"Okay, Jess, what can you tell us?"
Matt and Becker were scanning the almost empty warehouse with their eyes.
"Eye witnesses described the creature as a huge bipedal dinosaur. Size estimates ranged from 10 to 12 meters"
Becker and Matt exchanged a glance.
"That's not good. Bipedal usually means carnivor", Matt said. "A T-Rex maybe?"
"Wrong period", Connor gave his bit of wisdom over the comms. He and Abby were watching the anomaly which had opened near the docks of the freight port.
"The anomaly leads to the late Jurassic ... T-Rex and his buddies are from the Cretaceous ... believe me ... we know, we met them. This must be some kind of Allosaurus."
Matt nodded, even though Connor could not see him. He could only speculate about the horrors Abby and the young nerdy scientist had been through during their year in the Cretaceous.
"Okay, so tell us something about Allosaurs ... how nasty are they?"
Jess's voice interrupted them.
"I have a visual. It is huge, I'd say at least twelve meters in length and very massive. It has a red crest on it's forehead. And it is heading right for the warehouse you are in at the moment."
"Red crest ... Saurophaganax then", Connor said. "Allosaurus's big brother. We are talking 4 to 5 tons of nastyness."
Becker and Matt looked at each other and simultnionsly adjusted their EMD rifles to the highest setting.
"Jess, how far away is it?"
In this moment the creature stuck its enormous head through the sliding gate of the warehouse which they had left sligtly ajar. With a mighty roar it grabbed the five by five meter metal door and ripped it away in one swift movement.
"Never mind", said Matt. "We found it."
"Jess, we need backup here now!" Becker yelled.
The creature moved unbelievably fast for an animal its size. It stretched out its long neck and Matt and Becker hastily dashed off to different sides as the massive jaws snapped at thin air where they had been standing a split second before. Becker hit the ground, rolled and brought the EMD rifle around the second he was back on his feet. He heard Matt scream. The beast had grabbed the team leader with one of his front claws and was lifting him into the air. Becker could see Matt struggle against the merciless hold of the three taloned claw. His EMD rifle had fallen from his hands and clattered to the floor.
"Shoot!" he yelled at Becker. Becker dropped to one knee to get a better firing angle and pulled the trigger. The EMD blast hit the creature full in the face and it whipped around in agony. Becker shot again. And again. It took four blasts altogether, until the large dinosaur finally went down. Becker had to throw himself backwards to avoid being crushed by the massive body as it slammed to the floor. He scrambled back up as fast as he could, leaving his now empty and useless EMD rifle behind.
"Matt?"
He received no answer and the creature's body was blocking his view. Becker ran around it and saw his friend hanging limp and motionless, still entangled in the front claw of the Saurophaganax.
"Matt! Jess, where's the backup? We need a med team here, now!"
Even though she must be worried as well, Jess's voice was calm and comforting in his ear.
"Becker, backup will be there in three minutes. Medic and ambulance in five. What is your situation? What happened?"
"The creature is down, but I don't know for how long. Matt is hurt", he explained hastily while stepping over to his friend, feeling for his pulse on his neck. When he finally found it, it was beating way too fast and very weak. Becker could see no apparent injuries, though. He tried to pry the beast's claw loose, but it's muscles were rigid from the EMD blast. That's when the realization hit him. Since the electrical surge had run through the creature, it must have also reached Matt. Becker closed his eyes and swallowed. The weapons were meant to be non-lethal, but on a setting this high, they were definitely more than a human body could handle.
"Matt! Buddy, can you hear me?"
Becker shook his teammate and lightly slapped his face, but got no reaction whatsoever. He jerked at the talons again and managed to pry them loose enough so that Matt's body started to slide out of them. Becker hoisted his friend up in a fireman's carry and bore him away from the creature as far as the warehouse wall would allow him to do. There he gently lowered him to the floor, positioning him so that Matt's head came to rest in his lap.
"Matt, please, come on, give me a sign. Anything!"
"Becker? How is Matt doing? Is he gonna be alright?" Jess wanted to know, but Becker ignored her. Matt's pulse was still racing. Becker could see his eyeballs move behind closed lids. Then a small moan escaped Matt's lips.
"That's it, buddy. Come on, wake up", Becker urged, moving his hand away from the neck to caress Matt's forehead. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused, and he moaned again, louder this time.
Becker shook his shoulder lightly and leaned over his friends face.
"Hey!"
Matt stirred, then his gaze found Becker.
"You are upside down", he said. Becker let out a short relieved laugh.
The injured team leader tried to sit up, winced and sank back against Becker's body.
"Woah ... easy, mate", Becker cautioned him. "You are a far way away from being able to move."
Matt looked around.
"What happened?"
His voice was hoarse from pain.
"The Saurophaganax had grabbed you", Becker explained. Matt nodded slowly, but regretted the movement instantly.
"I remember that."
"I shot it. It took me four blasts to bring it down. But it still had you in it's claws, so I am afraid I blasted you as well."
Matt managed a small grin.
"You have been waiting to do that for quite some time!"
Becker shook his head.
"No I haven't. I was an idiot back then. I fully deserved to be shot."
"Well, I am really sorry I did. Because you know what? It really really hurts."
Becker patted Matt's shoulder comfortingly.
"I know it must. It was bad when you shot me, worse than I ever wanted to admit, but this time the voltage was much higher. I was afraid you wouldn't make it for a sec."
"Well, I am sure the dino got the worst of it", Matt said, but Becker could feel his friend tremble in an effort to battle the pain that was still burning through his body.
"Hang in there, the medics must be here any second."
In this moment the giant creature shook it's body and began to rise. Becker looked around frantically. He hoisted Matt into a sitting position and steadied him against the warehouse wall, before getting to his feet. The creature's head swung towards them and Becker quickly stepped away from his friend, waving his arms wildly, to draw the beast's attention on himself and away from Matt. The plan worked alarmingly well. The Saurophaganax was back on its feet and swung at Becker with its claws. He ducked out of the way. Then he spotted Matt's rifle on the ground, about four feet from where he was standing and dived for it. He rolled around, holding the rifle straight up, aiming it at the creature that was now directly above him. He fired twice and rolled out of the way, as the dinosaur broke down again. When the huge head slammed down only inches from where he was lying, Becker lifted the rifle one last time and shot it directly in its face. Then he just lay on his back for a moment, trying to catch his breath.
"Becker?" Matt's concerned voice brought him back to his feet.
"I am fine", he assured and stumbled over to his friend, squatting down beside him.
"Becker, Matt, what's going on? Are you alright?"
The men looked at each other and smiled.
"We are fine, Jess", Becker said. "And Jess? Tell backup, they suck!"
"Tell 'em yourself", Jess suggested. "They are there."
And surely, in this moment ten men in black uniforms stormed the warehouse in nicely choreographed battle formation. Becker rolled his eyes. Connor and Abby were right behind them, bringing a huge cage to transport the beast back to the anomaly. And finally the med team arrived. When they placed Matt on a stretcher, he extended his hand to Becker, before they rolled him away. Becker took it.
"What is it, mate?"
"You saved my life twice today. Thank you."
Becker smiled.
"Yeah, but I shot you four times ... I guess that kinda makes up for it."