The Island Project: A Thriller (18 page)

CHAPTER 44

CERTA GROUNDS, ALPHA SECTOR

16 OCTOBER, 6:20 A.M.

Kelly blinked. Water poured out from the sides of her eyes. Rain was coming in through the exposed door, splashing her eyes and filling them up. She coughed hard to release the water that had entered her mouth. She tasted something metallic in her mouth and soon realized it was the taste of her own blood. A wound on her forehead left a bright red trail running down her temple and onto her lips.

She coughed and spit the blood out.

Her body ached, but she was able to move. She checked herself to see if she had sustained any major injuries. Nothing serious—besides the pulsating pain emanating from her forehead. Her eyes moved around the wreckage, she couldn’t see Tom anywhere.

“Tom?” Her voice cracked as she called out. She sounded as feeble and tired as she felt. She tried it again. “Tom. Are you ok?” Kelly pulled herself up by grabbing onto a bar hanging down above her. She looked down. Her body had remained strapped in through the fall. The leather cushion must have softened the blow and the straps had done their job by securing her.

Where was Tom?

“Tom, where
are
you?” Kelly soon realized that Tom could have easily been injured. He was in the front of the helicopter and there wasn’t nearly as much padding there. She became frightened. “
Tom
!
Can you hear me?
Where are you?”
she yelled out to him.

Kelly got to her feet and began stepping over the wreckage searching for him.

Then, she saw him—in the part of the cockpit that had become unattached.

“
Tom!”
shouted
Kelly.

Kelly squeezed through the mutilated door and pushed herself out from the wreckage. Her eyes darted around until she spotted Bennett’s body underneath a collapsed portion of what used to be the cockpit. He was pinned between the seat and a tree trunk. A section of glass further separated him from Kelly.

“Oh my god, Tom!
Are you ok?” Kelly ran over to him. She got down on her hands and knees to see if she could pry the glass aside and help him get out. Kelly pulled as hard as she could, but she couldn’t budge the glass. She tried kicking it—hitting it…but it wouldn’t move.

“Tom, can you hear me?
Please
answer me.” Kelly pleaded for Tom to answer her. She felt like crying. She was scared. She couldn’t dare think about the possibility that he might…

Kelly grabbed the glass panel again. She pulled on the frame with all her strength. It simply wouldn’t move. She screamed out—a shout of pure rage. She tried it two more times and then dropped to her knees and hung her head down. She couldn’t hold back anymore and the tears began streaming down her face. Her dark hair hung down into the wet ground beneath as she sat there with both hands on the glass.

“I’m so sorry,”
she cried.

The weight of the moment was crushing. She felt sick to her stomach and ached deeply inside. An ache so strong that she felt it in her bones. Kelly felt like she was still falling in the helicopter—like she would be suspended there forever, falling and never touching the ground. She found herself recalling the moment she got the phone call about Colin’s death…the pain that struck her, like a fatal slice through her gut—or a dagger that entered her heart and remained there, twisting for eternity.

If only I would’ve kept my mouth shut about this. If only I hadn’t pushed him to come back here.

The immense feeling of guilt overtook her like a black cloak, enveloping her consciousness. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for it all.

If only I…

“Kelly…”

A voice broke through the silence and startled her.

It was Bennett.

“Tom?”
Her eyes widened and she wiped her tears away. She brought her face up the glass. “Can you
hear
me?”

“Kelly…go.” Bennett sounded weak. He moved his head slowly to see her and struggled to open his eyes.

The tears poured down Kelly’s face. “Oh my god, Tom. I…I was so…” She couldn’t speak. She felt elated that Tom was alive.

“Kelly. You have to get out of here now. They’ll come…”

“
I’m not leaving you.
Not a chance in hell
,” Kelly said and shook her head. “You need to get out of there, Tom. Try to move—
you need to try
.”

Bennett didn’t answer. A moment later he adjusted his shoulders and attempted to twist free of the seat that was pinning him. He let out a painful groan. Then stopped after one final attempt.

The tears came welling back in Kelly’s eyes. A flashback entered her mind from when she was a young girl.

KELLY HAD ALWAYS loved the ocean. While most girls were playing with dolls or playing house, she played on the seashore—chasing the waves back and forth.

  One particular day, Kelly was playing in her favorite part of the beach by her house. She had gone to the place she would go to escape everything. The place where she could create a world of her own.

The caves.

The caves reached back far into the large rocky cliffs under her house. They were a natural playground—a world of adventure in the backyard of a young girl growing up along the California coastline.

