Won't Let You Go | Owen Grady

Chapter TwentyOne

The Indominus Rex breathed in deeply, pushing its head against the Jeep and lifting the left side off the ground, metal groaning from the unnatural strain placed upon it. Then, just as quickly, or agonizingly slowly, depending on whose perspective you viewed out of, it dropped it back to the ground with a hard crash, metal shaking again, dirt around the three park employees grumbling in complaint. Charlie didn't know at what point she had closed her eyes and when she had reopened them, but she was staring right into Owen's, as she saw out of her peripheral, the beast backed away. Watching that dinosaur leave without breaking eye contact was some of the slowest moments Charlie had ever lived. This level of fear was something she had never experienced, not in all her years on this island.

Owen was moving slowly then, reaching around the side of the car, reaching for his gun. Every muscle in Charlie's body screamed at her to grab him, to pull him back to her, back to safety, to hold him close to her and not let him go, but she didn't. She let him move as slow as could be, then he returned, rifle in hand, and she let out a small breath, quietly, that she had been holding. He gave her a small nod, it was gone, and she let out a breath for real, leaning forward, head on her knees, breathing in deeply. She hadn't been that terrified since....since....well, probably since she was almost locked in that T-Rex paddock.

She looked back up on him, thankful smile on her face, and he grinned back, sheepishly. They were all okay, all of them. They had made it out from not one, but two interactions with this manufactured hellbeast of a dinosaur today. Which by all accounts was a rather impressive amount, seeing it was blood hungry and on a rampage, never before been freed from its enclosure. Things were going to be okay. Charlie opened her mouth to let out a small laugh when she felt something shift above her.

Suddenly, the roof crashing inward from above them, wood and splinters and rock raining down, tearing sounds erupting around them in a cacophony of horror, as the Indominus Rex loomed over them, cat-like claws gripping onto the edges of the hole it had just punched through the roof of the shed. It's roar was deafening, so loud Charlie was certain she would never hear correctly again, her ears ringing out in pain as if someone had discharged a gun right beside her head.

In an instant, the three of them were up and running, through a doorway, deeper into the decrepit, old building. The blonde had no idea where they were headed, just that she had to keep moving. If she stopped, it would mean the end of her life. Suddenly, she was thankful for her friend forcing her into constant daily workouts. They were fueling her fire to tear through the undergrowth that had taken over the large, open room before them. They needed to get out, and they needed to do it now. Behind them somewhere, she could hear the sound of breaking rock and another roar as the Rex broke further into the building, but she didn't stop to dwell on it. Before them, she could see another door labeled "Exit," barely visible through vines and earth, and she pushed for it, throwing the door open and barreling outside into the sunlight and trees.

But they didn't stop then. Behind her, she could hear Claire on the phone with someone back at the Headquarters. But all she was focusing on was Owen beside her, and the next obstacle she had to jump over or duck under. She was in pure fight or flight, and her body had wisely chosen flight. She didn't think she could have stopped moving even if she tried.

"ACU is headed for the Aviary," Claire shouted behind them, "They've got eyes on it, we need to go! Mr. Masrani is flying them there in a freaking helicopter." Her voice was shattered, panicked in a way Charlie had never heard before. Claire had always been the calm, level headed one. Charlie was the spitfire, the one who had an attitude problem. Never Claire.

Charlie's mind blanked for a second as she burst out of the trees to an open cliff before her, staring out over a valley, the Aviary a large glass dome below them. "Mr. Masrani...his lessons aren't...they aren't done, he's still a student pilot," she choked out between breaths as she leaned over, supporting herself on her knees and breathing deeply. Her boss was now flying a helicopter he was still taking lessons in into a battlezone. With hired soldiers inside that metal contraption. Could this day get any more fucked?

The valley below was a large, circular basin, covered in thick trees. Charlie knew down there were probably several dinosaurs, all herbivores, along with native birds. There was so much life, so much life that could be taken away. So much life that her small medical bag wasn't going to be enough to fix. A panic started to well up in her chest, tightening in her throat, a panic she had to push down. This was about survival today. She couldn't save them all, she knew that, but she could save the people and dinosaurs she loved. She could save her friends, she could save Owen, even Claire. And she could save Red.

Owen's hand fell on her shoulder, thumb sliding over a slice of bare skin by her neck, bringing her back to right here in this moment. She traced the helicopter with her eyes, following it forward above the tree line. Suddenly gunfire and bullets were flying out of the open side of the blue flying machine, aimed down into the trees. The Indominous Rex must be in there, trundling along towards the Aviary. It burst from the trees, roaring and powering towards the glass wall in front of it, bowing its head as it smashed through, the shattering of glass echoing around the valley below.

Charlie could still hear it bellow out its roar even from inside the Aviary. She could also begin to hear the faintest of screeches from the winged dinosaurs inside. Then suddenly a burst of brown and grey shapes started to propel themselves out of the glass dome, through the hole created by the I-Rex. Dimorphodons and Pteranodons screaming into the sky like a hand of dark confetti, seeing the fresh, open air for the first time. It was beautiful in a way, albeit dangerous. Charlie knew better than to just take in the glory before them.

Because the winged dinosaurs began to fly right for Mr. Masrani's helicopter. Charlie saw a man dangle from one side before one of the Dimorphodons snatched him out of the air, taking his screaming body with it to be devoured. More flew right at the blue helicopter, a beacon in the sky screaming for attention. Charlie stood up, taking Owen's hand in hers as her mouth dropped open in horror. The helicopter started to spin in slow, then quicker circles, downward. The spiral of Death a voice whispered in her head, and she knew there was no good outcome for her boss in this.

The helicopter crashed into the glass of the dome, splitting in half, falling through. Even through the glass that remained, Charlie could see the flames of explosion tearing away at the foliage around. She felt pricks of tears in her eyes. That was it. Mr. Masrani was dead. More flying dinosaurs with their leathery wings began to fly out of the hole created by the helicopter, pouring into the sky. And they began to funnel towards where the three were standing on the cliff edge.

"The trees. Get to the trees," Owen ordered, jerking Charlie backwards by her hand. Her feet naturally found their balance and she ran along side him, not letting go of his hand the whole time. The trees weren't far from the cliff edge and would provide good cover from the flying beasts, if they could get there in time. Time. So much of today was based on time, or the lack of it. There was only so much she could do against the master of Time itself.

The trees welcomed the trio with open arms, sheltering them against the oncoming wave of dinosaurs which banked upward sharply to avoid getting their wings mangled by the tree limbs. One flew too close, and Owen pushed Charlie down towards the soft earth, covering her body with his own. As she impacted the ground, some of her senses came back to her.

"Hey!" She said, jerking her hand from his grasp and pushing him off of her. "I'm not some damsel in destress, I don't need you doing that for me." She glared at him, not really angry, just more so overwhelmed with the events of the day. This was how those emotions seemed to pour out of her.

Owen groaned, shifting back up into a kneeling position. "Charlie, you are the last person on this dumbass island I'd ever think was a damsel in destress," he rubbed the back of his neck as if trying to clear away a sore muscle. He looked at her, a perplexity in his eyes.

"Good," Charlie replied with a curt nod, dusting off her legs and standing up. "Let's get the hell out of here. We've got people to save."