While Jim's expecting to hear the sounds of some kind of attack, the scream still catches him a little off guard, maybe a little closer than he'd expected, but far enough back that the source isn't within sight. Not that it's hard to figure out who dunnit.

His pace falters at the noise as he pivots, and for a brief reflexive moment, he seriously considers looping back to help. It's a habit that's hard to stomp out, part of his command training to be mindful of the safety of his crew... but he knows damn well that he's more of a liability than a help right now, no matter how much it rankles him to acknowledge. And Verity's shown an ability to handle herself well so far.

Part of being a captain also means trusting other people to know their jobs, and while fighting off ambushes isn't exactly Verity's career or anything (as far as he knows, anyway), this is something she volunteered for, with the credentials to back it up. It's no different than sending security to deal with a threat without him needing to micromanage.

So after a moment's hesitation, he sets to the path again, picking up the pace to match the rhythm that Samus set before, keeping a listening ear turned towards the direction of the raptor-cry, even as he puts more distance between them.