Jurassic Island

Chapter 16 – Hold On To Something

The crackling of thunder sounded in the distance, and Castle frowned, squinting his eyes as he glanced up, trying to peak through the tree canopy at the sky above. He really hoped another rainstorm was not on the way. He'd had enough of those for the time being. Charlie let out a groan as they started up another slope. Castle moved to walk beside the boy. He placed a hand on Charlie's back, a sign of encouragement.

"Just one more hill," he said.

Charlie gave him a dubious look. "You said that seven hills ago."

"True enough," Castle conceded with a nod. "But eventually I'll be right."

They trudged up the slope and sure enough, glancing down from the crest of the hill, Castle spotted what looked like a trailer through the gaps in the foliage. Charlie let out a whoop, and dashed ahead. Zoe rolled her eyes, and jogged behind her brother. Castle let out a sigh, and rushed after them, grunting as fronds flew back and smacked him in the face as he followed behind the children. It was a little startling when he burst out into the clearing. Everything was suddenly so much brighter. He blinked his eyes and squinted, arching his neck to stare up at the darkening sky. Yeah, another storm was approaching.

"Come on, come on!" Charlie waved his hands in the air, urging Castle to move faster.

Following the children, Castle approached the camping trailer parked near the edge of the cliff. It wasn't the same one that he and Kate had stayed in; this one had the number 23 stenciled on the side. Castle approached the trailer first, Zoe and Charlie walking behind him. He grabbed the door latch, and tugged it, letting out a sigh when the springs popped and the door snapped open. Stepping back, Castle ushered the kids into the trailer, a large smile on his face as he followed behind them.

"Cool!" Charlie enthused as he glanced around at the luxurious appointments in the trailer.

Zoe ignored him, and went straight for the small refrigerator. She opened it, and let out a whimper of relief at the sight of bottled water and fruit cups. Castle leaned over her shoulder and snatched up one of the water bottles. Unscrewing the cap, he took a long gulp, quenching his parched throat. Zoe snatched up two water bottles and three fruit cups, before stepping around Castle to join her brother, who had already plopped down on one of the small sofas in the lounge portion of the trailer.

Castle took one more deep gulp of water, before turning towards the kitchenette, finding the radiophone located in the same location has in the trailer he and Kate had occupied. Cautiously, not wanting to get his hopes up, just in case he'd been wrong about the solar panels powering the trailers, Castle curled his fingers around the phone and slowly pulled it out of its cradle. He held it up to his ear, and let out a sigh when he heard a hum. The radiophone worked. Raising his hand, he pressed the red button that would connect him with the vehicle dispatch.

XXX

There was a tension to the air that foretold an approaching storm. Muldoon clenched his jaw as he glared up at the patches of darkening sky he could glimpse through the holes in the canopy above as the jeep zoomed down the service road. Another rainstorm would hamper their search and rescue mission. The plan was to go back to the tyrannosaur paddock and examine the scene again, this time with fresh eyes. With any luck, they'd be able to find some clues as to where Richard Castle and the children went.

The jeep bounced as Wallace steered them around the curve of the road. Muldoon adjusted his hat and glanced back at Beckett and Ramirez sitting in the backseat. The woman was a spitfire, and determined as hell to find her husband and the two kids with him. Nothing would stop her. He settled back into his seat, mind firmly set on the task at hand. Kate Beckett was a force to be reckoned with, and he respected and admired the way she'd stood up to Hammond. In the end, his choice hadn't been too difficult at all. He would do whatever he could to help Beckett.

The portable radio mounted on the dashboard crackled as it came to life.

"Dispatch to Muldoon, come in," came Hanson's voice.

Thank God for battery powered radios, Muldoon thought, and then reached forward to grab the device, pressing the flat gray button so he could reply. "Muldoon, here, what is it?"

"We just received a call from Trailer 23—"

"What!? I thought all the guests from up there had been evacuated," Muldoon interrupted.

"They had," Hanson replied. "But nonetheless that's where it came from. The guy said his name was Castle, and that he had two kids with him."

"Castle!?" Beckett leaned forward through the gap between the front seats. "Did he say 'Castle'!?"

Muldoon exchanged a look with her, before grabbing the radio and pulling it back to his mouth. "Repeat, again… did you say, 'Castle'?"

For several seconds all that came out of the small speaker on the radio was static. Muldoon watched Beckett grow increasingly frustrated at the lack of a reply. Then there was an electronic crackle and Hanson's voice came back on the line.

"Yes," he said. "That's what he said. I've sent Jacobs and Trent out to pick them up."

