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Jurassic Park Dawn of Retribution Stage Twelve
By JPJunkee+Yvonne
TWELFTH STAGE
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
-- Theodore Roosevelt --
Martinez walked slowly through the muddy streets of the worker village. All around him there were giant footprints and trampled machinery. He looked to his right and saw a gas station that had been completely destroyed.
Ahead of him, he saw the shiny metal of one of the Hummers. The big vehicle had a terrible looking front end, where it had apparently slammed into a tall building of some sort. The building itself had fallen, evidently because of the Hummer striking it.
Martinez’s walk turned into a jog and the jog turned into a run as he made his way to the wreck. From his vantagepoint, he could see only one person in the vehicle, slumped over the steering wheel.
He made it to the rear of the vehicle and peered into the back windows. There was no one there. Then, he moved up to the front seat and looked into the shattered driver’s door window. He couldn’t see the man’s face, because of the shattered glass and the amount of blood that had covered the man’s inert forehead.
Martinez threw open the door, and then slowly moved the man into a more suitable position. He wiped the blood off the man’s brow and to his astonishment, found himself staring at the face of General Aldez.
Millions of thoughts ran through his head all at once. The General was mostly to blame for all that had gone awry. What if Martinez would say that he had never been able to find him? What if he just left the man here to die?
What if he killed him right now?
Almost to his horror, Martinez found himself touching the pistol strapped to his waist. It would be that simple. Just one bullet and he would then be in charge. None would be the wiser.
Going one step further, he drew the pistol from its holster and aimed at Aldez’s skull. His hands shook, the gun wavering as it hovered only mere feet from the eyes of his superior officer.
Martinez glared at the man who he had come to hate. Fighting his instincts, and ultimately deciding that he knew the difference between right and wrong, he put the gun back in its holster and reached out for Aldez. He picked up the limp weight of the older man, and pulled him from the Hummer. Then, he set him down in the mud and reached for his radio.
He pressed the button, and said, "This is Sergeant Martinez, is anybody reading me?"
There was a hiss of static, then, "Yeah, I hear you Sarge. What’s your status?"
"I have located General Aldez. I am in the village right now. A little bit lost, I’m afraid."
"What is the condition of the General?"
"He’s out cold. Got himself into a car accident, it seems."
"Okay, stay there. We’ll send transport to your location shortly."
"Roger that. Martinez, out."
He turned off the radio, and then gently picked the General up out of the mud. Propping him on his shoulder, he walked slowly to one of the buildings nearby. The building was locked up, but it had a front porch with two sturdy looking wood chairs.
He walked with Aldez up to the porch, and then ever so slowly, lowered the man down into one of the chairs. Once Aldez looked comfortable, he drew his pistol and walked to the other chair and sat down, too.
He heard Aldez grunt and then the man opened his eyes. He looked startled at first, but then he was calmed when he saw Martinez seated next to him.
"What time is it?" Aldez asked.
The man was always about business, Martinez thought as he looked at his watch. The face was cracked and water had found its way inside, hindering its usefulness, "I don't know, but the sun has set, so it'll be dark soon." Still looking around, he stood up from his chair, "We should go. It would be easier for the others to find us, if we went back out into the field."
Aldez sighed, then nodded and held out his hand. Martinez grabbed his hand, and helped him out of his chair. Then, slightly limping on one leg, he followed Martinez towards the field where the stampede had just transpired.
They walked in silence, save for Aldez's few gasps of pain when he stepped on his injured leg wrong. Martinez wondered how bad the older man had injured himself in the car crash. He hoped he was injured worse than he appeared.
Once they met up with some of the other soldiers, the plan was to go and find Grant and the others, so they could complete the mission. With the scientists again in their custody, they would work on solving the enigma that was the disease.
But Aldez had no intention to do such a thing.
The scientists had humiliated him in front of his own men, and he would not let that go by without punishment. He didn't care about the mission anymore, he just wanted Grant and the others dead.
Without looking at Martinez, the General said, "You don't agree with my decisions, do you?"
"Sorry?"
"Ever since we got here, you've questioned my commands."
"That's not true---"
Aldez shook his head, "Just because you didn't voice your opinion, doesn't mean you didn't question my orders."
Martinez said nothing, he continued to stare forward, as they walked.
"You think I'm wrong in my methods, don't you? You think that me going after these scientists, is wrong. You think we should wait for more reinforcements, don't you?"
Martinez turned to look at Aldez, "Yes, sir, I do."
"Do you think you would do a better job than me?"
Martinez nodded.
Aldez's eyes narrowed. "How could you even begin to think that?" he growled.
"We're not exactly on our way to accomplishing our mission, right now, General. And the reason for that is simply because you were too violent and hostile towards the civilians."
"You think you could have done better?"
"Yes, sir," Martinez said sternly.
"Do you know how long I've been a part of this military? Nearly three decades. That's a long time wouldn't you say?" Aldez waited for a reply from Martinez, but when he got none, he continued. "In that time I went from the rank of private, then to your rank, and so on, and now I am a General. Do you know why I am a General? Because I am a good soldier, with lots of experience. I became a good soldier because of my methods, and I will not tolerate those who think little of the way I handle things around here. I am in charge. I am in control, and my command, is always the correct command. Got that?"
Martinez was about to answer the question, but realized he had no proper response. He searched for the right words, and just when he was about to tell Aldez off, he was interrupted.
"It looks like a bomb was dropped here," Aldez said, his voice just a whisper as he stared at the flattened open field.
Martinez followed Aldez's line of vision, and found himself staring at the sanguineous carcasses of more than a dozen dinosaurs. He coughed slightly, then rose his wrist to his face to try and block out the foul stench created by the dead animals.
They continued to walk onward, amongst the dead dinosaurs. Martinez stared at the bloody body of one of the hadrosaurs. Its neck and skull had been pulverized, and its left rear leg was twisted in a precarious angle. The animal had seemingly tripped, and then been trampled on by one of the larger dinosaurs.
Martinez did his best to look away, but in the process, shifted his position to the burning Hummer, trapped in the creek bed, that he had been a part of destroying. Lying around the Hummer, were about five men, all with some bloodstained battle wound to show for their troubles. Five men, he had killed. There was no sign of the other men he had fought with.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared to his left. He turned to see two pairs of white headlights heading in his direction.
He looked at Aldez. The old man was staring at a black box, with a brightly-lit green display. "This will lead us straight to them," Aldez said, never looking up from the screen.
"What will?" Martinez asked, walking closer to him, as the two Hummers came to a stop at their location. Five soldiers jumped out of the vehicles, then stood in a straight line awaiting their next orders.
Aldez nodded, "The tracking device, planted in Dr. Kaje's backpack. They're not too far away, and with any luck, we'll have caught up to them within the hour." Aldez placed the black box into his own backpack, and began to walk over to one of the Hummers.
Martinez walked a little faster and got in front of him, stopping him, "You're tracking Kaje?" he asked with astonishment.
"Of course. Why else would I let that stupid man live? He certainly wasn't very helpful."
