No ones time, p.6
No One's Time, page 6
The more colorful of the small dinosaurs ran over to the man with the broken ankles who was trying to pull himself into the bushes with his one good arm. Liam mentally urged the man but knew in his heart that it was going to end badly. He gritted his teeth, his body tense as he watched the horrific drama unfold before his disbelieving gaze.
The larger of the pair snuffled the woman’s head and the woman let out a wavering cry but didn’t open her eyes. Then with lightning speed, the female animal, Liam supposed, chomped down on the woman, its teeth shearing her in half, and he could hear the woman’s tortured scream inside the mouth of the dinosaur. The creature flipped its head back and the sound was gone. The sound of ripping flesh and breaking bone rang in the warm, humid air, and the metallic scent of blood wafted over them.
Liam turned and vomited, trying desperately to do it quietly. He sank to his knees, shuddering with the spasms from the act. There wasn’t much in his gut, just acid. He hadn’t eaten since the evening before. He felt someone’s hand on his shoulder, squeezing, though he didn’t look up. He couldn’t look up. He didn’t want to see any more. Then he heard the shrill screams of the man who’d been trying to crawl away echoing through the trees. Liam hoped the teen wouldn’t regain consciousness.
The bus rocked with the sound of creaking metal and he heard screams from inside the bus. Someone lifted him up from his knees and pulled him backwards, away from the back of the bus. It was Oliver guiding him. Sebastian was following with his arms wrapped around Pen. They crept to the front of the bus and then deeper into the forest.
↔
Jimmy Baltimore squatted behind the seat, sweat bathing his face. This was some kind of altered universe—some kind of nightmare. He was stuck in the middle of it and it was all Penelope’s fault. He wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for her bullshit. He’d barely made it back into the bus in time, and had to knock that Hindi cow out of the way. He snickered when he remembered her squeal of distress. She was crouched with the woman who had that baby in the infant car seat. He was in the middle of the bus and could clearly see the pair of monsters outside the bus.
He had come close to vomiting when that old geezer was ripped in half. He shivered at the remembrance and wiped again at his face. He could hear two children crying.
“Shut the hell up, you want those things to come in and eat you?” he hissed and was pleased when someone muffled their cries.
He was halfway tempted to toss the brats out; he didn’t want those creatures sniffing too much into the bus. Jimmy glanced up at the dented ceiling. He wasn’t sure if the bus could stand an assault from those things. They looked like T-Rex, but he wasn’t sure. He had not imagined they could look like that and the animals weren’t at all like in the movies. The stench of rotted meat reached his nostrils when one of the titans snuffled in the back opening. He lifted a hand to cover his nose and mouth and swallowed hard.
He couldn’t believe he was sitting here, hiding from a freaking damned dinosaur. It was just too incredible and his brain was having a hard time processing what he saw. He didn’t want to die here. He didn’t want to be here but there was nothing he could do. He wished he’d brought his service weapon, but it was back home in his apartment. Grinding his teeth, he silently cursed Penelope again. He shifted and found a bag of chips in the seat pouch beside him. He carefully lifted it out and unfolded the bag. He was hungry and he had an ugly suspicion that he was going to be really hungry in the days ahead. He slipped a hand into the bag, pulled out chips, and shoved the food in his mouth.
He nearly spit them out when he heard the woman with the spinal injury scream. He didn’t look out, didn’t want to see. When he heard the horrific crunch of bone he gagged and tried desperately to choke down the chips in his mouth. The sharp edges of the chips jabbed his throat. He couldn’t waste this food. Blindly, he reached for a water bottle that was lying on the floor and with trembling hands, opened it. He gulped down the contents, not caring that someone else had their lips on the bottle. He was panting by the time he downed most of the bottle.
Jimmy wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat. He built up enough nerve to look around the corner of the seat. The huge dinosaurs were out of view now and he let out a breath. He dug his hand into the bag and began to eat. He’d have to look for more food and he’d have to do that fast to build up his strength for what was to come. He cringed when he heard another scream. Jimmy clenched his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears to block the sounds.