"It's him," Beckett smiled. "It's Castle. He's alive." She looked at him pleadingly. "Please, we've got to go get him."

Muldoon nodded, squeezing the button on the radio to ask, "What was the trailer number again?"

XXX

"They're on their way!" Castle declared as he returned the radiophone to its cradle. "I just spoke with dispatch, and they told me a jeep is on its way to pick us up."

Zoe and Charlie sat up from their reclined positioned on the sofas, the former wearing a more cautious smile than the latter. Castle understood Zoe's hesitance. Things hadn't exactly gone entirely well so far. But he preferred to be an optimist rather than a pessimist. Kate had told him once that his ability to see the bright side of things was one of the things she loved about him. Castle gave the kids a thumbs up, and then ducked back into the kitchenette, heading for the refrigerator, so he could grab himself one of those fruit cups.

After ten minutes, they heard the sounds of a vehicle approaching. Castle got up out of the armchair he'd been resting in, and went to the door. He flung it open and was greeted with the sight of a dark green SUV, with the Jurassic Park logo plastered on the sides, rolling up alongside the trailer. The passenger door opened and a man dressed in a khaki park security uniform stepped out. He was tall, with bulging biceps that the short sleeves of his uniform did little to hide.

"Richard Castle?" the man asked.

Castle bobbed his head, stepping down into the clearing, and gesturing for Zoe and Charlie to follow him. "Yes," he said. "And these are Zoe and Charlie Hastings."

"Just the three of you?" the man asked, arching his neck to look around.

"Yeah," Castle confirmed. "Just the three of us."

The man nodded, and then turned, grabbing the handle of the back door and pulling it open. "You better get in."

Castle put a hand on Charlie's shoulder and encouraged him forward. The boy darted over to the SUV, pausing for a moment to glance up at the man with the gun, before climbing into the backseat. Castle followed behind him, squeezing into the middle seat, as Zoe took the seat by the window. The security officer gave the clearing one finally sweep, before slamming the door shut and sliding back down into the passenger seat.

The driver glanced back at them. "Everyone buckle up," he said, before shifting the gear, and spinning the steering wheel. The windshield wipers clunked back and forth over the front window as droplets of rain fell from the above.

There was a clamor of thunder and the ground vibrated with it. Castle paused in mid-motion, half buckled. He frowned, and strained his ears. The clap of thunder sounded again, but this time when the impact tremor struck, a bellowing roar followed it. He closed his eyes, and groaned inwardly. You've got to be kidding me, he thought. Was his luck really that bad? It was like the damn thing was stalking them.

The driver had just finished turning the SUV around, and was in the process of shifting the vehicle out of reverse, when the tyrannosaur struck. The large female burst out of the foliage, knocking over a small tree. Zoe and Charlie screamed beside him, and Castle wrapped his arms around them, clutching them close, as the driver cursed and slammed his foot down on the pedal. The SUV careened forward, but the tyrannosaur was quicker. With a deafening roar, the T-Rex stormed forward and blocked their path of escape. The driver tried to swerve around her, but it was impossible.

The SUV jolted to a halt as the tyrannosaur brought its three clawed foot down on the hood, holding the car in place as its back wheels spun hopelessly useless in the mud. The driver shouted, and the security officer paled, checking his gun. Before they could react, the tyrannosaur opened its massive jaws and attacked. Zoe and Charlie screamed as razor sharp teeth shredded the roof of the SUV. The security officer cursed loudly, and shot blindly up into the roof, missing with each shot. His actions only infuriated the tyrannosaur. It roared and swerved its head to the right, tearing off a large portion of the roof and windshield with the move.

The driver panicked, he unbuckled his seatbelt, and bolted out of the car.

"No… don't!" Castle shouted, but it was too late.

The man stumbled out of the car and scrambled along the clearing. The tyrannosaur caught sight of the easy prey. She released the SUV and lunged forward, jaws open.

"Look away!" Castle cried, clutching Charlie and Zoe closer to him. It did little to save them from the horrific sounds of the man screaming and the sickening echoes of his bones crunching and snapping as the tyrannosaur snatched him up by his leg.

"Quickly, while she's distracted!" the security guy said, kicking open his door, and sliding out of the car. He opened the back door and ushered them out, all the while keeping eyes on the tyrannosaur feeding on the driver. He gestured back to the trailer, and they made a run for it. Castle held the children's hands as they ran. The security officer followed behind them.

"Inside. Quick now."

