Long chapter coming up! I'm so glad you guys are still enjoying this! Keep reading and reviewing, and I'll keep posting with speed! Yay! M
Chapter Sixteen
Clytie had just taken her first step on the log, when the wood beneath her exploded in a shower of splinters. She screamed and leaped back onto the riverbank, into Englehorn's arms.
The captain immediately threw himself to the ground, pulling Clytie down with him. He kept a protective arm over her back.
David knelt beside them. "What's going on?" he cried.
"Denham! Where's Wilson?" Englehorn shouted.
"I don't know! I'm just shooting a film!" Carl hollered back. And I just filmed the wood getting shot out from under his girlfriend! Wow! What a shot--in more ways than one!
"Englehorn!" Jack shouted from the other side of the river, running toward the water with his gun.
"Stay back!" boomed a voice from the trees. "I've got my sights trained on Miss Seaborne. Anyone tries to cross back over, and she dies."
Wilson. Englehorn clenched his fist. "Wilson!" he shouted. "This has nothing to do with Clytie! Come out and face me like a man!"
Maniacal laughter sounded from the trees. "All right, Captain, I'll take you up on that one. But be warned--any interference from your crew or your friends or anyone else, and you can kiss your girlfriend good-bye."
Englehorn climbed slowly to his feet, helping Clytie up beside him.
"I'll shoot that man," David said through his teeth. "If he hurts my sister--"
"Let me handle this, David," the captain cut him off.
"Eric…" Clytie felt as if her heart would pound from her chest. Her hands trembled madly as she grabbed onto his arm. This was it. This was why she had felt so frightened for him--Wilson… "Please… I don't want… I don't want…" She could barely speak, she was so shaken.
Impulsively, the captain held her tightly against him. Seeing her so upset disturbed him almost as much as facing Wilson. He knew that if she was harmed in any way, he would go crazy. "Clytie," he whispered, not daring to say more.
"I don't want to lose you," she replied, the words ripped breathlessly from her. She clung to him with all of her might.
"Enough of that!" Wilson barked.
Englehorn loosened his hold on Clytie and turned to see the big, bald sailor stalking from the jungle, heavily armed.
"Eric!" Clytie felt her eyes begin to sting with hot tears. What would Wilson do to him?
The captain turned to Clytie and bent to kiss her hard and fast. When he released her, they were both breathless. Then, he spun on Wilson.
The larger man was smiling crookedly and removing his coat, despite the chilly rain. Clytie felt nauseated by the sight of his bulging arm muscles. This man was really big--and most of his size comprised of muscle.
"So, Captain. You said you wanted me to face you like a man." He linked his hands together and forced them outward, cracking his knuckles. "Well here I am. Drop your weapons, I'll drop mine, and we'll fight like men." I've been wanting this for awhile, little Captain--to give you the pounding you deserve.
(LINE)
From the far bank, the rest of the small party watched in fearful anticipation as Englehorn and Wilson set down their weapons.
"We have to do something," Jimmy kept muttering. "Wilson's not going to go for a fair fight. He'll cheat. He's not out to fight a fair fight--he's out to kill the captain. We have to do something."
Preston repeated to him at least three times, "What can we do? I seriously doubt that we can do anything without Wilson harming Englehorn or one of the Seabornes."
"Look at Carl just standing there!" Jack exclaimed, shaking his head in disgust. "He's actually filming this!"
Ann took her husband's hand. "Jack, Jimmy is right," she whispered. "We have to do something. We can't just stand here and watch." She glanced across the river just in time to see Wilson and the captain step closer to each other. Swiftly, she turned her head and buried her face in Jack's shoulder. "I can't watch," she murmured. But curiosity overcame her when she heard all the men around her gasp in shock. "What?" she whispered worriedly to Jack. "What happened?"
"Wow," she heard Preston mutter from nearby. "That was a hard hit."
"Yeah, look how slowly he's getting up," Jack replied. "That had to hurt."
"Who got hit?" Ann cried.
(LINE)
Englehorn shook his stinging hand, actually surprised at how he had felled Wilson with one punch to the jaw. He was a good fighter, sure, but… He had expected Wilson to be a much harder opponent, being so big and so full of hatred. Then he realized that it wasn't over yet. Wilson was on his feet, his small eyes dark with anger.
Clytie felt a violent shiver of fear at the look she saw in Wilson's eyes. She felt David's arm slip around her shoulders. "David…" she said quietly, not sure that she could manage anything else.
"Looks like your Eric can take care of himself pretty well," David whispered encouragingly.
As soon as he said this, Englehorn sprawled at the feet of the Seabornes, his lips busted and bleeding from a hard hit.
"Eric!" Clytie bent down to help him up, but David pulled her back.
"No, Clytie! Wilson will kill you!" her brother hissed in her ear. "Stay back! This is Englehorn's fight."
The captain quickly got back to his feet, just in time to block a blow from Wilson, and the fight continued. Wilson was obviously the stronger of the two men, but Englehorn was much quicker and more agile. At first, it seemed like an evenly balanced fight.
