Return To Primordial Island, Rick Poldark [top non fiction books of all time .TXT] 📗

me, made sure I was safe. He’s actually pretty caring.”

“Do you think he likes you, too?”

Susan averted her gaze. “I don’t know. He’s not my usual type, you know.”

“Peter isn’t my usual type,” said Mary.

“Yeah, how did that happen, anyway?” asked Susan, turning the tables on Mary.

“I don’t know. It just kind of did.”

Susan looked down at the ground and back at Mary. “Do you love him?”

This time it was Mary who averted her gaze. “I don’t know. He’s a nice guy and all.”

“But…”

“But…I don’t know. Sometimes I just feel like we don’t totally connect.”

“What? Because of his…powers?”

“That’s part of it, but there’s something else. Sometimes, it’s like he’s holding back.”

Susan looked around the cave and lowered her voice. “Have you two…”

“Oh, yeah,” said Mary. “But it’s like he’s not there with me. Like he’s off somewhere else.”

“Thinking about someone else,” said Susan, finishing her thought. “You know, I think he had it bad for Tracey Moran.”

Mary nodded. “I know. But she kept him at a distance.”

“And in you swooped,” said Susan.

They shared a chuckle.

“Come on,” said Mary. “You make me seem like some kind of predator.”

“Maybe that’s what he likes about you,” offered Susan. “When you want something, you just go for it. He seems like the type of guy who follows the woman’s lead.”

Mary flashed a mischievous grin. “Yeah, not like Jason. Now there’s a strong, take charge kind of guy.”

Susan felt a twinge of annoyance, which must’ve been visible on her face, because Mary giggled.

“Oh, I’m only teasing,” said Mary. “Jason is all yours.”

“Gee, thanks.” Susan managed an affable chuckle, but part of her wondered if Mary indeed had designs on Jason. After all, she did swoop in and grab Peter for herself. To make matters worse, her interest in Peter appeared to be fading, by Mary’s own admission. Susan wondered if Jason was her next target.

“Someone say my name?”

Both women startled, having been engrossed in their discussion, and turned to find Jason standing at the mouth of the cave.

“Man, I caught you both off-guard,” laughed the hunter. “What if I was a velociraptor, or something?”

“We were just about to make our move,” teased Mary, flashing him a sly look.

The flirtation made Susan uncomfortable. Part of her was sure Mary was doing it to bust her chops. To her surprise, Jason appeared to ignore it. He walked over to Susan and asked, “Are you all right?”

Susan blushed a bit. “Yeah, we’re okay. We had to stop walking. She was wiped out and very dehydrated.”

Jason grinned at Mary. “This woman saved your life.”

Mary smiled at Susan, and this time it appeared warm and genuine. “Don’t I know it.”

“It was nothing,” said Susan.

“Nothing,” chortled Jason.

“Nothing?” echoed Mary. “This chick took down a lizard man with a spear.”

“You helped,” added Susan.

“How did you find us?” asked Mary.

Jason outstretched his arms. “I’m a tracker, remember? I followed you right to this cave.”

“What about the lizard men who were chasing you?” asked Susan.

He waved a hand at her. “We ran into some dinos, who helped considerably.”

“So, what now?” asked Susan. “We got Mary back. Do we go help Hiu?”

He appeared lost in thought.

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” snapped Susan.

Jason snapped out of whatever private moment he was having. “We have to find Peter.”

“I thought he never came out of the lizard men’s temple,” said Mary.

Jason shook his head. “He’s alive.”

Susan found his certainty in that declaration strange. “How do you know this?”

Jason hesitated. “I found his tracks.”

Mary’s eye lit up. “Peter’s tracks? Here? We have to find him.”

“That’s the plan,” said Jason.

“What direction do they go in?” asked Mary.

Jason hesitated again. Susan found this to be strange, as it was a simple question.

“They head south.”

“What about Hiu and the tribe?” pressed Susan.

“They left us to take care of their own,” said Mary. “Now we have to take care of our own.”

Susan acknowledged the relief she felt having been reunited with Jason. She imagined how Mary must’ve felt having been separated from Peter. Whatever doubt Mary expressed about their relationship appeared to vanish, at least for the moment.

“Let’s go,” said Jason. “Peter’s out there, and he needs our help.”

* * *

Peter kept alert as he drove the Jeep alongside the riverbank. Fortunately, they hadn’t run into any predators. A few enormous crocodiles lounged together, but none showed any interest in the passing vehicle. He followed the mental map burned into his memory, and they made good time. “We should be there soon.”

“What do we do once we get there?” asked Tracey.

“I awaken the Simians,” said Peter.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“It’ll reset the island. Bring it back to where it was. Balance everything out.”

Tracey sighed. “But—and I’m just playing devil’s advocate here—you know that evolution is a progression shaped by specific selection pressures from the environment.”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, these races had their time, and they died out for a reason. You brought one back, and look at the chaos it caused.”

“So, I’m reinstating a selection pressure to bring about balance.”

“You’re playing God, Peter.”

“Do you think I like this? Do you think I want this kind of responsibility?”

“So why do it?”

“Because for some reason these orbs chose me. I didn’t ask for this. Maybe it’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Tracey shook her head. “You’re not even supposed to be here, Pete.”

“Aren’t I? I don’t know. None of this makes any sense to me.”

Tracey turned in her seat to face him. “So, let’s play this out. You change the selection pressure by reawakening the Simians, a race that was previously wiped out by a natural selection pressure. Now there are new