Chapter 6
The winch let out a low mechanical hum as David flipped on the control switch inside the Jeep. The other end of the cable was tied around a huge tree on the opposite side of the roadway. David eased the Jeep into first gear and pressed lightly on the gas. A slight jolt and the vehicle began to creep forward. Slowly, David drove up the side of the hill while the winch pulled the Jeep.
When all four tires were back on level ground, David flipped the switch turning off the winch. He put the Jeep in neutral and set the parking brake before climbing out. Twenty yards away, across the road, the cable of the winch was hooked around a tree. In the back of his mind he hoped the cable hadn't cut too deeply into the tree, but he told himself there was no other way to get the Jeep out. He unhooked the cable and carried it back to the front bumper where the winch was secured. The small motor hummed softly as it began to reel the cable back in. David watched the mud-covered cable wind around the winch, anxiously waiting for the slack to reel in.
Finally the cable was in. David locked the hook in place then turned off the winch motor. Still nothing moved up or down the road. It had all gone much more smoothly than David thought it would. Now he could get April back to the safely of the main compound. But as he walked to the driver's side door, he froze. The insects that had been loud enough to hear above the sound of the Jeep's engine suddenly stopped. David scanned the trees and brush but could only see darkness. The leaves swayed gently in the light breeze, but nothing else moved. Something was out there that silenced all the insects. Slowly, still watching the woods in front of him, David got into the Jeep and dropped the parking brake. The headlights lit up the edge of the trees as David turned the Jeep up the road and headed toward the information building and April.
With the storm several hours past, the rainwater had been steadily draining from the roadway, leaving a wet but driveable mud surface. Palm fronds littered the road, reflecting the Jeep's headlights into the trees on either side. Though the first rays of sun were beginning to peak over the horizon, the light had little chance of breaking through the denseness of the forest for several more hours. Here night continued well into the morning.
When he reached the building David left the Jeep's engine running as he climbed out. Walking up to the building, he watched his shadow grow bigger against the front wall in the Jeep's lights. As he approached the main doors David suddenly stopped. Something had stepped in front of the lights, something very big. A shiver rippled down his spine. For a moment David wondered if he should remain still. Something he remembered one of the wardens saying. He turned his head as slowly as he could to look behind himself. There, not more than 30 feet away, blocking out nearly both headlights with its massive body, stood a Raptor.
He'd never seen one this close before, even in their enclosure they rarely came into sight. The animal stood just taller than he was, with a tail as long as the body that lashed slowly back and forth in the mud. With the Jeep's headlights behind the raptor, the front of the animal was black, but David could see its eyes. Terrible, lifeless yellow slits that stared directly at him. The raptor tilted its head slightly, then jerked it back straight. The sound of a door opening broke the silence.
"David, let's…" April's voice stopped short. She must have been waiting by the door and had seen the headlights.
The raptor lifted its head, looking past David to where April stood halfway out of the door. The animal crouched ever so slightly then leapt forward, a huge jump that carried it several feet into the air.
Everything happened so fast. David saw the raptor jump, heard April scream and turned to run towards the building in what seemed like the same instant. He remembered playing football and how ten yards had seemed so close, yet as ran for the door and April it never seemed so far away. The door was partially open, April standing rigid in the opening. David felt the ground shake and realized the raptor must have landed very close behind him. He didn't dare turn around. Best not to know how close it was. He thought he could feel heat on his back, whether it was the raptor's breath or his imagination, he wasn't sure. Almost to the door.
With a crash, David fell into April, carrying the both of them inside the building. Not a second later something huge smashed into the door, slamming it shut with a thud.
When David finally got the wind back in his lungs he pushed himself to his feet and pulled April up. She looked a bit dazed.
"You okay?" The words came out breathlessly, but April nodded. "We can't go out that way, not until that thing is gone." Would the raptor wait for them to come back to the Jeep? Were those animals that smart?
"How long do we wait? I mean, at some point it'll leave right?" David knew that April was anxious to leave, but he couldn't just walk into a possible attack.
A loud crash came from the side of the building, as if something large had hit the outside of the wall. David and April looked questioningly at each other. Another crash, this time followed by frantic scraping sounds. David cautiously walked over to the wall where the sounds were coming from.
"What is that?" David thought out loud.
A third crash came, and more scraping, then silence. David put his ear against the wall, but heard nothing. Suddenly an earsplitting screech came from outside. It sounded like a thousand knives being dragged down a chalkboard.
"David…" April looked nervously at David.
A sound came from above. Something was on the roof. Instinctively David and April looked up at the ceiling.
"It's on the roof." David was almost in awe of how the animal had managed it. He followed the dull thumps from overhead as the animal walked across the roof. Then he saw it. A skylight. In their haste the night before, David hadn't noticed it. Now it glared widely into the black early morning sky. The steps were getting closer. If the raptor broke through that…
"Now's our chance," David said nervously. "April, the Jeep's running, the doors are unlocked. When I open the front door I want you to get there as fast as you can. Don't look back, I'll be right behind you." April nodded.
Overhead the steps had stopped directly at the skylight. A strange, almost tapping sound echoed through the building. The raptor had found the glass. They had to get out of there.
David and April raced over to the front door. "Here we go!" David threw open the door as April raced by him into the lights of the Jeep. He was a step behind her, sloshing through the wet mud. Goose bumps rose on his neck, but all David could focus on was April and the Jeep.
She reached her door and fumbled with the handle before jumping inside. David flung open his door and in one motion slid into the driver's seat. His head was pounding with adrenaline; his hands were shaking as he grabbed the shift with one hand and shoved it into first gear. He dropped the parking brake and the Jeep leapt forward. As he accelerated, he looked up at the building. Perched on the rooftop like a statue was the raptor. It didn't move, didn't jump down to chase the Jeep. It just watched. David had the eerie feeling that the raptor was watching him, not the Jeep.
"We're going home, April."