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Welcome...to the Reckoning
Chapter 20
Seven Devils
"He's back?"
I give a nod to Delta. Peering through the brush, fleshlings walk behind the metal jaws. I can see them circling the tops of the stone. Something isn't right.
"Are they coming for Echo?" Charlie whimpers.
Echo's tail swishes around her, and she lowers her body slightly. Her gaze continually searches the metal jaws for signs of approach.
"I don't know," I growl. "But we will not let the fat fleshling have her. We are a pack."
As much as I want to growl otherwise, I do not think Alpha can control the fat fleshling. I think he is beta to the round one, which makes no sense to me. Alpha's are not supposed to be betas to others... Or... Maybe they can be. Am I beta when it comes to Alpha, but an alpha when he is not around?
I can feel my thoughts spinning and I don't care for it. I feel like I'm not standing on wood chips. My talons seem unable to grip the ground. I need to steady myself.
The round one is nothing to us. He has taken no part in our existence. He does not determine which of my sisters live or die. We will not let that happen.
"We will stay on watch for the large fleshling," Delta growls and looks at me. "As you have growled, we are a pack." She turns her attention to a still cowering Echo. "We are sisters, and they cannot separate us."
Echo gazes at her before straightening up and looking at me.
"However," growls Delta, "I am not sure they're after her during this sun."
There's a swish of my tail as I take in a large breath. "What do you mean?"
Looking back at the metal jaws, her gaze rises to the fleshlings circling the top. "I have not seen your meat bringer."
"Maybe she will not appear on this sun," Echo growls. "Occasionally fleshlings disappear. Alpha did after... I...attacked. And look at the red female, there are suns she's nev—"
"No, Delta's right. Blue's meat bringer is always here," Charlie interrupts and looks at me.
"Do you not see Alpha?" Delta's gaze returns to the metal jaws. "Can you not see his movements?"
With our attention at the jaws, I see Alpha for the first time that morning. His steps follow fat fleshling's large stomps confirming my thoughts about Alpha being a beta in that situation. Alpha is stiff in his movement, muscles tense. He also refuses to glance once in our direction, which is unlike him. Even when we were not together, he still looked.
"I do not understand, Delta," I vocalize. "He is tense, yes. But what does this have to do with your thought?"
"Alpha respects Meat Bringer because she helped him talk to you again. She has always been here even when Alpha was injured," Delta explains. "Fat fleshling is here, she is not, and Alpha is tense."
I snort. "I still do not see the connecti—"
"Who's that?" Charlie growls.
Her snout gestures toward a new fleshling walking up to Alpha and the round one. He wraps his claws around my Alpha and chortles. A snarl escapes my lips.
"Easy, Blue."
I snort at Delta. If someone did the same to Kind Hand, she would be just as furious. My talons dig into the ground. Alpha remains tense as they exchange growls. The new flesh then greets the round one.
It's in that breath that Alpha glances in our direction. If I had blinked, I would have missed it. However, I'm sure he knows we're here because he puffs his chest out. I understand and my tail swishes. Whatever is going on, he still is loyal to us.
Delta scratches the ground before taking off to the left.
I move to the edge of the cover, in front of Echo and Charlie. Patience is something learned over a long period of suns. And this will require a lot of that.
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As she places the meat inside the trough, Elizabeth—well, she can drop that cover, now can't she? She can call herself Haven, again; they found her. They know she's on Isla Nublar, it's only a matter of time. And she can't escape this time.
There's a part of her that wants to be mad at Grady. She wants to hate Owen for going to other sources to discover what she buried. What gave him the right? Who the hell did he think he was? Why should he get the privilege of finding what she hid?
But honestly, she's to blame, and she knows it. If she had just been upfront with him and explained during the countless times he asked, she wouldn't be facing the devil. Or maybe she would since she did sign herself up to go back into his lair. She has it all coming to her. This time she'll be dead and buried with no chance of resurrection.
