ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀs ᴀʟɪɢɴ | ʙᴇɴ ᴘɪɴᴄᴜs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

15. Step One

Going back underground

[Sammy POV]

Darius, Caleb and I push away some ferns. Tiff and Mitch bring up the rear.

They start arguing behind us, and I come up with a brief plan. "Okay. Step one is we take away their guns. Then we run."

"What if the T-Rex shows up?"

"We run faster."

"Hey! How much further to the Watering Hole?" Mitch snaps at us.

"It's just... Right through here." Darius points.

We reach Main Street. Caleb and I exchange confused glances.

I thought we were going to...?

"This isn't the Watering Hole. This doesn't look like the Watering Hole, does it babe?"

"It sure doesn't babe." She agrees in a low, dangerous voice.

I just realized that I don't want to mess with Tiff. Should've realized that ages ago.

I wince.

[Brooklyn POV]

"Wait, Yaz, you need to know—"

"There's no time! We have to figure out what Darius' plan is."

(approaching footsteps)

"Huh?" I turn around.

A teal Ankylosaurus comes out of the bushes and groans at me.

"Bumpy?"

Behind her, a glowing parasaurolophus follows. I look up and see a boy and girl who look like they'd been through a lot.

My jaw drops.

"Ben? Y/N?"

"Hey." they both say simultaneously.

I stare at them in shock.

Ben clears his throat. "Yasmina," he reaches his hand out for a handshake. Y/N grins at me. I run up to them and hug them tightly.

"You're a hugger now, Fadoula?" Ben chuckles.

"Still have mixed feelings about it, but I- both of you are-"

"Yeah, yeah. We've been trying to tell you about it. But in more pressing news," Brooklyn butts in. "Darius isn't taking the hunters to the watering hole."

Y/N takes the map from Brooklyn. "Why would he take them straight to the T-Rex?"

"Home court advantage! Darius and Sammy know the terrain well, and Mitch and Tiff don't."

"Ohh. So it'll be easier to lose them on Main Street than in the jungle!" Ben and Y/N realize.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go help them!" I punch my fist into my palm determinedly

"Yes! Bumpy, Y/N, Sunbeam and I are ready to roll."

"Sunbeam?"

Y/N points to her parasaurolophus.

Oh. Of course. Dino parents.

"Uh-uh. Big problemo. There's no way we'll make it to Main Street before they do," Kenji objects.

"Well, there is one obvious short cut."

"Down there? You must be joking. Don't you remember last time? Not only is it super dark and creepy, but we nearly died! Nope. No go for Kenji."

We still go into the tunnels. Brooklyn, Kenji, and I ride the motorcycle with a side car. Ben and Y/N ride their dinosaurs behind us.

We turn left. Then right. Suddenly we almost hit another emergency gate. Ben and Y/N walk up to it.