This was by far the worst plan he had ever come up with. Owen and the five other members of Bravo team had just arrived at the boundary fence between the research zone and the area they were currently in that the trainer had nicknamed the paddock belt. The fence itself was a towering mass of steel bars and woven steel netting designed to keep the largest of dinosaurs contained, but still allow for smaller game to pass through.
It had only taken the group about five minutes to reach the fence line. The vehicles slowed to a crawl before stopping at the intersection of the small trail they had been travelling and the maintenance road running alongside the massive barrier. Leaving the vehicles to Idle, Owen climbed out, pulling his rifle out to peer down the scope.
The barrier and the road that paralleled it both meandered through a large grassy valley following the area's natural terrain. Tall grasses lined either side of the fence, and further to his left, the jungle broke into the grasslands creating an edge that wound its way across the landscape.
"Give me an update on their position. How far are they from the crossroads?" The handler called out without taking his eyes off the horizon. Behind him, he heard one of the officers, Hector Reyes if he remembered correctly, relay his question into the radio.
"Control says they are about a klick west of our location. They've stopped moving."
"Good." Several minutes ago, Control had informed them that the raptors had reached the barrier fence, and rather than try to cross it, the small pack had decided to run its length. It was not the ideal situation. Crossing the barrier meant fewer people the animals could run into. However, Owen had learned that intelligent animals rarely acted the way humans believed they would. Exhaling deeply Owen continued. "Tell them to let us know the moment the raptors begin moving again."
The officer nodded and pulled his radio back to his mouth.
Owen gave a grunt, looking to the west. There were more paddocks that way, more people, including Barry and his girls. Nothing dangerous to the park or the public yet, but if it had been up to him, he would have begun evacuating all personnel from the Paddock Belt. It wasn't up to him though. He was just responsible for catching these animals. Alive.
Looking down his scope with a renewed interest he watched for any signs of movement in the grasses or the jungle foliage. The trainer had a sharp eye, he needed one to watch his animals, but he still couldn't pinpoint any movement that would indicate the predators they were after.
He grumbled to himself and lowered his rifle. Turning to the group, he flipped the weapon and secured the strap to his shoulder. "Alright, we move one hundred meters up and hold position. We wait until we spot them or until Control tells us they are on the move again."
Five head nods answered him. Returning to his seat, he slid in and the two vehicles hummed to life.
The SUV's made their way cautiously up the road. Owen watched the landmarks carefully, looking for any signs of the predators. They were somewhere up ahead, but he didn't know where, and that worried him. He had made it abundantly clear to the group as they moved in that the Velociraptors likely already knew their position thanks to the engine noise. The animals would be hunting them before they were even ready to be bait.
He signalled for the vehicles to stop. This would be close enough.
The plan was simple. The group would gain the attention of the Velociraptors and lead them back to the paddock where Charlie Team would be waiting to assist with herding the animals back into their enclosure. It was a harebrained plan that relied far too much on luck and the questionable effectiveness of non-lethal ordinance, but hopefully the pack would be interested in the loud noise of the vehicles and the fresh meat loaded on the racks overhead.
The animals were a part of the same experiment his pack was involved in. Claire had pointed out that they would likely be trained if their handler's reports were true. Then again, their handler was dead, and based on the state the enclosure had been in, he didn't place too much stock in the reports claiming success in training.
Instead, he had calmly informed her what they would be doing to recover her 'assets'. If he was forced to recapture them, then he would take his father's advice. Training meant nothing in the face of instinct and hunting would be one of the strongest instinctive draws a Velociraptor could have. Owen and Bravo team had loaded their two SUV's with hundreds of pounds of thawed meat. They would be bait. Soft, tasty, armored in heavy vehicles, and armed with lethal weapons bait.
Claire had balked at the last part, but Owen reminded her that it was Bravo Team sticking their neck out here and he wasn't about to face off against the greatest predator without his own set of claws. Charlie Team and Alpha team would use non-lethal methods. Bravo Team was carrying live ammunition. It hadn't been open to discussion.
"Give me an update on their position." He finally said as the last vehicles pulled up.
"Seven hundred meters from the intersection and holding their position."
"Shit, they've moved towards us." Owen snatched the radio from the officer sitting on the quad beside him, growling into the mouthpiece. "Dammit Lowery, I asked you to tell me if they moved."
"I'm sorry! They barely moved an inch on my screen!"
"I don't care. Your inch is nearly three hundred meters! That could be the difference between life and death. Next time they move, you tell me immediately."
"Y-yes sir."
The handler tossed the radio back to Mr. Reyes. He turned to face the road west again and watched the grasses and foliage shift and sway in the breeze. The breeze moved swiftly across the island grasslands, and Owen watched it, looking for any movement going against the flow of the wind.
About a minute later, the wind shifted, blowing stiffly against the vehicle. They were upwind. They would have the raptor's attention soon if they didn't have it already.
He and Barry had been working on scent training his raptors, but the truth of it was that they were training the pack to follow a distinct scent to reach distinct rewards. This would be similar. The scent of blood led to an easy meal. It was instinct.
"Bravo Team, this is Alpha Team. We are prepped and on the way. E.T.A seven mikes."
