by Logan Jacobs
“Yeah, why?” she asked.
“Look up tetanus, okay?” I said. “We should figure out if it’s even something you could get from an injury like that. Let’s go back to the nurses station. They might have a shot.”
Becka nodded and the two of us headed down the hall back into the nurses’ room and opened up two of the drawers and cabinets. I didn’t see any needles, but there were a few more random bottles and bandages, so I threw all those into my bag.
“So the page on tetanus says that I could have it,” Becka said before I could continue searching. “The cut was deep enough and it’s not really rust that causes it, but the bacteria on the rust.
“But I used a bunch of hydrogen peroxide on it,” I said. “Would that help?”
“Maybe,” she sighed. “Depends on if it got in deep into the wound.”
“Uhh… It went through your hand.”
“I know!” she groaned. “The nail was pretty dirty and old as well, so it’s possible I’ve got it and the hydrogen peroxide won’t get deep enough to kill it.”
“Damn it,” I said, “What does that mean? What does tetanus even do?”
“It says it’s a bacterial toxin,” she explained and read from her phone screen. “It attacks the nervous system and apparently it can kill people.”
I sighed, and Becka’s face looked to be getting paler.
“Let me check my phone,” I said as I reached into my pocket.
I cleared my search bar and typed ‘does antiseptic kill tetanus’ into it. A little box with the question answer popped up at the top of the results page.
“It says, tetanus spores are resistant to heat,” I read. “Surviving typical sterilization and common antiseptics. Once they find a hospitable environment, the spores germinate and release bacteria that attack nerves.”
“Shit,” Becka said and shook her head. “Can you fucking believe this?”
“What?” I looked at Becka and strangely she was smiling.
“I survived all these dinosaurs to get taken out by a fucking nail.” She laughed.
“No, it’s not going to kill you,” I said as I read through the website. “I mean… It can under rare circumstances. If you get lockjaw and--”
“Lockjaw?” she gasped.
“Look, it’s going to be okay,” I said as I moved over to pat her on the shoulder. “There are shots, like you said, and we just need to get one. Let’s keep looking through the drawers.”
I started going through the cabinets in the nurses’ station, I knew it wasn’t likely that they would have something like that, but not checking would be pretty dumb. I scanned each one, but there was nothing that seemed even remotely like what we would need. Basically, the place was a glorified first aid kit, and though I shouldn’t have expected anything else, I was still annoyed.
“It’s okay, Jason, it’s not going to kill me immediately,” Becka said.
“It’s not going to kill you at all,” I corrected.
“Okay,” she said, and her voice sounded much calmer than I expected. “You’re right, we’ll get a shot. We have some time, we can figure out where to get it.”
I realized that she was trying to calm me down, and I almost laughed. She was the one who might have a deadly toxin inside her, and she was focusing on me.
“We’ll get it tomorrow,” I said and straightened myself up. “There’s a clinic around here somewhere.”
“Okay, fine tomorrow,” Becka said. “Today, though, we need to get those windows finished and make sure that Hae-won is okay with the barricades.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said.
Becka was right, we did need to finnish those, but I realized that would be a lot harder now that she had an injured hand, and I hoped we did finish it in time to get the barricades set up.
“Should we take any of this stuff back to the gallery?” Becka asked as she gestured to the medical supplies in the drawer and my bag.
“Yeah, we should,” I answered.
We collected up everything we thought might be useful, stuffed as much as I could into the bag, and then layed out a clean towel, set some extra bottles and bandages all in the center, and tied the corners together to form an additional make-shift carrier.
“Okay, let’s get out of here and finish those panels,” I said.
I took the supplies, and once again, we walked down the hall toward the exit and this time we made it all the way to the door before we came to a sudden halt.
Outside, across the square and near the library, was a huge dinosaur.
It wasn’t nearly as tall as the stegosaurus, but it was bigger than the electric blue guys by a lot, maybe even double their height, and I guessed it was maybe twelve feet tall. It stood on its two back legs and it had a long, large head with rows of teeth as long as my fingers. Its skin was scaly and it was a rusty orange color with stripes going down its back. Its tail extended back extremely far, just like the raptors’ had, and like them, its two shorter front arms looked like they had sharp claws.
This one looked like a carnivore for sure. Hell, it looked just like the pictures of the T-Rexes.
“What the fuck is that thing?” Becka hissed.
“A carnivore,” I whispered.
Both Becka and I stood frozen in place and didn’t really know what to do. I could tell the thing hadn’t seen us yet, but it seemed to be sniffing around all the buildings, and I guessed it would only be a matter of time before it smelled one of us.
“We need to get inside--” I started to whisper, but then the creature turned its long head in our direction.
We both were already frozen, but I heard Becka gasp.
“Maybe it hasn’t seen us... ” I started to say.
Then the massive monster took a step toward us.
“Shit,” I said.
“Should we run?” Becka asked.
“Yea--” I started to say, but then I heard the sound of a motor approaching around the square. I looked up and the dinosaur had taken a couple lumbering steps our way, but then a sporty looking blue Audi pulled up right in front of us. The front window rolled down, and I saw Hae-won in the driver’s seat.