He had to have a plan, he had to survive this, but how? He glanced around him. People were huddled down between the seats. He would need to do a head count. He would consider the travelers as potential shields. Damn. The water situation would become critical if they were all sweating like himself. He shook his head. How was he going to get out of this? He rested his forehead on the seat. He’d never been in a situation where there wasn’t some kind of out. He wasn’t sure how he would or could cope. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t right.
Once more, rage surged forward, his thoughts pointing to Penelope. This was all her fault. He was the good guy here; he shouldn’t have to pay with his life.
↔
Pen shook uncontrollably and her legs were like rubber as she squatted behind the tree. The only thing that was keeping her from falling to the ground was Sebastian, behind her. She could hear the high-pitched chirps of the smaller dinosaurs. They almost sounded like some kind of bird. She could still feel the low frequency rumble of the larger pair. She wanted to laugh hysterically. They were back in time and it was so insane that she thought maybe she was just having some kind of brain aneurysm. Yet the stench of bowels and the screams were real, as was her heart hammering painfully in her chest. Those poor people, it was just beyond her, their unimaginable deaths. She sent up a small prayer for the dead travelers and wiped at the tears sliding down her face.
She glanced over at Liam and Oliver. Their faces were pasty and stamped with horror and she suspected her own face reflected the same.
The creatures circled the bus, sniffing and snuffling. The largest one, a female, Pen thought, scratched at the ground with her massive foot. The female, if she was a female, was almost twenty feet tall. Her head and jaws were broader than the male’s. The long, thick claws dug deep grooves into the earth. The male chuffed a few times and then turned and walked back into the forest. The female swung her massive head and looked around, then followed behind.
Pen was weak with relief when the dinosaurs vanished. Slowly, she and the three men crept back toward the bus. They stopped and peered around edge of the bus; the smaller dinosaurs had vanished into the brush but she could still hear their chirps.
“My Lord, how in the hell did we go back in time?” she said to no one in particular.
“I think it was that storm we went through. I must have opened up a portal or rift in time. Somehow, we drove into this time,” Sebastian said.
Pen shook her head, not wanting it to be real. She noticed people crawling out of the back door, many disheveled and bleeding. One man was cradling a broken arm, his face pale from the pain it must be causing him.
“Sebastian, let’s check the storage compartments,” said Liam. “I need to find my med kit. You need to get your case. I think you’re gonna need your battle rifle.”
Sebastian walked over and helped Liam open up the external storage compartments.
Pen went to help a woman with her two children and saw that her husband was behind her. The man with the dreadlocks she’d seen earlier was behind them. Suvi and the young woman with the newborn came after. All had terror stamped on their faces. Little by little, more people filed out, clambering past the seats. She didn’t see the woman with the dead child. Had she gone to hide in the woods? Pen spotted Jimmy stepping off the bus and looked away.
“We’re gonna have to get the rest of those bodies out of the bus and bury them,” Oliver said. “Otherwise, the smell of blood is going to draw a helluva lot of those creatures.”
He’d come up beside her and helped people exit the back.
“You’re right,” Pen said. “I’m pretty sure that’s what attracted the dinosaurs in the first place. How are we going to survive? There’s no way we can kill those things.” She tried to swallow around the tightness in her throat, and bit her lip to stop the runaway trembling.
“I’ve got a Glock 19, but unfortunately, I’ve only got a couple mags. Not only that, a 9mm bullet isn’t gonna stop one of those large creatures. Maybe just piss it off a mite. Maybe fire is our best bet,” Oliver said.
“I think you’re right. I’ve got a M4 carbine in my case, but unless I get a shot into its eye and into the brain, I don’t think it will be very effective. Maybe on the smaller creatures.” Sebastian opened the guitar case he was carrying.
Pen saw a rifle inside, as well as a pistol of some kind that was secured inside the case. The men were correct, those weapons looked puny against the massive animals that left only minutes before.
“Let me go back into the bus and see if I can’t find something to dig with and I’ll start digging graves,” Oliver said.
