Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur: Alec Kerley and the Monster Hunters, #3

By Douglas Tanner

"HIGH-STAKES ACTION, gritty drama, and real characters make this book hard to put down." - Once Upon A YA Book

Adventure, mystery, and monsters converge in this fast-paced monster series perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Goosebumps, Cirque du Freak, the Cooper Kids, and the Hardy Boys.

* Includes a SNEAK PEAK from the short story, Alec Kerley and the Haunted Christmas! *

If you enjoyed Jurassic World and Journey to the Center of the Earth, you'll love Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur!

* DELUXE EDITION, with 11 color and 8 black and white illustrations. *

They're alive!

When the floor of a cave collapses, taking twelve-year-old Alec Kerley and his friends with it, the outside world thinks they are as good as dead. But what those on the surface don't know is that they are alive and exploring a fantastical underground world never before seen.

Following a subterranean river through a series of caverns in their search for a way back home, Alec and his friends discover a gigantic cave filled with prehistoric life -- dinosaurs! In their desperate struggle for survival, can they find their way out before becoming the meal for a Tyrannosaurus rex? And what other malevolence lurks deep underground, watching, waiting?

Join Alec Kerley and the Monster Hunters as they enter a land filled with the Roar of the Dinosaur!

****

Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is an inspirational monster novel filled with adventure. It is a legitimately scary story, and a great read for all ages -- middle graders, teens, and adults. Parental guidance is suggested. 27 chapters, 60,000 words.

Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is the third book in a series. The other titles are Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot (Book One), Alec Kerley and the Wrath of the Vampire (Book Two), and Alec Kerley and the Haunted Christmas (a holiday short story).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alaban Press
• Release date: Jul 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781386738701

Book preview

Prologue

Capital T HE GREAT BLUE SEA sparkled and danced like an ocean of aquamarine crystals glinting in the midday sun. Above, a flock of the giant flying reptiles called pteranodons swooped across the bright azure sky under white wisps of cumulus clouds that floated in the warm breeze. The pteranodons’ shadows played across the water, where, below the surface, a sea turtle the size of an SUV swam lazily. Ocean waves lapped at the white sand beach as a twenty-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex strode toward the carcass of a long-necked plesiosaur that had washed onto shore, savaged and torn from shark bites. The tyrannosaur sniffed and shuddered at the smell of the rotting meat and bent down to feast as sea mist dampened its forest green pebbled skin.

The Western Interior Seaway stretched from the Arctic Ocean way up north to the Gulf of Mexico down south, splitting the North American continent into two land masses, Laramidia to the west and Appalachia to the east. Most of the states in the center of what would later become the United States of America were either partially or entirely submerged under up to 2,500 feet of sea water, though most areas were much shallower — less than 600 feet. A chunk of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas rose from the lapping waters like a great boot heel; the sea curved around that landmass from Kansas to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, forming the Mississippi Embayment to the east of northwest Arkansas, where the tyrannosaur stood on the beach gorging itself on plesiosaur meat.

The pteranodons dropped and skimmed above the waves, dipping their long jaws below the surface and scooping up fish. They shot back up, turned and swooped back toward the shore, flapping high above the T. rex and over the tree line. A mile inland, a river snaked through the ferns, conifers, palm-like cycads, and white-flowered magnolia trees toward the sea. A group of rhino-like triceratops dipped their huge horned heads to the fresh water and drank. Small feathered birds with toothy beaks called alexornis chirped and flitted amongst the branches as they chased flying insects, well below the thirty-foot wingspans of the pteranodons, which turned and flew back toward the ocean, squawking at a herd of thousands of parasaurolophuses, duck-billed dinosaurs with long crests on the tops and backs of their heads, that followed the beach toward the river mouth, around a bend a half mile from the tyrannosaur. The duck-bills broke out into loud honks in reply, sounding like a traffic jam at rush hour.

The tyrannosaurus raised its head at the sound and listened. Never one to forgo the thrill of chasing and killing a fresh meal, it began to jog down the beach toward the honks, saliva dripping from its nine-inch-long teeth in anticipation. It rounded the bend and nearly bumped into the leading parasaurolophus, which reared up on its back legs in surprise and trumpeted its warning to the pack behind. Thousands of duck-bills suddenly bolted into the crashing surf and swam out from the shoreline as the tyrannosaurus roared. It chased the lead parasaurolophus into the water but stopped before it got too deep; tyrannosaurus couldn’t swim like the duck-bills. It bellowed in frustration, then caught scent of some young ones that had turned the wrong way and had galloped into the woods.