"When did you--- "
"When did I plant a tracking device on him?" Aldez interrupted in a proud tone, "Very early on." Aldez waited for that fact to sink in and then he added, "That is why I'm in charge here and you are not. Do you understand now?"
The General didn't wait for a response, as he began walking again, leaving Martinez behind.
"Are you all that made it?" Aldez asked one of the soldiers.
"Negative," one soldier answered. "There are five others back at camp."
"We should go back for them," Martinez said, caught up to them now.
Aldez shook his head, "No, we don't have time for that."
"We don't have time? You said yourself we could be to the scientist's position in less than an hour. How badly is an extra twenty minutes going to hurt us?"
Aldez's face turned red as he leaned in close to him, and growled, "I want Grant now."
Martinez held the General's gaze, refusing to blink.
Fear crept into Martinez, and he was very relieved when the General turned away. Then, a thought occurred to him, and as if someone else had entered his body and decided to challenge Aldez, he heard himself ask, "Why haven't we been tracking them this whole time?"
Aldez stopped and quickly turned to face him. After studying his face for a moment, he glanced around to see who was listening. Each man he would make eye contact with turned away, pretending to be busy. All but one, who just looked down as if ashamed. Sighing, and satisfied that only Martinez would hear the entire reason, Aldez explained quietly, "The device was lost when Grant escaped. It was presumed destroyed." Aldez glared at that same ashamed soldier, "But this morning, I found out that man was holding it all along, not knowing what it was."
Martinez nodded and then looked away, not wishing for the soldier to get into any more trouble.
"Let's go, now," Aldez barked, opening the passenger door of the first Hummer, then sitting in the seat and buckling his safety belt. Martinez stood inert for a moment, glaring at his superior officer through the window of the Hummer.
Sisqo patted Martinez on the shoulder, and gruffly pushed him to the other Hummer. The large man got in the driver's seat and waited for Martinez to enter the passenger side door. Instead, he walked to the back of the Hummer, and sat down on the open bed.
Once all the other soldiers had entered the vehicles, they began to drive out of the field, and in the direction that the tracking device pointed them.
Martinez bounced along in the back of the Hummer as they drove over the rough terrain.
* * *
Larson trudged through the jungle, getting more and more agitated by the minute. Things hadn't gone entirely his way, he realized. What once was a more than adequate army of twenty-four at his disposal, was now dwindled down to eight. It would get better though, as soon as they regrouped with the ten or so others that had gone to the volcano. Once they arrived there, things would go much more smoothly and he would be able to properly execute his plan. The only other wrench in that well-laid plan was walking somewhere close behind him. The reporter. He hadn't counted on her. He hadn't foreseen what sort of long-gone feelings she would draw out of him. He silently cursed for not being prepared for just a trivial thing, but then tried to focus back on the task at hand. They needed to get to the volcano and that's all he needed to concern himself with at the moment.
Leah stared at the back of Larson's sweaty head, as she followed him and the others as part of a single file line walking through the jungle.
After the brief stand-off in the village between himself and Grant, Larson had gotten the rest of his team together and then had walked out into the jungle, once more. What concerned Leah slightly, was the fact that they weren't following the direction that they believed Grant and the others had taken. She wondered about where they were going now, and it scared her because she knew it was probably somewhere she didn't want to be. To make it worse, it was beginning to get dark and it didn't look as though Larson was going to stop walking anytime soon.
Her thoughts drifted to Aaron, tears welling up in her eyes. She had known him for nearly all her professional life as a reporter. He had been her colleague, her partner, and her friend when she needed a friend the most. He had always been there for her. She had truly cherished his friendship and it hurt her inside, when she realized that she had never told him that.
She had always meant to. It had always been unspoken words, and she had assumed that he had understood her true feelings. He was a gentlemen, despite the attitude and persona he tried to display on the outside. Not once had he been rude or pressured her sexually, and she appreciated it. She appreciated his company, and his being.
But she had never told him.
And now---
She sniffed and frowned as she began to cry. Leah tried to hold it back and keep it together, she didn't want to give Larson the pleasure of watching or hearing her mourn. But she couldn't stop it, and inside, she knew she shouldn't even try to. The tears kept coming.
Larson heard her, and turned around. "All that crying will make you dehydrated," he said.
She glared, and wiped away one of her tears, trying to bring her emotions back under control.
"That's better."
Leah stepped over a rotten log. "Where are you taking me?"
"No talking now, we're in some very dangerous territory," said Larson.
Leah stopped walking. McCarney ran into her from behind, and everyone else stopped in their tracks. "Where are you taking me?" she repeated more sternly than before. "I demand to know."
Larson's shoulders slumped, then he snapped his head to look Leah in the eyes. "Since when did you think you were in the position to make demands?"
"You want the others, not me. And you wouldn't dare hurt me, because you still have hopes that they will come looking for me."
"What made you think I wouldn't dare hurt you?" he asked, closing the distance between them, and pulling a knife from a sheath strapped to his leg.
"You wouldn't," Leah stammered, shaking her head.
"You'd like to think that, I'm sure." Larson grabbed Leah's throat with his free hand, and pulled her face close to his. Then he brought the knife up, and stroked the blade softly against her cheek. "You liked it, didn't you? You liked the feeling of me holding you close, the gun pressed against your skull. You liked it. You don't know why, but it invigorated you, it made you feel so alive, by being so close to death. You loved it, didn't you?"
"You're sick," Leah breathed, as his grip tightened on her throat. Her eye blinked involuntarily as the tip of the blade inched closer.
The men all around them, stood and stared, but no one made any movement to help.
"They will come for me," she said.
"I'm counting on it."
"Alan will kill you. He'll kill all of you," she
Larson tilted his head to the side. "Tell me, Ms. Owens, would your boyfriend still love you if you no longer had that beautiful face?"
Leah gasped for breath, but said nothing.
Larson growled, then slashed the knife to the side, and cut a nasty gash in Leah's cheek. She breathed in, determined not to scream and seem the least bit weak. Blood began to gush from the wound, down her chin and onto her shirt. It was beginning to burn, so she closed her eyes trying to cope with the intense pain. Tasting her own blood, she began to lose her resolve when she realized how badly she was cut. She felt her feet give out from under her, when Larson released his hand from her neck.
Larson turned around and continued to walk though the jungle. The other men followed him.
Griffin stopped by Leah, and threw a rag on her lap.
"Wipe yourself off," he said. "You're bleeding."
Leah glared at Griffin for a moment, then he too turned and walked away. She picked up the rag, and pressed it hard against her cheek. She tried to stand up then, but she couldn't find the strength and dropped back down onto the dirt.
"Here," a man said above her.
Looking up, she saw McCarney holding his hand out to her. She nodded thankfully, and accepted the hand, as he helped her back to her feet.
"Get moving," he said, motioning for her to keep up with the rest of the group.
She nodded again, and followed them through the thick wet foliage of the dark jungle. She pressed the rag against her bleeding face. To block out the unbearable pain she thought of Grant.
