Chapter 11 - Meeting in a High Place!
At the west camp…
Chris exited the craft having calmed down now; he headed over to the rest of his team.
"Vin, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked the Texan. Vin got up from where he was still pitching the tents and walked over to his `boss'.
"Sure thing cowboy, what's up?" he asked, slightly puzzled as to why Chris hadn't spoken in front of the other two.
"Do you remember that radio message I got?" Vin nodded "Well the guy said that we should be getting some `company'"
"What sorta company?"
Chris sighed; "He didn't say" he took a deep breath and looked Vin in the eye.
"Look, you said you did some tracking, well now's your chance. I want you to take a look in the forest around the camp and see if you can spot any signs of…company"
Vin nodded "You got it cowboy, I'm tired of pitching tents anyways. Need some time on my own"
Vin went over to where he had left his things and took out a handgun, which he put in the back of his waistband and then a sniper's rifle. He also picked up a bag of extra
ammo.
"See ya la'er," he said.
"Vin!" Vin stopped at Chris' shout and turned to face him "be careful"
"Will do Chris"
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Vin had been walking for at least an hour now and had seen no signs of this so called `company. He was just going to head back to camp, when he heard voices about 30 yards in front of him. Vin crept forward and hid behind one of the trees.
As he looked through the foliage he saw several men dressed in camouflage. They seemed to be setting up some kind of surveillance system. Vin took note of this and the fact that they were facing the cameras at the campsite. Looks like I've found that company he thought.
When the men left, Vin stepped out of the foliage and had a closer look at the equipment. The equipment consisted of about eight monitors and they displayed several different parts of the camp. One he noticed was displaying the aircraft they had arrived in and on another it focussed in on the briefing tent.
'Hmm, looks like they're gonna know what we're planning'he thought. Vin was going to head back to the camp when he noticed something on screen that made him grin 'Ahh, Bucklin if Chris finds out you were slacking…'displayed on the screen was Buck resting behind a tree, when he was supposed to be helping finish pitching tents.
"Ok, if this is the surveillance monitors, then that means their camp can't be far off" Vin said to himself "So if I was to head in the direction those guys went, then I should come across the camp and find out who we're dealing w…" Vin's voice trailed off as he heard a rustling in the bushes behind the monitors.
Vin hand instantly went to the rifle slung round his neck.As he brought the rifle up to point at the bushes, he saw it, a deep yellow-green eye. The eye looked at Vin and Vin became aware that this is what the Major had briefly explained to be a
velociraptor, a dinosaur of 2 feet in height that was considered more deadly than a T-rex.
Vin felt a need to run at that moment, he shot twice at the raptor and then made a dash deeper into the forest. He heard a strange coughing noise coming from the direction of the raptor and suddenly became aware of two more emerging from the bushes and taking off after him.Vin realised that the raptors were gaining and he came to the
horrifying conclusion that he wouldn't be able to out run them. He burst through some more bushes, closely followed by the raptors, which had been joined by the one he had shot at.
Vin was aware that the raptors were almost upon him and braced himself for the force of the animal to hit him in the back any minute. He was thinking this just as he passed under a rather large tree, with a broken branch hanging from it,
'Coulda used that branch if it weren't broken'. As he thought this he suddenly felt a strong grip on each shoulder and he thought the raptors had him that was until he realised he was being lifted up into the tree. He heard the distinct sound of teeth closing on air and realised how close he had been to being caught by the raptors.
Vin was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when he felt movement near him and he instinctively went for his rifle, but he found that it was gone.
"I believe the weapon you seek is directly below you"
Vin looked up, startled by the southern accent coming from in front of him. He looked over at the direction the voice had come from and saw a man with the most piercing green eyes he had ever seen, it was like the man was looking into his very soul. He noticed the man was injured and his clothes were dirty and torn.
"Who are you?" Vin asked "And what the hell happened ta ya?"
