21
14 – The clash
While they go out of the control room, three men meet Claire Dearing.
Nicolas and the lieutenant greet her politely.
Owen, who arrives behind them, stops as high as the young woman.
- Hello, Claire, he says. »
- What do you become, does she answer on an acid tone ? Since two days, no way to see you. No piece of news of you. I would like to know what takes place exactly. »
- What do you want, we are in the preparations and, to tell you everything, we leave to the meeting of our opponents. »
- It was that, the explosion ? »
- Yes, they opened a breach in the outer wall. »
- Thus, you go to fight against dinosaurs, that's right ? »
- It is exactly that. »
- And you know how many they are ? »
- Not exactly. Ten, twelve doubtless, maybe more. »
- You go to the massacre ! »
- I hope well that not ! »
- Stop ! You know as well as I these animals : fast, wild, unpredictable. »
- It is useless to discuss. They entered the reserve and we have to stop them. It is as simple as that.
« Conveniently, we found Blue. Nicolas says that it can help us. »
- It is a good news ! »
- I need you too ! »
- Ah, because you remember that I exist ? »
- This is neither the place nor the time for this kind of discussion. I would like you to ensure a permanent presence in the control room and that you serve us as relay, with the help of Marvin.
« I have equipped guards who participate in the expedition with cameras, Nicolas and I will have microphones permanently connected to the frequency of the control room.
« In addition, I would like you to supervise the operation and to transmit to the teams still in the center the requests for support that we could make to you. »
- I shall do my best. »
- Sorry but I have to go there now. »
- Take good care of you ! »
- I shall try ! »
Owen has a moment of hesitation.
But he turns away and goes to the end of the corridor where Nicolas and Jefferson wait for him.
- Is she your girlfriend, asks for the Frenchman ? »
- You say anything ! It is a labor relation, that's all. »
- A labor relation, really ? »
- What do you imagine behind this stupid smile ? »
- Oh ! Nothing ! Absolutely nothing. »
- Then, hurry to erase it, before I get angry. »
- Ok, Ok, stay calm ! We have some job. »
Nicolas and the lieutenant laugh while Owen looks daggers at them.
A few minutes later, three men arrive in the shed of the basement.
The vehicles of intervention are already in the sieve of exit.
The men all embarked and the drivers are ready to start.
Again, the American moves away and goes to one of the guards who does not participate to the expedition.
- Mac Kenzie, he says, you are going to take four men with you and the jeep equipped with the machine gun. You will escort a team of workers which will leave with the truck crane.
« By the protected way, you will go to join the breach. While they will raise and will patch up the wire netting, you will insure their protection. »
« Useless that our animals escape by this way. We would have difficulty in getting them back.
« Be careful ! It is possible that it remains people on the opposite side. Stay on the spot the shortest possible.
- Understood well, Mr Grady. I do what's necessary. »
Without a word furthermore, Owen joins the column. Already, the heavy internal doors close. Immediately after, those front open and the convoy dashes, led by the jeep driven by Asensio and which transports the three men. Outside, rainy torrents are violently pulled down on windows by the wind, whereas the thunderstorm bursts out. Although it is the middle of the day, the clarity is pale and details difficult to distinguish. Vehicles struggle ahead on the way waterlogged and transformed into pool of mud.
- It promises, says Jefferson ! »
- Something tells me that this adventure is going to be complicated, adds Owen.
« What consoles me, it is that those on the opposite side progresses on foot under the water. »
Vehicles run slowly on the ground full of water, with all lights off.
Suddenly, after almost half an hour of road, Asensio interrupts the conversation.
- Dinosaurs, in front of us ! »
- Here is our rendez-vous, specifies Nicolas. »
The Frenchman goes out of the jeep and caresses four reptiles which were waiting for him.
Without a word, he speaks with them.
After a while, they dash in the direction of the forest while he goes back up in the vehicle.
