Jurassic Park: The Broken Lives Saga by Dinohunter55
Chapter 17: Into the Night
The sun set as Amanda and Silver Claw followed the road south. The river gurgled beyond the trees. Amanda dared not use a flashlight due to the risk of attracting attention and relied on the faint moonlight and Silver Claw, leaving her nearly blind in comparison to him. She panted as she tried to keep pace with Silver Claw.
The helicopter had circled overhead twice more and then disappeared around the mountain ridge west of the laboratory complex. They were near the southern end of the mountain ridge but could not hear it any more.
Amanda wondered if traveling this late was a mistake. It probably was. She could not see well and if a predator chased them, escaping it would take luck being on her side. A chill down her spine, she really was the weakest member of her pack. She hated it. She fought back tears at the thought that she was putting Silver Claw at risk. The conversation about Silver Claw's father and the human whispered dangerously at the back of her mind.
The road curved west. The rumbling of a large waterfall steadily grew and Amanda guessed it was somewhere to the south. A cloud passed in front of the moon briefly and stole most of her remaining sight.
Silver Claw stopped suddenly and reared up, listening.
"What is it?" Amanda said. She felt the hairs prickle on the back of her neck. Her heart quickened.
Something snarled nearby.
"Who's there?" Silver Claw said.
Amanda's heart pounded in her chest. She still could not see beyond the trees as the moon reappeared. She heard rustling and saw Silver Claw's head turning with each new sound. Several velociraptors surrounded them just at the edge of sight.
"Did you call the helicopter Amanda?" Sara said as she stepped out from the trees. She walked with a threatening poise and challenge in her eyes but also a hint of hurt and betrayal.
"No," Amanda said. She showed her throat in submission. "I promise you that I didn't call it."
"Down," Sara ordered.
Amanda knelt down. Silver Claw lowered himself beside her.
Sara loomed over Amanda. The other velociraptors emerged from the darkness. Amanda saw Sunayana, Loki, and two other she did not recognize. One was an older male, she guess it was Grey, one of the other firstborn. The other was a noticeably smaller, young female that looked similar to Sunayana and Sara. She guessed it was Zathana, the sibling to Sunayana and Loki. It was hard to tell in the dark and the fact she had no introduction to either did not help.
Sara lowered her head and sniffed at Amanda, knocking her head from one side to the other. She ducked until she was face to face with Amanda, nearly touching snout to nose. "Did you call the helicopter?" There was an unmistakable threat behind the question.
Amanda looked Sara in the eyes, seeing the large pupil's contract slightly in the faint light reaching them. She forced herself to keep looking, despite the potential challenge. "Sara, I promise you on my life that I did not call that helicopter."
Sara met her gaze until Amanda finally relented and broke contact. Only then, did Sara relax and step back. "I believe you Amanda."
Tension melted from Amanda's body and she gave a shuddering breath.
"Then why is she out here in the dark," the older male said. He had a natural growl to every word that felt like equivalent to a human with a deep, rough voice.
"I have the same question," Sara said. She noticeably relaxed.
The rest of the velociraptors relaxed and lowered their claws.
"We followed the helicopter," Silver Claw said. "We wanted to know what they are doing."
"Get up little one," Sara said, "You too Amanda."
Amanda slowly got up and rested a hand on Silver Claw to ease her trembling nerves. An instinctual part of Amanda's very core rebelled against the nearness of so many dangerous predators. It had eased around Silver Claw but the pack would take significantly longer, if ever.
"What were you going to do if the helicopter landed?" Sunayana asked as she circled around to stand beside Sara.
Silver Claw remained silent. Amanda realized that he did not think it through that far and neither did she.
"I-I would find out why they are on the island and try to convince them to leave." Amanda said. That seemed like the truth of what she would do if they found other humans on the island.
"And what if they refused?" Sara said. She cocked her head. "What would you do then?"
Amanda felt a pang of dread well up inside her. This was a probably a further test by Sara. She had to answer truthfully regardless. Sara would likely perceive any deception. "I don't know, but I wouldn't let them know about Silver Claw if I can help it."
"Why not," Sara asked.
"If they're armed," Amanda said, "I wouldn't want his life at risk. They're unlikely to shoot me since I'm human and a woman but they would shoot a velociraptor on sight."
"I see," Sara said.
"Do you know where they went?" Amanda asked.
