by K D McNiven
Once he had what he needed, he reached into his back pocket. He began to insert detonators into blocks of C-4 explosives which he would set off by a cell phone. He made sure the explosives were well out of sight so no one would find them, and had planted more than enough to take the building down and destroy the contents inside.
Once all the animals were loaded into the hold of the ship, Daisuke would set off the charges and destroy any evidence of what Wilhelm had been doing inside. Wilhelm had served his purpose so far as Daisuke could see. He’d be well rid of the man.
Details out of the way, Daisuke made his way back outside just as the helicopter began to lift the drugged beast. From somewhere out in the dense jungle, he could hear timbers crunching and snapping. The beast’s wailing sent a chill up his spine. At the same time, it thrilled him, knowing they would bring in a fortune.
Chapter Twenty-Three
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Rourke’s head snapped up when he heard the whirring sound and viewed a chopper hovering above the canopy of trees, near the compound. A cacophony of birds and monkey’s drifted through the humid air, joined by the loud roar of the Purussaurus. Gun at ready, his eyes darted from left to right in order to avoid getting ambushed.
“What are they doing?” asked Meg in a quiet voice.
Squatting low to peer through the thicket, Rourke managed to see a hubbub of men racing around an obviously sedated Purussaurus. With the helicopter hovering just above the creature, it became clear what their intentions were. Rourke swore under his breath.
“What?” Meg said again.
“They’re planning to lift the Purussaurus and haul it over to the ship.”
“We can’t let them do that!”
He turned to look at her determined face and managed a smile. “I agree but how do we stop them?”
“The mortar!” Meg said. “We need it!”
Rourke’s eyes brightened. “You’re a genius, Meg. Kyle, would you drive back as fast as you can to the police station. Tell Commander Fernando we need his men and the mortar. Also, we are probably going to need a fast boat with troops to take on their ship. As you can see, they intend to transfer the Purussaurus to their cargo hold.”
“Copy,” Kyle said and took to his heels.
“They all have weapons. We better stay put until Kyle and the police get back. I don’t want any of us to be heroic and get shot.”
“Yep. We’ve lost enough people,” agreed Meg.
To their dismay, the chopper began its lift, hoisting the Purussaurus into the air, and banking a hard left, headed out toward the ship.
“Come on, come on, Kyle,” Jayden said through clenched teeth. It grew clear, the commander and his men would not get back in time. They could not let the Japanese men remove these animals to another location and jeopardize even more lives. The beasts had left enough carnage, at least Jayden thought so, and he figured it would be everyone else’s too.
“Chill, Jayden,” Meg whispered. “Kyle had to go nearly a mile to get to the station and then the Commander will have to organize enough troops to stop them. You’ve seen how many men have been coming and going. This won’t be an easy task, and we also have five more Purussaurus to deal with to top it off.”
“Four.”
Meg looked puzzled. “What do you mean? We’ve spotted six and one is dangling in the air as we speak.”
“I saw them burning the other one…through the bushes. I caught sight of the smoke, got down on my hands and knees, and saw they had set one of the Purussaurus’ on fire.”
Meg turned to look at Rourke, wide-eyed. “What do you think it means?”
Rourke shrugged. “Maybe it got hurt in the raid? There was a torrent of gunfire. Maybe one of the bullets struck home and took the beast down?”
Unexpectedly, a shower of bullets sang past them and the three of them dropped to their bellies, twigs, and dirt exploding around them.
Meg blinked several times to get the grit out of her eyes. “Apparently they discovered we’re here. What’s the plan, Rourke?”
“Ready your rifles. We’re going to blast the place. At the same time, we’ll work ourselves back out of shooting range. Ready?”
They shook their heads. One…two…three…go!” The sound of rapid-fire and metal striking the parked jeep at the compound, resonated in the air. Limbs snapped, debris ruptured, raining back down on the men near the laboratory. The three back-pedaled out of there, spraying ammo in a fanning motion. Once they figured they were clear, they took off running in the direction of the beach.