- You promised me to express you aloud, Owen blames for him. »
- My mistake ! You are right ! I asked them to locate the enemy group and to follow it at a distance, by avoiding be spotted. »
- And you believe that they understood, asks Jefferson ? »
- I do not believe it, I am sure of it ! Moreover, look ! »
The small group of dinosaurs moves now in a parallel to the woody zone, at good distance of this one.
- We just have to find a good observation post and to follow them with our binoculars, pursues Owen. "
At the same time, Jurgen and his men have joined the point indicated by Trevor.
After a quick travel along the forest, they have penetrated into the undergrowth and continued their progress under cover.
At the end of half an hour, approximately, they arrive at the chosen location.
- Well, says the lieutenant to his men, gathered around him. You go to take a stand with your animal. You stay at about ten meters from each other and you take place on the military fringe, so as to see well what takes place outside the forest.
« You camouflage yourself carefully and lie down on the floor. Remember that the colonel does not want you to expose yourself.
« Here is how we are going to proceed. As soon as the approach of the enemy is located, Ignacio, you make go out N° 8 of about twenty meters out of the forest, then you show yourself to the edge and you call it in a loud voice. Those on the opposite camp have to hear you.
« As soon as it's done, your animal and you, you come back to hide with us.
« Then we wait that our opponents begin to take a stand to launch the first attack, so as to surprise them before they are ready.
« Our animals will attack out by successive waves. We shall launch them to the assault, all together or a part only, and we shall let them progress until they are for the contact of the enemy. As soon as it will be made, we shall allow them to act a few moments then we shall call back them with our ultrasonic whistles.
« Remember that every whistle is set on a different frequency and that the one that you have in hand corresponds to YOUR animal.
« During the first attack, we shall send our eleven dinosaurs to a single wave.
« Afterward, we shall send, either Velociraptors, or the IdR, to vary the behavior and, so, try to disorientate our opponents.
« Avoid, as far as possible, using the injections of products, unless you consider it absolutely necessary.
« If your animal becomes uncontrollable, even dangerous for you, make it explode without hesitation.
« We shall reproduce our attacks until exhaustion of our troops.
« After what, we shall leave as quickly as possible and we shall join the outer wall. »
- We do not wait for the colonel, asks Luigi ? »
- No, he does not need us ! We shall wait for him once there.
« Is everything clear ? »
The men approve.
- Well, concludes Jurgen ! Go to your positions ! »
What lieutenant Jurgen ignores, it is that the stratagem which it went up with Ignacio is groundless. It already has been indeed a small moment since Blue and its friends located the enemy commando.
Hidden in a bend, trucks transporting the "marines" have stopped and wait. On a mound, slightly in opposite slope, Owen, Nicolas and Jefferson follow the movements of dinosaurs with their binoculars.
- Our opponents are not going to delay reaching the point of the woods, notices the lieutenant. If they want to keep progressing, they will have to go out on bare ground.
- They will not go out, answers Owen. I think that they are slightly going to position on our right, at two o'clock.
« The ground will be particularly favorable to them because, considering the relief, we shall be obliged to deploy in approximately eighty meters of the border of the forest at the most, far too much near for our safety.
« Their dinosaurs will attack in the rising sense, but, considering the distance, they will be very quickly on us. On the other hand, they will be in the sense coming down at the time of their retreat, what will allow them to re-enter very fast the forest.
« Besides, what you do not know, it is that, just behind the border, the ground quickly bows towards a small river. Their dinosaurs will put themselves shielded from our shootings in the hollow. »
- If I understand well, says Jefferson by grimacing, everything's fine ! »
- Well, said Nicolas shrugging, it was predictable.
Suddenly, he stops.
- Look, he says ! Blue stopped. Certainly, those on the opposite side arrested. »
Three men have eyes riveted behind their binoculars.
- A dinosaur goes out of the forest, exclaims Owen ! It is a miniature IdR ! »
And behind it, continues Jefferson, a man went out to recover it. "
- He is Ignacio, says the Frenchman ! So, they chose this sector to fight the battle. I think they are waiting for us. We must not disappoint them.
