Jurassic Hell

by Russ Watts

  “It’s a probe, actually, not a satellite.”

  Karl glared menacingly. “You want to play games, Max?”

  “We came all this way for a bunch of rocks?” asked Phoenix. “Really? For nothing but a bunch of fucking rocks?”

  Max held up his hands. “You don’t understand. The data we got back was incomplete. We needed the physical evidence that we could find water on Mars. These rocks could change the course of mankind, don’t you see that? We would never have been able to get them without using you. I had to get here, to find them for myself. There are more out there where the probe landed. If we can just go back and examine it, I can—”

  “And you never gave a damn about those three people we came here for. Did you even know them?” asked Phoenix.

  Max stood up, holding one of his precious rocks. “Yes, I knew them,” he said defensively. “I told you the truth about that. I really did hope we would find them.”

  “But they were only of secondary importance, right? The real mission here was to retrieve those rocks and your data.” Phoenix gritted her teeth and yanked the tooth out of her thigh. She winced as the blood oozed from her leg and dripped between her fingers. “And you’re not a doctor, are you?”

  Max shook his head. “No. I have some basic training, but I’m an astrogeologist by day. I was just guessing when I tended to Justin earlier. Space54 gave me some basic supplies in case anything came up. They didn’t really expect me to be called upon. I can’t do anything for your leg. Sorry.”

  Karl planted a fist on the doctor’s jaw and Max tumbled back, falling into the undergrowth. He yelped in pain as Karl leered over him. “That’s the least you deserve.” Karl turned to Phoenix and tore a strip off his already-ripped shirt. He wrapped it around Phoenix’s thigh. “Hold that and press on the wound. We need to stop the bleeding before we start trekking through that jungle.”

  Phoenix looked at Max. He was sat at the base of the tree nursing a swollen jaw. Somehow, he had managed to keep hold of one of the rocks. To Phoenix, it looked like every other rock she had seen, but she guessed that to Max it was special. She could understand why he had done it, even if she disagreed with him. They never would have gone along with it if they had known the truth. The Yasawas were an unforgiving place for the unprepared, and Space54 had blown their chance to retrieve their probe when the first operation had failed. They would never have been given a second opportunity to come to the island so they had sold it as a rescue operation. It made sense. They had fooled everyone. But they hadn’t counted on the dinosaur that lived here. Max was in just as much trouble as she was. If he wanted off the island, he was going to have to join them, not fight them.

  “You know we have to take him with us.” Phoenix looked at Karl, trying to catch his eyes. He was staring at the lagoon. She knew what he was thinking. That Darius, Alex, and Justin had died for nothing; that they had been ambushed. “He’s the only one who can explain this, tell everyone what really happened. You know we can’t say anything.”

  “You think when we get to civilization he’s going to confess all?” Karl shook his head. “He’ll clam up as soon as we’re back on the boat.”

  “Maybe so, but we’re not leaving him here.” Phoenix tried to ignore the sweat pouring down her back. “Are we, Karl?”

  Karl knew it wasn’t a question. He gave Phoenix a brief nod. “Hold that tight on your leg.” He picked up the doctor’s bag and began to shove the rocks and stones back inside. When he was done, he looked at Max. “You want these?”

  Max got to his feet tentatively and held out his hands. “Yes, please, I’ve got what I came for, I promise—”

  Karl hurled the pack above his head and launched it into the air. There was a splash as it landed in the center of the lagoon.

  “Then go get it, asshole. We’re leaving. What you do next is up to you.”

  “No!” Max ran past Karl, dropping the only rock he had left from Mars, and reached the water’s edge. “Oh, God, no,” he said as the bag slipped beneath the surface.

  “Not the most mature thing you’ve done,” said Phoenix, smiling as Karl helped her up.

  Karl shrugged. “Let’s see just how much those rocks mean to him. If he wants them, he can go where Alex and Justin did and get them. I wonder how much he values his own life over that bag.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Phoenix cautiously put some weight on her leg. Karl’s makeshift bandage was wrapped around tightly, and although there was some pain, there it wasn’t enough to stop her walking. “I’ll be fine,” she said, grimacing. “Let’s just get to the beach.”

