Jump | Zach Mitchell

thirty-four

EVENTUALLY I have to look away from the screen. There's something about my sensitivity to life that makes it hard to watch people get ripped to shreds by animals that they once trusted.

Owen is back on his four-wheeler, guiding one of the Raptors away from the other Jurassic World employees. 

He's brave for being the distraction; he's stupid for going off on his own. He's practically offering himself up as a sacrifice – and for what? To prove what point? If anything, it shows that Hoskins' plan to militarize the Velociraptors is insane. You can train an animal all you like, but deep down, it is still an animal. Basic instinct rules its behavior.

"Is everybody dead?" Gray asks softly. I almost forgot that he was watching.

Claire turns quickly, startled. "No! Of course not, sweetheart! Everyone is fine."

"Don't lie to him!" Zach snaps. His eyes are glassy. I know that look. It's the same face he makes when he comes over to my house late at night because he can't sleep with all the yelling taking place in his parents' bedroom.

Zach is afraid.

Like always, it stirs something in my chest. I want to protect him from all the bad things in the world. Zach is an asshole most of the time, but he's truly a good person.

"He's scared! It's okay to lie when people are scared!" She barks back. Her lower lip is quivering.

I grit my teeth, jumping to defend Zach immediately. Unfortunately, my defense slams Claire. "Well, now he knows that you're lying, so good job at comforting him."

Claire regards me with wet eyes. "Jonelle, I am trying my hardest, but I have not been trained to deal with a situation like this. I could use a little support-"

"I want to go home," Gray sobs, suddenly overcome by tears. We all fall silent as his anguished cries wrack his body. Through the small window, I see Zach place an arm around his baby brother and bring him closer into his side. I've never seen Zach act so nurturing to Gray before, and it warms my heart.

"Oh, sweetheart..." Claire reaches through the window to wipe Gray's face. "You will, okay? I promise. Tomorrow you will be home, and your mother..." She trails off, slowly turning back around in her seat. "...will never let me see you again."

She lets out a small laugh, but it sounds more like she's trying to disguise the fact that she's close to tears. "And your parents, Jonelle, gah. I wouldn't be surprised if they sued me."

As much as Claire can annoy me, I reach out to touch her arm. "Hey, no, okay?" I give her a small smile – well, as best a smile I can manage when I'm in pain and afraid for my life. The pain meds have taken the edge off, but it still hurts to move and, you know, breathe. "I'll make sure that they won't."

"Yeah, you'll probably have enough lawsuits on your hands," Zach mutters under his breath.

Something slams against the window, causing both Claire and I to scream. Gray yells too when he makes out the shape – a bloody hand – and yanks the sliding plastic port shut.

A man is outside the ambulance, and he continues to bang on the glass. "Get out of here!" He shouts. "Go!"

Claire screams again, fumbling with the keys in the ignition. The engine turns over and she guns it, swerving slightly as she adjusts the wheel and tosses the tablet back onto the dashboard.

"Just hang on back there!" She orders.

Zach and Gray yell something, but it's unintelligible.

I glance over at Claire, panting. "Where are we go-"

Her window smashes as a Raptor shoves its head inside. I scream loudly again, feeling my throat burn and my lungs protest. She's shrieking too, driving side to side with short movements, trying to lose the Raptor.

When it falls off the side and tumbles in the dirt, I wiggle in my seat to see a second Velociraptor begin to chase us. The first one that had stuck its big head through Claire's window recovers from its fall and joins us.

So much for the Raptors being cute and cool.

"Go faster!" My voice doesn't sound human.

There's a loud bang from the back of the ambulance, and then a buzzing sound. Claire and I exchange a look. I rip the window open.

Zach and Gray are sprawled out across the floor. The back doors of the ambulance are open, flapping wildly.

"Are you boys okay?" She asks.

"Did you see that?" Zach's laughing, his face stretched into a thrilled grin. "We totally kicked that thing's ass!" He high-fives his brother.

"Yeah, I can't wait to tell Mom!" Gray chimes in, looking just as cheerful.

Claire's face drops. "Oh, please, no. Do not tell your mother about that ever."

---

THE humming of a motorcycle fills the quiet jungle.

"Owen!" The boys start yelling. "Owen!"

Sure enough, Owen pulls up alongside Claire's shattered window. I find myself overwhelmingly relieved that not only is he not dead, but that he sought us out. I feel more secure with Owen around. He's a smart guy who knows what he's doing.

Plus, he seems to make Claire more level-headed when things get rough.

"We gotta get indoors!" He shouts over his engine. "Follow me!"

He doesn't wait for Claire to agree; he just zooms in front of us. As he moves into position, his headlights illuminate a sign off to the side, indicating that the Raptor Paddock is behind us.

Thank God.

"Okay, okay, okay," she whispers to herself. She pulls out her phone and fumbles with it before tossing it to me.

"Dial Lowery's number," she instructs. "Then put him on speaker."

"Um..." I swipe through her contacts, falling onto a number that has a picture of a dark-haired guy beside it.

The screen goes black as we wait for it to find a signal. The dial tone starts. I rest my elbow on the center console, unable to keep myself upright for long before my body wants to give out.

Finally, someone picks up on the other end. "Claire?"

"Lowery!" She gasps. "We're headed your way. Call in a chopper."