FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long. Been trying other things in different fandoms. I do try and get these chapters out faster but, as usual, life just gets in the way. Fun right? Anyway, here we go with another chapter. I hope you enjoy.

---

The room was quiet. Not silent. But quiet.

The stillness of the air broken only by the buzzing of the old electrics and computers, the sound of the storm coming from outside as raindrops pounded against the exterior of the shelter, and the shivering that came from the two men that occupied the room.

Behind them the solid steel door was shut and locked tightly, keeping them safe from the terror outside. The terror that slammed it's tail against the structure but unable to break through the steel and concrete.

The two occupants looked to the locked steel door nervously, H&K 417 rifles held high at the ready. But nothing more came of the beasts anger.

Their quiet was shattered by the bellowing roar of hate from the Allosaurus outside. They heard the groaning of steel as the beast grated its teeth over the steel door trying to get a grip on it and tear it open. Failing to do so the beast reared back and slammed its mighty tail against the door once more yet still the door held firm. The Allosaurus roared once more.

The shorter of the two men; a younger dark-skinned man; Dennis, finally lowered his guard and looked around the large, reinforced room they occupied.

“This must've been a shelter for the scientists if things went side-ways during studies." He hypothesised. He looked back to the far end of the room where the computer terminal was located, his body shivering from the cold, and made his way towards it. “The power must've kicked in automatically when the door opened, likely have sensors near the door or around the room." He looked to the aged 90s screens and computer set up. “Can't believe this place still has power."

“Well," the taller of two; Owen Grady, began, his eyes never leaving the door, “they spared no expense after all, they planned for just about everything."

“Except sabotage." Dennis muttered as he looked at terminal's primary screen, the keys clicked and clacked audibly from lack of use as Dennis typed away, something gaining his notice. “Hey, hey Owen! We got cameras."

Owen finally turned about and walked towards Dennis just as the younger man got the camera feed up and running. Above the main screen, six other screens fizzled to life as the cameras came back online. Two were covered in moss, blocking their view but the rest were unobstructed, thankfully the latter included two at the front of the shelter. On those screens they could just make out the grainy imagery of the menacing Allosaurs, humorously named Martha by Dennis' colleagues, though the tropical storm and rainfall made visibility difficult.

“She doesn't give up." Owen quipped.

“Yeah, apparently neither did the other Martha." Dennis joked despite their situation.

Owen chuckled in response.

“I'm freaking cold." Dennis commented suddenly as his shivering grew worse and hugged himself.

“How'd you think I feel? You're wearing a full body suit and tactical gear, I'm wearing this button up shirt and jacket." Owen joked with a disarming smile. “But yeah, I'm cold too."

It was at that point something caught Owen's attention, blurred figures on one of the screen. He ignored it at first thinking it simply a few raindrops getting too close to the cameras, but then he saw more movement, too precise to be rainfall, the brief blurred figures were smaller than the Allosaurus, counting quickly he thought he saw four separate figures rushing about the foliage around the emergency shelter. It was his girls. The raptors. They'd followed them? Owen didn't know the girls had been following them. He thought he'd sent them back home to the raptor den. But he wasn't about to complain.

Dennis it seemed hadn't noticed yet, his eyes still resolutely focused on Martha.

“Hey Dennis, why don't you go check around see if this place has any supplies?" Owen asked, hoping to get Dennis away from the screens.

Dennis looked at Owen with a quizzical look. “Owen this place hasn't been used since the 90s, any supplies here will be out of date."

Owen looked back to him. “I know, but they could've had towels, or rations. We need to keep our body temperature up otherwise we're gonna get a cold, and I don't think you wanna feel like shit when we gotta go back out there and run."

Dennis nodded in agreement; Owen had a point. “Alright, I'll take a look. I ah, don't want to look at that thing anymore anyway." He admitted quietly while motioning to Martha.

“Don't blame you buddy." Owen replied watching as Dennis moved away from the screens and started to walk off. Owen focussed back on the screens, the Allosaurus bellowed out a roar at the door that refused to budge. “She's an angry girl." Owen said a loud.

“Really? She seemed pleasant earlier when she was trying to eat us." Dennis joked as he started his search.

Owen chuckled and kept his focus on the screens, trying to find another sign of his girls despite the quality of the image and the storm outside impeding his efforts. Suddenly there was movement from the trees just on the edge of a camera's vision. A raptor burst out of the foliage and leapt at the Allosaur biting into its leg. The larger predator roared once more, spinning around to confront its attacker when the raptors all struck at once. One raptor used as bait to take all the attention away from the others allowing for a coordinated strike. The other three raptors burst from their hiding place and attacked the Allosaurus from all sides. Owen had to restrain himself for cheering on his girls at their successful strike. The Allosaurus though was still a much large foe, despite receiving cuts and bite marks across its legs it still stood, bellowing loudly in rage at it circled around to its newer attackers. But each time it took its eyes from one raptor to another, the previous would go in for a strike, running it to bite at the beasts legs or attempt to jump onto its back to cause extra damage.

Martha roared once more, trying to bite or swipe at the girls with her tail only for the smaller nimbler raptors to move out of the way, if only sometimes barely. One raptor, likely Blue, barked on the screen, her bark was thankfully inaudible inside the shelter, the others rushed around the Allosaurus and rushed back into the trees with Blue(?) quickly following. Roaring once more, Martha followed the raptors intending on chasing prey she could get to.

'They led her away from us.' Owen realised. 'The whole attack was to draw the Allosaurus' attention away from the shelter.' He thought, amazed at the raptors' planning and their dedication to him. He thought once more back to his potentially awkward dreams of Blue. The human manifestation of her in his dreams trying to tempt him into something that was on all accounts illegal and immoral. But then Blue continued to show her caring, her love and devotion to him. Owen bit his bottom lip as he delved deeper into thought. What Blue felt for him was beyond morality, she didn't understand legality and likely wouldn't care. She loved him as a woman loved a man. Well a female loved a man in this case.

