CHAPTER 14
Dr. Dianna Johnson lay on the floor of the carnivore nursery. Her face was up towards the ceiling. The blinding halogen lamps were blurring around in her vision as her head dizzily swayed on the concrete. Her skull rolled to the side, and she saw a shadowy figure of the adolescent raptor tearing apart the air vent. She had lost all concept of time, but sooner or later the young velociraptor slipped away within the duct. Dianna's eyes fluttered closed, but within what felt like a moment later she was awakened.
"Dr. Johnson! Dr. Johnson!" A voice shouted. "Can you hear me?"
Dianna opened her eyes and saw the outline of a man's head blocking the halogen lamps.
"You suffered a head trauma." The man told her. "Are you able to move your fingers and toes?"
Dianna thought cumbersomely about what was being said to her and then opened and closed her palms. She rolled her ankles and curled her toes. Everything seemed ok. Then the memory of the young velociraptor rushed back into her mind, and she sat straight up.
"Hey! Take it easy. You might have a concussion." The man finally came into focus.
The stitched nametag on his olive green Kevlar vest said "Robinson." He was part of animal control on the island. Dianna recognized him but didn't know much about him. He was average height, muscular, and might have been thirty-five years of age. From his high and tight hair cut and clean shaven face she had always presumed he was ex-military, but she'd never even spoken to him before.
He squatted beside her, resting his weight on the foldout stock of a shotgun while his other palm gently sat between her shoulder blades.
"You need to slow down." Robinson said.
Dianna snapped her hand up to silence him. There was a muffled noise in the room. From the adjoining air duct above they heard scratching. The bottom of the conduit bowed and flexed, and the sound of claws raking upon metal was very audible. Dianna followed the scraping clatter with her eyes. Robinson slowly stood and trailed the noise with his gun. As the seconds passed he moved his eye to the sight and braced the weapon against his shoulder. Before he could squeeze the trigger Dr. Johnson jumped to her feet and grabbed the gun barrel.
"No lethal force." She pulled the barrel down. "Not unless its absolutely necessary."
Robinson looked at the two dead bodies on the floor and gave Dianna a stern look. "With all due respect, Doctor."
He raised his barrel back at the duct and Dianna backed away. They both listened for a moment but their wasn't any noise. Then they heard a sound of wrenching metal. It seemed farther away.
"Can she use these ducts to reach the outside?" Robinson examined the air system closely.
"Possibly." Dianna answered. "There are exhaust fans on the roof. She could pass between the blades if the fans aren't running.
Robinson nodded and ran for an access ladder near the junction to the herbivore/omnivore wing. He scaled it quickly and pushed through a square metal hatch to the roof. Leading with his gun he climbed out carefully.
The sterile echo of the nursery disappeared and was replaced by the sounds of the outdoors. Birds chirped, bugs droned, the wind blew, but he heard no raptor. His eyes scanned quickly, and then he saw it. The juvenile was crouched near the edge of the roof. It gave Robinson a brief backward glance and then dove off.
Robinson ran to the ledge and raised his sight. By the time he had the young raptor lined up it was but a swift shadow in the low jungle vegetation. With a glower of defeat Robinson wiped sweat from his brow and lowered the shotgun.