CHAPTER 64
The jeep was sideswiped up against a tree. All four locals were bent over the front passenger side tire as Ms. Murdock approached from the impatiently idling pickup truck. Dr. Conners appeared a moment later, trailing in her wake. As they neared the jeep three of the locals parted to either side of the tire while the fourth looked to be prying something out of the rubber side wall with a large knife. The object came free with a dull pop and the man handed it up to Ms. Murdock as he stood.
Joan examined the wooden spike with a harsh frown. "Damn it, Hector."
It had probably come off a fallen tree or something of the like. The sharp chunk was akin to the kind of thing one might feel compelled to stab a vampire through the heart with.
Dr. Conners peered over Joan's shoulder to get a look at the deflated tire and caught Hector giving him an inspecting glance. Hector was a broad muscular man whose face always appeared to be one or two days unshaven. His long, sweaty, black hair splashed on his shoulders and cheeks as he thrust a quarter filled liquor bottle at Bryce. His expression was stern as though it were serious business.
"Amigo?" Hector tilted the bottle further at Dr. Conners. The container sloshed with an amber liquid, and there was no label or markings to speak of.
Dr. Conners raised a suspicious eyebrow at the offering. He realized that the other three locals were watching intently. There was a short man with bulging eyes who smiled at him with crooked teeth. Bryce was pretty sure he'd heard the others calling him Rodrigo. The man lighting a cigarette with a Zippo he'd just snapped open was Juan. After his cigarette was thoroughly aglow he held his lighter to the last man over. Dr. Conners wasn't sure of his name.
Before Bryce could react to the situation Joan intervened. Her hand shot out and swiped the bottle from Hector. She took a long swig with her head held back. When she was finished she held her other palm out to Hector without saying a word.
Hector narrowed his eyes and started to grumble. Reaching into the breast pocket of his half buttoned plaid t-shirt he retrieved the bottle cap and placed it in Ms. Murdock's palm.
She screwed the lid with a quick twist and tossed the bottle in the back seat of the jeep. "No mas."
Juan was now tipping his Zippo toward a cigarette that dangled from Rodrigo's crooked incisors. With the tip of her finger Joan flicked the lid of the lighter closed. In three swift motions she plucked the cigarettes out of everyones' mouths and extinguished them on the side of the jeep with a crumple. Ms. Murdock peered at the spare tire on the back of the vehicle. There were two wide holes pierced through it where the stegosaurus had whacked it.
"We don't have time for this shit. Get back in the truck, Dr. Conners." Joan corralled everyone else into the bed of the pickup. The truck had a cab cover, so they had to pile in through the tailgate.
As Dr. Conners ducked into the truck a frightening bellow sent tremors through his body. Between the gaps in the canopy he saw the airplane sized shape of a quetzalcoatlus skimming the trees.
Ms. Murdock appeared in the door and shoved Bryce the rest of the way in. She said, "let's get this damned clown car on the move, Dr. Johnson."
Dianna stepped on the gas and sped toward the beach.