She wanted to tell herself that she had helped him in some small way. But, in her heart, she knew that her presence on the island may actually be the death of him. She came here to save him from the people who had forced him here. But, in the process, the people she had enlisted to help her ended up being the greatest threat.
She only hoped he was faring better than she was, at this point.
* * *
Grant made steady progress along the jungle floor determined to stay ahead of Larson and his men. They had snuck away from the village while Larson was trying to organize what remained of his team. The only thing on his mind at the moment was getting Leah away from him, so he didn't even see the scattered rocks on the ground before him. He stumbled and then fell, wincing.
Malcolm was the closest so he turned to look at him, "If you needed a break, there are better ways to alert us, you know," he said, smiling.
"Ah, you're funny," Grant said, as he sat up. Sitting down and resting felt very good, so he wasn't in a big hurry to get up.
"You okay?" Ellie asked, as she rushed to his side.
"Yeah," Grant answered, protectively holding his injured hand to his chest. His hand had struck the ground during the fall and it was slightly tingling, but he didn't mention it.
Malcolm offered a helping hand, though, and he accepted, being hoisted back to his feet.
Kaje stood off to the side, stretching. He shrugged and said, "If you're going to hold us up, maybe we should leave you here."
Grant looked at his former student, but did nothing else in response. Whether it was a joke or something serious, he just didn't have the stamina to do more than stare, rolling his eyes.
Malcolm, however, was seething, "Why don't you go jump in a very deep lake somewhere?" he suggested in an angry tone, very unlike his usual cheerfully negative verse.
"Why don't you shut the hell up! I was just---," Kaje began to yell.
"Don't tell me to shut up, you minuscule man," Malcolm shot back.
"Keep your stupid thoughts to yourself!" Kaje yelled again.
"Both of you . . . shut up!" Ellie yelled as she got in between them. They didn't stop bickering so she physically pushed them away from each other, "Stop it! Stop yelling! Shut up! All of you . . . shut up!"
The two of them finally forced themselves to look at Ellie.
"We are all in this together. Stop trying to pick fights with each other."
"I wasn't starting any fights," Kaje said innocently.
"The hell you weren't," Ellie pointed out.
Kaje motioned to himself, "I was just trying to lighten the mood around here. You people are very dreary . . . " Kaje looked at Malcolm, "and some of you like to jump to the wrong conclusions."
Malcolm stepped toward him, but Ellie was still in the way.
"Okay, I guess I can see how you would think . . . that was funny," she offered, "but now that you know it wasn't funny, why don't you try to stop giving everyone a hard time, okay?"
Kaje shrugged and then nodded.
Ellie looked at Malcolm, "And you?"
"Me what?" he commented. Ellie sighed and it sparked an answer out of him, "Yeah, okay sure."
Satisfied that the fighting was stopped for now, Ellie moved away from them and looked at Grant.
He only smiled, as he stood next to a tree, holding himself up.
"You're very quiet," she said, walking toward him.
"You said it all."
She laughed and then looked around, mostly at the tree Grant was leaning against, "You know . . . maybe we should stay here for the night."
"We're stopping already?" Kaje asked.
Ellie ignored him, "These couple of trees, right here, look pretty easy to climb. We could all sleep a little more peaceful, if we were higher up."
"I'm all for it," Malcolm said.
"You're the boss," Grant said to Ellie.
"How reassuring," she said, smiling.
Kaje stepped backwards and looked disappointed that he didn't get to make a major decision, "We're really stopping? Now?"
"Yes, we're really stopping. Now," Grant repeated, as he turned toward the tree he was next to.
Ellie climbed first and then Grant followed slowly.
Kaje stood and just watched them climb for a while, and then looked to see where Malcolm had gone to.
He was already climbing another nearby tree, "Since there's only two accessible trees in the immediate vicinity, it looks like you and I are stuck with it."
"Wonderful," Kaje whispered, as he walked toward the tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaje pulled the straps of his backpack off his shoulders, and began rummaging through the pack. He pulled out a water canteen and then closed the pack again, resting it against a thick tree branch. He unscrewed the lid and then took one long drink from the canteen. He sighed and wiped the residue off his lips with the back of his hand, then put the top back on the canteen. As he moved to put it back into his pack, he noticed Malcolm's eyes upon him - or rather, upon the canteen.
"Thirsty?" Kaje asked, reaching towards Malcolm and placing the canteen in his hands.
Malcolm smiled sardonically, accepting the offer and promptly taking a long gulp of the refreshing water. He nodded his head and handed it back to Kaje.
Kaje placed the canteen into his backpack, shaking his head and smiling as he did so.
"What's so funny?" asked Malcolm.
"You."
Malcolm frowned. "Me?"
"You. Your whole facade, it's amusing. One moment when we're all together you're a smartass, trying to put me down. But when we're alone, you're quiet and bitter, and your wit and humor have all but dissipated."
Malcolm shrugged. "You're a jackass, if I'm going to insult you, I want an audience. Otherwise, you're not worth it."
Kaje's smile widened. "You know, I've been thinking-"
"Shocking," Malcolm interrupted.
"Shut up." Kaje had to chuckle a little. "I've been thinking; I really wish I wasn't on this island."
"Hmm, it seems you do have a small shred of logic tucked away in that brain of yours."
"So your wit hasn't abandoned you, afterall," Kaje said.
"Apparently not."
Kaje sighed and titled his head back, looking up through the dripping canopy at the stars shining above. He whispered softly, "I don't have any friends. I work at the Natural History museum in Boston, and of course I do the extemporary dig or teaching every now and then. I've come across many intelligent individuals in my time, and many offered me friendship, but I wouldn't take it. I wouldn't take it. The truth is, I don't like people much, and they don't much like me."
Malcolm tilted his head to the side, trying to get a better look at Kaje's face in the light of the moon.
"I know why, of course," Kaje said, looking back down from the stars, and now looking at Malcolm eye to eye. "I'm an arrogant asshole."
Malcolm nodded, "You make an excellent point."
"I wasn't always this way. About, eight years ago or so, right about the time I first started working with Grant, I knew a girl named Claire." Kaje closed his eyes, trying to think back. "We both studied paleontology, she was very smart. I think that's what initially sparked my attraction towards her. We dated for about five months, it never became anything serious however, as we both lived very busy lives, but she was my one friend that I always found myself turning to for help or affection. Then we both graduated, and I went off to study with Grant. Claire didn't, she decided paleontology wasn't the right thing for her, and she became an historian of sorts. We grew apart, and I guess you could say I lost my only friend, and so I devoted my life to my practice and made it my goal to be as good as I possibly could be, no matter the cost."
Malcolm blinked. "Why are you telling me this?"
Kaje looked at Malcolm again. "I try to find worth in things. Why am I here? Because I was supposed to aid in solving the disease enigma. But, that didn't exactly pan out too well. Why I'm telling you this, is because I'm saying I admire you."
Malcolm frowned slightly, "Sorry?"
