𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 ▸ Lowery Cruthers [1]

015

"Ladies and gentlemen, due to a containment anomaly, all guests must take shelter immediately." The automated voice of a woman repeatedly blasted out over the loud speakers. A warning siren blared, although it was drowned out by the sound of heavy footsteps pounding against the tarmac of Main Street, by the screeches of the pteradons, and the screaming of unsuspecting park visitors who were under an aerial attack.

Rifle tucked securely against her shoulder, Ellis stared down the barrel of the gun as they all took their first tentative steps into the chaos. People were running in all directions, hands waving above their heads as though batting away a persistent fly. But the pteradons that soared above their heads were so much more dangerous than that. Ellis narrowed her eyes, aiming for a pterodactyl as it swooped down towards a family of three. Her finger hovered against the trigger for a fraction of a second, as the PETA supporting animal lover inside of her screamed in protest, before she weighed up her options and made the shot. It was clean and precise, a direct headshot that sent the pterodactyl with its fifteen foot wingspan gliding to an abrupt halt as it crashed headfirst through the glass window of a jewellery store.

"Nice." Owen whistled, spinning on his heel to put down a pterosaur that was headed in their direction.

There were people running in all directions, some headed into the shops and restaurants that lined Main Street, some headed further into the compound towards the Hammond Creation Lab and others ran with no real direction in mind at all, simply running for their lives. Ellis and Owen spotted a child, a little girl, cowering beneath a table, at almost the exact same moment and rather than both surge forward to grab her, Owen readjusted his gun against his shoulder and nodded at Ellis. "I'll cover you." He assured her.

Ellis nodded silent agreement, lowering her weapon and slinging its strap over her shoulder. She ducked as a pteradon swooped down to grab her and missed by only a fraction of an inch, and made her way as quickly as she could through the throngs of people that crushed through the street. When she reached the table she crouched down, holding a hand out towards the little girl whose tears were falling hot and heavy down her rounded cheeks.

"Come on, it's okay. Look it's okay just take my hand..." Ellis' voice was surprisingly calm given the situation, and it was this soothing tone and air of confidence that made the infant trust her. A small, sticky hand clasped Ellis' in a vice like grip and once she had a hold of her Ellis scooped the girl up into her arms, holding her head against her shoulder. "Close your eyes." She urged the little girl, who did as she was told and buried her face into Ellis' chest. She carried her back towards the group, where Claire stood with Zach and Gray's hands held tightly in either one of her own and Owen's gun was pointed upwards towards their assailants in the sky.

It had taken the Asset Containment Unit longer than Ellis had thought to assemble and come out in force, and she frowned when she realised that the guns they were carrying were none lethals. When her injured arm started to protest at the weight, Ellis shifted the toddler onto her hip. "We can't stay out here Owen, we've not got nearly enough ammo to hold our own and something tells me this little lady wants to be reunited with her mom." The toddler sniffed against Ellis' chest, which the brunette took as confirmation of her statement.

Owen's jaw was tight, and he nodded reluctantly. He didn't want to leave the front line when there were still so many people that needed saving, but the four people that surrounded him – and one added toddler – were his main priority, and he had to make sure they were safe.

"Isabella!" A woman's voice rang clear through the crowds and the child lifted her head from Ellis' chest, looking this way and that at the sound of her name.

"Mama!" She shouted a response.

Ellis whipped her head around just in time to see a woman with tan skin and a pretty floral dress come hurtling towards her. Her outfit was entirely inappropriate for running for your life from dinosaurs, but Ellis didn't suspect that that's what the woman had planned for when she woke up at the park resort hotel this morning. The woman held out her arms, and Isabella did too, making small grabbing motions with her hands. When her mother was close enough, Ellis handed Isabella over, silently thankful to no longer be bearing her weight.