Jurassic Hell

by Russ Watts

  “Damn it.”

  Karl exclaimed and Phoenix saw him standing by a thin tree, its bark covered in small blue flowers. They seemed to sprout from the tree itself. Ivy wound around the trunk right into the upper branches. The flowers were tiny and each one had four large petals containing a red reed-like center.

  “Watch yourself,” said Karl, “that thing is sharp.” He dabbed at a long cut running along his forearm.

  The flowers looked attractive, but Phoenix was worried they may contain a foreign toxin that could be deadly. The island contained all sorts of life that man was never meant to encounter.

  “We should stop, Karl, and look at that cut.” She touched his shoulder gently. “You don’t want an infection that—”

  “No, I’m not stopping now.” Karl didn’t want Phoenix to see him vulnerable. He had hidden himself for years from her and had no intention of changing now. He had almost changed his mind back at the lagoon, when he had been tending to her wounds. When he had been holding her face and looking into her eyes, he had been close to kissing her. The idea was ridiculous. She only put up with him because they worked together. She had no more feelings for him than she did a stranger. His arm hurt, but he knew it was no more than her leg. He could tell she was hiding it. They weren’t stopping for anything. He didn’t trust the island and wanted off. He wanted Phoenix off it before there were any further nasty surprises. He knew that he had to be a good boy and soldier on.

  Karl marched on through the jungle, retracing their route as best as he could remember back to the beach. Phoenix followed obligingly knowing there was nothing she could say to deter him or make him stop. Max and Jane remained silent, not even talking to each other. Even though it was getting late, the heat didn’t seem to change. Jane had said the temperature dropped at night, but Phoenix guessed that wasn’t until the sun went down. By that time, she hoped to be far, far away.

  After a while, Karl approached some thick vines that had clumped together and he pulled them aside like a pair of velvety green curtains. What lay ahead made Phoenix gasp. She could hardly believe it. Barely fifty feet ahead of them was the ocean, a rich blue plateau with gently cresting waves rippling the surface.

  “We’ve made it,” said Max. “We did it.”

  Karl held the vines to one side and Phoenix passed through the opening. She noticed that his arm that had been cut by the blue flowers was bruised and the open sore was weeping.

  “We need to get that looked at,” she said as she stepped out of the darkness of the jungle into sunlight.

  “Right after you get your leg seen to,” he replied.

  Phoenix knew Karl would make sure everyone else was okay before he got himself checked over.

  “I mean it. That looks nasty.”

  Karl just smiled at her and allowed Max and Jane through. They were all bathed in glorious sunshine. It was late in the afternoon, but they had made it. Phoenix recognized the beach. They weren’t in the exact spot where Freddy had agreed to pick them up, but they were close. They had emerged from the jungle into a small bay. Shallow water trickled over the coral and to the east there was a rocky outcrop jutting out to sea. A few palm trees fringed the other side and she could see through to the next beach. That was where Freddy would find them. He wouldn’t be far away. The sun was in no danger of setting just yet, but she didn’t doubt he would come for them. Phoenix breathed an audible sigh of relief.

  It was over.

  CHAPTER 15

  “We did it, Jane, we got you out.” Max stretched out his arms as if literally worshipping the sun. “It was hard, but we did it.”

  Jane slumped to her knees, and Phoenix wondered if she was going to faint.

  “Now he wants to be a hero?” Karl unbuttoned his shirt—what was left of it—and tossed it aside. “What’s this ‘we’ business?”

  Phoenix couldn’t help but look at Karl’s body. His daily workout was paying dividends. Even though he was undeniably attractive, there had never been anything more between them. The thought had crossed her mind on more than one occasion, but he had never shown any interest so she accepted it for what it was. They worked together and that was it, no more, no less. This operation had brought them closer but it would never be more than cordial. She had wondered sometimes about him, wanted him to open up, but it had never happened for some reason. He had spent so much time and effort on undermining her that she assumed he just had a general dislike for her, not that it ever affected their work.

  “Admiring the guns, huh?”

  Phoenix shook her head. “Dream on, Karl. I’m just worried about your arm.”

