Authors: Everette Morgan
“How many raptors are attacking the boys?” asked Marcus.
“The security grid was still active and I was able to access it. I have been able to locate a total of five different raptors. Two have followed them up the stairs to the top. Three more are roaming through the gift shop at the bottom of the rocket,” said Jocelyn.
Marcus knew that at close quarters, the ZF7 sniper rifle was effectively useless. “How effective will my .44 magnum and M317 be against the raptors?” he asked.
“Two .44s and M317s…,” said Kim.
“As long as the shots are accurate, the pistols should have sufficient knock down power for these raptors,” said Jocelyn. “Although larger than most known raptors, these weigh only approximately two hundred and fifty pounds.”
The MAV pulled into the parking directly across from the Saturn V rocket. Marcus could see the boys holding the door shut. They looked to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old. Marcus and Kim got out and went to the back of the MAV. They armed themselves with the pistols, M317s, and plenty of ammunition.
About that time the door the boys were holding burst open ripping completely off the hinges. The raptors may not be very big but they were strong. The two boys fell backwards on the catwalk with the door on top of them. There was only room for one raptor on the catwalk. It was stepping on the door trying to get to the boys. The raptor bringing up the rear was barking out some kind of weird call. Quickly, Marcus grabbed the sniper rifle out of the rear of the MAV. He cocked it and slammed a round into the chamber. He paused just a second as he took aim at the raptor and fired. It was a perfect head shot. It dropped right where it stood. It was now lying on the door that was lying on top of the two boys.
Seeing its pack mate go down, the other raptor tried to squeeze in to get at the boys. Marcus ejected the spent round and slammed another one into the chamber. He took aim again and fired. The raptor had slipped when he fired and Marcus only grazed it with the bullet. He quickly reloaded and fired again. This time it was a direct hit to the head. It knocked the dinosaur’s head sideways and the raptor fell over. With it being raised up higher on top of the other raptor, instead of just laying against the rail, the main part of its body went completely over the top rail and it slipped over and plunged to the ground below. It hit the ground with a sickening thud and didn’t move.
“Nice. Bro,” said Kim grinning. “Too bad you didn’t let me shoot. I wouldn’t have wasted a round.”
Marcus laughed, “Yeah, right. I was just trying to build the suspense. Anyway, you may have your chance. There are three more in the building below and they may try to get to the top after the boys. I think that call the second raptor made was a call to the pack. I’m going to go into the building and go after them. I want you to cover those boys with the sniper rifle until I can clear them out.”
“You sure you can handle those by yourself?” she asked.
“I guess we are fixing to find out,” he said with a wink.
Holding the M317 in both of his hands, he ran across the parking lot and up to the door of the building. As he looked through the glass door, he could see two of them walking around sniffing some of the items on the shelves. He kept looking for the other one but no luck. He wasn’t going in there blind not knowing where the other one was. It could be right beside the door. He paused for a minute and then an idea came to him. He opened the mic on his earpiece.
“Jocelyn. Cover me,” he said.
Kim was on the other side of the MAV holding the sniper rifle across the hood. She jumped a little as the big Korak swung around toward the rocket. On instinct, she quickly stuck her fingers in her ears. In meantime, Marcus rammed the butt of his rifle against the glass of the door and shattered it. Then he quickly backed off about ten feet to the left of the door. In a matter of seconds, the two raptors came through the door screaming. Immediately Marcus opened fire with the machine gun and at the same time the Korak came to life. The two raptors went down and didn’t move. The firing stopped and Marcus moved cautiously over to them. Both were riddled with bullets. He took the toe of his boot and nudged one of the raptor’s head. They were definitely dead.
“Stand down. Thanks, Joce,” said Marcus.
“Piece o’cake boss,” quipped Jocelyn.
Marcus laughed and then there was a loud boom as the third raptor fell at his feet. It wasn’t the MAV that fired, it was his sister Kim. He didn’t see the raptor coming and it would have nailed him if Kim hadn’t been there. Kim laid the rifle on the front of the MAV and headed toward him. He was shaking his head when she got there.
