Carnivores

The dankly shadowed derelict interior of the building—if it could be referred to as that—was plastered with age-old concrete; the far north wall of the complex was all but a singular ruin of brick and wood splinter.
“You are here because of the high price of which you have all spent. You few are here from the sacrifices made. You select few—you gentleman—are about the come witness to the most thrilling experience of life. It is my guarantee—my promise, that you shall never experience anything of such magnitude yet again. Shall we begin?”
The small concentration of men—some eleven of them in number—shuffled slowly forward, toward the rigid speaker toward room center. Most of which were big game hunters from African Safaris.
“Good evening gentlemen, I expect that your night was…interesting.”
Light murmurs of agreement drifted widely across the alien building. All of which seemed to illuminate from the center man himself. A stalking figure he was in the dimly lit space he now occupied. Kenzer Bellington dressed in the slightly business-like, and moreover the true outdoors man type of outfit. Graying temples lined his thick head of slicked backward hair. At nearly fifty-seven, Bellington was an accomplished businessman and well as a successive game hunter.
“Gentleman, if you step closer I can explain this thoroughly because I will not do so another time.”
A voice rang from the crowd, “What’s a matter old man, going deaf or something?”
“You speak again and you’ll be dead before you hit the floor. I am straight?”
Silence echoed into the air above, and the eerie tranquility populated the group’s very breath, of which they exhaled.
“Good. Now here’s the deal. Day one, all hunters will be assigned a partner. No one hunts alone, especially considering that you are the first to venture into this landscape. There have been no others to come before you—you are the first and it is important that you remain together. We know not what is out there, but if you are separated by some random feat, rendezvous back at base. If you fail to comply with this policy, we are not responsible for any injuries or possible fatal action of which may befall to yourselves.”
Bellington revealed the deck of cards to the eager hunters—like children in a candy store—the back design was the company’s official logo, plastered vividly against a black background.
“These are specially produced cards—each man draw one and locate the other that matches the face card. Hunters obtaining exact duplications are partners for tomorrow’s excursion. The hunter that fails to obtain a card will be paired with myself—and what an honor that will be.”
The faintest glint could be seen in the old-times eyes as each hunter drew a card from the handful fanned out in Billington’s lengthy fingers. The glint seemed only to enlarge as the last card was drawn.”
“John,” he gave the man’s shoulder a firm squeeze, “Looks as if you’ll be hunting alongside me. As for the rest of you—get as much sleep as you can manage. I know it is an exciting time, but you’ll need as much as possible…Tomorrow’s going to be one hell of a day.”

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John Hemnek lifted the rifle, the redwood butt of the firearm resting snuggly against his shoulder. Within his sights, the pebbled skin of the monster himself.
Hemnek, hunter of the Northern Alaska, had bid high dollar you assure his position on this expedition. The Australian-style fedora atop his head exceeded his appearance. Giving him that jungle explorer look; but in truth he was nothing of any sort. An honest, down-to-earth man without temper and good clean humor. His khaki pants to his lengthy black hair that hung below his hat represented a comfortable hunter; a hunter at peace with his element. And to add to the genuineness of the expedition, he’d been chosen to hunt along Bellington himself.
“Not yet John, we’re going to get closer.”
“And they think I’ve gone off the deep end, and you want to get closer? He’ll kill us both.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve hunted these before.”
“I thought you said no one had hunted here.”
“So I lied a bit, but you hunters will never experience this again. Now follow me…stay close and you’ll do fine.”
Bellington methodically swept past the grassy hill and crouched low before the open-mouthed valley back dropped in sharply eroded red sandstone cliffs. Motioning across the valley Hemnek observed the reptile as it continued to survey the landscape, slowing its pace to sniff the crisp air, and began wayward in their direction.
“It’s coming our way, it’s bad isn’t it?”
“No, no, this is indeed a bit of good fortune. And considering that we happen to be downwind. Besides it’s after the Stegosaur across the way. Watch.”
Hemnek followed the larger, predatory creature as it made an approachment toward the deceased carcass. A bellow rumbled from the creature’s excessive chest cavity. Then gunshots rang out across the grassy plain and immediately he recognized the pair of hunters.
