Chapter 21
Jack sighed deeply as he pushed himself back onto his feet. After their horrifying discovery, the next couple of hours had been a blur, a frantic race out of the tunnels of the base. Several times they had been forced to turn and gun down their pursuers, but there were always more following. The worst part was when the Jaffa had joined the hunt. Teal'c had been tagged on his shoulder by a staff blast before they realised what was happening.
Part way through they had run into another man, one who didn't look like he belonged as well. Jack had been surprised at the sight of the tuxedo that he wore, but the body posture and the firm way he held his gun marked him as a professional.
At last they had emerged above ground, into a small parking area besides the main mansion. They had all paused for a moment when they heard the screams coming from the city on all sides, the wailing of sirens and the snarls of the dinosaurs that hunted the tourists in the burning streets.
It was then that things had started going down hill fast. They only had a moment to react to its roar before the Allosaurus had crashed into their midst. While it had not managed to snap anyone up into its jaws, the impact had thrown them about. The small girl had tried to used the AK-47 she'd grabbed from a dead guard, but her inexperience with the gun was clear as the heavy recoil forced the gun upwards, the rounds streaking off harmlessly into the night sky. In reply the dino had kicked her back, the foot claws tearing into her stomach and throwing her over a dozen feet.
Dylan had roared in outrage, before whipping that huge gun off his back. Even as the dino had charged him he had calmly aimed before firing. He had staggered back from the recoil, but the effect on the allosaur was much more remarkable. The entire back of its head had been blown off!
The thunderous gunshot however must have been noticed however, as a whole pack of the smaller dinos had come running. They had piled into a minibus that had been parked there, but not before a few of them suffered slashes and bites. As Gail had thrown their ride along the driveway, the pack had tried to leap onto them, the windows being smashed inwards and the panels buckled. With the Goa'uld controlling them the raptors had taken enormous amounts of firepower to put down, so they had focused mainly on getting them off the bus. Smashing through the gates had mangled the front of the bus, but they were free.
The British man, who had called himself 'Bond', had jumped off when they went around the west wall, before running to what appeared to be empty space. When he had vanished, Jack had gaped. Then the Aston Martin had appeared, and he'd pushed ahead of them, clearing a path.
Everywhere they drove they had seen the people being killed, run down by the raptors. They had tried to help, but even as they put one down another two took its place. It was only when they got near one of the cheaper hotels that they found some people holding out. Taking cover behind an overturned jeep, they discovered three men and four women, three of whom were shooting any raptor that came close. Judging by the number of bodies around them, they were barely managing to hold them off. Gail had pulled over, and with help from SG1 and the others, they had got them out and towards the minibus.
Then things went even worse. A Raptor had leapt out of nowhere and savaged Gail's leg, while another Allosaur had rammed Bond's car, flipping it over. He had barely managed to wiggle out before the dinosaurs weight had caved in the roof. Then it had bit down on something near the front bumper… and an explosion had blasted apart both the front of the car and the dinosaurs head. Bond had muttered something before climbing into the bus after the others.
Now, at last, they could pause and take breath. Janet had been working miracles, but Jack knew that she needed this time to stabilise and patch their wounded. And they all needed to take stock of what they had and the situation they were in.
Personally, Jack figured they were seriously screwed.
X-X-X-X-X-X
Regina winced as she reached for the latches in her body armour. Janet smiled slightly before stepping forwards. "Allow me..." She said gently, though there was a note of finality in her tone.
With a sigh Regina quit trying and just let the doctor do it. Pain laced her side as she lifted the armour clear, but Regina was used to it. Normally in the field she did all this herself, but with a trained doctor here...
Janet slowly lifted the slate grey tank top from the younger woman's side. Against her pale skin the livid bruise underneath stood out horribly. Working gently, she examined the bruised area.
"Well, you're lucky in a way. Looks like only bruised ribs."
"Only!" Regina grunted.
Janet smiled again. "Left one hell of a bruise though. I can give you something for the pain, but I can't do much else right now. Just try and rest and stay off our right side for the next little while."
Regina sighed again. "Okay."
After rolling her top back down, the two women returned to the main bar area. It was pretty much like they'd left it; nearly everyone slumped in their seats. Regina felt the same way, wanting nothing more than a chance to rest.
O'Neill, hearing the two come through, slowly sat upright.
"All right... lets get everyone up stairs."
Slowly, wearily, everyone gathered staggered upright. The adrenaline rush had worn off, and now they were all feeling the pull of their injures, the ache of tired muscles.
Leading the way, O'Neill made his way up the stairs, Carter and Regina just behind him. Teal'c had, with just a nod, told him that he'd make sure everyone made it upstairs before following.
O'Neill looked about. They had emerged onto a broad landing that spanned the width of the building. Seven doors lined the landing, three to the left, four to the right. There was also a small bit of landing at the far end to the left, giving the whole set an 'L' shape. Moonlight streamed in from the window at the far end.
Regina pushed open the door right at the head of the stairs. It opened to reveal a smallish two bed room, typical of motels the world over. Two fairly standard single beds made up the bulk of the furniture... and took up most of the space.
Looking in over her shoulder, O'Neill nodded, then look back at the others making their way up. "You two, here's your space." He gestured to Rick and Gail, who had to take one step at time. Rick nodded gratefully. He also knew that O'Neill hadn't told them to take that room purely out of charity; it was right at the top of the stairs, which made it an ideal defensive position.
Gradually the others sorted themselves out. A deeper look into the private areas of the pub revealed a smallish living space further in from the master bedroom, with a private bathroom and a smaller second bedroom. The badly wounded Paula was laid out on the single bed within, the safest place to be within the building. Dylan almost had to dragged away from the young woman, and ended up lying on one of the long couches in the living space. Janet took the other, to be near her patient.
When Jack returned to the master bedroom he found Ian Malcolm and Sarah Harding lying together on it, arms round each other. Shaking his head, he looked at the balcony that was opposite the bed. As Teal'c had said, it overlooked the intersection, giving a clear view down both streets leading into town, and a decent view down the others, if he moved to the edge.
He looked over at Teal'c. "Give me a hand with this?" He asked.
Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but stepped over to join O'Neill by a decent sized table. Together they shifted it until they could tip it over, filling the bulk of the balcony doorway. Pulling the one door closed, O'Neill dragged a chair over and sat down behind the uprooted table, looking out over the intersection. "Get some sleep Teal'c. I'll take first watch."
Teal'c nodded, before turning to leave. Daniel followed, but Carter hovered.
"Go on Carter. Get some rest. That's an order."
Carter smiled slightly, then turned and walked out, Regina just behind her.
Sighing, O'Neill leaned back in the very comfortable chair, rested his feet on the cross bar on the underside of the table, and settled his gaze on the view outside. An orange glow highlighted a few of the buildings, though the streets themselves were cloaked in darkness. And for that, O'Neill was grateful.