A World of Chaos

Part 5

The hall is echoing with voices as we walk through the dim lighting toward the underground den. My heart beats with nerves as we grow closer.

"Don't look at anyone. Don't speak with anyone." Barry explains. "Just try to blend in."

I nod my head. Blend in, I got it. We turn a corner. Along with the voices the roars of dinosaurs and the clanking of metal can be heard on the air. As we exit the tunnel, I force my face to stay neutral as I glance around at the new environment. 

The den is lit up with skylights, strings of bulbs, and various fire pits scattered around. People are everywhere mingling, haggling, or shouting at each other. Large stacks of cages display various species of smaller dinosaurs. Venders sit around the edges of the den dressed in robes selling any part of a dinosaur you could imagine. Against the far wall, lifted above the venders, there is a group of people no doubt huddled around some sort of fight. 

Owen, Barry, and I descend the stairs to mix among the people and look as if we belong. We weave through the chaos. My eyes still glancing around at all the different species chained and caged around us. 

As we pass a man holding a kebab, he shouts at us and shows us the meat he's cooking. An abnormally large locust and various other slabs of meat are spun around on a spit. It doesn't look very appetizing and the smell certainly doesn't help. I just shake my head to decline as the man attempts to offer me the food.

We continue along, passing a woman wearing an aviator jacket with short curly hair framing her dark face. Her arm is rested in a cage next to her with a strange little dinosaur in it. The woman seems to watch us as we pass. The dinosaur growls. 

The three of us continue until we come to a corner. Barry turns and looks at us. "Okay. Now we split. Remember blend in." 

I nod and turn to Owen giving him a quick kiss. "Stay safe." I whisper.

He smirks. "And you as well. You're the one staying in an underground den." 

I return his smirk dragging my hand from his shoulder and patting his chest. "I'll be fine."

With our final good lucks we part ways. Owen goes with Barry to scout the roofs while I stay in the den looking for any sign of Delacourt. Once the boys are out of view I wander around again until I get to a restroom of places. I'm pleasantly surprised to find the sinks work. The mirror is cracked and stained with something, making my reflection hardly visible. That's okay though: I look like a mess.

My attention is drawn to the sound of footsteps approaching me. I glance up in the mirror to see the aviator woman from before striding up to the sink next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I watch her. She sought me out, why?

"You lost?" She asks with an american accent. 

She's American? I wasn't expecting that. "What's it to you, aviator?" I shoot back as I turn toward my sink and shut off the water. 

We turn to face each other. "You shouldn't be down here. It isn't safe." She states. 

I roll my eyes. "In a world like this, no place is safe." A sigh escapes my lips. Maybe she can help me or at least have seen something. "Can you help me?" I ask.

She raises an eyebrow. "What are we friends?" She scoffs.

I shake my head, "Listen. I'm looking for someone-"

The woman cuts me off, "Oh, no, that was not an invitation. Here." She pulls a dinosaur tooth out of her pocket and hands it to me. "Souvenir. Go back to the hotel. You know throw some bath salts in the bath. This place–not your vibe." She puts down the towel she was holding.