- You are right, answers Owen. We are going to move the vehicles about 400 meters on our right and to park them in opposite slope behind the rocks which you see over there.
« Then, it will be your turn to act, lieutenant Jefferson ! It will be necessary to position your men quickly as high as possible on the slope. »
« Nevertheless, they will be very near the forest and I admit to you that I like it hardly. I would have preferred a longer distance.
« It is necessary to admit that those on the opposite camp chose well the place. Their animals will be very quickly at the contact. »
In the control room, Claire worries.
She does not take a single her eyes off the screen, by twisting herself fingers.
- I am afraid, she tells suddenly to Marvin. I still have in mind the images of the group which tracked Indominus Rex and which this nasty animal massacred under our eyes. »
- Animals of today are much smaller, answers the young man. I do not think that the conditions are performed so that the story repeats. »
But Claire listens to him hardly.
- Owen, she says suddenly ! Do you hear me ? »
- 5 of 5, answers the American. I receive you hardly and clear ! »
- Be careful ! This confrontation does not bode well for me. You have never really faced dinosaurs. »
- Your confidence goes straight to my heart ! Relax ! We are not children. We know how to fight, too, and we are many. The beasts on the opposite side are going to meet their match. »
- I wish ardently that you are right. »
- Be assured. On the other hand, please stay tuned, because it is possible that, nevertheless, we need reinforcements.
« Our safety will depend on your reactivity ! »
- You can trust me ! »
- I know it, says Owen.
« Well, I leave you because I am called. »
While this conversation was going on, the lieutenant has joined his men who were coming down the trucks.
At once, they begin to deploy and join, watchfully, their defensive positions.
Nicolas is right behind them, with Blue and the Dromeosauruses. He is tense, all his electronic senses are on alert. His eye scrutinizes the edge whereas its ear, in spite of the rain, the wind and the thunderstorm, analyzes the slightest noise.
- Watch out, he says suddenly, here they are ! »
All the looks turn to the forest.
A few seconds later, eleven dinosaurs appear at the same time and rush on the "marines".
The soldiers are surprised while their deployment is not completely ended.
They hardly have time to react that, already, Velociraptors, lighter and faster than miniature IdR, are on them.
The disorder is indescribable, the men defending themselves as they can.
Dinosaurs bite to the right and to the left, at random, causing of numerous and bad wounds.
Then, as fast as they arrived, they retreat, reminded by the ultrasonic whistles.
The miniature IdR replace them immediately, provoking more disorder in the human ranks, then return in their turn towards the forest.
Numerous shots are fired, but in a muddled way, by distraught soldiers. The efficiency is not there.
- Finish putting yourself in position, Jefferson roars ! »
- Watch out, here they are again, shouts Nicolas ! »
This time, only Velociraptors, among six, rush at the men.
Because of the efficiency of the mimicry of animals, the soldiers have all the difficulties of the world to locate them. Fortunately, they managed to be set up, and to fire in a coordinated way.
- Position in arc of circle, orders the lieutenant ! They try to overtake us by the sides ! »
Indeed, dinosaurs situated in the extremities of the advance guard try to engage a pincer movement.
But the "marines" react fast and the movement fails.
Nevertheless, Velociraptors manage to penetrate among the soldiers.
The grunts of the animals mingle with the screams of pain and the moans of the wounded.
Once again, the dinosaurs retreat and take refuge in the woods, under a hail of inefficient balls.
The respite is short-lived because, this time, it is the turn of the miniature IdR to rush.
In spite of a barrage fire which hurts some, without stopping them however, animals wreak havoc in the rows of the soldiers, before leaving behind again.
But this time, the shooting of the "marines" is better adjusted.
One of the dinosaurs, wounded in a back leg, collapses, before getting up immediately. But it does not have time to resume its race. A hail of projectiles hits it, riddling it with bullets.
For the second time, it falls, stiff dead, this time.
