**Hello lovely people who read and enjoyed the first chapter. I delayed putting up the second chapter to see what kind of reviews I would get (whether or not enough people wanted me to continue). I have decided to continue, but I can't guarantee a chapter a week or possibly every two weeks. I am in college and finals are in the next two weeks. I will do what I can. Thanx!**
Mark was busy helping a woman who had just walked through the portal when he hears Mr. Shannon start talking. Mark glances back and sees Mr. Shannon hugging a young woman who just walked through. They look happy to see each other. Was this Kara?
"Please. Help me." A different voice draws his attention. He looks to the man, when suddenly, he explodes, blasting the portal with him. Mark is thrown back. His head connects with a root in the ground and his vision is suddenly clouded with stars. He can hear many mumbled noises going on around him. His hearing soon picks up the sound of Reilly rushing towards him.
"Reynolds! Reynolds get up!" He could barely make out a shape standing above him.
"Reilly?" He asked.
"Can you stand?" She asks in a hurry.
"I don't know. My vision is blurry." Mark then tries to stand but stumbles. Reilly catches him. She reaches around to the back of his head.
"You've got quite a bump back there. Might be a concussion. Come on, we've got to move." She puts her arm around him and helps him to his feet. They made their way together towards the tree line away from the portal, but he could still here some voices scrambling around behind them.
"We have to help." He said to Reilly.
"You're in no condition to help soldier." Reilly said sternly. "Besides, Taylor gave specific instructions for if something like this happened. You know what we have to do, no matter how hard it is." Mark nods. Taylor had told them that in the event of something like this happening, they were to retreat to the woods with as many as they could, civilians that had accompanied them out there, and soldiers. Those who lay on the ground dazed or unable to move were to be left to their own fate. A sudden pang of guilt hit him. One of the last things he saw clearly was Mr. Shannon being thrown backwards, he didn't get up. Maddy would be heartbroken if her dad didn't come home. What about her mom? He hadn't seen her either, maybe she was okay. Then again, she wouldn't leave with the soldiers if Mr. Shannon was still on the ground.
"We have to get back to the colony." Mark said suddenly.
"We can't." Reilly said.
"Why not?"
"Taylor got a transmission right after the portal blew. Lucas Taylor opened the portal right outside the gates. Lt. Washington told Taylor to stay away. The Phoenix Group has control of Terra Nova."
No. Mark's chest contracted violently. Maddy is left all alone over there. She has her little sister who isn't big enough to defend herself, and Josh. Maybe he can get them to a safe place. Josh wouldn't let anything happen to her. When Josh first realized that Mark had started courting Maddy he put on the "big brother" show and basically told Mark that he would kill him if he hurt Maddy. Mark smiled suddenly to himself at the memory. He held two inches and a year on Josh. But he had no doubt that Josh could put up a fight if he was provoked.
"I think I can walk now." Mark said to Reilly as she was still half carrying, half dragging him on the ground.
Reilly let him go and he stood up. "Good to see you on your feet. I thought I was gonna have to carry you the whole way." Reilly smiled at him. Mark smiled back at her. Reilly was like the big sister he never had. Being an only child, it's hard to know what having a sibling is really like, but Reilly is the closest thing to it for him. She is the only female soldier who could take him in a fight. Besides Lt. Washington of course, but she never participates in the soldier's wrestling tournaments. Reilly could take any guy in the unit. Most of the guys tell her and everyone else that they let her win, but we all know better.
Once they catch up with the rest of the unit, Commander Taylor eyes the pair and keeps an eye out for others.
"Are you the last ones?" Dunham asks.
"As far as I can tell, yes. Reynolds got hit on the head so we took it slower. I didn't see anyone following us."
Taylor nods sadly. The group is small, but manageable. About 30 soldiers, Taylor included. The rest were left behind or remain in Terra Nova.
"We make camp here." Taylor says to everyone. "Johnson, take some men and create a perimeter of land mines. Dunham, you, Reilly, and Reynolds scout out familiar land marks. We have limited technology and I'm not going to waste it on our current position. Find out whose territory we're in."
"Yes sir." Dunham said as he turned to Reilly and Mark. "Well, let's go." He said and led the way. Reilly snickered to Mark, they both knew Dunham hated being in charge. Reilly would eventually take over.
They walked for about an hour, circling the camp. Then, Reilly dropped to the ground and froze. Mark and Dunham did the same without question. Reilly pointed just over the hill they were on. Glancing up slightly, Mark looked out, and saw down in a grassy field no more than a click away, were a family of Carnotaurus. Just three of them. A dad, the male out front; a mom, the female eating something; a juvenile, about half her size and running in circles around her.
