Chapter 5
He wasn't sure how long he held her. Two minutes. Five. The harder she cried, the harder he held. Eventually her sobs came less frequently. She pulled herself away from David and looked up at him.
"I'm sorry about all of this April." David didn't know what else to say. He felt terrible for putting her through this.
"It's not your fault," April replied, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Sure makes for a memorable date." She gave a weak smile, a slight grin that gave David hope that she would be okay. They took off their soaked raincoats and tossed them into the corner next to the main doors.
"We'll wait here until the storm lets up. Then I'll see if I can get the Jeep going again. For now, let's see if there's anything useful in there." David turned his light on the "Authorized Personnel Only" door. Using his master key, he opened the metal door. The inside resembled a janitor's closet. A yellow bucket sat in the corner, a wooden-handled mop leaned crookedly out of the top. Two rows of shelves lined either side of the room, one held bathroom and cleaning supplies, the other a first aid kit along with a heavy blanket.
"Here, I don't want you to get cold." David handed the thick grey blanket to April. Like everything else it had the Jurassic Park logo stitched on to one side. "I don't think anyone will mind if it gets used."
"Thank you," April said, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. She walked over and sat down on one of the benches looking out the observation windows. David joined her. Flashes of lightning continued to light up the sky outside. The rain was still coming down hard, streaking the windows and giving a blurry view of the open field. David could see the mountains in the distance, ominous black peaks reaching into the stormy night. Absently he wondered how the wardens would find all of the animals, let alone get them back into their enclosures. How long would it take before management deemed it safe to return to work?
"David?" April rested her head on his shoulder. "What do you think will happen?"
"I don't know. But I'm sure Mr. Hammond has some sort of contingency plan. He never spares any expense." David put his head on hers. Together they watched storm batter the park.
A dull ache woke David. He hadn't meant to fall asleep with his arm around April, but now his shoulder was sore. April was sleeping, her legs pulled up on the bench under the blanket. Lifting his arm, with a bit of discomfort, David looked at his watch. Four thirty-two. He'd been asleep for nearly 5 hours. Outside, the rain had stopped and he could see glimpses of the moon through the clouds. He had told himself that as soon as the storm subsided he would head out and try to get the Jeep back on the road. Now that it finally had, David was anxious. Beside him April stirred and woke up.
"How are you doing?" David asked.
April managed a smile and nodded her head.
"I'm gonna get the Jeep and get us out of here." David walked over to the supply closet. April stood up, clutching the blanket tightly around herself.
"How can I help?"
"I want you to stay here, April." David stepped back into the main room with the empty mop bucket in hand. "No matter what happens outside you'll be safe in here. I should be able to get the Jeep out without much trouble, then we'll head back, ok?"
"Ok, but David…" April trailed off as she approached him. "Please be careful."
"I'll come right back." David smiled briefly before turning to open the front door. He paused to scan the surrounding trees and listen. Nothing moved. Quickly he slipped through the door back into the park.
Though the rain had stopped, the air was still heavy with moisture. The moon was visible through passing clouds, giving off an eerie light. In the cool early morning air, David could see his breath, a vast difference from the sweltering heat of the day. He stepped out onto the concrete slab in front of the doors and waited. Still nothing moved. He could hear insects of all kinds chirping in the surrounding trees but nothing larger. Taking a deep breath he ran to the side of the building where a huge pile of left over gravel sat. He crouched down and began scooping the wet stones into the mop bucket. With luck, the stones would help give the Jeep's tires traction on the slippery surface of the hill. David hoped that the stones, combined with tying the Jeep's winch to a tree farther up the hill, would free the vehicle.
With the bucket finally full, David stood up and looked down the road. The trees hung heavy with the rain, creating a sort of natural tunnel. As he watched, a massive black form shambled out of the trees a good hundred yards up the road. David recognized the distinct protrusion from the rear of the animal's head and knew it was one of the strange duck-like dinosaurs. He watched as three more walked into the middle of the road and stop, standing upright with their heads turned in David's direction. He had nothing to fear from these animals, but after the encounter with the Tyrannosaur his heart pounded at the sight of the huge beasts. Silently, the four dinosaurs lowered themselves and walked across the road into the foliage. David made sure there were no animals following them before heading off toward the Jeep.
The road was still mostly mud, and David had to navigate the deep potholes so he wouldn't stumble and risk losing the bucket of stones. Finally he reached the broken limbs and tire tracks marking where the Jeep had slid off the road. Looking down he could see the vehicle, just as they'd left it, pointed upwards at him. Carefully, he began to descend the hill, half sliding in the mud.
When he reached the Jeep he quickly set about dumping gravel around the tires. As long as he drove straight, the Jeep should follow its trails and avoid sinking deeper into the mud. With the bucket empty, David walked to the front of the vehicle and released the lock on the winch. He grabbed the hook on the end of the cable and once again made his way back up the hill.