  Karl put his arm around her shoulder and she shrugged him off.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Okay, just don’t be a martyr and pass out on me.”

  “Only if you agree not to be a hero.” Phoenix smiled wryly. Karl had no other setting. He led by example. The unit looked up to him, as everyone did. His obvious physical strength was nothing compared to his personality. Phoenix knew she was lucky to have him around. All their differences seemed so trivial now. Ultimately, they wanted the same thing: to lead their team safely into battle and out again. Rarely did it go wrong. They worked well together, despite the bickering and irritations. And she had to admit that she had been impressed when he’d punched Max for her. It wasn’t the right thing to do, but boy was she glad he’d done it. “You can lead the way. If you remember, I didn’t end up here the same way as you did. I don’t know what direction to go. You can take the lead and try to get us on the same path back. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Karl looked at Max. He was skirting around the lagoon’s edge, red water splashing on his boots. His pack was nowhere in sight.

  “And him?”

  Phoenix looked at Max. She couldn’t bring herself to hate him. He was doing his job, just what Space54 wanted him to do. Was it his fault that her unit had been decimated? Was it his fault he had ended up in this position? She thought back to the hillside when they had been looking for clues, for the survivors. There had been a brief period when Max had gone missing. That must be when he had collected the samples. He had found what he had come for and now it was gone. There was a small part of her that felt sorry for him. He had failed in his mission, as she had failed in hers. But it was only a very small part of her. There would be more probes, more missions into space. They could send up another rocket and replace their missing data. Replacing Alex, Darius, and Justin was impossible; to her, their lives were worth a million rocks from Mars.

  “Max, either go fishing or follow us,” shouted Phoenix. “We’re leaving.”

  She suspected that Max would prefer to live than be marooned on a dinosaur-infested island for the rest of his very short life, and he began to trudge toward her with a heavy face.

  “You can’t do this,” he said. “The contents of that bag are invaluable.”

  “And so is my life, Doc. Deal with it.”

  Phoenix nodded to Karl and he walked into the jungle, pushing aside vines and branches. Phoenix followed him, trying not to limp, trying not to let him see her pain. The heat of the island changed once they were under the jungle’s canopy. The atmosphere changed with it. Karl and Max were only a few feet from her at any time, yet as she walked toward her old life, she couldn’t help but think that the island was dead. The inner island at least felt suffocating. The heat was oppressive, and there was no bird-song or sign of animal life now, only the odd bug to freak her out. There had been a bird back at the lagoon, but it was rare to see any life on the island. The further they walked, the darker it got. Sunlight broke through, occasionally striking her face like lightning, but mostly they trudged on in silence and darkness. The sweltering heat made it feel like they were walking through a giant oven, their flesh sizzling as if on a spit-roast. There was no breeze, no blue sky; even the plants were dark, their leaves the color of copper and old coins. Phoenix swept thick, vein-filled leaves aside that were as large as the boat they had arrived on, covered in bugs an
d spiders the size of meatballs.

  “This is ridiculous,” muttered Max behind her. “He had no right to do that.”

  Phoenix ignored him. His protestations continued for a while, coming a few minutes apart. It seemed that the more she ignored him, the quieter he got, realizing she wasn’t going to bite. She knew he was pissed off, but he would accept soon that his treasure was gone. They hadn’t come here looking for gold, but for people, for life. All they had found was death.

  They eventually reached a clearing and Phoenix recognized the dead tree in its center. It was where they had first encountered the dinosaur. Huge footprints had been left in the ground, and many of the surrounding trees had been ripped apart by the hail of bullets her unit had unleashed upon the monster. Remembering how close she had been to it was a reminder of how dangerous the island could be. As Karl paused, she sat down on the dead trunk, grateful for the rest. Karl was looking around the clearing, apparently looking for something, though she couldn’t guess what.

  “Lost?” Max stood next to Phoenix but addressed Karl. “Guess you don’t know everything after all.”

