The trees and shrubs began to thin until finally, the jungle terminated into a large field with a rolling landscape consisting of several small hills and bluffs and a few scattered trees. Without slowing his pace, Alan sprinted onto the open field. He had known it would be there, and he knew from the map back in the office at the compound that the bunker would involve one of those hills. Finding it should be easy enough, as long as they maintained a good lead on the Spinosaurus.
Ellie stumbled on a patch of uneven ground and nearly fell, breaking her handhold with him as she struggled to maintain her upright position. With a cry of pain and surprise, she went down heavily on one knee, but managed to recover without falling completely to the ground. Free from Alan�s consistent pull on her hand, she staggered and finally stopped, gasping for breath and fighting to keep her face from contorting in pain. For some time now, she had been keeping the burning ache in her abdomen a secret from him. Her hand sought out the source of the pain and was grateful to find that there was no blood, yet the pain was severe enough to raise concern that she had caused damage to the surgical incisions, either during the fall down the slope or during the run for their lives.
Unable to stop quickly, Alan ran ahead several paces, then returned to her side. He was gasping for breath, as well, and was not alarmed when she removed the hand from her abdomen, assuming that she was suffering from a cramp in her side.
Behind them, a thundering roar rose from the depths of the jungle, causing both of them to turn toward it. It was only a matter of moments before the predator reached the prairie as well.
�We can take a moment to catch our breath, but we can�t stop. It isn�t going to give up.� Turning his back on the jungle, Alan shifted his eyes to the open field again, seeking out the location of the safety bunker that had been carved into the ground years earlier by the previous scientists. He could see the solid metal door standing against a mound of earth in the middle of the field, and pointed toward it. �There�s the bunker!�
Ellie saw the bunker door, tantalizingly near, yet so distant in her exhaustion that it might as well have been a mile away. Her heart sank, discouraged, and tears welled in her eyes. �I�m too tired,� she gasped. �I can�t go that far.�
�Yes, you can,� he insisted.
�Please,� she pleaded, her breathing alarmingly labored. �I have to rest.� Her legs were shaking uncontrollably and the pain in her abdomen was growing worse to the degree that the act of breathing intensified the pain. Pressing her hand against her abdomen again, she sank down into the grass. Alan�s firm hand tried to pull her back up, but she resisted, which caused him to drag her for several feet. She was dead weight, and she made no effort to get up.
�Come on, Ellie!� he urged, refusing to allow her to give up and refusing to relinquish his hold on her hand. �Get up!�
�I can�t!� she told him, then instantly regretted her sharp reply. �I can�t go any farther, Alan. I just can�t do it.�
Looking into her eyes, he realized that she was giving up. A twinge of panic stirred in his heart. He couldn�t lose her like this! �We don�t have much time,� he told her. �It will be in the open any moment, now.�
She doubled over the hand that was pressed tightly to her stomach, fighting the urge to weep. Maybe it would be easier just to let go, to let the Spinosaurs take her, and in doing so save Alan. With her gone, he would be able to escape, and she would be with her children again. �I can�t make it, Alan. You have to go on without me. I�ll try to hide in the grass, or something.�
�I won�t leave you here, Ellie,� he told her, his eyes watching the treeline. He could not see the Spinosaurus through the foliage, but he could hear it coming toward them. �We�re losing time,� he prompted. �We must go now!� He noticed then that her fist was pressed tightly against her abdomen, and realized with a jolt that it was not a cramp that was troubling her. He dropped to his knees before her, and grasped her wrist in an attempt to pull her hand away, but she refused to yield. �Ellie, what�s wrong?� he asked, greatly concerned. �Have you torn open your incisions?�
�No, it�s just hurting a bit,� she admitted.
�Let me see it,� he demanded.
Her eyes flashed angrily, but she removed her hand, allowing him to lift the hem of her blouse to observe the scars that marred her fair skin, the scars she still wished he had never seen. Her abdomen rose and fell rapidly with her accelerated breathing, but there was no reopening of the injuries.
He lifted his eyes to hers, guiltily; a silent apology.
�Satisfied?� she asked.
