“Be in heaven later,” Damon scoffed then looked around, carefully checking the dark corners. “I can’t believe we haven’t found anyone.”
Holt eyed several titles on the shelves as they passed. “Judging by all of the blood we’ve found, I don’t think we’re going to either,” he remarked.
“Bundy has to be alive,” Damon remarked. “He’s about as crafty as they come.”
Holt suddenly stopped and eyed Damon with a curious look on his face. “Is this the same scene you found when you arrived on the ship?”
“Unfortunately, yes, but I don’t understand why we haven’t seen any creatures in all these years,” he remarked while shaking his head. “Did they find a nice spot to hibernate for the last eight years?”
“Since no bodies were found, it’s possible they took them to their nesting spot and fed off them then hibernated,” Holt informed him. “Another scenario could be cannibalism. Like a queen bee. They bring her a nest full of food, and she kills them.”
“That’s gratitude, huh?”
“Nature can be cruel,” Holt announced with a defeated sigh.
They heard a low gurgle instantly forcing both men to freeze in their tracks. They uncertainly looked around the nearby shelves. A creature lurked on top of the bookcase not far from them, staring at them while flashing its sharp teeth.
“Oh, shit,” Damon gasped.
“Don’t move,” Holt whispered. “It’ll leap on you before you can get out of its path.”
Damon clutched his machete without taking his eyes off the creature. “Don’t move?” he gasped in a whisper. “Will standing here do any good?”
“From what I’ve observed with Monster, don’t look it in the eyes,” he informed him. “You don’t want to show aggression.”
“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Damon muttered without moving and finally took his eyes off the creature to glare at Holt. “It wants us dead.”
“I can’t defeat it by hand or with my pole,” Holt firmly insisted. “Alex play fights Monster, and she’s never won.”
Neither man moved and kept from making eye contact. The creature crawled down the bookcase and approached Holt. Holt remained still. The creature sniffed him and snorted then moved away from Holt to check out Damon. Damon remained still and avoided eye contact. The creature rose to its hind legs and stood taller than Damon. Damon tensed and clutched his machete.
“Don’t--” Holt scolded under his breath.
The creature bared its sharp teeth and hissed in a chilling manner. Damon thrust his machete for the creature. It whipped its tail for Damon, knocking him to the floor. The creature was about to leap on Damon when Monster dropped down between them and roared. Damon rolled out of the creature’s path. Monster and the creature lunged for each other, rolled across the floor, and crashed into the bookcase near Holt. Holt leaped out of the way and joined Damon.
“That’s Monster,” Holt gasped while watching the creature. “Please tell me Alex--”
“Are you okay?” Alex called out to them from across the room.
Bundy was directly behind her as she approached them. Holt stared at her with horror and possible anger.
“Damn it, Alex--” Holt cried out.
“We need to get out of here,” Damon shouted.
They heard a sharp wail and looked at the fighting creatures. Monster moved away from the dead creature and ran to Holt. Holt cried out as Monster leaped on him and tackled him to the floor. Monster licked his face then jumped off him.
Holt groaned and slowly stood while gingerly rubbing his sore body. He looked at Alex and turned angry.
“You were supposed to stay outside,” Holt lashed out at her.
“That’s the fifth one he’s killed,” she informed him while completely ignoring the comment. “There’s no telling how many of them are running around this place. We should leave.”
Damon and Bundy exchanged manly hugs, happy the other was alive.
“What’s to stop them from following us?” Bundy questioned.
“We need to destroy them,” Holt insisted.
“How? We couldn’t even fight off one without Monster,” Damon demanded and daringly raised his brows. “If he’s out numbered, he won’t survive either.”
“Most of them must be female,” Alex informed them. “The females kill the males after mating.”
“How do you--?” Damon began.
“Did Monster breed with one?” Holt interrupted with a look of surprise.
“Yeah, and then she immediately tried to kill him,” Alex replied.
“It could be they come out to breed, collect food, and then go into hiding to lay their eggs,” Holt remarked while sinking into thought.
“Who said anything about eggs?” Damon suddenly demanded.
“I did--just now. I assure you; they come from eggs,” Holt informed him. “One must kill the others and take control of the nest. If we can find that nest, we can destroy it.”
“Do you honestly think they’ll let us near it?” Damon demanded while shaking his head in disbelief.
“We need to figure out their gestation cycle. If I’m correct, they’ll only be active for a few days then return to the nest,” Holt informed them. “Once there, the others will be killed leaving just one. The nest will be in a confined space. We can make some Molotov cocktails and burn them.”
“That sounds just crazy enough to work,” Bundy remarked as a strange, tiny grin crossed his face.
Damon shook his head at his friend. “You’re just itching to blow up something, aren’t you?” He then looked at Holt. “Supposing you’re right; how do we know when their rampage ends and they return to the nest?” Damon asked.
“I need to dissect one,” Holt announced then indicated the dead creature. “That one will do. Where’s the infirmary?”