  Karl shrugged. “Whatever. We’re here. We made it. That’s the beach, right? Freddy will be here soon and we’ll be off this stinking island forever. Good riddance to it.”

  “Don’t suppose any of you have a secret stash of Twinkies? I’m starved,” said Jane.

  Phoenix could see she was struggling. She hadn’t eaten anything of sustenance for days.

  “All I brought was a six-pack.” Karl nudged Phoenix and laughed.

  “Oh, God, really?” Phoenix smiled back at him. She couldn’t help but glance at his athletic body. “That’s what we’re reduced to? Your bad jokes? We really are in trouble.”

  “Come on,” said Max. “Quit messing around. We need to get around the bay to the beach. I don’t want to miss that boat. I need to get Jane back, get her some medical help and decent food.”

  “Remember that advice I gave you about not talking?” Karl took a step toward Max. “You might pay to remember that.”

  “Please. I don’t have to take orders from you,” replied Max. Suddenly, he had found his confidence again. It had resurfaced now that they were safe, knowing they would very soon be back on the boat and away from the confines of the island. “My priority now is Jane.”

  “Is that so? And does she know what your priority was while Phoenix and I were looking for her?” Karl took another step across the warm sand to Max. “Does she know how long you spent looking for her? Tell her. Tell her why you came here, Max.”

  Phoenix looked at Jane. She was exhausted and scared. She could barely stand, yet it was still a long journey back by boat and then helicopter to the USS Reagan.

  “Maybe we should save this conversation for another time, Karl.” Phoenix put a hand on Jane’s shoulder. “Let’s concentrate on—”

  “No, I want to hear this asshole admit it. After the trouble that he’s caused us, the people who have died because of him, I want to hear him tell the truth. Just for once, tell the damn truth. Tell her.” Karl took another step toward Max. He was within striking distance now. “Tell her.”

  “Max?” Jane looked up at him, her eyes searching his for answers. “What’s he talking about? You came here for me, right? For Tobias and Ricardo. I knew Space54 would send help. Where’s the boat? We shouldn’t hang around here for long.” Jane looked around the beach nervously. “We’re too exposed to wait for long.”

  Max bit his lip and said nothing.

  “It’s okay, Jane,” said Phoenix soothingly. “You’re right. We came here for you. And you made it. God knows you must be strong to have survived this long, but you made it. That’s what counts. Just rest up, okay?” Phoenix looked at the shadows being cast by the jungle on the beach behind her. “It might be another hour before our ride shows up. I’m not sure of the time anymore. You can sit here and rest. Talk with me. We’ll keep an eye out for the boat. Don’t worry.”

  “An hour?” Jane seemed to get paler. “Do we have to wait that long?”

  “Fuck it.” Karl pushed past Max and glared at Phoenix.

  “Where are you going?” Phoenix knew he was angry with her, but she had to protect Jane. It would do her no good to hear how Space54 had abandoned her or that Max was a fraud. There would be plenty of time for that later.

  “To cool off,” replied Karl as he stormed away.

  Phoenix knew he wanted to have it out with Max, but the timing wasn’t right. “K
arl, please don’t—”

  It was too late. He was striding toward the ocean. Let him go. Maybe he did need to cool off. It had been difficult for him, losing the unit the way they had.

  “Jane,” said Phoenix turning to her, “it’s going to be okay. Trust me. Freddy will be here soon. We can see the beach from here. I’m sure we’ll hear his engine coming long before we actually see him. If you prefer, we can go down to the water and—”

  “No. We’re better off here I guess.”

  “I’m going to the beach,” announced Max. “I think we should go and make sure Freddy doesn’t miss us. I’d hate to have gotten this far and miss him.”

  “Max, you don’t have to do that, we can see from here. We’re not going to miss him.”

  “What if he misses us? What if he doesn’t come back? What if that dinosaur was some sort of God to those people and he deliberately left us here as some kind of sacrifice? Don’t you—?”

  She couldn’t help it. Phoenix whirled to face him with the machete still in her hand. She didn’t even realize what she was doing.

  “For fuck’s sake, Max, quit your whining! Are you serious? You think we were abandoned here on purpose? If you stand in front of me any longer spouting that garbage, I’m liable to sacrifice you myself.”

