Liopleurodon ferox was the deadliest sea predator of all time, the king of the Jurassic ocean. This whale-sized reptile’s return to the early twentieth century triggers a geopolitical crisis in this new historical science fiction thriller. Former President Theodore Roosevelt foresees the threat the Liopleurodon would pose if it falls into the wrong hands. The race is on as Roosevelt leads the American effort to destroy it before the Kaiser’s Germany can turn it into a weapon.
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Extract
Teddy Roosevelt battles the Liopleurodon during the climax, intervening as it preys upon Neville Chamberlain’s wedding yacht.
Roosevelt watched as the five-meter triangular head moved along the ocean’s surface. It first swam toward the Thüringen and then turned to attack Roosevelt’s boat.
“Keep a distance from the yacht!” Roosevelt shouted to the men behind him. He made a split-second calculation of weaponry and decided the harpoon gun was his best chance since it combined distance and power. The drawback was that it had to be reloaded. Roosevelt moved as fast as possible, loading another lance and cocking the weapon.
The Liopleurodon flapped his flippers, closing the distance to Roosevelt’s boat. Roosevelt aimed and fired. The harpoon overshot the Liopleurodon, which struck the boat. However, dodging the harpoon sacrificed the Liopleurodon’s speed and decreased his attack’s power. Roosevelt and his crew wouldn’t have known this as they spun along the ocean’s surface, feeling queasy as they slowed.
Roosevelt grit his teeth and changed tactics. He drew his sword. “Come on! Let’s settle this! You and me!”
The pliosaur approached once more, again attacking on the Atlantic’s surface. Roosevelt marveled at the Liopleurodon, envious of his power as his three-meter jaws opened. Roosevelt was cocked, screaming and lunging with his sword, stabbing the top of the Liopleurodon’s mouth. Blood burst from where the sword struck.
The Liopleurodon shrieked and Roosevelt surged with joy. The adversaries moved in opposite directions as if on cue, the Liopleurodon raising his head to escape and Roosevelt pulling back to strike again.
“What fun!” Roosevelt shouted as he swung for the Liopleurodon’s throat, already bleeding from the harpoon wound. Roosevelt missed and the Liopleurodon turned to submerge.
Roosevelt took a second to catch his breath, careful not to lose his balance with his pegleg. He knew the Liopleurodon was done playing with him. That was fine. Roosevelt’s brain raced as he calculated ways to score a mortal blow. He needed to access a weak point so he could stab the reptile to death. Roosevelt couldn’t let the Liopleurodon dictate the terms. No amount of stabbing the Liopleurodon’s mouth would kill it. He had to access someplace more vulnerable. If the Liopleurodon did as he predicted, such an opportunity was imminent.
He turned to his men. “Brace yourselves!”
Thank you
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About the Author
M. B. Zucker has been interested in storytelling for as long as he can remember. He discovered his love of history at fifteen and studied Dwight Eisenhower for over ten years. Mr. Zucker earned his B.A. at Occidental College and his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He lives in Virginia with his wife.
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Author Links
Website: https://www.michaelbzucker.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBZuckerBooks and https://twitter.com/michaelzucker1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100061516155957
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/M-B-Zucker/e/B09JM74HMF
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21882348.M_B_Zucker
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Book Link
Universal Link: https://mybook.to/liopleurodon
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