"I've had the pleasure . . . or rather displeasure," Kaje said, smiling, "of meeting a lot of influential and important people. I've even had the chance to get to know a few of them, but no one, in my opinion, rivals my intellect or offers a challenge quite like you have. And while I wouldn't go so far as to say I consider you a friend, I admire you as a person and a man of science."
"That doesn't make much sense," Malcolm said.
"Why not?"
"You piss me off and offer a challenge of sorts, but that doesn't mean I admire you, far from it."
Kaje frowned now. "It was supposed to be a compliment."
"You don't have any friends so you have to have rivals or competitors to keep your mind busy, is that the gist of it?"
Kaje shrugged. "Yeah, I guess--"
"What about family, they can be friendly. Any brothers or sisters? You're a young man, I would say there's a chance that you might have parents that still walk this earth."
"I do, but I haven't spoken to them in a long time."
"Why not?"
Kaje shrugged again.
Malcolm shook his head and sighed. "I will not deny that I enjoy aggravating others, especially those who I disagree with. But you need disagreement to be happy? That's stupid. To sacrifice your social and personal life for your professional career is stupid, too."
"Well, I'm kind of surprised you feel that way, being that you're a scientist--"
"Umm, what does science have to do with this?" Malcolm was beginning to grow a little bit agitated, though not even he knew exactly why.
"Discovery and advancement in our fields," Kaje said. "It's what all individual scientists strive for, but few are daring enough to go the distance and sacrifice to reach their goals. I didn't have to come to this island. But I came here for the chance of discovery. I didn't have to live my life in solitude, but I did because I was willing to go the distance to make advancements. And I thought that from what I've seen of you, that you would understand."
"I didn't come to this island by choice," Malcolm snapped.
"You've been here before, though."
Malcolm nodded his head swiftly, "Yes, but even then it wasn't something I had wanted to do. Science and discovery certainly weren't on my agenda then, and they're not now, either."
"Why did you come here before?" Kaje asked.
"To save my wife. Well, umm, she wasn't my wife at the time."
"You're married?"
Malcolm nodded again, "Yes."
"Still?"
Malcolm thought the question was a little odd and intrusive. "Yes. Why?"
"You don't seem like the type that would settle down with someone," Kaje said. "Or rather, that someone else could manage to settle down with."
Malcolm shook his head, "I'm not the type, but these sorts of things just happen."
"What's her name?"
"Sarah."
"What does she do?" Kaje asked.
"What does it matter?"
"I'm interested."
"Fine, if you must know, she's a paleontologist," Malcolm said.
At this, Kaje's eyebrows perked up. "Really? Would her full name be Sarah Harding, by any chance?"
Malcolm leaned back and put his head against one of the tree branches. "You know Sarah?"
"I don't know her, but I know of her."
Malcolm nodded, closing his eyes and preparing for sleep. He was tired, and he had grown bored of the conversation, anyway.
"How did that happen? You two?" Kaje asked.
Malcolm didn't open his eyes, he thought back to the moment they first met, and he smiled. "I was in the hospital. She came, uhh, she came to interrogate me." He chuckled softly. "She wanted to know about the rumors of the park. I don't know how she got into my room. And I don't remember if it was the drugs in me that made me answer all her questions or what." He sighed and opened his eyes, looking at Kaje. "When I saw her . . . I thought I was seeing one of those angels everyone always talks about."
Malcolm closed his eyes again, thinking about how blissful their first meeting had been, and then how their relationship had slowly but surely deteriorate over time. He sighed, "I'm tired, and we need rest tomorrow. I suggest we both try and get some sleep."
Kaje nodded slowly and rested his head back against the tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grant quietly stared at Ellie, as she soundly slept just above him in their own tree, thankfully away from Kaje and Malcolm.
She looked so peaceful, as if nothing in the world could be weighing on her conscience. He wished he could help her grieve in some way, but all of the years away from her had made any small helpful gesture seem awkward.
Stretching, he stood and moved to a slightly higher, and hopefully more comfortable branch, in the tree they were in. Moving up about a foot, he was now about even with Ellie, who now had her eyes opened.
"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered.
Ellie smiled and gestured toward the tree to her right, "Who could sleep with all of that going on?"
Grant turned to see Malcolm and Kaje arguing about something , yet again. Sighing, he replied, "Even when they should be sleeping, they argue. They're like a couple of school kids."
Ellie had been smiling up until that point, but something had made her frown and Grant had no clue.
"I wish I could see my kids," she whispered, almost resulting in tears.
Grant sat up a little straighter and raised an eyebrow, initially not knowing how to react to Ellie's sudden turn toward sadness. He gathered his thoughts and offered, "We'll be out of here soon. You'll be able to see them."
"I just want to be there for them. It's going to be tough when they find out about Mark."
"I know."
"Especially Samantha. The bond between a father and a daughter is pretty significant."
"I'm sure she has a resolve very much like her mother's. I'm sure she'll be okay in time."
Ellie didn't really listen to all of what he had to say, as she went on, "Charlie, on the other hand, he's much more attached to me."
"A Momma's boy, eh?" Alan joked, and then almost immediately wished he had not said such a stupid and improper thing.
Surprisingly, Ellie laughed, "I guess you could say that. He has the same fascination with prehistoric things . . . "
"Just like his mother," Alan added.
"Yes," she whispered, smiling at the thought. "How's your hand?"
Alan let out a chuckle at the abrupt change of subject and then answered, "It's not hurting much at the moment."
"I still can't believe he did that to you," she said.
Realizing that she no longer wanted to talk about her family, he went along with the new discussion, "Yeah, it was kind of shocking," Alan admitted, almost laughing at how odd and understated that remark sounded.
Ellie yawned, as she looked around for a second.
"We should probably try to get some sleep," Alan suggested.
She nodded and wiped away some of the tears. After looking at him for several moments, she finally reached for his hand.
"You've always been like a rock to me, Alan. Thank you for that."
He gently squeezed her hand in return, "You're very welcome."
Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and began to think sleep was sounding like the best idea in the world. He let go of Ellie's hand, and as soon as the movement happened, she disturbed the peacefulness of the jungle.
"You and Leah ever think of having kids?"
His eyes abruptly opened, "What?"
"Leah. You think you'll have kids with her at some point?"
"I don't know", he answered, slightly confused with the question.
"Good answer," she joked.
Alan didn't want to talk about Leah. Thinking about her just got him anxious to know where she was and how she was doing, so he tried to halt the conversation before it began. Before he got a word out, though, she was already continuing
"It's just that I would be happy if you decided to get married and have a family," she said.
"Ellie," he began, trying to find a nice way to stop the conversation, "I was almost asleep. Almost not thinking about where Leah is and how she is doing right now."
Ellie cringed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
Alan looked at her for a moment and realized that she had just happened upon a bad topic with him. She hadn't meant to make him feel rotten for leaving Leah. Leaving her alone with Larson and running away like a coward. That's how he felt and that's how he had felt since leaving the village. He had almost been able to suppress those awful feelings, surrendering to some well-deserved sleep, but now Leah was first thing on his mind again. Back to the forefront, and because of Ellie.
