Jurassic Park: The Broken Lives Saga by Dinohunter55
Chapter 15: End of Innocence
Silver Claw raced ahead of Jack and Sara when he heard the screams. His heart hammered and he broke from the jungle in a reckless sprint. Silence. The screams were gone. The spinosaurus was gone.
"Amanda!" Silver Claw called out, "Ellie?"
There was no response. Silver Claw raced towards the garage and looked inside the open door. He smelled Ellie and the hint of a velociraptor. He saw a trial in the grass and followed it until smelled the blood. Silver Claw slowed to a walk as he neared the bridge. Bright crimson marred the concrete.
Silver Claw trembled. "Amanda?"
He heard the soft sob and turned his head. Amanda knelt in a doorway. He rushed to her and checked her for wounds. He found none. "Where's Ellie?"
Amanda stared off into space until his snout brushed her cheek. She twitched. "Ellie, Ellie," Amanda repeated.
"Yes," Silver Claw whimpered. "Where's Ellie?"
Silver Claw heard Jack and Sara come to a stop behind him. He did not bother to look at them.
"Ellie's gone," Amanda whispered with a cracking voice. "She's gone."
Fresh tears streaked Amanda's face as she looked into Silver Claw's eyes. She lunged and dragged him to the ground as an uncontrolled sob took hold of her. Silver Claw curled around her as best as he could. Amanda buried her face in his neck.
"What happened Amanda?" Sara asked.
Amanda looked up at Sara. "The spinosaurus took her. I should have got her sooner. I fixed the radio for her. I…"
Silver Claw saw the hint of grief and unease flash across both of the velociraptors. Silver Claw curled a little tighter around Amanda when he saw two velociraptors emerge from the jungle. He knew them immediately.
Jack followed his gaze. "Talon? Rebecca? What are you doing here? You were supposed to watch the nests."
Both of the velociraptors hung their heads guiltily but said nothing as they approached. Rebecca limped noticeably.
Silver Claw felt Amanda pull away as Talon and Rebecca stopped near Jack and Sara. He let her go.
"I'll tell you what they were fucking doing." Amanda was in a fury and slipped between human and velociraptor speech. Her body trembled. "They chased Ellie into the spinosaurus!"
"The human deserved it," Talon snarled but cowered under Jack and Sara's combined wrath.
"You fucking MONSTER!" Amanda screamed and lunged.
The action caught all by surprise and Amanda slammed into Talon. He yelped and recoiled. Amanda hooked his neck and was on his back before he reacted. She sank her teeth into him and he shrieked.
"Get off me," Talon bucked under her. He tried to claw her but Amanda's legs kicked into his arms and sent his swipes wide.
Before Silver Claw could act, Jack rushed forward and grabbed Talon by the throat, driving him into the ground. Sara was beside him and grabbed Amanda by the shirt, dragging her kicking and screaming from Talon's back.
"Don't kill him," Rebecca howled, "Please."
Talon lay completely still but alive. His breaths came hard and fast as he whimpered and choked under Jack's rage.
Silver Claw rushed to Amanda, taking a few swings before she calmed down enough to realize he was not Talon. She grabbed hold of him and sobbed.
Sara circled around to Rebecca and stared her down until Rebecca lay on the ground by Talon.
Jack released Talon's throat. Fresh blood coated his white fangs. "I ordered you to watch the nests and you disobeyed me. I ordered you to leave the humans alone and you disobeyed me!" Jack snarled and placed a sickle claw on Talon's throat.
Rebecca howled but fell silent as Sara did the same to her.
Jack leaned down and licked the blood from his teeth. "This is the last time you disobey me Talon." Jack snarled, the claw pressed into flesh and drew a red bead. "You and your mate will remain on nest duty until I decide otherwise. If something has happened to the eggs in your absence then I will kill you both on the spot. Am I clear?"
Talon whimpered but nodded.
Jack snapped his jaws shut over Talon's snout. Talon thrashed in pain but dared not to fight back, only uttering a muffled scream. Jack released him. "Get out of my sight."
Talon stood, snout bloodied, and rushed away as soon as Rebecca joined him. They did not cross the bridge but instead followed the river south.
When they were out of hearing, Sara spoke. "That may have been too harsh on him. I would rather they not resent us despite how foolish they were in this."
"He will listen from now on," Jack took a deep breath and growled. He looked to Silver Claw. "You may stay longer in our territory for what they have done. It will not bring back your friend but I will give you time enough to mourn her loss. The pack will stay away from you or suffer my wrath. I am sorry about this incident Amanda."
Amanda dug her fingers into Silver Claw and buried her face deeper in Silver Claw's neck.
"Thank you Jack," Silver Claw said.
Jack nodded and walked away.
Sara lingered a while longer. "I'm sorry too little one. I will consider your words from the cave. Your father would have understood better than either of us can. Though we do not approve, I am starting to understand."
Silver Claw nodded and then Sara left him and Amanda alone.
Amanda sat by herself in the watchtower and stared at the night sky. She knew Silver Claw was watching her from the ground nearby though she could not see him among the trees. He had refused to leave her side since Ellie's loss three days before. This was the first moments alone she had since then.
The tears were gone and only a hollow void remained in their place. Amanda flicked the switch on the radio to power it and then flicked it back off. She was tired. She wanted peace again. More importantly, she wanted her friend back.
Amanda blamed herself for Ellie's death more than she did the velociraptors or even the spinosaurus. If Amanda called Ellie over sooner, she would be alive. But no, she wanted the situation to linger for just that much longer. She did not want to lose her friend so soon and now she lost her forever.
She switched on the radio. The static hissed. She tried to lie to herself. The radio probably only had a limited range due to the small power source. She saw the various channels she could broadcast over marked in the book. Each one tuned to a different location she knew from the map.
One was marked emergency. She dialed in the radio and listened. The static hissed.
Amanda closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She depressed the button to speak.
"My name is Amanda Glendale." Amanda paused as the next words caught in her throat, "Over a month ago though probably more, I've lost track of the time, a monster attacked my yacht. I survived along with one other, my friend Ellie Evenfall. She is gone now. I am… I feel alone. Stay away from Isla Sorna if you value your life. I am the sole…" Amanda choked back a sob. "There are no survivors. Do not search for me, I am already dead."
Amanda released the button and sobbed. She made her choice.
The radio hissed and a man's voice started to speak. Amanda turned off the radio and laid her head on the desk.
Silver Claw found her a while later and soon she curled up beside him under the faint starlight. The red light of the radio faded to black.