Men Go to War in Search of Something

Part 8

"Packard!" Conrad cried. He didn't pull the sidearm. All the other men lowered their weapons, including Marlow. "Come on. It's over." He sounded tired.

At that moment a tremendous boom swept through the air. The water in the center of the water exploded in a huge wave and a Skull Crawler emerged from the earth, screaming in happiness.

"That's the big one," Marlow said, sounding shocked.

Conrad lowered his gun, "Fall back. Go!" Everyone took off, except Mason; who hesitated a split second before running, glancing over her shoulder once or twice to make sure James was following them.

Conrad and Packard were the only ones left, and Conrad tried to reach him through his shock. "Colonel! Sir!" Knowing it was hopeless, he ran, leaving Packard on the bank alone.

Packard looked at the Skull Crawler slowly approaching him, then at Kong. He activated the detonator as Kong's eyes opened and started to get up.

"Die you mothfuc-" Kong slammed his fist down on Packard, squashing him to a pancake.

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Conrad was running with the others when he realized a certain someone was missing. He looked around the group wildly.

"Where's Mason?" He yelled, no one answered him but Slipko, who pointed over his shoulder, and continuing running with the others. He cursed and turned around, hoping that she wasn't too far behind.

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Up on the hill, Mason stopped running and turned while raising her camera. She had a perfect view of the fight, and the Skull Crawler screamed, jumping on top of Kong and then looking around. It focused perfectly on Mason somehow and she was fascinated.

She felt something grab her around her waist and lift her up. She let out a yelp and was carried a few steps before being set down.

"Kong's down let's go!" James called to her, and Mason grabbed his outstretched hand, racing through the trees as they caught up to the others.

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Brooks paced back and forth as the sun peaked over the horizon.

"They told us to leave at dawn." San called to him.

"I know."

"It's dawn."

"I know!"

"So what are we going to do?!"

Brooks braced himself on the shell encasing the boat, trying to weigh the odds.

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The group of survivors ran through the trees, making it to the river panting. There was no boat. The group looked all around anxiously, but it was useless.

"This is the edge of the island," James said, "Mason. Get up on those rocks and fire a flare. With any luck Brooks will see you." A roar came from behind them and they both spun around, then looked at each other. James nodded at her, "We'll buy you time." Mason nodded very fast, and then did something she hadn't ever thought she'd do again.

Mason kissed him.

She had one hand half on his neck and cheek, the other hanging limp at her side. On instinct, he automatically went to hold her waist, pressing their bodies together. It was a kiss that was sweaty and gross, and they both had horrible breath. It was smelly and disgusting to the everyday person and half a dozen people were watching them.

But it was perfect.

Their broke apart after about ten seconds, both panting and staring into the others soul. Mason turned and ran towards the rocks, James looked at her for a second, then turned and saw everyone else staring at him. He ignored them.

"This way."

The group started to run towards the water as the Skull Crawler burst through the trees about a half mile away. Slipko gave Conrad an odd smile and whispered to him: "I knew it."

The men clambered through the water. Carl stayed on the bank however, dropping his gun. Mills turned around.

"Carl, come on man we gotta go."

Carl just smiled at him, "Go live your life, get out'a here."

He turned around and faced the oncoming Skull Crawler, taking out two grenades and pulling the pins. Mills started to run as well as he could through the water, shouting at his friend. Conrad grabbed him by his pack though and pulled him back. Carl walked closer to the Skull Crawler, holding out the grenades above his head, challenging the thing to eat him. It was smart though, and stopped walking as Carl started to tremble in fear of what he had done. The Skull Crawler flicked it's tail, sending Carl careening through the air and slamming his body into a cliff as the grenades went off. It took two men to drag Mills through the water, while he cried for his friend.

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Mason climbed the cliffs as well as she could, trying to make it to the top in time to fire a flare, hoping against hope that James and the others were still alive.

Back in the water the Skull Crawler continued to chase after the small group, and right before he caught them Kong flew through the air, slamming a rock right onto the monster's head, knocking it in to the ground and buying the group some time.

The thing snapped it's jaws closed around Kong's neck, and the king struggled, finally gaining some traction and lifting the Skull Crawler from it's open jaws, snapping many bones with very loud pops. He slammed the thing against the rock and then they tumbled around in the water.

Mason made it to the top of the cliff, and seeing the scene below her pulled the flare gun, pointed it directly in the air, and fired.

The creatures continued to fight, and somehow Kong ended up on his back in the wreckage of a ship, he tried to get up but the chains from the anchor were wrapped around his body, preventing him from moving or getting free. The big one slowly climbed on top of Kong and, as if enjoying the kill, slowly started to place his mouth over the ape's head. He was close to biting off Kong's head, when the fire from a huge gun hit him in the neck.

The boat had come back.