A wild shout goes up from the breasts of the "marines". They killed one of their enemies. By proving to them that it is possible, this feat of arm galvanizes the energies and strengthens their determination.
But, suddenly, a shout comes to moderate this enthusiasm.
- Lieutenant Jefferson is hurt ! »
Indeed, the officer is lying on the ground, soaking in his blood, the open throat.
- Stay all at your positions ! I take command, roars Sergeant Milton ! »
- Ouch, says Nicolas in a low voice. With this madman at the head of the troops, there is everything to be afraid. »
- The lieutenant gave clear orders before the departure, objects Owen. »
- You are right ! But Jefferson is out of the race, even if, a priori, he has a chance to survive. »
Suddenly the Frenchman stands up.
- Watch out, he yells, they return !
Emerging again, six Velociraptors rush to the assault.
But they are greeted by a real dam. One of them collapses before reaching the "marines". Another, wounded in the legs, comes to fall in front of the line of defense.
He does not have time to get up. The nearest soldiers rush on it and massacre it with the butt of their rifles.
A third, caught by his momentum, impales itself on the dagger that a soldier holds stretched in front of him. His colleagues finish the animal with their knives, giving it many more shots than necessary.
Meanwhile, the last three dinosaurs pursue their destructive work, hurting every man being in their reach.
Suddenly, as they came, they return towards the forest.
During a few moments, the calm comes back, until the last four miniature IdR emerge in their turn.
In the middle of his men, sergeant Milton is overexcited. He runs in all directions by yelling.
- Massacre all of them, that it does not remain only one ! »
But the dinosaurs stop and, as soon as they come out of the vegetation, they turn around and go back to hide there.
- What does it mean, asks Owen ? »
- Whoever commands in front is dangerously intelligent. He pretends to hesitate so that we have to move. »
- But he is wrong heavily. »
- I am not unfortunately so sure there. Look !
Sergeant Milton crossed the line of defence and turns to his troops.
- All the men of the second section still able to fight come with me. We managed to scare these garbage. Now we are going to dislodge them !
« We are spreading in width. A man every five meters. Nobody in the line of fire of his neighbor. »
« The first section stays in support fire. Shooting to be neutralized. Execution ! »
- Do not do that, roars Owen ! You go to the massacre ! »
- Shut up, answers Milton ! It's my job to command, and I do not need to receive orders from two so-called bazaar tacticians.
Putting a stop to the discussion, he turns around and begins to descend the slope, followed by his unity.
Nothing moves, on both sides. Silence is total. Everything seems motionless.
- Our enemies are going to wait that they penetrate into the wood. Thus, the "marines" will no longer have support fire and the animals will be invisible in the vegetation. »
Already, the soldiers are disappearing.
At the beginning, nothing seems to take place, but, suddenly, hell bursts out. Pushing cries of rage, dinosaurs attack the men. Grunts follow cries of suffering and noises of automatic weapons.
The slaughter begins.
- Retreat, shouts repeatedly Owen, who puts his hands to his mouth ! Come back ! »
But his appeals are covered by the noise of the storm.
One of the remaining "marines" opens then his backpack and takes out a clarion, an old souvenir which never leaves him.
Setting himself up, he begins sounding the retreat with all his strength.
The appeal is rapidly understood and, one after the other, the distraught soldiers messy reappear.
Those who stayed in position, under the orders of sergeant Harrys, open a just intense fire over the heads of their colleagues, to cover their retreat.
Sergeant Milton is the last one to return.
- Help me ! Protect me, he yells, in the grip of a crazy panic ! »
Several meters behind him, a miniature IdR has just appeared.
Without letting to the non-commissioned officer the time to react, it jumps on his back and throws him to the ground. Then, all at once, it crushes him cervical vertebras with its terrible jaws.
Three other miniature IdR arrives in their turn.
- Lie down, roars sergeant Harrys to the retreating men ! »
These obey immediately and their colleagues in position start a murderous shooting.
Under this deluge of fire, a miniature Idr collapses, touched to death. The others make volte face.