“Love you too Blue." He muttered sincerely. He waited a little while ensuring the Allosaurus was truly gone before taking his eyes off the screens and looked for Dennis, finding the man looking through a cabinet. “"You find anything Dennis?"

“Like you said some dried ration packs, a flare gun, and medication I wouldn't want to take unless I was dying, also some medical equipment." The man rattled off at his finding, then glanced to Owen from over his shoulder. “How's the big lady?"

“She's gone, likely to find some young unattached bachelor." Owen jested dryly.

Dennis made a humorous scoff then looked back to the supplies.

“Anything to snack on? Running for my life makes me hungry." Owen asked as he walked closer.

“I got a few granola bars." Dennis replied as he passed Owen one.

Owen opened a took a quick bite, wincing at the stale taste. “Yeah, it'll do." Was all he said as he continued to chew.

“We'll have to get a move on soon, right?" Dennis asked.

“Yeah we can't stay in here, the storm is still going on and we need it for cover." Owen replied. “So; we take five, gather any resources we need then we keep going."

“I'm still freezing." Dennis shivered.

“Me too bud, me too." Owen replied, the adrenaline finally fading from his body he started to feel the cold get to him.

The pair scoured the room, taking what they could comfortably carry without weighing themselves down, a few more rations, some more flares for the flare gun, despite not being truly rested, their nerves still wracked with the knowledge of what they had to do the two men prepared to leave.

On the wall was a map of the island, outdated in terms of attractions, but Owen knew exactly where on the map they needed to be.

“Alright so our position here, judging from which way we've just come and where the ACU building is from here, we need in the 9 o'clock direction when we leave and keep running straight that should get us back on track with where we need to go, got it?" Owen explained then looked to Dennis.

“How'd you figure that?" Dennis asked looking from the map to Owen.

“Navy training." Owen simply replied then turned around, hefting his 417 rifle into his hands, his lever-action still strapped across his back. “Alright, time to leave, now. I'll open the door you keep your eye on the cameras, okay?"

Dennis nodded despite Owen not seeing him. “You got it." Dennis focussed on the cameras, his eyes taking note of every minute detail he could make out, the area was clear from what he could see.

“How's it looking Dennis?" Owen called from over his shoulder, his hands gripped the rusted steel bar.

“Looks clear, open the door." Dennis called back.

Owen grunted, gritting his teeth as he put all his weight against the bar, shoving it out of its placement in the wall and unlocking the heavy, rusted steel door. Releasing the bar Owen pressed himself up against the door and pushed hard with his legs. With a low weary groan, the door started to move once more.

“Dennis come on, come give me a hand really quick!" Owen called to him.

Dennis glanced to Owen then checked the cameras once more, scrutinising the camera feed trying to find the Allosaurus, satisfied she was truly gone Dennis rushed to Owen and shoved himself against the old steel door. With both men pushing, the door's hinges groaned louder as the door was forced open faster.

“Okay, okay! Owen I think that's enough, we gotta get outta here!" Dennis spoke loudly over the raging of the storm.

“Alright! Follow my lead!" Owen called back as he squeezed himself through the door's gap, rifle up against his shoulder and scanning the area for danger. Behind him Dennis patted him on the shoulder giving Owen the message he was out.

The pair then rushed off through the storm, despite the rain pounding against them and the wind blowing hard. Owen was confidant in his sense of direction. The map of Jurassic Park and the newer World map memorised and cross referenced from the other, he was certain this was the right way, he had no doubts, he only hoped the others were still okay and that so were his girls.

---

The blue striped raptor released a cold snort from her nose, blowing droplets of rain from her snout as she lay close to the ground, her belly almost touching the cold wet dirt. She observed her adversary as the large beast ran past her, oblivious to her being so close, the storm was wreaking havoc of their senses and this large beast was no different. This predator was tall and large like the Old-One, but not near as fearsome. Fearsome still yes, but not quite so.

She and her sisters had succeeded in leading away the beast from Alpha and alpha-kind, hopefully Alpha would have escaped his cage and ran on to alpha-knows-where he was going. But she was content, all she had to do now was remain still and quiet. After luring it away far enough and ensuring the pack were just within reach of it they'd ran faster, put more distance between themselves and it, the beasts and roared in anger and frustration as it tried to keep up.

Soon enough the pack had lost it, then simply hid and waited in the long untamed grass. The large predator stomped around, roaring in anger then rushed ahead searching for her prey, a prey that wouldn't be them.

The four raptors watched silently as the large predator stomped away. Then quietly and carefully regrouped.

Fine Alpha, follow him! Blue barked quietly to her sisters.

Other Alpha-kind not right. Growled Echo, a snarl curling at her lips.

Why not right? Blue chittered in question.

Not right! Echo snapped back.

Blue looked to her other sisters, Charlie and Delta looked to one another, then Echo then Blue.

Must hurry, lose Alpha's scent. Charlie suggested.

Blue knew she was right, this storm was wreaking havoc on their noses, they had to find Alpha before they lost him.

Blue barked to her sisters an order to return to where Alpha had been, they would regain his scent there.

She; Grey-Stripe, found Alpha's temporary cage first, her eyes examined its structure first before she walked towards the partially opened entrance.

Here! She barked to pack sisters as they trotted over to her.

Blue-stripe-beta stepped past her to be the closer, she looked it up and down before barking at the rest of them, Alpha's scent was in there.

