Island Of The Cryptids

20

Kaeli knelt over Tucker, who was babbling nonsense about his piloting career and his childhood. She heard some pretty grisly things about his parents.

"Amazing what people who have lost a lot of blood say." Manuel teased from the doorway. Jake sat on the edge of one of the seats.

"Glad you're okay," she said, and leaned in to kiss him.

"Not the first sexual act I had to witness tonight," Jake mumbled from behind them. Kaeli smiled. Silence filled the room, Tucker laughed a nasal laugh and fell back in his seat giggling. Rain pounded the plane cabin.

"It's just after midnight," Manuel said. "Seven hours until dawn."

"Let's hope the storm passes sooner."

Carlin stormed up the steps, dripping wet, his trench coat tattered. His undershirt was missing, exposing his chiseled chest and scarred neck.

"Who was the one who was here when that man came in?" he asked bluntly.

"I was," said Kaeli.

"Step outside."

Kaeli stepped outside into the rain, and looked at Carlin. Manuel and Jake followed after.

"I'm unsure of the active contagion of this disease," Carlin explained. "But to be safe, I'm going to need you to come with me."

"No way!" Kaeli said.

"You can't do that!" Manuel screamed. Carlin raised his gun and Manuel backed off.

"She is a threat! For all we know, she could be filled with worms and very contagious! Hadden's vomit had egg sacs all over the place, and it was bright orange! I've seen what it does, and I assure you that you would not want that happening to you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm telling you that we need to quarantine you, miss. You're a nice gal, and I don't mean you harm, but I need you to follow me to the building over that way so we can be safe."

"But that doesn't make sense!" Manuel shouted.

"It's to be safe!" Carlin yelled. "She is going to spend the night in that building over there, whether you like it or not! This is not up for discussion! She is a threat!"

"She's human too, you know!"

"She's still a threat!"

"No..." Kaeli whined. "No please no-"

"Come with me," Carlin said to her, gun pointed at her face. She stared down the barrel. It looked like a black hole, a tunnel of death. She stared right into death's eye, a pull of a trigger away from having her brains plaster the wall. Carlin pulled out a pair of handcuffs. She was too scared to question where he got them from.

"No please no..." she repeated.

"This is outrageous!" Manuel screamed, his voice raw. "You can't do this!"

"Help me!" Kaeli wailed as Carlin smacked a cuff onto her wrist. She struggled against it, but was scolded by the unwavering eye of the gun.

"Don't do this!" Manuel screamed again. Jake looked on in shock as Carlin toted a flailing Kaeli towards the shack.

"You can't do this! Please, for the love of God and all things living, don't do this! I beg you!"

Manuel buckled over on the runway as Carlin disappeared into the night. He began to cry.