Immediately, the soldiers in return get up and go back up running towards those who protect them.
Slightly set back with dinosaurs, Nicolas is furious.
- We have too many damages, he says suddenly to Owen. If it continues like that, we go all pass there. »
- You have an idea ? »
- Unfortunately not, answers the Frenchman which pushes nervously his hands in his pockets ! »
He feels then something hard in one of them. It is the small case of remote control that built for him the IT specialist of the center.
- Yes, I think I have one, he says finally, with an enigmatic smile. Come with me ! »
« Anyway, sergeant Harrys is a good soldier. He does not need us to manage his troops. »
Then, recovering :
Alert, here they are again, he roars suddenly ! »
A few seconds later, all the surviving dinosaurs reappear and dash in the assault.
The scrum becomes vague. The exhaustion of the fighters begins be felt, on both sides.
Meanwhile, Nicolas and Owen, accompanied with their four animals, have moved away of about fifty meters on the left side.
- What do you plan to make, asks the American ? »
- You are going to see. »
Then, turning to the Velociraptor :
- Blue, you are going to call your small companions on the opposite side. Make them come towards us.
« Owen, warn Harrys to concentrate his shooting only on the animals which charge him directly, and not on those who are going to come in our direction. »
- Understood, says the American which restarts by running ! »
At this very moment, the surviving dinosaurs are in the undergrowth, to get their breath back.
This is when, breaking the silence of a temporary calm of the storm, Blue issues its appeal.
As in echo, some answers reach it from the forest and, suddenly, two Velociraptors emerge by running and rush to it.
Immediately, Nicolas communicates with them and reassures them, indicating his intentions.
As soon as they are enough close, he presses the button of his small device. On the necklace of animals, a small indicator light has just gone out.
The Frenchman runs then towards them, while taking out its knife of dive, an old souvenir.
At this moment, a miniature IdR goes out of the woods in turn.
- No, shouts Nicolas, do not come ! You are going to be killed ! »
But it's too late. A violent explosion echoes and the animal collapses, the throat sliced.
The Frenchman, without waiting, cuts the necklaces of the two animals that have reached him and throws them far away.
It's about time because, again, two explosions are listened.
- I did not well understand what passed, tells him Owen who has just joined him. »
- It is very simple. When I pressed on the device to protect both Velociraptors, I blocked it for the period of neutralization of necklaces. I could not thus maneuver it again for the latecomer. If it had waited two minutes more, I would have been able to save it too. »
But, while both men speak, three staying dinosaurs appear.
A Velociraptor and a miniature Idr rush to the soldiers while the second IdR in miniature chooses to join the group of Blue. This one has no collar. But it barely has time to curl its race that two hisses are heard and two daggers come to perforate his body : the first at the neck and the second at the stomach.
The dinosaur collapses, seriously hurt.
- It is signed, says Nicolas ! »
- Ignacio, right ? »
- He is the only one who can throw daggers with such a precision. »
On the other side, the fight comes to end. The last one miniature IdR was shot down and the Velociraptor, although seriously hurt, managed to reach the forest.
And suddenly, the peace returns. Nothing more moves.
Unbelieving, the "marines" are like statufied and do not remove their eyes from the edge of the woods.
But nothing more occurs.
- We stay in position and watchful, shouts the sergeant. »
Already, in the forest, Jurgen gets ready to leave places.
He ran along the line of his soldiers, to gather them.
They are now grouped around him.
- We're leaving, he says ! Our mission is over ! We have nothing left to do here.
« Direction, the outer wall. Arrived over there, we deploy and we wait for the colonel, so as to cross fences all together. »
- And if he does not return, asks Luigi ? »
- We can trust him, he has many resources !
« Anyway, he planned this eventuality.
« If, at the end of one hour, he did not join to us, we go away.
« We are going to move under cover until we are out of sight of the enemy. I would not want to have their creatures on our heels.
« If you have no question, we go there.