  Phoenix was trembling with rage. She followed Max’ eyes to her hand and realized she was holding the machete up as if she were about to chop him down. Max was scared, probably more scared than when Karl had hit him.

  “Get out of my sight,” said Phoenix, unrepentant. She hadn’t intentionally threatened him but it was done. If she had scared him into shutting up, then perhaps it would be worth it. “Go, before I call Karl back. You’re skating on thin ice, Max.”

  Max said nothing but turned his back on her and traipsed off in the direction of the beach where he could wait for Freddy alone. Phoenix watched him walk away and lowered her machete. Had she taken it too far? Had she crossed a line? He was a civilian after all and under her responsibility.

  “He always was a dick,” said Jane quietly.

  Phoenix looked at Karl. He was striding into the gentle surf and relaxing in the water. She felt like joining him, just swimming out into the ocean with him and not looking back, but she had Jane to worry about now.

  “You knew him well?” asked Phoenix. Karl and Max would have to keep. She could apologize to Karl later. She knew that he thought she was picking sides when really all she was trying to do what keep the peace. She sat down on the stony beach next to Jane. “Back at Space54?”

  “Not that well. We were in different buildings. But he was known around the complex. Always had an opinion, always seemed to be picking a fighting with someone. I take it you guys didn’t get along?”

  Phoenix laughed. “You could say that.” It really was all over now. They had lost their own men but had brought back one survivor. Quite what Jane’s story was going to be, she didn’t know, but that wasn’t her department. The military and Space54 no doubt had already cooked up a cover story. Jane would be a hero, and there would be no mention of dinosaurs or anything else unusual. Phoenix and her unit had never been here. They would just go back to work and the world would never know what they had done. Max would go back to his work, prepare for another mission to Mars. Karl would go back to being Karl and she would replenish her depleted unit. There would be some story about a training accident and their families would receive a letter from the president. Life would go back to normal. But could she?

  Phoenix had to admit she had felt a change inside of her. Seeing Freddy had made her think of what she had been missing out on. Even Karl had changed too. He had shown her that he wasn’t just a soldier but a real man. He had taken care of her on the island. He was a good man but strictly off-limits. She knew practically nothing about his life outside the military. She had only ever seen a picture of his daughter once. Maybe that was part of his act too, the strong and silent type. She still wondered if Karl cared more for her than he let on. Asking him directly would get her nowhere. She was going to have to get him drunk and see where things led when they got back to base.

  “Maybe we should go with Max. You said the boat would be here soon, right?” asked Jane.

  Phoenix stifled a yawn. Suddenly, she felt exhausted. It had been one of those days. She watched Karl swimming up and down near the beach. He glanced back and waved at her. She smiled and waved back. “Yes,” she told Jane, “any time now. I think we’ll be fine as soon as—”

  “Fuck. Oh no, not now,” said Jane. She jumped to her feet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Phoenix grabbed her machete and scrambled to stand. Jane was staring out at the ocean, but Phoenix couldn’t see that anything was wrong. “Are you hurt?”

  Jane took a slow step back toward the jungle, her eyes never leaving the ocean. “It’s here,” she said timidly.

  Phoenix felt shivers run up her spine. She looked at the ocean but couldn’t see a thing. Perhaps Jane was suffering from shock, freaking out now that they were so close to going home. “Jane, what is it? There’s nothing there. Why don’t you sit down?”

  Jane looked around the beach and spied Karl’s machete that he had dropped before going to swim. She grabbed it and clutched it to her chest. “I never told you what I saw that morning on the beach. It was that thing. It’s here.”

  “What’s here, Jane? You’re scaring me.” Phoenix looked around her but saw nothing. She listened for a roar, but there was only the sound of the ocean lapping at the beach. The dinosaur was dead, she was certain of that. So what had got Jane spooked so badly?

  “It came from the ocean. I recognized it immediately. Somehow, the lagoon must be linked to the ocean by subterranean tunnels or something. I’m telling you that it crawled out of the ocean. It can walk on land. Don’t you see? The lagoon can’t hold it in. It’s free, it’s all around us. I thought you knew this? I thought you’d killed it?”

