David Golemon - Primeval

Collins rolled over onto his side and stared at the ceiling of the cave in frustration. "Mr. Ryan, how deep would you say that shaft is?"

Jason swallowed and leaned over the hole in the cave's floor. He grimaced and then looked at the people around him.

"Uh, real deep, Colonel, maybe even three hundred feet."

"Oh this is a fun time, thanks, Jack," Lynn said as she sat in frustration.

They all heard the grunt before they turned and saw the giant animal that had absconded with Alexander. It was sanding erect and watching them. It grunted once more and then its eyes fell on the fallen Sasquatch. Its angry eyes went from its fallen family member to those humans standing and sitting in the cave.

It was Ellenshaw that moved first when he recognized that the beast was the artist that had saved his life after he was shot. He quickly reached out and after closing his eyes, grabbed the animal by its massive arm. The beast grunted and then shook Charlie's arm loose as it continued to stare at the fallen Bigfoot before it. Charlie tried again, this time the animal looked down at him and its mouth opened, showing its massive incisors it leaned over and breathed heavily into Ellenshaw's face.

"For God's sake, Charlie, what are you doing? We have another situation here that requires attention," Everett called out.

"I think I know what I'm doing," he answered. He then pulled on the hairy arm until the beast allowed itself to be pulled along. The animal barely cleared the twelve-foot ceiling as Charlie led it toward the hole. The others quickly scrambled out of the way. Once in front of the hole Ellenshaw pointed down. The beast grunted and then it growled once again, this time it was far more menacing than the grunt before it.

"We don't have the time, Charlie," Jack said as he came to his feet. He approached the hole, all the while watching the animal in case it attacked, which would matter very much if the Hyper Glide went off. Jack eyed the creature and then stepped around it. The dark brown eyes of the beast followed Jack's every move, its lips curling over sharp teeth as it did so. Collins bent at the waist and then looked down into the shaft. He saw nothing but darkness.

"Jack, what are you thinking? You won't have the time," Sarah said as she gingerly joined him at the hole, all the while also watching the giant animal before them.

Jack looked up at Sarah and then Bigfoot; he shook his head and smiled. "What the hell, I've got to try."

Collins started to place his feet into the hole and was about to turn and start his way down the shaft. Then the dawning of understanding came to the giant's eyes. It reached down and picked Jack up by the scruff of the collar and roughly hoisted him to its back, Then without warning the great beast turned and jumped into the hole, its strong arms grabbing handholds to arrest its descent. They were all shocked at the suddenness of Jack's capture and disappearance.

Farbeaux ran to the hole and tossed down a flashlight; he heard the distinct sound of it hitting something.

"That didn't help the situation," Jack called back up through the blackness.

Henri looked up at the others who were staring at him.

"I thought the colonel may need that — if we're lucky."

As they waited, there was no sound coming from the shaft. Henri looked at his watch and frowned. He didn't need to announce that they were only three minutes away from a quick but horrible death. Interested in his fate, Farbeaux looked down the dark shaft one last time.

"How long has it been now? Sarah asked as she held Ryan upright with Lynn on the other side of him.

"We only have two minutes now," Everett said as he placed a hand on Mendenhall's back.

Suddenly, there was a roar from far below in the shaft.

"That didn't sound good," Ryan said as he relieved Lynn and Sarah of their burden as he slowly sat down and waited for the melting heat that would signal their death.

They all heard it at the same time, a rumbling coming from below. Farbeaux looked into the shaft and barely had the time to jump out of the way as the beast sprang from the hole. They all yelled at the sudden appearance of the animal as it landed with bent knees; then it shook its back, shaking Jack free from where he was holding on. The beast immediately went to its fallen brethren as the men and women stared on in shock as Collins picked himself up from the floor and came to his knees.

There was silence as they looked Jack over. He had his hands on his knees and he was bloody from head to ripped pants. He was breathing heavy, as heavy as Will, Ryan, and Mendenhall had ever seen him.

"Now that was one express elevator to hell," he said finally.

"I don't mean to be the pushy one in the group, Colonel, but can you tell us what happened. I mean, is our death immanent or not?" Henri said as his eyes never left the beast kneeling beside him. Finally, he chanced a look at Collins when he realized the giant animal was mourning and wasn't hostile.

Jack took a deep breath and then finally looked up at the others. He found Lynn and Sarah and then a smile slowly crept across his bloody face. Then he cleared his throat and then held out his right hand, in it, cupped solidly against his palm was what looked like a circuit breaker that had wires dangling off of it.

"It wasn't even close, it only reached one minute and three seconds."

Most wanted to fall to the cave floor at Jack's remark.

"That animal is amazing; it took me right to the Hyper Glide. It was if the damn thing knew what we wanted. Charlie, if anyone ever gives you crap about what it is you do, you send them to see me."

Jack finally stood with the help of Sarah and Lynn, making a very sore and tired Ryan jealous that he had lost his two nurses. They all stopped when the great beast stood erect with the fallen Bigfoot in its arms. It grunted and then quickly moved down the far end of the cave.

"Let's follow," Jack said placing his arms around his sister and Sarah. "Marla is back there, let's get her and go home.

"There could be a hundred of those… those animals back there, Jack," Lynn said.

"Giganticus Pythicus, my dear," Charlie corrected, thinking he was helping out.

"Whatever… there could be—"

"There are. Not just hundreds, but thousands. They live here, in each and every single plateau in this area. There is a cave system that must stretch from the Stikine to the Alaskan border." Charlie smiled wide. "Oh, yes, there is indeed something back there young lady."

Jack looked at Everett and he shrugged. Then he took a flashlight and Everett another. They had to see if they could find the girl.

"Should we take this?" Carl asked, holding up the AK-47.

"No," was the fast and simple answer from Jack.

"Okay, but I'm going with you," Sarah said. "You owe me Jack, for that trust you asked for."

"And how do you figure that, Short Stuff?"

"Because, what made you think Alexander wouldn't pull that trigger if he thought all was lost."

Jack smiled. "Because Punchy is the kind that always thinks he can luck his way out of trouble. I knew different."

"Yeah, well, I'm still coming."

Collins nodded, not really wanting to leave Sarah behind anyway. "The rest of you stay put," He gestured at Sarah with her arm around his battered body she started forward.

Charlie Ellenshaw smiled and nodded his head. If the people around him could learn to live without guns and take a chance on nature, and live with it for what it is, or very possibly could be, there was hope indeed.

They saw a bend in the wall of the cave as they slowly advanced. Jack was in the lead with Sarah in the middle and Everett taking up their rear. As Collins neared the wall and the bend, he saw something that looked vaguely familiar. Then he recognized it: It was a steering bar for a horse-drawn wagon. As Jack drew nearer, he could see something on the ground. He shone the light on it and then turned to Sarah and Everett.