�I�m just worried about you.� The sounds of the Spinosaurus crashing through the dense foliage were getting louder, and he knew they were wasting valuable time. His hand sought hers again, but she pulled away. �Come on,� he insisted. �We have to get going.�
She glanced behind her, so totally defeated that she had resigned herself to her fate. �I can�t go any farther, Alan,� she repeated, calmly.
�Then we�ll both die, because I won�t leave you.�
She knew he meant it. �No, you have to go on. Just leave me here.�
�That bunker is our only chance to survive this,� he told her. �And I already told you, I won�t leave you. Either we both go, or we both die.�
She glanced quickly behind her toward the jungle, then back at his anxious face. He was waiting for her answer, the answer that would determine if they lived or became dinner for the volatile dinosaur. And she knew he was already aware that he had pushed the right button; after all, she had come halfway around the world to save his life. He knew she would not sacrifice him to the carnivore. Damn you, Alan Grant! cursed the silent voice inside her head. Finally, she sighed with resignation. �All right, I�ll try.�
Summoning the last ounce of her vanishing strength, she allowed him to pull her to her feet, and she followed him across the meadow toward the metal door that was beckoning from the mound of earth that marked its location.
Behind them, the Spinosaurus had reached the edge of the meadow, and bellowed its fury as it saw its prey fleeing. The ground thundered as it raced toward them.
Ellie�s feet felt like they had turned to lead, and she was having difficulty picking them up, but she managed to increase her pace, due in no small part to Alan�s constant pull on her hand. The tenderness in her abdomen increased with every breath, and she pressed her free hand tighter against it in an effort to suppress the pain.
Reaching the bunker door, Alan grasped the handle, praying that it had not rusted shut. With a shrill metallic squeal, the door slowly yielded to the man who yanked backward with all his might. When it was open far enough to admit them, he shoved Ellie inside. Unprepared for the downward slope, she fell forward on the hard concrete floor, and quickly rolled away from the door to give Alan room to enter. He glanced over his shoulder as he dodged inside, staring into the jaws of death. The Spino was almost on top of him, stretching its neck down with wide-open jaws.
Alan dodged into the darkness of the bunker, and braced his foot against the frame to provide leverage as he pulled the door shut behind him. At that moment, the Spino struck it so hard that the heavy metal door slammed shut and rattled on its double-reinforced hinges. The impact threw Alan to the floor on his back. He scrambled to his feet quickly, and his groping hands found the heavy slide lock, and he slammed it into place.
Outside, the animal�s deafening roar pierced the still air, and the bunker shook as it circled the enclosure seeking a way inside, but it was solid. They were safe, for the moment.
Alan�s heart was hammering in his chest and thudding loudly in his ears. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on his knees, giving in to his own exhaustion. �I�m too old for this,� he panted, struggling to catch his breath.
Somewhere below him, deeper in the bunker�s interior, he could hear Ellie gasping for breath. �I�m younger than you are, and I�m just as tired,� her voice came back to him through the darkness. �Maybe more so.�
He was too tired to answer. For several minutes, the only sounds were their own accelerated breathing and the bellowing of the enraged beast outside. The bunker shuddered with each of its steps as it continued to circle the shelter. Finally, the sounds outside ceased, but Alan knew it was not yet safe.
The ground sloped downward into the mound of earth, and when he was somewhat rested, Alan straightened up and with his hand outstretched, he moved toward the wall. When he found it, he felt his way along the cool concrete, moving toward the direction of Ellie�s voice. Groping in the darkness to find her, his hand grasped something soft, and he realized that it was her breast. He jerked his hand away as if he had just received an electric shock. �Sorry.�
Her voice, still breathless from their dash to safety, contained a trace of amusement. �It isn�t as if you�ve never touched it before.�
�Let�s sit down and rest awhile,� he suggested. He slipped off the backpack and placed it on the floor, then, leaning back, he slid down the hard wall until he was seated on the floor. Removing his hat, he dragged his fingers through his long, sweat-soaked hair, and tossed his hat onto the floor beside him. It felt good to sit down, and he leaned his head against the wall behind him and closed his eyes, giving in to his weariness.
Ellie sank down beside him, her arm pressed against his for comfort and security. They could not see one another, but they could feel the other�s presence.