"Carnos." Dunham breathes. Just then, a scream erupts back in the direction of camp. Followed by a carnotaurus' roar.
"We need to get back." Reilly says as she begins to crawl away. Mark and Dunham follow her slowly as to not disturb or alert the family of carnos of their presence.
They get back just in time to see a full grown female carno being brought down. Injuries from sonic waves and bullets. Usually ineffective against carnos, bullets can be a vital weapon in aimed in the soft spots of their neck and legs. They make their way to the now set up tent that is meant for Taylor. Inside the canopy Taylor has weapons and maps set out.
"They got two of our own." Taylor says as he sees them.
"They, sir?" Reilly asks.
"Carnos. There were two of them. One got away. It was a young one, but strong."
"We spotted a family in the valley three clicks from here sir, I think it's safe to say we're in carno territory." Dunham said.
"Very observant Dunham." Taylor says with a little sarcasm. Dunham hangs his head slightly and leaves. "Alright then, you two," he nods towards Mark and Reilly. "To your posts, Reilly you'll take the front right outside here. Reynolds you'll take the left flank, Arnold and Evans are already there."
"Yes sir." Both Reilly and Mark say at the same time. They turn to leave.
"Oh and Reynolds." Taylor stops him. "I want you in on this, we're trying to get a message to anyone who will find it," Taylor hands him a pouch of bullets. "I've calculated from the information gathered that these are approximately our coordinates. I want you and your group to start carving it into the base of the bullets. Then if a Phoenix member finds us, shoot him, and make sure it's with these. We can't last forever out here."
"Yes sir." Mark says then leaves the tent and heads towards his place.
Hopefully someone will find the clues and come meet them. Taylor is right, we won't last forever on our own.
Maddy laid in bed, her head hurt. She opened her eyes and saw Josh sitting next to her.
"Hey sleepy." He said with a sad smile.
"Josh? What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
Maddy's brow furrowed. "I remember an explosion. The Phoenix Group came through. I remember running to find you and Zoe and that's it. Where is Zoe?"
"She's fine. Don't worry." Josh said. "You ran almost in the middle of the fighting Maddy. You ran straight into an explosion. It knocked you down and you were out. You weren't physically hurt other than that. Just a bump on the head I guess."
"Okay." Maddy said. "What about the mom and dad and Mark?"
Josh paused. "Mom's okay. She's at the hospital now. Dad, he's out cold. They, uh, they don't know when he'll wake up. They don't know if he'll wake up." Maddy's eyes began to fill with tears. "As for Mark, he and the other soldiers retreated to the woods from what I heard. I don't know if he was hurt or not, I'm still trying to figure out the details myself."
"Is she up yet?" An unfamiliar voice comes from the other room.
"Close your eyes and pretend to be asleep." Josh says urgently.
Maddy obeys. She closes her eyes and steadies her breathing. Heavy thudding footsteps enter her room.
"I heard talking." The voice says.
"I was just talking to Maddy. Or myself really." Josh says standing up.
The voice huffs, and trudges off. "I've got to be at my post in ten minutes. I want to see her when I get back." The footsteps lead out the door and the door shuts.
"You can open your eyes now." Josh says. "He's gone."
Maddy sits up and looks at her brother. "Who's he?"
Josh looks sad again. "He helped carry you home. I couldn't because Zoe was frantic and wouldn't let go of me. I don't like the way he looks at you Maddy. He couldn't stop talking about how pretty you were, and that he wanted to meet you so you could thank him for helping. He was also interested in the fact that you turn 17 next month."
"Why would he be interested in my birthday?"
"Maddy, in Terra Nova, the legal age to be an adult and get married is 17. Not like 18 in 2149."
Maddy gave her brother an odd look. "So, he wants to marry me? I'll just say no."
"I think he's got more on his mind other than marriage Maddy."
Maddy suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. "But, I'm being courted. By Mark and I-"
"It doesn't matter!" Josh yells. "Not to them. They don't care. Lucas Taylor has been keeping Skye under a close watch too. I don't like the way he looks at her, but I can't do anything about it! I can however, keep that monster away from you as long as possible." Josh's rage calms. Maddy reaches out for him and hugs him.
"Thank you Josh." He hugs her back.
"Anything for my sister." He says into her hair.
She felt safe in Josh's arms, but being there was nothing compared to the wonderful feeling of being in Mark's arms. Thinking of him only makes her miss him more. Tears find their way to her eyes.
Maddy takes a deep breath. "We'll be okay. I promise."
