Chapter Ten - The life hazard
Sora, Yolie, Cody, Davis and Ken had fallen asleep in the same tree they had climbed into seven hours ago. It was the flutter of leaves brushing up against themselves that woke Daisuke. He crawled over to the side of the tree where the noise had come from. The sun was beginning to rise but it was still difficult to see anything. He stood up to see if he could see anything in the distance.
Nothing.
Then, a thick object hit him in the back, pushing off the ledge. He landed on his stomach and laid there for a few seconds before siting up. Rubbings his rib cage, he looked up to see what hit him.
Another raptor. This one was different though. It was mostly all brown, and no feathers on its head. Its eyes were not yellow, but green. It growled at him, baring its sharp teeth. Despite its glare, Daisuke was more worried about the others then himself; however, the glare told him it wasn't going to (hunt) get one of the others. For some reason, instead of screaming for the others to wake up, Daisuke got up and began to run as fast as he could. As he ran, he heard no indication that the raptor was following him. It had tricked him. Now it was probably (eating) hurting the others. He tripped over a log and hit the damp leafy ground. He got to his feet, and wheeled around at a strange purr. The raptor had followed him. It barked at something to Daisuke's left and he turned around to find another brown raptor with green eyes. Then another came, then another. Soon he was surrounded by four full size raptors, and he had a feeling it was his end. Clunk.
Something small hit the ground at Daisuke's feet. It looked like a tin can. It began to spew a lot of white smoke. Then another landed between him and a raptor. The four raptors became confused and aggravated. As the smoke rose higher and higher, Daisuke had to cover his face with the collar of his shirt, as tears streamed down his face.
He knew exactly what it was. Tear Gas. Tears continued to stream down his face as he fell to his knees. The raptors scattered as the smoke spread. That was when a figured came out of nowhere, and picked Davis up like a child and ran from the area. Davis tried to see who it was but his eyes were still teary, and he could only make out that it was human. He closed his eyes as the run slowed to a quick walk.
An hour later, Davis woke to the sound of running water. He opened his eyes to discover he was in a small cave placed behind a waterfall. He heard a murmur beside him, and looked down to find Yolie sleeping peacefully. At first he thought Yolie had been the one who rescued him, but she wasn't strong enough to carry him.
A familiar voice broke the silence, "Were you worried about her?" His shot up to the sound of Tai's voice. He was leaning against the wall near the waterfall.
Daisuke stood up. "Well," Tai asked again, "were you?"
"Why would it matter to you?" Daisuke answered without thinking. Tai was startled.
"You're the reason we're here." There was a tense silence, then Daisuke continued, "Kari is more worried than any of us."
Tai flinched at the name, "She shouldn't be."
He turned around only to have Davis tackle him and punch him in the ribs, "What is you problem?!?! We've gone through hell to find you, and then you act like . . . !" Davis swung at him again but Tai caught his hand, flipped Davis over him and rolled back onto his knees. Then he twirled Daisuke around and slid him underneath him, sat on him and held an extremely large knife to Davis's neck. Once Daisuke recovered from shock that Tai was threatening him, he spoke softly so as not to trigger any senses, "Get that thing, of my neck-"
"Shut up!" Tai screamed. Yolie began to stir. Davis could see there was something wrong with his eyes, a craze and upset look. "You say you went through hell, you don't even know the meaning," he pressed the blade harder against Daisuke's throat, making him gasp for air. "You had a choice to come here, and you can easily leave, I have to stay and that's not the half of it. All of you betrayed me, you helped him ruin my life." Suddenly he turned his eyes away for a second to look behind him, "Don't even think about. If you try to help and my arm slips," he was talking to Yolie who was now wide awake. Tai was right, if she tried to push him off and his arm slipped it could easily slit his throat.
She tried to be calm and not intense the moment, "Who are you talking about? We did betray you."
Suddenly there was a splash as someone ran through the waterfall. Tai and Davis didn't look up but Yolie did. Sora. She was horrified by the scene. "I woke up and saw Daisuke was gone. I followed his footprints and I find this?" She walked over to the two of them and kneeled down beside them. Davis could feel Tai's body began to shiver. Sora hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. Taichi seemed to wake up from his state of psycho state and loosened up. Slowly, she ran her hand down his arm and then pulled the knife out of Tai's grip. Tai rolled of Davis and looked up at a figure standing in the waterfall. Davis, who was recovering in Sora's lap, looked up. It was a teenage boy about sixteen years old with dark blue hair, and dressed in dark denim jeans and a black, silky, button up shirt.
"Nice timing Hoshiko" Tai said.