It was cool inside the bunker. The walls, floor and ceiling were constructed of solid concrete, protecting the human-made subterranean shelter from the sun�s rays. Only a small sliver of light peeped in under the solid door, providing meager visibility as their eyes slowly adjusted to their burrow. Gradually, their breathing and heart rates returned to normal, and the pains in Ellie�s abdomen began to ease up.
Realizing that she would be dead at that very moment had Alan allowed her to remain behind, she felt suddenly ashamed of her weakness and so very, very glad that Alan had not left her to the Spinosaurus, as she had urged him to do. �Alan, thank you for not allowing me to give up out there. I was so tired, I just didn�t think I could go any farther, and I didn�t want you to be killed too.�
He heard the shame in her voice, but did not wish to embarrass her further by calling attention to it. �Well, we�re not out of it yet,� he replied. �Unfortunately, we still have a long walk back to the compound. We�ll have to be extra cautious.�
Ellie had already thought of that. �I know.�
�Ellie, you were inside one of the bunkers on Isla Nublar, weren�t you?�
�Uh-huh.�
�Did they keep any supplies or useable items there?�
She knew instantly what he was thinking about. �Yes, they did! They had an arsenal!�
He scrambled to his feet, eagerly. �This one is probably on a smaller scale, but maybe, if we�re lucky, there will be something we can use.� In the near total darkness, he could barely see a foot in front of him, but as he felt his way along the cold walls, his hand struck something hard and metallic. A storage cabinet!
His hand slid around to the twin doors of the cabinet, and grasped the handle, half expecting to find it locked. Obviously, it had been placed there to assist the workers in an emergency, for the cabinet doors easily opened wide without the need for a key.
Feeling his way through the contents with his hands, unable to identify most of them by touch, he searched for something useable and eventually touched something he recognized as a flashlight. Although he already knew that the batteries would be dead, he couldn�t resist the need to check to be certain. He flicked the switch several times, but the flashlight did not respond. He returned it to the cabinet, and felt around until his hand found something long and waxy. His hand slid up the smooth surface to the tapered top and found the wick.
�A candle.�
�Obviously, they wanted to cover all bases in case the batteries were dead in the flashlight. �Now if we just had a way of lighting it,� Ellie commented. �Are there any matches?�
His hands fumbled over the objects until he found a small box with a rough strip of striker friction up each side. �Found it. Hopefully, they will still be good after all this time,� he said, sliding the box open.
�My mother has been using the same box of matches for the last ten years. They�re still good, so maybe these will be too, if they�ve stayed dry.�
Alan removed a match from the box, struck the tip on the rough strip, and watched as a spark sputtered and died.
�Try another one,� Ellie urged, undaunted. �Sometimes you get a bad one, even in a good box.�
Alan removed another match, and struck it. A small flame flickered at the end of the small wooden stick, and he held the candle close to it until it ignited. A soft glow of light illuminated the dark interior of the bunker. It was even smaller than they had originally realized, a small burrow resembling a storm cellar, nothing at all like the large bunker Ellie had shared with Hammond, Muldoon, and Malcolm on the other island.
�Well, at least we can see, now!� she said.
�Here, take this,� he said, passing the candle to her.
Able to see the items now, Alan searched through the assortment of items inside the supply cabinet. His eyes lingered on the small rifle rack, which was capable of holding at least three rifles. Unfortunately, they either had not been included in the original supplies, or else they had been removed sometime prior to the evacuation. A compact first aid kit stood on its end on an upper shelf, and he removed it, intending to dress Ellie�s injured arm. Other items inside the cabinet included a length of nylon rope, a stack of thin blankets, the useless flashlight, and more candles. He could not think of any use for the rope, so he left it where it was and closed the doors again. Still inside their protective plastic wrapping, the blankets were in surprisingly good shape, so he removed them and closed the cabinet door.
�Well, not very helpful, but better than nothing, I suppose,� Alan said.
�The bunker on the other island was a lot bigger than this,� Ellie told him. �It was built to accommodate the staff, and it had a lot of shotguns and walkie-talkies there. Muldoon had the key required to open the gun closet.�
�Well, I guess it stands to reason that they wouldn�t want to leave a lot of guns lying around the island unattended, but I was sure hoping for something more useful.�
Ellie tipped the candle so that a small puddle of wax formed on the concrete floor. She set the base of the candle in the hot wax, and held upright until the wax hardened, affixing the candle to the floor.
