by C. G. Mosley
“So, when they call you and tell you that they’ve made it to the other side of that door, are we all going down there together to open it?” she asked, looking over to Victor.
The large man chuckled and breathed deeply through his nose. It seemed to be more out of exhaustion than annoyance. “Why hell no,” he grumbled. “You and Dr. Walker will remain right here while Cliff and I go and retrieve them.”
Charlie adjusted from lying on her back to her side so that her body could fully face Victor. “I don’t think we should split up,” she said. “Both of you have an extra handgun and if you each give one to Matt and me, there would be four of us armed. There is strength in numbers.”
Victor smiled and shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think so,” he replied. “The two of you made it for quite a while with no gun, what’s a few minutes while we run downstairs?”
Charlie opened her mouth for a rebuttal but Victor cut her off before she had a chance to speak.
“How about we cross that bridge when we come to it?” he asked as he pulled a cigar from his pocket.
Charlie raised her eyebrows. “How many of those things do you smoke a day?” she asked.
“Believe it or not, I don’t smoke that many when I’m not working,” he replied, and she thought she caught the slightest glimpse of a sadness behind his eyes. He lit the cigar and took a long pull from it before he spoke again. “When I’m home, it’s booze I turn to,” he added as he puffed a smoke ring into the air.
“Why is that?” Matt asked, taking a seat on a nearby stool.
Victor shook his head. “You don’t want to hear about it,” he grumbled. He then turned to Cliff. “It’s getting late and we’ll be under total darkness in a few minutes. We’ll have to take shifts and keep a close watch on that,” he said, moving his eyes upward to the gaping hole in the ceiling. “That’s where we’re most vulnerable.”
Cliff nodded and instinctively pointed his assault rifle toward the hole. “Nothing’s getting through there on my watch,” he replied, then glanced over to Victor. “I’ll take first watch…we can swap every two hours.”
“Sounds good,” Victor agreed, and he then walked over to the barricaded door to give it a final inspection. Once satisfied that it would hold through the night, he turned to Charlie and Matt. “Alright, all we gotta do is make it through the night and tomorrow we’re out of here,” he explained. “The two of you can get some sleep and Cliff and I will hold down the fort. I’ve got a feeling you’ll both need all the energy you can muster for tomorrow.”
Matt walked over to the large man and put a hand on his shoulder. “We appreciate everything you guys are doing,” he said.
Victor looked over at Matt’s hand and slowly removed it from his shoulder. “You can thank me when we’re off the island,” he replied.
“You do understand that the Troodons will be even more active during the night?” Charlie asked abruptly.
Both men turned to face her. Victor allowed a subtle smile to form on his face.
“Ah yes, I forget we’re dealing with genius dinosaurs,” he quipped, chewing on his cigar.
Charlie stomped toward him. “You’re damn right they are,” she snapped back.
“Charlie, these guys are pros, we have to trust them and let them do their jobs,” Matt said.
She felt her jaw tighten and her blood pressure rise. It was bad enough that the two men she didn’t know weren’t taking her very seriously, but it was extremely frustrating to now find that Matt was seemingly taking their side. He drew near her and tried to put an arm around her shoulders; she pulled away.
“Don’t touch me,” she spat. She then retreated to a large—and rather ugly—upholstered chair in the farthest corner of the room. Once there, she curled up into it and closed her eyes. She wanted to give the appearance that she was trying to go to sleep, and truthfully, she was. However, knowing what was lurking on the other side of the door—and potentially above them—would make the task nearly impossible.
Victor and Cliff both eyed her but said nothing. Matt could see the annoyance all over their faces, especially Victor.
“She’ll be alright,” Matt said, trying to break the awkward silence. “She appreciates what you guys are doing, trust me she does.”
Cliff allowed a slight smile to creep across his face, but it was obviously forced. Victor’s expression remained stern, yet indifferent. Matt watched as he pulled his gun close to his chest and wrapped an arm around it like the weapon was an old friend.
“Cliff, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll take the first shift,” Victor said, finally pulling his gaze away from Charlie. “Get some shut-eye and I’ll wake you in a couple of hours.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Cliff replied, yawning. The smaller soldier grabbed a decorative pillow from the sofa and tossed it on the nearby rug. He then collapsed to the floor and rested his head on the pillow. Within minutes, he was out like a light.
“Wow, I wish I knew his secret,” Matt said as he too found a spot on the floor to retire for the night.
“When you’re a soldier in the theatre of war, you learn real quick to sleep when you can,” Victor said as he puffed smoke from underneath his bushy mustache. “I can check out just as quickly.”
Matt shook his head and then rested his head on a lab coat he’d folded into a makeshift pillow. He then chuckled and made no effort to hide it.
“What’s so funny?” Victor asked curiously.
“Nothing really,” Matt replied, and he turned his head to face Victor. The mercenary raised his eyebrows and gestured for him to explain. “Well, it’s just that this is exactly why Charlie got so mad,” he replied, rolling over onto his back. “She’s telling you how dangerous the Troodons are and neither of you seem to care. Cliff proves her point with how quickly he just fell asleep. He hasn’t a care in the world and even if he did, it seems that the Troodons would be near the bottom of his list.”
