by catt dahman
Chapter 24:On the Trail
Scott had time to think as they followed the animal path.
It had hurt when he denied Tyrese’s coming along, but the people on the beach needed Tyrese with them to be a leader. He had to get them aboard a rescue ship, and he had to leave Scott’s group if it came to that. He was dependable to do what was hard, painful, and right. Even if Sarg had left Trent in charge, they knew it was Tyrese who would make the difficult choices. Sarg knew that, too.
Also, there had been a hell of a fight between Joy, Stu, and Tom, as they decided on who would go on the rescue mission. It would have been amusing had it not cut into their time and resulted in a division of the survivors’ group.
Mattie demanded to go even before Scott decided to drag her with him, and that part worked out fine, but it caused Stu to make several remarks that made Mattie’s temper flare. Stu made no effort to conceal the fact that he was going to kill Jody.
Neither did Scott.
Stu said he wanted to make the feral pair pay for taking Kelly. That resulted in Tom agreeing that he wanted payback for Kelly, who was once his fiancée. Unfortunately, Tom’s verb use was wrong, and instead of saying she was once his fiancée, he used the present tense is. Stu fired up over the wrong word choice, but while he started to curse and make snide remarks, Joy was the one who went ballistic first.
Stomping her foot, Joy demanded to know why Tom cared about rescuing Kelly so much now that Stu was with her. She said she might have slept with most of the men on the island, but she ended up with Tom and asked him if he were going to toss her aside. That remark made all of them snicker and avert their eyes. Even the newcomers hid smiles.
Tom flushed bright red. He yanked Joy to the side and whispered to her a few minutes after which she sulked back to the fire. He said he was going to rescue the women.
Scott wondered about that, considering Tom felt Kelly had used the removal of his arm as revenge, not to save Tom’s life. Maybe Tom wanted to see her dead. It was something Scott couldn’t be sure about.
Jana was along in case they needed medical help, and there were Sarg, Jered, Mattie, Tom, Stu, Scott, and Davey. As far as Scott could decide, there were two extra people they didn’t need for this. They were there possibly todie, something he didn’t like. Tom didn’t need to be there, and neither did Davey.
Scott vetoed Davey’s going but then changed his mind as Davey said something that made Scott pause.
“I have your back. Trust me.”
Scott didn’t know what that meant and didn’t have time to ask, as Sarg got them moving at once, saying they had to make up all the time they had wasted.
Although Scott watched for anything unusual, nothing was wrong other than the odd feeling he had that there were several motives for those in the group. Few motives involved actually rescuing the women as the main objective.
“The wind is stronger. Feel that cool breeze?” Sarg asked.
“Yeah, I do. It’s hot but not like it usually is,” Scott said.
“Who is the female that Iowa said is with the feral kids?” Sarg asked.
“No clue. Mattie doesn’t know who survived and who didn’t. It could be any of the girls from her plane,” Scott said.
“I don’t know; did you see Mattie’s face when Iowa told us a female was with the boys? She went pale, and her eyes looked hinky to me. You know her better than I do. Maybe she was just sad, remembering the little girls,” Sarg remarked.
“Maybe. Did you ask her?”
“Sure, I did. Nothing. I dunno. You’re the boss around here, but have you considered how the wild kids have always been a step ahead of you guys?”
“What are you saying?” Scott asked.
“I have no idea what anything means. I know it feels wrong, and then there’s the other thing Iowa said before Jana gave him that pain shot. He, Jerry, and Rita went into high alert as soon as they saw the female with the boys. Your women didn’t. He said they didn’t look afraid.”
“Maybe they were…you know…women are compassionate. They were concerned as soon as they saw the other girl,” said Scott.
“Do you think Helen is that stupid, Scott? She’s a sharp woman. Amy is young. Kelly is pretty sharp as well. They’d have been concerned. Maybe reactive,” said Sarg.
“And?”
Sarg shrugged and said, “And nothing. I have nothing at all but the hinky feeling. It strikes me as off.”
Scott digested that.
Sarg went ahead at the spring they had once used. They listened for predators, but the coming storm seemed to be causing most of the wildlife to start preparing to flee.
