Dinosaur Hunter Read online

  To shoot the ankylosaurus with your dart gun, go to 45.

  To drive faster, go to 41.

  30

  The drones show that all the dinosaurs are heading back to their underground lair, using the ramp you spotted yesterday.

  Duarte points at the rising sun. “It seems they don’t like the light.”

  You nod. “My guess was correct - they’ll hide down there until nightfall. If we destroy that ramp, they’ll be trapped.”

  To blow up the ramp at once, go to 17.

  To wait until all the dinosaurs are back underground, go to 20.

  31

  Deciding to act at once, you pack an army jeep with kit including explosive charges to destroy the dinosaurs’ route to the surface.

  Duarte comes to report. “I have equipped a backup truck,” she says, “but it has a fault. It will take hours to fix. You can wait, or my men and I can meet you at dawn tomorrow.”

  To wait for the backup vehicle, go to 42.

  To set off immediately, go to 2.

  32

  Feeling the tug of an underwater current, and diving down to follow it, you are swept through a narrow opening. The liopleurodon attacks but you are moving too quickly.

  You emerge into an underground lake. In the middle is an island made by rock and earth from the cenote’s collapsed roof. Vines and long roots dangle from the forest floor above.

  All around the lake, dinosaurs are drinking. The ramp you have to destroy stretches up behind them.

  You find a hidden spot and go ashore. Discarding your scuba gear, you try to sneak towards the ramp - but triumphant screeches tell you that you have been spotted by a pack of velociraptors.

  To dive back into the lake, go to 18.

  To use one of the dinosaurs as cover, go to 48.

  To run and hide, go to 4.

  33

  “The Tyrannosaurus rex is the biggest threat,” you tell Duarte. “We’ll go after that first.”

  You give the order to “Move out!” and lead the soldiers into the forest. The drone continues to track the T. rex.

  Suddenly, the drone operator’s screen goes blank. You look up to see a pterosaur sailing past with the crippled machine in its talons. Uh-oh, you think. Our eye in the sky is toast.

  If the Tyrannosaurus rex realises you’re following it and decides to attack, you won’t have any warning.

  Your instincts prove right.

  Moments later, with a roar and a crash of falling trees, the T. rex is upon you. The terrified soldiers fire a few bursts without effect, then drop their weapons and run, leaving you to face the monster alone.

  Go to 27.

  34

  “Tell him to go away,” you say.

  Duarte looks unhappy. “Many people here are descended from the Maya. Their priests have great power. This one could help us.”

  A rumble of thunder makes you look out the window. The weather is getting worse.

  Duarte’s telephone rings. She answers it in Spanish, then turns to give you the news.

  “We can do nothing until this storm passes. All flights are grounded.”

  You shrug. “Okay. If there’s nothing else to do, I may as well see this priest.”

  Go to 6.

  35

  You decide you don’t want to risk meeting a triceratops, and turn aside from the trail.

  But before long, you hear the sounds of pursuit again - and this time, there is nowhere to hide from the velociraptors.

  As the pack closes in, you take the only possible way out.

  Go to 27.

  36

  You run away from the jeep, but find yourself in the path of a stampeding herd of antarctosaurus.

  You stagger and fall beneath their thundering feet. You are about to be trampled into jelly!

  Go to 27.

  37

  You reach for your dart gun and take aim, but the pilot is zigzagging to dodge the pterosaur’s attack. Big as your target is, you cannot hit it while you are being flung around the sky.

  To order the pilot to try to escape, go to 46.

  To fire a flare at the pterosaur, go to 11.

  To try to land the helicopter, go to 40.

  38

  You run quickly to the nearest tree and begin to climb.

  But the velociraptors’ long, curved claws make them excellent climbers. They chase you up the tree, gaining all the time.

  You realise that there is only one way out of this situation.

  Go to 27.

  39

  The winch-man fires a flare that explodes in the dinosaur’s face - but the T. rex just closes its eyes and jerks its head.

  You lose your grip on the ladder and tumble helplessly into the creature’s gaping jaws. There is only one escape!

  Go to 27.

  40

  “Land!” you tell the pilot.

  He tries to put the helicopter down, but the clearing he chooses is too small. Its rotors are smashed to pieces by surrounding trees. The helicopter crashes to the ground, landing at the feet of a startled stegosaurus. The outraged creature attacks. You are about to be squashed!

  Go to 27.

  41

  You drive faster and outdistance the ankylosaurus. But your jeep is skidding badly from rut to rut, and eventually it bounces off the road and overturns.

  You crawl out of the wreckage, unhurt.

  To abandon the jeep and continue on foot, go to 24.

  To stay put and wait for daylight, go to 7.

  42

  You decide to wait. Hours later, the camp erupts into chaos. You hear cries, gunshots and explosions. You run outside to see a huge stegosaurus using its tail to smash a helicopter as if it were made of tinfoil.

  The dinosaur turns from the helicopter and charges towards you with gaping jaws. You hold the amulet the old priest gave you. If ever you needed the help of Mayan spirits, it’s now!

  Go to 27.

  43

  The villagers suddenly start screaming, and run away in panic. You turn, and look up into the powerful jaws of the T. rex.

  The high explosive charges you are carrying take time to prepare, and time is something you do not have. Your only usable weapon is your dart gun.