“What’d you call that thing?”
“The Tyrannosaurus rex. And is that Kelso and Frentz with their kill, because I’ll tell you right now their not going to get it. That dinosaur wants it and it is his intention to make sure that he gets a good meal—scavenged or not.”
Hemnek jogged out several yards onto the plain, waving for them to join the party. The figures reframed from battle and circle around the Tyrannosaur and onto the open fields. Half way across, the grass swayed some twenty yards behind. Numerous snouts poked about the air, sniffing the air before vanishing into the sea of yellow.
“You see that.”
“Raptors. Yell for them to move it.”
Needless of being vocalized, the pair had already picked up on the activity and had both went for a sprint. Side by side, they made good time racing across the plain; the snarls of the pursuers nipping at their heels.
Reaching Hemnek, they refused to stop, “Well don’t just stand there, run if you want to live.”
Glancing over his shoulder he saw that the Raptors hadn’t halted at the grassy edge, but had continued their pursuit toward its chosen prey. Turning, he glanced a tree yards away and bolted for it. The hot, foul breath of the creature could be heard as he clamped tight onto the redwood trees thick, knotted bark. Once height seized to be an issue, he peered down onto the small creature. His surprise was that for such a small creature, they strategized with great precision and attack pattern. Above the ground, however, he was secure from attack. Turning to the electronic headset, he tuned to signal 101, and set off the beckon.
“Hello John, Hemnek here. Anybody else read me.”
The distinct, scratchy voice echoed in his earpiece, “Good you made it John. This is Bellington. I’m across from both of the other hunters here.”
Gunfire blazed across the area followed by a scream that was clearly aiming onto foredooming death.
“John—we got a situation here—”
The transmission cut short, but Hemnek was granted the full audio feed. He speculated that the transmit button jammed on his partner’s radio. Countless more shots echoed and then the radio transmitted, “Get back you devil vermin…you can’t have him. Ay, I’ll kill every last one of ya. Oh—”
Endless silence descended the area as the scream abruptly ended. Peering down, he saw that the two Raptors present before had abandoned their chosen prey to join whatever had gone down in Bellington’s area.
“John,” the voice of Bellington sighed, “we lost Kelso. Raptors got him.”
“How?”
“Strap of his back pack caught a branch on the way up. Not much of the body left here. Buggers picked it nearly clean.”
Hemnek bowed his head in prayer. It wasn’t until moments later that his transmission clearly defined his means of action. Of which were to make way for the stand of foliage Bellington and Frentz were currently situated. Calculated his pace and possible encounters, he speculated that it would take anywhere from a half an hour to some ninety or so minutes.
Giving way to the protection that the tree had offered, his boots contacted the ground with a dull thud. Facing directional of the tree stand some quarter mile up wind, he paced himself. Leaving the tree security, he knew that an encounter of any kind was eminent.
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Mid-morning broke and the previous night had yielded no sign of Hemnick. Bellington pondering the reality of another fatal encounter, of which if were true, would leave them motionless in the knotted trees. They’d be here for days and food was scarce; he’d already consumed all rations except for a powerbar, and Frentz had emptied his supply the previous afternoon.
The rustling of the waist deep, yellowed grass gained their attention. It swayed gently in morning’s breeze but there was something else—it approached slowly, cautiously as unsure of what lie ahead. Then a raspy voice, harsh in isolated vegetation.
“Hello? Hello? For God’s sake is anyone there?”
Hemnek had survived—somehow, with odds against his success, he’d survived the night among the elements.
“John,” Bellington motioned, “get up here.”
With slight effort on Bellington’s part, he forced his body above into the high branched of the tree. And it wasn’t until then that his partner got full view of night’s work. Bruises patched themselves across his unclothed arms, small cuts across his ran the length of his neck, and a gruesome wound an inch or so above the eyebrow.
“You don’t look so good, you know that.”
“Ah…Thanks for noticing. Anyhow I just haven’t had the time to glance at the mirror.”
“You going to tell us what happened out there?”