Victor huffed and shook his head. “Oh, he and I care plenty about the dinosaurs out there,” he replied, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward the barricaded door behind him. “But we also are here to do a job. We’re being paid to come here and get you and that hellcat out of here,” he further explained, glancing toward Charlie. “What we don’t need is someone constantly telling us all the ways we’re gonna screw up and get eaten. It’s insulting, and quite frankly, we don’t need that crap.”
Matt was taken aback but he remained on his back and stared at the ceiling. “Well, if that’s how you took her warnings, I apologize on her behalf,” he said. “Please know that she meant well with everything she said.”
Victor took the last pull off his latest cigar and then mashed the glowing end into the sheetrock wall over his shoulder. “Put yourself in our position,” he said as he tossed what was left of the extinguished cigar onto the floor. “How would you like it if we came in here telling you how to do your job?”
“I don’t suppose I’d like it very much,” Matt answered.
“Right. So how about both of you shut the hell up and let us do ours,” he growled. “And as far as Cliff’s ‘secret’ to falling asleep…it helps a lot if you’ve got something good to snuggle up with,” he added, patting the rifle he’d been hugging against his chest.
Chapter 21
“Is that what I think that is?” Jonathon asked as he watched Harley kneel onto one knee.
She reached down onto the sandy soil and rubbed her finger across the red liquid all over the ground. She moved her hand closer to the center of the beam of light originating from the flashlight Jonathon was holding. She rubbed her fingers together and it confirmed her suspicion.
“Blood,” she muttered. “And a lot of it,” she added, glancing back toward the ground around them.
“There is no way to know for sure if it’s human blood,” Jonathon said. “There are lots of small dinosaurs on this island that are prey for the bigger and meaner ones.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s true
,” Harley replied. “But, I haven’t seen any that are wearing boots yet.”
Jonathon moved the beam of light toward a section of sand that Harley was staring at intently. Once it was fully illuminated, there was no mistaking the imprint of a large boot. He moved the light to another boot print and then to another. Soon, it became obvious that someone was travelling in the same direction they were going.
“Someone else may be at that bunker,” Jonathon said just above a whisper.
Harley considered what he’d said and then reached for her radio. “Victor, are you out there?”
There was static, and it was obvious someone was trying to respond, but it was impossible to make out what they were saying.
“Victor, I can’t make out what you’re saying…come again?”
More static, and more unintelligible talking.
Harley, clearly frustrated, jammed the radio back onto her belt and exhaled through her nose. “I can’t make out a damn thing they’re saying,” she grumbled.
“So why would that be?” Jonathon asked.
She put her hands on her hips and stared up at the sky. The darkness was almost pitch black. She was certain that the stars were out tonight but she couldn’t see a single one since they were all hidden by the thick veil of mist.
“It’s actually a good sign,” she replied. “I’m betting it’s because they’re in the building. Something in there is probably screwing with the reception.”
Jonathon walked over next to her and continued to shine the light toward the path they were going to take. “We should keep moving,” he said. “We’re in a lot of danger wandering around out here at night.”
“Lead the way,” she said.
Jonathon began walking again and asked, “What were you radioing them for?”
“I wanted to know if everyone was accounted for,” she answered.
“I see,” he said. “You think the blood we found could be from one of the people that stayed behind.” As soon as he said the words, he thought of Charlotte Nelson and it sent a shiver up his spine.
“I just wanted to rule it out,” she replied softly.
“It could’ve been Hank…or a survivor from the plane crash,” Jonathon said as he continued to lead the way.
Harley said nothing in response, though the thought had crossed her mind also. As much as her mind wanted to wander and speculate, she forced herself to focus on the current task at hand.
“We can’t be far away,” she said hopefully.
“No, I agree,” Jonathon replied, though truthfully, he wasn’t sure.
The two of them carried onward through the darkness and did their best to ignore the strange noises that occurred all around them. The sounds of the dinosaurs were eerie and haunting. Although it was night, a lot of the animals were active and perhaps some of them were watching them at that very moment. The thought was unsettling but Jonathon put his trust in Harley to closely monitor their surroundings while he navigated them to safety. He estimated that they’d walked for twenty more minutes—though it felt like an hour—when finally, they found a cubed structure jutting from the earth. The front of the concrete structure was fitted with a metal door painted red.
“This must be it,” Harley said, sounding very relieved.
“This is definitely it,” Jonathon confirmed. “Though I’m wondering how we’re going to get in it.”
He glanced over at keypad next to the door. “From what I remember, there is a combination that must be punched in to gain entry.”
Harley smiled and walked past him. “True, but I know something you don’t,” she said as she pushed her hand against the door. The heavy metal door creaked as it slowly opened inward. “The power is still out and fortunately for us, that makes the door locks useless.”
She suddenly paused and looked at her hand. “That’s strange,” she said. “The paint is wet…why would the paint be wet?” she asked looking back to Jonathon.
He shined the light toward her hand and saw the shimmering red substance over her palm. “I don’t think that’s paint,” he said matter-of-factly.
