“Keep moving; we need to get to the coast,” Abbott ordered, gesticulating for everybody to follow him.
Dennis took point and moved off at a pace, putting a little distance between himself and the rest. This way, he could give a warning of any danger, not to mention clear a path for them to push through.
The forest was clear, and they made a hurried retreat to the coast. Clarke led the way. Having been on the island before, he had an understanding for how they had set things up. Precaution under any circumstance, that was something he learned in his youth, and it was a motto he continued to live by. He always learned the best ways to escape, so that should the shit ever hit the fan, he would know where to head.
The forest ended in a rocky cliff that dropped twenty feet down to a stone beach. The tide was high, which worked in their favour.
“Look down there. There is a small cave that we converted into a storage house. There are two small craft in there that can take us across the water to the rear island,” Clarke said, pointing to the beach.
“That’s great, it really is,” Rob answered. “But how in the heck are we supposed to get down there?”
“We climb, genius,” Dennis growled, his attitude growing more fowl by the minute. He walked along the cliff, leaning over at regular intervals, looking for a way down. “Here, this is the easiest spot.”
Without waiting, he crouched down, turned around, and swung his legs over the edge.
Dennis made short work of the descent, scampering down the rocks like they were his own backyard.
“How are we supposed to—” Caroline began, but her words cut off when the trees behind them twitched and branches started to snap.
“Learn fast. Trust me, it’s easier than it looks,” Clarke said, trying to sound patient as he helped Caroline swing her body over the edge.
One by one, everybody started the climb. Clarke was soon on the ground beside Dennis, with Rob a surprising second.
“That wasn’t too bad,” he said, breathing heavily.
Caroline joined them along with Nattie, the two females making light work of the rocky descent. They brushed their hands against their clothes, wiping away the slime that had collected on the middle portion of the cliff.
The group stood waiting, staring up the cliff. Abbott struggled to make much progress, his useless arm impeding his ability to climb at any rate.
“Jesus, he’s not going to make it,” Clarke said under his breath.
Dennis raised the rifle and looked through the sights. Nattie was about to say something when he pulled the trigger.
The burst of fire hit the inquisitive dinosaur and caved in the left hand side of its head. The body collapsed against the edge of the cliff, blood and brain matter dribbling down the rocks.
Abbott made it half way down the cliff before he stopped. He turned his head and looked down at the group waiting for him.
His face was drenched with sweat, and the pain coursing through his body threatened to push him into unconsciousness. He tried to move again, easing himself down the rocks, but they had become slippery, and his grip was not strong enough. He fell backwards, and landed on the stony beach with a heavy thud.
Nattie screamed, catching her voice before it rose too loud. The group ran towards Abbott; whose broken body lay with limbs pointing at all angles apart from the natural ones.
Caroline took one look at the mangled body and turned to vomit.
“I’m sorry, Zippy,” Clarke said, crouching down to his colleague.
Abbott turned his eyes to look at the group. They were all he could still move. His body felt numb. He could smell his own blood surrounding him, and in the periphery of his vision, he saw the crimson flood spread.
He blinked a few time, and tears blurred his fading vision.
“We need to move, now,” Dennis said, his voice filled with urgency.
“We can’t just leave him,” Caroline cried, her words forced through the tears.
“I don’t think we have much choice in the matter,” Clarke spoke, confirming what Dennis said.
The group turned and saw three large lizard-like creatures making their way down the beach. Each one looked as large as a car, their long snouts a cross between the mouth of a crocodile and an elephant’s trunk.
They spied the group and gave a snarling roar.
“We need to move,” Clarke said, placing is hands on Nattie’s shoulders to turn her away. As the group’s leader, he knew they would follow her lead sooner than his own.
“I’m sorry, Zipster,” Rob whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. He stayed crouched down with his new friend for as long as he could.
“Rob, come on.” Caroline cried.
“There’s nothing you can do, mate,” Clarke added, urging Rob to move.
Turning, Rob sprinted after the others who were making their way along the beach toward the storage cave. He didn’t turn around, even when he heard the wet tearing sound of the lizards ripping his friend apart. He was just glad that Abbott couldn’t scream, because he did not think he could have carried on otherwise.
The boats looked like a cross between a jet ski and a life boat. It looked as if some mad engineer had experimented, cutting and welding the two together just because he could.
Still, they floated on the water and could accommodate everybody that was left. The beach had emptied, and the lizards had disappeared, as too had Abbott’s body.
They tried not to think about it.
Caroline, Rob, and Clarke took one boat-ski, and Dennis carried Nattie on the other. Nattie and Rob stood with rifles at the ready. The all knew the firepower would be useless against anything that may attack from them the water, but they found solace in knowing they would go down swinging.
The craft moved fast, bouncing over the waves, bringing them ever closer to the rear island and the salvation that lay in wait.
Chapter 24
The SeaHawk rose from the deck of the Langley and immediately banked to the left, moving to pass over the first island in a clockwise motion. Sergeant William How sat behind the controls. An experienced pilot, he had seen action all over the world and was one of the biggest sceptics in the Navy.