“Hurry, get in!” she shouted at us.
Chapter 13
“Go!” I grabbed Becka’s uninjured hand, and we ran forward and jumped into the back seat.
Before I could even close the door, Hae-won slammed on the gas, the tires screeched, and we were thrown back against the leather seats as the car rocketed forward around the square.
I turned my head to take a look at the large dino in the back window.
Somehow, the massive dinosaur was still behind us.
“Hold on!” The beautiful Asian swung the car around a tight turn, and we went from the square into the quad.
“He’s still behind us!” I shouted.
“What should we do?” Becka asked across the back seat.
“He is fast,” Hae-won said as she took a look in her rearview mirror. “We won’t be able to lose him, but he won’t catch us.”
The car turned again sharply, and Becka slid across toward me and nearly into my lap.
“Sorry,” she mumbled as she shifted back over.
“That thing is big,” I said. “If we can’t lose it, we need another plan. I don’t think our barricades back at the gallery will hold up against him.”
“The gun you gave me,” Hae-won started. “It’s in the passenger seat. Do you think you could hit him while we drive?”
I looked back at the dinosaur again and saw that it was only about a hundred or so yards behind us. Hae-won had completed a large circle around the quad and the paddock and started again, but she couldn’t keep going like that forever.
“We need to get closer or stop the car,” I said. “I can hit him from the window if we slow down enough to let him get closer.”
“That’s too dangerous,” Becka said.
“We can always speed up again if I miss,” I replied.
“I can’t go much faster
than it,” Hae-won admitted. “There are too many turns.”
“Still, we don’t have many other options,” I said.
“We could try to tire it out like this,” Becka suggested.
“There isn’t much gas,” the Asian woman said. “We might run out of fuel before he does.”
“Just trust me,” I said and looked into Becka’s eyes. “I can hit it.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “I trust you.”
I reached into the front seat, grabbed the weapon from its spot on the leather, rolled down the back window, and positioned myself so I could comfortably lean out the side and face the dinosaur. The creature had massive back legs, so I figured that Hae-won was correct and there would be no easy way to tire it out.
Shooting it was the only option.
I steadied the gun against my shoulder and looked through the sights to where the dinosaur was. It was a pretty straight shot, but the car was zipping around the grass of the quad, and I knew I’d miss unless we stopped for a moment so that I could steady my aim and let the beast get closer.
“Ok, Hae-won, ready!” I shouted over the roar of the wind.
“Got it,” she replied, and suddenly the car slowed so the dinosaur could get closer.
I kept the butt of the gun firmly pushed against my shoulder and watched the wavering pattern of the dinosaur's steps in my scope. When I thought I had him, I let out a breath and pulled the trigger. Just before my finger clicked down, we hit a patch of pavement in the quad and the car jolted and sent my shot to the right of my aim, and only grazed the dinosaur's arm.
“Sorry!” Hae-won shouted. “I hit a--”
“It’s fine! I still hit it!”
The dinosaur cried out a piercing scream, but it seemed to turn into something closer to a war cry and full on anger.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“I don’t think you killed him,” Becka groaned.
“I just hit his arm,” I replied.
We were close enough now that I could see blood coming from the bullet wound in the creature's arm, but it seemed like little more than a scratch, and the beast didn't slow down at all.
I recocked the weapon, aimed at the creature’s massive head, took another deep breath, and fired. The shot rang through the air, and this time the bullet found its place in the animal's skull.
The creature let out a whine that sounded like a motorcycle revving, and then it crumpled up like a deflated balloon before tumbling and rolling on the ground.
“I got it!” I shouted.
“Yes!” Hae-won slowed the car and started to circle back around to the animal.
“Is it really dead? Did you kill it?” Becca asked. “Should we shoot it again just to be sure?”
“I think so,” I said as Hae-won began to drive toward the dead dinosaur.
As the car got closer, the big scaly creature didn’t twitch, or move, or do anything that gave me a hint that it was still alive. Still, we had been burned before by the raptor I’d tossed out the window, so I still kept my rifle pointed at the body.
Hae-won drove the car up beside him at a crawl, and I felt relief flood through me when I saw the fist-sized hole that the .308 had left in the creature’s shattered skull. There was no way anything could live through that damage, not even the terminator, so I removed the gun from its spot on my shoulder and placed it down in the footwell. Then the car came to a stop and the three of us got out to inspect the dead creature.
Up close, the beast was somehow even scarier. Its mouth hung open, and toothbrush-sized teeth lined the ridges around a tongue the size of a throw rug. The dinosaur looked like it could swallow a golden retriever in one gulp, but I guessed it would have only taken it six bites to eat the Audi. The orange color of its scales was interesting. It wasn’t like Home Depot color orange, it was more the color of a desert, and I imagined this thing would blend in really well with autumn leaves or sand. When I was closer to the corpse, I could also see that the stripes weren't actually black but more of a gray.
Yeah. I was super glad it was dead.
“Wow,” Becka breathed as she bit her bottom lip and glanced at me. “Americans are good with guns. Good job, Jason.”