Blue-stripe-beta pushed herself into the gap of the entrance, shoving the large gate to the side best she could to allow them more space. The cage groaned and roared in the way alpha-kind made cages do; unnaturally.

Beta stepped in first and she Grey-stripe second, followed by Green-bump and Youngest-Sister in last. As the order should be.

Skink of Alpha. Youngest-sister chittered.

Good! Good smell. Blue-Stripe barked back. She wasn't surprised the slut would say such things.

The room smell stale, but just above that they could pick up alpha's scent, so they stalked around the room taking in Alpha's scent deeply.

Normally such a thing would be unneeded but the storm was affecting their sense of smell, they needed to refresh themselves of his scent, take it in deeply, then try and follow him out in the storm.

Grey-stripe could only think what Alpha was doing amongst others of his kind, was he really going to leave behind the pack? What would that mean for them? Or was he up to something else? Alpha was smart, he was tricky to understand. She supposed that helped him in being a good alpha.

But there was the other scent. The other Alpha-Kind. His scent was here too along with a small trace of the scents of the other Alpha-kind.

Wait! Blue-Stripe-Beta barked suddenly and loudly.

All attention turned to her, she inhaled quickly and deeply, a growl growing in her throat.

I smell something else. The Beta growled. Something familiar.

Suddenly her eyes widened with recognition, she looked to the others of the pack. Go now! Go! Find Alpha! She roared and rushed out of the room back into the storm.

What had she smelt? Something familiar and something she didn't like. Following her lead, they all rushed out leaving the cold empty cage alone.

---

They'd be running for hours now, the storm had yet to let up. Thunder roared from the darkened clouds, which lit up briefly with bright flashes of lightning. The rain to slow down let alone stop, the ground beneath their feet has turned wet and slippery despite the cover from the thick and large trees surrounding them. It had become a challenge just to keep running as their boots would occasionally slip and slide in the mud.

There had been no more close encounters with any predatory dinosaurs.

Some smaller species and various herbivores had stayed hidden away from the storm, all huddling together for warmth and protection.

They had the right idea. Owen had thought to himself.

Owen focussed ahead where he saw Dennis standing still his body pressed against a large tree. Cautiously Owen slowed, his rifle coming up to bear as he scanned his surroundings. He too pressed his cold sopping wet body against the rough bark of the tree and looked to Dennis.

“What's up bud? What do you see?" Owen asked.

Dennis looked back, his glasses removed from his face as he tried futilely to clean them. “We're there! We made it!" he exclaimed excitedly with a grin.

They were?

Owen moved to look around the tree and saw the facility or rather he saw the helipad connected to the rest of the facility. They were there. Finally! The Command Centre.

And there Owen saw them, just past the tree line , on the concrete road was one single ACU jeep. The vehicle could hold around five operatives including equipment, the doors on the vehicle were closed there appeared to be no damage to it.

Both Dennis and Owen looked to one another then back to the jeep, a silent message conveyed between them. Were any of the first team in there? Or whatever remained of them.

Owen patted Dennis on the shoulder then stepped around the man, rifle at the ready as he scanned the area. His mud coated boots finally met hard man-made road, he couldn't see or hear anything coming. He made his way across the road, then slowed as he approached the jeep. With rifle still raised he circled the vehicle, mindful of corners or little hideaways any small predator could hide in. Perimeter was clear. Owen brushed some rainwater away from his eyes with a grimace then stepped closer to the vehicle, looking inside he found the keys were still in the vehicle and the driver's door was still open.

He lowered his rifle, letting the rifle fall against the sling around his body and drew his Glock pistol with his right hand while reaching for the car door with his left. Gripping the door's handle he yanked it open and jumped back pistol at the ready. The inside driver's seat and passenger seat were clear, no blood, no mangled corpses, no severed limbs. He moved to the rear door and repeated the process, once more it was clear. This tea at the very least got out of the jeep safely. He looked back over to Dennis then to the helipad and continued onwards walking briskly yet carefully across the slippery steel bridge and onto the helipad. He looked up and about for any possible threats from the sky. He guessed flier wouldn't normally risk flying in this weather, but he'd rather be cautious than stupid.

Everything seemed clear. He looked towards where he'd left Dennis and waved the man over, hoping the man would see him. Barely a second later the man rushed from the trees, slipping on the mud and slid down across the mud to the road.

Now would usually be the time a dinosaur would attack. Owen was at the ready, finger near trigger. Dennis got up, likely also coming to the same mental conclusion and rushed towards him. No dinosaurs coming to attack. Nothing.

Other than the incident with Martha several hours back, this was almost too easy and Owen immediately cursed himself for that thought. Dennis ran across the road, across the bridge and rushed past him. Owen stood up, followed Dennis across the helipad and towards the door.

“Door's been broken into." Owen said warily as they approached it.

“Could've been the others or the first team." Dennis replied.

Neither mentioned the possibility of predators.

Owen glanced back over his shoulder, checking to make sure they were in the clear.

The duo entered the building, both more than pleased to be out of the full force of the storm. They noticed the muddied footprints on the floor and leading down the stairs, the others had arrived safely.

Dennis looked to Owen nervously. “You uh, take point. I'll cover you."

Owen nodded wordlessly and moved started walking down the stairs.

“Guys, guys, me and Owen are here. We've arrived do you copy?" Dennis whispered into his wrist comms units. There was no reply. Owen no longer had his device as he gave it back to Craig.

“Are they dead?" Owen asked without looking back.

“No I," Dennis paused, “I don't think so, they just must be radio silent." He replied.

Owen noted he didn't sound confidant.

“If they're radio silent, it'll be for a reason. Keep sharp when we get down here, there might be something else here."

Dennis whimpered behind him.