"What did I miss?" Hoshiko had an remarkably masculine voice. Sora noticed that he had the same markings on his neck and chin as Tai did, except they were dull gold, not yellow. He also had the yellow eyes, similar to Tai's. That was when another older man appeared through the waterfall. "You the digidestined?" Sora, Yolie and Daisuke nodded, Tai didn't. "I'm another who's with Gennai, I've got two cars ready." Tai flinched. He wouldn't be able to do anything because of the way he had just acted. "I'm RJ."
Tai and Hoshiko trailed behind the others to discuss a way to get the kids out of the cars and away from RJ. They also talked about what had happened back in the cave. There were to cars, and before Hoshiko could get to them first, RJ said something to the others. Davis and Yolie got in the first car and Sora came up to tell Tai and Hoshiko they would take the back car. Horrified, the two watched RJ get in he firs car with Davis and Yolie, he would hold them hostage to bring Tai back to Malone.
They drove on for about and hour or two before stopping for a catnap. They stopped near an outside restroom. Sora, Hoshiko, and RJ appeared to be the only ones asleep. Hoshiko was in the back seat, Sora was asleep in the passenger seat, and Taichi was in the drivers seat. Tai constrained himself to stay awake, as he watched to two kids in the car in front of him. It was now raining very hard and it would be difficult to drive.
* * *
In First Car
* * *
Daisuke jumped out from in front of the passenger seat at Yolie wearing strange goggles. RJ woke to the sound out Yolie's gasp, "Where'd you find those?"
Daisuke answered, "In a big box under my seat."
"Are they heavy?"
"Yeah."
"Then they're expensive, put them back." RJ went back to sleep, and Davis rolled his eyes and put the goggle head piece back on. He began to climb to the back of the car, and Yolie hit him on the top of the head with her baseball cap, "Don't scare me."
Davis laid down on his stomach on the trunk of the hatchback and turned on a switch on the side of the goggles. The rim of the goggles glowed green and began to focus. The vision was green but you could see everything, and Daisuke understood what he was seeing, "Cool! Night vision!" He could see the car behind him. Tai had closed his eyes for a second and had dosed off. Davis look to his left and saw a goat sleeping in the ferns. "Hey look." he showed Yolie. Then Davis felt a vibration. He took the goggles off and turned around, Yolie was fanning herself with her hat. He felt it again. He stopped her hand, "Do you feel that?" Davis leaned over the front seat to look at two plastic cups of water that settled on the dashboard. Every time he felt it little ripples vibrated the cup. RJ woke to the vibration, then looked at himself in the rear view mirror. The mirror shook to the vibration.
Davis moved back the back seat and put the goggles on. He zoomed in on the area where the goat is . . . was. RJ and Yolie noticed it was gone to. She looked at Daisuke, "Where's the goat?" At that precise moment a severed leg of the goat landed on the glass roof of the car, right above Yolie. Yolie and RJ gasped and backed away. Davis's mouth dropped open and he lifted the goggles of his head. A huge head rose above the trees. It opened it's head and tilted it back, swallowing the rest of the goat. It turned it head and looked at them.
RJ began to panic, "Oh, Jesus" he opened his door and ran out.
Yolie looked almost as panicked as RJ, "He left us. He left us."
RJ ran toward the restroom and closed the door behind him, and fell back onto a toilet seat.
Tai, Sora, and Hoshiko watched RJ go. "Well where does he think he's goin'?" Tai asked.
Hoshiko answered, "When you gotta go, ya gotta go."
Yolie and Davis looked back at the other car helplessly, "Taichi?"
The T-Rex burst through the brush, took one step and looked at the second car. The it took another step and looked at the first car. Then made an unearthly roar. It was still rain very hard.
"Keep completely still," Tai said, "His vision is based on movement."
Meanwhile, Yolie found a box in the back of the car and had opened to find a flashlight and some flares, she took out the flashlight and closed the box. The Rex was playfully bumping the second car when Yolie turned the flashlight on. The Rex saw the light and bean to walk over to he side of the first car. Tai muttered under is breath, "Turn the light off. Turn the light off."
"Turn the light off!" Davis screamed at her from the drivers seat. Yolie panicked. The Rex was on the drivers side of the car trying to find the light ahead of the car, not noticing the car. Davis leaned out, grabbed the door handle, and pulled the door close. With a bark, the Rex snapped it's head around to pear into the car. The two kids froze in fear as the creature peered into the car. Then it moved one side of its head to the side and looked into Yolie's window with one big eye. The flashlight was still on and Yolie and sitting on her lap. It was pointed out the window and dilated the Rex's eye. The Rex lifted its head away and Daisuke and Yolie looked at each other. The Rex made a sound like it was sucking in a lot of air, and then roared. It was so loud that Daisuke and Yolie covered their ears. The Rex looked back in the car, making the two move to the other side of the car. It gave a small roar in frustration, and nosed the car with its snout, almost tipping. Yolie began to scream and Davis was horrified. Quickly, Davis moved to the back seat and made a grab for the flashlight, "Turn it off!"