Alan opened the blankets and spread them on the floor for them to sit on, then he popped open the lid on the first aid kit. Inside it were gauze pads, unopened bottles of iodine and sterile saline solution, band-aids and adhesive tape. Taking a couple of the gauze pads, he opened the lid on the saline and poured some of it on to the pad. Then he reached for Ellie�s arm.
She folded the arm back, exposing the injury, and watched as Alan gently cleaned the scrape, wiping away the blood and dirt. Next, he opened the bottle of iodine and paused to glance at her face. His own experience with iodine was that it stung terribly, so as he applied the tip of the applicator to the injury, he blew on it to ease the sting. Another gauze pad was placed over the wound, and held in place with the tape.
�Better?� he asked, pressing the tape firmly into place.
She nodded. �Thank you, Doctor Grant.�
�Are your incisions still causing you pain?� he asked, gesturing toward her abdomen.
She shook her head. �No, it feels better, now. I must have just pulled something and made it sore.�
With Ellie�s injuries attended to, they leaned back to wait, watching the flickering candlelight dance on the walls while outside a killer stalked the meadow, waiting for it prey to emerge.
The time passed slowly inside the bunker. The candle burned down, and was replaced by another in their desire to avoid being plunged into complete darkness again.
�Do you think it�s gone?� Ellie asked after awhile.
Alan lifted his eyes to the ceiling, listening for any sounds of the creature outside or above them, but heard nothing. The bunker had been still and quiet for some time now, indicating that the creature was not moving around. �I don�t know,� he replied. �Maybe. We�ll give it a little more time to be safe.�
�I�ve never seen an animal that big,� she said, awestruck.
�Or as lethal.� He cast a longing glance toward the storage cabinet. �Damn, I wish I had a gun. If ever there was an animal that needed to be destroyed, it�s that one. Those geneticists had no business bringing this particular animal back into the world. Of all the mistakes they made, the Spinosaurus is the biggest mistake of all. The only good thing about it is that they only created one, so at least it can�t reproduce.�
�I guess that explains why the animals have all left the area. Obviously, it�s moved farther inland!�
�Yeah. I guess I should have considered this as a possible explanation for the other animals� evacuation. I had never encountered anything like this before, but it makes sense. I�ve seen it a few times, so it�s probably been inland for awhile, picking off members of the herds over a period of time, but we somehow managed to avoid contact with it, until now. The other animals must have migrated away from the danger. If it can no longer find food in this area, it will eventually move on in search of game.�
�That�s the good news,� she said. �I hope it moves on quickly.� She fell silent for a moment, pondering a question that she had been too tired and scared to ask while they were running for their lives. �How did you know this bunker would be here?�
�There�s a map back at the compound that shows the locations of the bunkers and other man-made structures on the island. Whenever I go into an area, I always try to locate the nearest bunker on the map. I�ve come across several of them, mostly in areas that are relatively far away from the compound. Obviously, they were set in place to provide emergency shelter for the workers in the field in case they encountered a situation like the one we�re in.�
�I�m glad they had the foresight to do that. Have you ever had to use one before?�
�No. This is the first.�
She sighed, heavily, and slid her body farther down the wall so that she was almost reclining. She was tired and severely disheartened by her inability to keep up with Alan during the run to save their lives. Because of her weakness, she had placed Alan in danger.
�What are you thinking about?� Alan asked after awhile.
�I nearly got us both killed,� she said.
�No, you didn�t. I let my guard down again.�
�Alan, would you quit trying to take the blame for everything? If I hadn�t been here, you would have been able to run faster and farther.�
�It doesn�t matter, Ellie. If we didn�t have this bunker, it would have gotten me regardless of how far I can run.� He reached out and squeezed her knee and patted her thigh. �Don�t worry about it. We�re safe, and that�s all that matters.�
�How long have we been trapped in here?� Ellie asked.
Alan pressed the small button on the side of his wrist watch, and the face was immediately illuminated. �About four hours,� he replied.
