Footsteps of Giants

Chapter 11: The Chase

The ground beneath their feet trembled with increasing intensity, each vibration a harbinger of impending danger. The Giganotosaurus's roar shattered the night air, a primal sound that sent chills down their spines. With each passing second, the beast's call grew louder, closer, more menacing.

Jayce and Ava locked eyes, a wordless exchange of mutual terror passing between them. In that fleeting moment, they saw their own fear reflected in each other's gaze, spurring them into action.

"We need to move, now!" Jayce shouted, his voice tight with urgency. He reached out, grasping Ava's arm with a grip born of desperation. With a forceful tug, he pulled her away from the entrance of the ancient structure, its weathered stones now seeming more like a trap than a shelter.

Ava stumbled, her feet struggling to find purchase on the uneven ground. Her free hand clutched her tablet like a lifeline, its faint glow illuminating her panic-stricken face. "Wait!" she cried, her fingers frantically dancing across the screen. "I need to pull up the park map. There has to be somewhere we can go!"

They ran, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they pushed their bodies to the limit. The thunderous footsteps of the approaching predator spurred them on, each impact sending tremors through the earth that threatened to throw them off balance. The jungle around them was a blur of shadows and looming shapes, branches whipping at their faces as they plunged deeper into the unknown.

Ava's eyes darted between her tablet and the treacherous terrain ahead, her mind racing to process the information before them. The map on her screen flickered and jumped with each jolting step, a maze of paths and landmarks that seemed to mock their plight.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration lit up her features. "There!" she gasped, her voice barely audible over the sounds of pursuit. Her arm shot out, pointing to a dark crevice in the cliff face to their right. The opening was jagged and forbidding, a mouth of stone that promised either salvation or entombment. "Those caves might lead us to safety!"

The Giganotosaurus's roar split the air once more, closer than ever. The sound galvanized them, lending new strength to their weary limbs as they veered sharply towards the cave entrance, their last desperate hope for survival.

Jayce nodded, his mind racing. Years of working with the park's animals had honed his instincts, and now he drew upon that knowledge. "The Giganotosaurus is too big to follow us in there. If we can just make it..."

They veered sharply, sprinting towards the narrow opening. Behind them, trees crashed to the ground as the massive predator burst into view, its eyes gleaming with an unnatural light.

With a final burst of speed, Jayce and Ava dove into the cave entrance. The Giganotosaurus's roar of frustration shook loose rocks from the ceiling as its massive head tried to force its way into the opening.

Gasping for breath, they stumbled deeper into the darkness. The cave quickly narrowed into a tight passage, forcing them to move in single file.

"Keep moving," Jayce panted, taking the lead. "We don't know how stable these tunnels are."