SURVIVAL
4 - Keeping a Close Watch
She had been told to run, to hide, to stay as far away from the team sent to hunt her down as possible. But she didn't. She couldn't. Pet wanted to keep a careful watch on the man she was still skeptical to trust. She flexed her clawed hands around the straps of her backpack draped over her shoulders and remembered how he assisted her by giving it back. That and the fact that he didn't shoot her on the spot as he had told the others in his contingent to do. A hissed snort flared her nostrils, and her upper lip curled.
Pet kept her distance behind the hunting party but stayed close enough to keep tabs on them. She kept to the trees as it was easier to hide amongst the tangled branches and vines than it was to hide on the ground. Except for the one time she had caked herself with mud and leaves and hid on her belly under a broad leafy fern. The team had walked right past her, their combat-booted feet less than three feet from her and they didn't even realize it. And these were hunters? Well, more like mercenaries. They were probably used to jobs not involving chasing down human, raptor hybrids. Even then, she figured they'd know the tricks to hiding and would've brought equipment to better hunt her down. Night vision goggles? Infrared something or others...she wasn't familiar with all the high-tech equipment names as she never bothered with it. She always relied on her excellent sense of smell, hearing, and sight. Not to mention her animal instinct and human reasoning.
The team had already been on the island a day and halfway into the second. Several times she'd heard Terrence mention needing evidence to support her either being dead or alive; something to show InGen. One of the team members had brought up the possibility of there being no evidence, should she have been killed and eaten by the Rex. She continued to listen to them through the night as they spoke and discussed their plans with what they were going to do with their cut of the bounty.
One of the mercenaries planned to give a portion of their money to a family member in need. At least he was decent enough to think of their family over some material item. In all her years, Pet had learned some things were more important than others, and family and friends ranked top on her list. After it was all said and done, the love of a friend or family member would carry on forever. A material possession would be just that. There would be a sense of pride with it and maybe even a form of love, but it wouldn't be returned. Not like how it would be if shared with a person.
Thinking on the matter churned in Pet's gut. Love. Friends. Family. She closed her eyes against the pains of being left behind. It still burned, and she quietly wept from where she laid in the top of a tree, overlooking the hiking men. She had camouflaged herself well. More mud smeared over the already dried patches gave her skin a rough and almost tree bark-like appearance. A little bit of moss here and a small branch of tree leaves there; she blended in perfectly with the trees.
Evening of the second day was starting to set in. The team had voted to make camp for the night and began laying out their mats and blankets around a campfire. Terrence made his way to a nearby stream and knelt down to refill his canteen. The water was cool and clear, allowing him to observe several tiny minnows dart about beneath its surface. He stayed knelt there a minute, watching the fish, when he saw it. It was distinct against the running stream's surface, a reflection in the water of movement from within a treetop directly above him. He intently watched the flicker of movement, and though the reflection was broken by the moving water, he could still make out the silhouette of shoulders and the head of a person. Pet.
Why didn't she run? Why was she still there, following them? Following him? Was there something she needed? She'd be found, for sure, if she wasn't careful. No. She wasn't that stupid. She was careful in a reckless sort of way. A sly smile cracked at the corners of Terrence's chapped lips. The team would be so concerned trying to find her in obvious places like sheds, and points of interest that could provide shelter that they wouldn't think to look directly above their heads.
He capped his canteen and rose to his feet, about to turn around to look up to the spying hybrid when Jose approached him. "Everything okay, boss?"
Terrence snapped around and faced the addressing man. "Yeah, yeah everything's fine. Just refilling my canteen. Was running a bit low and figured better now than later. No telling what's in store for us tonight and I like to be prepared."
"Right..." Jose slimmed his dark-eyed gaze down on the man. "Alright, well, whatever. The boys and I were about to crack open some bottles of whiskey and tequila if interested."
"You sure that's safe?"
Jose shrugged. "Fuck it, why not? There's nothing else out here, but us. I haven't seen any living dinosaurs, and we haven't seen any sign of anything else worth noting. A couple of rats, some birds...a monkey or two... that's it."
"Better watch out for those monkeys." Terrence shook a finger in the air towards the treetops. "I've worked with a few in my days in Kenya and let me tell you, some of those little bastards are vicious."
Jose started laughing. "Uh huh, Mr. Animal Man, over here." He patted the team leader on the shoulder and continued to laugh to himself. "You get your water. Join us for a drink when you're done. We could all use one." Terrence laughed along with the other man until he was out of sight. Jose's laughing could still be heard from over the hill as he joined the others.
