Jeremy felt the lump in his throat as they ran. The very ground thundered under the feet as the creature bore down on them. He couldn’t make himself look back, once he’d given in to running he was positive that the beast was bearing down on him and death was only seconds away.
The seconds stretched out and turned into minutes. Distantly he heard a crashing noise. Synnamon slowed but he pulled her with him, continuing to run. It wasn’t until they’d crossed the chest high grasses of the plain to where the grasses turned to shrubs and trees. Beyond the trees hills rose and turned into a ridge of small mountains. On the other side of those mountains the scans had shown signs of the wreckage of the other human ship or ships. To Jeremy’s knowledge, no easy path had yet been found through the mountains.
“Jeremy, stop!” Synnamon finally pulled her arm free and stumbled as she slowed. Her foot caught on something and she fell, grunting as she did so.
He took several paces until her realized what had happened. Turning nervously, he saw the Vitallian dinosaur was still in the base, wreaking havoc as it smashed buildings and hunted down the remaining humans. He wondered, briefly, if Fiona had made it out. Movement ahead of him returned him to the present. Synnamon was sputtering and trying to get back to her feet.
Jeremy rushed back to her and knelt down to help her up. She looked up at him, her lips curling into a surprised smile. She stood, favoring one leg, then turned to look behind them. Her gasp took away anything he could think to say. It was just as well, an echoing roar from the monster washed over them. He wanted to run again, but he held still while Synnamon clung to him.
She buried her face against his shoulder and let her body quake as a single sob turned into several. Awkwardly, Jeremy put his arms around her, but that only made it worse. She let go, soaking his shirt with her tears. She dragged him down as her legs gave out. They sat on the ground for several precious minutes.
“Picked a hell of a time to get romantic!”
Jeremy jerked himself away from Dr. Rice, rolling to his feet as he did so. Lance Corporal Kate stood there, dried blood on her bare arm. There was no mistaking who she was or that she was a Marine from her stance or the rifle held in her hands, even though she was out of uniform. She wore a skintight pair of shorts that were torn in several places. A loose halter top kept her decent only thanks to the straps that crisscrossed her torso. Straps that held weapons or spare equipment.
“We weren’t being romantic,” Synnamon snapped. She wiped her face with her hands then rubbed them on her pants before trying, and failing, to rise. “Jeremy!”
He jumped and stepped over to help her up. They both looked down to her leg. “Sprained I think,” she said. “I can walk, but I’ll need help.”
“Great,” Kate snapped. She turned to look back, then shook her head. “Seems safe here, we need to round up the other survivors.”
“Other survivors?” Jeremy said.
“You don’t think you’re the only ones? Bunch of damned lab rats, the ones that didn’t curl into a ball and suck their thumbs are probably still running and pissing themselves!”
Jeremy cleared his throat and looked pointedly at the monster that had settled down as it roamed about the ruined compound. It would dip down occasionally the move on. It was too far to be certain but a queasy feeling in his stomach made him feel certain it was feasting on his former co-workers. He continued to watch it, nauseating as it was, because he didn’t want Fiona to see the flush of shame on his face. He’d been running and ready to piss himself.
“Dr. Rice, can we leave you here while we scout?”
“What? No! What if it comes after me? Or another one…or anything? We don’t know anything about this planet yet. At least nothing other than everything keeps trying to kill us!”
Jeremy saw the panic on her face. She stared at him, shaking her head slightly and squeezing his hand tightly. “Please,” she whispered. “I can make it, I’ll go with you. I won’t slow you down!”
“We’re not using you as bait!” Kate snapped at her. “Get a grip Doc!”
Jeremy looked at her again. He remembered her pulling him away from the building, saving him. He remembered the times she’d dropped protocol to cut him a break. The times she’d let his excuses slide about his past. He nodded. “I’m not leaving her.”
Kate swore. “You think anything’s going to be within a mile of that creature after the noise it’s been making?” She shook her head and swore again. She yanked off one of the weapons and tossed it at Jeremy, hard. “Here, protect yourself from the bugs. Nothing else to worry about,” she muttered before turning away.
“Wait!” He cried out, stopping her. “Where are you going?”
“Looking for survivors, remember?” She spat. “Stay here, I’ll be back. If I’m not, well, good luck.”
Jeremy turned to look at his boss. She looked back at him, her eyes wide and her pupils slightly dilated in spite of the bright sun. When Jeremy turned back the only sight of Lance Corporal Kate was a few of the grasses that were still swaying from her passage.