"Around the mountain," Sara looked off into the distance. "I suspect they landed somewhere on the other side of the ridge."
"Are you going to join us in finding them?" Amanda asked.
"Amanda," Sara eyes turned on her with a stern look. "What do you think will happen when we find the humans?"
"I'll talk to them and try to get them to leave." Amanda said quickly despite knowing deep in her gut that was not what Sara would want to hear.
"You would protect them?" Sara hissed.
Amanda felt a knot twisted deep in her guts. Sara was not going to let the humans live. "No, I'm protecting Silver Claw and all of you. If they have guns, I might be able to convince them to leave without putting all of you at risk."
"And if they won't leave?" Sara took a step forward and cocked her head. "What if they're unarmed and still refuse?"
Amanda met Sara's eyes for a moment. She bit back the tears. "You'll do what you must." A chill ran down her spine with the uttering of those few words. She did not want to see anyone killed, the very thought filled her with a deep dread. She realized just how torn she was between her old life and her new life. It made her queasy.
Sara scrutinized Amanda for several long quiet seconds that felt like they would stretch on into eternity. "Very well, I will give you this opportunity to try. But know that I will not hesitate to kill them all."
"I understand," Amanda said. Her voice cracked a little.
"We should kill them all," the young female hissed.
A stern look from Sara silenced the young velociraptor.
"Easy on the young one Sara," the older male said. "She has never been shot at before. She has never experienced the firsthand realization that a human with a gun can reach out and harm you without you even being able to retaliate. We know what it's like." The male circled the group. Amanda saw several round scars on his flank that caught dimly in the moonlight. "Zathana is just eager to prove herself to you, like Sunayana and Loki have already done."
"I know Grey," Sara said. A tension Amanda did not see until it was gone eased in Sara. "We need to go now. Stick close and move quietly."
Amanda followed the pack into the jungle towards the mountain ridge. Disorientation set in quickly in the dense, dark undergrowth. Amanda could hardly see beyond a few meters and moved with the grace of a clumsy child as she tried to keep pace with their speed. She lost sight of the group though Silver Claw remained close to her. She nearly ran into Loki as she passed through a bush.
The group had stopped where a shaft of pale moonlight broke through the canopy. The light caught in their eyes and gave them all frightening and otherworldly aspect.
"I don't know how the human has survived this long," Zathana said, clearly frustrated.
"She does not see as well as us during the night," Sunayana said. It sounded like she was defending Amanda but it was hard to tell.
"I'm sorry," Amanda said. "I'll try harder to be quiet. It's difficult to keep up with you and see where I'm going at this pace."
"Amanda," Sara started.
Silver Claw cut in, "I'll carry you Amanda." He nuzzled her cheek. It eased the fear, only a little, about what Sara was about to say.
Sara looked Silver Claw over.
"She is light enough," Silver Claw said. "We will be able to move faster and quietly."
"I don't want you drained of strength when we reach the humans," Sara said, "Or lacking speed should we run into something in this jungle."
"I won't be," Silver Claw said. He gestured for Amanda to climb on his back.
"Are you sure?" Amanda asked.
Silver Claw nodded.
Amanda climbed onto Silver Claw's back. She tried a sitting position like the one she used when in the saddle of a horse but quickly realized that it was causing them both difficulties. She switched to a laying position, wrapping her arms around his chest in front of his arms and letting her feet hook over his tail. It was comfortable enough and balanced her weight along his length.
"This'll work," Silver Claw said.
Sara eyed him. "Don't risk yourself."
Amanda felt a pang of guilt.
"I won't," Silver Claw said.
The group started again but this time moved with greater speed. Amanda buried her face in the back of Silver Claw's neck to protect from the lashing branched. They did move faster and quieter. The jungle rushed by and the only sounds were that of buzzing insects and the odd startled small animal.
"I'm sorry," Amanda whispered in English. "I shouldn't have come out this late."
Silver Claw slowed his speed so that they were just far enough behind to be out of hearing. "I'm at fault just as much as you," Silver Claw whispered. He kept his eyes on the trail ahead as it sloped steadily higher. His breathing grew heavy with the effort. "I forgot just how little you can see in the dark. It's too late to turn back now."
"I don't want to be a burden," Amanda said. She meant it.
"If you're a burden," Silver Claw glanced back and flashed his teeth, "You are a burden I willingly choose to carry and would again."