The pair finally entered the lower section. From here they'd be able to find the command room and have access to the various other facilities like the Innovation Centre through underground pathways.

Very quickly things took a dark turn.

Their eyes fell upon a nightmarish sight.

Dennis yelped in horror dropping his gun which was left dangling by its sling.

It was a wonder the stench hadn't gotten to either of them first, not that there was too much left to rot.

Bodies in combat gear. Though perhaps bodies wasn't the correct term for what was left.

Owen counted possibly three or four bodies, it was hard to tell given how badly they'd been torn apart, but Owen was only counting torsos.

Severed limbs were strewn across the floor picked clean of meat, anti-stab vests torn apart like tissue paper, spines crushed and torn out from their placement, bones picked clean and by what Owen could tell the ribcages had been hollowed out, the whole grizzly scene was caked in blood, the floor was smeared with it, it was up the walls, it was even on the ceiling, he could see blood trails going further down the corridor deeper into the facility.

One thing Owen noticed, despite the state of the picked clean corpses, and the amount of blood there was very little viscera left. Whatever had attacked and killed these men were hungry.

“At least we know we're not alone in here." Owen whispered as his eyes tracked back and forth. Behind him he could hear Dennis heaving violently onto the floor.

He moved closer to the remains and knelt beside one that was still mostly intact, by that its right arm and head were still attached to the torso, the corpse was laid across its chest, a rifle like Owen's lay not far it. Owen hoped he'd find a clue as to what specifically did this. The grey ACU armour was torn apart, one particularly noticeable cut was slightly moving diagonally vertical. He took hold of one body that lay on its front and rolled it onto its back, the eyeless bloodstained skull stared back at him, barely any meat was left upon it, just like the rest of the bodies.

'Maybe the majority was eaten by a larger predator? The rest nibbled away by scavengers?' Owen thought to himself as he moved the head side to side before moving his focus to the chest and arms.

Like the back there was a huge gash across the armour, tearing it open. Owen pulled his knife out from its sheath and brought it to the torso, using the blade to move aside the torn armour and the underclothes, which he noted were black with no markings, that wasn't ACU uniform. Owen put the thought aside and looked at the exposed ribcage, the bones had suffered damage, lower parts of the ribcage had been broken, some parts sliced clean off, whatever had done this was either strong, heavy, or both.

Taking a closer look at the remains, something emerged from within the corpse, standing up and startling Owen enough for him to fall onto his back and cry out in surprise, also getting Dennis' attention.

The tiny dinosaur jumped out of the corpse and landed upon its ribs. It was a Compsognathus, or a Compy for short.

“What the hell?!" Dennis cried out.

“A Compy." Owen exhaled as he looked at the minute thin dinosaur. The Compy looked between the two men and hissed at them before beating a hasty retreat.

“Did, did that thing kill them?" Dennis asked with a stammer.

“Nah, not even close. Compies are just scavengers, they'll gang up on bigger prey if there's enough of them. But no these little guys likely just picked clean the bodies. Something else made the initial kill." Owen replied then moved back to the corpse cautiously. “Dennis, keep an eye out would ya?"

“Yeah, s-sure." The man stammered and hastily moved away from the grisly scene.

Owen glanced to Dennis then looked back to the corpse, he looked down the arm, or what remained of it and noticed, by some minor miracle that the wrist communicator was still operational, damaged, but working. He held the arm up, grimacing as it snapped off at the elbow a moment later.

He looked at the wrist unit, the screen was relatively undamaged, a few scratches but nothing had pierced through it. Glancing back to Dennis Owen started looking through the device, the unit operator was Isaac Namura. That immediately got Owen's attention. Owen wasn't much of a biologist, but he'd guessed the body would've been male, around his size if the size of the armour's remains were anything to go by. Except Owen knew for a fact that Isaac had left the island, he'd been with Hamada during the initial Indominus capture attempt and had barely escaped with his life. He'd needed medical attention badly, he couldn't walk. This body, whoever they were, wasn't Isaac.

Owen once more glanced back to Dennis, the man had his eyes down the corridor with his rifle resting in his hands. Owen looked back to the device in hand, the touch screen capabilities were still operational, he moved to the message logs and scanned through them, most were audio connections and were unable to be retrieved, the last few were texts sent just in case of radio silence, they were from Hamada after the man's death, messages asking for a mission update, if they'd retrieved the “package" whatever that was.

That cemented the growing suspicion in Owen's mind, whoever these guys were, the people he'd trusted, they weren't ACU they never had been, just wore their uniforms as cover. These people were here for something. What? He didn't know.

“Hey Dennis?" he called over to the man quietly, looking at him from over his shoulder, “any word from the others?" he asked.

“Nothing yet, they're still radio silent." Dennis called back, “You find anything useful?" he asked.

“Large gash through the vest, cleaved right through it, front and back. This guy was attacked from the back first then whatever it was flipped him over then cut open the front of the vest, started to chow down while he was alive, at some point his corpse was knocked back over, maybe when they tore off his left arm or tore off his legs." Owen noted.

Dennis was heard vomiting once more. Owen continued. “The attack was fast; I'm not seeing many spent cartridges on the floor, this guy and our other no so lucky friend were ambushed. By how many I can't say, then the Compies came in and well reduced the bodies to what we're seeing now."

“So uh," Dennis coughed as he started to recover once more, “whatever it was, could still be here?" he asked, the terror in his voice palpable.

“How many of your other guys were there again?" Owen asked. “More than this right?"

Dennis nodded. “More than this." He gulped then grimaced as the taste is sick still lingered in his mouth.

