Dominant Species Volume One -- Natural Selection (Dominant Species Series) (56 page)

He dashed on some clothes, grabbed a light and jammed his hand
down on the hatch lock. While the door was swinging down, he took a rifle from
the rack and clicked off the safety. He snatched a locator from the rack and
put it in his pocket, and then, pushed the switch that turned on the shuttle’s
beacon.

“Carla!” he yelled running down the ramp. “Carla!”

* * *

He ran to the spot, shining the floodlight in all directions. He put
the light on the spot of jungle that had swallowed her. The bright, white light
turned the wall of foliage a pasty green.

Nothing.

Water ran in streams off the thick leaves and disappeared into the
foliage below. No sign. No blood. Just the pounding rain and the booming
thunder.

“Carla!”

Something
got her. Something big. It’s still in there.

He stared into the foliage, trying to see something, anything. He
turned the rifle’s muzzle toward the jungle at the ready. He wanted to shoot,
to kill the jungle itself, but was afraid of further endangering Carla—if she
were alive. He crabbed sideways, back and forth, trying to see into the thick
tangle of vines and leaves.

“Carla!”

He started in.