And as she places the meat inside the trough, Haven looks at the red flesh. It will be gone in moments. There will be no thanks for the service, no gratefulness for the sacrifice, no remembrance of anything other than a full stomach for a few hours.
What was she expecting? What was she hoping for? A medal of honor? Navy Cross?
For what?
If she was brutally honest, these poor creatures are suffering because of her. She had a hand in this twisted world. She signed a deal with Satan himself. No amount of Bible reading could save her from the sins she committed.
And for what?
For a roof over her head, a warm bed, abuse? What did she really gain other than—
The soft breath startles her from her thoughts. Her muscles freeze like steel within her. There's a presence in the feeding pen with her. She checked and made sure the gates were locked. Nothing could have gotten in.
Forcing herself to swallow, she slowly turns. Despite the other identifying traits and features, it's the yellow, focused eyes that dig into her flesh. There are a few soft clicks.
One.
After.
Another.
As it walks closer.
Then, all at once…
It screeches as its vibrant red and yellow frill expands.
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The hatred which builds inside Owen is something he's never faced before. He's been angry—furious even. However, he's never felt an anger that not only burns his skin but makes him want to rip a human being limb from limb. He wouldn't mind watching his girls tear into skin and flesh while the victim is still alive.
But can they even be considered victims?
Hoskins stands before him discussing Echo's current mental state, and all Owen can focus on is the fact Hoskins should be worried about his mental state. Does the man not realize the fire in Owen's eyes or how he's clenching his jaw to keep from yelling?
The reason Owen's trying to hold it together is that twinkle in Vic's eye. He's seen it before—that callous, predatory glint as if there's a special secret which will change Owen's life, and he has dealt with Hoskins long enough to know something will come from it.
"When are you going to terminate her?" Owen manages to ask amid Hoskins useless yammering.
Vic pauses.
The stare he gives Owen would be enough to shake him to his core—if he wasn't already threatening to explode like Mount Vesuvius. He would gladly bury Hoskins and InGen with ash and dust given the chance.
Something causes Owen to simmer, however. There's something in that glare of Vic's which causes Owen to realize he wasn't talking about Echo's demise—and Hoskins knows it. He's asking how long Elizabeth—Haven?—has left to live.
And, he imagines, how long he has left to live.
He's fully aware—and finally able to admit—InGen doesn't leave loose ends.
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Everything in her screams self-preservation. It yells to protect herself at all costs. Her flight instinct begs her brain to send signals throughout her body to survive. Her leg twitches in response. For a moment, she fears her body will mutiny.
Despite the bleak outlook of her current position, it's better for Haven to pretend she's one of those beautiful Greek statues. If she runs, the Dilophosaurus will pursue. It loves the thrill of the hunt—much like most of the carnivores on Isla Nublar.
However, another idea sparks.
Without turning her gaze, she sidesteps to the left. The Dilophosaurus silences, but its frill remains expanded as its head cocks to the right. Haven takes another step to the left exposing the full feed tray.
Its frill falls back to half expanded as it continues to gaze at her. Approaching, it remains an intimidating height of seven feet—and not even fully grown. It sniffs her, lowers its frill then proceeds to the feed box where it tears into the red flesh within.
Haven uses the moment to retreat to the exit. Once safely outside the gate, she moves to watch the Dilophosaurus eat. Its razor-sharp teeth tear the flesh. It then raises its head and swallows the meat down. She's fascinated by the creature. And why shouldn't she be? They are incredible animals.
At one point, the Dilophosaurus looks up at her and snorts before giving a nod. It then proceeds with its dinner. Haven knows the poor creature's been starved, just like the raptor pack was. It's just another confirmation that InGen doesn't understand.
These creatures recognize certain aspects of the park's neglect, even if they don't understand it. They are extremely social, and she's almost certain they discuss it—after all, InGen paid for all the perks even if they don't fully understand the cost. Haven knows there will come a day where one of these creatures realizes the power it has and will take matters into its own claws.
InGen can't keep starving predators and not expect them to lash out in anger.
