CHAPTER SIX. Make Them Pay.

"HELLO? HELLO, is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? Hello?" Claire frustratingly shouted into the radio, before slamming it down onto the steel table as Franklin typed away on the laptop, trying to find a way out.

"I- I'm trying everything. It's jammed — all of it. "Just take the job, son, build your people skills." Yeah, thanks, Dad." Franklin sassed his father's inspiring words, causing Zach to chuckle. He was the only one who seemed semi-calm in this situation, irritating Tate. She knew he was most likely keeping calm for her, but that didn't help her nerves. Gasping, a satisfactory beep came from the computer. "That's it!" Very few doors began to click, along with a ringing of a siren sounding around the bunker.

"Proximity alert." Claire informed. "Something's coming."

"Where does that tunnel lead?" Asked Franklin as the four turned that direction, staring at the dark abandoned circular corridor.

"Well, it connects to the rest of the..." A deep growl erupted from the distance inside of the tunnel, all ears catching that chilling noise. "...park."

"What was that?" Zach jumps to Tate's side, who's body had frozen out of fear. Tate wasn't lying when she had studied all types of roars and sounds that came from dinosaurs, so hearing that, she immediately recognized it.

"Is that the T-rex? Claire, it's the t-rex. Tate? Is that the t-rex? You aren't saying anything. It's the t-rex, it's the t-rex, it's the t-rex." Franklin frantically stuttered, his hands shaking.

"Shut up! It isn't the t-rex." Tate growled, her eyes never once leaving the tunnel. "It's the Allosaurus." She muttered, beginning to back up as a sudden burning sensation fell onto her right arm. Tate bounced back in agony, gripping the large gash that she had just received as the four all watch Lava beginning to cascade down into the bunker. Zach stayed by his girlfriend's side, eyeing her.

"Are you okay?" He turns his body fully towards her, trying his best to not irritate her skin more by attempting to examine the wound. Tate's eyes watered in pain, gently nodding her head. Zach knew she wasn't telling the truth and that it must hurt like a bitch, but he also knew there wasn't much time to focus on one thing. Zach wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but he knew Tate best — she'd rather escape this torture chamber than be babied.

Her hand lifted itself off of her burn that dented into her skin, forcefully yanking a piece of cloth she had found from an old rag to wrap around her wound, Zach aided her in this makeshift bandage making, resting his forehead onto her shoulder for a better view.

Her face cringed at the feeling, the burning numbing her arm completely to where she felt like it wasn't even there anymore. She tried to ignore the fueling pain, beginning to search for an exit point for them to run. Franklin released a series of loud shrills, causing the Allosaurus to mock the screaming boy. "Tate! What do we do! What do we do! Whistle! Freaking whistle and make it stop!" He commanded in a high-pitched tone of voice.

"Me and Cisco don't get along very well!" Tate shouts back, matching his vocal range. Franklin gave her a dumbfounded look, before releasing another frightened scream as Cisco entered the room with them. Being struck by the boiling lava, he didn't dare to take another step forward in fear of being burned.

In a quick motion, Claire found a solution. Rushing over to a metal ladder attempting to yank it down. When it wouldn't budge, Claire shouted at Franklin for the same exact chair Tate was spinning in just minutes ago. Hesitantly, Franklin bucked up the courage and grabbed the furniture. Claire and Franklin were the first to rush up, leaving Zach and Tate down in the scolding hot room slowly filling with Lava.

"Go up first." Tate instructed Zach, side-eyeing the dinosaur who growled sinisterly at her. She almost felt as if he was laughing at her — ready to obtain her as his next meal.

"Wha- no! I'm not leaving you, Tate." Zach shook his head, refusing to do as he was told.

"Zach!" Tate whips her head back to face him, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine, but I won't be fine knowing I left you down here. Please go, I'll be right behind you." She nods, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Zach stared at her hesitantly, glancing between the Allosaurus and her. Before another word could be exchanged between the two, Zach raced up the ladder. Relief washed over Tate knowing that he'd be safe, her heartbeat slowing slightly down, even in the situation they were in. Staring over at Cisco, Tate watched as he made many attempts to try and reach for her but failed as he repeatedly got burned. Once the cranking of the hatch door finally came to a stop, Claire swung open the large, hefty exit door. The three all trailed out, giving Tate an opportunity to jump up and join them.

But as her foot came to its first step on the chair, and Zach came to his last, the ladder rattled — a group of bolts all fumbling off the ladder, enough to cause it to pummel down the small tunnel, causing the ladder to crash against the floor. Tate's eyes widened in horror, staring up at the empty exit point. The three on top all stared down at her, their facial reactions the same as her.