“Won’t they still have the ability to smell them?” Pen asked and knew she was about to suggest something horrible but she didn’t see any way around it.
Oliver and Sebastian looked at her and then the men gazed at each other.
“She’s right,” said Sebastian. “Those things smelled the blood from a long way off. That’s what drew the predators in, I’m fairly certain. We can’t bury these poor folks deep enough and I have a bad feeling we’ll just draw in more. God only knows what’s out there. I don’t know much about dinosaurs, but I think a lot of them might be scavenger types or opportunists. We’re gonna have to burn them.” Sebastian scanned the group of people that were now scattered around them.
Carrying a large bag, Liam began to assess the injured. Suvi joined him and spoke in low tones with him while they checked everyone. He was taking gauze and sterile packets out of the pack.
“Hell, fire, that’s gonna be gruesome, but you’re both right, it’s the only way.” Oliver put both hands up to his head and squeezed hard. Pen thought he was trying to squeeze the horror out.
They started when they heard a dog barking and Sebastian went to one of the closed storage lockers. He unlocked the door with the keys and lifted it up. He uttered an oath and pulled out a kennel. He unlatched the door to the kennel and a dog bolted out. It didn’t appear injured but Pen hoped it would come back. She was sure the dog would be eaten by whatever was out there.
She helped Sebastian with the luggage, then Oliver stepped in as well. Several of the other passengers came over and began to help.
The man with dreadlocks nodded to Pen. “Hi, I’m Owen Alastair.”
Pen set a small travel bag to the side. “Hi, Owen, I’m Pen, that’s Sebastian, Oliver, and Liam is over there with Suvi, helping the injured.”
“I’m tryin’ to wrap my mind around all of this,” Owen said, shaking his head.
“Me too. I feel so numb inside and the thought of another hour here scares me to death.” She hitched a breath and tamped down on the urge to cry.
Owen nodded and picked up several suitcases, carrying the baggage away from the bus. Pen noted that several of the passengers were claiming their luggage.
“Folks, can I have your attention?” said Oliver. His deep voice wasn’t loud, but it was commanding.
People stopped what they were doing and turned toward him.
“Look folks, we’re in helluva fix. We’re gonna have to do things we don’t want to in order to survive. For that, I’m truly sorry. First, please gather up any food or water you can find and put it over by the back door to the bus. We’re gonna have to ration ourselves until we can figure out what there is to eat out there.” Oliver stood tall, his gaze unwavering.
Pen admired the man. She was thankful for the military presence here, even if Oliver was retired. He was still an asset and brought her a sense of safety.
“Also, we’re gonna have to figure out how to boil water so we can drink. I’m pretty sure there are microbes in the waters that might make us sick. Worse, and I’m sorry to have to say it, but we’re gonna have to burn the dead.”
People started protesting, raising their voices all at once. Oliver raised his hands to quiet the group down
“I know, folks, trust me, I know,” he said. “But those dinosaurs were drawn by the scent of blood. Even if we bury the dead, I’m pretty sure that something will come to dig them up. I don’t know about you, but one encounter with these creatures is enough for me. We have no defenses against the large animals, and a finite amount of ammo to defend ourselves from the smaller ones. We’ve got to get rid of the bodies and pretty soon. There’s no telling what else is out there and what will come.”
There was muttering but no one said anything after that. The idea of drawing in more predators was too horrifying to comprehend.
“I’ll help you get the dead off the bus,” Owen offered, and Pen nodded.
“Alright, we start at the back and work our way forward. We’ll place the bodies with the other dead over there,” Oliver said.
He climbed up into the bus. Pen followed, boosted by Owen. There was a dead young man just inside the door and she and Owen dragged him to the door. Sebastian and another man stood by the opening to take the dead man. They carried him off and Oliver and Owen hoisted a large woman, her neck broken and her eyes wide open. Pen moved out of the way and nearly stepped on a child and cried out. It was a three-year-old and one of his arms was missing, his blue and white shirt saturated with blood. She stifled a sob and gently lifted the boy. Owen took the child and handed him out the opening to waiting arms.