“Your boys entered the way we did, got in here, were ambushed from behind. Two injured, the rest probably under attack immediately after, they likely ran. Some of them injured which is where that blood trail came from. Our predators came back to finish these guys off then went after seconds, so yeah they're likely still here."

Before Dennis could reply his attention was turned towards his communication device, a text message. “Package isn't secured. Power offline. Need help." It read.

Owen silently looked at the same text on the scratched device, ensuring his body blocked it from Dennis' view.

“With Owen, orders?" came Dennis' reply.

“Still need. Bring him." Came the reply. “Meet at crossroads."

Owen felt a sense of dread, but he'd go along with it for now. He didn't have much choice.

Owen removed folded the wrist straps and pocketed the device then walked over to Dennis. Owen had his pistol at the ready just in case.

“Any luck?" Owen asked.

“Yeah just got a message from the others, they're alive and ahead of us, but there's no power, they wanted to regroup before we made our next move." Dennis replied, his dark skin still rather pale from the grotesque sight behind them.

Owen would give it to the man, he was a good liar. Whoever he worked for probably paid him well to be so. Spec ops maybe? Rival company? Who knows. Owen didn't care, all he knew was these guys were now a threat.

“So what's your conclusion?" Dennis continued.

“We got some human sized predators in the area, lethal, ambush predators." Owen concluded from his findings.

“Like raptors?" Dennis suddenly seemed to grow paler.

“Don't know." Owen looked down at the man, staring straight into his eyes. He knew it wasn't raptors as his girls had been nowhere near this place, but whatever killed them would've been of similar genus.

“Could you control them?" Dennis asked, asking the same question as they did back in the ACU outpost.

“I couldn't control them, not like a person with a dog, it was like influencing their actions, but in the end they made their own decisions, and when they were hungry no amount of influence changed their mind on a hunt," Owen warned before lowering his voice to a grave whispering tone, “and when they're on a hunt, you don't see them coming until they want you to, and by then it's already too late. The one you were looking at was a distraction for the others to get in around you, surround you so you can't escape then they'll trigger their ambush." Owen's eyes never leaving the shorter man's.

Dennis let out a slow shaky breath, sweat pouring from his face alongside the excess rainwater.

Something loudly clattered loudly down the hallway draw both men's attention, a pistol and rifle raised in defence.

“We'd better move before the Compy comes back with its friends." Owen suggested.

“Y-yeah, l-lets. The others are uh, the others are down the hall. At the crossroads." Dennis stammered as he tried to regain his nerves.

'If I mess this up Blue will not be happy.' Owen thought to himself, holstering his pistol and took hold of his rifle. No more now than ever did he want to know his girl was by his side.

---

Shortly after Dennis and Owen found themselves at the crossroads, a multi-story underground structure with a series of walkways and trams that lead to other sub stations and key locations in Jurassic World.

“Owen, Dennis!" came a familiar voice just loud enough for them to hear.

Owen and Dennis looked seeing Craig, the tall bald man of the group walk over to them.

“Craig, good to see you." Owen greeted with a smile, left hand reaching out to shake the man's hand, right hand hovering towards his pistol.

Craig grinned and took Owen's hand into his own, shaking it briefly.

“Good to see you guys made it." Craig replied, smiling to the two men before his smile dropped. “You guys see the shit down the hall?" he asked.

“Hard not to." Owen replied grimly and shook his head. “Yours guys?"

“Yeah. Poor bastards." Craig replied.

Alice and Tom stepped out from cover and made their way over to them.

“You guys able to take a look?" Alice asked, stepping up beside Craig.

“Owen looked, I didn't." Dennis replied, paling once more at the thought.

All eyes looked to Owen.

“What do you think Owen, raptors?" Alice asked.

“If not something similar." Owen replied.

“Has to be raptors!" Tom immediately spoke up. “What else could it be?"

“Before I'd have told you it's definitely raptors, but these days, I don't even want to know what else they could've been making here." Owen replied with a shrug. Truthfully he didn't know as his girls had been with him the whole time. He didn't dare think what else could be here. “All I can tell is it's a similar genus to the raptors, similar size. We'll have to be careful."

The others looked to one another then all eyes looked to Alice.

“We don't have enough power to get a signal out, something might've fucked with the breakers. Owen, can you and Tom go deal with that?"

“'Course we can, can't we Owen?" Tom said insistently smirking towards the raptor trainer.

Owen didn't like where this was going. But kept it to himself.

“Me and Tommy boy? Not a problem." Owen put on his best confidant smile.

“You'll have to go up to the next floor and head towards the power substation. We'll use the command room down the hall to try and get a signal out once power's been properly restored." Alice continued.

“How? Last I checked the elevator is offline." Owen asked.

“We'll use the emergency staircase." Craig replied with a smile. “We'll use the cameras to keep an eye on you guys just in case."

“I feel safer already." Owen quipped slyly.

“Right let's get goin' mate." Tom patted Owen on the shoulder.

Owen followed Tom up the nearest flight of stairs and followed the signs towards the power substation, Owen always ensured he walked slightly behind the man, rifle prepped for any sudden move.

They pair passed through the double set of doors leading to the substation, the corridor was dark, illuminated only by the red hazard lights making it difficult to see.

“So," Owen spoke up, breaking the silence as they walked towards the substation, “what're you doing once you get home?" he asked, striking up conversation with the man.

Tom glanced back at Owen briefly, “Get bloody drunk mate!" He replied loudly then chuckled. “Find me a nice Sheila and have a good night. What about you?"

“Yeah, sounds like a good plan to me, might do the same. Who knows we might just go to the same bar." Owen joked, keeping the mood light, his eyes moving from left to right, his ears perked.

“Hah, hey you never know." Tom replied with a grin. “Ya never know." He said quieter.

