The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 1: American Nightmares (The Stein & Candle Detective Agency #1) (40 page)

The uniformed fellows stared at me, not saying a word. I heard heavy claws thumping on dirt and looked up. A hadrosaur, a ponderous bipedal plant-eater with a large curved crest, was trotting evenly down the side of the trail, with a stocky, imposing man mounted on the back. He wore the same blue uniform as the other soldiers and seemed as scarred and rough as any of them. A dark Kaiser Bill moustache was like a stiff blade above his lip and a broad-brimmed campaign hat shaded his face. I saw a Thompson submachine gun in a sheath by the side of his saddle. His mount trotted quickly down the trail, speeding straight towards us. For a few seconds, I wondered if he would break the beast into a gallop and run us down, but at the last moment, he tugged on the reins of his hadrosaur and brought it to a sudden halt.

“Who are you?” he asked, the hand falling to his Thompson. His tone of voice seemed to imply that we were burglars, breaking into his house.

Before I could speak, Meyer stepped in front of me. “My name is Meyer Whipple, sir, and these are my wife and son.” He looked back at me and James. “These are Sir Edwin Crowe and James, our guides. Now, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but we were simply taking in the sights. We’re not intruding on any private property. I’m darn sure of that. Now, who are you?”

“I’m Colonel Montgomery Griffin of the Argus Detective Agency.” He spoke his name with military authority. “We are under the employment of Titan Amalgamated. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.” I hadn’t, but Colonel Griffin continued. “Titan has secured the mining rights to several ore deposits in the Hadean Hills. We’re securing the territory. Nothing more.” His eyes darted to Rose and Nathan. “Sorry if we wrecked your vacation.”

“Securing the territory?” I spoke up, a little indignation creeping into my voice. “Sir, I don’t know who you work for, but I wasn’t aware of anyone buying up landing in the Hadean Hills. And I don’t know if there even is any mineral wealth in this section of the island. The land is fertile, I suppose, but clearing it of jungle would be extremely difficult.”

“There’s the ruins,” James pointed out.

He was correct. The Hadean Hills were home to a great many of the strange ruins that dotted the landscape of Acheron Island. They were ancient stone structures, and the few archaeological expeditions to brave the dangers of the forests had determined that they came from no known ancient culture. There were countless rumors and theories about their source. Atlantis, Lemurea, and Mu – all were considered possible candidates. Experts also speculated that the ruins were the cause of the strange mixture of prehistoric creatures that populated Acheron Island, many of which came from completely different eras.

“If you got questions, I suggest you go and have a chat with the mayor of Victoria City.” Griffin was already gripping the reins of his hadrosaur. He seemed to be impatient to be on his way. “Titan already made the purchase.”

“Well, just hold on a bloody minute, Colonel!” My voice sounded terribly weak. “You can’t just go tramping through the bush in this sort of army, wielding heavy weapons. Why, your passage further north probably forced that deinonychus pack down here, into our path.”

When I pointed that out, Meyer became quite angry. His face reddened. “Your stupidity endangered my family?” he asked Colonel Griffin. “Sir, I am a lawyer of considerable note and I think you might be hearing from me in court. Your men seem to be blundering through this land without taking the time to understand it and the consequences could have been disastrous. If not for Sir Edwin and James, my family—”

“Meyer.” Rose reached out and grabbed her husband’s hand. “He’s with Titan Amalgamated. They’re the biggest corporate concern in the country. They have armies of lawyers, they’re pals with the president and they’ll bury us if you give them the chance.” Her voice was low, but we could all hear it. “And this isn’t the place. Not when we are on vacation. Not with Nathan around.”

“Better listen to your wife, Whipple.” Griffin let his hand fall to his side. It landed on the submachine gun. “You ain’t the kind of man to pick a fight with a guy like me.” He leaned down on his mount and the hint of a smile emerged below his moustache. “Now, stand aside and let us ride on by. I don’t have the time to waste on your whining. Unless there’s any other questions?” He looked up at me.