  “You must be mistaken, Jane. It couldn’t have been. You’re saying you saw it on the beach? That thing from the lagoon?”

  “I saw it. When I was at the lagoon, I saw its head, and when the monster climbed out of the ocean, I knew it was the same one.”

  Phoenix looked around frantically, still not seeing what Jane had spotted. Perhaps she had it wrong? Maybe she was having flashbacks and imagining it all. It wouldn’t be the first time that Phoenix had seen someone replay events over in their head after going through a stressful near-death experience.

  “Jane, we killed the dinosaur that stalked the jungle. You know, the one that looked like a T-rex. The one in the lagoon is trapped there. You must be wrong. The water in the lagoon is fresh. We drank it. If that water was fresh, then whatever monster lived in it couldn’t survive at sea. It wouldn’t be able to live in saltwater as well, right?”

  Jane’s bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes filled with water. “Crocodiles can survive in both. Everyone thinks they live in saltwater only, but it’s not true. And this was far bigger and more powerful than any croc I’ve ever seen. Don’t you see? It’s here. It’s not going to let us leave.”

  Phoenix looked at Karl swimming in the ocean. She saw Max walking along the beach. Suddenly, she felt sick. They weren’t safe. Not even close. If Jane was right, then they had miscalculated the island one more time. The consequences could be fatal for everyone.

  “Jane, stay here. I’m going to get the others. We’ll get out of this, okay?”

  “It’s too late,” whispered Jane. Her eyes drifted from Phoenix to the ocean. “We’re dead.”

  Phoenix began to run to the beach. There was a lump in her throat the size of a tennis ball. She had to warn Karl. Phoenix ran with the machete in her hand, the blood in her body pumping out of the wound in her leg. How could two large predators live side by side in such close proximity? By killing the other one, had they somehow upset the island’s natural balance? The two had to have some sort of symbiotic relationship or surely, they would
have killed each other long ago. By killing the T-rex, they had unleashed this other monster. Was there anything to stop it now?

  “Get out of the water!” she yelled. “Karl, get out of there!”

  She saw him wave at her and then she saw it. About fifty feet away, there was something in the water. It was just a dark shape beneath the surface, but it was big, far too big to just be a shark or shoal of fish. As she tried to understand what she was looking at, a part of it showed itself above the surface. It was like a shark’s fin, triangular, yet not shiny and smooth but scaly and rough. It was joined by another and another until finally she realized it was a ridge running along the creature’s spine. It had to be twenty feet long. The creature was gliding through the water silently, much like a crocodile, heading right for Karl.

  “Get out!” Phoenix shouted until her throat was sore. Every muscle in her body ached. Every bruise and cut screamed at her to stop running. Her shoulder was on fire and the dinosaur bite in her thigh was bleeding profusely. Sweat stung her eyes and hot sand burnt her feet. But she ran for Karl, for the one man in her life who had always been there for her. She ran to him because there was no one else she wanted to run to. It was only as she was about to lose him that she realized just how much he meant to her. Her heart pounded as if it was going to explode and not just from the exertion of running. “Karl!”

  The dinosaur reared up out of the ocean just as Phoenix reached the warm water. Her eyes were drawn up to the magnificent creature and she tripped over her own feet, splashing down into the salty water. Immediately, her leg screamed in silent pain and she spluttered and spat as her hands sank into the soft sand. The dinosaur had green eyes on either side of a flat head and its long jaws reminded her of a crocodile. It was as Jane had described, yet it was so impossibly large that Phoenix could barely believe what she was seeing. Its elongated body was covered in a scaly skin that dripped and shone in the sunlight as it stood on top of the coral using four short stout legs. It had to be thirty or forty feet long from the tip of its jaw to its tail that was still submerged in the water. It uttered a sort of growl, as if it was clearing its throat, and Phoenix clutched her machete. She opened her mouth to call for Karl, to scream at him to get away, but it felt as if a snake had coiled around her larynx and strangled her. The beating of her own heart thundered in her ears, and the salty stench of death reached her as the anomalous creature turned toward the beach.