CHAPTER 80
There was a single gunshot. Joan's eyes popped open. She looked up at Dr. Conners who was about ten feet further away now. The pistol in his hand was pointed straight at her and still smoking.
Ms. Murdock had fallen about ten feet and landed on something prickly and scaly. There was a gurgling sound underneath her as the velociraptor she was sprawled over began to cough blood and writhe. Its hind limbs had snagged in the ladder rungs and now Joan and the beast were wedged against the safety cage.
Dr. Conners yelled, "Joan, come on!"
Ms. Murdock looked confounded. She was still trying to figure out the how and why of her being alive.
Dr. Conners yelled again, "Joan!"
She reached forward and grabbed the ladder. As soon as she pulled herself up a sharp pain stabbed through her thigh and she cried out. As Joan felt the bullet hole in her right thigh the pieces started to come together. Dr. Conners had shot her. The bullet had passed through the superficial meat of her upper leg and struck the raptor below her in the throat.
She grit her teeth and shifted her weight onto the left leg. Pulling herself against the ladder Joan began to climb.
There was a growling roar below her as the second velociraptor was clawing and biting its way past the first. As the hunter tore through its dying comrade to get to Ms. Murdock the beast exhibited no sense of dignity for the bleeding pack member.
Joan let her injured leg hang freely and did all the climbing between her other three limbs. It was an awkward movement, but she managed. For now she just hoped the dying velociraptor would slow down the other one enough that she could have a fair chance of getting away.
Above her Dr. Conners had stowed the pistol in his belt and was continuing to climb. On the other side of the safety cage Star Fire was still scratching and banging, furious that she could not reach him. After several more attempts the quetzalcoatlus flew higher to get at Seth and Kyra.
They were almost at the top of the ladder when Star Fire threw herself at the cage again. The pterosaur hit so hard that both Kyra and Seth slid down several rungs. Seth's back struck the inside of the caging and he kicked his feet through the ladder to stop himself. Looking up he saw Kyra dangling by one hand. They both pulled themselves onto the ladder and kept going. It was only a few more feet to the top.
As Kyra climbed onto the catwalk above she saw a metal set of stairs leading to the observation deck that was resting just over their heads. A moment later Seth was standing right behind her.
Dianna called up from below, "Go! We'll be right behind you."
Kyra and Seth dashed for the staircase, but the appearance of a dangerous figure on the far side of the catwalk made them stop. The other two raptors had reached the top of their ladder. The first jumped up onto the walkway with a screech and made room for the other. Kyra backed up against Seth as the two predators advanced. She and Seth both knew they could never make it to the stairs before the raptors.
A hand grabbed Seth by the shoulder. It was his mom. "Get behind me." She pulled him back and then stepped ahead of Kyra. With her arms spread out she crouched low. She had no weapon. Dianna didn't know what she could accomplish by doing this, but she was in defense mode. For better or worse her animal instinct had kicked in.
"Mom!" Seth yelled.
Kyra pushed him back.
The lead velociraptor hunched as it came forward. It was preparing to pounce. The hunter leapt forward to attack Dianna. With its maw wide open and its claws reared back the raptor rushed at her.
Dianna screamed and braced herself. If she could slow the beast down just long enough for Bryce to make it up the ladder with the pistol than Seth and Kyra might still have a chance. This is what she was thinking when she heard a shotgun blast from the staircase.
The attacking raptor dropped to the catwalk with a gaping hole in its side. A man jumped from the top of the stairs and landed on the walkway between Dianna and the second velociraptor. The predator snarled and recoiled but there was no place for it to escape. With another shotgun blast the second raptor fell over in a heap.
Dianna examined the broad shouldered man as he turned around. Through his long sweat drenched hair she recognized his face.
"Hector."
He nodded. "Doctor."
Dianna grabbed Seth and Kyra and corralled them toward the stairs. She shouted at Hector, "Go help the others."
As Dianna pushed Seth and Kyra toward the stairs Hector ran to the ladder. Bryce had already made it to the top. He was on one knee. He had his hand out and was calling to Ms. Murdock.
"Joan!"
She had about ten feet left to climb, but Star Fire was rattling the cage with ferocity. Dr. Conners could see that with her injured leg Joan was struggling to make it. Below her the last velociraptor was ascending and gaining on her every moment. Star Fire slammed the cage again and again, but Joan endured. There was only a few feet between her and the top of the ladder now, and little more between the velociraptor and the bottom of her feet. As Joan reached the catwalk Dr. Conners grabbed her by the lapels and hoisted her out of the way. In a quick motion he drew the pistol.
Bryce watched as the velociraptor's eyes honed in on the barrel of his gun. The dinosaur stopped where it was and curled its talons on the ladder. The raptor looked like it wanted to back away while equally knowing that there was no escape. A piece of Dr. Conners was curious to analyze what the hunter would do next. His finger almost hesitated as it squeezed on the trigger. With a bang the bullet left the chamber and the raptor went rattling down the ladder rungs with a hole through its skull.
Dr. Conners scanned the landing before stowing his pistol. Hector and he extended their arms to assist Ms. Murdock to her feet.
Dr. Conners said to Joan, "Let's get you inside, and we'll take a look at that wound."
Joan grunted, "I'm fine. Just need to patch it up."
"Well I'd still like to take a look." Bryce pressed.
Joan brushed him away and began to limp ahead. "There's really no need, Dr. Conners. The bullet passed right through the meat. Believe me when I say that I've suffered far worse." She paused at the stairs. "For the record, if it had been me I wouldn't have taken the shot."
Bryce said, "nice to know you'll have my back in the future, Ms. Murdock."
She turned to him. "This is a survival situation, Doctor. People are dying. People will continue dying." Joan started up the steps. "For the sake of those kids you'd best get your head in the game, and not find yourself making any more foolish decisions."
Bryce was left scratching his head. "A simple thank you would've sufficed," he muttered.
Hector shouldered past Dr. Conners, giving him a passive pat on the arm as he went to follow Ms. Murdock. "Come on, amigo."