Gasping for breath, they stopped. From where they stood, they could see the helicopter lowering the Purussaurus towards the cargo hold. They figured the ship had to have been fortified with steel bars to ensure they could keep the Purussaurus constrained below deck. At present, they all felt like their hands were tied. Without reinforcements, they wouldn’t be able to stand up against the group of men surrounding the compound.
As if on cue, they heard the roar of several vehicles coming their way. They smiled when they caught sight of four jeeps occupied with soldiers, and two large trucks with hooped canopied cargo beds. Commander Fernando held the lead, Kyle sat opposite him on the front seat. Kyle raised a rifle over his head, a wide grin spread on his lips in a show of camaraderie. Fernando stopped long enough for the three of them to climb on board.
“Good timing,” Rourke said. “They air-lifted one of the Purussaurus’ and just lowered it into the cargo hold of the ship. “Now, we not only will have to deal with those at the compound but the one loaded on board, in addition to four more Purussaurus wandering aimlessly around here.”
“We’re stocked with as much ammunition as we are able to under such short notice,” Fernando said. “Let’s hope it’s enough.”
“Let’s hope,” Rourke agreed.
As the vehicles rounded the bend, shots were fired. Fernando ducked down and tried to zigzag to avoid being struck. Rourke and Kyle shot off a round, watching as men at the compound dove to the ground, or run for cover.
They heard a pop, pop, pop, in rapid succession as another round of ammunition let loose. Fernando veered sharply right, trying to lean his body to the side, though not enough. His shirt staining red and his hand flew to his chest. As he did, the jeep swerved off the road, slamming into a two-hundred-foot Kapok tree. All of them were thrown out of the jeep except Fernando who remained slumped over the wheel.
Meg grabbed her ribs and moaned. She felt dazed but within seconds she fought to get her bearings as she heard more popping sounds, and realized they were still being fired on. Her lower body hung in the murky water, feeling the current pulling at her. She dug her fingers into the mud and began crawling forward. To her left, she spotted her rifle. With a low moan, she stumbled to her feet and lunged to grab hold of it. Fearful, she looked around, looking for the others.
Kyle had already assumed position at the rear of the jeep returning fire, just as Jayden snaked up alongside him. She didn’t see Rourke anywhere and panic filled her. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been thrown into the river. A biting chill of terror swept over her, and then as swiftly as it had come, she caught sight of him lying flat on a small rise of grass, gun positioned to fire. His white muslin shirt, now in tatters from the low-hanging branches was covered in dirt. Even though his sleeves were rolled up to his tanned biceps, and his usual well-groomed hair was matted down with sweat, he still owned a rugged handsomeness that made her heart flutter.
Fighting for calm, she duck-walked forward, keeping the rifle tucked in close to her side, her finger poised over the trigger. An onslaught of gunfire whizzed through the hot, sticky air. She let loose a scream when a bullet sang past her ear, forcing her to dive to the ground beside Rourke.
Relief washed over him. “Stay close to me, Meg,” he whispered into her ear as he drew her close. “I lost sight of you, and…”
She heard the fear in his voice, saw the worry flashing in his eyes. “I’m alright. I only had the wi
nd knocked out of me.”
“I’m afraid Fernando wasn’t so lucky. He didn’t survive.”
“Oh, no.”
“I saw Kyle and Jayden running toward the compound. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”
Meg started to speak, stopping short when she heard the crashing of timber from the nearby underbrush. Her head snapped to the side, the hair on the back of her neck standing taut. Horrified, she saw two Purussaurus breaking through the tangle of vegetation, roaring loudly. They were out for blood. Anybody’s blood. Nothing short of grenades would prevent them from pillaging the area.
“As if dodging bullets isn’t enough!” she sputtered, panic shaking her to the core.
“They seem to know they’re being hunted and want to remove the threat. They aren’t killing because they’re hungry, so unless we find a way to stop them, they will continue killing anything that gets in the way.”
Meg clutched Rourke’s shirt; her face mortified. “What if…”
“Trust me. We’re going to make it out of this alive.”