He was daring me to make a move. Perhaps I even considered it. I had seen the horrors of war, back in the trenches. I did not want to bring that to Acheron Island — not to the land my father discovered. Besides, Nathan and Rose were present. I had no wish to alarm them.

But there was something I was wondering about. “Why the heavy weapons?” I asked. “And the army? The dinosaurs are dangerous, but you don’t need that kind of firepower.”

“There’s the Ape Men.” Colonel Griffin’s eyes flashed to James. “Those savages are a constant threat.”

Nathan raised his voice. “But, s-sir, aren’t most of their clans and tribes friendly?” The little fellow seemed as nervous as I felt, and he held tightly to Max.

“Sure, kid – right until they catch you and eat you.” Griffin pulled his hadrosaur back onto the path. “And trust those idiots in the China Marines at the garrison in Victoria City? Titan Amalgamated isn’t that stupid. They hired Argus and Argus is the best.” He touched the brim of his hat to us as his hadrosaur trotted onto the trail. “Nice meeting you folks. Maybe I’ll see you in Victoria City. Stop by Titan’s new offices and say hello.” He raised his voice. “Move out!” he ordered. “Double time!”

The whole column continued their march down the trail. Their boots rose and fell in even patterns and they marched right past us. Colonel Griffin rode along with them, not even looking back. Dust rose from their falling boots and before I knew it, the entire column of Argus infantrymen was gone. They left footprints on the muddy trail, so it seemed like some giant centipede had just rolled back. Dust rose in the distance.

Meyer Whipple balled his hands into fists. “My golly!” he snarled. “The nerve of that brute! Why, he practically threatened to shoot us all, right there! And I half believe he might do it too, if he thought he could get away with it.”

“He wouldn’t do that, Papa?” Nathan asked. “Would he?”

“He’s one of those private detectives who do security work for the big companies, son,” Meyer explained. “There isn’t much he wouldn’t do. Strike-breaking, union busting, intimidation, beatings, murder – I bet Colonel Griffin’s had a hand in all of them.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. This is our vacation in paradise. I shouldn’t ruin it with a sulky attitude.”

“It’s perfectly understandable, sir,” I said, with a slight smile. “Now, I suggest we return to Victoria City. I think you’ve had enough excitement for the day.”

We began to head down the trail, and all of us were quiet – except for Max, who chirped expectantly at the passing pterosaurs and occasional lizard crawling through the underbrush. I was quite shaken by my encounter with Colonel Griffin and the men of the Argus Detective Agency. I could hold my own against a pack of ravenous raptors, but a brutish man of Griffin’s ilk? That was a different story. Furthermore, the appearance of a small, private army of heavily armed men – working under the control of some great American industrial company – seemed similarly foreboding.

I cared deeply for Acheron Island. Its discovery was the greatest triumph of my father’s life and though he was gone, the island remained. Acheron Island was the last truly wild spot in the world, with mystery enough remaining. In that regard, it was the only place for me, just as it was the only space for its dinosaur residents. And now, it appeared to be changing in a way that I couldn’t possibly control.

Such changes unnerved me. These dinosaurs, prehistoric beasts and pristine wilderness had survived millennia and were unchanged — but God only knew what was in store for them next.

Soon enough, we reached the trail’s end and entered a little outpost on the road to Victoria City. James had brought us there in his own automobile and we piled in for the return trip. It may seem odd that James owned an automobile and operated it with all the proficiency of the dedicated driver, but my friend greatly enjoyed his sturdy, dark black Studebaker roadster and was skilled in its use. James slipped behind the wheel, set a pair of driving goggles over his eyes, and started the engine. I took the passenger seat, while the Whipples clustered together in the back.

We sped down the dirt road to Victoria City and it gave way to dark pavement as we neared the town’s walls. The steel gates rolled back and James drove us inside. Victoria City was a sprawling coastal settlement, with a character that seemed unique in the world. We drove past downtown skyscrapers of luxury hotels and posh coastal resorts, bordering wide avenues and streets lined with palm trees, along with swanky jazz clubs and upscale restaurants. That neighborhood was called the Scales, so named because my father shot an armored anklyosaur in that general area soon after his arrival. Now it was the wealthiest of Victoria City’s districts.