Tears wet Amanda's cheek and she squeezed his chest a little tighter. She found no words to say and so stayed silent. Silver Claw picked up the pace to rejoin the group and Amanda felt his heart thundering. She smiled a little a buried her face against his neck.
The pack found the encampment at last after a distant shout alerted them to its direction. It lay in the small sheltered valley east of a small lake. The terrain was rocky and densely wooded. It was a good place to avoid large predators but the velociraptors had no issues navigating the landscape.
When they found a suitable lookout over the camp, Silver Claw let Amanda down. She stifled a yawn. It was just past midnight.
The helicopter had set down in a small glade near a rocky outcrop. Five men, their skin ranging from black to deep brown busied themselves setting up several tents. A large fire burned in a cleared patch of earth. Three other men, two white and the third deeply bronzed, conversed beside the helicopter.
"What are they doing?" Zathana hissed.
"They're setting up camp," Amanda said. She pointed at two of the three men talking near the helicopter. "They're armed." She squinted. "They look like they have hunting rifles but I can't be sure. I think I see some more guns with their supplies."
Silver Claw watched the men, one of which kept touching a lit stick to his lips and then breathing out smoke. It was a cigarette, he realized, and the hint of craving brushed his mind. As he looked at the two men with guns, he felt that uncanny feeling of knowledge but not as strong as it was with other objects, only a surface skimming. They were dangerous. He knew that even without Amanda pointing it out. More details were lost to him however.
"We should attack them now, while they're distracted." Zathana hissed eagerly.
"I'll head down and tell them to leave before they're done setting up," Amanda said quickly.
"No," Sara said. She looked first to her daughter and then to Amanda. "Both of you will remain here and keep low." Sara settled down into a patch of ferns with her gaze on the humans. "They are already nervous and that makes them more dangerous."
Silver Claw settled down just as Sara had done and Amanda joined him, arm resting on his back. He felt the nervous tremors through her arm. He nuzzled her to ease them a little but it did not help. The pack rested with eyes keen on the humans below.
"If you were to go down now," Sara said softly. "I doubt that they would react kindly to you Amanda. They are on edge. Your sight may not be as good as mine is in this darkness but even you must see that."
Silver Claw watched Amanda lean forward for a better view. She swallowed nervously.
"I see it," Amanda said after a while. "The workers are jumping at every noise. Something spooked them."
"I will give you your chance to send them off but we will wait until morning when they are less fearful." Sara said. She glanced at Zathana before she could say anything. "If they refuse, we will wait until nightfall tomorrow and end this while they sleep."
"They will have guards posted if they're smart," Amanda said.
"Yes," Sara allowed. "They will, but they are just as blind as you in the dark and we can be deathly silent when needed. The woods are thick and the grass is long here. This will also provide us an opportunity. You and Silver Claw both understand them. I would like to know why they have come here and if there will be more of them. If the humans are returning to claim the island as their territory again, I would have that answer before they attempt it." Sara paused for a while. "I do not think you will convince them to leave but I will let you try. However, do not put your life at risk unnecessarily Amanda."
"Thank you Sara," Amanda said, "I won't." Her gaze fell to the dirt by her legs and she picked at the leaves.
"Get some rest, sleep if you can." Sara said to everyone. "It will be an early morning and a longer day."
The rest of the pack relaxed while Loki took first watch. Zathana stared down at the humans for a long while before she curled up to sleep.
Silver Claw watched the pack and the humans. Amanda took a while to get comfortable and was only able to settle once Silver Claw rolled to allow her to rest her head against his belly. She settled into an uneasy sleep, twitching occasionally and mumbling words he only caught in parts. She switched between English and velociraptor frequently but favored his language these days. He found that endearing.
He could not sleep however. Something weighed on his mind. If they were going to kill the humans, could he do it? Before meeting Amanda, he would have done it easily. Now? How would Amanda react? Would she distance herself from him after? Would it damage their bond? Could she cope with the deaths of her own kind if she is unable to prevent it? Ellie was gone and Amanda seemed desperate to prevent any further death. She could not prevent them all no matter how hard she tried. She could not have prevented Ellie's death. Yet she blamed herself.