�I hate to bring this up, but if we don�t get out of here soon, nature is going to start demanding immediate attention.�
He understood what she was referring to. �Yeah, me too.�
He glanced toward the sliver of light that peeked from beneath the door, and stood up.
�What are you going to do?� Ellie asked, worriedly.
�I�m going to take a peek outside and see if it�s still there,� he replied, moving slowly up the slope toward the thin light that shone underneath the door, where it did not quite meet the floor.
�Be careful,� she cautioned, but her warning sounded lame even as the words were spoken. Of course, he would be careful, she reminded herself.
Alan grasped the metal slide bar, and pushed it back. After a brief hesitation, as if gathering his courage, he pushed the door slightly ajar and peered out through the crack, squinting in the bright light.
The area immediately in front of the bunker was devoid of any living thing. He could see all the way across the meadow to the jungle, but there was no movement anywhere to suggest that danger lay nearby.
He pushed the door open farther, remaining cautious, but reasonably certain now that the creature had finally become bored with trying to reach its inaccessible quarry, and had moved off to try to find other prey. Turning his body sideways, he took one step outside and scoped the entire area, paying particular attention to the area behind the mounded earthen roof of the bunker. Because of its size, the Spinosaurus would have easily been visible had it been lying in wait for him, and he felt relief that the entire meadow was free of dinosaurs.
Turning back to Ellie, he beckoned with his hand. �Come on. It�s gone.�
She was standing against the wall, watching. �You�re sure?� she asked, afraid to step out into the open where there was no shelter.
�Pretty sure,� he replied. �We can�t stay here forever, though. We�re going to have to venture out some time. Its going to be dark before we get back to the compound, as it is.�
She blew out the candle, and retrieved his hat for him as she made her way up the sloping floor to the door. She handed it to him when she reached the door.
Moving slowly and cautiously, the two humans emerged from their underground shelter. Both gazed apprehensively at the edge of the jungle and at large clumps of tall trees, observing and listening carefully, but so far their search turned up no sign of danger of any kind.
�Maybe it�s finally moved on,� Alan suggested, hopefully. Grasping Ellie�s hand, he led the way toward the jungle again, where they would have some cover as they made their way back to the compound.
As always, Ellie marveled at Alan�s ability to find his way around the island without benefit of a map in hand, but she made no comment as they moved quietly through the jungle trees and ferns. She had no way of knowing, and he would never have admitted it to her, but he was struggling to recall the details of the map he kept in the office of the dormitory. Preferring to leave the map in the office where it would not get lost or damaged, he always studied it meticulously each time he ventured into an unfamiliar area, carefully noting all the topographical details and taking particular notice of anything that was a potential asset to his safety. The location of the bunker had been carefully observed prior to their departure that morning, but retracing their steps in the rapidly diminishing daylight was becoming a challenge.
At last, unseen by them through the dense trees, the sun slipped over the horizon, and a quarter moon began its slow progression across the night sky. They saw occasional glimpses of it as they passed through areas where the trees thinned, providing meager light for them to see as they continued their trek through the densest part of the jungle, where the Spinosaurus could not approach them without making enough noise to warn them.
Alan had finally released his protective hold on Ellie�s hand, trusting her to keep up as they trudged over the rough terrain at a comfortable walk. Although he tried to maintain a calm demeanor, his nervousness increased in the dark, a fact which was easily detected by the woman as she observed his alert watchfulness. The smallest noise attracted his rapt attention, and he kept a firm hold of the shock prod. Ellie held her can of pepper spray, ready to assist in the event of an attack.
A startled squeak from almost under his feet made Alan jump back, then he laughed shakily as a small field mouse scurried across the path into the safety of a clump of ferns. �My nerves are strung as tight as a fiddle string,� he admitted.
