The three of them were coughing as the smoke began to dissipate. Rose had lost her goggles in the chaos. She still had her bag though, and started to rummage trying to find the next thing to draw it back. Nothing. Rose looked around and spotted both of the bottles. She snatched them up and started to clink them together. The creature was long gone.
"UGHHHH!" She fumed. "Burt!" Rose turned to him while he was trying to catch his breath. "See what you've done! It's gone because you chose to shoot it!"
Burt stood up still coughing. "Now, listen here." He contained his cough. Burt pointed his finger at her. "We could have been a cocoon right now if I hadn't taken a shot."
"Since you took that shot, look what happened," she gestured to the black smoke. "It had become defensive and created a diversion to get away." Looking to it, Rose dumped out the meat and headed over to the cloud. She started to capture the blank ink smoke into jar. Once she had some in, she closed the jar and placed it into her bag. "What happened to having all of the information?"
"Is she always like this?" Burt turned to his son, who had gotten up and took care of his breathing. Wes hunched his shoulders to answer him. Burt turned back to her. "I've had enough of the government not taking action."
"You had enough of the government in general," Rose slung the bag on. "So called monster hunter and you chase the damn thing away!"
"And your little jar music only distracted it for a little while," Burt retaliated.
"It distracted it," Rose got closer. "Have you even observed or hunted octopi? These things are invertebrates. They can fit their bodies in the tiniest places. They can solve problems and puzzles, regrow arms. Some even take shells or coconut halves and create a protective habitat." Her tone became less angry and more thoughtful. She saw the trucks in view and was thinking back to the invertebrate part. "Is there a water truck or some sort of containment that holds water or gas located in town?"
"Huh?" Wes was confused but trying to think of what she was planning.
"The junkyard might have something like that, why?" Burt got to the point.
"We could lure it in and contain it," Rose thought about the jars. "Release some sort of tranquilizer or have it in the bait, have the lid locked on all sides, and then ship it off for headquarters to take care of it. Put a few puzzles in there to keep it occupied while it's being shipped and the main lab can take care of it."
"You think it will work?" Burt raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Rose looked into the trees trying to spot it again. "The creature is hiding, taking shelter somewhere. Tell everyone to be on the lookout. It may find another area to hunt for food."
Burt was on the radio, informing their new plan.
"Why can't we just shoot it?" Tyler's voice asked over the radio. "It would save us a whole lot of trouble, over."
"Octopi have three hearts," Rose informed them. "Two pump blood through each of the gills, the third pumps blood through the body. Depending on which octopus this was created from, the mimic octopus is capable of changing their body shape, color, and movement to mimic other animals. Just shooting it doesn't seem like it will kill it."
"Well, that's just dandy now isn't it?" Burt grinded his teeth.
Rose rummaged through her bag again. "We may have an upper hand. This is crossed with a spider. Spiders are near sided, but then again the senses of the octopus makes up in what it lacks." She sighed, stopping herself from going further. "Let's head to the junkyard." Rose put on her bag and grabbed the net. She headed over to their vehicles.
Burt started to speak over the radio. "According to Webster, it's not going to work, the damned thing has three hearts, over."
Rose started to make a list of what things they might need. "Here. I'll see you there in a bit." She handed it to Wes. He started to read it over while she took off in her white Hummer. She headed to Chang's Market. Night was soon approaching and it was going to be harder for them to capture this creature.
Burt and Wes took off in their vehicle headed to the junkyard. Tyler met up with them while they were going over the list.
"A container like a water truck or propane tank, robe or heavy duty wire, crank shafts or bicycle parts, what in the world?" Tyler was reading over the list. "Where is she anyways?"
"She didn't tell me," Wes looked at the junkyard trying to find those items.
Rose entered the marketplace. The hikers there were being fed and treated with the antidote Casey had made. "Any of you hunted octopi before?"
They looked at her skeptical and then to one another. Each one slowly shaking their heads.
Jodi came around the corner. "I do." She raised her hand.
"Good, take any items you may need or want and then follow me, the rest of you be careful," Rose informed them. "It hunts during the night and won't just cocoon you for later. You leave the safety of this place and you will most certainly die." Jodi grabbed some things and headed out the door. Rose turned around to follow her.
"You heard the lady, let's shut the windows and the doors, put up some brocades, we don't want anything to come in," Nancy started to direct the group.
The two drove off to the junkyard. "Do you know how to flip their heads inside out?" Rose asked Jodi.