One of the animals rushed toward the compound where several men were stationed. The ground vibrated with every footfall. The men turned their guns in the direction of the beasts and began blasting them. It sounded like a war zone. Even so, the Purussaurus kept coming, powerful as tanks. Nothing seemed to stop them.
Ramon, who continued to pump off rounds, realized the Purussaurus had gotten too close. Eyes bulging, he lowered his weapon and took off at a dead run but not soon enough. The beast’s foot crushed him, flattening his body to the ground. With a wild cry, the monster caught another man close by in its mouth and bit clean through him, tossing the upper half of his body into the bushes. Muffled screams followed. As the beast opened its jaws wide, everyone could see crimson blood and entrails over its teeth, the severed lower quarters dropping to the ground.
Meg turned her head. The fact guns wouldn’t stop the Purussaurus rested heavily on her mind, and yet, it was the only weapon available to them at the moment. When the beast turned, it zeroed in on her and Rourke. Her heart seemed to stop beating in her chest, and she fought for her next breath. As it came toward them, she felt rooted to the ground, unable to move.
“Run Meg!” Rourke shouted. He grabbed her hand and began pulling her behind him.
“Hey! Hey!” Jayden yelled, beating on the hood of the jeep to divert the beast’s aggression, and from what Meg saw, it worked. The Purussaurus spun around, setting its sights on Jayden. “I hope you have another grenade, Kyle?” He yelled.
Kyle frantically searched his pocket. Nothing. The beast closed the gap as the two of them turned to run toward the compound giving no thought to the stream of bullets at this point. Except for making a desperate get-away into the laboratory, they had no alternative as to where they could find safety. Right now, they imagined most of the men couldn’t care less about them, considering the mayhem surrounding them.
“Jayden hurry!” screamed Meg, her heart jack-hammering, as she watched the beast gaining on him.
Jayden’s adrenalin pumped wildly, driving him all the harder in the direction of the compound. He could feel almost the monster’s breath on his neck. He dug in deep, fighting to find more strength…more speed. It felt as if his lungs would burst at this point, and all attempts to outrun the creature wasn’t enough. The Purussaurus bellowed and in one aggressive lunge, caught Jayden in its powerful jaws and clamped down. It shook its head like a wild stallion, throwing Jayden into the air like a ragdoll, then allowed his limp body to plummet to the ground in a bloody heap. The beast’s jaws were snapping in an uncontrolled frenzy, its head pivoting from side-to-side to find another victim. It looked incensed, rabid, like a killing machine with no stop button.
Meg stopped instantaneously, her face draining of color. “Oh God!” she cried out, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “No! No! Jayden! No!” She could barely comprehend what had just happened and started to run back to where his mangled body lay. She was stopped abruptly as Rourke caught her by her wrist and reeled her into his arms, holding her securely. He raised her chin, gazing into her anguished face. “We have to get out of here, Meg…like right now!” he said with urgency in his voice. “If we can make it over to one of the trucks, we might have a chance to get out of here alive.”
No sooner had he spoken, then the other Purussaurus charged one of the large military trucks, flipping it over onto its side. It proceeded to ram it repeatedly, crushing the passenger side. Inside were two men who scrambled out from the rear and took to a dead run. Another man remained trapped inside the cab, stared in sheer horror as the beast’s snout brushed along the window, stings of saliva smearing on the glass. The man’s throat constricted, then he screamed fearfully as the beast bellowed and thrust its body against the side, crushing it still further. The windshield burst, crumbling in around him. He tried desperately to clamber to the far side, his fingers reaching up and trying to slide the rear window open. If he could only crawl through and get into the back, there might be a chance he could make a run for it, he thought frantically. His fingers dug into the leather interior, forcefully trying to drag himself forward, losing his grip when the beast crashed against the truck once again. The man rolled to the side, just as the door on the opposite side flung open from the impact. Desperate to escape, he made a wild attempt to climb out the other side.
