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Jessie ran through the basement corridor, past the lab area. She paused near the open lab door and stared a moment. "Collin," she whispered softly and sadly then stepped into the doorway. There was blood on the floor near the desk, but Collin was gone. Jessie stared a long moment with confusion and concern. "Collin?" she whispered softly. Jessie looked around the room from where she stood then backed into the wall while shaking her head. She felt the wall behind her then quickly turned around. The red fire alarm box stared back at her. "I must be stupid!" she gasped softly. Jessie pulled the lever down without hesitation.
A loud alarm began to ring long and loud with an almost deafening sound. She ran into the room and set the rifle down on the desk. She opened several cabinet doors before finding the first aid kit. Jessie retrieved her automatic rifle along with the first aid kit and ran from the lab.
Jessie paused in the Egyptian display doorway and looked around the room with caution. She then entered the room and stopped halfway across it. There was a small pool of blood on the floor where her father once lie, but her father was gone. Panic and fear swept through her while the alarm continued to wail. She nervously looked around the room then hurried for the connecting corridor.
Jessie entered the lobby and hurried past the dinosaur display through the broken skylight glass. There was still no sign of her father. Jessie was suddenly grabbed from behind. She screamed until the knife was placed against her throat. She immediately silenced. The man in black snatched the rifle from her and tossed it aside.
"You're getting me out of here," the man announced in a frightened tone.
"You're insane," Jessie replied softly.
The man began pushing her toward the front door while keeping the knife to her throat. He continued to look around nervously. Once they reached the door, Jessie fumbled with the keys to find the right one. Danby pulled himself up from behind the front desk while holding on the of the guard's guns. The gun trembled in his unsteady hand.
"Let her go," Danby growled softly.
The man looked behind him and spun Jessie around to face her father. He kept the knife to her throat.
"Just leave," Danby announced in a weak voice. "I'm not interested in detaining you. Just leave my daughter."
"Just as soon as I'm out the door," the man replied. He fumbled with the key in the lock and opened the door. A shadow passed over them. The man threw Jessie across the lobby floor and spun around toward the open doorway. The creature dropped down before him. Both the man and the creature stared at one another. The creature snarled and bared its sharp teeth. The man screamed with terror. The creature picked him up and tossed him across the lobby. The man hit the floor and slid twenty feet toward the dinosaur display.
Danby stared at the creature while the gun continued to tremble in his weak hand. Jessie quickly scrambled to her feet and remained motionless while staring at the creature. "Run, Jessie."
"No, Dad," she gasped softly and continued to stare at the creature. "Don�t shoot it."
"What?" Danby gasped.
The creature continued to snarl and breath heavily. It walked on two feet toward Jessie while staring at her. Its heaving breath almost drown out the wailing alarm. The creature looked into Jessie's eyes. There was something familiar in his eyes. He walked past her and climbed up the wall to the ceiling. Both Jessie and Danby watched as the creature climbed across the ceiling on all fours and positioned itself in a dark shadow in the corner of the lobby. The darkness almost made it impossible to see the creature where it rested.
Jessie quickly turned and hurried to the discarded first aid kit then ran back for her father behind the desk.
"I couldn't find you in the Egyptian display," Jessie announced softly. "I thought something else had happened to you."
"When I heard the alarm," her father began, "I figured I'd position myself close to the front door for when help arrived. You were supposed to leave."
"Help's on its way," Jessie informed him softly while fumbling with cloth pads and tape.
"You're going to be okay." Jessie placed the thick pad beneath his shirt and pressed it against the wound. Her father cringed with pain. "Apply pressure."
Danby held the pad to his wound and collapsed in the chair behind the front desk. Jessie turned and reached for the discarded rifle on the floor. Someone stood before Jessie as she was crouched down, reaching for the rifle. She slowly looked up. Brian stood over her with his gun and the statue in hand. Brian glared at her then kicked her in the chin. Jessie was thrown backwards and landed roughly on the floor, writhing in pain. Danby attempted to pull himself from the chair behind the desk. Brian aimed the gun at Jessie and tightened his finger on the trigger.
"Sorry-no witnesses," Brian said simply.
A loud snarl was heard just behind Brian. He suddenly froze. Brian spun around to come face to face with the snarling fangs of the creature standing on two feet. Brian fired the gun. The creature was thrown back a step. It straightened then took a step toward him. Jessie slowly pulled herself to her hands and knees. The sound of sirens could be heard outside of the museum. Brian threw the statue at the creature, turned, and ran for the door. The creature sprang forward and pounced on top of Brian like a wild cat, landing on top of him. Brian groaned with pain. Police officers could be heard approaching the door on foot. The creature sprang off of Brian, onto the wall, and ran across the ceiling and returned to the same dark corner. Jessie stared at the corner then looked to the front door as the police entered with their guns drawn.
It was early the next morning and police cars still remained parked outside of the museum. The last ambulance pulled away with its lights flashing but without the sirens. Two officers remained within the museum lobby. They documented last details. Jessie entered the museum through the front door and looked around. There were several chalk outlines near the dinosaur display. Jessie looked to the dark corner. The faint outline of something could still be seen in the corner. She looked to the two officers.
"We're just about finished here," the officer informed her. "We'll need to seal off the museum for further investigations. I've never seen killings like this before. Are you sure they did this to each other? That man we arrested said there was a creature."
Jessie placed her hands in her pockets. "Brian coordinated the entire robbery. He ordered the deaths of all of those guards. They turned on each other, resulting in many deaths. As far as some wild creature, neither my father nor I saw anything that matched that description."
The officer slowly nodded, although it was clear he wasn't completely convinced. "We're going to lock up now."
Jessie smiled gently. "Could I have one minute alone?"
Both officers looked at one another, shrugged, then left the museum through the front door. Jessie slowly walked several feet across the lobby and looked to the dark corner.
"I owe you my life" she said gently while looking up to the corner. "My father thanks you too." Jessie continues to stare at the dark corner in the ceiling. "Are we still on for tonight, Collin?"