The game warden's blue eyes shot upwards to the tree to find no one there. Well, that he could see at least. Moss and a small fern stared back at him where he remembered the hybrid previously being. He took a tiny step to the side and knelt down to see a bundle of leaves positioned against each other just right to mimic the shape of a person's upper body. Maybe he didn't see Pet, after all. A flicker of excitement dwindled back down to nothing. He glanced back down in the water to see the shifting silhouette of the leaves in the reflection just as he had thought had been Pet.
"Damn," he muttered to himself and returned to the camp.
Positioned just right between two branches growing upwards was Pet's face. Draped over it like a curtain to a window was a thick tuft of moss. At first glance, it would've looked like a patch of moss growing between the two branches rather than someone hiding. Her golden yellow eyes followed the man in his trek until out of sight over the hill. She thought about repositioning herself to get a better watch on the men but decided against it at the moment. She'd wait till the mercenaries were passed out drunk before daring to climb down. Maybe then, should Terrence still be sober and conscious, she could get his attention for a quick chat. She wanted to know the details of everything versus what she was assuming. If this man was anything like he was those years ago, he didn't drink excessively. If he did, it was a shot or two. Until then, all she could do was sit and wait.
All was quiet. The jovial, drunk laughter had subsided to snores and the once healthy campfire now nothing but small flames dancing on charred logs. Poking at the coals with a stick was Terrence, him holding what remained of the quarter full bottle of whiskey. He'd only had two shots, which is all he cared for, but to everyone else, they had seen him take more than that. At least five or six! He had learned from the best how to hide the actual amount he'd drank. Tip up the bottle and look like a big swing was taken, but instead of liquid filling the cheeks it was air. Swallow 'the shot' and make a face as though reacting to the bitter bite of liquor against the throat.
It worked. Jose complimented him on being able to hold his liquor. This, of course, came minutes before he passed out. Now, the man was face pressed against a tree root and snoring away. Figuring it late enough, Terrence tossed on a couple more broken up limbs on the fire before calling it a night himself.
Still nestled in her tree was Pet, lost in her own sleep that she had inadvertently succumbed to. She was going to be mad when waking up the next day to find out she had missed her ideal opportunity to talk one on one in private with her prior warden partner. For now, anyway, she was at peace and sleeping soundly.
BOOM! A loud shot of rifle fire chewed through the quiet, morning air and landed harshly on Pet's ears. She yelped a bark at being startled and frantically took cover behind a thick tree branch. Her heart was racing and her body a wreck of nerves. Had they found her? She started searching herself for any wounds, only to find nothing. BOOM! Another shot rang out through the treetops. Birds scattered from their perches as monkeys howled.
Terrence jerked awake and hastily got to his feet with his rifle in hand. "What the-!"
Juan patted his teammate Alex on the back. "Hell yeah, buddy, you got it that time!"
Alex, feeling accomplished with himself, nodded in satisfaction and slung his gun over his shoulder. Through the underbrush, he trekked to where the body of a small monkey laid amongst the leaves. He grabbed it by its long tail and carried it back to the camp. "Like hell, I'm eating another one of those damn MRE's." He sat down in front of the extinguished camp fire's pit and began cleaning his fresh kill.
Terrence lowered his weapon and his head in utter disbelief. Shaking his head, he shuffled over the hill and down to the creek. As soon as his feet touched the creek bed, he knelt down and began splashing his face with the refreshing liquid. Though he wasn't new to going on long hunts and being without a bath or shower in that time, he was also in Kenya during that time and not in a humid jungle. His skin felt sticky and because of, wouldn't mind a quick rinse off. He ran another handful of water of his face as well as through his strawberry blond hair. The sensation was so relaxing that he could easily do this all morning.
A familiar snort behind him got his attention. There was no mistake it was from Pet. He turned around, expecting to find her standing behind him but instead found empty air. First, he saw things, now he heard things? Bushes rustled off to his left, and his head instantly snapped to them. He narrowed his gaze and tiptoed over to the thick shrubbery.
"Pet? Is that you?" No answer. It had to be her or possibly something else. Either way, he whispered in ranting. "Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing? You could get caught!" Another snort. "Get your ass out of here, Pet! I can't protect you if they catch you!"
"I don't need your protection," she snapped back in a growl.
"Oh really? We'll see about that when they catch you, drug you and deliver you to InGen on a silver platter!"
"Who sent them? Was is Hammond?" Pet sounded angry, even if her voice was hushed.
Terrence glanced around to make sure he wasn't being spied on. "No." He shook his head. "I can almost say for certain Hammond had no part in this. It's not his style. I doubt he even knows this nephew, Peter Ludlow, is the one orchestrating this. He's the one who assembled and sent the team, anyway. He wants you alive, preferably, but will take whatever he can get in the assurance that you're dead."
There was a moment's pause. "How do you plan to do that anyway, hmm? Want me to cut off a hand or a foot or something as proof I'm dead?"