The T. rex splashed out of the surf and barreled into the forest after the young duck-bills, which honked in alarm as they ran. A herd of ostrich-like dinosaurs called ornithomimus that had been hiding from the giant carnivore in the bushes burst out sprinting before the charging tyrannosaurus, squawking and screeching, then scattered into the woods. The T. rex snapped its jaws at them but kept its course after the scent of the retreating duck-bills that were zigzagging to try to lose the monster.

It crashed through the brush into an opening next to the riverbank, where the group of triceratops was still drinking. The three-horned dinosaurs spun around and faced the tyrannosaurus, which skidded to a stop. The lead bull, a thirty-foot-long, ten-foot-high grayish-green beast with sharp horns jutting out three feet from its great skull, charged a few paces forward, swaying its head back and forth and rumbling low in its chest as a warning. The tyrannosaurus opened its jaws wide and roared, revealing its huge maw full of cone-like teeth and a long pink tongue.

Triceratops was not on the normal menu for a tyrannosaur. The three-horned dinosaurs were the size of a tank and just as tough. And those horns were long and sharp like stakes. The T. rex considered backing off, resuming its chase for the duck-bills. But this group of triceratops was a family, with two mates and three calves, and they were backed against the river. And those young calves would be a delicacy.

The tyrannosaurus charged past the bull, toward the calves, but the bull ran and blocked it, shoving its horns at the T. rex. The tyrannosaurus snapped at the horns and backed up, its small gold reptile eyes staring ominously at the young ones.

It tried to rush past the bull again, but this time the cow triceratops met it and growled, shaking its three-pronged head and swaying its tail. The T. rex was no match for these two. It stepped back and thundered its frustration.

An answering roar sounded in the forest, then a moment later a second Tyrannosaurus rex, its mate, burst out to the riverbank on the other side of the group of triceratops. The large cow triceratops turned to face it and sounded its warning. The three young calves backed toward the water, braying.

White streaks, like shooting stars, flew across the blue sky above, disappearing into the orange horizon. They continued to zip overhead as the gigantic dinosaurs thundered at one another.

The first T. rex charged at the bull, trying to snap onto its neck behind the great frill. The triceratops bellowed as it shuffled and turned to keep the tyrannosaur in front of its murderous horns. The second T. rex tried to run past the cow toward the young ones, but the female triceratops charged at it and forced it to back away.

An enormous burning ball of red and yellow, one hundred times larger than the streaks of white that preceded and followed it, sizzled through the sky in an arc from one horizon to the other.

The group of warring dinosaurs all stopped and stared up at the fireball as it blazed past. When it disappeared, the first tyrannosaur took advantage of the distraction and snapped down on the bull triceratops’s neck. The triceratops blustered and growled, trying to get free of the monstrous theropod, but the T. rex held on tight. The female triceratops began to charge at the T. rex that was clamped onto its mate, then stopped as the other tyrannosaur skulked toward the calves.

A wall of white burst up from the far horizon and filled the sky. An explosion, like an atomic bomb, tore through the forest and burst the eardrums of the dinosaurs. The ground suddenly quaked and shook, causing the first T. rex to lose its grip and stumble.

A great earthquake rumbled, then the mountain across the river exploded and shot out plumes of volcanic ash and debris. Red lava began rolling down the sides of the mountain, causing the forest to burst into flames.

T rex and Triceratops Fight Illustration

The dinosaurs bawled and careened. The first T. rex fell onto the bull triceratops, which swung around and impaled the beast on its long horns. The T. rex wailed and snapped down on the triceratops’s frill. The triceratops charged, pushing the tyrannosaur into the raging river, and the T. rex tumbled into the water, torn and bloody. The female tyrannosaurus roared as it watched its mate disappear under the torrent.

The forest floor convulsed. The ground below the dinosaurs abruptly dropped several feet, then stopped, causing them all to lose their footing and fall down. The earthquake continued to shake and rumble, then the earth split open.

A crack miles long tore the world apart and encircled the forest, split through the river, and opened underneath the ocean surf. The land shuddered and dropped several more feet, jerking to a stop once more. The frightened dinosaurs whined and bayed, their tiny eyes wild and rolling.

The female T. rex regained her footing and stood. She peered around at the havoc and snarled.

All at once, the ground below them disappeared. The entire area before the volcano dropped into the gaping maw of the earth. The triceratops wailed, the tyrannosaurus bellowed, the earth groaned and quaked. The forest, the river, the beach and surf, all fell and disappeared into the recesses of the earth.

The world roared.

The earthquake continued to shake and spasm and the mountain seemed to dance to the tune as it vomited out its insides. The white flash encompassed the area, bringing with it a storm of wind that blew down the remaining trees around the edge of the new precipice.

