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Jessie gasped and dropped her purse and jacket. She stared at Dack with complete
surprise and horror.
"Where's the statue?" Dack demanded to know.
Jessie stared at him with a look of confusion and concern. "Statue? What statue?" Jessie quickly backed away from the desk and as far away from Dack as the room would allow.
"Don't play dumb with me," Dack growled. "My patience is limited."
Jessie nervously looked behind her to a connecting door several feet away. She knew she'd never be able to make it to the door. She looked back at Dack and the gun he held. Dack moved further into the room to keep the gun aimed at her. Collin pulled himself to his feet along side the desk, while clutching his bleeding shoulder in one hand and held the microscope in the other. He cracked Dack on the head with the microscope. Dack sank halfway in pain but didn't pass out.
"Run, Jessie!" Collin cried out as Dack spun to face him.
Dack fired his weapon at close range. Collin fell backward and was thrown across the desk and onto the floor on the other side. Jessie cried out then spun and ran for the back door. Dack turned and fired upon her. The shots rang out and hit the wall near her. She ran through the doorway and came out in the connecting hall. Jessie darted for the back stairs and ran up them. Loud footfalls could be heard racing behind Jessie. She passed through the first floor doorway and ran across the dark lobby, past the dinosaur replica. She hurried for the front door and skidded to a stop just short of it. She slipped in spilled blood on the floor and fell on her side. She slowly pulled herself to her feet and looked at the blood on her hands. Jessie gasped and hurried for the door. She attempted to open it, but it wouldn't open.
Jessie looked behind her. Dack wasn't there. She ran back through the lobby to the security guards office. She threw open the door and bolted inside. She looked out the small window. Three men in black clothing and masks appeared near the dinosaur replica and looked around. One pointed to the front door and ran for it. Jessie nervously raked her fingers through her hair and looked around the office for some help. Fred and two other guards lie on the floor near the security monitors. Both were dead. She held back her gasp and flattened herself against the door. She turned toward the door. A man in black appeared before the small window. Jessie cried out and back away from the door. She looked back to the dead guards. They still wore their guns. She ran to the dead guard and removed his gun. She spun to the door with the gun in her hand, but the man was gone.
"Find Dack!" he was heard yelling. "We need the key to the office!"
Jessie held back her tears of fright and panic. She hurried to the office door and looked out the small window. Two men stood near the dinosaur replica with their automatic weapons. She'd never make it out the door let alone to the safety of the next. Jessie cursed softly and rested her head against the side of the gun. The two men in black suddenly became alarmed and looked to the high ceiling. The skylight only revealed darkness.
"What was that?" the first man asked.
"I didn't see anything," the second replied.
Something moved past the skylight.
"There!" the first man cried out and aimed the gun upward. He fired a shot at the skylight. The bullet penetrated the glass but didn't shatter it.
A shadow passed the skylight and grew larger. The outline of a human struck the skylight. The glass shattered as a half human creature fell through the skylight and free fell into the room. The creature flipped once in the air and landed in a crouched position on the floor near them. He sprang up and punched the first man in the face. The second man backed up several steps with a look of horror then opened fire upon him. The creature backed up a step as the bullets struck his body then started to walk forward, despite the bullet fire. The second man backed up with horror. He swung the weapon at the creature. The creature caught the weapon with his left hand and punched the man with his right. The second man flew backward several feet and struck the base of the dinosaur replica. The first man jumped to his feet and cracked his weapon across the creature's head. The creature simply turned and grabbed him by the throat. The first man gasped and clutched the hand that held onto him. He was lifted a foot from the floor. The creature pulled him forward then cast him across the lobby with such force that he slid twenty feet along the floor.
Jessie stared through the window with shock and horror while clutching the guard's gun. She looked back into the office a moment and contemplated her situation. When she looked back toward the lobby, the human-like creature was gone. Jessie stared a moment longer and looked around as best she could. She slowly unlocked the door and opened it. Jessie stepped out of the office and looked around cautiously. The creature man was nowhere to be found. She quickly hurried across the lobby toward the front door. She hesitated several feet from the door then hurried back to the desk and picked up the phone. There was no dial tone. She cast the phone aside and looked back across the lobby. Her father was still in the museum and could be in serious danger. She hurried across the lobby, past the two men writhing in pain, and hurried into the back office area.
Jessie opened the office door and looked inside. Her father and Brian were gone. Jessie hurried toward the desk and picked up the phone. It also was dead. She set the phone down and sank into thought. Someone could be heard in the hallway. Jessie approached the door and looked into the hall. Dack opened one of the office doors and entered. Jessie hurried into the hallway and bolted for the back hallway.
Jessie entered the dark break room and slipped along the wall toward the back of the room. The sound of someone could be heard in the hallway not far from the break room. Jessie went to the window and attempted to open it. It wouldn't budge. A shadow passed by the break room door. Jessie tensed then hurried along side a vending machine with the gun raised. She cautiously looked around the vending machine. Dack entered the break room. He was now carrying an automatic rifle. Jessie flattened herself against the wall and shut her eyes a moment. She held her breath then looked around the corner with the gun aimed. She fired at Dack and winged him in the arm. He was momentarily surprised then opened fire at the vending machine. Jessie cried out as the bullets struck the soda machine. Sparks began to fly from the machine. The sound of the gunfire suddenly ceased. Jessie remained flattened against the wall near the soda machine. She was too frightened to move. She kept the gun level in front of her, prepared to shoot the first thing that appeared in her line of sight.
Dack appeared several feet before her with his automatic rifle aimed. Jessie screamed and pulled the trigger. Click. Jessie gasped with alarm and pulled the trigger again. Nothing happened. She stared at Dack with wide, horrified eyes and dropped the gun.
"Poor Jessie," Dack announced with false remorse. "Who's going to save you now?" A sinister smile crossed his face. "Understand, it's nothing personal. We just can't have witnesses." Dack tightened his finger on the trigger.
A beastly snarl could be heard from the darkened room. Dack hesitated then spun around. The human-like creature stood along side Dack. At close range, the creature resembled a cross between a werewolf and a panther. His breathing sounded almost like a growl-an inhuman growl. Dack's eyes widened in horror. The creature snarled and snatched the rifle and tossed Dack across the floor with the use of the rifle. The creature cast the rifle aside and took two, large strides toward Dack. Dack sprang to his feet with a switchblade in his hand and slashed the creature across the chest. The creature hesitated a moment and touched the blood from his chest. He then looked back at Dack. Dack lunged forward and attempted to plunge the knife into the creature. The creature swung at him with four, long, sharp claws and slashed them across Dack's throat. Dack gasped with horror while clinging to the creature. Dack clutched his own bleeding throat and sank to the floor.