Castle yanked the door open, urging Charlie and Zoe through first before he followed. The security officer was last. He slammed the door shut behind them. Castle instructed the kids to hide in the bedroom. Zoe wanted to protest, but when she looked at the terrified face of her younger brother, she nodded. She took his hand and led him through the accordion connector and into the bedroom. Castle exchanged a worried glance with the security officer. His eyes flirted down the patch above the man's left breast pocket, embroidered with his name: TRENT.

"Get down!" he said, grabbing Castle's shoulder and shoving in down to the floor. Castle obeyed and watched as the man pulled open a panel by the door and flicked a number of switched. Immediately an array of floodlights flashed on outside.

"What are you doing!?" Castle hissed, stupefied by the man's actions.

"Maybe the lights will scare her off," Trent said with a shrug, clutching his rifle tightly in his hands. "Just… stay down."

Castle ignored his instructions, and peeked his head up to look outside. The rain was now coming down in thick sheets, and visibility was low. The floodlights only illuminated the immediate area around the trailer. Through the din of the downpour, Castle could just make out the bellowing roar of the tyrannosaur. His breath grew heavy and his heart pounded in his chest as he stared out the window. The tyrannosaur appeared, stepping forward into the light. She lowered her head, as if the bright light bothered her.

"See, it's working," Trent said as the tyrannosaur began to back away.

Thunder crackled above and then, all of a sudden, the light flickered and went out. The tyrannosaur stopped, confused by the sudden change of light. Castle gulped. He craned his neck to glance back at Zoe and Charlie, huddled together behind the bed in the other trailer. He turned back to Trent, who was standing there, blinking dumbly.

"What happened to the lights?" Castle asked.

"I don't know," he said. "The internal battery must have died."

They sat there in the dark, listening to the continuous drumming of the rain on the roof of the trailer. The large tyrannosaur stepped forward, stalking down alongside the bedroom section of the trailer, reaching the front with just three steps. It lowered its head and slowly nudged the side of the camper. They felt the trailer rock on its axis. Charlie whimpered and Zoe clutched him closer to her. Castle crouched down and maneuvered around to them.

Gesturing with his hand for them to crawl over. Charlie shook his head, too terrified to move, but Zoe nodded. She patted her brother's back and encouraged him forward. The two of them crawled on their hands and knees until they were through the accordion connector and with Castle once again. The tyrannosaur pulled back, cocking her head to the side as she sniffed at the side of the trailer, as if trying to determined what sort of animal it was. She let out a low growl, and then butted it, yet again, making the trailer rock.

Trent was now standing. From his expression, Castle could tell the man was frightened beyond belief. He kept muttering, "I don't want to die."

Suddenly the Rex rammed its snout through the window, sending shards of glass shattering across the mattress. Zoe exchanged a relieved look with Castle, thankful he'd encouraged her and her brother out of the bedroom. Trent backed away. The T-Rex roared. They all covered their ears with their hands. Charlie cried out in terror, burying his face in his sister's side. Castle placed his hand on the boy's back, trying to comfort him as he arched his back protectively over the children, trying to shield them.

"Under the table," Castle instructed, shoving the kids ahead of him. They scrambled under the small table in the kitchenette, mimicking the duck and cover move ingrained into school children in case of a disaster. He glanced back around to see Trent inching away. Castle saw what he was doing and shook his head. The man stared back, white with terror. His lips quivered and he mouthed an apology, before kicking the door open and jumping out into the rain.

XXX

He was a coward and he knew it. He had never signed up for this. When he'd applied for the security job for Jurassic Park, Trent had thought all he'd have to deal with was squabbling tourist. He had never imagined having to face down a seven ton Tyrannosaurus Rex. He'd just watched Jacobs get eaten, and now the monster was attacking the trailer. He knew he should stay and help the man and those two kids, but his cowardice got the better of him. All he could do was run.

Its occupied right now, he thought watching as the tyrannosaur stuck its snout through the back window near the bedroom portion of the trailer. It's now or never. He gazed out the window, looking out across the rainy field and seeing that the SUV was still intact. He could make it if he ran hard and fast. Jacobs had left the keys in the ignition. He inched towards the door. Richard Castle was ushering the children under the table. He looked up over his shoulder and they locked eyes for a moment. Trent could tell that the man knew what he was going to do.

Castle shook his head. Trent's lips quivered, and he mouthed an apology.

Kicking the door open, Trent jumped out into the rain and ran across the field. The rain was falling so hard that he became soaked in a matter of seconds. If it weren't for the fact that the tyrannosaur was occupied with the trailer, Trent would not have made it across the field to the SUV. He fumbled as he climbed into the car and slammed the door, which he found out was a bad idea.

The sound alerted the tyrannosaur to his presence, and it bellowed, stopping over to the SUV.