"I do," Jodi nodded.
"Good, it's going to take more than one of us to try that maneuver," Rose informed her.
"How big is it?" Jodi looked to her as they parked next to Wes' vehicle.
"The head and body about the size of a cow," Rose stepped out of her vehicle. Jodi's eyes grew wide. "Tentacles are about one and a half the length of it." The two met up with the three.
"Jodi what are you doing here?" Tyler asked.
"She's had experience hunting octopi," Rose explained. "Any luck?"
"There's a propane tank and docking rope," Wes pointed to the direction where they were at.
"Why is that we have to fight monsters in the junkyard?" Jodi sighed. "Every time. We might as well call this the monster battle ground."
"No time for comedy relief, grab the rope and meet up at the tank," Rose directed them. "A few of you need to be on the lookout if it comes this way. I need to find the rest of the items on our list." She started to walk away in search of the puzzles to keep it occupied. "Jodi, if you can find anything useful for the hunt then do so."
"I think she just took your spot as head monster hunter, Burt," Tyler looked over to him.
"For now," Burt watched her leave. "Let's do as she says and get this over with."
The group split up and did what they were told. Rose found some copper wires rolled up, she took the bundles and found some baby toys. She took those as well.
Burt and Wes were on the lookout while Jodi and Tyler were fixing up the tank with the docking rope.
"Find anything?" Rose asked Jodi.
"Not really, just another tank but it was cut in half," Jodi sighed. "I did bring some mollusks and other bait that it might like."
Rose stared at this tank. "It's not big enough."
They all stopped and stared at it. "What do you mean, it's not big enough?" Burt interjected.
"Where is this other tank?" Rose looked around.
"Over here," Jodi headed off to it. The group followed her.
It was a boiler tank cut in half. "Perfect," Rose smiled but no one saw it due to her outfit. She set the baby toys in the larger side of the tank. Jodi even placed some of the bait by them.
"Is it a young monster-thing?" Tyler scratched his head.
"Octopus like to play," Jodi explained as Wes and Rose moved the thick rope. Rose started to wrap it around the other end of the tank. "It keeps them occupied."
Tyler chuckled. "I see what you did there." He winked at her. Jodi chuckled.
Rose and Wes started to push the smaller part of the tank to the other one. The smaller part of the tank's edges had been dented in to let the tank slip in and out of the other side of the tank easier.
"There, now all we have to do is pull this one into there and we have an enclosure," Rose dusted herself off. "Burt, do you see anything?"
"No," Burt was using the night vision goggles.
"Alright, we have some more time, let's create a pull system to make it easier for us to capture it," Rose and the others began to work.
After they were just barely finished and taking a much needed break, El Blanco decided to rumble through. The group froze while he passed. Burt signaled that there were good to keep moving.
The people in the marketplace, were in constant fear. El Blanco's presence scared them even more. Nancy and Casey were having trouble keeping them quiet and content.
The creature started to slink back out of its hiding place in search of food. It headed towards the town. The creature was about to head towards the junkyard until it heard the sounds coming from Chang's Market.
"It's coming," Burt called out to them. "Except it's headed towards Chang's Market. Dammit! We're going to have to lure it here."
"No problem," Rose grabbed some mollusks. "Get ready." She started to run towards the market.
The cephalopod monster could hear the voices coming from inside. Rose got there just in time to see it scale the building. It shimmered to change color to hide itself.
"Shhh," Casey put her hands up. "I heard something."
The group went silent. The creature paused as well. Rose took this opportunity to throw a mollusk. It hit the wall. The creature stirred. She started to clink the mollusk against one another. It turned to her.
"That's it," she breathed. If I survive this, I may just go down into the lab itself. She started to back away slowly. The creature climbed down the wall and made its way over to her while changing colors once it hit the dirt.
The group inside heard the commotion and backed away from the wall.
Back at the junkyard the group was waiting for her. Wes was about to go get her.
"Do you see anything?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah, she's got the damned thing's attention and it's following her," Burt looked through the goggles. "I lost it. It's changed colors, but it's coming this way. Get ready."
Rose wanted to turn around and run but if she did that thing would have her in its grasp at any moment. She could see it move every now and then but getting away from the market was making it harder. I'm going to have to run. She made her decision and turned around to start running.
The creature picked up its speed after her. It started to reach out for her but missed. It gained more speed. She could feel the thing behind her.