James swerved his auto through the traffic, weaving around the long lines of other automobiles, heavy sauropods with luxury howdahs perched on their broad backs, and the occasional triceratops towing along a cart. There were rickshaws too, pulled by the growing population of refugees from the wars in Asia and Europe who served the wealthy tourists. They had their own neighborhood, a dismal shantytown known as the Shallows for its weakness to floods, but the wealthy residents of Victoria City rarely saw the place.

Nathan Whipple pressed his face to the glass, watching each dinosaur and skyscraper pass in silent awe. It was the same childlike wonder that I had when I first arrived in Acheron Island and my father showed me all the strange and beautiful sights.

I turned to look at Nathan. “It is a wonderful place, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Oh, yes, sir,” Nathan agreed. Max was sitting in his lap, snoozing peacefully. The triceratops was tired from the day’s journey. “We’ll have to go back to America soon, when the summer ends. We have a cabin, a little estate I guess, in New Jersey in the woods, so Max can stay there and grow up, but it won’t be the same as this.” He scratched behind Max’s frill. “But we’ll come back, Sir Edwin. I’m sure of that.”

“And the vacation’s far from over, dear heart.” Rose pointed down the road. “Turn a right here, James. The Prehistoric Grand is right by the beach.”

James knew the location of the Prehistoric Grand well, but he said nothing and dutifully turned the wheel. The road stretched away from the city and reached out to border the gentle sweep of coast. Perched at the edge of this road was the Prehistoric Grand, a palatial towering hotel resembling the tiers of a wedding cake. It stood between a wide yellow beach before the sea and a strip of carefully cultivated jungle tame enough to be a garden. Trimmed topiary dinosaurs, bleached skeletons and Grecian statues stood around the entrance, with two crossed mammoth tusks above the door.

“We’re here,” James said, bringing his car to a stop before the entrance. A Chinese valet in a white tuxedo moved over to take the car. James did not move and glared at the approaching Chinaman, stopping him in his tracks. “Should we see them inside?” he asked me.

“Of course.” I hopped out and opened the door for them, extending my hand to help Rose and Nathan onto the pavement. James stepped out as well, allowing the valet to take his automobile with a look that promised vengeance if it was damaged in the slightest.

We walked down to the double doors and towards the lobby. I stayed next to Meyer. “I realize this outing may have been a bit too, well, treacherous for your liking, but I promise that if you choose to hire us again, I can provide a much more pleasant trip.”

“No need to apologize. It’s not your fault about the raptors, Sir Edwin,” Meyer replied, with a quick laugh. “Besides, Nathan adores your company. Tell you what — I’ll give you a ring in a day or so, when we’re ready for another outing. I think something by the seashore would be nice. Maybe we can go fishing on the Phlegethon Coast, if you think there won’t be any chance of us running into pirates.”

It wasn’t quite an idle joke. Pirates – as well as smugglers and poachers – infested some of the southern coastal areas. Acheron Island was the perfect base for raids on the rich trade routes of the South China Sea and the dinosaurs were a fortune for those willing to capture and smuggle them out.

But I smiled and shook Meyer’s hand when we entered the cavernous lobby. It was a great white chamber, with marble floors and thick slabs of desks in the corners. Golden elevator doors waited in the far wall, while a number of leafy, potted plants gave the room the appearance of a contained jungle. Guests and employees of the hotel – all Chinese in white tuxedoes – moved about on the day’s business.

“Of course,” I said, as we stopped before the elevator doors. “I will ensure your safety. You have my word.” I looked over his shoulder and stared at the other guests who were walking to and fro in the lobby. My eyes locked on someone. She was stepping out from the elevator, her arm wrapped around a fellow in a blue suit and straw boater’s hat, and with a parasol under her arm that matched her white dress. I knew instantly who she was. “Would you excuse me for a moment?” I asked, and stepped away from them.