CHAPTER 78
Hector upshifted and set the gas pedal against the floor. He knew that the raptors were fast, but in the smooth straightaway of the tunnel the truck certainly had them beat. Somewhere between fifty-five and sixty miles per hour he began to pull away from the pack. At ninety miles an hour the pickup started to shudder, and past a hundred Hector stopped paying attention to the speedometer.
The light at the end of the tunnel was rushing up fast. It was becoming more than just a beaming jungle green haze at the far side of the bore. Hector could make out more and more details of the electrified gate as he barreled toward it. The texture of the cable mesh was becoming quite clear. He kept his foot pressed to the gas pedal. He needed as much extra space between him and the raptor pack as he could possibly get.
The seat of his pants was wet with blood as he sped along the last leg of the tunnel. Every little bump he hit stung his hind side as shards of glass worked their way deeper into his flesh. The pain was growing to the point where it just constantly throbbed.
Hector was getting dangerously close to the fence now, while still going at full throttle. He knew if he went much further crashing into the gate would be unavoidable. In his head he calculated what he thought to be the correct distance and counted down under his breath.
"Tres, dos, uno."
His boots slammed the break and the clutch, and the truck slid along the pavement with its tires locked. Hector's eyes got wide as he thought for a moment that he might actually hit the gate. The yards shrank to feet, and the feet diminished to inches as the pickup lurched to a standstill with its bumper just a half foot from the fence.
Hector jumped out of the truck with his shotgun under one armpit and Juan's slung over the other shoulder. The smell of burning rubber wafted off the tires as he blasted three shots back at the raptors. Running to the card reader Hector swiped his access card and nudged on the gate just enough for the lock to disengage. He emptied the remainder of his gun as he ran back to the driver's seat. He hadn't hit a single raptor. He was just trying to slow them down.
Hector barely had the door closed when the first velociraptor slammed against it. The window in the door cracked as he fell into his seat. On the other side of the truck two more raptors climbed onto the hood while another three were at the tailgate.
As Hector hit the gas and rammed through the gate some of the hunters fell away while others clung on. There were two on the hood and one clutching the tailgate. Speeding across the clearing toward the dirt road Hector heard two more jump on the roof. The predator's claws squealed and scraped as they scratched along the outer surfaces of the pickup. Hector cut the wheel one way and another trying to get them to loose their grip. Making it to the end of the clearing he swerved onto the road and into the shade of the jungle. He didn't make it very far up the dirt trail before he came upon a towering therizinosaurus standing in the middle of the road. As Hector spun the wheel to miss the lumbering herbivore it reared around and took a swipe at the truck with its deadly fore claws. There was a crash along the roof of the vehicle as its long sabers raked the pickup. A scream let out as one of the velociraptors was struck from the roof.
As soon as Hector was past the therizinosaurus he saw ten more blocking the roadway. Any other time he would have avoided them, but this time he had an idea. This time he drove straight into the herd.
The results were as catastrophic as he could have hoped for. All members of the herd turned on the truck with battering claws. Hector slowed the truck to a crawl and ducked against the steering wheel. From all sides he felt the herbivores strike the vehicle. Every window on the pickup that wasn't broken yet proceeded to shatter one after the next. Hector leaned into the middle of the truck as the claws slashed in from all openings. Over the moaning bellows of the therizinosaurs he heard the raptors barking defensively. He could tell each time one was struck by a set of claws in the way they shrieked with pain. There was repeated battering on the roof of the truck, stomping all around the truck, and more barking from the velociraptors. Through the commotion it sounded to Hector like the predators were actually backing off. Despite the truck still rocking violently from time to time Hector risked a peering eye over the dash.
Most of the therizinosaurs were moving away from the truck, while a few were still jarring it with their hips and ribcage. Upon further observance Hector spotted but two standing velociraptors among the jungle. He could see two more dead on the ground. The rest were unaccounted for. Snatching Juan's shotgun he took aim. The two raptors locked eyes with him, and then their pupils shifted down to the weapon. An instant later they swept off into the jungle.
Hector lowered his barrel but didn't put the gun down. Next to him he heard a deep groan and then a growl. The female raptor strung over the seat next to him was stirring. He took the butt of the gun and slammed it against the dinosaur's skull to quiet it again.
A rectangular object on the floor caught Hector's eye. It was Juan's flask. Hector retrieved it with a contemplative look. He couldn't believe his friends were all dead. He shook his head and screwed off the cap. Hector put his eyes to the sky and tipped the flask toward the air. After taking a long swig he bowed his head.
The truck lurched again as another therizinosaurus shoved the front fender. Hector capped the flask and stuck it in his pocket. Putting the truck in gear he cautiously maneuvered between the remaining herbivores, enduring several more claw swipes to the sides of the pickup. When he was clear of them he drove off, keeping a vigilant eye for more velociraptors.