Reyes voice responded "Copy that Alpha Team. Bravo Team is in position and ready to invite the guests."
Owen nodded spotting movement in the grass. "There. Hit it!" The heavy SUV roared to life kicking dirt and sand in a wide spray as it quickly spun around like an animal startled by other vehicle quickly followed suit and both roared down the wide maintenance road away from the raptors.
The handler turned in the passenger seat to watch behind them as Reyes drove, but the thawed blood mixed with the dust caked the window. Picking up the radio, he called the other vehicle.
"Stay close, and keep an eye out. Predators try to separate their prey from the herd. We're a herd today, we need to keep them in the open and focused on us." He heard an affirmative from one of them. "If we get separated, keep moving and stay in the open. Alpha team will be here shortly to pick them off from above. We are likely their first real hunt, so long as we work together and get back to the paddock, we shouldn't have any major issues."It did little to calm the tension around him and it did little to calm his own nerves.
Owen spared another glance behind him. Between the dust and the other vehicle, he couldn't see much. According to the men in the second car, behind them, a lone Velociraptor was catching ground as it sprinted down the flat road after them. Owen knew the others would be nearby, hidden in the grass or the cover of the jungle.
Owen turned to face forward just in time-
"Oh shit!"
The vehicle swerved sharply as a raptor leapt from the tall grass onto the hood of the vehicle.
The creature immediately slid off from it's own momentum, but the SUV barreled down its new trajectory and into the dense jungle foliage that had just been whipping past them before slamming into a sturdy tree.
Airbags triggered and Owen's vision exploded with stars as the airbags deployed.
A triumphant bugle drew his stunned attention to the right.
A Velociraptor was stepping up to his window.
A response bugle came from his left, hidden somewhere in the tall grasses.
The radio was crackling with the sound of someone speaking but he barely registered the words. His partner was next to him, struggling sluggishly against the seat belt. Hector was cursing under his breath as he fumbled for the release button.
"You okay?" Owen asked as he began to struggle with his own seat belt.
"Yeah, think so. Just need to get this belt off an-" His sentence was cut off by a hiss of pain when he moved leg. "Shit, I think might be broken." He gasped as he clutched his leg.
Another hiss interrupted their conversation as a velociraptor peered at them through the cracked windshield.
"Oh shit." Reyes gasped.
"It's okay. Just stay calm. They probably won't be too interested in us with the meal up top. Just don't move too much." Owen commented quietly, taking stock in his own injuries.
"Reyes! Grady! You all right?" The radio crackled from the floorboards.
Owen grunted involuntarily as he leaned over to grab the radio and turn off the vehicle.
"Minor injuries, Reyes may have fractured something but we're alive. Vehicle is fubar though." He was interrupted by the heavy sound of a raptor landing on the SUV roof. "We have three raptors confirmed, no visual on the fourth."
"Copy that. Stay put. Number 4 is on us. We'll be back around soon. Alpha team should be there any minute."
"I don't know, I thought a walk outside would be kinda nice." He paused, watching the raptor still staring at them from the front of the vehicle. "On second thought, I'm just gonna lock the doors and hang tight."
There was an affirmative click and then silence save for the animal moving around on the roof.
"Owen, can it get through this glass?" Reyes asked quietly.
The raptor they could see was large. Her hide was a deep rust color, flecked with brown and the faintest hints of pale green along her sides and back. Her neck and sides were bruised randomly. Sick yellow and dark blue rings that blotched her scaly hide and made her side tremble slightly when she shifted her weight. Her head snaked from side to side as she eyed the two men. Owen knew immediately that she was more interested in them than any food above.
"Probably, but let's not think about that. Can you reach your sidearm?" He finally responded.
Hector nodded.
"Okay, pull it out slowly. And keep it fixed on the one up front. Don't shoot unless I say so."
Hector nodded again and pulled the small pistol out aiming it at the raptor.
Owen stared the rusty raptor in the eye, refusing to break contact. He just needed to keep her occupied until help arrived.
"Bravo Team-" the radio crackled to life.
It was a trigger, that tiniest distraction and the world erupted into chaos.
The snarl and the hiss was drowned out by the sound of Reyes pistol firing.
BANG
Owen heard ringing.
BANG
BANG.
"Stop!" Owen cried, yanking the pistol from Reye's hand and immediately dropping it from the heat of the barrel.
CRUNCH. The sound was muffled but still sickening as his attention was brought back to the velociraptor that had leapt up onto the windshield itself her talons sinking into the bullet holes and slowly tearing open the safety glass.
Now would be the time Owen's life would flash before his eyes, instead the rusty raptor paused, he head swiveling around as the nearby foliage began to whip violently.
He couldn't hear it through the ringing, but he recognized rotor wash. The chopper had arrived. Alpha team was here.
The raptor shrieked and leapt off the vehicle, diving into the dense cover around them.
"Owen. Reyes." The radio barked through the ringing. "Status report."
"Shaken but alive. Did Alpha team get a clear shot on any of them?"
"Negative. Ground cover is too thick. Bravo team is pulling up to escort you out. Be advised raptors are traveling away from us.
"Copy that." Owen sighed, letting his head rest against the seat.
"Damn."