�Yeah, mine too,� Ellie agreed. Listening to the sounds of the night, she heard bullfrogs croaking at a nearby water source. �I�ve become so adapted to the creatures on this island that I had almost forgotten it was previously inhabited by common mammals and amphibians.�
�The mice, rats and even snakes and small lizards tend to fall victim to the Compies. There are also other animals, but you rarely see them. Some have been obliterated.�
As a scientist, Ellie found this troubling. �It�s so sad to see a healthy native eco-system completely taken over by an introduced species.�
�Yeah, especially a species as devastating as this one.�
Ellie brushed a hand across her arm, as if to rub away the gooseflesh that popped up on the skin. She felt chilled, even though the night air was warm. �Have you ever traveled like this after dark?� she asked, curiously, as they proceeded, using conversation to calm her tension.
�No, never. I had hoped I would never have to,� he replied, uncomfortable with the notion of talking while they were walking through the jungle. �Maybe we�d better move as quietly as possible,� he suggested.
Ellie understood that he was politely asking her to refrain from talking, and she complied with the request. Conversation would distract him from the caution necessary to move through the darkness safely and prevent him from hearing the sounds that might alert them to possible danger. Not to mention the fact that it might also signal possible predators of their presence.
Needing the physical contact, she reached toward the waistband of his jeans and took hold of the back of his belt with her left hand, while keeping her finger lightly on the nozzle of the can of pepper spray that was clutched in her right hand. Nervously, she cast frequent glances over her shoulder at the darkness of the jungle behind her, expecting at any moment to see a predator stalking them. Spooked, she crowded close behind the man, resisting the urge to run, even though there was nothing to run from.
Calm down! she told herself, annoyed by her own skittishness.
Alan could hear Ellie�s accelerated breathing close behind him, and decided that she was due a rest break. Locating a deeply shadowed spot surrounded by ferns and jungle growth, he said quietly, �We�ll rest here for a few minutes.�
Gratefully, she sank down on the cool ground, her legs folded beneath her, Indian fashion, clutching the aerosol can on her lap.
Alan sat down beside her so close that their arms were touching, but he remained alert, turning quickly toward the slightest noise, his eyes scanning the darkness on all sides.
After several minutes, they heard the sound of something moving through the undergrowth. Alan tensed, and he felt Ellie start beside him. Motioning with his hand for her to remain where she was, he quietly rose up on his knees and peered over the top of the clump of ferns.
A dark shape scurried past, so close he could almost have reached out and touched it. It was small in stature, a bipedal dinosaur. A velociraptor, he realized, gripping his shock prod tighter in his hand, preparing to defend himself if necessary.
Sensing that it was not alone, it stopped briefly to look around nervously, as if searching for something. He suspected that it was probably the same one they had seen hiding in the shallow depression beneath the bluff. Raptors did not normally travel alone, and he wondered if it had somehow become separated from its pack. It did not call out, apparently still aware of the danger posed by the much larger Spinosaurus.
Still aware that another living creature was nearby, but apparently unable to identify it, the raptor continued to gaze nervously about for several moments, turning its head first one way and then the other. Then, it abruptly darted away into the jungle.
Alan sank back down beside Ellie, and whispered. �Raptor; probably the one we saw earlier. I think its searching for its pack.�
�Wonder how it got separated from them?� she whispered.
He shrugged. They probably would never know.
After resting for several more minutes, Alan stood up. �I think we�d better get going,� he urged. �The longer we stay out here, the more dangerous it is.�
She accepted the hand that he offered, and was pulled to her feet. They started walking again, staying out of the open as much as possible, and using the closeness of the trees and fronds to their advantage.
At last, after a long night of walking, they reached the hill overlooking the compound, and saw the welcoming sight of the dormitory before them. No beckoning lights were shining through the windows, for they had expected to return before nightfall, but it was the most wonderful sight they could have imagined at that moment.
�I never thought I�d be so glad to see that building in my life!� Ellie exclaimed, so relieved to see it that she was actually fighting the urge to cry.
Alan heard the emotion in her voice, and placed a comforting arm around her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. �Let�s get inside. All I want to do now is go upstairs and crawl into bed!�
�I second that!�
Together, they hurried down the slope toward the building. When they reached it, Alan fished the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, and they went inside.
It was dark inside the building, but their eyes were well adjusted to the dark, so they proceeded up the stairs without bothering to turn on the lights. Mumbling �goodnight� to one another, they each went to his or her own cubical, and dropped down on the bed without bothering to undress.
GO TO CHAPTER SEVENTEEN