Like so many times before, Kelly had been careful to watch for the incoming tide. Her father’s voice never failed to echo in her head.

“Stay away from the caves at high tide. It’ll swallow you up.”

That day of all days, she was careless.

Kelly had explored the vast depths of her imagination and had wandered in a little too deep into the caves…at the wrong time of day. It had happened suddenly, as if only a matter of seconds. The water rose and filled the caverns and all the pockets of the cave, extending all the way back to where Kelly was playing. She remembered seeing the water there. The sight of it closing off the passage frightened her to the bones. Kelly still remembered it like it was fresh in her mind.

She was trapped.

Kelly immediately panicked and began screaming for help. She remembered screaming until her throat hurt and her eyes burned with tears. The water kept rising and rising until only her shoulders were above the dark, hungry sea. The light faded quickly inside the cave. But just before it faded completely…she saw a shape appear in the water.

Kelly’s brother Colin burst through the water and grabbed ahold of her. He yelled out to her to hang on. She remembered the feeling she had when he arrived to help.

Colin. Her guardian—always.

Then the light left the cave. It became pitch dark inside. Kelly again became terrified. She screamed and panicked. Raw terror took over and she thrashed violently in the water. Colin couldn’t control her. Then she remembered Colin’s voice, calming her. She recalled how he held her tight and told her it was going to be ok—that he was going to get her out. He relaxed her enough to stop the panicking while he placed her arms around his neck. He told her to take a breath. She did. Then they went under.

Colin had come for her. He was always there.

Thank you, Colin.

Kelly looked up at Tom. She suddenly felt charged and got to her feet. She reached down and got a good grip on the glass panel. She was just about to lift when she heard something in the bushes next to her—something moving quickly.

They were here. The robots.

Kelly stared at the bushes as the sounds grew louder and louder.

Suddenly a man burst through the forest. It was Danner—a large machete dangling from his right hand.

He looked at Kelly and could tell right away that she was distraught.

“Where’s Tom?” he asked.

Kelly pointed at the wreckage.

“He still inside? Is he hurt?” Danner walked toward him.

“I don’t know…I think so.” She wiped her tears away.

“Get back.” Danner walked up the to the glass and wrapped his big arms around it. He grunted and pulled hard—his veins bulging.. The glass pulled free from the frame and the entire helicopter lifted slightly. Danner threw the glass to the side and reached down around the seat on top of Bennett. “Ok, get ready. On the count of three you pull him out—one…two…three.” Danner lifted, putting all his strength into it. The frame rose about four inches—enough to free Bennett from being pinned. Kelly reached down and grabbed him under his shoulders pulling him free from the metal carcass.

Bennett rolled over in pain, grabbing at his ribs. Danner released the metal frame and kneeled down next to Bennett. Kelly looked Tom over. She looked him over quickly to see if he had any major injuries. When she pressed on his right ribs it caused him to groan.

“I think his ribs are broken. I can’t tell how much internal damage there might be. We shouldn’t move him,” Kelly said.

“Well I hate to tell you this, but you’re gonna have to,” Danner replied tersely, “Those juggernauts were right behind me. They’ll be here any minute.” Danner looked into the forest, as if he had just heard something. “Hang on. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, Rick!” Kelly protested. But he had already disappeared into the forest.

A moment later, Danner pulled up driving a four-wheeler and skidded to a stop next to Kelly. He kept it running, hopped off and walked over to them.

“Come on, let’s get him in.” Danner and Kelly lifted Bennett up and placed him sitting up in the back bed of the E-ATV. He winced as they moved him but nodded, indicating he was ok. Danner walked around and met Kelly. “Take this road all the way out. It will meet up with the entrance and you should be able to get out from there. All the gates should still be open, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting past the fence.” He looked around quickly as if expecting company. “Oh, and there is a small supply shed just off the path. If you need it, there’s a shotgun above the door.”

“What about you?” Kelly asked.

“I’m not finished here yet,” he said—his eyes narrowed.

“Ok, thanks Rick,” Kelly said.

“Go! They’re here!
Now!”
Two juggernauts came into view sprinting around the corner of the building.

Kelly cranked on the throttle and shot the E-ATV forward into the forest.

CHAPTER 45

CERTA GROUNDS, ALPHA SECTOR

16 OCTOBER, 6:40 A.M.

Danner gripped the machete tightly. He hadn’t had time to arm himself with a gun—he was too busy fleeing the juggernauts. They had chased him through the building following the altercation with Dr. Perry and Braden.