"It's fine," he whispered, rubbing his eyes. He looked at her and saw that she just really needed someone to talk to her about things, so he put his own problems and worries aside for her own, "Kids and I don't get along, you know? And marriage . . . " he trailed off, thinking of Leah again.
"You would make a great father," she said very quickly, and then she added, "and a great husband, too."
He didn't want to have this conversation . . . not now and not ever really. He just wanted to go to sleep, "I think all of this talk about husbands and wives . . . it isn't good for either of us to talk about right now. We need to sleep."
Ellie sighed deeply, "You're right."
"That happens sometimes," he joked.
"Good night, Alan," she said, smiling.
He nodded, but didn't exactly smile. He was angry with her for bringing up thoughts of Leah again, but he was also relieved that Ellie finally seemed to have her eyes closed.
He leaned his head back, once again, trying to crush all of his thoughts and fears.
* * *
His head bobbing up and down slightly, Martinez sighed as the Hummer he was riding in bounced over the rough terrain.
Sleep was about to finally take hold, when suddenly the vehicles came to a sliding halt as locked wheels slipped over the muddy ground. Curious, Martinez stirred, getting to his feet and looking over the top of the Hummer. The two vehicles had stopped just before a dense wall of trees. The headlights illuminated the thick undergrowth. He drummed his fingers on the top of the Hummer as Aldez stepped out of the first vehicle.
The General had his hands on his hips, walking up to the borderline of nature that blocked their progress towards their intended targets. Then he cursed behind clenched teeth, turning back to his soldiers. He looked into the eyes of his men, his face sour and irate. His eyes found Martinez's, and stayed locked on them for a moment.
"Everyone out," Aldez said. "We go by foot."
The driver of Martinez's Hummer opened the door, and spoke to Aldez in a shaky voice, "Can't we rest here? We've been through hell and back, we need a rest."
Aldez's eyes darted to the driver, as he made his way towards the man.
Martinez stopped drumming his fingers over the metal. He thought the driver was brave to have asked such a question. Brave, but stupid.
Aldez reached the driver, who now was all but ready to slam the door shut and cower under the dashboard. The General reached his hand out and seized the man's shoulder, preventing him from moving away.
"Hell?" Aldez started, his voice but a whisper, hardly audible over the rumble of the engines. "This is child's play. We're simply caught in the middle of a zoo gone astray, and we're playing a little game of cat and mouse. Hell? Don't talk to me about hell . . . Five years ago, I was leading a platoon of soldiers to San Ramon. There were only fifteen of us, we were only supposed to be going to check up on a possible lead to some drug lord. We were ambushed, never saw it coming. The gunfire and explosions only paused long enough so you could hear the terrible screaming. You look left and right at the faces of your men, only to watch as their eyes roll back into their head. And the whole time as you scramble for more ammunition, you know that you are pinned down with little hope of escape, and the only thought going through your mind is how much pain you will feel when a bullet finally finds you." Aldez paused, thinking back to the horrible events. "We lost ten men that day. We had to retreat. The bodies of the dead were never recovered. . . . Hell is a time when all is lost and you have nobody to turn to but yourself. All other lives are expendable, save yourself, not a care for your brothers. That is hell . . . Don't you dare try and tell me what hell is."
Aldez released his hold on the man, but did not relinquish his gaze into the man's eyes. Then he turned to the rest of his men, who had all been staring at him throughout his speech of sorts.
Aldez cleared his throat. "I suppose, if we are all tired, this would be the most opportune place to rest for the night. We won't be much good in the hunt, if we are all fatigued. We'll rest here in the vehicles and by first light, we will be entering the jungle in search of our quarry once more."
Then with a nod, Aldez turned on his feet and walked back to the first Hummer, stepping through the open door, and resting his head against the side of the interior.
It crossed Martinez's mind, that Aldez had probably fallen asleep as soon as his eyelids had closed. Nothing seemed to faze the man, as he had apparently become so accompanied with frightening others for power now.
All the others shifted in their seats, preparing for sleep. Martinez sat back down in the rear end of the Hummer. He was exposed here, but he expected, or at least hoped, he would be safe from any overly curious dinosaurs that happened to pass them by during the night.
Sinking lower, as to not be seen by Aldez or any of the other soldiers, he pulled a radio from his belt, and pressed the talk button.
"Gomez," he whispered into the radio, "Gomez, can you read me?"
"Yes, sir," came the return voice.
"We're going to need backup very soon, here."
"Does General Aldez authorize this action?"
"Yes."
"Where and when, sir?"
"Start moving inland. I'll give you coordinates shortly."
"Yes, sir."
Martinez switched the radio to a different frequency, and after making sure no one was looking, he pressed talk again.
"This is Martinez. Grant? Malcolm? Do you read me?" he whispered.
There was nothing but static. He tried two more times, but still nothing. Either they turned off the radio or they had lost it, were captured by the other group of people, or were dead.
Martinez let out a collective sigh, as he quietly placed the radio next to him, closing his eyes.
* * *
The engine chugged as it used all but the last few remaining drops of gas. Rain still pelted on the roof of the boat, but the wind and thunder had died down considerably since they reached the westernmost side of Isla Nublar. Scott gingerly directed the boat towards the rough-and-ready harbor that was made entirely of steel and iron. The harbor had two small docks that were only long enough for one boat each. On each of these two docks was a rusted gas pump.
Sarah took position next to Scott, and stared out at the metal harbor.
"When the island was destroyed, the harbor was too," Scott explained. "But they wanted to make a clean sweep of the island, looking in every nook and cranny. And while they did drop in some from the air, they also decided to set out this small makeshift harbor for ocean access. I guess they just never felt compelled to remove the harbor when they had finished."
"Will those have any fuel in them?" Sarah asked, looking at the gas pumps.
Scott shrugged and let out a long sigh, "I don't know, but there's a chance . . . small chance."
The boat slowly moved along side the small harbor. Two of the other crew members hopped off the boat with ropes, then quickly secured the boat to the iron grating. Scott turned off the engine, and then stepped out of the bridge, walking out on deck. Sarah followed close behind him, pulling the hood of her poncho tight to keep the rain out of her eyes.
Scott quickly hopped off the boat, then turned and offered a hand to Sarah. She in turn looked away from the helping hand, and jumped off the boat on her own, causing him to shake his head and smile at her tenacity. Scott shrugged and then put his hands in his pockets and walked with Sarah to the rusty gas pump.
She quickly seized the handle and then tested it by squeezing the trigger. She watched the nozzle intently, waiting for drops of gas to come pouring out. None came. Sarah sighed and hung the pump back up. She watched as the other crew members made their way over to the other dock to try its gas pump. They pulled the nozzle from its hook and then tried the trigger. Again, no gasoline came from the pump.
Sarah lowered her head and closed her eyes, listening to the rain as it beat against the metal at her feet.
"Never trust a hope," Scott said grimly beside her.