Chapter Thirty-nine
Alex joined Damon and Bundy in the infirmary, which was little more than a glorified nurse’s office with some added medical supplies and machines that more than likely didn’t work. They watched Holt dissect the large creature on the metal table. He already had the creature spread open, exposing all its internal organs. All three cringed while watching Holt up to his elbows in entrails. Monster hung from the nearby wall and watched with great interest. Holt seemed to be enjoying his exploratory surgery a little too much. He now looked more like a mad scientist than an archeologist.
Bundy eyed Damon several times before finally speaking. “So exactly when did you intend to tell me about your girlfriend?”
Damon didn’t bother looking at him. “Never.”
“Some friend you are.”
“I didn’t want to kill you if you drooled over her,” Damon snarled.
“Hey, I’ve never tried to steal a girl from you,” Bundy announced defensively.
“You’re right, you didn’t,” Damon remarked. “You also never let me get to them first.”
Alex moved closer to them while listening in on their conversation. “Are you two talking about me?”
“Just guy talk,” Damon informed her.
“He’s afraid I might woo you away from him,” Bundy teased.
“I’m not looking to trade-in Damon,” she casually informed him. “Holt is starting to warm up to him, and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t like you at all. You talk too much.”
Damon grinned. “See, she’s keeping me.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Bundy scoffed.
“Apart from him being very handsome,” she announced boldly, “I’m told there’s a fifty percent chance I could be pregnant.”
Damon and Bundy looked at Alex with shared surprise by the announcement.
“He told you that?” Damon gasped.
“Yeah, he’s not particularly happy with you, but I did hear him humming “Rock-a-by-baby”,” she teased.
“How many mangos is that in child support?” Bundy joked with Damon.
Damon smacked Bundy on the shoulder, causing his friend to flinch
and gingerly rub his arm.
“Owe, that hurt.”
Damon stared at Alex with some surprise. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Fifty percent isn’t yes or no,” she informed him then appeared curious. “Are you upset?”
“No, of course I’m not upset,” he assured her. “I’m sure Holt could read a book and have childbirth down to a science in one night. I just don’t want any complications that we can’t handle.”
Bundy snickered while mocking his friend. “Damon’s gonna be a daddy.”
Damon backhanded Bundy in the groin with just enough force to make him gasp.
“She’s right,” Bundy gasped while gingerly rubbing his crotch. “I do talk too much.”
“Amazing!” Holt suddenly cried out.
All three approached Holt and the dissected creature on the table.
“She’s already carrying developed eggs,” Holt proclaimed. “They’ve grown very fast.”
“Does that help us?” Damon asked.
“Absolutely,” Holt announced cheerfully. “They’re probably going to return to their nest within twenty-four hours. If I’m correct, within thirty-six hours, there should only be one female left.”
“How will we find the nest?” Damon asked.
“Monster will find it,” Holt insisted. “Decaying bodies, creature eggs, and a female? He’ll be able to locate that nest with no problem.”
“So we just hole up here until tomorrow evening?” Bundy asked then turned enthusiastic. “I’m all for that.” He then eyed Monster. “How long can he go before we become appetizing to him?”
“Monster isn’t a meat eater,” Alex insisted.
“His sisters apparently are,” Bundy muttered.
§
The following day, the kitchen appeared quiet and empty, although there was blood covering the floor and the walls. The dead creature and all the human remains were gone, leaving little more than blood strewn everywhere. It was a gruesome scene not unlike the one Damon discovered when he arrived on the boat and found the prison abandoned years ago. Damon made an announcement over the intercom instructing everyone to gather in the kitchen. Alex remained in a far corner with Monster while waiting for the survivors. Holt, Damon, and Bundy stayed near the kitchen entrance, eager to see who had survived the attack. To their surprise, Miller and Tyler, who had been hiding in the pantry, were the only survivors.
“Is this all of us?” Damon asked with surprise.
Miller and Tyler kept close watch on Monster in the corner where he happily ate mangoes next to Alex. Despite being reassured he was safe, they remained cautious.
“Everyone else is dead,” Miller finally informed them. “You’re sure the threat has been neutralized?”
“More like dormant,” Holt remarked. “There’s a small matter of containment.”
“Containment?” Tyler questioned with concern. “What does that mean?”
“If Holt is correct,” Damon announced, “in three days’ time, the alpha female will kill all the creatures. She’ll protect hundreds of eggs capable of bringing about more creatures when conditions are right.”
“So why haven’t we seen these things before?” Miller asked.
“Conditions weren’t right,” Holt replied. “The eggs remain dormant for years. Apparently, the environment was right for hatching the eggs just as it had been the year you arrived and found the prison abandoned.”
“How was it possible we didn’t have this sort of outbreak six years ago?” Alex asked. “Was Monster the only egg to hatch?”
“Monster was possibly washed out of the nesting ground where his egg found the right environment to hatch,” Holt replied. “That’s my best guess.”
“So what do we do?” Tyler asked.
“We find the nest and destroy the eggs,” Damon informed him.
Chapter Forty
Three days later. Alex, Damon, and Holt followed Monster into the basement, while Bundy and the remaining two men toted homemade explosives behind them. The basement was a large area of organized clutter. Surprisingly, the basement looked better than most of the prison areas.
