Tocchet coughed and spit, gasping for air. With no time to lose, Zane gathered him up and carried him back toward the center of the clearing. It was only then that he noticed Katiya striding beside him.
As he set the soldier down on the grass, Zane heard continued commotion not far away.
Bennett.
Leaving Katiya to tend to Tocchet, he turned and ran toward the lights at the edge of the clearing. He soon saw Brett and Bennett struggling with a massive vine. It was the largest one Zane had ever seen, probably three or four times the girth of an anaconda.
He rushed forward, but before he could reach them, the sound of a gunshot cracked in the air. Then another. He turned and saw Jorge standing about ten yards away, a rifle pressed against his shoulder. As he continued firing, bullets ripped into the plant, sending plumes of dark sap in every direction.
Seconds later, a shriek rang out from somewhere far off, deep in the tangle of plants, and the vine snapped back into the darkness.
With the immediate threat now suppressed, Zane and Jorge rushed to help Brett and Bennett to their feet. The four then retreated to the mountain face along with the others.
As they arrived, Katiya grabbed Zane’s arm and pulled him to the side. “We need to get out of here… now.”
“It’s gone.”
She shook her head and swept the beam of her flashlight across the clearing. Zane flinched. Hundreds of vines were now snaking out of the plant wall, inching toward them from all directions. Some of the vines had been beaten back, but others had taken their place.
Zane stared in stunned silence. The tendrils were moving more slowly now, probably cautious after the blows their brethren had taken, but in a matter of minutes they would likely move in from every direction. And when that happened, no amount of bullets would stop them.
Zane turned to the group. “Everybody, gather your things quickly. We’re entering the tunnel.
Max scowled at Zane. “How do we know you aren’t leading us toward something even more dangerous than what’s out here? We need to kill this—”
“Good, we have a volunteer who’s going to stay behind and fight. The rest of you prepare to leave.”
Max muttered something under his breath but reached for his pack. The others wasted no time gathering their belongings and moving toward the rock face.
Zane slung his own pack over a shoulder then turned toward Tocchet. The soldier was sitting up now, breathing deeply. “I know you’re weak, but we’re going to have to get you over to the tunnel.”
Tocchet coughed then spoke in a soft voice. “I’m ready.”
Zane lifted him to his feet and looped an arm around his back, holding him up. The two then walked over to where the others were queuing up in front of the opening. Maxwell Cameron was already on his knees, crawling through as quickly as he could. Zane shook his head at the pathetic sight.
After making sure Tocchet could stand on his own, Zane looked at Brett. “Is everyone here?”
“Yes,” Brett said with a nod.
“Good, let’s—”
“Look!” Amanda shouted.
Zane turned. Amanda had directed her beam back toward the clearing. The vines had closed the distance even more quickly than expected. Some of the shoots were only about fifteen or twenty yards away and closing fast.
“Holy crap,” Zane said.
Katiya came over and stood at his side. “I think the plant uses its tendrils to sense movement. Which means when we all ran over here, it was able to track us. It also seems to be coming with greater numbers this time, probably something it’s learned to do when it realizes it’s up against prey that’s able to fight back.”
“It’s almost like that thing has a brain.” Zane looked at her. “You said plant, singular. There are hundreds of those things.”
“I’ve been thinking about it ever since we had our little discussion earlier.” She gestured toward the vines. “There are hundreds of vines, but my guess is that if you could trace them all back you’d find there is only one plant.”
Amanda’s eyes widened. “That’s one organism?”
“Yes. I suspected it before, but after watching all the vines move in unison, I no longer have any doubt.”
“What the hell is it?” Zane asked.
“A carnivorous plant of the highest order.”
“Like a Venus flytrap?” Amanda asked.
Katiya nodded. “Yes, but only in the sense that they’re both carnivores.” She looked at Zane. “Remember I told you it had some resemblance to the strangler fig? I think we’re looking at one of its long-lost relatives, possibly something that dates back to the prehistoric era.”
“Why aren’t there others?” Zane asked. “If they were all over the planet, we’d know about it.”
“Who knows,” she replied with a shrug. “Survival of the fittest. As powerful as this plant seems, a microorganism in the soil outside the crater might be able to bring it to its knees. It’s hard to say.”
Zane’s brow furrowed. “Why did it wait to attack?”
“I’d guess it probably gathers energy during the day via photosynthesis then attacks unwitting prey at night.”
“I think we’d better get moving.” Amanda shone her beam out toward the vines once again. A few were now about ten yards away.
“She’s right,” Katiya said.
Zane turned back toward the rock face. Everyone except Bennett had entered the tunnel. After helping Amanda and Katiya through the opening, the two men turned and faced the clearing. Some of the vines were perilously close, making Zane wonder if a couple of them might make a quick attack if they turned.
“Let’s buy ourselves a little space,” Zane said.
He unslung his rifle and sprayed bullets in an arc. Some of the larger vines pulled back with a hiss, but other smaller ones seemed to be drawn by the movement.
“I think it’s time to let them know we mean business,” Bennett said. The soldier had already pulled a grenade from his sack. After pulling the safety clip, he launched it out into the clearing. Seconds later there was a white flash, followed by an ear-splitting explosion.
A shriek erupted in the distance, causing the hairs on the back of Zane’s neck to rise. The vines that had been hit either pulled back or went limp, while others became more aggressive, rising off the ground like cobras.
“Give me one,” Zane said.
Bennett reached into his pack and handed the operative a grenade.
“Get in the tunnel… I’ll be right behind you.”
Bennett hesitated. “Are you sure—”
“Get in!”
Bennett quickly retrieved his pack and rifle then took one last look at the vines before ducking through the opening.
After the soldier disappeared, Zane shouldered his pack and rifle. Dropping to his knees, he backed up to the opening. It was dark, but he could tell that about a dozen vines were now only a few feet away, hovering in front of him like snakes.
Zane lifted the grenade, but as he pulled the clip, he felt something like a cold rope slide around his neck. It tightened and yanked him up against the top of the opening.
A vine.
One of them must have slithered across the rock face and approached him from above.
As he reached up to pry the tentacle loose, the live grenade dropped out of his hand, rolling several feet away. Zane grimaced. He knew the explosive’s timer would trigger in five seconds, which meant if he didn’t get inside, he’d be blown into a hundred pieces.
Straining with everything he had, he thrust his body downward, and in one smooth motion, he grabbed the grenade and flung it as hard as he could.