“But yeah. A good beer, a nice woman to sleep with, sounds good about now." Owen sighed, after this whole thing was over a good beer did sound nice. He might have had one left in his fridge.

Suddenly Owen stopped, something caught his attention, a noise. Or was it just his imagination and paranoia? Spending enough time around raptors he'd gotten used to the ever so subtle sounds they would unintentionally make when stalking. They were being followed. Tom paused in his own walk and looked back to him.

“You alright? We gotta keep moving, come on!" Tom ordered him with frustration.

Owen didn't pay Thomas any mind, slowly he turned around to look over his shoulder. He didn't see anything, which was what Owen was afraid of. The low red warning lights didn't give away their stalker, or stalkers. Was it his girls? Or something else?

“Owen?" Tom called to him again, his tone less commanding and more cautious, nervous.

Owen turned around. “I thought I heard something." He replied cautiously.

But Tom wasn't having it. “No way, don't be playing those fucking tricks on me. There's something back there isn't there? Raptors!" Tom snapped.

“Or it could've been nothing." Owen glanced back over his shoulder then to Tom, the man looked furious. “We'd have to be careful. If there is anything, it can see and smell better than we can. Keep walking forward Tom, if we go back, we play into a trap."

Tom furious expression shifted to caution, then worry. He glanced to whatever could've been tracking them. He said nothing.

Owen continued. “We keep walking, keep our ears open, cover each other's back, got it?" Owen continued past Thomas without another word.

Owen heard Thomas quickly follow him.

“Keep it together Tom." Owen instructed the cautious Aussie.

“Fuck." The man uttered in response. “At least we're nearly there."

Cautiously, moving as quietly as the pair could they continued their way towards the power substation.

What worried Owen was that he didn't notice anything else along the way. Had the predator caught on to their suspicions? If he didn't know raptors and their genus intimately, that sudden thought made him almost snicker, then he'd have reprimanded himself for such a thought, “they're just animals." He'd heard people say about his raptors. Those people didn't stick around long.

“Here we are, finally." Tom muttered as they finally came upon the door. He looked back down the long dark corridor they came from not seeing anything in the dimly lit area. “I still don't see anything Grady."

“That's the worse situation." Owen replied grimly.

The pair stepped in, Owen pausing at the door and looked down the corridor.

'Is it you girls?' he wondered briefly before stepping past the door.

The pair entered the large two storey dimly lit room full of computer equipment and large generators inside large see through containers each with built in cooling systems to ensure they didn't overheat.

“Dennis, are you reading me?" Tom whispered into his wrist communicator.

There was a brief silence.

“Copy." Came Dennis' reply.

“We're in the power substation, place is like a maze. Can you tell us where to go?" Tom looked around, the flashlight of his rifle barely illuminating the dark corners.

“Got a blue print here, go straight ahead then turn right and head straight you'll come to the main junction box." Denis replied.

'Wonder how he got those.' Owen thought sarcastically.

The pair however followed Dennis' instructions and stepped forward.

“Seeing you on cameras now." Dennis' voice came from the communicator.

Owen glanced around, noting a few cameras up on the ceiling.

Owen glanced down the passageways between the generators, each was wide enough for a humans to walk down with ample space left over, it would be easy for a medium sized dinosaur to hide and wait to ambush its prey.

The pair turned the corner as instructed then stopped.

“Oh my god." Tom grimaced.

Just as there was near the entrance to the command centre, there was what could only be described as a mess on the floor by the main junction box. Another body it was laying on its front, partially resting against the junction box. From what they could tell it wasn't in as bad a state as the ones from before, their back had been completely torn open, blood once more caked the floor.

“We found another one of the others." Tom said into his communicator. He and Owen now checking all their corners, low and high up.

“Status?" Came Alice's reply.

“Mincemeat." Tom replied, grimace still in place. “Owen you move on, I'll keep you covered."

'I'm sure you will.' Owen thought to himself but nodded. “Got it."

Owen moved closer, rifle pointed down each generator passageway as he passed, still nothing. Owen didn't like it. It was too damn quiet.

Closing in on the corpse he got a better view of it. A woman with blonde hair, blood was smeared into her hair. She her face, which was still intact, partially obscured by her arm. Her back bad been torn open, vest and uniform were little but shreds, her spine and shoulder blades had been snapped, with the former pulled out of the way leaving everything else laid bare to be devoured. Owen reached down and moved the body aside.

“Hey Tom," Owen called back without looking away from the panel, “how many other of your team were there?"

“Five of 'em, I guess we found three, fuck knows where the other two are." Tom commented gravely.

“Alright, tell Dennis I'm ready, what do I need to do?" Owen said as he glanced to his exposed right side, then looked up just in case. He was clear.

“Alright Dennis, Owen's ready. Hurry up so we can get outta here." Tom hurried the man up.

“Sure thing, alright Owen listen closely; “Long Range Communications" is part of a series that deals with things that go beyond the island, like weather tracking, television and the like, it's called “Outer Park Operations". You need to shut it off, wait around twenty seconds then turn it back on. From there you should be able to restart the systems manually from elsewhere in the room." Dennis explained.

“You want Tom to go look for it?" Owen asked.

“No, better you two stick together, strength in numbers." Alice spoke up, panting softly.

“You okay there Alice? Sound tired." Owen asked as he looked over the panels searching for the panel.

“Cold, tired, and a mix of other things I don't want to think about!" Alice quickly replied. “You two stick together, whatever killed them in there could be still there."

'I'm sure that's your concern.' Owen thought before finding the right switch. “Found it, I'm shutting it down now." He said aloud, gripped the switch and struck it off. Elsewhere in the room came a low groan as several generators were forced to shut down. “Could use some gum right around now." Owen said in a casual tone, he glanced back to Tom who was facing away from him and glancing around the room with rifle at the ready. Owen quietly fished out the damaged wrist communicator and looked at it, while making it appear that he was looking around the room.