Sarah sighed and opened her eyes. She looked down beneath her feet, where she could see the dark ocean through the holes on the metal grating of the dock. Droplets of rain hit the ocean's surface, creating small ripples in the dark waves. Then she noticed the black tube that hung just below the steel dock and lingered barely out of reach of the tallest waves. The tube ran beneath her feet to the gas pump before her. Her interest peeked by this new discovery, she followed the tube with her eyes as it went under her feet and trailed all the way to the land at the end of the harbor where it then jutted out from the ground and ran up a small hill.
"What is it?" Scott asked, watching as Sarah's face slightly brightened.
"A hope," she said, then began to walk briskly towards land so she could follow the tube to its origin. Scott kept in stride behind her, still unsure as to what was going on. Where the man-made harbor met land there was a small incline, which blocked any land or obstructions from their view.
Sarah looked up at the sky, as lightning lit up the clouds like fire hiding behind smoke. She looked back down as they reached the land and stepped off the steel and onto the wet mud as they made their way up the incline.
Sarah's eyes were trained on the black rubber tube that snaked up the hill and then down the other side. Only when she reached the top of the hill did she take her eyes off of it and look up at her surroundings.
Sarah, Scott, and the five other boat crew members stood side-by-side at the top of the hill, overlooking a good portion of the island before them. Both Sarah and Scott had seen photos of what the island had once looked like when the park was still in development. Both had seen the grand manmade structures like the Visitor's Center, the giant electrified fences, and the lush flourishing jungles that had covered the island. But now, it looked like an entirely different island altogether. Sarah thought of questioning Scott, as to whether they were in fact on the right island, but as she looked out at the environment before her, she understood that this is exactly what she had expected all along.
What was once a tall expansive jungle, was now but a few scattered trees that still had not managed to reach their full height. The ground was still scorched in certain places, the ground forever black from where the bombs and napalm were once dropped over a decade ago. Beneath some of the undergrowth, she could see the glint of the steel wires making up the cages that had once held the animals in captivity . No animals lived here. This was a wasteland.
Only one manmade building still stood among the debris. Sarah smiled as she noticed that the rubber tube ran in through the front doors of the building. Without another word, she made her way down the slope and followed the tube.
Scott watched Sarah go, and only then did he notice why she was following the hose. It could lead to gas. He smiled and then hastened his pace and fell in stride beside her.
The building was cheaply made, just a shack really. Made of metal, it had rusted and wasted away a great deal since it was first put on the island, presumably by the military, which would be the only explanation as to why it could still be standing. It was constructed after the bombs were dropped. Metal tiles on the roof flapped in the wind and allowed rain to come dripping into the interior of the shack.
Sarah and Scott reached the door. She grabbed the handle, and was about to swing open the door, when Scott put a hand on her arm.
"You do realize," he started, "the chances that we will find a way to get the pumps working again, or that we will actually find gas in here, are slim to none. Don't expect a miracle."
"I know," Sarah said. "But there's still a chance."
Scott released her arm, and then helped her open the corroded door. Flakes of rust came down on their heads as they stared into the darkness in front of them.
Scott removed a small flashlight from his pocket, shining it into the shack. As soon as the beam of light penetrated the darkness, there was a shrill squeal. Sarah stepped out of the way just in time as a big furry rat came running out of the shack, and then scurried off into one of the short trees nearby.
"What the hell was that?" Scott asked, now shining his light at the tree the rodent was using as its sanctuary.
"A rat," Sarah said.
"How could it live on a place like this?"
Sarah shook her head, not sure of how to answer the question herself. "Life finds a way," she said.
There was no light on Sarah's face, so only she knew that she was smiling at that moment. 'Life finds a way' . . . Ian was more of an influence on her than she had readily noticed. I hope I see your sorry ass alive again.
Scott moved the beam of light away from the tree and shone it back toward the interior of the shack. The light passed over the contents that lay on the ground, revealing tattered lifejackets, a pair of shattered binoculars, and a broken military-class radio. Scott moved the light from the ground, and illuminated the far wall on the opposite side. The wall itself was blank, save for a few rust spots that now allowed moonbeams into the shed. Next to the wall however was a tall black metal object that looked slightly similar to a giant cigarette lighter. The black tube that Sarah had followed in here was now accompanied by a second tube, as the two were attached to one side of the big black machine.
"I think that's what we're looking for," Scott said.
Sarah instantly walked into the shack, carefully stepping over the debris and misplaced objects that littered the floor. When she finally reached the object, she began looking over it for any controls. Scott walked up behind her, setting the flashlight on the ground with its light shining on them as they tried to work with the machine.
Scott rapped his knuckles on the side of the machine, and heard a satisfying echo that signified the thing was at least half full. He smiled. "Now, we just need to figure out how to turn it on." He looked at where the two tubes ran into the machine. Above the tubes, were two round handles, much like one would find accompanied with a garden hose. His fingers twitched, wondering which would be the proper handle to try and turn. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned them both simultaneously.
There was a rattling sound as the machine abruptly began to shake. The sound and action startled Sarah, causing her to step back. Scott put his hand on one of the hoses, and felt liquid pulsing from within as the pressure increased inside.
Scott turned to the doors that lead into the shack, and shouted to one of the crew members, "Check the pumps now!"
"Okay!" shouted a reply, and then he heard the sounds of running feet leading back towards the harbor.
Sarah stood uneasily, staring at the machine in front of her as it continued to shake and presumably supply gas to the pumps outside. The problem might not have been that the main supply of gasoline was turned off, there could also be a problem with the hoses or the pumps. Her hands shook slightly, in nervous anticipation of what the results of their little experiment would be. The thought of staying on this island was enough to frighten her, but knowing she had failed on her attempt to rescue Ian was something she would not allow herself to accept or forgive.
The sound of running feet was heard coming back to the shack now, and a breathless voice said, "It works . . . they're filling it up now."
Scott smiled, putting a hand on Sarah's shoulder. Then he looked back at the man in the doorway, "Fill up the bunker, and while we're still docked, try to patch it up as best you can."
The man nodded and ran back towards the harbor. Scott slowly picked the flashlight off the ground, then he and Sarah walked out of the rickety shack. Scott started back towards the boat, while Sarah stood idly by, just staring out at the island.
The light of the moon shining through the storm clouds made the rain appear as though it were glowing. The shimmering precipitation mixing with the growing fog that lingered over the tops of the short trees gave the island a very eerie and disturbing look.
Scott turned back to her and asked, "Are you coming?"
Sarah jumped slightly, breaking out of the trance that the storm had placed her in. She looked at Scott, nodded, and then started walking back to the boat with him.
Scott helped her up and down the small muddy incline that led to the harbor, mumbling, "This place gives me the creeps."
Sarah smiled, thankful to be leaving the island behind them, hopefully forever. She took a deep breath as they moved onto Sorna once more, their original destination back in focus.
* * *
In a very deep sleep, Kaje began to slowly slip from his perch in the tree, oblivious to the small amounts of movement. His arm fell from its resting place, tearing him from his sleep. Grabbing onto the nearest tree limb, he was able to stop himself from falling, making only the minimal of noise.
Catching his breath for a moment, he thought he could hear something below. He looked down, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, and spotted something moving around.
