CHAPTER 28
Gary Stevens stood atop the concrete wall of the rectangular raptor enclosure, staring into the pen as it filled with a haze of sleeping gas. He was happy that he'd been excused from doing a full workup on the spinosaurus but unhappy that he now had to spend his time examining velociraptor genitals.
"I don't understand what we're doing here." Gary turned to Dr. Conners. "They were female when we put them in. That doesn't just change overnight."
Doctor Conners was busy adjusting the straps on his gas mask. "We have to be sure."
"We weren't sure the first time?" Gary raised an eyebrow behind the face glass of his own gas mask.
Doctor Conners smiled with hollow enthusiasm. "We have to be sure."
Dr. Johnson's boots clanged on the nearby metal staircase as she came up to join them. Her arms were loaded down with three taser guns. One she handed to Gary, and another she gave to Bryce. The third she kept for herself.
Gary looked at his taser uneasily.
"Its just a precaution." Dianna assured him. "They should be out for a while."
"Are you as sure about that as you are about them being female?" Gary twisted up a smile.
"Are you ready?" Dianna ignored the question.
"Sure. Why not?" Gary shouldered his taser prod.
Dr. Johnson looked at her watch and then turned to Bryce. "They should be out cold by now. Don't you think?"
"They ought to be." Dr. Conners glanced at his own watch.
Dianna went to the gate lock and swiped her key card. A number pad next to the card reader lit up green and she punched in a code. With a beep the door latch unlocked and Dianna swung the gate open. Following the entrance was a caged-in stairwell that led down to the paddock's interior. With a breath she proceeded.
Dr. Conners followed, and Gary took up the rear, shutting the gate behind them. As Dianna descended the stairs she spoke over her shoulder.
"Bryce, I tried to call Seth at the cottage earlier. He didn't pick up." She glanced at him with concern.
"Well that's probably a good thing." Bryce was quick to answer. "He's gotta be off four-wheeling with the other kids, or swimming in the pool, or something. That's what you wanted. Right?"
"It is, but you know why I'm concerned." Dianna's voice turned harsh. "We can't just assume they're safe where they are anymore."
"I'm sure they're fine, Dianna. Seth is fine. All the kids are fine." Bryce was getting expressive with his hands. There was an overcompensating quality to the way he was speaking.
"You can't say that, Bryce. I want to move them to a more secure location as soon as we're done here." Dianna stopped at the bottom of the stairs. There was a second gate lock to open.
"Alright. You're right." Bryce put up his hands. "We'll take the chopper over as soon as we're done here."
"Good." Dianna swiped her key card through the reader and punched in another code. As the gate buzzed open she reached for the handle.
Her hand hesitated a moment. Through the clear face of her gas mask she examined the clouded interior of the enclosure beyond. In the back of her mind she expected something to jump out of the fog like in a horror film, but nothing came. With a turn of the latch Dianna pushed through the gate.