CHAPTER 52
Robinson whirled around and fired off a shot. With a spray of blood the first male velociraptor dropped where it stood, while the other three ducked in place. Robinson scattered the container of pushpins on the floor with a fling and bolted out the exit. On his way through he drove the butt of his gun into one of the glass sliding doors and shattered it. He hoped between the tacks and the shards there would be enough sharp debris to slow down the raptors, if even a little.
As he ran into the street he found himself mentally criticizing the very idea of it. The raptors would just jump over the obstacles. Wouldn't they? Now he was running down an open road with no place to hide. His pistol was the only thing that might slow them down now. He knew they had a healthy fear of guns, but he doubted it was enough to keep the raptors off his back. Robinson had heard that velociraptors could sprint over fifty miles per hour. He didn't know how he was going to outrun an animal like that. The short distance to the emergency bunker was long enough.
The helicopter's rotors still thumped away near the swimming pool. Robinson never thought he'd feel like he was in a war zone again, but the sound of the chopper, the dead body in the street, the pounding of his boots, and the imminent threat of a horrible death were all bringing him back. As sweat poured over his face and stung the repeated bite marks in his skin he had to remember that this was different. There was no enemy this time, just animals doing what they do.
He shook away the memories of combat and put his mind on Dallas and Shelly. They were half way to the bunker. They might actually make it, Robinson thought.
He heard a screech like a hawk behind him. He didn't have to look to know what it was, yet he still felt compelled to glance over his shoulder. As he had wagered, the raptors were lunging over the shards, through the broken door, and directly into the street. They were swift and didn't skip a beat. Their legs carried them in smooth bounds that glided over the dirt road. In moments they were up to speed. With the way they moved, they might as well have been riding on motorcycles, Robinson thought. They would be right on top of him in only a few more seconds. He'd never make it to the bunker. His gun was his only resource.
Robinson turned his weapon on the velociraptors and the result was instantaneous. The hunters dispersed like a shattering clay pigeon. The two females shot toward the cabins and dove into the surrounding hedges. The remaining male ducked into the jungle beyond the commissary.
Robinson stopped where he was. He was shocked at the reaction. Not only did the raptors understand the power of the weapon, they clearly valued their own lives as well. The three of them could have easily overpowered him, but there was a definite risk that he would have at least shot one of them, and they didn't take that risk.
His gun shook in his hand. He knew it wasn't over. He knew they hadn't left. Robinson looked at the emergency bunker. Shelly and Dallas had made it. They were stepping inside. The door was closing. He was alone.
Although he couldn't hear them or see them he imagined the raptors were strategizing, closing in, plotting their next moves with careful consideration. As his eyes scanned the foliage he wondered where they would appear first. Would he even see them coming? How would they try and trick him?
He saw a shadow flit between two cabins, and his gun snapped towards it. Somewhere off in the jungle a twig cracked and he spun at that. There was a battle going on in his bloodstream now. The coffee was making him jittery and nervous, while the comp poison was giving him a weak empty feeling, like his guts were missing.
Robinson wondered how long they would keep this up. How long would they make him sweat before they attacked? That's when he heard the scream. It was the same scream from before, the same scream that had lured Page off into the jungle by herself. It was more distant now. He wished Page hadn't left him. It had been foolish to separate. There was no telling what kind of danger she was headed for.
Robinson panned his surroundings. There was no movement yet, but he knew the raptors were coming.