“That’s some thick jungle down there,” How’s voice cracked through the headsets.
“Don’t worry about the jungle. It’s the compound we need to secure,” Gunnery Sergeant Plummer spoke, his gruff voice as serious as a winter blizzard. “Remember, ladies, we can look but not touch. Just imagine I’m your old lady and we are walking down the promenade in the middle of summer.”
“Heck Gunney, if a piece of ass is fine enough, my old lady would understand,” Sergeant Elroy Woods said with a laugh.
“Well, I know what you consider a fine piece of ass, Woods, and as long as you check she has a clean health certificate, then rock on, my son,” Plummer answered, much to the amusement of all but Woods.
“We don’t know what has happened, but all we need to do is check that the structure here is intact and all is well, then we get back to the boat,” Plummer said, reiterating their orders.
Each man nodded in turn as their CO’s eyes fell on them.
“Woods, I want you and Langston to take the jungle side, scan the trees, and make sure there isn’t anything nasty lying in wait. I will check the perimeter of the building. How, I want you to stay with the chopper. This is a quick in and out, and you will be well positioned to lay down covering fire if needed by either of us.”
“Aye, sir,” the voices sounded.
“For the love of God, what was that?” How’s startled voice came through their headsets like an alarm.
The chopper lurched to the left for a moment before the experienced marine brought it back under control.
“Everything alright up there?” Plummer asked, concerned.
“Aye, sir. All good. I thought I saw something, but … but I couldn’t have.” It was clear that Plummer didn’t believe his answer.
“If we have hostiles down there,
we need to be sure. Take us around for another circuit,” Plummer ordered, sliding open the chopper’s side door.
The SeaHawk made a tight turn, and for a moment, all anybody saw were trees. Then they saw it, they all saw it, but none could believe their eyes. Nobody spoke for fear of being wrong and deemed insane.
“Sergeant How, set this bird on the ground,” Plummer ordered, before turning to look at his men. “Change of plan. We stick together. We need to find out what the heck is going on down here. Watch your step, and hold your fire until we know what is going on.”
The helo spun around in a tight circle as it tried to settle on the patch of cleared ground between the tree line and the compound.
The marines were out and gathered in an arrowhead formation before the full weight of the bird had touched down.
“Move towards the compound. Langston, Woods, keep your eyes on the trees,” Plummer instructed as the group set off.
They made short work at reaching the compound. Experienced men, tough men, who, between them, had seen blood-shed across the four corners of the globe, were reduced to jumping at shadows on the small island.
“The main entrance looks clear. Let’s run a perimeter check, and then report back to the boat. Something is going on around here, and I don’t like it.” Plummer gave the orders. Not one to admit fear, raising a point of concern for the safety of his men was a different matter.
“Aye, Gunny. Shall we split up?” Sergeant Langston asked, the quiver in his voice an audible plea for a negative.
“Negative, Sergeant. We stick together. Keep your eyes peeled on the jungle.” There was no play or jest in the words. It was serious business; behind enemy lines, with an army closing down on you, serious.
“Sergeant How, do you copy?” Plummer called back to the helo as they disappeared from view behind the rear of the square built building.
“Yes, sir, Gunnery Sergeant. I’m here, and I have some company, so don’t you worry. Take your time,” Sergeant How replied, his voice wonder-filled, almost childlike in its tone.
Something about the words haunted Plummer, who took a step back and stared up at the two story building.
Aside from some minor storm damage, there was nothing to point at there being anything wrong in the compound. It didn’t make any sense.
Behind them, in the trees, a branch crunched, a loud, crisp sound which saw them all spin around, weapons raised.
“There is something out there, Gunny,” Langston whispered as he slowly brought his rifle up to his shoulder.
“Stand down, soldier. We didn’t come here to start no fights. If they come, we will sure as fuck end it, but start something? Nope. This is not our problem,” Plummer ordered but could not pull his eyes away from the trees.
Whatever stood there was big. They could all see it, but just not with enough clarity to believe their eyes. A shadow inside a shadow was no sign for an all-out assault.
Plummer looked back at the building. Somehow, the concrete structure had changed. It now loomed over them, the windows dark gashes in its flank. From that perspective, it looked more like a prison. He knew why. Keeping people in was not the idea behind its construction, but rather, keeping that native wildlife out.
The trio moved around the back of the building and made their way back along the long second side. The trees were closer here, the cleared area now wider than a house.
“Hold your step,” Plummer called, stopping suddenly, flinging his arms out wide.
“Holy hell, would you look at that,” Woods said, crouching down to study the thin wire that snaked its way along the trees. “If that thing watching us—”
“We will be blown to bits,” Plummer finished, his eyes following the fine silver wire as it moved through the crudely fashioned minefield. “If they haven’t set it off yet, then we should be good to go. Just take it slow, people, nobody get any funny ideas.”
As he moved, Gunnery Sergeant Plummer released his rifle, letting it fall on its strap. The others followed suit, and the three men snuck their way along the building.