Yolie was near tears, "I'm sorry!"
They both bitched at each other as they tried to turn off the flashlight. The T-Rex was watching the whole thing through the glass roof of the car. The two looked up in time to see him looking at them. Then it busted its snout through the roof, trapping the two under the glass. They pushed the glass up with their hands and feet. Yolie was screaming. The Rex lifted its snout, and slammed down again. The two tried to stay under the glass as the animal continued to try to get through. Daisuke began to scream.
Tai, Sora, and Hoshiko watched the whole thing in horror.
The Rex lifted it's head out and pressed the side of its head and body against the side of the car, knocking it over on two wheels. Yolie and Davis screamed as the car landed back on all fours. The Rex tried again, and the two kids screamed louder as the car flipped over onto its roof. The rain continued to fall. Yolie and Daisuke were trapped under the car as the Rex ripped the gas tank and muffler off the car. A rear wheel was spinning and the Rex made a bite at it. The Rex tried to rip the tire off and the kids screamed.
Tai moved to the back of the car and open the emergency box and pulled out a flare. He looked at the car. The Rex had one foot on the car, and roared in triumph of removing the tire. The weight of the animal was based on the foot that was on the car, it was pressing the car into the muddy water with the kids still underneath. Davis and Yolie looked in alarm as the area around them, was being flooded by muddy water.
Tai ran out of the second car with the lit flare, and waved it in the air, "Hey!"
The Rex looked up and roared. Tai began to regret his idea. In the car, Hoshiko lit another flare. "Hoshiko?" Sora asked, "What are you doing?"
Tai stood still, but waved the flare slowly side to side. The Rex followed the flare, then Tai through it to the side. The Rex roared and chased after it. Hoshiko exited the car and waved the other flare frantically, "Hey, Hey, Hey!!!"
Tai stared in alarm, "Hoshiko freeze!"
He looked at Tai in a last ditch to help him, "Get the kids Tai!"
The Rex roared at Hoshiko, and he a started running. The Rex chased after him. Amazingly, the Rex didn't try to bite Hoshiko, instead it knocked him into the restroom made of straw and Bamboo. The restroom collapsed and the straw roof covered an unconscious Hoshiko. The building collapse did reveal RJ, who was sitting on a toilet lid. The Rex looked curiosity at the frightened RJ. Then, with wonderful smoothness, the Rex stepped forward, and bit down on RJ. The Rex lifted RJ up in the air and shook him like a rag doll, breaking every last bone in him body.
Meanwhile, Tai was helping the kids out from underneath the car. Davis whined, "I'm stuck! The seats on my legs."
Tai had Yolie half way out, "I'll get you next. Yolie," Tai got Yolie out. "Dai? Dai?"
Yolie looked up, and screamed. Tai wheeled around and tried to grab Yolie, missed, and tried again. He covered her mouth, "Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move."
The Rex looked around, its bloody mouth was inches away from Tai and Yolie. Then it pushed the side of the car, twirling it around in a circle. It pushed Tai and Yolie, and when it stopped, Tai grabbed Yolie close to him to keep her from moving. The Rex was more interested in Davis who was still trapped under the car. Tai felt something cold and hard against his back, and looked back. It was a two feet high concrete roared border. The colonists must have built it to keep from . . . Tai looked over the edge. He was right. A fifty foot drop was below them leading down to a dense forest. Meanwhile the Rex was trying to get to Davis, who was exhausted, but still yelling. Tai and Yolie tried to get to the other side of the car, but it twirled around and blocked them. They had to stand on top of the cement wall in order not to be pinned by the car. They started to try scream Davis's name. They almost fell off the edge. Tai got on his knees and grabbed onto a grape vine. Yolie wrapped her arms around his neck, and legs around his waist.
They began to climb down, then Tai heard the screeching of metal. He looked up. The Rex was pushing the car over the edge, right above them. Tai looked to his left, there was another grape vine. "Yolie," Tai said, "Grab that!" He tried to walk on the wall, but had to bounce back. The car was still making it's way over the wall. He walked to the right and ran over to the vine picking up speed. Yolie grabbed it in time, just as the car whooshed past them, and land face down in a tree. The Rex roared.