“Why’d you say that back there? About trust?” Scott asked Davey.
“I don’t think we can trust Stu at all. Tom hasn’t been the same since Fish died saving his life. He changed right that second,” said Davey.
“Like with screwing Joy an hour later?”
Davey snickered and said, “Yeah. That. Seriously, that was not the Tom we knew, but I think it might have been okay because part of that was high fever. When Kelly took his arm, he went to a dark, paranoid place.”
Scott told Davey in whispers what Tom had shared. “He doesn’t trust her at all, but he’s out here to save her. Weird.”
“I think…hope...Tom is still good, but he may have other reasons for being here. He’s right about Kelly. She and Stu think people don’t see…” He gulped.
“See what?” asked Scott.
Davey knew time was short. Sarg was showing them which way to go, and it was in the direction of the old caves near where the Utahraptors hunted. This might be his last chance to ease his conscience and tell Scott something that could be vital.
“Remember in the cave with Shonna? You and Helen were all around it, but the deal was could I…you know…my hand…over her nose and mouth?” asked Davey.
“I remember,” said Scott.
“I could. I did, but I didn’t want to. I learned that from seeing someone else do things like that. Supposedly, it was merciful, but why would anyone’s eyes light up when he had to do something that damned horrible? Why would anyone like doing that shit?”
Scott felt as if he had been punched. “Kelly?”
“Yup. And?”
“Stu. Oh my, God, Tom is right?”
“Probably, she’s not who we thought, Scott. I don’t think Tom means for either of them to…well…go home if anyone even could. I think he wants them to come back in a scenario. I saw the way his head jerked up and he smiled when the others explained all that to us. It was like a light went on in his head; I saw it.”
Tom wanted another chance with Kelly, but with a Kelly who had never gone through the same experiences and who would never have removed his arm in a fit of fury. Maybe he had hopes for his brother as well.
“That’s insane,” Scott said.
“I won’t argue with that. Thing is, Scott, I believe that Sarg knows all of this. He’s smarter than you can imagine. I’ve watched and listened for weeks. He’s brilliant, actually. I think Sarg knows exactly what he’s offering, and he told us that and made us wait, so we knew. So Tom knew.”
“Why?”
“Because this is his only chance. He gets to play God. Maybe because it’s the only way Sarg knows to be fair,” said Davey as he sealed his lips when Tom walked closer. They moved into the rocky area in silence as Sarg made a motion.
Scott had more to think about.
At the base of the rocks, Tom stopped and looked at a bone in the dirt, one that was mostly covered but that came loose when Tom worried it with his foot. It was many months old or older. It could have been from anything, but it was a human fibula.
“It could be from anyone. It could be much older or more recent,” Scott said. Tom nodded and with help, he was able to start climbing the rocks.
Scott and Davey knew that Tom was remembering Fish who died for him right there. Maybe the bone belonged to Fish. Scott tried to ignore the possibility and watched Tom
struggle to climb with only the one arm, but Jered helped him. Even with a limb missing, Tom climbed easier when he was not being chased by Utahraptors; Tom was able to plot his ascent and pick out handholds. Tom paused at the spot where Fish had helped him climb, and then he had fallen to his own death.
Scott wondered if the climb were easy for everyone because there were no rush and no threat, but the climb was easier even for him. He thought he was far stronger now than he had been then. No matter what it was, Scott was happy to find that the entire group had made it to the top.Wondering if Tom were suicidal and wanted it to be at this spot had crossed Scott’s mind, but he wasn’t, it seemed.
“I figured you’d push me off the top,” Mattie said to Scott.
He narrowed his eyes and said, “The top goes on for a while.” He wouldn’t push her, but the idea to do it had crossed his mind.
“Just checking,” said Mattie.
Sarg motioned them to be quiet again. He thought they were incapable of a stealthy mission. No wonder so many of their group died; they simply couldn’t shut up. He motioned Scott to lead with him so they would know where they were headed. It might also cease the chatter.
At the edge of the cave, they waited.