"Ian?" he whispered, tapping the man on the shoulder without even looking. He wasn't about to take his eyes from whatever was down there.
Malcolm stirred, but didn't open his eyes, "Go away," he whispered.
"Ian!" Kaje whispered harshly, causing Malcolm to awaken. "Something is down there."
Malcolm adjusted his body so that he could easily look down to the ground. He saw nothing but darkness. Looking back to Kaje, he smiled. "I think maybe the little baby scientist was just having a bad dream," he teased in a kid's voice. "Want your pacifier?"
Kaje was about to yell at him, but then he heard rustling below again. Giving Malcolm a very confident smile, he announced in a whisper, "Look now."
Smiling in return, Malcolm looked. His smile quickly faded as he tensed up.
"Told ya," Kaje added, still whispering.
"Shhh," Malcolm said.
They looked down, watching carefully, trying to see through the eerie shadows below. After watching for a few minutes, Malcolm glanced toward the other tree, "We need to wake them up."
"How?" Kaje whispered.
The moonlight made it easy to see Grant and Ellie asleep in the tree, but if they yelled to them, it would probably attract whatever was on the ground.
"I don't have a clue," Malcolm gathered.
They continued to glimpse views below, then to Grant and Ellie, and then below again, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. Finally, Malcolm broke off a tree branch as quietly as he could, and stood up in the tree. Making his way to the edge of it, he took a deep breath and threw the stick toward Grant's tree. It was large enough to sail through the air and hit Grant in the leg.
Malcolm smiled, and then his smile broadened when Grant's eyes opened with alert and temporary fear. Motioning with his arms, Malcolm gestured to the ground in a giant round-about way.
Grant frowned, but then tilted his head as he heard noises from below. He carefully shook Ellie awake and took a second to tell her what was going on.
The four of them, in two separate trees, continued to watch in suspense.
Suddenly, the mystery revealed itself as a triceratops slowly walked into the moonlight.
Giant sighs of relief were heard all around, as they began to relax, knowing the danger level was just dramatically decreased.
"Look at that!" Malcolm shouted to Kaje, happy to be able to shout, "Your trike friends are following you around."
"Very funny," Kaje stammered, still a little cautious.
The jungle was nearly pitch black. Moist leaves gleamed in the light of the moon above that struggled to shine through the thick canopy. Grant watched the triceratops on the ground as it continued to chew at the copse near the roots of the tree. The dinosaur looked back up at them from time to time, as if to keep check on whether or not the humans would suddenly attack. Grant found the animal's behavior slightly peculiar. Earlier when they had their encounter with a triceratops, it had been very fierce and aggressive. This particular animal however, only gave them a passing glance as it proceeded with its midnight snack.
Shadows of the branches of the trees cascaded down onto the muddy jungle floor. It was peaceful here, and this triceratops apparently had no intention of being violent towards them. Grant exhaled softly, looking at Ellie. She stared down at the herbivorous dinosaur with a faint sparkle of fascination in her eye. Grant had once looked at these animals the same way, back when he still viewed them as actual dinosaurs. Not anymore. In truth, these were just monsters, created to frighten or delight little children for the purpose of taking in large revenues for InGen and John Hammond.
Grant placed his head back against the tree, and closed his eyes.
There was a loud snapping sound, somewhere in the darkness beyond. Grant reopened his eyes, just as the triceratops let out a quiet grunt of petulance.
Ellie had since stopped watching the triceratops, and was now staring at Grant, wide-eyed. She mouthed the words, "What was that?"
Grant shook his head. He looked at the triceratops below. It had its head held up high, the long horns pointed upwards, and was shaking its frill back and forth. The dinosaur grunted deeply.
Then there was another snapping sound, again from an unknown origin.
Grant looked across to the other tree, and saw both Malcolm and Kaje sitting up straight, their eyes shining in the light of the stars as they glanced warily along the immediate area of the jungle.
"Maybe it's just the wind," Ellie whispered.
He thought about it for a moment, staring down at the triceratops. He doubted it was the wind. He doubted the wind would have agitated the triceratops so much. But for Ellie's sake, he nodded slowly, agreeing with her.
Then he smelled it.
That putrefied, sweet and sour smell. His blood froze, and in the same instant the triceratops must have smelled it, too. The herbivore let out a trumpeting roar, backing its tail and rear up to Malcolm and Kaje's tree, and then waving its horned face back and forth, trying to ward off the unseen predator in the darkness.
Grant heard the faint growl somewhere behind him, and spun in his tree's perch to look for the creature. He saw a quick glimpse of the tail as it brushed against one of the thinner trees, then it moved back into the blackness again.
Moments later there was simply silence. No birds or bugs dared make a sound. The only thing audible to the ears was the short panting of the disturbed triceratops below.
Another growl now, this time coming from a totally different direction. The triceratops looked to the right, trying to find the predator that lurked somewhere just out of sight.
"What's going on?" Ellie whispered.
Grant shook his head. "I don't know." He tried to think about the tail he had seen, and the sounds that he now heard. How many carnivores prowled in the shadows?
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Malcolm waving to him. He turned to the man across the way, and saw him pointing frantically somewhere off to the right of Grant's position. He followed Malcolm's finger slowly, allowing his eyes to try and discern everything in the night's murkiness.
He followed Malcolm's gaze till he finally found himself staring at the beast. Only its head and arms were visible in the gloom. The snout was long and narrow, much like a crocodile's. The arms were nimble and muscular, ending with large curved talons. The immense spinosaurus stood absolutely still, its emerald eyes trained on the triceratops.
"Oh, my God," Grant heard Ellie gasp.
He turned back to her, and whispered sharply, "As quiet as you can, climb higher now."
She nodded, and stood up from her roost, then turned and began to climb, hand-over-hand, up the thick tree. Grant turned his attention back to the spinosaurus---
It wasn't there anymore.
Grant looked back to Malcolm and Kaje, but saw that they were already beginning to climb higher in their tree. Where had the spino gone?
There was another snapping of wood to the left of the triceratops. The big herbivore turned its crested head in the direction of the sound and roared defiantly.
The attack came from the right.
With a loud bellow the spino rounded the side of Malcolm's tree. Its long wicked jaws spread open to latch onto its prey. The long arms reached out before it, the clawed fingers twitching as they neared the flesh of the trike.
But the smaller dinosaur was faster. Turning its horned head to face the spino, it roared and lunged at its aggressor before any of the teeth ever touched its thick grey hide. One of the long horns cut a gash into the spino's right arm.
The predator recoiled in pain, roaring loudly at the trike. Malcolm could see the crimson-tipped horn dazzling in the light of the moon, as the trike shook its head. The spino sidestepped to the right, its tail nearly whipping against Grant's tree, and then lashed outwards with its two claws at the angry trike.
This time the claws found meat, cutting deep wounds into the left flank of the trike. Roaring, the trike turned back toward the spino, its long horns dancing from side to side like a knight in mortal combat against a dragon.