"Keep running," Burt yelled out to her. "Don't stop!"
She ran past Burt, towards the tank. It snagged her by a leg. "Gah!" It grabbed a mollusk out of her hand. She could hear the beak snapping from underneath. Fear started to freeze her in place.
"Get up!" He tried to get down to her. He saw that his son was going towards her. "No, stay there. She can handle it."
Rose cringed when she heard the crunch of the mollusk. She threw the other two in her hands at it while wiggling her way out of its tentacles. She had to hurry. If not, she would be cocooned or worse, eaten.
The crunching noises made her run even faster, but she had to wait and keep a steady pace. She had to remind herself that she was the bait. An idiotic idea now that she was mulling it over, but it had to be done.
The creature scuttled again. It smelled her. Rose could hear it, if she held her breath. She started to move again and head towards the tank. It started to gain speed. She could hear the junk falling behind her. It was right behind her. The beak clucked.
"Ah," she let out as she picked up pace. Don't look back. Don't look back. Keep going. Don't stop. The sound of metal clanging to the side of her. No no no no no! She turned the corner and saw the tanks. She leapt in. The creature made its way in behind her. She tried to leap out but a tentacle twisted around her. "Close it!" She screamed.
"Get out of there!" Wes had a machete. He cut the tentacle off and pulled her through the tank at the last second, as the two halves came together. The fell to the ground. He started to pull her away from the area.
Rose started to rip off the tentacle that was suctioned to her. "Get the copper, make a-a barrier with it at any opening. It's harmful to them." She struggled to get it off. "Gahh!" She pulled it off but saw bloodied rings around her waist.
Wes maneuvered his self away from her. "You're bleeding!"
"Comes with the job, soldier," she cringed as she touched her wounds. "Ah! Dr. Mathews, she has an antidote." Wes picked her up while the other three secured the tank. "No, call the main lab. Have them come get it." She tried to struggle.
"I can do that while you receive the antidote, that thing isn't going anywhere," he headed on out.
"I'm beginning to dislike you more and more," Rose hissed.
Burt put his ear up to the tank. He heard the creature crunching down on something. Tyler and Jodi were unrolling the copper wire around the tank length ways making sure it would stay snug and that it wouldn't be able to slink out without harming itself.
"Secured!" Tyler looked over to Burt. He nodded back to him. Jodi put her ear up to the tank.
"It's occupied," Jodi could hear it playing around with the toys. She smiled. "We did it!"
"Where's the youngsters?" Tyler looked around.
"There not in there are they?" Jodi listened in.
Burt shook his head. "No, they were on the other side." The three ran around to the other side. The only thing they saw was a bloodied tentacle. Jodi picked it up.
"Wow," she looked at it. "We can put this on display."
"Jodi we have to get it to the officials," Tyler looked over to her.
"They get the creature, why can't we have a tentacle?" Jodi took it with her as the three started to head out. "Besides, they regrow. I don't think they will notice."
"I'll stay here to make sure the damned thing doesn't escape and wreak more havoc," Burt got back up to his post. "Inform me when the Feds arrive."
"Will do," Tyler nodded.
Wes knocked on the door. "I need help!" He yelled inside. "I need the antidote!"
"Just poison, nothing I can't handle," Rose murmured.
"Open the door!" He yelled again.
Nancy and Casey moved away the blockade and opened the door as fast as they could.
"Come in, hurry," Nancy closed the door. Wes laid Rose down on the counter.
"She needs the antidote," he moved the handkerchief away from her face to help her breath easier. The bloodied rings showing through her torso started to connect.
Casey grabbed a syringe and pulled out a glass bottle. She filled it up as fast as she could. "I need her arm."
Wes and Nancy took off Rose's jacket. He created a quick tourniquet out of the handkerchief.
"Call them," Rose breathed. She started to sweat. "Don't worry. Another will take my place if anything happens. Call them, now." She tried to reach out to him but her lack of strength got the better of her. "It's just mild venom. Nothing to be worried about. Not a blue ringed-oct." Rose blacked out.
Casey tapped the vein a couple times before she inserted the syringe. She pulled back to make sure she was in before inserting the serum. Nancy started to get bandages to dress her wounds. Jodi and Tyler came in at that moment.
"We're safe for now," Tyler explained to everyone. "It's in a container. If you want to leave, now would be the time."
The hikers didn't have to be told twice. They thanked them for saving them and their hospitality but gathered their belongings and hightailed it out of there.