CHAPTER 82
"Are you alright?" Dr. Conners asked Hector as they exited the observatory.
"Eh?" Hector grunted.
"You're walking like it hurts."
"I got a shit ton of glass up my ass crack, amigo."
Bryce saw that indeed Hector's pants were damp with fresh blood. "How did that happen?"
"You're a pretty smart hombre. I think you'll figure it out."
Dr. Conners followed Hector through the door to the outside where there was a small gravel parking lot. Parked at a crude angle in the middle of it was the pickup truck. "Jesus Christ." Dr. Conners almost stopped mid stride. "When you said you had the truck I expected you brought at least more than half of it. What the hell happened?" Bryce was looking the truck over. Not a single window was intact. Shreds of metal were torn out of every panel on the vehicle like it had been ripped through by a backhoe. Spatters of blood streaked what was left of the roof. The cover over the bed had so many large chunks taken out it had little integrity left and parts of it shifted under a mild wind.
Hector took the handle of the driver's door and tugged it open. "Those loco Freddy Krueger turkeys, that's what happened to it." He paused thoughtfully. "Saved my ass though." Hector nodded to the inside of the cab, and Dr. Conners peered in.
Bryce saw the unconscious velociraptor slumped over the divide between the cab and the bed. "Oh shit." He shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask."
They both climbed the tailgate and hoisted the dinosaur back into the bed of the truck. Squatting beneath the ragged bed cover it was difficult to get leverage, and they had a tough time heaving the raptor off of the bench seat and through the window. Once it was sprawled in the bed they grabbed its tail and hindquarters and drug it off the tailgate.
The raptor hit the ground with a thud and Dr. Conners bent over to examine it. It lay perfectly still until its lips curled and it let out a growl. Dr. Conners jumped back as a set of claws flailed his way. Hector swung his boot and struck the raptor across the skull.
Dr. Conners was trembling as adrenaline pumped through his body. He put his hands on either side of his scalp and ran his fingers through his hair. "Christ! I thought it was dead."
Hector chuckled and pulled out his knife. "I didn't want to make a mess in the truck." He reached his arm under the raptors jaw, pulled back its head, and slit its throat.
Dr. Conners took another step back as blood spilled over his boots. "No. Heaven forbid you make a mess of the truck." He heard a roar and looked out over the island. The shuddering bellow he heard most likely came from Rebirtha. At the summit of the volcanic ridge he could see just about everything. Down in the valley herds were grazing. The drone of parasaurolophus carried on the wind. Long brachiosaurus necks bobbed and swayed as they mingled. Jagged rows of stegosaurus plates sawed in and out of the trees. Dr. Conners found himself getting lost in the majesty of it all. No matter how much time he spent on the island he couldn't help but be captivated by the creatures that lived there.
Hector's voice cut in, "amigo? Maybe it's more good if the chicos don't see this shit." He had the raptor by the ankles and was nodding toward the bushes.
"Right." Dr. Conners grabbed the tail, and they drug it out of sight. When they were finished he went back and kicked dirt over the trail of blood that was left behind. He turned to Hector. "Get the truck started. I'll grab the others."
"Ok, amigo."
"Oh." Dr. Conners snapped his fingers and turned back around. "Give me your shirt."
Hector shot him an odd look.
Dr. Conners explained, "For the boy."
Hector sighed but unbuttoned his plaid shirt and stripped it from his sweaty white undershirt. Balling it in his knuckles he tossed it to Dr. Conners and went to start the pickup.