Sarg was about to issue more orders when a voice called out, “Come on in. I guess it’s time.”
Sarg and Scott stepped nervously into the cave, leaving the rest behind. A warm fire made them aware of how chilly the wind had become.The cave was dry and warm, and someone had cleaned up inside, making everything feel cozier.
On a rock across the cave sat a young man. Moving around him was Amy who was nude and had bruises and was sporting a blackened eye and a split, puffy lip.
Amy looked at Scott and Sarg with little interest, but stayed at her task of brushing and sweeping dust away, scrubbing at a few of the stones to get them clean. Her eyes were dull, and she didn’t seem to recognize the men who appeared. From her neck, a thick leash of hide ran from her collar to Jody’s hand. He gave her a tug that sent her sprawling.
“Hey. We understand. No need to hurt her,” Sarg said, keeping his hands raised. He held his spear but didn’t advance. Jody’s knife was glittering close to Amy.
“You tired of chasing me, old man? We’ve sure chased each other, huh?” asked Jody as he smiled.
“We have,” Scott admitted. His throat almost seized as he saw Helen on the ground, huddled in a fetal position. A obvious knot on her forehead seeped blood. “Is she…”
“No, she’s alive. For now. I plan to eat her, actually. She’s not as good a mate since she is already pregnant,” said Jody.
“Oh, man, you didn’t know? How funny. Yeah, she’s pregnant. Got a belly going already,” said Jody as he grinned. “I aim to eat her and the baby. Yum.”
Scott shook with anger.
Naked and with her wrists bound, Kelly lay close to Helen. She glared at Jody and didn’t speak.
“She’s alive. She’ll make a good mate if I want a second. She was Ricky’s but the damned sneak had a knife.”
Ricky lay in the shadows. Scott and Sarg looked the way Jody glanced and saw that Kelly had managed a gut wound that had killed Ricky.
“Good for Kelly. You might as well let Amy go. This isn’t going to end well for you, no matter what. I came to kill you,” Scott said conversationally. He hoped he could save Amy, but no matter what, he planned to kill Jody.
“What does it matter? I’ll come back, right? Oh, you didn’t think I knew that? Man, I’ve seen plenty on this island. Probably more than you have. I think I can kill Amy and Helen before you can take me out. You aren’t much. What’s a military without the guns? Nothing,” Jody said as he laughed.
“Don’t,” Scott warned Sarg and Jody. “How about a trade? I want Helen. For her, I will give you a gift.” It was all Scott could think of.
“What trade?” asked Jody.
“Send in Mattie,” Scott yelled.
Mattie walked into the cave, her eyes darting around. Before she could run to her son, Scott grabbed her arm and held her still. She called out to Jody.
He looked stunned. “I thought I imagined…they never told me…Mother? Mama?”
“Jody, sweetheart, Mama is here, now. I’ve looked for you for so long, but…”
“I saw you die. I…” His face was filled with pain. After she died, Jody hated the island, hated everyone who was alive, and enjoyed the chaos and misery that he immersed himself in. “You left me on my own.”
“I didn’t mean to. In my world, you left me.”
“Trade, Jody?” Scott asked.
Mattie lunged at Scott, pushing him off balance, and as he fell, she yanked away and ran to Jody.
Sarg pulled his arm back, feeling he could accurately hit his target with his spear, but just as he started the forward motion of his arm to send the spear into Jody’s chest, a weight hit him and began biting and scratching. Talons raked his throat, and a blade-like object slid into the heart.
Chapter 20:Beasts
Scott thought they had been attacked by velociraptors or small troodons, but the creature, which stabbed Sarg and began to lick at the blood, was neither of those species.
A tanned, naked woman crouched like an animal and lapped at the crimson gush. Pam. Scott sat back and took it all in as Mattie ran and hugged Jody and knelt at his feet.
Iowa said there was another female, but Scott assumed it was another one of the feral girls. Had Mattie guessed or seen her? Had she known? Maybe that was what she hid from them. How could they ever have guessed that Pam was alive after all this time? They thought she died at the spring, eaten by the ceratosaurs.