“I’ve been down here,” Damon insisted. “I would have seen eggs or a nest.”
Monster stopped by the back wall near the storage area. There was a small opening close to the floor that was barely noticeable. Damon stared at the small opening, surprised a creature could even fit through there.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,” Damon gasped. “There’s no telling what’s beyond that.”
“Seriously, we can’t go through there,” Bundy replied in response.
Alex turned to Monster and stared into his eyes. “We need to find the outside entrance, Monster.”
“Alex,” Holt announced with a sigh, “I know Monster is smart, but he--”
Monster scurried along the ceiling.
“He’s smarter than you think,” she informed him.
Damon turned to Miller and Tyler. “You two stay behind and seal up that hole,” he ordered. “We don’t want any escapes this way.”
Miller and Tyler nodded and stayed behind. The others followed Monster.
§
Monster led them deep into the woods beyond the prison grounds. At first, it seemed as if they were being led in circles. They finally came to a clearing where there was a small cave opening near the stream.
“That’s it,” Holt announced with enthusiasm. “This stream would probably flood high enough to have washed Monster out as a pup.”
Damon lit torches for Bundy and himself. Alex and Holt entered with Damon just behind Monster. The four stopped fifty yards into the cave. Monster remained still and quiet. The cavern was filled with stalagmites and stalactites of varying sizes. The environment was cool and damp, although the area became warmer as it widened. There were hundreds of eggs within the cavern.
Not far from the area filled with eggs was a pile of old bones containing hundreds of bodies nearly a decade old. Not far from the bones was a pile of decaying human remains. The piled bodies were obviously the recently killed prisoners. They were to be meals for the hatching creatures and their mother. As Alex and the men scanned the cavern, they finally saw the lone female sleeping among the eggs. She suddenly woke, hissed, and ran along the ceiling toward them. Monster snarled and leaped for her. They clashed and fought. Teeth snapped, claws slashed, and tails cracked. Bundy appeared eager to light his homemade explosive.
“No, we wait until Monster is safe,” Damon firmly instructed his friend.
The large creatures battled violently. Alex held her breath, concerned for Monster. Obviously, this female was the strongest to have killed all the remaining females. Alex wasn’t sure Monster could defeat the alpha female. Both creatures sank their teeth into the others tough exterior while clawing at their more vulnerable underbellies. Monster whipped his tail, cracking the female with harsh blows until she finally released him with her teeth.
The alpha female cracked him with her tail and sent him across the cave, destroying several dozen eggs along the way. She lunged for Monster, who seemed slow returning to his feet. Alex held her breath and stared with fear in her eyes. Monster wailed loudly, whipped his tail, and caught the female across the face. She was thrown backward with force and struck one of the stalagmites, breaking it. She fell to the cavern floor and immediately sprang to her feet for a return assault. Monster leaped on top of her, grabbed her by the neck, and shook her violently until her neck snapped.
“Now?” Bundy cried out.
Monster sniffed the nearby eggs. All eyes were on the creature. He cracked one open with his front claws as if opening a clam and ate the gooey, egg-like substance.
Bundy’s expression dropped, and he grimaced. “Okay, that’s just disgusting.”
“That’s why the females kill their mates,” Holt announced with realization. “Males destroy the eggs.”
“Aren’t we going to burn them?” Bundy demanded.
“Actually, we
should just let Monster deal with it in his own way,” Holt replied with a sigh.
Chapter Forty-one
They waited outside of the cave for nearly half an hour. Monster finally appeared from the opening in a hurry and jumped into the trees. They immediately lost sight of him.
“We’d better check his handy work,” Bundy announced. “Make sure they’re all destroyed.”
Bundy and Holt entered the cave while Alex looked around the trees for Monster.
“Is everything okay?” Damon asked her.
“Yeah, I just thought Monster would be bloated and tired from his omelet buffet,” she announced. “I don’t see him.”
“He’s probably up there somewhere sleeping it off,” Damon remarked. He hesitated then offered a pleasant smile. “Given who’s left alive here, I was thinking you and Holt should move into the prison. It’s not much, but we have indoor plumbing and plenty of room.”
“Well, as long as Holt agrees to it,” Alex replied.
“Oh, he’ll practically live in the library,” Damon informed her while grinning. “I want us to be together. Not an entire island apart.” He pulled Alex into his arms. “Monster can have his choice of cells.”
“And the other prisoners?”
“None with history of violence against women or children,” Damon happily replied.
“I’ll trust you.” She heard movement in the trees. “Oh, there he is. I’ll catch up with you then.”
Alex hurried after Monster, surprised how fast he was moving considering how bloated he must have been after his feast. Alex entered a small clearing and looked around. Monster climbed down a tree and approached her. Alex was about to speak then stared with surprise. He had a baby creature in his mouth. It wailed softly. Monster placed it on the ground near her feet and pushed it toward her. Alex eyed the baby creature and uncertainly lowered herself to it. She eyed Monster with surprise.
“You spared this one? Why?” she questioned. “Did you want to keep it?”
Monster gurgled.
She studied him a moment. “You want me to raise her to be like you?”
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