  You fire a dart into the T. rex’s mouth. Your aim is good, but the tranquiliser dose is far too small to knock out such an enormous creature. The dart has no effect. You have only one option left...

  Go to 27.

  44

  “Throw me a gun!” you yell.

  The pilot drops a pistol. You catch it and fire at the T. rex. The bullets just bounce off! The angry beast shakes its head, smashing the helicopter against the cavern rim. It explodes.

  You have failed at the last hurdle!

  Go to 27.

  45

  You snatch up your gun and fire a tranquiliser dart at the ankylosaurus. But the dart is designed to go through the soft skin of mammals, not the armoured hide of a dinosaur!

  The creature gives a final shove, and the jeep crashes into a tree. The impact knocks the breath from your body. The engine cuts out. You try to restart it, but the motor is dead. You have no choice but to abandon the jeep.

  Go to 36.

  46

  “Get us out of here!” you tell the pilot.

  But the pterosaur attacks. Its claws tear the rotors to pieces and the crippled aircraft falls from the sky.

  The priest’s amulet is the only hope you have!

  Go to 27.

  47

  The situation is bad, but you are an expert at moving stealthily through the jungle and not letting your scent carry to predators. As you creep away, you switch on your radio to call Duarte.

  The radio screeches into life. “Hunter, what is your position?”

  You realise you must have accidentally turned the receiver up to full volume by mistake. You switch off the radio instantly, but now the velociraptors know you are there.

  To run, go to 15.

  To hide, go to 26.r />
  48

  You spot a triceratops and hide behind it, keeping its great armoured body between you and the velociraptors. The distracted beast doesn’t notice you, and the hunters, having lost sight of you, can’t pick up your smell.

  As soon as the pursuit has gone by, you sprint for the ramp and start putting down explosive charges.

  But as you are setting the timer on the last charge, a bellow freezes your blood. The T. rex has spotted you! As it lumbers down the ramp, its roars attract the velociraptors. They join the hunt.

  To hide, go to 4.

  To make for the pool, go to 18.

  To take refuge on the island, go to 8.

  49

  You call Duarte and give her your location.

  “The truck is fixed,” she says. “We’ll be with you soon. The helicopter is on standby and it can be here in a few minutes.”

  Soon, the truck bounces into view. Duarte has brought a squad of commandoes, and all the equipment you asked for, including three drones and a set of scuba diving gear.

  As the sun rises, you send up the drones. Immediately, one of the operators calls you across. Her drone has located the T. rex.

  To track down the T. rex, go to 33.

  To find out what the rest of the dinosaurs are doing, go to 30.

  50

  You fly over the crater. Duarte examines your handiwork with approval.

  “The pterosaurs can still get out,” she says, “but we will have the opening netted by nightfall.”

  You mop your brow. “Good. But if you have any more trouble with dinosaurs, do me a favour – call on someone else!”

  Duarte laughs. “Sorry, my friend, I would call on you again. You are a real hero!”

  Question 1

  Where are you at the beginning of your dinosaur adventure?

  AMesozoic era

  BGuatemala

  CColorado, USA

  DAntarctica

  Question 2

  How are the dinosaurs getting out of the cenote?

  Aa ramp made of earth and rock

  Ba ladder

  Ca man-made bridge

  Dthrough a swamp

  Question 3

  What type of dinosaur attacks the helicopter?

  Astegosaurus

  Bankylosaurus

  Cpterodactyl

  Dvelociraptor

  Question 4

  What does the Mayan priest give you?

  Aan amulet decorated with a serpent

  Ba gold coin

  Ca dart gun

  Dhis sacred headdress

  Question 5

  How is the ramp destroyed?

  Agunfire

  Bhelicopter crushes it

  Cdinosaur smashes into it

  Dexplosive charges

  Answers:

  1. B; 2. A; 3. C; 4. A and 5. D.

  About the 2Steves

  “The 2Steves” are one of Britain’s most popular writing double acts for young people, specialising in comedy and adventure. They perform regularly in schools and libraries, and at festivals, taking the power of words and story to audiences of all ages.

  Together they have written many books, including the Monster Hunter series. Find out what they’ve been up to at: www.the2steves.net

  About the illustrator: Judit Tondora

  Judit Tondora was born in Miskolc, Hungary and now works from her countryside studio. Judit’s artwork has appeared in books, comics, posters and on commercial design projects.

  To find out more about her work, visit: www.astound.us/publishing/artists/judit-tondora

  Franklin Watts

  First published in Great Britain in 2016 by The Watts Publishing Group

  Text © Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore 2019

  Illustrations by Jack Lawrence © Franklin Watts 2019

  The “2Steves” illustration by Paul Davidson used by kind permission of Orchard Books

  The authors and illustrator have asserted their rights in

  accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  All rights reserved.

  PB ISBN 978 1 4451 6963 7

  ebook ISBN 978 1 4451 6964 4

  Library ebook ISBN 978 1 4451 6965 1

  Franklin Watts

  An imprint of

  Hachette Children’s Group

  Part of The Watts Publishing Group

  Carmelite House

  50 Victoria Embankment

  London EC4Y 0DZ

  An Hachette UK Company

  www.hachette.co.uk

  www.franklinwatts.co.uk