  Phoenix looked up at the doctor. He had stood by her for protection, knowing Karl was less likely to strike him if he was out of range. “Unless you want another fist to the face, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself. Trust me, the usual rules of this operation are over. Karl and I are on the same page now. And if he wants to give your face a makeover, I am not in the mood to stop him.”

  Max scuffed his feet and walked away, muttering under his breath. Karl came over to Phoenix and sat down quietly.

  “What is it?” she asked. “You know where we are, right?”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Karl looked around the trees. Phoenix could see he was anxious, but as far as she could tell, there was nothing to be worried about. The dinosaur was dead, and whatever was in the lagoon was clearly behind them, confined to its aquatic home.

  “So?”

  Karl looked around. Max was within earshot but pretending he wasn’t listening to every word they said.

  “There’s something out there. Something in the jungle.”

  Phoenix could feel her body tense up. She dug her fingers into the bark by her legs. “What is it? You sure?”

  Karl nodded. Sweat gleamed on his forehead. “I think it’s tracking us. I noticed a few minutes back. I’m not sure what though. I don’t think it’s like the dino we already found. This is smaller. Careful. It might be checking us out.”

  “Seeing if we’re good enough for supper?”

  Karl put his hands on his neck. His skin was burnt and hot. “Maybe.”

  They watched the trees for sign of movement but not even a leaf stirred. Phoenix felt something crawl up her arm and she brushed it away without looking. She didn’t want to know what it was.

  “Are we just going to sit here and wait to be attacked?” asked Max. “Don’t you think we should be doing something?”

  “Such as?” Phoenix kicked her feet around in the dirt and pulled out a small stone that fit comfortably into the palm of her hand.

  “Like, I don’t know, how about getting to the beach?”

  “Nobody’s stopping you, Max,” replied Phoenix. “Go ahead. The trail’s over there somewhere, but I’m sure you’ll pick it up.”

  Max hesitated.

  “Thought so.” Phoenix knew Max well enough by now to know he was ultimately a coward. He wouldn’t go anywhere without them, without his underpaid bodyguards. They were his only ticket home, and Max might be afraid, but he wasn’t stupid enough to go walking through a dinosaur-infested jungle on his own.

  “Look,” said Karl suddenly, gripping Phoenix’s arm. “Look there.”

  A few feet away, behind the lush vegetation growing around the clearing, something stirred. Phoenix looked for the tell-tale blue eyes and listened for the roar, but all she saw was a stirring of the shadows in the hazy heat.

  “What do we do now?” whispered Max. “Should we run for it?”

  Karl put himself between Phoenix and the jungle. “Too late for that now. Whatever it is, it knows we’re here. It’s coming.”

  A memory shook Phoenix then as she remembered Mosul. They were pinned down and Sawyer had been taken out. His body lay in the dust, blood pouring into the dry dirt from the bullet holes in his body. Karl had shoved Phoenix without warning behind him, grabbing her arm then as he had now. Back then, she had let him. She had pretended not to notice, but death had seemed so imminent, so real and all around her, that she had let him. He had been protecting her and instinctively was doing the same now. She wished she could say something to him, but Karl was a different species. She would discuss carbine rifles with him, but the merest mention of a private life or emotion, and he would change the subject. She also knew she couldn’t let him protect her any longer. It was time she faced up to whatever was out there.

  “Karl, watch Max. Make sure he gets back to the boat. He’s our responsibility, unfortunately for us, until we’re back on American soil.” Phoenix marched past Karl to the jungle. She approached the trees warily. She couldn’t see anything through the low-hanging branches and vines. The nearest bush had grown larger than a man, and there was a spider’s web drooping from one corner. Whatever creature was preparing to pounce on them was going to have to get through her first. She held the stone in her hand firmly. She might get a chance to use it, she might not. But she sure as hell was through being pushed around and dictated to. It was time she took charge of her own destiny. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “Phoenix, don’t be—” began Karl, but he stopped short when the figure emerged from the trees.

  “Holy hell,” muttered Max.

