A James Conrad Story (complete)

Chapter 14: No Thank Yous?

Conrad's POV

The beast was momentarily distracted by the sudden outburst, giving Mason enough time to run in and help me carry Slivko to a safer place. I turn to see the beast predatorily stalk around Grace, circling her, eyeing its prey.

"MASON" She screams breaking the silence and she starts running at full speed away from everyone, the monster follows close behind her. I turn to Mason to see that she threw her my lighter. Grace swiftly catches it and slides under a large bone. It momentarily creates a barrier for her but the beast crashes through the bone destroying whatever stops its way. For a moment, it seems confused, screeching and looking for its prey.

Worry downs me as I can't seem to get a visual either. Everyone was running towards the hill quietly trying not to get in between the fight. I catch a glimpse of her white bandage on top of the large decayed ribcage. She camouflages herself as she presses her back against the bone, the monster vigorously whips everything within its path looking for her with fury.

I stand still, paralysed, anticipating her next move. I tell Mason and Slivko to meet up with the pack and let me help Grace. Mason nods her head and she slings Slivko's arm over her shoulder dragging him along with her.

I can see from the top of the hill that they are setting up snipers but I signal them not too. Packards sees me and he tells his men to lower their guns. If they were to shoot the beast, the beast would only get more agitated. I sneak behind them slowly, concealing myself behind a bone and I watch them do their dance of death.

Grace jumps off from the bone with her Katana onto the Skullcrawlers back. It twists and turns trying to shake her off but her katana is jabbed deep into its flesh. It roars defiantly and tries to crash her into another bone.

Skillfully, she pulls her katana out of the beast and jumps off right before the monster flings itself to the bone and falls to the ground. She runs farther away from it with a small object in her hand. A grenade.

She turns towards the towering beast and the beast gets up and pounces towards her. It opens its mouth screeching only for Grace to throw the grenade into its mouth and running further away before taking out my lighter and throwing it on the ground near the feet of the Skullcrawler.

It collapses from the flames licking its skin and takes the final blow as the stomach of the monster explodes. I watch as Grace was flung away from the explosion and hit another decaying bone. Her motionless state scares me as I run towards her. I turn my head to see the beast has finally given up and is no longer screeching in pain. I slide beside her and grasp her head in my hands shaking her slightly.

She starts coughing from the amount of smog and smoke she inhaled and I look for the gas mask I used earlier. Not enough time to look. I pick her up bridal style and run towards the hill. Who knows how many fumes are going to explode at any second. She starts moving in my hands and she opens her eyes. She gives me a toothy grin

"Sorry I'm late," She says as she takes a black bandana from one of her pockets and slides it over her nose and mouth. When we arrived I place her down gently and she walks towards the group again.

"I could have been here earlier but I didn't really have a ride," she says jokingly, her voice muffled by her bandana. All the boys stare at her in awe, and I can't help but do that myself. That was one hell of a stunt she pulled off.

"What, No thank yous?" she asks due to the silence she receives after her statement

"Are you serious? It don't matter what time you arrived, you saved my men and I'm forever grateful," Packard says raising his hand out towards Grace.

"Underestimating me now Colonel?" She laughs wholeheartedly as she takes his hand in hers and pats his hand before letting go.

"Sadly, I also have the terrible news, Fox two crashed and only Chapman and I survived. Afterwards, another one of those things attacked us unexpectedly so we did not have time to fight back. He didn't survive the attack" She says looking down at her feet with her hands together behind her back, a soldier-like stance.

Packard was probably still deciding whether or not to trust her word. Before he could say anything I step beside her with one of my hands protectively behind a small section of her back and I show him the dog tag.

"I'm sorry Colonel Packard. Chapman is indeed dead"

He looks at the dog tag for a while before his stone cold exterior returns

"Doesn't change a thing. We're still going to that crash site" he says curtly

"What's at that crash site that you want so badly?" Grace asks, face shocked from his statement.

"weAPONS! Enough to kill it!" Packard exclaims his arms flailing as he tries to explains his statement.

"Kong didn't kill chapman-"

"but he DID kill these men! MY men!" he replies hostile clear in his voice.

"Kong is not the enemy" Mason states making all eyes turn towards her.

"I know an enemy when I see one" Packard retorts back

"We're soldiers, we do the dirty work so that families back home don't suffer! They shouldn't even know that a thing like this eXIST!" he continues on getting his insane state showing.

"The world is bigger than this" Mason says cowering from Packard

"BITCH, PLEASE!" He replies back

"Now Colonel, I think you're not in the right state of mind right now. You are thinking irrationally" Grace speaks up again, saying what everyone was too scared to say.

My heart stops beating as Packard raises his gun towards Grace's head only a few centimetres away. Everyone is shocked by his actions, even his soldiers were shocked. Grace, however, didn't even flinch.

"What, are you going to stop me?" Packard asks sincerely

Before I can try to pull her back, she steps forward. Everyone gasps at her motion as her forehead presses against the barrel of his gun. Packard falters a bit by her action as well, but he still keeps his hand on the trigger of the gun.

She whispers something only the people standing close to her enough to hear.

"Go ahead Colonel, shoot me. Show your men what a monster you are. You think they are going to follow you after you murder someone that just saved their lives?"

Packard ponders for a while, his eyes intensifying as he drops his weapon. Instantly, I pull her back in my embrace. She is still glaring at the Colonel with anger in her eyes.

"Not our fight" I whisper to her, trying to calm her. She eases herself a little bit but her bold demeanour never falters.

"Are you coming with us, Captain?" Colonel asks me. I look back at the group and I see the petrified eyes that stare back at me, awaiting my response.

" How about, I take the civilians back to the boat and wait for your return. You can take your men and fight the beast without interruptions or setbacks. The crash site should be 8 more klicks west of here" I say trying to make a deal with Packard. Everyone can see that he is mad and that the man of war is just starting more.

"MOVE OUT" He commands as he marches away. His men hesitate for a while but oblige to his commands, staying loyal to their leader.

Grace pushes herself out of my grasp, my heart shattering into millions of pieces to see her being cold towards me. She marches north. Everyone hurries to follow her and do not dare to speak to her.

I turn to see even Mason glaring at me and catching up to march beside Grace. I sigh and walk with the group once more as we march into the depths of the jungle once more.