“I left the tree and headed in your direction, easy enough it seemed. Half an hour later I went to recalculate my coordinates, but found that to be impossible. The needle danced in so many directions a fly’d get lost. So logically I’d made way in the same route. Night came and the predators emerged—I spent the night in the tree. I had a pack of Raptors surround the tree; all eagerly awaiting the moment that I would tumble down. Then the big one came.”
“The big one?”
“Yah, large square head, razor-sharp teeth—small arms. When he came the Raptors parted into the distance. Really strange.”
“It’s the Tyrannosaur—he’s picked up your scent.”
As dried breeze wiped their faces, each looked upon one another before glimpsing across the rugged terrain. Stillness—no birds…no buzz of insects, absolute desolation.
“Here that?” Bellington shifted weight.
“What?”
“He’s right,” Hemnek caught on, “it damned quiet. You’re not alone…he’s here.”
The rumble—the distant bellow stretched seamlessly across the landscape. The near tree canopy erupted with the flocking of avian-resembling birds. The dulled feathered bodies glinting in sun’s rays. Soon thereafter it was those canopies that swayed savagely to and fro, all threatening to snap away from the main trunks.
“Maybe he just wants dinner,” Frentz humored lightly, lowering from his perch.
Following suite, Bellington ushered Hemnek from the thickly vegetative branch offshoots.
It was the second etches of avian flight that attracted their attention and the reality of the situation’s potential unveiled. Another Bellow—Closer than the last—sounded from behind. There the creature stood, powerful leg muscles tensing for the moment. Large rounded eyes gleamed downward through a thick lens of slim, which served as a protective layered. The animal strode forward on muscular hind limbs, simultaneously releasing a short series of bellows.
“He’s challenging us—” Hemnek explained, “run.”
All separated, racing in opposite directions. Hemnek had figured that the Tyrannosaur would take down one of them—but at least the wouldn’t give up without a fight. Separation posed the greatest chances and atop that the animal would momentarily become confused by it’s prey’s flight into the jungle foliage. If fate had any role is the present situation, it withheld little. The Tyrannosaur snapped a vocalization before lending chase in direction that Bellington had vanished into. Hemnek pressed forward, thick foliage slapped across his skin as he continued flight. The movement ahead forced his body into a crawl—reaching a clearing he lowered a frond and he stared.
The large Tyrannosaur bent awkwardly downward, and snapped its squared head sharply, sending a crack of skeletal structure. It was then that he caught the faintest glimpse of Bellington. His ravaged upper torso lay slumped across the boulder outcropping. The deceased’s horrified expression gleaming across the clearing and onto him.
A low, static hiss droned momentary before his recognized the tone of the radio. Snapping it from his belt, he transmitted, “John here.”
“John,” a delayed pause, “That God. Get over here. I found the wall—they’ve been searching for us.”
“Where’s the wall?”
“Look above you—any sign of Bellington?”
“Didn’t make it.”
“…Once you come onto the wall, follow it around a narrow bend. There you can find the way out onto the main complex.”
Towering above the overhead trees, Hemnek glimpsed the large wall. The crudely fashioned tips extending high into the air; solid oak of which the pillars were, appeared that the wall had been established and built from vegetation located from the very planet itself..
The wall was ultimately located closer than expected, and reaching it had taken little time. It was rounding the bend that he found a full team of armed personal awaiting his arrival.
“John—glad you made it. Let’s get you out of here.”
Hemnek had speculated that it was to take several days to arrange for a transport to make arrival on the reserve. Surprisingly the cargo freighter had already prepared, and landed a day or so ago. Preparing an evacuation after company owner had gone missing. The liquid rockets ignited full force, thrusting the freighter into the atmosphere and fighting away from the planet’s bulk. Hemnek witnessed as the ship rushed from the surface and into the cool, vast vacuum of space. Below, the planet gloomed brightly. Dark oceans nearly engulfed the planet’s surface, spare for a landmass no larger than the continent of North America. Moving steadily across the vastness and away from the planet, Hemnek allowed his eyelids to flutter closed—knowing that when he awoke, it would be to a far better place…home.