  Phoenix watched as the spider’s web was destroyed and the vines parted. A dark figure stepped through. They were caked in mud from head to toe and walked barefoot. At first, she thought it was a mirage or a trick of the light. No way was there anyone living on the island. The figure walked slowly and stepped out into the clearing. Phoenix looked them up and down, the stone in her hand still ready to bash in the mysterious person’s brains. It seemed as if everything on this island was out to get them. Was this one of Freddy’s friends? Was this one of Karl’s cannibals?

  The figure slowly raised their hands and wiped the mud away from their eyes. It was as if they were made of it and it clung to their body like a second skin. When they had done wiping their face, Phoenix saw two light-blue sad eyes looking at her. They were staring right at her, but the person made no sound. Phoenix realized that if it weren’t for the mud, they would be practically naked. There was only a flimsy cotton shirt and shorts to cover them. Some of the mud was covered in dried blood. As Phoenix looked them over, so shocked to see another living person on the island, another realization hit her: it was a woman.

  “Jane? Is… is that you?” asked Max.

  Phoenix dropped the stone and caught Jane as she fell. “Karl, help me.”

  Phoenix managed to get her arms under Jane’s body before she hit the ground and Karl darted forward to help. Together they gently lowered her to the ground. Phoenix wished she had some water for her, but they had nothing. They had lost all of their gear and had no way of transporting water even if they could find any fresh enough to drink. As Phoenix laid Jane down on the jungle floor, she felt guilty. She should have been thinking how amazing it was she was alive. She should have been grateful to have found even one person alive. Yet all she could think was that she wished it had been one of her own unit. She had been wishing the person was Darius, Alex, or Justin.

  “Careful.” Karl positioned himself by Jane’s head and sat down cross-legged. He nestled her head in his lap as Phoenix and Max knelt down beside her.

  “Jane, is that really you?” asked Max. “I can’t believe it. What happened? Where are the others? Jane, what happened?”

  “Back off, Max, give her some space,” ordered Phoenix. She glared at Max and he shut up.

  Phoenix rubbed Jan
e’s hand. She was still conscious, but her eyelids were slowly closing and she seemed to be having trouble focusing. Phoenix spoke in a soothing tone, lowering her voice. She spoke to Jane as if she were a sick child. “Jane, stay with us. You’re okay. We’re here to help you, okay honey? Just look at me, look at my eyes, okay? That’s right, that’s good. My name is Phoenix and the man with me is Karl. We’re with the Army. We came for you, Jane. We found you. You’ll be okay now. Just stay with me. Talk to me, Jane.”

  Eventually, she seemed to come around. Jane’s eyes drifted back to Phoenix and she licked her lips. They were dry and cracked. It took every ounce of effort just to speak.

  “Please… water?”

  Phoenix smiled apologetically. “Sorry, we’re all out, but we’ll try to get you some. I’m sorry, Jane, we had a little trouble finding you.” She looked up at Karl who was casually running his fingers through Jane’s hair. Phoenix remembered how he had a daughter, how he was once married and had probably done the same thing with them. It was odd seeing him like that. He had always been decent and done his best for other people, but his nurturing side rarely showed itself. “Jane, it’s going to be okay. We have a boat. We can get you out of here. It’s not far. Just through the jungle. Just relax and let us help you.”

  “Jane, did you find it? Did you manage to retrieve any of the—?”

  “Max,” hissed Phoenix, “I’m not going to tell you again.”

  The heat of the jungle dripped around them and Phoenix suddenly felt trapped. How were they going to get Jane out of there if she couldn’t walk? They had no water or food. They had no weapons if they were attacked again, apart from Karl’s small knife. Time was not on their side, and Phoenix knew they had to keep moving. It didn’t matter about the damn rocks or the probe. Max had lost his chance. There were four lives in the balance. Phoenix only had to find out one thing before they could move on.

  “Jane, where are Tobias and Ricardo? Are they here?” Phoenix felt Jane tense up. She suddenly avoided making eye contact with anyone and pushed herself into an upright position.