Slowly, they worked their way through the bus carrying bodies out. They found several limbs and Pen carried the body parts out, gritting her teeth and swallowing over and over. She didn’t want to vomit. She was reaching for a man when he jerked awake and Pen let out a startled yelp.
“You’re alive! I thought you were dead,” she said, trying to stop her runaway heart.
“Oh. Uh, yeah. I was kinda out of it, man. What’s going on?” he asked.
Pen wrinkled her nose. The man was dirty and disheveled and he stunk badly. His eyes were like pinpoints and his speech was slurred. This guy was higher than a kite. She didn’t even know what to say to him so she turned away. She jerked back when she saw Jimmy sitting between several seats, eating something. When he saw her, he shoved whatever it was into his mouth, his cheek bulging.
“I think you should help, Jimmy,” she said in a dead voice.
“Hey, screw you. I don’t gotta do a damned thing. It’s your fault I’m even here,” he said, spitting crumbs out of his mouth.
Pen felt someone behind her but didn’t look to see who it was.
“Hey, shitbird, stop shoveling food into your piehole or I’ll beat the dog shit out of you. Get your ass off this bus and do something useful. Now, or by God’s little toes, I’ll put a fucking bullet in your head,” Oliver snarled.
Pen nearly laughed at the fear that registered on Jimmy’s face. He was a bully. He bullied women, but apparently when it came to men, he was a coward. Jimmy struggled up from between the seats, wiping his mouth on his forearm and stepped cautiously around Pen and Oliver.
“We’re gonna have us some problems with that boy,” Oliver said when Jimmy was out of earshot.
Pen watched Jimmy make his way out of the bus and shook her head. She couldn’t believe he blamed her for being here. Yet she suspected that was how Jimmy saw everything, as someone else’s fault. She chuckled.
Daddy isn’t gonna be able to get you out of this one. Jerk.
5
Pen reached into the seats. She saw a bag and set it behind her for later retrieval. She shoved a large branch back the busted window, then saw her ball cap and picked it up, slapping it on her hip to dislodge bits of glass and debris.
She placed it on her head and said to Oliver,
“He was such a bastard to me, and I’m pretty sure he hurt my friend Mallory. Also, we need to watch the food, otherwise he’ll be into it.”
“Most cowards are that way,” Oliver replied. “They bully those they can and backstab those they can’t.”
Pen grunted in agreement. The bus was now sweltering and the stench of blood and death was heavy in the trapped air of the bus. Pen shoved her hair away from her face and stepped out of the way while Owen helped Oliver with the body of a large man. He was too heavy for her. She picked up backpacks, bags, bottles of water, and clothing that was strewn around the bus. She shook those out and draped the clothing over her arm. Everything on this bus would need to be utilized. Their lives depended on their ingenuity and ability to adapt.
How long until the next assault from the creatures of this time? She pushed the thought from her mind.
Take care of now, Pen.
↔
Liam squatted before the man with the broken arm.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Luke Gomez. You?”
“I’m Liam Glover. If we can roll back your sleeve, I’ll take a look at your arm. Good news, the skin and tissue aren’t broken.”
Liam dug into his med kit and pulled out a sealed 24-inch SAM splint kit, along with adhesive tape. Rolling Luke’s shirt sleeve up, he gingerly held the forearm. Gently pressing, he could feel the radius shift slightly, causing Luke to grunt in pain. Pressing against the ulna caused no pain and Liam detected nothing broken. He glanced up as Owen walked over.
“Owen, can you give me a hand? Suvi went to help Lisa, the lady with the newborn. Hold Luke’s arm steady once I’ve straightened it. I’m going to place this splint on it and tape it into place.”
Owen nodded at Luke. “Sure thing.”
Liam opened and unrolled the flexible aluminum splint. He then extended Luke’s arm and rotated it gently, pulling the radius back into its proper alignment. Luke groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Owen held the arm in place while Liam slipped the splint beneath and began securing it with the tape. A few minutes later, the arm was secure and Liam pulled out a sling, knotted it behind Luke’s neck, and carefully placed his arm in the sling.