The ground rolled and closed toward the gaping hole. The river redirected into the chasm and filled it, creating a lake, then bled out the other side to the sea.

The dinosaurs on the surface of the earth eventually died out, the far-reaching effects of this and following catastrophes ultimately decimating them. But for the ones swallowed up by the earth, another story had just begun…

Part OneChapter One

Capital T HE WEREWOLF’S HOWL sounded through the cave like a tornado siren warning of impending doom. The hairs on the back of Alec’s neck bristled. Everything was black as death, except for a couple of shaky flashlight beams.

AAAAAARRRRRRROOOOOOOO!

It was closer.

Alec’s heart galloped in his chest. Death is coming.

The werewolf burst into the cavern like a locomotive. RRRRAAAHHRRRR!

POP! Click! Alec’s dad, Danny, shot his last bullet at the beast as it rushed at them.

It swiped a giant clawed hand at Danny, who ducked in the nick of time. The werewolf ran into the blackness.

That was close! Danny gasped.

Mr. Gonzalez, who worked with Alec’s dad at S.T.O.K.E.R., the Strategic Operation for Key Entities Response, raised his pistol. Where’d it go?

The werewolf suddenly rose out of the darkness before Alec’s friend Emily, standing on two legs to its full seven feet in height. It glared down at her with one yellow eye and snarled; the beast’s right eye was closed and swollen. Emily gazed up at the monster as if in a dream.

Shoot it! Mrs. Edgar shouted at Mr. Gonzalez.

Mr. Gonzalez raised his pistol, but before he could get a shot off Emily’s mom shoved her daughter away and stood before the hulking beast.

NO! YOU LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE!

Mrs. Doyle, MOVE! Mr. Gonzalez bellowed.

Mom, get away! Emily shrieked from the ground.

Then, as if in slow motion, Alec watched the werewolf attack Mrs. Doyle in a flurry of teeth and claws as Mr. Gonzalez fired his gun. Emily screamed. The werewolf roared.

And it was over.

MOMMMMM!

YAAAAAAAHHHH! Danny yelled, rushing at the monster and shoving a wooden stake into its back.

EEEEERRRRRRRRAAAAAHHH!

The werewolf reared back, knocking Danny to the cave floor, and went crazy. It leaped around, bumping into stalagmites and columns, causing rocks to crumble from the cave ceiling.

POP! POP! POP! Mr. Gonzalez shot blindly into the dark, away from the group. It’s going berserk! We’ve got to get out of here!

The beast rammed against Alec’s best friend, Ken, and the two fell to the ground.

Alec sprinted at them. KEN!

Alec, get back! Danny yelled, following his son.

Ignoring his father, Alec jumped toward the sound of the snarling creature, hoping to help his friend. He landed on its leg, and it kicked him back violently. He flew into his father, knocking them both down. Mr. Gonzalez approached, shining a flashlight beam on the monster. It was now on its stomach and Ken was on its back pounding the side of his fist against the wooden stake handle that protruded.

Ken, get off of it! Mr. Gonzalez said as he pulled at his son’s arm.

Eleven year old Ethan ran up and began kicking the side of the werewolf’s head. THERE, BEAST! THERE, BEAST!

Ethan! Ethan’s father, Mr. Edgar, who also worked at S.T.O.K.E.R. along with his wife, called out as he approached, shining a flashlight at them.

Ken’s sister, Sarah, appeared in the darkness and helped Alec to his feet. Emily ran past her, toward the werewolf, with another wooden stake in her hand that was already blackened with soot from the vampire it had been buried into.

YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!

Danny caught her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, holding her back.

Let me go! She bucked like a bronco.

It’ll kill you, too!

I don’t care!

The werewolf rolled, throwing Ken off, then kicked out against the cave wall. Small stones and pieces of limestone crumbled from the ceiling. It rose up on all fours and rushed forward blindly, ramming its shoulder into the wall again. The cave floor reverberated with a deep rumble.

Mr. Gonzalez looked at Mrs. Edgar and pointed at the exit. Get them out of here! We’ll follow!

KENNETH! Mrs. Gonzalez screamed. Mrs. Edgar grabbed her arm to prevent her from running towards the werewolf.

Emily broke free from Danny and rushed at the monster. Aaaaaahhhhhh! She raised the stake over her head with both hands, then swung it down, burying it into the creature’s neck.

RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHH!

The werewolf stood on two legs and reached behind its neck, grasping at the stake. It tried to get away, climbing a column, digging its nails into it and jerking upwards repeatedly. As it went higher, it jerked up again and rammed its head against the cave ceiling. The column cracked and began to break apart. The floor below them started to quake.

WE’VE GOT TO GET OUTTA HERE! Mr. Gonzalez hollered, grabbing Ken and hurrying toward Sarah.

