CHAPTER 134
Seth had a hand clapped over his mouth. When he realized it was a person and not a raptor that had snatched him away he felt a small sense of relief.
"Relax, kid. It's me," he heard Gary's voice in his ear.
The palm slipped away from Seth's lips, and Gary eased the bearhug he had on him. In the dark Seth could just make out the tail end of a small flatbed truck that they were hiding against. Gary had drug him to the rear of the garage where they now saw a flood of light cut past them. As the wide path of light spread across the floor from the side door at the front to the back of the garage a long shadow bifurcated it clear down the middle.
By the movement of the shadow they saw the utahraptor duck through the frame of the door and enter the garage. No one dared to spy around the corner of the flatbed and take an actual look at the beast for fear of being spotted.
In the light that now filled portions of the garage Seth could see Bill and Ms. Bolton were hiding with them along the back of the truck. Bill still had a firm grip on Ms. Bolton's shoulder to help keep her standing. Seth watched as Bill started to make eye gestures at Gary. It was clear that he was attempting to draw attention to the fact that Carrie's shin was still gushing blood. Bill then gestured to the drops of blood on the concrete floor that likely led all the way back to the door that the Clan leader had just entered through.
"Shit," Gary mouthed.
Bill mouthed back, "no shit," and then shrugged as though to say, what the hell do we do?
The long chilling shadow in the doorway shifted as the lead utahraptor surveyed the garage. There was a grating squawk and then heavy clacking on the hard floor as the pack leader began to prowl.
Gary had a look of panic on his face. His eyes darted through every corner of the shadowy garage and then locked in on an object nearby. Without so much as a single gesture to clue anybody in Gary grabbed Carrie and shuffled her over to a small animal cage that was on the back wall just behind the flatbed. As he shoved Carrie inside the cage he waved to Seth mouthing the words, "get in. Get in!"
Seth kept low and darted into the cage. Now that he was inside it he got a better feel for its dimensions. It had about as much room within as a compact car.
Bill was about to follow Seth in when Gary snatched him by the collar. "Not you. I have a plan," he whispered.
Bill gave him a wide eyed look and mouthed, "are you insane?"
Gary was already closing the cage. Despite his efforts to be gentle and avoid noise the latch engaged with a sharp clang that echoed through the garage.
"Crap." Gary grabbed Bill and they bolted for the other side of the truck.
From his vantage Seth saw them duck behind the rear tire just as the pack leader's menacing face became visible underneath the flatbed. As the utahraptor ducked low to scan the underside of the truck Seth could hear it purring, and it reminded him of the sounds the alien hunter made in the movie Predator. Even in the shadows Seth could see that Gary and Bill were stiff with fright. He couldn't tell from where he was whether or not the utahraptor could see them. What he could tell though was that he and Ms. Bolton were in plain view, and as the clan leader's searching eye met with his Seth felt a terrible jolt in his heart. He swore at that moment he saw a grin flash across the hunter's face. When the dinosaur's head lifted away all Seth could see were its deadly feet and the lethal claws that clacked along the concrete as it came around the flatbed to get them.
Seth looked at Ms. Bolton and she looked back at him. With a shaky whisper she said, "Seth, just tell me my daughter is safe."