Terrence didn't need the teenager's sarcasm at that moment. "Knock it off, Pet. And I'm working on it. I've been working on a plan since realizing you were still alive."
She hissed a snort. Broad leaves swayed where she was hiding, her continuing. "What about Robert? Did he make it?"
"Yeah, yeah he made it."
"What of the others? The kids?" The hybrid went silent a moment, trying to swallow the knot forming in her throat. "Dr. Grant? They're all safe?"
"Yeah, Pet, everyone's safe." Again, Terrence frantically looked around to make sure everything was still clear. "Look, I have to get back to the camp. I'll let you know if I come up with a plan. In the meantime, don't do anything stupid."
Before she could respond, the man was gone and her back to being alone. She snorted in frustration. She hated running; hated hiding. She hated feeling like a damn coward, most of all, but didn't have a choice in the matter. Ever since her creation, InGen had wanted her dead. Had it not been for John Hammond running InGen, she knew she'd already have been dead long before now. Now that he was no longer in control, nothing was keeping her protected. She sunk lower to the ground and tucked herself further beneath the concealment of the plant. Only when she knew the coast was clear would she come out of hiding.
Three hours later, Alex wasn't looking very well. His face was dreadfully pale as heavy beads of sweat streamed down his face. He clutched at his stomach and groaned with each step he took. He was sick, and everyone had a feeling why.
The man choked out, "Hey boss-" but his words were cut off by him falling ill.
The others in the group paused and looked to their sick teammate. Miguel scoffed. "Maybe next time you'll stick to the MRE's, eh?"
Alex shot hate filled sideways glare at the man in between spasms of being sick. Terrence shouldered his rifle. "Alright, men. Let's take a short break while Alex, here, gets the monkey's revenge out of his system."
A few of the men snickered to themselves and spread out to take a seat in the shade at the base of several towering trees. The team leader casually scanned the treetops for a possible sign of Pet but saw nothing. Maybe she was hiding somewhere else.
Terrence looked to Juan seated nearby. "Keep an eye on things. I need to take a piss." Terrence strode away from the team and out of sight of the others. Surely, he was far enough away from the rest of the men that Pet would let him know she was nearby.
Something hitting him in the arm let him know he was right. He went over to an uprooted tree and leaned against it. He knew if he looked in the hollowed-out crater where the roots had been he'd find Pet. As much as he wanted to see her and make sure she was okay, he decided against it. As long as he didn't make eye contact with her or directly lay eyes on her, he could honestly say he didn't see her when on the island. He didn't like lying to anyone and knew at least this way, it was the truth.
Terrence questioned. "You got something?"
"I got a plan," Pet whispered back.
"Great. What is it?"
"Got a compass?"
What kind of a stupid question was that? Of course, he had a compass. Any man out wandering unknown terrain should have a compass. "Yeah. Why?"
"Good. About two miles northeast of here is an access road to a maintenance shed. Roughly three-quarters of a mile northeast of that is the Tyrannosaur Paddock. Go there."
Terrence repeated the directions in his head. "What? You want me to go to the Tyrannosaur Paddock why?" The man blinked in utter disbelief to the request. "That's like walking into a death trap! I remember all those dinosaur TV specials you tortured me with those long days in the warden shack. Unless I'm mistaken, the T-Rex has a damn good sense of smell. That thing will know we're there before we even reach its enclosure!"
"Exactly."
"Exactly, what, Pet?" Terrence growled in question. "I'm trying to help you, and you're trying to kill me!"
Pet could both sense and smell the fear pouring off her once colleague. She smirked and shook her head. "No, not you. You said you remember those TV specials I tortured you with. What else do you remember about them? About the T-Rex?"
Terrence scoffed. "What are you getting at?"
"Its vision is based on movement. You just do your part and get those assholes to the paddock. I'll handle the rest."
"But-" before Terrence could further question the concealed hybrid, he was interrupted by DeAndre.
His piercing dark gaze was slightly unnerving to look in. "Still taking a piss...boss? Who are you talking to?"
Terrence shrugged and did his best to act natural. "I was talking to myself... thinking out loud."
DeAndre didn't look as though he believed what he was being told. "Yeah... okay."
"Why are you out here, anyway?"
DeAndre gave Terrence and up and down scowl. "It's Alex. He isn't doing so good. I think we need to call the chopper back and have him picked up. Otherwise, he's only going to slow us down."
Terrence nodded. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know. I have the satellite phone in my bag. I'll give mainland a call and have them send the chopper out ASAP."
DeAndre nodded and turned, leaving the team leader to himself. Once he was out of site, Terrence continued in a hushed whisper. "Pet, you still there?" No answer. "Pet?" He hesitantly peered into the root hole to find the hybrid gone. He could see where she had been for her distinct footprints couldn't be missed.
