video cameras. In less than twenty minutes, the three men were in place, Alvarez waving at them to duck, as they hid and waited.
Carter glanced to where he knew Alvarez was laying in the tall weeds, his tranquilizer rifle ready, but all he could see were the weeds. He turned to Sagano and whispered, “If we lay down like Alvarez, the camera will be the only thing showing. Remember Mark, don’t make a sound and whatever else happens , be damned sure you get everything on film. Okay?”
Sagano didn’t answer; instead squeezing his friend’s shoulder and nodding.
The full Moon slowly appeared over the hills in front of them. The tension mounted as the minutes ticked by, with the occasional laughter, or splashing from across the lake adding to the stressful waiting. Time seemed to be standing still, but Carter knew it was passing by the steady, relentless passage of the bright Moon, now high overhead.
Carter nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt a light touch on his shoulder.
Sagano grabbed his arm tightly, whispering, “Jeez, John . Take it easy, buddy. I just wanted to tell you it was quarter to twelve. And all things considered, I’d rather be fishing than laying here in --.”
Carter cut him off with a low , “Sshh,” pointing up the hill.
Starin g hard at where Carter pointed, Sagano couldn’t see anything. He rose up slightly, peering through the camera. Then he saw a slight movement in the bushes. From bush to bush, just as the animal had done the previous night. The small, brown animal looked right at Sagano for a moment, then deciding whatever it was looking at posed no threat, moved to another bush, each advancement bringing it closer to where Alvarez lie in wait, with his tranquilizer rifle.
Frozen in place, Sagano stared at the small beast, so Carter slowly reached up, turning the cameras on. A small red light in the camera viewing lens was the only indication they were running.
Sagano was transfixed by what he was seeing through the camera lens. An animal, three and a half feet tall, covered in light-brown, coarse hair, with enormous eyes that reflected an orange, yellowish light, creeping slowly along on four legs, with a short stump of a tail. The creature sniffed the humid night air as it scurried forward, heading right for where Alvarez waited.
Having watched it the night before, Carter and Sagano knew the Tescara was acting differently tonight, as it kept stopping and sniffing the air. Somehow the creature knew, or sensed it was not alone. After an exquisitely long pause, the creature crept forward again, to the edge of the pool. When it sat on its haunches, Carter lost it in the high weeds; he hoped Alvarez could still see it from his closer vantage point. Through his rifle scope, Carter tried to locate the creature, and failing that, tried to locate Alvarez. Because of the tall weeds, he was unable to see either of them.
A sudden movement in the tall weeds caught Carter’s attention. Swinging his scope to track the movement, he was shocked as something small was streaking toward him. For a split second he saw the creature, the Tescara, in his scope, as it rose on its rear legs and ran right at him.
In a flash , the creature was upon him with a loud hissing and a scream definitely not human, hitting him hard enough to knock the rifle out of his hands. The Tescara rebounded off the big rifle barrel, over Carter’s back, and flew right into Sagano and the big tripod; all three cameras going down in a crash, then another scream tore the night apart. This scream was definitely human.
Rolling ov er, Carter found Sagano standing with what looked like brown fox skin wrapped around his head.
He heard Alvarez yelling, “I hit it, John . I hit it. Where is it? We must move quickly now.”
As Alvarez was yelling, Carter watched Sagano fall face first, the brown skin still attached to his face, then Carter was up and hurrying
Carter glanced to where he knew Alvarez was laying in the tall weeds, his tranquilizer rifle ready, but all he could see were the weeds. He turned to Sagano and whispered, “If we lay down like Alvarez, the camera will be the only thing showing. Remember Mark, don’t make a sound and whatever else happens , be damned sure you get everything on film. Okay?”
Sagano didn’t answer; instead squeezing his friend’s shoulder and nodding.
The full Moon slowly appeared over the hills in front of them. The tension mounted as the minutes ticked by, with the occasional laughter, or splashing from across the lake adding to the stressful waiting. Time seemed to be standing still, but Carter knew it was passing by the steady, relentless passage of the bright Moon, now high overhead.
Carter nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt a light touch on his shoulder.
Sagano grabbed his arm tightly, whispering, “Jeez, John . Take it easy, buddy. I just wanted to tell you it was quarter to twelve. And all things considered, I’d rather be fishing than laying here in --.”
Carter cut him off with a low , “Sshh,” pointing up the hill.
Starin g hard at where Carter pointed, Sagano couldn’t see anything. He rose up slightly, peering through the camera. Then he saw a slight movement in the bushes. From bush to bush, just as the animal had done the previous night. The small, brown animal looked right at Sagano for a moment, then deciding whatever it was looking at posed no threat, moved to another bush, each advancement bringing it closer to where Alvarez lie in wait, with his tranquilizer rifle.
Frozen in place, Sagano stared at the small beast, so Carter slowly reached up, turning the cameras on. A small red light in the camera viewing lens was the only indication they were running.
Sagano was transfixed by what he was seeing through the camera lens. An animal, three and a half feet tall, covered in light-brown, coarse hair, with enormous eyes that reflected an orange, yellowish light, creeping slowly along on four legs, with a short stump of a tail. The creature sniffed the humid night air as it scurried forward, heading right for where Alvarez waited.
Having watched it the night before, Carter and Sagano knew the Tescara was acting differently tonight, as it kept stopping and sniffing the air. Somehow the creature knew, or sensed it was not alone. After an exquisitely long pause, the creature crept forward again, to the edge of the pool. When it sat on its haunches, Carter lost it in the high weeds; he hoped Alvarez could still see it from his closer vantage point. Through his rifle scope, Carter tried to locate the creature, and failing that, tried to locate Alvarez. Because of the tall weeds, he was unable to see either of them.
A sudden movement in the tall weeds caught Carter’s attention. Swinging his scope to track the movement, he was shocked as something small was streaking toward him. For a split second he saw the creature, the Tescara, in his scope, as it rose on its rear legs and ran right at him.
In a flash , the creature was upon him with a loud hissing and a scream definitely not human, hitting him hard enough to knock the rifle out of his hands. The Tescara rebounded off the big rifle barrel, over Carter’s back, and flew right into Sagano and the big tripod; all three cameras going down in a crash, then another scream tore the night apart. This scream was definitely human.
Rolling ov er, Carter found Sagano standing with what looked like brown fox skin wrapped around his head.
He heard Alvarez yelling, “I hit it, John . I hit it. Where is it? We must move quickly now.”
As Alvarez was yelling, Carter watched Sagano fall face first, the brown skin still attached to his face, then Carter was up and hurrying
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