The shaking ground and the pouring rain made it hard for Trent to concentrate on starting the car. He found the keys still in the ignition, as he'd thought, and turned it. The engine moaned and then roared to life. Trent put the car in gear and looked up. The tyrannosaur brought its massive jaws down on the protective bumper bars, ripping them off in one slashing movement. Trent was momentarily stunned at the quickness of this before he pushed his foot down on the accelerator. The car did not go far. He moved about half a yard, before the tyrannosaur's three-toed foot came down on the vehicle's hood, and unlike earlier, this time it smashed the engine completely.

"Fuck!" Trent cursed.

The tyrannosaur brought it huge head down, and butted its snout against the side of the vehicle, shattering the windows. Trent was knocked over and hit the other door.

"Ah, Christ! Oh God… no."

The tyrannosaur caught his movement inside the vehicle, instantly jerking its head back and roaring. She raised his foot. Trent could see the powerful leg muscles. Boom! The car was hit and toppled over onto its side. Boom! The car was tossed into the air momentarily and landed on its shattered roof. Trent felt the full extent of each kick. He was bleeding from his head. He could taste blood in his mouth. He had bit his own tongue.

Then the kicking stopped. He looked out the smashed windows. The tyrannosaur was stepping around the overturned car, circling it like it would a wounded prey, preparing to go in for the kill. It growled, and pushed its snout on the car, trying to tip it back over. Trent prayed to God that it did not succeed. His prayer was not answered. With one final nudge, the car was successfully tipped back over onto its side. Trent was tossed inside the car like a gold fish in a plastic baggy.

The tyrannosaur stepped over to the front of the vehicle, bent down and peered into the car. Trent stared back, and then opened his mouth wide to scream as the tyrannosaur's lower jaw came through the windshield. Glass flew everywhere. Shards cut the tyrannosaur's leathery skin, but it paid no attention. The jaws clamped down on the roof. With a metallic creaking noise the remaining roof was torn off, ripping along the edge with sparks. Soon Trent felt the cold wet rain reach him. At first it was refreshing, until he focused back on the moment.

He summoned all his strength to get up. He practically bounced up into a run. Fear and adrenaline fueling him. He ran hard in-between the tyrannosaur's legs, hearing the roar of annoyance behind him. He looked wildly around and saw Castle waving him back. The teen girl was standing timidly behind him, watching the scene unfold with a horrified look on her face. However, Trent lapsed in concentration, thinking over what he should do. And that moment of indecision cost him.

The tyrannosaur had realized where he had gone, and turned around, roaring - lowering its jaws for the attack. Trent dashed forward, but was cut off by the large predator. The tyrannosaur swooped its head down and knocked into him. Trent was tossed up into the air, screaming bloody murder. He came hurdling down by the side of the cliff.

Prepared for this, the tyrannosaur was on top of him in moments, pinning him down with its three-toed foot. Trent looked up, terrified, unable to move. The tyrannosaur opened its jaws wide and she gave a magnificent roar. She leaned down, nostrils flaring as she sniffed him. Lifting her foot off him, she jabbed him with her snout, keeping him down. He rolled over onto his chest and attempted to crawl away. The large female tyrannosaur bent down and nipped at his leg. Trent howled in pain. The T-Rex's powerful jaws gripped his left leg tightly. She lifted her head, pulling him up off the muddy ground. Trent fought to retain consciousness through the blinding pain. But it was futile, his body was going into shock.

The tyrannosaur let out a low rumbling purr-like noise, and then tossed him up into the air. All he could do was scream as he flailed about, before tumbling down head first into the opened maw of death.

XXX

Zoe let out a cry of horror after witnessing the security officer's death, and Castle immediately pulled her to him, burying her head in his chest. He couldn't believe it. The man was supposed to be there to help them, but instead he'd ran, in a cowardly attempt to save himself. Clenching his jaw, Castle watched as the tyrannosaur finished off Trent, and turned its head back towards them. Castle gulped, wondering what was it this dinosaur had against them. It seemed obsessed, with a single-minded determination to kill them. The tyrannosaur roared loudly, tongue curling inside its mouth, and stormed towards them. The ground shook with each step of its approach. It lowered its head, and Castle let out a sharp gasp as he realized what it was going to do. He quickly shoved Zoe back under the table, where she wrapped her little brother up in a fierce hug.

"Hang on to something!" he shouted.