Clytie was growing impatient, and the sight of Englehorn getting hit made her feel slightly sick. "David, Wilson put his weapons down. We can do something," she whispered to her brother.
"Clytie, I don't think Wilson's dropped all his weapons," David whispered.
That made Clytie want to help the captain even more. "Let me go, David!" she exclaimed, trying to wiggle free from his grasp.
"Keep her out of this, Seaborne!" Englehorn called back to David, dodging a punch from Wilson.
David tightened his grasp on his sister. "Clytie. Be still!"
Clytie gave up struggling and settled for watching, waiting for an opportunity to somehow step in and help the man she cared so deeply about.
The fight lasted for what seemed like forever. Both of the fighters were beginning to get weary. Finally, Englehorn's stamina paid off when Wilson was knocked off balance by a blow to the nose, slipped in the mud, and fell to the ground. The big man started to get up, but fell back down, too exhausted and dizzy to do so.
"I win, Mr. Wilson," Englehorn said, standing over the fallen man. He stood straight and tall, disguising the fact that he felt awful. His mouth throbbed, and he was sure that at least half of his ribs were cracked. "Get up and get out."
Wilson slowly got to one knee, head bowed in the rain. "Where do I go, Captain?" he asked, his voice laced with anger.
"I don't care," said Englehorn. "Just as long as I never see you again, because if I do--I think I might kill you." He swore and started to turn away.
"Englehorn!" David called. "Don't turn your back on him!"
Wilson looked up, glaring at David. "Shut up!" he shouted, swaying to his feet.
Englehorn turned quickly to face Wilson. Was this fight not over yet?
Suddenly, a call came ringing from the far bank. "Everyone run!"
The captain spun around to see what was going on, and as soon as he did so, he repeated Jack's call. "Everybody run!"
Clytie's eyes widened at the sight of the dinosaurs rushing out from the jungle on both riverbanks. They weren't much taller than a man, but their teeth were long and sharp, as were their claws. Swiftly, Clytie drew the pistol from her belt and rushed to Englehorn's side. "What do we do?" she cried. "We can't cross the river now!"
The captain quickly grabbed up his weapons, then grabbed Clytie as well. "Come on. We'll run alongside the river. Hopefully we can stay in sight of the others." Then he started running, dragging Clytie along beside him, hoping that she didn't go berserk on him this time.
David hurried to catch up with his sister and her captain. "Captain, Wilson and Denham are coming after us!"
Englehorn glanced over his shoulder. Indeed, Wilson was following close behind, heavily armed. And trailing him was Carl, who was still carrying that accursed camera.
(LINE)
His plans ruined by that Seaborne boy and the attacking dinosaurs, Wilson was seething with anger. He had planned to fake being hurt worse than he was, then strike Englehorn when he turned his back. The knife in his right boot and the small pistol in his left had been prepared for just such a moment. Now, he was running along behind the man who should now be mortally wounded, running from creatures that should have died years ago. This was madness.
"Joe! I'm heading off to the left! I saw a really narrow place back there in the jungle! We'll be safe there!" Carl called from behind him.
"You go ahead, Carl," Wilson replied. "I'm not finished yet!"
(LINE)
Jack, Ann, Jimmy, Preston, Jake, Schmidt, and Jacobs ran as fast as they could alongside the river, trying to stay perpendicular to Englehorn and the Seabornes and far ahead of the predators that chased them. Jack, Jimmy, and Preston recognized them as raptors, just like the ones who had chased them on their previous adventure on Skull Island.
"We can shoot these guys!" Jimmy called to the rest of his group.
"I'm not going to stop running!" Jake shot back. "Not to shoot, not to do anything!" The older man's face was pale.
"You don't have to stop running," Jack added. He turned slightly and fired his gun into the pursuing reptiles. One of them fell with a screech. "See?"
(LINE)
Clytie was scared nearly out of her wits when Englehorn suddenly staggered beside her. "Eric!" she cried, pulling him back to his feet.
"I'm fine!" he panted, continuing to run.
But Clytie wasn't convinced. She was sure that he was badly hurt from his fight with Wilson. She had seen him take some mean punches.
Beside them, David turned to fire at the dinosaurs, felling two of them.
"How many are left?" Englehorn asked as the small group darted into the jungle.
"Just four on this side of the river," David replied.
"Then we can turn and fire," the captain said.
"Yes, sir," David answered.
"Now!" Englehorn shouted. The three of them quickly turned and fired at the reptiles. Three of them fell quickly, but the fourth kept coming.
And suddenly, David slipped in the mud. The raptor closed in on him.
"David!" Clytie released her grasp on Englehorn and stood over her brother. She aimed her pistol and fired, hitting the creature in the neck. The animal staggered, but kept coming.
Englehorn quickly moved to stand beside her, raising both his pistols. Together, they were able to take the raptor down. It fell to the ground inches from where David lay.
For a moment, the group of three froze, a bit in shock from yet another brush with death. Finally, Englehorn reached down to help David to his feet.
"Thanks, Clytie…Captain," David said, beaming at them.
"You're welcome," they answered in unison.