“Help! Somebody, help me!” he screamed. Pushing his way across the leather seat, his hand reached the frame, and he dragged himself forward, managing to swing one leg out of the doorway. His body crumpled to the mossy ground, and he madly scrambled to his feet. His heart pounding like a primal drum, he started to run forward when sharp teeth pierced through his spine, killing him instantly.
“We can’t go over there, Rourke,” Meg protested, digging her heels into the soft ground to resist. Fear had its claws in a vice grip around her. She labored to breathe. It wasn’t until Rourke shook her firmly, she snapped back into awareness. “I’m s-sorry…you’re right…it’s just Jayden, he…”
“I know. He gave his life to save yours. It was an extraordinary act of love. I’m so sorry. But if we’re to make it out of here alive, we have to do something courageous, and we have to do it now!
The mortar and shells are inside the back of the truck.”
Meg nodded, feeling as though she would throw up. Her legs felt fragile, like twigs that would snap under her weight if she moved. She inhaled deeply. This was not the time to give up and surrender to her fears. Okay, Meg, suck it up. You can do this. You can do this for Jayden.
Chapter Twenty-Four
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Kyle tumbled through the newly installed door at the compound, Jayden’s screams echoing in his ears. He had narrowly escaped himself. The Purussaurus battering the door repeatedly, intent on getting inside the compound. A brutal reminder of what it desperately wanted. Fresh meat. He looked upward where he felt he would have some safety if the animal broke through the doorway. Taking to his feet, he took the stairs in leaps and bounds, his heart beating like a war drum in his chest. He became immobile when he reached the top floor when a rifle barrel got shoved into his face.
“Get over there,” said one of the Japanese workers, motioning his head toward the far wall.
In no position to argue the point, Kyle preferred taking his chances with these men rather than try to take on a Purussaurus. His strength had waned and his muscles were tied into knots. Plagued by what he had just witnessed, he nearly collapsed while following the man’s instructions. When he reached the far wall he slid down, curling his knees to his chest, his mind numb. Jayden had been a longtime friend. They had gone on many dives together. Imagining life without him was incomprehensible. Images of the beast’s teeth tearing his flesh flashed before his eyes and like a carousel, it kept going around and around in his brain until he wanted to scream.
Right then, Daisuke came around the corner and caught a glimpse of Kyle. “Take him into the lab and lock him inside one of the clos
ets.”
The man did according to what he’d been told, and grabbed Kyle’s arm firmly, jerking him to his feet. He led him into a large room. The counter tops organized with telescopes, test tubes, and large glass containers with unusual specimens floating in what was some kind of preservative. The man poked the rifle barrel into his shoulder blades threateningly to prod him forward. Ahead Kyle came to a double door cabinet and the antagonist shoved him roughly inside, slamming and locking the doors behind. Everything went black inside. One thing for sure, Kyle felt safer locked away than being out in the open, but hopeful one of his team would come looking for him before too much longer.
***
Daisuke stood at the wide Jalousie windows lining the front of the compound. He cranked the bronze lever, opening the slats to veer outside. In stark amazement, he watched the Purussaurus stalking and slaughtering anyone who got in their way. Such extraordinary creatures, he mused. Even as he stared at the gruesome turmoil going on outside, he couldn’t wait to get the Purussaurus set up in Japan. The zoo, according to Aiko his assistant, was nearly ready. The cages had been reinforced with immensely strong and flexible steel, able to bear up to almost any condition. He would have no worries about restraining the Purussaurus. All he had left to do was the matter of sedating the other animals and transporting them to the ship.
“Alberto, come give me a hand,” said Daisuke, turning and walking over to the incubator housing the fertilized eggs, nearly ready to hatch. When they did deliver up baby Purussaurus’ he wanted them in a proper facility. With everything that had gone on so far, he realized he had little time left. Nothing had happened the way he had expected. In fact, when this whole ordeal was finished, he would feel lucky if they made it back to Japan with the one Purussaurus already in the cargo hold. Regardless, they would have everything they needed and he would be done with Wilhelm.