"Tate!" Zach shouted for her, frantically glancing around to find some way to help her out. Before she could get a word out, Cisco behind her began to edge closer and closer, his eerie growls sending a chill down her spine. Tate slowly turned towards the large carnivore, his steps rumbling against the ground.

Tate's bottom lip wobbled, her body feeling absolutely drenched in horror. She had no idea on what to do, allowing her watery irises to release themselves of the tears, the drips beginning to fall down her flushed cheeks. "Tate!" Claire yelled from above. "Run!" Without an ounce of hesitation, Tate jolted to the left, swerving between the boiling hot Lava in hopes to escape without any more injuries. Tate knew the only way out would be through the concrete tunnel, so knowing her time was limited, Tate could only run.

Looking around the room, her hand rushed towards the steel table, grabbing the small flashlight Franklin had brought in, hoping it'd last her until she was free. Without wasting any more time, Tate threw herself into the tunnel, stumbling up onto her feet. Tate ignored the burning coming from her kneecaps after skidding them against the stone, the sound of Cisco's loud roar shaking the floor, causing her footing to loosen and her knees to buckle.

Her feet ran as fast as they could in the condition of the tunnel. The lava slowly seeped into the cracks painting the walls, Tatum's nerves suddenly spiking every second. The thundering sound of Cisco's footsteps behind her was heard, giving Tate the signal, she was currently being chased. Her legs reached farther than they ever had before, occasionally stumbling against the fallen rubble.

Turning down a steep corner, her eyes caught onto Cisco's jaw slamming right by her feet, a shriek falling out of her lips. Her legs stretched more and more, taking another tight turn, her body fell forward. Her arms thankfully caught her before she could fully face plant, holding herself up. Cisco's teeth nipped at her arm, blood slowly trickling down Tate's arm. She winced in pain, throwing herself back up onto her feet to continue being the victim in this chase.

Tate's arms ached from the beating they've received, her body suddenly feeling exhausted. She was already so incredibly drained, and she's barely done anything. Her stomach swirled, her body drenching in sweat as the lava produced waves of heat.

Taking another turn, a rush of relief passed through her as the bright glow of sunlight hit the end of the tunnel. Tate's run picking up, if that was even possible, giving her a fighting chance, she'd make it out alive. As her feet stumbled out of the dark tunnel, she was met with immediate amounts of large volcano debris flying around the sky. Her arms instinctively went to cover her face, before rushing off towards where the dock was located. Tate's head twisted around to see Cisco still following close behind, along with a series of different dinosaur species. For the first time in Tate's life, she was in an unrecognizable area.

Tate watched as her dinosaurs all fearfully ran for their lives. Tate was living in her worst nightmare, and it was absolutely killing her.

She wasn't paying much attention to what was in front of her until the ground was no more. Her body suddenly was swept off the ground, the feeling of slowly falling abducted the air from her. Tate's eyes enlarged as she flailed around in the air. The ocean beneath her getting closer and closer, until she was suddenly captured by claws. Tate's vocal cords screamed out in horror, her feet dangling in the air as wings flapped beside her body. Her head jolted back and forth, watching the Archaeopteryx continue to keep her in his grasp.

Tate's head followed towards a series of boats and helicopters flying by her, the boat directly underneath her. Her eyes began to examine the water vehicle, searching for some sort of soft top for her to fall onto. Noticing how the jeeps settled onto the front of the cargo ship were in fact a soft surface for her to fall onto, she had no other choice. Tate's arms wiggled around the dark green jacket she wore, ignoring the painful feeling she had endured.

The Archaeopteryx growled at the discomfort, suddenly releasing his claws from around Tate's shoulders. Her gasp caught itself in her throat, the feeling of losing the safety of the dinosaur vanishing away. Her eyes had sewn shut, the tip of her nose scrunching together as she awaited her fate. Getting closer and closer to the bottom, Tatum was then met with the feeling of a hard metal roof. She groaned in pain, knowing she didn't land where planned. Her body fought for breath after it had been knocked out of her, her spine feeling as if it was just ripped right out of her body.

Her mouth released a cry, leaning into her bleeding arm to hide her eyes away from the scorching heat of the sun. "Jesus, Christ." She whined, sniffling. Tate's pathetic attempts to lift her body up failed, causing her just to give up. She silently let her body rest, laying on her side to watch the departure of the boat from the island. Her heart ached as she listened from afar to the crying bellows of her dinosaurs, a part of herself dying along with them.

She broke her promise to keep them all safe — she lied to them. She gave them false hope. And that didn't hurt her or made her feel guilty. She felt anger. She was so angry that she agreed to this — that she thought this random group of strangers would ever help such helpless animals. She'd make them pay. She'd never, ever let them forget what they've done to her animals.

authors note

my poor tate😭 also i loved this chapter‼️