AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, time for chapter 2!! I can't believe I actually did that to poor poor Stephen. You know, he seems to get the worst of everything in the show- he gets knocked unconscious by the Gorgonopsid, bitten by the centipede, and dragged under by that scorpion, just to name a few. Well, expect things to get a little AU from here on end, because things will happen that will not tie in to the rest of the Primeval episodes. Sorry, but remember, since Stephen's out of action, he won't be able to hit the Gorgonopsid with the SUV later on and such. ^^; Anyway, this chapter will focus on Cutter and Conner and will be on the short side, but I'm very busy with my Zoids fics. Anyway, enjoy chapter 2- Dinosaur Hunting!! (yes, I realize Gorgonopsids aren't classified as dinosaurs, but I think it sounds better than 'mammal-like reptile hunting', alright?! XP)
Nick Cutter stood on the trampled grass of the schoolyard, staring at the crumpled doors and crushed fire extinguisher in shock, young Ben standing next to him. He knew what had happened to his friend the instant he arrived, there was no denying it- the Gorgonopsid had gotten him.
Cutter walked over to one particular flattened spot of grass, which looked as if someone had laid down on it. He crouched down, looking at the scene of the struggle more closely. A few small droplets of crimson blood flecked the green glass, like a scattering of rubies on the emerald blades. He reached out and touched one of the ruby drops, the blood cold and sticky, but not dry.
"Mr. Cutter, is he alright? Did that… that thing get him?" Ben asked, looking over into the trees nervously. Cutter sighed loudly, looking at the blood that stained the tip of his finger, thinking. There were tracks leading away from the scene of the attack, but they didn't belong to Stephen, they belonged to the Gorgonopsid.
"I'm afraid so, Ben, I think the Gorgonopsid did get him…" Nick answered, sighing again as he stood up. "The blood is still fresh, he couldn't have been attacked more than ten, twenty minutes ago…"
"Does that mean he might still be alive?!" Ben asked, a hopeful tone to his voice. Cutter looked down at him, his eyes grim and saddened. He shook his head, looking back out into the trees.
"I doubt he could have survived, that creature was more than capable of tearing him to shreds in moments, but the signs are good, so there's no knowing until we see for ourselves…" he sighed, staring into the rain-soaked misty forest.
"I hope he's alright, that dinosaur was huge, but I think he'll make it…" Ben said hopefully, turning as he heard a car pull up to the curb. Cutter turned as well, and recognized the driver.
"Best not keep your mother waiting, Ben…" Cutter said, looking down at the young boy, "… and maybe you shouldn't tell her about Stephen, I'm sure her nerves are frayed enough from the other night…" he added, and Ben looked up at him, nodding.
"I won't tell her, and good luck getting him back!" Ben shouted, running towards his mother's car, leaving Cutter alone. He watched the car drive away, and turned back to the few clues he had. There were a few bloody paw prints, but they vanished a few yards into the taller grass, leaving no other trace. It wasn't going to be easy to track the beast down, but he knew he had to if Stephen stood a chance, if he was even alive.
Cutter swung his bag from his shoulder, unzipping it and rummaging through it. He pulled out a 9ml pistol, checking the chamber and magazine. He had a full clip and a bullet in the chamber, not enough to take the Gorgonopsid down, but maybe just enough to frighten it away.
Just as he started to head towards the forest in search of the beast, he heard another car pull up, the engine shutting off as someone jumped out, shutting the door rather forcefully. He turned, and sure enough, Conner was racing towards him.
"Cutter!! What are you doing here?! We need to get ba- oh God, what happened?!" he cut off, seeing the crashed doors and trampled grass. He sprinted next to him, looking down at where the attack had taken place. He grew very pale when he spied the small splatters of blood that covered some of the grass, gulping, as if forcing himself from getting sick.
"It got him…" Cutter said, looking down at the ground, "… the Gorgonopsid, it got Stephen…"
"What?! It got him?!" Connor gasped, the remaining color draining from his face. Cutter nodded slowly, looking up at the barely visible trail the beast had left.
"Conner, we have to go after it…" Cutter stated flatly, not looking over at his student, though he sensed that he flinched.
"Go… go after… after it? Are you mad?!" Conner stuttered, obviously terrified, "But we don't even know if Stephen's alive!"
"He's most likely alive, Conner…" he replied, looking over at Conner, kneeling down to the scene of the struggle, "… if you had showed up to any of my seminars, you'd see that the Gorgonopsid didn't kill him. You see, the blood here came from a minor injury; if the Gorgonopsid had dealt a fatal wound, there would be blood everywhere and so would torn bits of fabric, not just the little splattering here. It couldn't have crushed him, for there would have been a more prominent depression from the creature's weight. Hopefully, the Gorgonopsid doesn't behave like a large cat…"
"Cutter, Ben said it did have some cat-like qualities. He said he and Abby found a cow hauled up into the high branches of a tree in the forest, like a leopard." Conner reminded him, "But why is that a bad thing?"
"Conner, big cats are some of the most efficient and stealthy killers in the natural world." Cutter answered, "When most people visualize a big cat attack, they think of a scene out of a horror film, with blood and gore everywhere. In reality, cats rarely leave any sign of their presence or their kill. A cat the size of a Gorgonopsid could kill a smaller human simply by shaking it hard enough, breaking the neck, effectively leaving no trace of the attack. I think Stephen may have been too large for the Gorgonopsid to do that, but I don't know. The Gorgonopsid could have killed Stephen right here and left no trace behind, or Stephen could still be alive, I just don't know for sure."
"I guess that means we're going dinosaur hunting?" Conner sighed, looking at the bloody paw prints that led into the poorly lit woods.
"Yes…" Cutter said, "… you better get a weapon of some sort, I'm going to go find Stephen." He stated, slinging his pack back over his shoulders and starting towards the forest, following the Gorgonopsid's trail. He heard Conner start to say something, but he stopped and ran after him.
"Cutter, wait! Shouldn't we call the police or someone?" he shouted, catching up with him. Cutter stopped and turned around, looking at him as if he was stupid.
"Conner, what do you expect the police to do if I call them saying my friend was attacked and dragged away into the forest by a beast from the Permian period that somehow made its way to the present through some sort of time portal along with a flying lizard and a scaled cow?" Cutter said sarcastically, turning and continuing into the forest. Conner stopped for a second, considering it for a moment.
"Hmm… good point…" he muttered, chasing after him again, not wanting to get left behind with a dangerous Gorgonopsid on the loose.
Cutter focused on the ground in front of him as the grass gave way to the soft loamy soil of the forest floor, looking for more tracks. The Gorgonopsid's immense weight and large paws had sunken deep into the rich earth, leaving an easy trail for him to follow. A few small drops of blood speckled some of the leaves of the lower vegetation, the crimson smears showing that the leaves had brushed against something bleeding or blood-covered.
Cutter cocked his pistol, not wanting to get caught unaware, for he sensed that he and Conner were being watched…
AN- I love the little funny part about the police. XD That sounds like something I would say if I was in that situation. XP I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but that may be awhile, because my Zoids fics are demanding my total attention. If any of you have watched or like Zoids, I suggest you read my Zoids fics. They are much better than this, and have better storylines and are suspenseful and such. ^^; Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a nice review!! ;D
~Ibeyla ^^