No message yet. Nothing. Maybe they were on to him.

“Owen. You're clear to reengage the power." Dennis' voice came from Tom's device.

Owen exhaled, now or never. “Tom, keep an ear out would ya?" he called back to the Aussie before focussing on the console then flipped the switch back on.

Tom listened intently as generators to their left hummed to life.

“No need for that Owen, the schematics say you're looking for the generators above you in the left corner, there should be a stairway near your position." Dennis spoke up.

“You go first Owen, I got ya covered mate." Tom said with a shit eating grin.

Owen smirked back. “Wouldn't have it any other way."

The pair made their way to the stairs, Owen keeping his eyes peeled for anything in the room. His paranoia was getting to him, there wasn't any bloodstains on the door when they'd arrived, whatever killed the woman hadn't left. It was still there. Somewhere.

“That must be it ahead." Tom said as he pointed to the set of control panels despite being behind Owen.

“Yeah must be. Keep me covered." Owen instructed and walked on, his eyes looking back and forth. Standing in front of the control panel he looked to the switch for long range communications. 'Get ready Owen.' He thought to himself, from his peripheral vision he could see Tom staring right at him, rifle in hand. Owen kept a firm grip on his pistol, he reached out with his other hand towards the switch, grasped between his index and middles fingers and his thumb, then pushed it up.

“Long range communications coming back online, everything's looking good." Dennis spoke over the communicator.

Dennis' declaration was like the ringing of a bell at a wrestling match.

Tom started raising his rifle towards Owen who'd already anticipated it, pistol gripped in both hands Owen brought the weapon up to bare before Tom was ready, realising his error Tom dived to the side just as Owen fired off two quick shots.

Tom retaliated and fired off a quick burst from his rifle immediately after hitting the steel walkway. The shots went wide but Owen was forced to move out of the way, grabbing the banister rail, jumped over it and dropped down to the lower level, curling up and rolling as his body hit the ground as he'd been trained to do.

“Grady's onto us. Repeat Grady is onto us!" Dennis' voice came through Tom's communicator.

Owen got up pistol raised to where Tom had been, seeing only empty space. Cursing internally he kept close to the generators using them as cover as he crept silently around the room, listening closely to any sounds coming from above or around. There was still the predator potentially in there with them.

“Well help Tom get rid of him!" Alice ordered loudly. “We're still going for the sample we need more time. Get in touch with command and get us a fucking chopper out of here!"

“On it, I'm just trying to reach them!" Dennis replied.

Owen internally cursed as pressed himself against a nearby generator, weapon still raised. He cautiously poked his head around the side, his eyes locking on to Tom who was doing the same as Owen using the generators as cover.

“TOM! BEHIND MOVE!" Dennis' voice called out from the communicator. Tom immediately moved around the generator as Owen opened fire bullets cracking the bullet resistance casing around the generator.

Tom immediately moved out from cover, Owen immediately back pedalled behind cover as Tom fired a burst from his rifle. Bullets splintered the bullet resistant material but Owen wasn't putting his faith into it protecting his life for long. And quickly moved to another location for cover. Tom quickly following his movements with bursts of automatic fire before the weapon ran empty.

Immediately Owen stepped out from cover firing several shots at Tom's position forcing the man to cover, Tom cried out in pain as a shot tore through the flesh of his shoulder, the bullet just nicking his shoulder.

Owen quietly moved around the room, trying to get sight of Tom while remaining quiet.

“Tom be careful he's flanking you on your left!" Dennis warned the man.

'Fucking Cameras.' Owen cursed, he dared to shoot them but that'd give away his exact location, then again Dennis was doing that just fine.

---

In the control room Dennis watched, alone, as the gunfight between Owen and Tom commenced, he kept his eyes locked on the cameras, watching Owen move from cover to cover, the two briefly exchanging fire before going back into cover.

“Tom be careful he's creeping up on your right." Dennis warned.

Something beeped in confirmation on the console before him. It was from command. They'd finally received his signal.

{Mission update} came the message.

Dennis mentally cheered as he rapidly typed his reply. {Four survivors. Operative 04, 08 on route to collect sample requesting evac.}

{Evac will be sent upon retrieval of sample}. Came the immediate reply.

Dennis cursed. “Alice they won't send the chopper until we get the sample."

“Acknowledged we're nearly there, encountered 0 hostiles." Alice replied.

{Sample retrieval nearly complete. Will update on situation.} Dennis replied to command.

{Acknowledged}

Dennis looked back to the cameras. Trying to locate Owen in the command room.

{Lost Grady. Can't see him.} Dennis typed into the communicator, not knowing Owen could also see the message.

“Fuck." He heard Tom curse quietly.

Dennis kept his focus on the screens, intensely looking for Grady, he almost missed the sound.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Click-click. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Dennis raised his head as the sound grew clearer. He grabbed his rifle and spun around as the head of a velociraptor poked through the emergency exit door. The raptor, tall and grey stared at him briefly before he opened fire. The raptor launched itself into the room narrowly avoiding being hit.

“Raptor! R-Raptor!" Dennis cried out into his communicator.

“Deal with it! Don't let it out of your sight!" Alice ordered.

Dennis shivered with fear, the raptor was in there with him now, somewhere. He kept his rifle at the ready, finger twitching against the trigger, a blur of motion passed by his left, he turned and fired heavy .308 bullets flying across the room, the recoil pulling some shots high. The rifle clicked empty, Dennis quickly reloaded the weapon, pulling back the charging handle to chamber a round.