At that moment, Harley realized it too and she immediately wiped her hand on her pants. “More blood,” she muttered. “More blood means someone is probably…”
“Someone is in there,” Jonathon said, finishing her observation.
Harley took a deep breath and then kicked the door open the rest of the way. She rushed down the steps with her weapon pointed ahead of her. Jonathon thought her actions were rather reckless, but he could do nothing but trail after her and keep the light directed forward so she could see.
As soon as Harley reached the bottom, he heard her begin screaming at whoever was inside to identify himself. Jonathon shined the flashlight toward the bunker’s inhabitant and his jaw dropped open when he realized who he was looking at.
“Well, it took you long enough,” Glenn Hardcastle said, squinting his eyes against the light.
“Who are you?” Harley asked forcefully.
“That’s Glenn Hardcastle,” Jonathon said stepping forward. “He’s one of the survivors.”
Hardcastle continued to squint. “Get that light out of my face,” he snapped. “I can’t see you…Jonathon, is that you—surely not.”
Jonathon directed the light away from Hardcastle’s face so he could see. “It’s me, old friend,” he replied. “Are you alright?”
Hardcastle sighed deeply and shook his head slowly. For the first time, Jonathon noticed that he looked extremely weak and seemed to be holding his left arm close to his stomach. “No…no, I’m not,” he said weakly.
“There is blood on the door outside,” Harley said. “I’m assuming that’s yours? Are you hurt?”
Jonathon drew near him and knelt. “Glenn, what happened?”
Hardcastle looked down at him and Jonathon could plainly see that his face was ashen. “There are Velociraptors out there,” he said with an exhausted groan. “I was attacked and barely escaped with my life.”
Jonathon allowed a smile though Hardcastle never saw it. “Knowing you, that doesn’t surprise me,” he replied. “I’m sure whatever raptor attacked you came out with the short end of the stick.”
Hardcastle chuckled and it quickly transformed into a cough. He sounded sick and defeated. “You’ve got that part right,” he said. “But I didn’t come out unscathed.”
“Well, let us help you,” Jonathon replied. “Where are you injured?”
Hardcastle rolled his head around and stared at Jonathon. “I’ve got multiple cuts and puncture wounds,” he muttered. “That I can handle…but this is a whole other ballgame,” he added, and he held up his left arm.
Jonathon felt his jaw drop open and he heard Harley gasp. Glenn Hardcastle’s arm was gone just below the elbow. He’d somehow managed to apply a tourniquet to slow the bleeding.
“Oh my God,” Jonathon said, unable to hide his shock.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Hardcastle grumbled. “Now, are you two really gonna help me or are you just gonna wait for me to bleed to death?”
***
Cliff grumbled when Victor shook him. Two hours seemed to have passed very quickly. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned as he looked around the room. He heard Charlie and Matt snoozing quietly together in a darkened corner. With Cliff now awake, Victor wasted no time setting up a place for him to lie down and get all the sleep he could manage in two hours.
“It’s been quiet,” he said as he closed his eyes. “If you need me, wake me. Otherwise, see you in two…”
Within minutes, Victor was sleeping as deeply as Matt and Charlie. Cliff stood and, with his rifle clutched firmly in his right hand, he stretched. He then paced the room a few times to get his blood pumping. Waking up seemed harder for him than usual and he longed for a pot of coffee. Unfortunately, without power, coffee was simply not a luxury that was available to him. He instead took a seat on a nearby stool and sipped on another warm soft drink he retrieved from the fridge.
&nb
sp; Things remained quiet for a full hour and Cliff found himself struggling to stay awake. He shook his head rapidly in an effort to stay alert but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Sitting still was boring and boredom made him even more tired. He needed something to do to pass the time. Cliff took a deep breath and allowed his eyes to drift upward toward the ceiling. He remembered Matt Walker saying something about their being powerful sedatives in the veterinary ward above.
Well, I’m not doing anything else, he thought. Maybe those sedatives will become useful later…
Without considering the matter further, Cliff carefully and quietly moved the stool he’d been seated on directly underneath the hole. He then climbed upon it and felt around the edges of the ragged opening until he found a suitable grip to pull himself upward. Within seconds, he found himself on the fourth floor and inside the veterinary ward. The room was far darker than the one he’d just left and if it wasn’t for the illuminated red EXIT signs above the two doors, he doubted he’d even be able to see his hand in front of his face.
Without further contemplation, Cliff switched on the light affixed to the barrel of his rifle and then surveyed his surroundings. The room seemed to be in relatively good condition. In fact, he’d have guessed it had been untouched since before the hurricane if it weren’t for one glaring exception. In all directions, the floor was covered in three-toed foot prints. The prints clearly belonged to a dinosaur, though he wasn’t sure what kind. If the presence of the prints were not sinister enough, he soon came to the realization that they were all red—red as blood.
Did an injured dinosaur come in here?
The discovery prompted him to look toward the doors and he immediately noticed one of them had been forced open, evidenced by the splintered door jamb. His awareness was heightened and suddenly his head was on a swivel. Experience had taught him to trust his gut and always plan for the worst. In the moment, he was expecting a hungry dinosaur to jump from a darkened corner at any moment.