Trying to hide a grin, Kim said, “…always having to pull my brother’s tail out of the fire…”
“What?!” he asked incredulously. “I believe I saved yours first. You are so old. Are you having memory lapses now?”
“I let you save me. I just wanted to boost your ego,” she said laughing.
Laughing, Marcus said, “Whatever. Let’s go see if they are ok.”
Chapter 4
They went into the gift shop cautiously. Jocelyn normally didn’t miss anything but there was always a chance. He was sure that Jocelyn would have gotten the third one if he hadn’t told her to stand down. Looking around he could tell that the raptors had pretty much tore up the place. The store was clear and they made their way to the steps going to the top. There was still no sign of the boys. Moving with caution, it took Marcus and Kim over twenty minutes to climb the thirty-seven flights of stairs.
As they finished the last flight, they could see why the boys hadn’t come down. One of them was still stuck under the door and the raptor. His foot had got wedged in with the door and the other boy was working trying to get it unstuck. The boy that was stuck was probably fifteen or sixteen and had brown hair. It was hard to judge with him lying on the catwalk, but Marcus figured he was just a couple of inches below six feet tall. The boy that was helping him was blonde-headed and probably around five feet seven inches tall or so. Marcus figured he was probably fourteen. Both were very thin and very scared. Marcus could see the relief wash over their face when they realized that Marcus and Kim weren’t another raptor.
“How are you guys doing?” asked Marcus smiling.
Kim pushed by Marcus and said, “How do you think they are doing? How would you feel about being lunch for these monsters? Don’t just stand there. Let’s see if we can get the door off of him.”
With Marcus and Kim helping, they were able to get the door unstuck and get the boy on his feet. His ankle was twisted and hurting. He had a few scratches but nothing very serious.
After they got him up and leaning against the railing, Kim stuck out her hand and said, “Hi, my name is Kim and the big lug with me is Marcus.”
Shaking both their hands, the hurt boy said, “My name is Connor and his name is Luke.”
Luke didn’t say anything but shook their hands.
“Y’all sure you are okay?” asked Kim.
Connor spoke up and said, “Yeah, we’re fine.”
All at once Luke blurted out, “Y’all ain’t going to hurt us are you?”
Kim spoke up and tried to ease his fears, “Don’t worry. We are here to help you. You are safe.”
Marcus smiled a little and said, “Don’t worry guys. Who do you think shot these monsters off of you?” With that, he stepped over and gave one of the raptors a little kick.
“That was good shootin’ if I say so myself,” said Marcus as he stuck out his chest in pride.
Kim rolled her eyes and hit him again. “Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back big guy. Besides, it took you three shots. I could have done it in two.”
“Whatever…” said Marcus.
“Marcus, you help Connor down the steps and we will get out of here,” said Kim. “Do y’all stay around here nearby?”
“We usually stay down the road from here,” said Connor.
“Do y’all stay with someone else or are y’all by yourself?” asked Marcus.
“We’ve been by ourselves for a few months now” said Connor. “The rest are either dead or gone.”
Marcus helped Connor down the flights of stairs. It took them over an hour to get to the bottom.
As they made it to the MAV, Kim asked, “anybody hungry?”
Both of the boys spoke up at once and said the same thing, “I’m starving.”
Chapter 5
Kim opened the back of the MAV and got meals out for everyone. Connor and Luke ate theirs like a pack of ravenous wolves. Kim asked if they wanted some more and they both accepted another meal greedily. Just from the looks of them, Kim could tell that they hadn’t been eating very well.
“When’s the last time you guys ate?” asked Marcus.
Connor spoke up and said, “I think it was two days ago. We had a close call with some more of those raptors and we have been afraid to go out and find any food. We finally had to go looking.”
They both ate until they were stuffed and moaning. Marcus was glad they had packed for an extended trip in case they needed it.
“Well, do you boys need a lift back to your place or did y’all drive over here?” asked Marcus.
Connor and Luke looked at each other for a second and then Connor spoke up. “Uh. Well. Uh. We walked here,” he said.