"Ezra P Standish at your service" the man replied with a grin that revealed a glint of gold, "and as to what happened to me, I believe you just encountered them"
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Ezra had been formulating a plan of what to do, as the raptors had left he decided to descend the tree and try to find any sign of the rest of his group. Suddenly he saw a lean man with long brown hair burst through the foliage closely followed by three rather hungry raptors. Ezra quickly, despite his injuries, pulled himself away from
the trunk of the tree and out to the edge of the broken branch.
As the man passed under the branch, Ezra grabbed his shoulders and hurled him up into the tree, cringing slightly when he heard the raptor jaws snap, just a second late… he thought. Ezra saw that the man he had just rescued was deep in thought, but as Ezra shifted his weight slightly the man started and went for something but finding it gone.
"I believe the weapon you seek is directly below you," he said, guessing that the man was looking for the rifle on the ground. The man, obviously startled, looked up at Ezra and seemed to study him with just a simple look.
"Who are you?" the man finally spoke. Ah a Texan, should have
guessed really Ezra thought to himself.
"And what the hell happened ta ya?" the Texan continued.
"Ezra P Standish at your service" Ezra replied with a grin, showing off his gold tooth, "and as to what happened to me, I believe you just encountered them".
The man looked at Ezra again looking for the entire world that he was studying him.
"Ya should get those injuries seen ta" he drawled, "there's a doc back at the camp that'd see ta `em"
"Well thank you Mr…"
"Tanner, Vin Tanner"
"Well thank you Mr Tannah, but I am quite alright and have no need of any medical attention" Ezra said, trying to hide the wince as he shifted slightly on his bad leg.
"Still there's no reason why ya shouldn't come back with me, at least ta get some cover away from those…"
"Raptors" Ezra finished. "Well I will indeed accompany you back to your
encampment, however I suggest we wait a while as the raptors have not left yet".
As he said this Ezra noticed Tanner look down and frowned when he didn't see any raptors.
"Oh believe Mr Tannah they are there" and with that said Ezra broke a small branch of the tree and threw it down to the ground. Sure enough all three raptors emerged from the foliage and inspected the stick.
Tanner looked at Ezra slightly shocked, but all Ezra did was grin and lean back against the trunk of the tree.
At the west camp…
Chris exited the craft having calmed down now; he headed over to the rest of his team.
"Vin, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked the Texan. Vin got up from where he was still pitching the tents and walked over to his `boss'.
"Sure thing cowboy, what's up?" he asked, slightly puzzled as to why Chris hadn't spoken in front of the other two.
"Do you remember that radio message I got?" Vin nodded "Well the guy said that we should be getting some `company'"
"What sorta company?"
Chris sighed; "He didn't say" he took a deep breath and looked Vin in the eye.
"Look, you said you did some tracking, well now's your chance. I want you to take a look in the forest around the camp and see if you can spot any signs of…company"
Vin nodded "You got it cowboy, I'm tired of pitching tents anyways. Need some time on my own"
Vin went over to where he had left his things and took out a handgun, which he put in the back of his waistband and then a sniper's rifle. He also picked up a bag of extra
ammo.
"See ya la'er," he said.
"Vin!" Vin stopped at Chris' shout and turned to face him "be careful"
"Will do Chris"
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Vin had been walking for at least an hour now and had seen no signs of this so called `company. He was just going to head back to camp, when he heard voices about 30 yards in front of him. Vin crept forward and hid behind one of the trees.
As he looked through the foliage he saw several men dressed in camouflage. They seemed to be setting up some kind of surveillance system. Vin took note of this and the fact that they were facing the cameras at the campsite. Looks like I've found that company he thought.
When the men left, Vin stepped out of the foliage and had a closer look at the equipment. The equipment consisted of about eight monitors and they displayed several different parts of the camp. One he noticed was displaying the aircraft they had arrived in and on another it focussed in on the briefing tent.
'Hmm, looks like they're gonna know what we're planning'he thought. Vin was going to head back to the camp when he noticed something on screen that made him grin 'Ahh, Bucklin if Chris finds out you were slacking…'displayed on the screen was Buck resting behind a tree, when he was supposed to be helping finish pitching tents.