Pale scars crisscrossed her face where glass had cut her in the original wreck of the Connie Louise. Kelly’s stitches were good, but they had scarred Pam further.
Months before, Scott thought Pam recovered well and had stopped being the spoiled, pretty elitist she was before the storm and the wreck. She was far more personable. Tyrese and the rest carried a heavy guilt over her supposed death.
“Pam is not the way you may remember her. Since your people left her to die and I saved her, she has been very appreciative,” said Jody.
“That’s kind of sickening,” Scott spat.
“Yeah? You’ll find it worse to know what her favorite meal is,” Jody chuckled. “She is fully with us now. She was the one who got Helen, Amy, and Kelly to come to her. She sucked them right in.”
“As bait,” Scott said, “and Iowa said there was another female. It makes sense now. This doesn’t change anything. I have people outside. You’re still going to die, Jody.”
“Am I? You have people outside? Out where Ricky and I left some freshly killed compys? Out there where I bet the big ones have figured out how to get to meat.”
Scott heard a distant roar and realized he heard it seconds before, but thought it was the wind picking up. Before him was Jody who might kill Amy, Helen, and Kelly at any second and Jody’s crazy mother who might help him.
Beside Scott was Pam who was beginning to rip flesh from Sarg’s face with her teeth; she was insane and carried a deadly sharp knife. Farther away, Utahraptors were coming to feast on Sarg’s friends.
Scott didn’t like the odds.
Jered broke the rule of silence. “Sarg? We have company out here,” he yelled from outside the cave, making everyone glance that way. He didn’t know his sergeant was already dead.
Mattie jumped away from Jody and took a small knife from the floor of the cave. Her eyes on Scott, she stabbed Kelly before Scott could say anything or move. Pam was ready with her knife, and Scott didn’t dare try anything.
Kelly screamed.
With bloodstained teeth, Pam grinned and taunted Scott with her knife. She advanced on him, willing to fight it out.
One of them was about to die.
Pam suddenly whirled to the side, screaming as a spear went through her side and into her belly and out again. Davey, on the other end, kept pushing until she was pinned to the floor,
dying. He dropped his end of the spear. Although he was saddened to see whom he had killed, he gave Scott a short nod, saying, “We have company.”
“I heard.”
With her rock, Mattie moved to stand over Helen as Jody yanked Amy closer to him. They still had hostages.
As Jered, Stu, Tom, and Jana ran into the cave to avoid the advancing Utahraptors, they slid to a stop. The creatures outside might stop and feed only on the bodies of the compys, but they also might try to get into the cave and come after live prey. The mouth of the cave had to be guarded. Davey and Jered turned to do that if needed.
Tom, Stu, and Jana went to Kelly.
Jody didn’t bother to warn them away; he didn’t care. He watched as Jana knelt and worked over Kelly. “I can save her. It’s not too late. Come on, Kelly. Try for me. I need some help though.”
Tom put his arm on Stu’s chest and said, “No.”
“What? That’s Kelly. She needs help,” responded Stu.
“Let her go,” Tom said.
“You still want her after all this? Well, guess what you asshole, she picked me. Me! I finally bested you, Tom. I’m stronger, I have two arms to protect her, and I’m not with that whore, Joy,” Stu spat as he yelled.
“You are stronger. She didn’t chop off your arm, so yes, I give you that as well. I even give you the part about Joy being a whore, but she’s done good by me. I’m okay with what Joy has done in the past. It isn’t that,” said Tom.
“Really? Tom, you hate Kelly so much you’d let her die? What happened? That’s more like me than it is you.”
“I don’t hate her,” Tom said. “This place…it’s made all of us different. Look at Jody. Look at yourself. Look at me. Do you understand that there is a chance Kelly can come back in a wreck and be unblemished by all this? She could be pure and good again…not like she…you know what she’s capable of.”
Stu squinted, turned his head, trying to understand, and asked, “What?”
“You want to reset her personality? Tom, that’s sick. You’d have to stay here and wait for that even if it happened. You could wait for years. Decades. Forever. It could happen across the island where you would never know,” Davey said.
