Chapter 9: The Raptor's Den
Sebastian put the radio away and said, "The helicopter will never see us covered in these trees. We've got find somewhere open."
David shook his head and replied, "We'll be sitting ducks in an open field, especially with the mother T-rex still somewhere out there looking for us." David and Sebastian remained in silence for about a minute until Lola said, "The gift shop." David and Sebastian saw tat Lola was still physically unconscious, but apparently able to talk. "If we can get on the roof, we'll be seen."
David and Sebastian shrugged and picked Lola up and ran back to the gift shop. Empty boxes and crates littered the floor and David and Sebastian wasted no time in stacking them like a staircase. David, Sebastian and Lola climbed the boxes and waited for five minutes in silence until the sounds of a helicopter in the distance attracted their attention, but David's attention was split between the helicopter and an ominous sound he heard in the bushes.
The helicopter neared and was soon directly above of the building. The helicopter lowered and a young naval officer, no older than 18, with the name Jackson stitched on his uniform and a freshly shaved head hopped out and asked sarcastically, "Need a lift?" Sebastian smirked and together with Jackson carried Lola onto the helicopter that was still hovering centimeters above the rooftop.
David followed hesitantly and began to climb into the helicopter began to ascend. David slipped and held on the edge of the helicopter. Sebastian managed to help him up as Petty Officer Jackson began to yell at the pilot.
All the pilot could respond was, "Something's out there." Sebastian scrambled to the front of the helicopter, slowly losing his balance from the compy bite and searched out the window and said, "I don't see anything, but we'd better leave before we find out for sure." The pilot nodded and pulled the helicopter up into the air. "All right," Jackson said to the pilot. "Let's head back to the ship."
"Oh no," Sebastian replied. "There's still someone we need to pick up. Change course for the volcano." Jackson stood bewildered as Sebastian explained the situation with Jason. Jackson shook his head and said, "The chances of him surviving alone on the island are slim, and combine it with the fact that he's walking into a den of raptors increases that possibility."
"But we don't know for sure," Sebastian replied.
Jackson sighed and replied, "This is suicide. Even if you were armed, which you're not, raptors are known to be cunning killers. You'll never rescue him."
Sebastian stared directly into Jackson's eyes and replied, "There's only one way to find out." The rest of the trip was ridden in silence, except for David handing his handgun over to Sebastian. A handgun isn't a very good hunting weapon, but it was better than nothing. The helicopter closed in on the volcano and the den entrance was in view. Jackson threw down the rope ladder and yelled very the sounds of the helicopter, "If you're not back in fifteen minutes, we leave without you!" Sebastian nodded and descended the ladder.
Sebastian stayed steady as he tiptoed into the seemingly empty den. The light grew dimmer and the sense of impeding danger grew. Sebastian walked down the cave hallway and moved even slowed when the light in the cave became almost nonexistent. It was soon clear than there were no raptors in the den, but he knew that wouldn't last for long. Sebastian placed David's gun back in is pocket and began to walk normally. Sebastian continued to walk straight until he ran into a wall. "Is it possible I missed a turn?" he whispered to himself, "or is this it?" Sebastian checked the wall for an opening until stepping on what he thought was a rock, but turned out to be a flashlight.
Sebastian turned it on and said, "It's Jason's. He's got to be around here somewhere." Sebastian pointed the flashlight at the wall and realized that there were indents that could be climbed. Sebastian didn't know where it lead, but knew that it was better than waiting for the raptor to return. Sebastian climbed up and shoed the light on the walls and floor. "Hrm. The walls are smooth. So is the floor. Like this was man-made."
Sebastian moved forward until the floor disappeared under him. Sebastian managed to stop walking in time and shone the flashlight to reveal an empty space in the road, at least twenty feet across and a forty-foot drop.