« Luigi, you lead the way. We move in single file. Twenty meters between every man. I shall spend the last one. »
Immediately, the column starts up.
One of the men approaches Jurgen.
- What do we do with it, my lieutenant ? »
He indicates the last dinosaur which, limping low, tries desperately to follow them.
- Is it yours ? »
- Yes, my lieutenant. »
- You still have your control device ? »
- Affirmative. »
- Then, blow up the bomb ! Kill it ! »
But the man hesitates. He spent several months to be next to the animal. He forged links with it.
This one stares at him.
Annoyed, Jurgen tears away him the device of hands.
- It is not the moment to make of the feeling ! We are in a hurry ! »
Without further delay, he presses the fateful button.
The mortal machine explodes, beheading practically the dinosaur.
The soldier looks at the latter, who is lying in its blood.
The lieutenant seizes him by the collar.
- Go away, he tells him ! And it is an order ! »
Meanwhile, Owen and Nicolas returned, with their animals, towards the group of the "marines".
In their earphones, the voice of Claire is listened.
- Is it finished, does she say ? »
- It looks that way, answers the American. It would seem that we have had them all.
« I think that we are going to be able to collect our wounded persons and leave places. »
- That's fine ! When I saw the damages which you underwent, I feared the worst. »
- It is true that we paid the full price. But those on the opposite side are going to have to review their work. »
Changing subject, Claire says :
- Nicolas, your left hand emits a kind of blue light. »
- It's normal, answers the questioned. With the storm, it charges electricity. »
- And that is of use to what, questions Owen ? »
- I can, if need be, use this load to defend myself.
« Especially, do not put your hand on it ! You would risk the electrocution. Moreover, I have to pay attention, too. »
- And if you do not use it ? »
- It is very simple. I can unload it by putting the hand on the ground. »
- And why do not you make it ? »
- By caution. If nothing takes place, I shall make it at the time of reembarking in the jeep. »
While speaking, both men join Harrys.
This one is a little bit undecided.
- Do you think that it is finished, does he ask ? »
- Yes, answers Owen, those on the opposite side announced their departure. »
- What was this explosion ? »
- I think they had to finish their last animal, the one that was injured.
« I think that we can withdraw.
« We take our wounded and dead persons, by beginning with those who are in the woods.
« But let us remain careful. Let us take enough men so that some can insure the protection of those who will collect bodies.
« Nicolas and I are going to accompany you. My assistant will assure the surveillance thanks to his devices. He will warn us of the slightest noise or the suspect movement. »
Harrys gives his orders accordingly and the group goes down the slope in the direction of the forest.
It does not take a long time to get back bodies.
In passing, the soldiers discover the corpse of the last dinosaur.
- You were right, says Harrys. »
- It is just in their methods, answers laconically Nicolas. »
A few minutes later, the group returns to its starting point.
- We can go there, asks Harrys ? »
- Yes, Owen replies, we send our dead and wounded soldiers in a vehicle that leaves immediately. I shall warn the center.
« The valid soldiers group together in two other vehicles.
« We shall go away all together.
« By the way, sergeant, do you know the amount of our losses ? »
- Affirmative. Twenty-seven wounded, six of them seriously and five dead. »
Owen makes a face.
- It is heavy, he says. Good thing that my assistant allowed us to abbreviate the fight. »
Without discussing more, Harrys goes away.
- Hello, Claire ? Do you hear me, pursues the American ? »
- Very well.
- Warn the medical unit.
« Tell them to be ready, a vehicle transporting casualties is going to arrive before small quarter of an hour. Certain men need urgent care. »
- No problem, I do what's necessary. And you, when do you return ? »
- Immediately after. The time to group us and to embark. »
Little by little, the battlefield empties of fighters.
Owen and sergeant Harrys leave the last ones.
- Do you come, says the American to Nicolas ? »
But this one does not answer him. He has the look fixed to the border of the forest.
Rather curiously, the group of dinosaurs, near him, looks in the same direction.