“Where are y’all going?” asked Luke.
“We are headed back to our place. We still have a ways to go,” said Kim.
“Y’all are welcome to stay with us a few days,” said Luke.
Kim could see the fear in their eyes and knew that these boys were scared and alone.
“No. We’re good. We will just drop y’all off and head out,” said Marcus.
Kim rolled her eyes and hit him again. Marcus had begun to notice that she was making that a habit. Apparently Kim was getting back into her old habits she had when she still lived at home. She had always picked on him as he was growing up before she turned eighteen and left for the military. This brought a smile to Marcus. He sure was glad she was home.
She turned and looked at the boys. “Never mind him. He doesn’t use his head for anything but a hat rack most of the time. How would y’all like to come with us? You would have to share the work and do your part but you would be relatively safe and at least have a decent meal most of the time.”
The boys looked at one another briefly and both agreed wholeheartedly.
“We will do anything you want. I don’t know if you could tell but we have been having a rough time,” said Connor.
“Nawww…” said Marcus.
Kim hit him again.
“Do you have anything that you want to go back and pick up where you were staying?” asked Kim.
“We have a few items that we would really like to go back and get if you wouldn’t mind,” said Connor.
“No problem, guys,” said Marcus. “Y’all get in and we’ll get out of here.”
Kim opened the door for Connor and helped him in while Luke went to the other side. Marcus and Kim got in the front and they took off. Connor and Luke were awestruck by the MAV and asked a thousand questions. They had never been in a vehicle that had the technology that the MAV had.
It didn’t take them long to get to the old hotel where the boys were staying. Marcus went with Luke inside and picked up the items they wanted to keep while Kim stayed with Connor at the MAV. They were staying in a large suite at the top of the hotel. It was a nice suite but the hotel didn’t have power and water. They had been hauling water up twenty flights of stairs. Marcus just shook his head. After they went into the suite, Marcus noticed that they didn’t have much. Apparently, the main thing they had wanted to go back for was for just for some old pictures. It didn’t take them but about forty-five minutes to pick up the pictures and other items and then they were on their way back home.
Kim talked to them about their families and everything that had happened since the outbreak. Luke’s family had all died during the outbreak. Connor’s family had basically come through the virus unscathed. Early on they had become part of a small colony that had thrived until about a year ago when they were wiped out by a small army of cutthroats. Connor’s father and mother were killed during this conflict. His little sister had disappeared and he never saw her again. He searched for her for days. He finally gave up and came to the conclusion that the cutthroats took her or a dinosaur had gotten her. Kim could see how heartbroken and emotional he was over her.
There were several different ways to travel home. Marcus decided that they would go up the mountain near Huntsville and travel the length of the mountain home. Although most people would picture a mountain as one with pointed snow covered peaks, this mountain was basically a long plateau traveling from the edge of Tennessee almost to Birmingham. It is well over one hundred miles long.
Chapter 6
Wynd and Danielle found Virginia and after some good old-fashioned dickering, came to terms on an arrangement. Virginia would do her best to emulate the Krispy Kreme donuts and the girls would get their hands on some bananas. Virginia was dying to make banana pudding with real bananas. They weren’t sure where they would get them but they were going to do their best. After they came to their arrangement, Wynd went back and sat down in front of the huge television monitor in the living room to see how Jocelyn’s search was going.
“How’s it going, Joce?” asked Wynd.
“Scanning is seventy-five percent complete,” said Jocelyn. “Nothing major to report on at the moment… Hold on… Something is coming into view… Correction… The drone has spotted something. There is a small convoy approaching Chattanooga from the north. There are fourteen vehicles and approximately thirty men. Indications are that they are affiliated with the Jackals.”
“Any indication of what they are doing?” asked Wynd.
“I am still monitoring but based on their current activities, I would estimate that they are searching for someone,” said Jocelyn. “Based on the available data that I have, I would say that they are looking for Savvy. The leader is the same one that had held her before.”
“Oh no. Please be sure that she doesn’t find out. She still has nightmares about them,” said Wynd.