They saw the helicopter, saw Sergeant How standing with his back to them, his hands at his sides, oblivious to their presence. His attention was focused away from them, and a few strides later, as they came fully clear of the building, they saw it also. Their stride faltered, and the three marines came to a halt beside one another.
“Jesus wept,” Plummer growled.
The dinosaur was enormous, at least twenty feet long from nose to tip; a few extra inches if you included the length of the four curled spikes the extended from its tale. The beast stood twice as tall as any man, taller at the hump of its shoulders, and taller still when the large pentagonal plates that rose from its back like fins were taken into account.
The dark green body blended into the colours of the forest, while the large plates that lined the length of its body, from the tip of the tail to the curve of its snout, moved from the same dark green to a deep red colour.
The beast walked, moving out of the trees as it crossed the rear of the exposed compound before disappearing into the trees again to be swallowed by the darkness the second it passed into the forest.
The sound of its heavy footsteps was nothing to the swish of the vertical plates, which seemed to flow independently as it moved. The long tail swung back and forth, crashing into the trunk of a tree, tearing deep gouges in the bark.
“What the hell was that?” Langston asked.
“That was … that … that … was a stegosaurus,” Woods answered, shocked.
“No shit, Sherlock. You didn’t need to answer him,” Plummer snarled, eager to regain a sense of normalcy. He found it in his standard, charming disposition.
“I guess we know what was following us,” Woods said timidly.
“Wait, you think another one—” Langston stopped talking as the second creature moved into view, following an identical route as its larger, slightly more impressive brother.
“They are patrolling,” Plummer said as the three men walked up to the waiting helo.
Sergeant How turned to meet them. “I don’t know what’s going on here, Gunny, but they don’t seem to mind us being here. It’s like they just plain ignored us.”
“There is something off about this entire island, Sergeant. Let’s get airborne,” Plummer ordered, not stopping to admire the view any longer than necessary. A third hulking beast, the largest so far, appeared. Its lumbering gait saw its body sway from side to side as it moved, with the man-sized plates on its back moving at a delay, meaning they swung in the opposite direction to the body most steps.
Plummer squinted, his sharp eyes catching sight of something as the creature moved passed them. “Well, I’ll be fucked,” he said, offering no more on the subject.
With the four men on board, Sergeant How took them into the air and out to sea, but not before making one final spin around. With their eyes and minds adjusted, they could pick out the trail of the three stegosauruses as they wandered through the trees. Their path was slowly being beaten into the ground, a worn out circle just beyond the perimeter of the island’s compound.
“That was odd,” Langston said, sitting back as the land beneath their feet gave way to the ocean.
“Yeah, and I have a feeling it is only going to get weirder,” Plummer answered, his eyes focused on the destroyer ahead of them.
Chapter 25
The inlet was calm, which made their trip across to the third island an uneventful one. Yet, that did not stop them from standing frozen on the shore filled with apprehension.
While none had chosen to mention it for fear of spreading panic, the solid ground beneath the feet loosened their tongues. Both Nattie and Caroline had been sure of a shadow circling beneath their craft as they made the crossing. Rob was also sure he had seen something, although he maintained it could easily have been a simple trick of the waves.
“There was something out there. I’ve seen it before,” Clarke said, not bothering to cushion his
words. “Big bastard too.”
“Why didn’t you warn us?” Caroline asked, shocked.
“If I told you, you would have worried about it. We needed to get across. We didn’t have another option, so it seemed pointless information under the circumstances.” Clarke flashed her a smile as he spoke. It was a look which, coupled with his ruggedly handsome features, had melted the heart of many a slapper in the bars up and down the mainland US. Caroline, however, appeared to be immune to his charms.
“You’re an asshole,” she spat, eliciting a deep chuckle from Dennis.
“She’s got your number, mate,” he said, stressing the final word with a thick Australian lilt.
“Yeah, well, I’ll live, and thanks to us, so will all of you. Now pull your knickers out of your butt crack and let’s get moving.” Clarke’s sunken mood told everybody enough, and they followed his movements without question.
The first building stood in remarkably good condition, until you reached the hall that lead to the walkway that connected the islands.
They did not check for survivors. Clarke pointed out not long after they started moving that if anybody saw them, they would either call for help, or open fire. He did not seem to give any indication to his preference, but he moved with the gait of a man itching for a fight.
The quads were located around the back of the building, an area cast in deep shadow.
“There are three bikes, so we will need to tandem up,” Clarke instructed. “Dennis, you ride ahead, I’ll take the doc here. Lovebirds, I want you to ride in the middle. Keep your eyes open.”
Once again, nobody dared argue with the man, whose face looked like looming thunder.
Dennis set off first, speeding down the muddy track, not caring whether the others followed or not.
“I’ll drive, you man the guns,” Caroline said to Rob, throwing her leg over the quad as she settled in behind the handlebars. “What?”
“Can you handle on of those things, missy?” Clarke asked, stunned.
“Bitch, please. I grew up on a farm, I’ve been riding quads since before I was a teenager. Besides, Rob is a better shot than me, so it makes sense.” The pair were off almost before Rob was seated on the vehicle.
Island Rampage: A Dinosaur Thriller Page 15