Haven looks at her watch and curses. After making sure the paddock door is securely shut with all the Dilophosauruses in for the night, she turns and jogs for the Polaris. She must get the levels in the water checked before the sun goes down.
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"Owen!"
His name breaks his concentration and he turns. From the moment he sees O'Reilly, he has a feeling it's already too late. He can see the explosion in bright reds and yellows in his mind's eye. Armageddon has come.
Owen does his best to accept the hug and laughter his C.O. gives him. However, he can feel the impending sense of doom in the air. It threatens to suffocate him because he knows it means failure. He knows death is staring him in the face.
As O'Reilly pulls away, Owen forces a smile. "Never thought I'd see you here."
His C.O. shrugs. "I'm always around if you need me. You know that. Just because of what happened, doesn't mean I still don't care. Besides, I hear your girls are beautiful. I'd like to see them."
When O'Reilly moves onto greeting Hoskins, Owen takes a moment to glance into the paddock. He's fully aware Blue is watching them. Just because they can't see her doesn't mean she's doesn't have her bright eyes locked on his every move.
However, it does makes him think.
He's extremely outnumbered on the island. But he's not necessarily overwhelmed.
Owen knows what's coming. He can see the way the game is playing out. He knows O'Reilly's moves. But the C.O. no longer knows his. He doesn't know the raptors will listen. He doesn't know Blue is his second in command. And he doesn't know where Elizab—Haven is at the moment.
Owen takes a breath, allows the anger to dissipate, puffs up his chest and turns to the men. If they want a hunt, they'll get one. "Gentlemen, you might have a chance to see the raptors from the top."
He isn't sure entirely how it will play out as he leads the men up the stairs. His girls will hide, and he's counting on that. Neither of them needs to see his pack. They don't need to know what they're up against. They don't need to realize just how intelligent the raptors are.
"I know there are some rumors circulating, but we're still having issues controlling them," Owen says as he walks along the catwalk. Positioning himself along the wall near the exhibit side, he gazes into the still trees as a plan begins to take root. "I've heard they act like the ones from the original park. They test the gate for weakness, never attack the same area twice, and will wait for meat in an attempt to ambush the staff. They have successfully managed to dwindle my staff down in numbers.
"I know you've talked about destroying them," Owen comments with a look at Vic. "I believe it would be better if we just observed."
Vic scratches the scruff along his jaw. "What's the point of observing them if they don't serve the purpose we need?"
"Why wouldn't you want to observe them?" Owen counters and watches as O'Reilly begins to walk the perimeter of the catwalk leaving him alone with Hoskins. He finds it odd his C.O. wouldn't remain for the conversation. "We both know that InGen will try again. They desperately want an assault team. So, why not learn from this pack in order to keep this mistake from happening again?"
Vic leans over the bars and looks at the paddock below. "You're an intelligent and loyal man, Owen. I'll give you that."
His brow raises. "Thank you?"
"I know you have these raptors working as a pack. Your dedication to keeping them safe is admirable," Hoskins says. "You put on quite a talented show for your C.O."
"I'm not following."
"I'll make you an offer," Hoskins says and the gleam in his eye sends ice straight through Owen's bones. "You can keep your little family unit of sunshine here and hand over Haven, or you can keep the girl and train these raptors into the unit we need."
The way his heart stiffens in his chest has him certain it stopped, and now dead weight drags him to the bottom of the sea. The image of the "Heart of the Ocean" sinking into the ocean at the end of Titanic momentarily crosses his mind.
His girls—his Blue—mean more to him than anything in the world. He has spent a very long time training them, raising them, loving them. It would be a bitterly cold day in Hell before he allows anything to happen to them.
Hell, he would die for them.
However, keeping his family together means the murder of the one who brought them back together. Owen has seen countless deaths before; he's no stranger to war. He's watched the enemy and comrades die before him. In every situation, he was helpless to save them.
Now, though, her blood would cover not just his hands, but every moment from here until eternity.
"I don't have all day, Owen," Vic says and moves closer to him. "Which do you want?"
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