Sora, who was alone, and in tears, waited for the Rex to leave. The second it was gone, she jumped out of the car, and ran toward the area where Hoshiko had run to. She looked around, then she heard a moan. She ran on to Hoshiko's body and uncovered him, his leg was bleeding badly. She looked at his face, "Hoshiko? Hoshiko?"
He gave another moan, he was alive. Without thinking she ran her fingertips along the dull gold markings on his neck and chin. He grabbed her hand, "No stop that tickles." They looked into each others eyes, his yellow ones, and her chestnut eyes. He held her hand against his chest. She could feel his chest rise and fall to his breathing. They savored the moment. She heard an approaching car, and looked up a tan and red jeep drove up and another teenage boy opened the door and came running up to them, "Hoshiko!" The boy was very tall and well built. He had maroon, spiky hair (kinda like Davis's hair). He was wearing jean shorts that went down to his knees, a blue tank top and a red bandana tied around his upper right arm. He kneeled down next to them, "You must be Sora," he said looking at her. He had the same yellow eyes, and red orange markings on his neck and chin.
* * *
Tai and Yolie had already climbed down the steep cliff. They found the tree the car had landed in, and were at the base of it now. Yolie was scared stiff and was hyperventilating. "Yolie," Tai sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, "I'll be here with you but need to get Davis."
She was looking at her feet, "He left us . . . He left us." She broke into sobs.
"But," Tai kneeled down in front of her and made eye contact, "But that's not I'm gonna do." She was still whining but the tears stopped. Ever since she first saw Tai with those eyes she had been frightened by them. They made him look like he could see anything, even her thoughts. Now, though, he looked extricating. She leapt onto him, and hugged him deeply, knocking over on his back. At first, he didn't know what to do, but then he rapped his arms around her and hugged her back. Still holding her, he stood up. Then he picked her up like a child and walked over to a big, not operating, water pipe. It was big enough for her to fit into. He slipped her into it, and pushed her legs in. "Stay here." He said plainly. She nodded and watched him walk back over to the tree and look up. Then he climbed out of sight.
Tai was amazed at how branchy the tree was. It had big roots that stuck up out of the ground and lots of branches making it easy to climb. The car was stuck two thirds of the way up and stuck up vertically with the front facing down. When Tai got close to the car he started calling Daisuke's name in a soft voice, "Daisuke?"
No answer.
He got up on the drivers side of the car and looked in through the broken window. Daisuke was lying on the passengers seat, eyes closed. Tai was releaved he was still there, "Dai.
Daisuke opened his eyes. Tai slowly opened the door and leaned in, "You ok?"
Daisuke looked down and then back up at Tai, he spoke in a very low voice, "I threw up."
"That's ok," Tai said comforting. He put his hand out, "Just give me your hand."
Daisuke just looked at him pathetically. He was still scared of Tai.
"Dai I'm not gonna tell anyone you threw up just . . . just give you hand" Tai tried to lean in farther by using the steering wheel, but it just turned, turning the wheels that were slipping around on branches. Slowly, Daisuke grabbed onto the car and stood up, and started making his way over to Tai. "That's it." Tai said comforting. Daisuke slipped his legs out and sat on the door. Tai rapped an arm around Davis and helped him down the tree until the were below the car. "All right Dai, it's just like coming out of a tree house, did your dad ever build you a tree house?"
"No." After Daisuke answered, he looked.
"You know the thing about climbing is? You never never look down." Tai was also nervious.
"This is impossible."
"I know."
"How I'm suppose to do this?"
"I gonna help you-
"I mean it's like fifty feet- *SNAP*
They both looked up. The car jolted. Tai looked at Daisuke, "Oh no. Dai. GO!" They both began climb down as fast as they could. The car slipped and fell down the side of the tree, breaking branches in the process. A branch stopped it, right above Tai. Tai looked up, that branch wouldn't hold long. He climbed down as fast as he could and caught up with Davis. They heard cracking and looked up, the branch was about to crack. "Ah," Tai said, "Go! Go! Go! Go! Dai go!" They both practically started running through the branches. *CRACK*
The tree fell through the branches, breaking them, and ganging up on Tai and Daisuke. A few from the bottom Tai yelled, "Jump!" they did, and landed between to big root. The car stopped on the two roots. "Go Dai." But the car began to fall backward. Tai covered himself over Daisuke as the top of the car came down on them. Luckily, the roof was gone, so they didn't get hurt.
Panting, Daisuke spoke up, "Well . . . we're back . . . in the car again."
"Well," Tai said, "At least you're out of the tree."