growing louder, the anticipation of the kill driving the smilodons on. But as he pushed his exhausted body to its limits, Ralph’s mind raced faster. Low down on the slope was an outcrop crowned with a massive boulder, partially obscured by hanging vegetation.

  If he was lucky, he could climb onto it, while the big cats couldn’t. The smilodons would have to race up the slope then double back around to reach him – but first they’d find Gerhard, still climbing, in their path. With their focus on him, Ralph might stand a chance of getting away . . .

  With a desperate surge of strength, Ralph lunged for the boulder and scrambled up its uneven surface, his limbs aching. The smilodons caught up a moment later, their claws scrabbling against the rock as they tried to scale it. Ralph’s heart pounded as he clung to a narrow ledge, praying that his pursuers would falter. One of them gave a mighty leap and managed to find purchase, its massive jaws snapping perilously close to Ralph’s feet.

  With a burst of adrenaline, Ralph kicked at the predasaur’s snarling face and sent it tumbling back to the ground. Meanwhile, its mate was starting up the slope towards Gerhard.

  Winded, shaking, watching as the second predasaur followed the first, Ralph couldn’t help but call out: ‘Gerhard, look out! They’re right behind you!’

  Gerhard stopped and turned to look at Ralph, more in surprise than fear. As he did so, the smilodons closed the last few metres between them and him . . .

  And then recoiled as if electrified, howling with pain, and tumbled back down the slope.

  Ralph stared, astounded, as Gerhard continued to climb. It was as though the man was protected by an invisible barrier. Incredulous, Ralph picked up a rock and hurled it at Gerhard. No barrier – it struck him on the back of the head. With a surprised yelp, Gerhard clutched his head. But he lost his balance as he did so and slid back down again towards the snarling smilodons.

  Oh my God, Ralph thought, numb with horror. I’ve killed him.

  But again, as he skidded towards them, the sabretooths backed away, snarling and yowling, shaking their heavy heads.

  ‘It’s him,’ Ralph whispered, remembering how the woolly rhino had whined when Gerhard had come close. ‘Something he’s carrying . . .’

  As Gerhard got up, Ralph jumped down from the boulder, ran after him and tackled him to the ground. Gerhard struggled wildly, but Ralph managed to keep his grip, horribly aware that if his theory was wrong, they were both dead. The smilodons hissed and pawed the ground, edging closer. But when Ralph got his arm around Gerhard’s neck and twisted him around to face the beasts, again they cowered.

  ‘I should’ve known,’ Ralph hissed in Gerhard’s ear. ‘Someone like you, directing those things, you’d make extra‑sure they couldn’t harm you.’

  Gerhard said nothing. He stopped struggling, looked beaten. Suspicious, Ralph only tightened his grip, and was proved right when Gerhard bucked and tried to get free again. Ralph rolled Gerhard over so his face was in the dirt.

  ‘What is it, a chip or something? Some signal the predasaurs can’t bear?’ Ralph noticed a small scar and a lump at the side of Gerhard’s neck and pressed his fingers to it. ‘I’m right, aren’t I? That’s an implant.’

  Gerhard said nothing. The growl of the truck’s engine rose over the snarls of the sabretooths. Ralph saw that Xai had left the cage and taken the wheel once more, driving slowly towards Ralph and Gerhard. Distracted by this new, more tempting target, the sabretooths roared and rose as one. But when Ralph got up with Gerhard and forced him towards the truck, again the smilodons backed off.

  Xai threw open the door, expertly swung Gerhard into an armlock and pushed him against the side of the truck while Ralph told him his suspicions.

  ‘Makes sense,’ said Xai. ‘You put electronics into everything else, stands to reason you’d do the same with your own skin – just to save it.’

  Still Gerhard said nothing, but Ralph saw a smirk play over his hateful face. Despite everything, the man must still feel he was in control. The thought chilled Ralph to his bones, despite the pitiless heat. What else did he have up his sleeve?

  ‘Stay close, Ralph,’ Xai said, as he marched Gerhard around to the other side of the truck. ‘OK, Luke, it’s safe to get out.’

  Luke emerged tentatively, like a newborn impala getting to its feet for the first time. He was ashen as he looked at Ralph. ‘I’m so sorry, man. Sorry I shut you out. It was like I was flashbacking to the cave hyenas, the way they took me down. I could feel it happening all over again . . .’

  PTSD, Ralph realised. ‘It’s all right,’ he told Luke. ‘I get it. Just focus on the keypad, yeah? The smilodons won’t touch us with Gerhard here.’

  Luke didn’t dare look at the beasts. He crossed to the keypad, Xai keeping Gerhard close by. ‘I don’t know how we can crack this,’ he said. ‘So many combinations –’

  With sudden inspiration, Ralph shoved Gerhard up against the keypad. A green light responded, and the gate barrier whirred into life, rising into the air.

  ‘I don’t need to know the combination,’ Ralph said, mimicking Gerhard’s voice. ‘Because your chip knows it for you.’

  Xai smiled grimly and nodded. ‘How could he bear to be shut out of his own territory?’