CHAPTER 167
Bill's arms were flailing. "Damn it, Gary, I thought you knew how to drive stick!"
"I know how to drive stick! This Jeep is a heap of scrap metal!" Gary was fighting with the ignition, twisting the key and pounding the gas.
"You're flooding the engine, man!"
"I'm not! I'm not flooding the engine! Just shut up and let me do this."
"Well, you're gonna kill the battery. Look at it."
Gary didn't want to admit it, but Bill was right about that. Every turn of the motor was weaker than the next. If he couldn't get it to catch within the next few tries they would be stranded.
"Damn it. Bill, get the ether."
Bill reached in the back seat where Logan had tossed the can of engine starter and snatched it. Running to the front of the Jeep he threw open the hood. Spraying a full shot of ether into the carburetor he shouted, "try it now!"
When Gary turned the key the CJ7 shuddered and roared to life for a total of three seconds before sputtering out again.
"Jesus Christ!" Bill rolled his head as he gave the carburetor another shot of ether. "Hit it again, Gary!"
Gary twisted the ignition and this time the engine rumbled and sputtered but then caught and sustained itself.
Both men held their breaths as the motor continued to growl. Gary was about to yell for Bill to get in the Jeep when he spotted the shadow of a utahraptor at the edge of the garage door.
"Bill, look out!"
Bill turned and drew his pistol. The bullet that he fired sparked off the door frame, and the utahraptor ducked away.
"Get the hell in!" Gary shouted.
Bill had barely jumped into the passenger seat when Gary stepped on the gas. Slamming back in his chair Bill shouted, "holy crap, Gary," as he fumbled the can of engine starter like a greased football, and it popped over his head and into the back seat.
As soon as they were out of the garage Tomahawk crashed against the passenger side of the Jeep. Holding onto the roll bar she slashed her fore talons at Bill who recoiled into Gary's lap. Gary was almost pushed out of the open driver's door, but he grabbed the steering wheel. As he pulled himself back up he turned the wheel unintentionally and veered the Jeep toward a nearby truck. He pulled his head out of the way just as the CJ7 side swiped the other vehicle. With Bill still in his lap he cut the wheel away from the truck, but the weight of Tomahawk on the other side started to overturn the Jeep. The CJ7 was up on two wheels and about to tip altogether when Falcon vaulted from over another nearby vehicle and latched onto the driver's side of the Jeep. Balancing out the Jeep, Falcon's weight drew the driver's side tires back to the ground.
"Shit! Shit!" Gary yelled. "Where's your god damned gun?"
Bill felt around. It wasn't in his hand. It wasn't tucked into his belt. It didn't feel like it was anywhere on him.
Falcon slashed at Gary, and in turn he jerked the wheel with him as he ducked away. The Jeep rocked hard and then bounced back down.
"Bill, shoot them!"
"God damn it, I can't find my gun!" Bill twisted his head and looked on the floor of the Jeep. His pistol was there, bouncing around near the lip of the open door. "Shit!" He ducked under the glovebox and grabbed the gun, but as he did he felt a set of jaws close around his other arm. Tomahawk began to pry him out of his seat, and he couldn't resist because his arm would simply be shredded.
The gun was in his hand though, and he flashed it in front of Tomahawk's face. Gritting his teeth against the pain of the jaws around his other arm Bill was able to point the barrel straight at Tomahawk's eye. Before he could pull the trigger he was dropped back into his seat, and Tomahawk had sprung from the vehicle. The sudden loss of weight on the passenger side made the CJ7 tilt toward Falcon, who was presently clawing at Gary's shoulder. The Jeep would've toppled completely, but it sideswiped another vehicle, and Falcon leapt away before being crushed between the two.
As the CJ7 leveled out Gary took a firm hold of the wheel.
Bill was squirming in his seat. "Holy shit. Are we still alive?" He looked behind them and saw the two utahraptors dashing away into the woods. "Gary, it looks like they're leaving."
Gary darted his eyes in the direction they were going. "I doubt that." He put his eyes in front of him again. "I'm sure they'll be back."
Bill nodded while cradling his bloodied arm. "Well, let's just hope we don't have to do that little number again."