Sebastian shone the flashlight across the empty space to see Jason's motionless body on a small patch of ground surrounded on three sides by the forty-foot drop and the other side by a wall. "Jason!" Sebastian yelled. There was no response. Sebastian tried again and this time, Jason sat up. Jason didn't seem to be injured which relieved Sebastian a little. "How'd you get over there?" Sebastian yelled.
"Not important," Jason yelled back. "What's important is that I've figured out the location of Muldoon's treasure! It's down there." Sebastian looked around for a way to get across as he yelled, "There is no treasure! Robert Muldoon was speaking about the raptor's den when he wrote that! There is no monetary treasure!"
Jason clearly heard what Sebastian said, but ignored him anyways as he began find a place to place his foot so he could climb down the wall. Sebastian looked around with the flashlight until he saw indents on the wall that lead across.
"This can not be a coincidence," Sebastian mumbled to himself as he began to cross. "Someone's been here. I know it."
There was a long silence until Jason voice yelled, "Turn back." Sebastian tilted his head slowly and managed to maneuver the flashlight to reveal Jason was holding a handgun at Sebastian. "I'm not going to let you stop me from getting that treasure." Sebastian remained still, but it didn't matter. Jason fired at Sebastian, but miss. Sebastian still flinched and let go of the wall with his left and left foot and was still holding on with his right hand and right foot.
Jason fired again and missed again. Sebastian slipped again and was only holding by his right hand. Jason began to climb down and soon was out of sight. Sebastian heard noises, noises that could only come from raptor at the bottom of the ravine, followed by a short yelps of pain coming from Jason. Sebastian knew it was too late and began to crawl back.
Sebastian began to hear noises and began to run. Sebastian hopped down the he climbed earlier and continued to run. Sebastian could see the exit within reach until a velociraptor came from the shadows. "No way," Sebastian mumbled as he pulled out the handgun, "There's no way it could have come from nowhere." Sebastian managed to fire at it three times as it began to run back into the darkness. "Why didn't it attack?" Sebastian mumbled as he returned to running.
Sebastian exited the cave, but tripped over a rock in the process. Sebastian began to crawl until he could hear familiar sound coming from behind him. Sebastian turned around to see five raptors standing outside the den.
The helicopter moved closer, but stopped upon seeing five raptors pop out of the den. The four passengers, minus Lola who was still half unconscious in the backseat, watched on as the raptors stared at the injured Sebastian continued to stare at the raptors. What happened next was the most shocking thing ever.
Two of the raptor began to inch closer to Sebastian, ready to pounce, until another raptor came out of the den and began to make to yelp, different from the shrill yelps exhibited form all the other raptors before. The two raptors walked back to the group and began what seemed to be a conversation with the other raptor. Sebastian looked on at the conversation to see that the raptor that saved his life was the very same that Sebastian shot attempting to escape from the den.
The pilot maneuvered the helicopter over to Sebastian who took the opportunity and grabbed the rope ladder and began to climb. Sebastian turned around halfway up to see that raptors were once again chirping. Sebastian climbed all the way up and said to the other members of the helicopters, "They're saying good-bye."
Sebastian strapped himself in as the pilot said; "I knew I saw something in the bushes earlier. It was one of those things!"
Sebastian explained the situation with Jason to David and Lola. As soon as he finished, Petty Officer Jackson sat down next to him and said, "The other helicopter has successfully rescued Brian Henderson. He'll meet up with us back on the naval ship." Sebastian nodded as David asked, "So why do you think the raptors killed Jason, but let you live?"
Sebastian was about to answer until the pilot interrupted; "Hey, guys, you might want to take a look at this." Sebastian, David, Jackson, and even Lola was conscious enough to look out the window. What they saw was the five raptors being led by the injured alpha female traveling in a V-formation.
"Are they hunting?" Petty Officer Jackson asked. The group looked on and saw that the raptors were following them and ignoring the triceratops in the field.
"No," Sebastian replied. "They're not. They're protecting us."
"Why?" David and Lola asked in unison. Sebastian turned away from the window and said, "Some things are better left unanswered."