RPGTopia

Rick, near the back of the group, glanced over his shoulder at the head scientist, then turned to face him and said:"You'd better start talking, Jenkins." The merc had some questions that he wanted answered, among them being how long Jenkins had been planning on luring any team that came to the island into the ambushes that the mercs had been through. His carbine remained lowered, seeing the Persephone was keeping her eyes on him...

Barnes, more concerned about fixing his leg, ordered Jack to keep an eye on the angry mercs. He didn't want Jenkins dead, at least not yet. They needed proof, and the doctor was almost certainly going to deny everything...

Naturally, that's exactly what Jenkins did upon being confronted. He played the accusations off as if they were minor inconveniences. "Now really, I'm rather disappointed in you lot! You listen to one accusation by that Neanderthal and immediately believe every word he says? Tell me: why would I risk my own life at the jaws and claws of these animals to rid myself of my bodyguards? If getting off this island to live in the lap of luxury and hand over the project to someone else was my priority, I certainly wouldn't want to die, now would I? I can tell you now that I appreciated that Deinonychus ambush just about as much as I enjoy being accused of treason! That is to say, not much at all..."

Hiero had simply had enough he walked over to the Doctor and said "That is no excuse, if you've been studing these animals, making them, you should know their habits and how dangerous they are. So stop already and own up to your actions, or I swear to you we will leave you behind for these monsters. Don't think for a second that the knowledge in your head is worth a damn to us unless it helps get us out of here alive, or that these things will care if you made them." And with that Hiero simply leered at the doctor with contempt and walked away, he knew what he said was right and whether or not he was repermanded by Barnes or anyone else he diddn't care.

Rick chuckled and said to Jenkins:"If you didn't want us killed, then you would have led us along safer routes, even if they were longer, so that the chances of running into ambushes by the more dangerous predators would have been smaller. Hiero is right, you studied these dinosaurs long enough to know what parts of the island that they would call home."

"Barnes may be content to march them to their deaths. But if they have any kind of mind, they'll see sense long before that happens. He keeps pushing them, he may end up in the same boat as Jenkins" said Jacob as he eyed the base in the distance, trying to come up with a way to tackle the obstacle ahead, knowing that it was likely crawling with danger, be it human or otherwise...

Maxwell was just as angry with Jenkins, and soon spoke his mind.

"Really, everyone's made a good point. You've been worknig with these monsters for a long time; if you really were trying to help, you'd lead us some other way."

Maxwell soon shut his mouth, since he really didn't have anything else to add to the conversation.... though he did prep his shotgun, just in case...

"Are the dinosaurs more of a threat than a mob of stupid people with guns?" David asked, only partially joking as the building grew ever closer...

"After the attack," Jenkins began patiently, "I did not leave the research base. I was not fully aware of how and where the dinosaurs had spread. I was not so foolish as to wander out into the jungle alone and find out. Yes, some of the animals had already established territories by that time, but you must understand that, when the mercenaries attacked, they attacked every facility on the island. Such chaos would no doubt displace several species, particularly those around major installations, like this military base. And besides, those Deinonychus were not performing territorial behavior. We would be dead if that were the case. We simply ran across a hunting party. I have no more reason to suspect this particular field as predator territory than you do. As for the Spinos, that was a simple miscalculation. As I said, animals are unpredictable. Why the female Spinosaurus attacked, we may never know. Other than that, I have not driven any of you into predator-infested territory. After all, why would I so callously discard the lives of the men and women trying to rescue me?"

"Last I checked, a bunch of dinosaurs couldn't hold an entire country hostage" answered Jacob, referring to the terror group that had ruled Afghanistan for several years; a group he had worked to sabotage through one of his campaigns in the region. It was a prime example of how stupidity trumped even the greatest of predatory instincts...

"Thought as much" David said. By the way he had seen the nearby mercenaries react to Jacob's news, he knew the group was on the verge of striking out. All it took was simple words- they hadn't even seen what he and his comrade saw. They hadn't fought off the Troodons, or the other dinosaurs along the way to the lab. Simple words were all it took to get them riled up... for one tiny instant, he actually felt for Barnes and his group of misfits.

Rick said:"Yet you lead us through a field that you KNOW is an ideal hunting ground for predators the size those Deinonychus. That doesn't sound like unpredictable behavior when this part of the island would be a good one for them to frequent."

"A necessary risk," Jenkins replied. "Every single scrap of land on this island is capable of supporting theropods! We could sneak through the jungle and needlessly exhaust ourselves, and risk being attacked by Velociraptors, or we could slog through a swamp and be ambushed by Ceratosaurs, or the Deinosuchus. Heading across the open field provides very few obstacles, and is the most direct route to the military base. Regardless, the dinosaurs will be an omnipresent threat. It doesn't matter what path we take. I chose the least risky one. You should be thanking me, not accosting me." Jack kept a wary eye on the arguing mercs, waiting for Barnes to finish bandaging his leg. He wasn't one for picking sides, personally. He followed his orders, simple as that...

"The least risky ones, eh?" Persephone chucked, not lifting her dark stare from Jenkins. "Since when did going through Spinosaur territory count as being the least risky option?"

"If going through a bull Spinosaur's territory is safe, I'd hate to see what else you have waiting for us on this hell hole," Maxwell growled.

Jenkins shrugged. "How can you blame me for a Spinosaurus attack? The river was the fastest route towards the base. I did not expect the attack by the Spinosaurus. It isn't like her to attack the boat, especially when we're not in her territory. A freak accident, nothing more."

"Unless... she built a nest near there. If there was a Spinosaur nest near the river, then that would perfectly explain what happened. That wouldn't have been the case if you hadn't bred a male..." Persephone responded to the crazy scientist. Now anything that Jenkins was saying to her, was being taken with a grain of salt...

Unknown to the group, several pairs of eyes watched them from the shadows in all directions, the scouts that had identified them and noted their intrusion upon the pack's borders having finally returned, accompanied by many more packmates...Now it was just a matter of time...

"That's preposterous," Jenkins replied sardonically. "Even if she was gravid, it would take much longer for the eggs to actually be laid than a few months--" "We can discuss the reproductive habits of your pets later, doctor," Barnes cut in, slowly walking towards the group. "I don't give a rat's a** about your animals, and I'm certainly not in the mood for debate. For now, I'm placing you under protective custody." Jenkins crossed his arms. "Are you placing me under arrest, Lieutenant?" Barnes shook his head. "No, I don't have enough evidence, and I didn't bring any handcuffs with me. I think it'll just be easier if I keep you at gunpoint and don't let you leave my sight, or that of any other man or woman here. Seem fair to you?" Jenkins gave Barnes a flat stare, but said nothing. "That settles it, then. Everyone, move out! Head for the military base. We're finding a way out of here today..."

directly ahead of Barnes, the grass rustled, the hints of a hiss heard amidst the rustling before it fell silent once more...

As Jacob and David approached the facility, Jacob reached into his backpack, adjusting something within before closing it, before pulling a pair of binoculars from it's case attached to his waist, uncovering the lenses and looking towards the building. As dead as it looked, he knew it was too good a location to not be infested with predators of all kinds. "Oi, David. First thing I'm gonna do when we get off this god forsaken rock is get a shot of Whiskey. You in?" said the ex-SAS soldier as he put the binoculars back in their place...

a short distance behind the group, another of the animals deliberately gently disturbed the grass and gave a soft purring growl, just loud enough to be heard above the whisper of the foliage.