He walked carefully. The raptor was hiding behind one of the terminals. In reaction he fired a quickly burst into several other terminals, bullets tearing through the consoles with ease until he heard a raptor's shriek and the sound of it running, following the sound he fired again hearing it shriek out once more.

Cautiously he followed what he'd heard. He moved further into the room, taking each step slow and steady, his good eye aiming down the sights of his rifle, his breathing slow and quiet, sense alert. His vision was tunnelling without him realising, blood pumping in his ears. He dared not even swallow.

He stepped down to the lowest level of the room right at the front, where one desk had mini dinosaur toys and memorabilia on it. Stepping around he found the raptor lying on the ground.

“I … I got it!" he laughed. “I fucking got it!" he cheered, grinning widely.

“Good job, now help Tom get rid of Grady." Alice ordered.

Yeah! He should do that. Once they get rid of Owen then the mission will be as good as done.

“… when they're on a hunt, you don't see them coming until they want you to, and by then it's already too late …" Owen had told him before. Dennis stared down to the raptor, breathing slowly, but he noticed while he kept his distance, there was no blood. “The one you were looking at was a distraction for the others to get in around you, surround you so you can't escape then they'll trigger their ambush." Owen's words rang out in Dennis' mind.

He blinked. His breathing hitched. He heard a heavy exhale from his left and a soft growl coming from behind. Dennis barely had the chance to inhale before two raptors struck, one going for his legs the other jumping on top of him. Dennis barely had a moment to scream before raptor's sickle claws tore into his suit and back, teeth bit into his legs. Cloth, fabric, flesh and muscle were rapidly torn from the man's body as claws and teeth dug into his flesh.

The voracious sounds of the predators were broadcast over the communicator along with the brief cries of Dennis' death throes.

“Dennis?! Dennis come in!? Dennis!?" Alice shouted over the communicator.

---

Blue huffed as she rose to her feet. This one, the one her sisters Charlie and Delta were tearing into with vengeful delight, smelt of Alpha. He had been the one he had hidden with Alpha in the cage, but he also smelt of the old fat one, the one Delta had eaten, the one who Alpha hated, the one who'd threatened Alpha many dark times ago before the end of the False Alpha, the giant white death. But worse of all this one smelt of him, the shadowed one. She hated the Shadowed One, the one that had thrown Alpha into their pen that dark time and injured him. Only bad could come from those who smelt of it and this one, now reeked more of it. Taking in its scent they would hunt down the Shadowed One and happily tear into its flesh. Then Alpha would be proud! He would be pleased! And then they would mate! And mate hard!

Focus! Snapped Echo as she stepped up behind Blue. Find Alpha, kill Shadowed One.

Eat Shadowed One. Delta snapped having finished her light feast.

Eat the others too. Charlie snarled.

The rest turned to look at her surprised. Youngest sister was normally not so vicious.

Charlie chittered softly. Protect Alpha.

Yes they had to protect Alpha. That is what pack did. Pack protects pack. And these other Alpha-kind were not pack. Whatever they had been doing here, Blue did not know nor understand, but she understood now, they were not pack, Alpha had been lured.

Gunfire erupted around them causing them to look around frantically.

It was Delta that looked to the strange bright wall of many colours.

Alpha? She chittered.

The pack looked to the bright wall of colours. The wall seemed to move. But part of the wall looked like Alpha.

Pack recalled such a thing from much younger times, they were young, just out of eggs, they lived with Alpha in Alpha's den. He had a strange … thing that made many sounds and colours. They did not understand it, could not comprehend it, but it was pretty.

This one had Alpha?

Blue did not understand what she gazed upon. But Alpha was here somewhere she could smell him. She would find him. And she would save him.

Find him! Blue barked in order and the raptors stormed out of the room, shrieking loudly as they followed Alpha's scent.

Back in the generator room Owen reloaded his Glock, throwing the magazine across the room to distract Tom.

“You think I'm fucking DUMB Owen?" Tom cried out angrily.

“Yeah." Owen shouted back. “I do actually." Owen crept around the generators. He'd heard Dennis die over the communicator, raptors he said. His girls were here now? That thought filled with relief. “Sound like your little eye in the sky's mincemeat Tom, the girls know my scent, they're coming to find me."

Tom grit his teeth. “Yeah fucking right!" he cried out. “If they find you you're a dead man Grady!"

Owen just laughed. “Tom, did you guys really believe I'd survived by myself? Who do you think I've been living with?" Telling him this much was likely a bad idea. But hey, he felt like gloating. Tom was silent. “When they find me you're the dead man."

“I should've put a fucking bullet in you weeks ago Grady." Tom shouted.

Weeks ago? That gave Owen pause. His thoughts rushed through his mind. What could he have meant by …

“It was you!" He shouted upon realisation. “That night at the raptor pen! You were the one who threw me in!"

“Just following orders mate, but this time I'll fucking kill you for the pleasure of it then I'll kill your precious lizards!" Tom shouted with his final words in anger.

Owen stepped out from cover and fired towards Tom's voice with the bullets only pounding against more shielded generators. Owen quickly moved into cover just for Tom to drop down on top of him sending him to the floor.

Tom let go of his rifle, pulled out his knife, ready to impale Owen when heavy, rapid footsteps alerted Tom to something behind them.

Spinning around Tom cried out and quickly moved out of the way as something jumped at them releasing a loud raptors shriek.

Owen grimaced hearing something heavy land several feet in front of him. He looked up hearing a raptor's growl, his eyes focussed on the deep black skin, and un-coordinated yellow streaks running up the raptors side.

Owen quickly came to a horrifying conclusion. This wasn't one of his raptors.

The raptor turned and shrieked at him.