Alec! Come on! Danny said, pulling his hand.

What’s going on? Ms. Cunningham murmured, fumbling into the crowd. She was the kids’ science and history teacher, who was recovering from a vampire bite, and was the reason they were in this cave of death.

They had tracked the vampires here, deep in this cavern in northwest Arkansas, to kill the vampire who bit her before she turned into one herself. They had almost been too late, since she had begun to change before the vampire was killed. Luckily, she turned back to normal when the vampire died.

But now they had the werewolf to deal with.

Get back! Mr. Gonzalez barked.

The ceiling split open as the column crumbled. Mrs. Edgar found a flashlight and swung the light beam at the group, moving it around until she found her husband and son. It settled on their faces.

Mr. Edgar had picked up Ethan and was holding him in his arms. Their faces were dirty and their hair askew. They turned and peered into the yellow light.

The column shattered and tumbled to the ground, taking the werewolf with it. With a rumbling roar, the cave bottom shook and burst open.

"ELBERRRRRT!" Mrs. Edgar shrieked.

Mr. Edgar glanced down at their feet, then back at his wife. Evie…

The floor disappeared.

Danny’s hand was wrapped around Alec’s, tight, so tight it hurt. All at once, it seemed to Alec, the world yawned, opening its mouth wide, and swallowed them up into a freefall of pitch black, accompanied by a chorus of screams. Everything around them was cracking and crumbling and roaring and falling, falling, falling.

And then nothing but darkness.

Triceratops Icon Break

"God never abandons us, Alec, his mother said. Her voice was a hoarse whisper and her eyes were sooty black, splotches on pasty skin. Her greasy blonde hair surrounded her head on the wrinkly white hospital sheets like a dirty halo. There’s nowhere you can go, no mountain too high or valley too low, where His love can’t reach you."

His vision was blurry and his face was contorted in pain. "So… if God ‘loves you’ so much, why hasn’t He healed you, Mom? Why can’t He just snap His fingers and make it happen? Hmm?" He fought to maintain his composure.

She studied his face closely. God nearly always chooses to do His work through people, Alec, I’ve told you that before. Like the doctors here in this hospital. He prefers to work through people, to help us through people, to love us through people. And to work through us to do the same for others. We are His hands and feet. She peered deeply into his eyes. There is a plan, she coughed. God is there, and He loves us, and there is a plan… a perfect plan.

And what if you don’t get better? Huh, Mom? What then? Doesn’t that mean that God didn’t answer our prayers?

Her emerald eyes, mired in those pits of black, rolled to his father behind him, hovered for a moment, then crawled slowly back to Alec. Then that will be the ultimate healing, won’t it? She raised her eyebrows at him and smiled wearily.

Alec frowned and shrugged.

She pulled him close and kissed him on the forehead, then glanced at his dad. So tired…

Alec’s father touched his shoulder. Come on, Son. Let’s go. We can call Mom later tonight. He leaned down and kissed his wife. I love you, honey. We’ll be back tomorrow.

She cupped her hand to his cheek, smiling. Love you, too.

Slowly, Alec raised himself from the chair that his dad had scraped across the floor to the side of his mother’s bed. Streams traced their way down from his eyes, despite himself. Before his father could pull him away, he reached out and touched his mom’s shoulder.

You’ll be okay, Mom, you’ll see. Everything will be okay.

She took his hand again. I love you, Son, she whispered. There was pain in her eyes that she had fought to hide for weeks. But now it seemed she couldn’t hide it anymore. Tears formed in her eyes.

Alec engulfed her hand in both of his. Don’t cry, Mom… Don’t cry, Mom. It’ll be okay.

His father pulled him away from the hospital bed. He lost his grip on his mother’s hand.

MOM! MOM! IT’LL BE OKAY! IT’LL BE OKAY! IT’LL BE OKAY!

Of course it will, baby. I love you, Alec.

IT’LL BE OKAY! Right, Dad? It’ll be okay! Right?

Come on, Son. Come on.

It’ll be okay, Mom!

She smiled weakly. I love you.

I love you, too! I love you, Mom! I love you!

Danny led him into the whitewashed hallway with the hard, cold tile floor and the staring nurses behind the long desk that was across from his mother’s room. What were they looking at? Stupid vultures. Stupid vampires. Slithering into his mother’s hospital room at all hours of the night to jam a needle into her arm and take her blood. Like it had made any difference.

They shuffled quickly toward the elevators at the end of the hallway. His dad mashed the button and they stood in silence, staring at the stainless metal door. Hot tears covered Alec’s face and mouth. He was coughing.

The elevator door slid open, revealing