Grant gripped his tree branch tightly, and looked to Ellie at his side. Her face was pale and sweaty, as she stared down at the dinosaurs battling below. Not in fear for the trike, but more for what might happen to any of them should the spinosaurus find them hiding away in the trees.
The spino wasted no time at all as it ducked its mouth low and snapped at the trike's snout. The trike reared its head upwards, and in the same motion the spino lurched to the side and bit into the herbivore's neck, directly behind the tall frill. The trike roared, trying to maneuver out of the predator's grasp by waving its horns at the lower legs of its attacker and pushing away in the opposite direction with its own powerful legs.
The spino stabbed the claws of its two hands into each side of the triceratops, holding it still as the long teeth tore through the flesh on the back of its neck. In one last desperate act to insure its survival, the trike swung its head to the side, its longest horns clipping the left foot of the spino. With a blood-curdling wail, the largest dinosaur's jaws opened, releasing its prey.
The trike took the initiative. Turning, it stabbed its horns deep into the left leg of the spino. The predator roared again, losing its balance and falling backwards.
As it fell, its long thick tail struck Malcolm's tree. The tree was no match for the wave of energy emitted by the giant creature. It toppled quickly, swaying to the right.
Kaje heard a crack and then saw Grant's tree suddenly getting closer to him. Not thinking, he leaped for the other tree, escaping from the rapid descent to the ground. Like some sort of winged human, it looked as if he flew to the next tree, barely grabbing onto a thick branch.
Malcolm sat in awe for about three seconds before he decided that being Superman wasn't really the right thing for him to try, since his body so was badly worn out. Glancing down at the chaos below, he thought it a grand time to try to sneak past the fighting dinosaurs and attempt to hide. He lowered himself as fast as he could, exhaling with relief when his feet met the dirt. Seconds later the tree became totally horizontal, and then it fell, surrendering to gravity.
Kaje desperately clung to the branch, as he heard the other tree whoosh past him. He tried to look down to see where the dinosaurs were, but from his vantagepoint he could see nothing.
He felt a hand gripping the top of his shirt, around the shoulder area. It was Grant. Relieved that he had jumped far enough for Grant to reach him, he briefly smiled as his former teacher began to pull him away from his free fall. Ellie had been higher in the tree than Grant, so she began to climb to them, hoping to help.
The spino had found its way back to its feet and was now roaring loudly toward the aggressive trike. Battered and bloodied, the herbivore stood its ground, bellowing at its larger enemy.
On his hands and knees, Malcolm crawled between some nearby bushes and concealed himself. He had an almost perfect view of the dinosaur standoff.
Kaje lifted his right leg, trying to assist Grant, but it only added more weight to the branch. He felt sickened when he heard the branch crack and felt himself falling. Grant still had a hold on his shirt though, so he didn't go far. Kaje reached up, grasping toward Grant in panic. He grabbed Grant's hand and squeezed tightly.
Ellie was only a branch above them now and she saw Grant scream in pain as his left hand released Kaje's shirt. At first she didn't understand, but then she saw that Kaje was holding onto his injured hand for dear life.
"Adam, grab a branch!" she yelled, but neither man even heard her.
Malcolm continued to watch as the standoff transitioned into another brawl.
The spino roared, tilting its giant snout toward the trike as it did so. Its enemy took a different approach. The trike lowered its head and charged, exposing its wounded neck. It was able to impale the opposition's stomach, making the spino pivot sideways. Arching its neck, the spino tried to snap at the trike, but it was of no use. Methodically, the trike began to push the spino in the direction of its choosing, as the carnivore roared in both frustration and pain.
Ellie reached Grant and was about to try and help, when she slipped.
Grant heard her scream over the roaring of the behemoths on the ground. He turned his head away from Kaje just in time to see Ellie's feet slip out from under her, the bark breaking away from the tree where she once stood. Her arms reached out for him, her eyes pleading in terror as she began to fall away. Grant stared helplessly as she fell out of reach, and then out of sight, plummeting towards the ground thirty feet below.
Ellie's body fell through leaves and thinner branches, until finally her back struck the ground.
"Oh, God," Kaje said breathlessly, still holding onto Grant's hand.
Grant stared motionlessly at the branch where just a moment before Ellie had been at his side. He leaned forward, looking over the side of the tree. He saw Ellie laying completely still on the ground. Then his eyes trailed upwards to the spino and trike. At any moment, the two combatants could make their way over towards Ellie, and she would be trampled. Turning back to Kaje, he reached down with his good hand, grabbing Kaje by the back of trousers and pulling him upwards.
Kaje let go of Grant's hand and grabbed onto two sturdy branches, helping himself up the rest of the way until he was standing beside Grant in the tree, who was already beginning the climb down. Kaje stopped him, "Malcolm has her. It's okay."
Grant watched with worry, absently holding his injured hand very close to his chest, as he breathed heavily.
Malcolm crawled out from his sanctuary and reached for Ellie, who was beginning to stir. He pulled her toward the bushes and made it there in time to see the massive foot of the spino as it came crashing down against the earth.
The ground shook and the close vibration startled Ellie, waking her up. She got her bearings and grabbed Malcolm's arm, "Where's Alan?"
Malcolm briefly pointed, "The tree." Then, went back to observing the fight.
She looked into the tree and saw that Alan and Kaje were both sitting in the tree, presumably safe for now.
The trike moved in conjunction to its enemy, knowing that it was winning the battle. The two giants ran into a tree, the spino hitting first, and came to a sudden stop, the trike's horns still imbedded.
Looking as if it were temporarily resting, the trike finally pushed away from the spino, its bloody horns slowly becoming visible once again. It took several wobbly steps backwards, and then charged one more time. Its horns penetrated the vulnerable tissue on the side of the spino, causing the fallen dinosaur to wail.
It had dealt the final blow. In a very unnatural way, the spino hunched over and began to exhale in shallow ragged breaths.
Then, it stopped exhaling completely, dying right there before a dinosaur it deemed inferior.
The trike grunted, and then began to walk . . . toward Malcolm and his hiding place.
Malcolm made eye contact with the victorious herbivore as it lumbered past him and Ellie. The trike slowed a bit, curious about the smaller creature. Malcolm's eyes grew large as he felt some sort of connection with the dinosaur, as if it were telling him how much pain it was in. Then, without additional hesitation, the trike picked up its pace and began to walk away, never glancing back again.
Seconds later, Grant was out of the tree and running toward Ellie. He reached the bushes, and knelt down next to her. He glanced at Malcolm with serious concern, "Is she all right?"
"Yeah, she's fine," Ellie answered.
Alan reached for her and embraced her. At first she was taken aback by his reaction, but then she decided she really needed it. She wrapped her arms around him and returned the embrace.
Kaje jumped from several feet in the tree, hitting the ground without incident. "How about we sleep on the ground now?"
Malcolm looked away from Grant and Ellie and smiled at the idiotic scientist, "For once, you might have a point."
Comments are appreciated!
--JPJunkee and Yvonne
9/21/2003 9:02:43 PM
(Updated: 9/21/2003 11:31:14 PM)
(Updated: 9/22/2003 2:39:20 AM)
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