Surviving the Waves

Chapter 21 & 22

Chapter 21: Darius' POV

Darius stood frozen for a moment, staring at the flashing alarm lights and the chaos unfolding outside the facility windows. The massive dinosaur was wreaking havoc, just like he knew it would eventually. The researchers had been so careless, so arrogant in thinking they could control these creatures. The truth was, no one could.

But why should he be the one to save them?

They didn't care about the consequences. They didn't care about the lives they were endangering. And all Darius had been to them was a tool, a means to an end. They'd given him a paycheck, sure, but they never really cared about the bigger picture—the devastation that could come from all of this.

His hand tightened around his phone, the message from Yaz still on the screen:
We're coming for you, Darius. You don't have to do this alone.

He had always believed in doing the right thing. Always believed that saving lives—no matter whose lives—was worth it. But this time... this time, he wasn't sure. Was it really his responsibility to clean up the mess they had created? These people had chosen to work here, to gamble with the safety of the world. They knew the risks, and still, they had proceeded without care.

No. Not this time.

He'd done enough.

Darius slid his phone back into his pocket, his decision made. He wasn't going to be the hero today. He wasn't going to stay and save these people from the consequences of their own recklessness.

He was going to take the money and leave. His mother needed him more than these people ever would.

Turning away from the chaos, Darius slipped through the facility's emergency exit, the sounds of destruction echoing in the distance. He made his way through the underbrush, toward the small dock where the company's boats were kept. The facility had a few escape vessels, but most of the staff hadn't thought they'd need them.

Darius had thought ahead. He knew better.

When he reached the dock, he quickly untied one of the smaller boats and jumped in, starting the engine with a low hum. As the boat began to pull away from the dock, he glanced back at the facility one last time. The place was burning, dinosaurs running free. The screams of panic were growing fainter as he put more distance between himself and the chaos.

He didn't feel guilty. Not really. Everyone there had known the risks. They'd been so consumed with playing God that they forgot how deadly their creations could be.

With a heavy sigh, Darius pulled out his phone again, staring at the message from Yaz, Brooklyn, and Kenji. They were coming for him, trying to help him—just like they always did.

But he didn't want them caught up in this. Not again.

He typed out a message, his fingers flying across the screen:
Don't come. I'm leaving the facility now. I'm fine. I'll meet you back home.

He hesitated for a moment, re-reading the message before pressing send. He hoped they'd listen. They didn't need to be involved in this nightmare, not after everything they'd already survived.

The boat sped across the water, leaving the burning facility behind. His mind raced, thinking about what awaited him back home. His mom needed him more than ever. This paycheck would make a difference. Maybe not forever, but it would buy them time.

I did what I had to, he told himself. This isn't my fight anymore.

As the sun began to set on the horizon, Darius kept his eyes forward, focusing on getting as far away from the facility as possible. He didn't want to think about what would happen there, didn't want to imagine the fallout. It wasn't his problem anymore.