Danner had always kept a machete safely stored under the seat of the E-ATV should the need arise to clear some stray palms hanging low along the path. It was as good a weapon as any right now, and Danner was happy to have it. In fact, used correctly, the machete was likely a better choice than a firearm. If he could get one turned over and expose the belly plate, he could have an open opportunity to slice the crucial wires running along the torso.

The juggernauts slowed to a creep as they rounded the corner and set their sights on Danner. There were two of them—then suddenly…Danner lost one. It disappeared—for a moment, and then reappeared a few feet away.

…THE ROBOTS DIDN’T, HOWEVER, HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS WHEN TO CLOAK THEMSELVES…

Clever bastard,
Danner thought. It was using its cloaking defense to disguise itself into the surrounding brush. The robot seemed to be doing it
intentionally
, as a hunting mechanism. They weren’t supposed to have the AI for this…It was completely disappearing. It both amazed Danner and infuriated him—he could barely track it. It happened again. He lost it for a moment. Danner squinted his eyes and tried to use his peripheral to pick out any movement.

Then he spotted it only ten feet away.

They seemed to be moving even quicker—as if their hunting skills were evolving
.

Was it getting smarter?

Danner stepped backward and nearly lost his footing. The juggernaut leapt into the air and before Danner could attack—the robot’s heavy frame knocked him to the ground. The machete flung free from his hand and Danner sank into the muddy earth. He instinctively threw his hands out in front of himself, catching the front legs of the juggernaut and gripping them tight. The weight of the robot was considerable, but Danner was keen to handle a high volume of weight. He did it daily through his weight training.

He grabbed hold of the front legs and tried to bench press the robot—attempting to push it off him. Four hundred pounds of government-grade robotics slowly rising upward. Danner struggled to keep a strong grip as the mud seeped down the body of the juggernaut and over both his hands. The weight of the robot pressed Danner further into the wet mud.

He was sinking.

Then suddenly the juggernaut cocked its head back in a jerking motion…like it was choking. It made an odd machine-like noise. Then its jaw split apart and the robot slowly opened its mouth. The action was bizarre. As if the robot was preparing to eat him.

What the hell? What is it doing?
Danner thought
.
He had never seen the robots do this before. The strange action took him by surprise and he struggled to get free. The last thing he wanted to do was become pinned down while a robot feasted on his flesh.

Danner grunted and yelled at the beast, taunting it and testing its vocabulary of expletives. He screamed loud directly into the robot’s face, exerting his rage and roaring loudly to enhance his strength while he pushed on the robot. The robot’s mouth was wide open when Danner caught notice of something that sent his adrenaline into overdrive. A thick needle drew forth out of the juggernaut’s mouth and jutted out into the air toward Danner. It was a frighteningly large needle that appeared to hold some kind of brown liquid. Danner tried to keep calm and think of a way to avoid having his face pierced by the colossal needle, which was now encroaching to within inches of his left eye. He pushed harder and tried to get his legs underneath to use as additional leverage.

“Aaaahhh!”

Danner yelled and turned his head to the right, trying to avoid entry into his eye socket. He knew that at least if it went through his cheek he could potentially avoid major eye damage. He couldn’t give up though. He pressed mightily—one last time.

The needle pushed downward until it touched the hairs on his skin. Danner braced for the puncturing sensation. He tightened his jaw…

CRACK!

A shot rang out and Danner felt the head of the juggernaut jerk to the side. He looked up and noticed something hanging off the robot. It was an eyeball…dangling from a bouquet of colorful wires. Another blast rang out, this time shattering the contents of the needle and showering liquid onto Danner’s face. The robot’s jaw had all but disappeared now leaving exposed wires and circuits in its place. He looked over and saw a man standing roughly ten feet away. He couldn’t make out who it was due to the liquid coating his eyes—blurring his vision. He regained his grip and channeled his strength. He managed to push the robot off him and send it splashing into the mud next to him.

Danner got to his feet and spotted his machete lying in a puddle. He leaned down and scooped it up. Taking full advantage of the robot’s exposed position, he swept the blade down and connected with the belly full of wiring—slicing clean through and severing its lifeline. The light dimmed in the juggernaut’s eyes and its body fell limp.

Danner turned around to face the man who shot the robot.

Standing there in the rain was Detective Jim Lee. His Glock .45 aimed steady out in front of him.