Jurassic Park: The Broken Lives Saga by Dinohunter55
Chapter 24: A Race Against Time
Tyrannous looked over the valley of steaming pools, gushing geysers, and dead trees. A trail of scents led him up the mountainside from the valley. All of them were old and hard to follow. In this place, where the sulfuric stench permeated the air, the trail was lost. He tapped his claws on the bare rock.
It would be dark soon and he did not want to be in this valley during the night. His pack avoided it and never claimed it. The water was not safe to drink but predators frequented it as prey often became trapped since the narrow ravine to the south was the only way in or out for larger creatures.
It would make sense if his prey were in the valley. Tyrannous always avoided it, even while searching. He snarled and set about the tricky climb down.
Silver Claw stirred. His body ached everywhere and his mind swam with fevered thoughts. A female velociraptor lay beside him.
"Amanda," Silver Claw tried to say but it came out as a hoarse wheeze, "Amanda."
His head lulled but he managed to get swing it towards the velociraptor. He tried to nuzzle her but lacked the strength.
"Amanda," Silver Claw croaked. His tongue felt thick and slow in his mouth. Sticky saliva oozed over his lips and drooled in long strings.
"Amanda's not here right now," the female velociraptor said.
That was wrong. Amanda was right beside him. Of course, he realized, she was just playing games with him. That was all. His lips trembled as he tried to show his amusement.
He was tired.
"Amanda will be back soon," the voice said. It was coming from beside him, from the velociraptor. It was Amanda, he was sure of that, but the voice was not right and it was full of sorrow. That confused him.
He was too tired. He needed to rest. The immense weight of his eyelids drew them down. He managed to lean his head against the velociraptor's chest. Her heart sang its rapid lullaby and he drifted further towards sleep.
"Amanda, I-I…" Silver Claw coughed up thick mucus. "Amanda, will you…" His mind slipped into darkness.
The rumble of a vehicle passed the group before they reached the road and it was already out of sight when the pack cleared the jungle. They took the northern route around the lake. Even when the rocky terrain forced Amanda to travel on foot for most of the journey, it was faster than the route south. They avoided the large herds of dinosaurs and potential predators waiting in ambush. Still, they were too late.
Jack snarled.
The pack split into three to head off the humans before crossing the river. Loki and Zathana traveled to the laboratory complex to catch the four men before they fixed the vehicle. They failed to stop them and the men were heading for the harbor along the road. Fang, Elise, and Blaze traveled south to the airstrip. Their success or failure was unknown yet.
"We still have time," Amanda said. "Who knows what condition the boat is going to be in when they get there?"
Jack looked at her but said nothing. He started to move.
Amanda quickly climbed on Talon's back and he started running. He carried her surprising well and seemed less fatigued overall. The short break was enough for him at the moment.
The pack moved quickly on the road. Grey took the lead so he could set the pace with his injury, though it slowed him little, while Sunayana, Talon, and Amanda were in the middle. Jack fell back to guard the rear. Amanda had a feeling it was so that he could see everything and everyone. It made Amanda nervous. Her back still ached where his claw pieced her. It was only a surface wound but she would need to make sure it was clean later.
"Have you ever gone to the harbor?" Amanda asked.
"Not recently," Sunayana said, "But Talon has I think."
"It was a long time ago too," Talon said.
"Did you see any boats?" Amanda said.
Sunayana shook her head.
"I don't know," Talon said. "There are a lot of things there. I did not care to pay attention."
Amanda had the feeling that he would not offer more detail.
The journey continued. They reached the cliff and saw the vehicle disappear around the bend at the far end. It was not going as fast as it could Amanda realized. She wondered why that was. As they passed the gate baring the cave, Amanda swore she saw eyes lurking in the dark but they passed by too quickly for her to be sure. She was not about to ask to go back either and decided it was her imagination.
They stayed on the road to move faster instead of cutting through the jungle. At the crossroads, they headed down the long valley towards the harbor. The undergrowth grew thick among the trees and sprouts filled the broad clear-cut shoulders. In a few years, the road might be lost to the jungle but for now, they had a clear view.
Talon slowed little by little. The extra weight caught up with him finally. His breathing grew heavier but he kept moving without complaint. She would owe Talon a lot after this.
The sound of the vehicle accelerating ahead drew Amanda's attention forward. She could not see it but they were close. The velociraptors pushed harder.
Amanda's heart quickened. She would need to get the antidote from either Lance or Diego. She knew where Diego kept it but not where Lance did. She did not know what it looked like or how to give it either. She might need to force the information out of them. The idea made her sick. The velociraptors would certainly enjoy it if it came to that.
Another crossroads lay ahead. She tried to focus on the signs. The velociraptors knew where they were going and went to the right. She caught a glimpse of the text under the vegetation, Marine Research Complex. The image of an aquatic monster on the sign terrified her. She did not see any marine animals in the dinosaur list but she did not see the pteranodons either. She found their information later. What else was on this island?
The road ran nearly straight as it climbed a small rise through a narrow pass between two mountain peaks. The velociraptors slowed. Amanda considered hoping off Talon but they soon reached the top and picked up speed again on the downhill.
"We are almost there," Grey said.
Amanda looked ahead, yet another crossroad. How many intersections were on this island? A large sign, unobstructed by the jungle's reclamation, sat at the intersection. The harbor lay to the left. To the right, an arrow pointed in the direction of the holding pens and livestock pens.
The velociraptors turned left.
A heavy fence surrounded the harbor with thick steel bars and a double row of the large, dinosaur-size barbed wire. A massive gate stretched the full height of the fence with its doors closed. Beyond, several large warehouses lay to the north and a large area of cleared ground lay to the south where masses of equipment stood ready but rusting.
Amanda caught the glint of something along the fence and then the flash happened before she could say anything.
Grey howled as he lost his footing and slammed hard into the ground.
Talon swerved to dodge Grey but came to a sudden stop right after. Amanda lost her grip on Talon and hurtled to the ground in front of the group.
"Dad," Talon cried as he raced to help Grey.
Further shots rang out from the fence and the dirt beside Amanda burst into the air. She scrambled to get out of the gunfire as the pack scattered, leaving her alone in the open. Her heart racing, Amanda dove desperately for the closest cover beside the road. A small rock pile, barely larger than she was lying flat, sat beside the road.
Amanda shook behind the stones. Her heart raced to the point of aching and breathing grew difficult. Everything was wrong. She should not be here. She should not be in this situation. She should not be on this island. Her life was back in the big city. She wanted to go home. She wanted her family. She wanted her friend back.
Every supressed emotion boiled to the surface and overwhelmed her. She pulled at her loose collar; it was choking her. Her own weight crushed her chest as she desperately tried to flatten herself behind the stones. A wave of nausea swept through her as sweat drenched her trembling body. Still, her breathing quickened.
A bullet snapped next to her head as it ricocheted off a rock and peppered her with face with debris.
She was going to die! She was going to die! SHE WAS GOING TO DIE!
Amanda wanted to scream but the world closed in on her. But… She… Silver Claw… The world slipped away as she passed out.