“No problem, ma’am,” I said in my best Texas-style drawl as I tipped an imaginary hat. “America, saving the world again.”
“Oh, please,” Becka laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t get too full of yourself, now.”
“What should we do?” Hae-won asked. “Do we just leave it here?”
“For now,” I replied. “We can try to move it later but we’ll probably need something to pull it with, like a rope or chain. It looks pretty heavy, though, so I don’t think this car will cut it.”
“How did you know to come get us?” Becka asked as she turned to face the blue-eyed badass.
“And where did you get this car?” I added.
“I saw the dino while I was setting up the second barrier,” Hae-won answered. “This was the car I was moving at the time. I thought you two might need help.”
“You thought right,” I replied. “Just in time, too. Thank you for getting us.”
“You are the one who killed it,” the Korean woman grinned. “That was a gangsta shot.”
“Gangster, huh?” I laughed. “Thanks. Like I said, I used to go hunting and do target practice with my grandfather.”
“You should definitely keep the gun from now on,” Becka added. “You took this monster down in just two shots. Brilliant.”
“It should have been one,” I replied.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” The blonde woman punched me lightly in the arm. “You were great.”
“Happy to help,” I grinned back at her.
“Did you two finish the windows?” Hae-won asked.
“Not exactly, we had a bit of an accident,” Becka replied and held up her bandaged hand.
“O-M-G,” the Asian girl gasped. “What happened?”
“I grabbed a board with a nail on it,” Becka explained. “It went through my hand.”
“Are you okay?” Hae-won asked.
“Not really,” the blonde answered.
“She’s going to need a tetanus shot,” I explained. “We’ll have to make a trip tomorrow and find a clinic.”
Hae-won nodded. “And how many windows do we have to finish?”
“Two,” I said sheepishly. “What about the barricades? It looks like you were able to get a few cars.”
“Yes,” she said. “I got the main gate blocked off, and I had half the other gate finished. I just needed a few more cars.”
“What?” I gaped at the Koren woman. “How? How many cars did it take?”
“Hmm, not many,” she said. “About ten total so far. I need maybe two more.”
“Wow, that’s insane,” I said and stared at her in wonder. “How did you get all of those?”
“I can show you if you want,” she said. “We can all go finish up the last barrier.”
“Sure.” I looked over to Becka. “That might be a good idea anyway so we all stay together.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be much help if I come along,” Becka said as she held up her bandaged hand. “How about I go back to the gallery and set out the boards for the other panels? Then when you two get back, it will be a quick job. We can run by the cafe and grab that toaster oven, too, so I can make us some dinner.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “This thing was already right by our spot at the gallery, I’m not sure it’s safe for you to be in there alone like that.”
“I’ll stay close to the doors,” the blonde explained. “I can run in if I see anything coming. Don’t worry about me, really, I’ll be fine there.”
“Okay,” I said as I gave Becka a skeptical look. “As long as you’ll be safe.”
“Of course,” she replied.
“So, should we go get that oven?” Hae-won asked. “We can use this car to make a quick trip there and back to the gallery.”
“Yeah, let's g
et going.” I nodded. “We need to finish everything before the sun sets.”
I took one last look at the giant fallen carnivore before I piled back into the car with Becca and Hae-won. We would definitely need to clean up that carcass before it attracted something even bigger.
“Ready?” Hae-won asked.
“Ready.” I took my spot in the back and made sure to click the seatbelt into place this time.
The car jolted forward, and I held my breath as Hae-won threw the Audi into a tight turn and headed back toward the cafe. I looked out the window as we went and noticed how much the car had torn up the quad and paddock. The Asian girl was a good driver, but she didn’t seem to give much thought to collateral damage.
I looked up into the front seat and caught the edge of a smile as the wind blew back the folds of her dark hair. Her energy felt magnetic, and before I realized it, I was smiling, too. I turned to Becka and saw that she had a grin plastered across her face as well.
Today had been filled with a bunch of close calls, but somehow I felt happier right then than I remembered being in a long time. It was something about the adrenaline and the feeling of triumph that made me feel a sudden rush for life. Here I was, alive, with two amazing and beautiful girls at my side. Somehow it felt right, and though I wished we didn’t have to fight these creatures, I couldn't say the situation was making my life worse, just very, very different.
We pulled up to the cafe, and I told the girls to wait in the car while I quickly hopped through the open window and grabbed the toaster oven. I briefly considered grabbing their espresso machine as well because, though it worked in a pinch, I wasn't really a fan of instant coffee and the stuff we had been drinking in the gallery staff room wasn’t even a good brand of instant coffee. It would have taken a lot to move it and all the supplies we’d need to operate it, though, so I filed that in the back of my mind for a later project.
I grabbed the mid-size toaster oven and balanced it on the windowsill so I could climb through and get it down on the other side. In a couple of minutes I had it stored safely in the trunk of the vehicle and we set off for the gallery.
When we reached our base, I got out and took out the machine. I was planning on taking it all the way back to the staff room, but Becka stopped me.