Ch. 26 Tragedy

Ch. 26 Tragedy

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= Eddie runs out of the trailer in time to see the wheels dragging forward through the mud as the weight of the dangling trailer pulls the whole thing toward the edge of the cliff. He runs for the jeep and grabs hold of the power winch on the front grill.

While this happens, Madison tries to reposition her teeth. Hesitating for a minute when she heard Sarah's scream from nearly being caught on the teeth.

Eddie races back to the trailer, pulling out a length of cable behind him. He runs up to the still-moving trailer, dives for its towing hook, the cable goes out and he falls short. Just by six inches, but he's out of cable.

"Damn it!" He cries aloud.

Malcolm and Sarah are now together, clinging to the rope near the bottom of the trailer as it shifts around them, Malcolm protectively shields the woman from harm as he does his best to keep hold of the rope, all while, Nick is further up, also clinging to the rope.

Eddie, back in the jeep, reels out more winch cable. He turns and races back to the trailer just as gravity starts to lift the front end off the ground.

Eddie dives again, and this time the cable hook clicks securely into the trailer's towing hook.

Nick clings to the rope in the middle of the trailer while Malcolm and Sarah try to struggle up it, but a sudden dip knocks them back, and their hands slide down the line.

Screaming, they slide through the trailer and their feet smash through the remains of the rear window. Worrying Madison who drops a few feet from where she previously was and positions herself below them.

Regaining hold of the rope at the very end, the two of them now find themselves hanging out of the rear end of the trailer, dangling over the rocky shore below. Although, now they witness a strange creature they weren't sure of, one with black scales.

The shape of his head bears a resemblance to that of a Tyrannosaurus rex, and he has a sprinkled red mark around his eye orbit. The skin around the creatures mouth is flaky and peeling away in some areas and is also sickly-looking, with ragged teeth similar to those of a giganatosaurus.

Eddie hits the gas and the tires slosh in the mud, trying to get a grip. The jeep pulls just enough to lower the front trailer back to earth. But the tires spin, fighting to hold in there.

Eddie smartly chucks the shifter into four wheel drive and exhausts the engine. As the motor roars, the sound is topped by another, much more daunting roar in the distance.

Unfortunately this one was not a machine. But while Eddie doesn't hear it, Madison definitely did as her head snaps up, all the while, Eddie guns the engine again. There is another roars from the jungle.

Eddie obviously hears the one beside Tony who turns in response, a breath leaving his mouth as he finds not one but two Tyrannosaurs racing towards the Jeep.

"Shit, JARVIS, stop playing with me!" Tony yells, trying to get his masterpieces to work.

The tyrannosaurs stomp forward to confront the roaring jeep. The first rex bends over and chinos down the rear tire, lifting the car in its teeth. But the spinning tire zings in the rex's mouth, burning it. Surprised, the rex loses its grip and the jeep drops back down onto the ground.

A horrified Eddie, dives down under the steering wheel, to get away. The gas pedal pops up which makes the trailer pitch over the side of the cliff but the rex forces a foot down on the jeep to prevent its escape. The trailers also stop.

Now the rexes lean down, over the jeep, and focus on Eddie, who still cowers under the steering column with it, leaving Eddie fully exposed.

He screams and the second rex lashes in, seizing him in its teeth and tossing him out of the car. Eddie pops up into the air between the two rexes, both their heads flash at him at the same time, and in a split-second, he disappears between their teeth.

Tony was shocked and mortified at the sight and just as he thought his luck wasn't bad enough, his armour finally reaches him and attaches all parts onto his body.

He couldn't be quick enough to save someone.

Now completely ignored, the jeep rolls freely forward and the trailers drop over the edge of the cliff.

Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick cling to each other and the rope as the trailers fall around them. The windows flash by as the trailers plummet, equipment bangs and scrapes them, but luckily they hold on to the rope, still tied to the tree, for dear life.

Madison decides to jump through the falling trailer, catching herself back onto the mountain cliff side with a loud groans. She had caught her back in her mouth with the egg cradled in one claw.

The trailers crash against the rocks all the while, Sarah's lucky backpack falls, its strap catching itself around Malcolm's neck, choking him.

Dangling from the rope, they look up and see the jeep, which is now rolling to the edge of the cliff. It falls, past them, and the whole mess explodes on the rocks below.

Finally, it is silent, except for the sound of the surf.

Grunting, Madison began crawling up, her jaw latching onto the back of the clothes for the three humans who were mainly surprised.

"Madis-" Ian stops when he is passed a round oval egg by the new type of transformed Madison as they continue their trek climbing up the cliff side.

Suddenly, from above them, a hand appears. Nick, who is closest to it, cranes his head back and looks up, sweat stinging his eyes, and sees a bold man. Now two more hands appear over the edge of the cliff. Peter Ludlow and another Hunter. Grateful, Nick, Malcolm, and Sarah take their hands and are pulled to safety. Madison unlatching them from her jaw as she completes her journey.

Falling against the ground, the others watch was the black scaled creature puffs out in grey smoke, revealing a purple and pink headed woman. A bag strewn in her mouth and clothes covered in tears, a jumpsuit seen underneath them.

Tony was the first to sprint over, kneeling at the head of the tired woman with him grasping the metal bracelet.

"Steady heart rate picked up, 63-67 beats per minute."

"You stupid girl." Tony whispers. Pulling her body against his metal one as he hugs the girl in a tight hold. He didn't care if his armour got muddied or dirty, he didn't care about everyone else's eyes, damn he didn't even care when Jarvis told him to be careful. He just wanted to hold the woman who feels so much like a sister to him so close to himself.

"We have medical supplies back at camp." The bold man in a safari cap informs the billionaire who stands, holding Madison who was now snoring peacefully in his hands.

The three cubs jump at his feet, startling a few hunters who drew their guns to them. Only to stop when Ian, Nick and his daughter picks each one up.

"We can take tha-"

"You are not taking anything Ludlow." Ian spits, pulling the egg away from the man who went to grab it. Ezra who was held in the 6'4 males hand growls, already not liking the male.

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX