Chapter 6

The whole team cheered when they spotted Danny.

Connor cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Come on mate, time to go home."

Everyone waited as Danny ran toward them. Danny shook Becker's hand and clapped Connor on the shoulder. Turning toward the girls, he said, "Helen's been stopped."

When the team started to ask for details, Danny held up his hands to forestall them, "Look, I'd love to chat, but could we please get through that anomaly first?" Danny pointed to the swirling mass behind them and smiled.

"Right. Let's go," said Becker, as he directed the team back through the anomaly.

As Danny walked past him, Becker spoke, "Quinn, you owe me a new gun."

Danny laughed, "Oh, we REALLY do need to get you a girlfriend!"

Sarah glanced quickly at Becker and smiled slightly to herself.

Connor immediately closed the anomaly after everyone had come through from Site 333.

Becker signaled for his men to close ranks around the team as he led the group back through the Cretaceous forest. The walk was easy. No raptors or predators of any kind crossed their path, although the sounds of shrieks, growls and roars could be heard in the distance as the local predators battled for the right to survive.

After they passed the area where Danny had stunned the juvenile raptors three days before, Connor used the anomaly opener once again. Within moments, the whole team was back in the territory of the future predators.

As they made their way up and out of the derelict building, Danny whispered to Sarah, "I can't believe how smoothly this is going. It's almost like being on holiday."

Danny walked out of the building and stood waiting for the rest of the team.

Connor followed Danny out, blinking, as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. All around him, Connor heard the click, click, clicking sounds of the future predators accompanied by their snorting growls. The noise seemed to reverberate off all the buildings around them.

Sarah, who had walked out to stand next to Connor, looked up and immediately wished she hadn't. Future predators clung to the sides of the buildings snarling at them. Her eyes grew wide with terror, as she guessed there must be close to one hundred of the horrible things surrounding them.

Becker tapped his headset and said one word, "Now."

All hell broke loose.

Abby heard muffled pops go off to the north, south, east and west. The air was instantly filled with debris. Metallic bits of paper floated down around the team like some bizarre, ticker-tape parade. The future predators froze, turning their heads from side to side. The sonar signals the creatures used to locate their prey were being bounced back, reflected by the thousands of shiny surfaces drifting through the air. The predators seemed confused, but they still continued to advance, locking in on the sounds of the team's pounding heartbeats.

The intermittent pops of the air canons continued to send debris into the sky. Shortly, that noise was overshadowed by the sound of human hearts, beating out a fearful rhythm. Multiple stereo systems set up around the city, pumped out the sound.

The future predators growled and screamed, shaking their heads wildly. Some creatures backed away and ran into the distance, others turned on each other, biting and clawing.

Connor looked around, taking it all in. Then he turned to Abby and remarked, "This is better than an invisibility cloak."

Abby realized he was referring to one of his favorite fantasy movie series. She gave a sharp laugh and shook her head. Leave it to Connor to think of Harry Potter at a time like this.

"The confetti and heart beat recordings have stopped them cold," continued Connor.

Above the din, Becker's voice could be heard shouting, "We need to move, now! Everybody back to the race track anomaly."

The team began to run. Abby slipped her head under Connor's arm, bracing him with her shoulder. She wasn't sure Connor's ankle could stand the strain of an all out run. Together they headed for home.

Becker found himself grasping Sarah's hand as they ran. He stopped for a minute, urging Sarah to go on without him. He wanted to take in the scene and make sure everyone was accounted for. Most of his troops had already made it through. Danny disappeared through the opening, followed closely by Connor and Abby as he watched. Only Sarah, himself, Davis and one other soldier remained.

The confetti floating through the air was much thinner near the anomaly. A lone creature clung to the cliff side and watched the human herd run past it. Seeing one all alone, the predator prepared to leap.

Sarah ran. Just a few more steps and she would be home.

Becker had almost caught up with Sarah when he saw a huge creature jump up and gallop toward her. Time slowed as he watched the thing run straight at the beautiful, young woman. Becker yelled, "No!" as he dashed straight across the path of the predator. He threw one arm around Sarah's waist and spun them both to one side. The predator missed them by inches as they leapt through the anomaly.

Davis fired his gun at point blank range into the advancing creature. It howled and tried to slash Davis' chest, but his body armor saved him from a terrible wound. The soldier next to him fired again and again, knocking the creature back until it slipped and fell from the cliff side.

Davis and the remaining soldier raced into the present. Connor waited until they had cleared the glittering shards to lock the anomaly.

The exhausted team stumbled toward the cars waiting for them. Soldiers would escort them back to the ARC.

They were home at last.