Chapter Three

Marguerite dabs the damp cloth on Roxton's face, cleaning his wound, he ipend his eyes and focuses on her.

MARGUERITE: Welcome back.

ROXTON: How long have I been out?

She puts the cloth into a bucket of water.

MARGUERITE: You've drifted in and out of conciousness for a couple of hours, it was touch and go there for a while. You've been missing for three days...We thought you were dead.

ROXTON: I fell over a cliff and landed on a precipice half-way down...

MARGUERITE: Applegate tried to kill you.

He sits up in the bed.

ROXTON: Applegate's dead!

MARGUERITE: That's what he said about you, he's going to come back here and he won't be happy to see you.

ROXTON: The feelings mutual.

He looks around the room.

ROXTON: Where are the others?

MARGUERITE: Looking for you.

He sits on the edge of the be and tries to stand, Marguerite pushes him gently back.

MARGUERITE: You're not going anywhere.

ROXTON: Applegate will hunt them down.

MARGUERITE: he won't do anything tonight and neither are you.

She walks to the door.

ROXTON: So, were you worried?

She looks away and dodges the question.

MARGUERITE: I never thought you were dead for a second.

* * * * * *

Malone wakes up Veronica and Challanger bright and early to resume the search for Roxton. Applegate watches from a safe distance, he throws a stick into the bushes and it catches Veronica's attention, she takes out her knife and walks towards the bushes.

Applgate throws his knife a few feet in front of Veronica then backs away. Veronica searches the spot where she heard the noise only seconds earlier, she wanders in futher and see's the knife glinting ahead of her. She kneels down and picks it up.

VERONICA: (Shouts) Marguerite.

Malone and Challanger stop packing there their things.

CHALLANGER: Have you found something?

VERONICA: Marguerite's knife.

Applegate walks up behind Veronica his rifle aimed at her, she turns around and holds the knife at arms length.

APPLEGATE: Put it down.

VERONICA: Where's Marguerite?

APPLEGATE: If I were you I'd be worried about my own safety.

Challanger and Malonewalks over to Veronica, she turns to them. Applegate grabs hold of her and pushing her in front of him, using her as a shield. Challanger and Malone go for their guns.

APPLEGATE: Do it and I'll shoot her.

He keeps the explorers at bay with his rifle.

APPLEGATE: Throw your weapns on the ground...That includes you Veronica.

VERONICA: You won't kill me.

APPLEGATE: But I will kill your friends.

Malone steps forward.

MALONE: Son of a bitch! It was you who killed Roxton.

Applegate smiles proudly.

APPLEGATE: Yes and he made it so easy.

* * * * * *

Roxton walks to the elevator, rifle in hand. Marguerite walks out of her room annoyed.

MARGUERITE: You shouldn't even be walking around let alone going up against Applegate, who may I remind you isn't battered and bruised.

ROXTON: Are you going to stop me?

MARGUERITE: For God's sake John the goat could stop you right now!

He walks over to her.

ROXTON: I know you're worried but you have no reason to be...

MARGUERITE: (Angry) No! You ahve know idea how worried I have been...We've all been worried...That's what I meant.

ROXTON: We need to warn the others.

She takes a rifle off the rack.

MARGUERITE: Then what are you waiting for?

She gets into the elevator.

MARGUERITE: Are you going to stand around all day?

ROXTON: Of course, what was I thinking? Holding us up like that.

He joins her in the elevator.

* * * * * *

Applegate prods Veronica forward with the rifle, Malone and Challanger walk in front of them.

CHALLANGER: What do you intend to do?

APPLEGATE: Kill you all eventually.

MALONE: (Sarcastic) It's nice that your so honest to us.

APPLEGATE: (To Veronica) except you of course your still my trophy.

VERONICA: I'm nobodies trophy, least of all yours.

He stops in front of a cave.

APPLEGATE: Get in there...Now!

He pushes Veronica forward and grabs Malone.

APPLEGATE: Or I'll shoot him.

* * * * * *

ROXTON: Marguerite stop.

She stands still and looks at him.

MARGUERITE: What? You said he went this way.

ROXTON: Fresh prints over here, he's covered his tracks well...Not well enough.

MARGUERITE: How long since he came this way?

ROXTON: Not long, from the looks of it he's got Challanger, Malone and Veronica too.

MARGUERITE: He's going to kill them.

ROXTON: We need to keep moving.

A T-Rex roars in the distance.

MARGUERITE: The sooner the better.

* * * * * *

Applegate pushes Malone and Challanger into the back of the cave.

CHALLANGER: What are you going to do now? Shoot us?

APPLEGATE: But Professor that wouldn't be very fair of me, as if I'd shoot an unarmed man.

* * * * * *

ROXTON: Stand perfectly still.

The T-Rex sniffs the air, it looks from Marguerite to Roxton and roars.

ROXTON: On the count of three we make a run for the cave.

He takes hold of her by the hand and pulls her back, the T-Rex steps forward.

ROXTON: 1, 2...Now!

They turn and run towards the cave, dodging the trees and the T-Rex close behind. They run inside and the T-Rex sticks it's head inside the cave.

MARGUERITE: Lets hope he isn't too hungry.

ROXTON: Ssh listen.

They listen for a few seconds, Marguerite realises he still has hold of her hand pulls away.

MARGUERITE: Applegate!

Roxton lights a torch and they make their way to the back of the cave.

* * * * * *

MALONE: You won't get away with this.

APPLEGATE: Whose going to stop me?

The rifle is knockes from his hands and a fist connects with his face and he hears a voice.

ROXTON: So, did you miss me?

APPLEGATE: You should've stayed dead.

CHALLANGER: Good timing.

Roxton aims the gun at him Applegate reaches out and grabs his rifle, he swings it round and Roxton blocks it with the torch. He kicks Applegate in the knee and he falls onto one leg. Marguerite takes Applegate's rifle and hands it to Challanger.

MARGUERITE: Told you he was alive.

ROXTON: (To Applegate) get up!

He looks up at Roxton.

APPLEGATE: How did you survive?

ROXTON: You've got a bad aim.

As Applegate stands up he slowly reaches for his knife and lashes out with it, Roxton punches him in the solar plexus. Applegate grabs the torch and runs, Roxton aims and shoots at him, the bullet riccochets off a rock and misses Applegate.

* * * * * *

Applegate runs to the cave entrance, the T-Rex charges the entrance knocking Applegate to the ground as he crawls back the T-Rex grabs his leg and pulls him back, he drops the torch onto the grass outside the cave as the T-Rex carries him away.

The fire spreads blocking the exit, the smoke fogs up the cave, the explorers run to the front of the cave.

MARGUERITE: We're trapped!

MALONE: There's got to be another way out.

They start coughing as the smoke surrounds them, the back away.

VERONICA: I can't breathe!

CHALLANGER: Keep your nose and mouth covered and stay below the smoke line.

ROXTON: Get to the back of the cave.

They run back the way they came, the smoke moves towards the back of the cave.

MARGUERITE: We can't stay in here.

CHALLANGER: Over there.

He walks to the corner of the cave and puts his hand over a crack near the roof, he lights a match and it blows out immediately.

MALONE: What is it?

Challanger moves some small stones to reveal a hole.

CHALLANGER: A way out.

They start pulling the rock away and soon the hole is big enough to fit through.

Veronica climbs outside and stands up.

VERONICA: Oh my God!

The others climb out after her.

MARGUERITE: We're home!

They look out at what should be the Plateau but instead see houses and Big Ben looming in the distance.

The End