Bang! The tyrannosaur hit hard, and the trailer toppled over onto its side. The small flat screen attached to the wall buckled, but did not fall. The armchair, unlike the sofa and end table, wasn't bolted down to the floor, and slid back, ramming into Castle's leg, knocking him off balance. He groaned in pain. All around them glass shattered. Zoe and Charlie had been thrown out from underneath the table. The wild gusts of wind caused the opened door to flap violently against the side of the trailer, rain pouring through, soaking them.

"Look!" Zoe shouted.

Castle looked up and saw the tyrannosaur trying to shove its snout through the opened door. It was unsuccessful. She roared in fury as she pulled back, her bulky box-shaped head disappearing, allowing the rain to continue to soak them.

Bang! The tyrannosaur hit the trailer again; this time toppling the trailer onto its roof. Metal groaned and crunched. The armchair slid off him, and Castle groaned, placing a hand on his bad knee. He glanced up and stared at the twisted accordion connector. They were completely cut off from the second trailer. The tyrannosaur rammed into the trailer again. This time the flat screen buckled and fell in an array of sparks.

"Move!" Castle shouted to Zoe.

Zoe grabbed Charlie by his arm and managed to pull them out of the way before the loose contents of the kitchen drawers were able to cascade down on them as the trailer was twisted and rotated again. They were tossed around like ragdolls. The ceiling and floor switched places. Everything had turned upside down.

"The door!?" Charlie questioned.

Castle thought for a moment, before agreeing with a nod of his head. "Quickly."

Both Castle and Zoe jumped to their feet and threw themselves... against a closed door!

Castle cursed, his filter momentarily down as he got caught up in the situation.

"The doors jammed!" Zoe asserted.

"How did that happen?" Charlie demanded from behind them.

"When the tyrannosaur kicked us, the door must have swung closed as we turned around," Castle said, heaving in deep gulps of air, trying to calm himself. "Locking!"

"Great!" Zoe declared. "Just great!"

Boom. They heard an explosion. Yellow lights flashed through the shattered windows on their left. Castle looked out and saw that the tyrannosaur had temporarily withdrawn to attack the SUV. It growled and roared, pushing the car towards the side of the cliff. Roaring with rage, and with one more strike of her powerful legs, the tyrannosaur sent the vehicle careening towards the edge. They heard the explosion of the SUV as it fell off the side of the cliff.

Suddenly, with a dramatic jerk, the trailer started to move. Castle quickly caught his balance and jerked his head towards the front of the trailer. Through the window he could see the edge of the cliff.

"Oh shit...," he muttered.

Zoe stumbled as the next hit came, tumbling forward, landing hard against the shattered remains of the flat screen TV. She yelled out in pain. The tyrannosaur returned its attention to the trailer, ramming hard against them, sending them closer to the precipice. Castle bent down and helped Zoe up, seeing blood trickle down her arm.

"Here," Castle said, ripping off the bottom fringe of his shirt and tying it around her wound.

Zoe winced in pain as he tightened the knot. When Zoe was okay, Castle stepped around the fallen TV and reached out for Charlie. The young whimpered in terror, shaking all over. There was a momentary pause in the pounding, but it started up again. Intervals between the pushes were shorter.

Castle squeezed Charlie's shoulder, and then carefully made his way through the debris in the kitchenette. Zoe was looking at the twisted accordion connector. She turned and looked back at Castle.

"Can we get through?" Castle asked.

Zoe shook her head. "I doubt it," she said, with one hand pressed against her injured arm.

The trailer rocked again, and then started to tilt towards the front, the axis of balance shifting. Castle reached forward and grabbed the metal handles along the cabinets. Zoe grabbed the curtain, which was laying on what was now their floor. Charlie teetered and fell onto his back. He cried in fear as he started to slip backwards, debris bouncing down around him.

"Grab on to something!" Castle shouted down, his heart leaping into his throat. Zoe repeated his instruction, her voice wavering with worry for her little brother.

Charlie flung his arms out and grabbed the edge of the closest thing he could reach, latching onto the end table by the sofas. Thankfully it had been bolted down to the floor. And it held. Charlie looked back up at Castle and Zoe, who were at the other end of the trailer. Castle nodded to him. Charlie took a deep breath and with gritted teeth the boy heaved himself under the table's center bar. He was now wrapped around the metal pole that connected the end table to the floor, holding on for dear life.

BANG! It was the final kick that pushed them over the edge. The top of the trailer rammed against the face of the cliff, the glass covering the large window behind the sofa smashed and the tiny pieces cascaded down the side of the rocky cliff, along with all the books that had been in the shelf by the window. Castle clutched onto the cabinet handles. His feet dangled below. He dared not look down. However a strange thing seemed to happen after that last kick. The tyrannosaur stopped kicking the trailers. And to Castle, that seemed very odd.