Jurassic Girl

Chapter Nine

Somehow, I ended up sitting on Zach's lap, his arms around my waist to keep me steady, as we slowly slid open the window. We had head the raptors get released and I knew Claire would be watching the raptors camera feed.
We watch the tablet, which shows Echo's view. Owen rides on his motorcycle with the Raptors.
"Your boyfriend's a badass," Zach says to Claire who smiles.
"He's an idiot," I whisper, obvious fear evident in my voice.
Zach tightens his hold around my waist, comfortingly. He knew I was scared for my brother and the girls. I place my left hand on his arm in a thank you.
The girls begin to slow down and Claire switched to the officer's point of views. The Indominus was close.
"You know what, no no no," Claire says, reaching over to pull the window closed, "you guys are not gonna watch this."
"No no," the boys shout but she doesn't listen.
"Keep the window closed," she says, her voice now muffled.
"Claire," I try to reason.
"No."
I groan, "they're my animals to Claire, I deserve the right to-"
I stop dead when I hear it, Owen's voice, coming through the tablet, "that thing's part raptor."
My entire body tenses and I grip Zach's arm tighter as the gunfire starts. I grab the handle and slowly pull the window open so I can see the tablet again.
The screen switches between officers and raptors, all showing the Raptors turning on us. I stare wide-eyed at each screen, listening to each scream.
The screen goes to Charlie's camera and she is in a field, staring at Owen. My heart beats rapidly. They stare at each other and Charlie tilts her head, chirping. She remembered him. And then the screen flares brightly, I hear an explosion, and Charlie's feed goes static.
My hand flies up to my mouth to conceal a sob. I fall back into Zach because I can't keep myself up anymore. Charlie was gone, and Owen might have gotten hurt, or worse, in the explosion. I knew it would happen, something just had to go wrong. Tears stream down my cheeks and Zach's hand reaches up to wipe some away.
I turn my body towards him and bury my face in his shoulder. He hugs me close to him, shushing me.
"Is everybody dead," Gray asks.
"No no no, everyone is fine," Claire says, but her voice is shaky.
Zach sits us forward and raises his voice a small bit, "don't lie to him."
I raise my head from his shoulder and dry my eyes.
"He's scared," Claire yells, "it's okay to lie when people are scared!"
"I wanna go home," Gray says.
"Sweetheart, you will, okay? I promise," Claire comforts him, "tomorrow you will be home and your mother will never let me see you again."
A bloody hand then smacks against Claire's window, earning a scream from all of us, "get out of here!"
Claire starts up the truck and the guy opens the back doors trying to climb inside, "they're coming!"
We scream as Echo jumps on his back, tearing into him. I put my arm out in front of Gray to keep him in his seat as Claire slams on the accelerator and we fly forward, Echo falling out of the back with the man locked in her jaws.
Claire knocks on the window, "just hold on back there!"
I hold onto both boys, to protect them and to keep me safe. We hear glass shatter in the front and Claire screams. Then I see Delta rolling on the ground as we fly forward. She runs towards us, Echo joining her.
I stand up and carefully go towards the oxygen tanks on the wall. Zach helps me take one off and we push it out the back. The girls hardly even stumble, Echo shooting forward to the side of the truck. Claire swerves into her and I fall into Zach who grabs the wall to steady us both.
Delta continues to pursue us and Gray grabs an electric prod off the wall. Zach and him try to turn it on as all I can do is watch Delta. There was no way I could bring myself to hurt her.
She gets closer and closer, "Delta stop!"
She doesn't. Whatever the Indominus did, said, ruined everything we built. She probably didn't even recognize my voice.
"Turn it on!"
"I don't know how!"
Delta jumps onto the back of the truck, barely able to keep herself on. The boys turn on the prod and shock her in the head with it. I wince as she falls off, rolling back.
Zach and Gray fall backward and I pull them farther into the truck. I fall on my ass and fall into Zach's side. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and I wrap my arms around his waist.
"Are you guys okay," Claire asks, opening the window.
"Hey! Did you see that," Zach asks breathlessly.
"I can't wait to tell mom," Gray says happily.
"Please no. Do not tell your mother about that, ever," Claire says.
Suddenly, I hear an engine and I look out the back doors, Owen. He drives closer to us and I sit up, smiling in relief, he was okay.
"Owen," I yell, the boys also yelling.
Owen looks at Zach and me for a moment, at his arm which had fallen around my waist before going to the side, to talk to Claire.
"Lowery! We're headed your way, call in a chopper," I hear Claire say.
I fall back into Zach again, exhaustion hitting me hard. Zach holds me again and I know it's hitting him hard too.
"I know this definitely isn't the right time," Gray says, "but you guys are really cute."