Clytie eyed the captain with concern. His breathing sounded ragged. "Eric… are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Clytie," he answered quickly. He peered through the trees at the river, hoping to spot the others on the far bank. "We've lost sight of the rest of us. We need to--"
Before he could answer, Wilson jumped out from behind a nearby tree. Clytie saw him first and screamed, "Eric! Look out!" She saw the pistol in the large man's hand and quickly aimed her pistol at Wilson. Seeing that Clytie was aiming at him, Wilson turned his gun on her and fired.
Clytie heard two shots ring out, then felt something slam into her. She was knocked to the ground. Her pistol flew from her hand, landing in the mud nearby. Quickly, she scrambled to her hands and knees and began searching around for the weapon. Her thoughts were frantic. Have I been shot? Why don't I feel any pain? Why is everything so quiet? She finally found her gun and stood, holding it out in front of her. To her surprise, she seemed to be standing all alone in the woods.
Where were Eric and David? And Wilson?
"Clytie. Over here." It was David's voice.
Clytie looked around, blinking the rain from her eyes, and finally spotted her brother crouched under a tree nearby. Then she saw Englehorn, lying on the ground beside the tree.
"Oh, God! Eric!" she screamed, running to his side and dropping to her knees in the mud.
His eyes were closed, but he was conscious. "I'll be fine, Clytie," he said quietly. "It's not a bad wound. I just need to rest."
"What happened? Where's Wilson?" She quickly took the captain's hand.
"Wilson's dead, Clytie," David said before Englehorn could answer. "He tried to shoot you, but the captain pushed you out of the way and took the bullet. He shot Wilson, too. In the head. Perfect shot."
"Where are you hurt?" Clytie asked Englehorn, bending over him.
"In the left shoulder. I'll be all right. I've lived through worse." He sat up on his elbows, wincing. "Just bandage it up, and I'll be able to walk."
"David, get me one of our packs," Clytie ordered. She helped Englehorn sit up against the trunk of the tree and gently began to remove his jacket. It the left collar and sleeve of it were soaked in blood. As soon as she had removed the jacket, she started unbuttoning the front of his shirt. "Eric, are you sure this is just a small wound?" she asked shakily. "There's a lot of blood."
"I've seen worse," he said from between clenched teeth. He leaned his head back against the tree. "I'll be all right."
Well I haven't seen worse, Clytie thought as she slipped his shirt from his shoulder. Her hands started to shake, and she clasped them together on her lap. Don't cry, Clytie. Heavens, you're so weak… "You did this for me," she whispered, her voice catching. "I can't believe it." Gently, she touched his face.
Englehorn opened his eyes and smiled crookedly at her. "David and I made that deal, remember? I had to prove how much I care for you." He looked up at David, who was kneeling beside them with a pack. "I've held up my end of the deal, Seaborne."
David nodded. "You certainly have, sir." He reached into the pack and pulled out a small metal box. "Here, Clytie. You're better with this kind of stuff than I am."
Clytie took the little First Aid kit from him and opened it. First, she took out a cotton swab and a small bottle of alcohol and started cleaning the wound in Englehorn's shoulder, front and back. "At least the bullet went through," she said quietly. "I don't think I could stand having to dig it out of you."
Englehorn winced at the sting of the medicine. "I don't think I could, either," he said lightly.
After cleaning his wound, Clytie bandaged it tightly with a long strip of gauze. As soon as she had tied it off, the bandage was already turning red. "There," she said, her voice trembling a bit. "You'll be all right now." She said it to reassure herself as much as him.
"Let me catch my breath for a few minutes, and we'll start out again," the captain said quietly. He closed his eyes again and leaned heavily against the tree.
Using more cotton swabs and alcohol, Clytie began to wash the cuts on his face.
David glanced worriedly at Clytie, then at Englehorn. "Are you sure you'll be able to walk?"
Englehorn nodded. "I'll be fine."
"Yeah, sure," David replied sarcastically. "I would be, too, if I had a hole in my shoulder, cracked ribs, and a bloody face."
The captain laughed at this, then stopped quickly, wincing. He muttered a curse under his breath. That hurt!
"Eric?" Clytie gently touched his arm.
"I'm fine, Clytie," he insisted, a bit more harshly than he had intended.
"You'd better be!" Clytie burst out suddenly. "Why did you do that, you idiot? Why?" Abruptly, uncontrollably, she was crying and laying her head against his uninjured shoulder. "Eric… You could have been killed! Don't ever do that again!"
"Shhhhh, Clytie." He managed to get his good arm around her shoulders. He gently rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. They sat like that quietly for a few minutes, then the captain announced, "We need to catch up to the others. Let's go."
As David and Clytie helped the wounded captain to his feet, David thought, He did it. He proved how deeply he cares. And I'd say he more than cares. I'd say that was proof of love...
(A/N: Sorry if this was a really melodramatic chapter. Personally, I love stuff like this, but I don't know if all my readers do, so... sorry if you don't. Anyway, thanks for all the encouraging and inspiring reviews! You guys keep me going! Seventeen is coming!)
