CHAPTER 74
Ms. Murdock was dripping with sweat as she reached the underside of the platform. She twisted her body, reached out with one arm, and swung free of the elevator shaft all in a fluid motion. Though she was breathing heavy her endurance kept up, and she powered across the mesh without faltering.
The first snarling velociraptor reached the platform, and though Joan was just out of reach it leaned out to snap at her with a wrench of its neck. Ms. Murdock climbed onward, not allowing herself to be phased by the close proximity of the carnivore. At the edge of the platform she turned her body and gripped the upper ledge. Facing back at the raptors she saw how they calculated this new obstacle. Their eyes examined the angles, and she could see them processing it all. When the first one made an attempt it bit onto the caging around the elevator shaft and then latched its fore claws onto the mesh platform. The addition of the mouth work reminded Joan of how a parrot climbs along its cage. As the raptor walked its feet higher it pulled itself up and repositioned its teeth on the underside of the platform. Alternating between footwork and mouth work the hunter inched off of the elevator shaft and clung to the platform by its toes, fingers, and teeth.
Joan quickened her pace onto the upper side of the platform where she got to her feet. Looking down through the mesh she saw the velociraptor's killer claws stabbing up through the walkway. Each time the carnivore repositioned a limb there was a piercing scratch of metal as its talons hooked through the holes. As the hunter reached the edge of the platform Ms. Murdock knew she didn't have much time. The other raptors were already working their way off of the elevator shaft.
Hearing a screech from the upper side of the platform Joan looked up to see Star Fire. The pterosaur was puffing her chest and broadening her wings. With a snap the quetzalcoatlus went for Ms. Murdock and reached within inches of her face. Joan never ceased to be impressed by how lengthy their necks were. She backed up as the winged beast took another slash. She was about to turn and run when a sharp pain stabbed into her ankle.
The first velociraptor was crawling over the edge of the platform, and it had bitten onto her boot. As the dinosaur's teeth pierced further through the leather footwear Joan grabbed the railing and kicked it in the head with her other heel. Stunned by the blow the velociraptor released its grip, and Ms. Murdock pulled away. She winced as her bleeding foot pounded the catwalk, but she wasn't going to let that slow her down. Running on, she reached the ladder the others had taken. Climbing into the protective caging around it she began to ascend. Everyone else was about twenty feet above her. As the four raptors now stood up on the platform one by one, Joan's first thought was that she hoped the kids were not tiring. Should they be slowing down she would be the first to suffer from it.
Ms. Murdock periodically glanced down as she climbed. She was surprised to see that the raptors were not following. Being careful to avoid Star Fire the four hunters crossed the catwalk and examined the ladder.
Ms. Murdock watched them with a growing concern. "What the hell are you devils up to?" As the raptors' eyes trailed around it didn't take Joan long to realize that they were looking at the other ladders. "Dear God."
Two velociraptors began to climb the ladder below Joan, while the other two backed up and went to another ladder.
Ms. Murdock hollered up to the rest of the group. "Doctors, climb faster!"
Dianna and Bryce looked over at the two far raptors who were now scaling the next ladder over at a quick pace. They both knew at once what was happening.
Bryce said, "Those bastards are trying to head us off."
Dianna was shouting to Seth and Kyra, "keep climbing! You can't slow down. Go! Go! Keep going!"