Silver Claw looked at Amanda and then nuzzled some hair away from her face. Her soft skin caught in the pale moon light. He breathed softly to avoid waking her as licked a bit of grim from her otherwise unblemished face. He cared for her deeply and wondered if she felt the same. The question he wanted to ask her toyed with his heart but he could not give voice to it just yet. It was a question that grew quickly in his mind over the past few days. He was scared to utter it for the impossibility of such a thing happening.
He felt eyes on him and met Sara's gaze. Sunayana lay with her tail near her face but an eye peered out at him from behind it. He felt their judgement but it lacked condemnation. Zathana and Grey were soundly asleep. Loki fixated on the humans and moved to a better position further away from the group to watch them from a higher elevation. He paid the pack no mind but kept an eye on the surrounding jungle when it was not on the humans.
A look of resigned acceptance fell over Sara. "You are too much like your father," she said softly as to not wake the others or catch Loki's ear.
Sunayana turned her head so both eyes were on Silver Claw. "I did say I thought there was more to them than we initial suspected."
"I hoped you were wrong Sunayana," Sara said. "Have you told Amanda yet?"
Silver Claw hesitated for a long while but eventually shook his head slowly. He already admitted part of what he felt to Sara and Jack. It was no surprise that Sara told Sunayana.
"Not sure she feels the same way?" Sunayana asked softly.
Amanda stirred and rolled over. She was still asleep, of that he was sure. Silver Claw eyed Sunayana.
Sara looked between the two. "I've told Sunayana much. Do not be upset with her little one," Sara said softly. "I've shared more with her than I've told you, more so in recent days due to these… events. If she will lead this pack one day, I would not have her in the dark about these matters." Sara let out a long, slow breath and closed her eyes for a few moments.
"I've suspected for a while anyway," Sunayana said. "The way you two talk about each other, it is hard to feel there isn't something more behind the words. Though I doubted myself until recently when Mom filled in the missing details." Sunayana quietly rose and moved closer to Sara and Silver Claw before settling down silently. "Mom told me about your father and I listened to most of the conversation she had with Amanda earlier today."
"I haven't told him yet for good reasons," Sara said. For once, her eyes could not meet Silver Claw's own.
"Told me what?" Silver Claw cocked his head. He eyed Amanda.
"I told Amanda not to say anything to you," Sara said.
"She didn't tell me about your conversation," Silver Claw said, "Only that you wanted to check up on her."
"She listens well it seems," Sunayana said. "She may yet be welcome within our pack."
Silver Claw's eyes fixed on Sunayana. "She may be welcomed?" His heart leapt a little. He struggled to keep his breathing calm to avoid disturbing Amanda.
"She may," Sara allowed. "Once I knew for sure that you would not leave her and that she would not leave you, I started watching her closely and had Sunayana keep an eye as well when I had other duties. Jack does not feel it would be right, given the internal strife she has caused in the pack, but he is not as firm on the stance as he once was. Sunayana has been very convincing to give her a chance at least. Her word has swayed some of the others to tolerate it. If nothing else, her presence alone would free another of the pack to participate in the hunts. Amanda lacks the strength and speed of a velociraptor but we see some potential to explore, though certainly not in the dark." Sara flashed her teeth. "That is if she can overcome her anger with Talon and Rebecca. She would likely be stuck working with one or both of them for a while given that their current punishment will continue into the foreseeable future."
Silver Claw's heart quickened. He looked at Amanda. "I know she can overcome it. She wants to learn to hunt and do the other tasks a velociraptor does for a pack. She does not want to be a burden but wants to contribute to our pack. I was going to teach her to hunt in the morning. She asked me to teach her right before the helicopter flew over."
"That's a start." Sara said thoughtfully. "When we have some time in the coming days, we can discuss the pack situation more, maybe with Amanda though I expect it will take more time before the pack allows her near the nest, and I will tell you more about your father. But for now, rest and try to get some sleep." She nuzzled Sunayana. "You too, Loki will wake Grey in an hour and then you will take the watch after him."
"One thing, please," Silver Claw said.
Sara looked at Silver Claw.
"Why do you think I'm too much like my father?" Silver Claw asked, expecting no answer.
Sara drew in a long, slow breath. Her eyes darted between Silver Claw, Amanda, and Sunayana. Reluctance played across her features but she spoke after a minute. "We will discuss it properly later."
Silver Claw let his disappointment show.
"Your father loved a human once." Sara would say no more.