"Ok, if this is the surveillance monitors, then that means their camp can't be far off" Vin said to himself "So if I was to head in the direction those guys went, then I should come across the camp and find out who we're dealing w…" Vin's voice trailed off as he heard a rustling in the bushes behind the monitors.
Vin hand instantly went to the rifle slung round his neck.As he brought the rifle up to point at the bushes, he saw it, a deep yellow-green eye. The eye looked at Vin and Vin became aware that this is what the Major had briefly explained to be a
velociraptor, a dinosaur of 2 feet in height that was considered more deadly than a T-rex.
Vin felt a need to run at that moment, he shot twice at the raptor and then made a dash deeper into the forest. He heard a strange coughing noise coming from the direction of the raptor and suddenly became aware of two more emerging from the bushes and taking off after him.Vin realised that the raptors were gaining and he came to the
horrifying conclusion that he wouldn't be able to out run them. He burst through some more bushes, closely followed by the raptors, which had been joined by the one he had shot at.
Vin was aware that the raptors were almost upon him and braced himself for the force of the animal to hit him in the back any minute. He was thinking this just as he passed under a rather large tree, with a broken branch hanging from it,
'Coulda used that branch if it weren't broken'. As he thought this he suddenly felt a strong grip on each shoulder and he thought the raptors had him that was until he realised he was being lifted up into the tree. He heard the distinct sound of teeth closing on air and realised how close he had been to being caught by the raptors.
Vin was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when he felt movement near him and he instinctively went for his rifle, but he found that it was gone.
"I believe the weapon you seek is directly below you"
Vin looked up, startled by the southern accent coming from in front of him. He looked over at the direction the voice had come from and saw a man with the most piercing green eyes he had ever seen, it was like the man was looking into his very soul. He noticed the man was injured and his clothes were dirty and torn.
"Who are you?" Vin asked "And what the hell happened ta ya?"
"Ezra P Standish at your service" the man replied with a grin that revealed a glint of gold, "and as to what happened to me, I believe you just encountered them"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ezra had been formulating a plan of what to do, as the raptors had left he decided to descend the tree and try to find any sign of the rest of his group. Suddenly he saw a lean man with long brown hair burst through the foliage closely followed by three rather hungry raptors. Ezra quickly, despite his injuries, pulled himself away from
the trunk of the tree and out to the edge of the broken branch.
As the man passed under the branch, Ezra grabbed his shoulders and hurled him up into the tree, cringing slightly when he heard the raptor jaws snap, just a second late… he thought. Ezra saw that the man he had just rescued was deep in thought, but as Ezra shifted his weight slightly the man started and went for something but finding it gone.
"I believe the weapon you seek is directly below you," he said, guessing that the man was looking for the rifle on the ground. The man, obviously startled, looked up at Ezra and seemed to study him with just a simple look.
"Who are you?" the man finally spoke. Ah a Texan, should have
guessed really Ezra thought to himself.
"And what the hell happened ta ya?" the Texan continued.
"Ezra P Standish at your service" Ezra replied with a grin, showing off his gold tooth, "and as to what happened to me, I believe you just encountered them".
The man looked at Ezra again looking for the entire world that he was studying him.
"Ya should get those injuries seen ta" he drawled, "there's a doc back at the camp that'd see ta `em"
"Well thank you Mr…"
"Tanner, Vin Tanner"
"Well thank you Mr Tannah, but I am quite alright and have no need of any medical attention" Ezra said, trying to hide the wince as he shifted slightly on his bad leg.
"Still there's no reason why ya shouldn't come back with me, at least ta get some cover away from those…"
"Raptors" Ezra finished. "Well I will indeed accompany you back to your
encampment, however I suggest we wait a while as the raptors have not left yet".
As he said this Ezra noticed Tanner look down and frowned when he didn't see any raptors.
"Oh believe Mr Tannah they are there" and with that said Ezra broke a small branch of the tree and threw it down to the ground. Sure enough all three raptors emerged from the foliage and inspected the stick.
Tanner looked at Ezra slightly shocked, but all Ezra did was grin and lean back against the trunk of the tree.