CHAPTER 165
Dr. Conners was the first one out of the garage. Bouncing over the smashed door he throttled up his bike and cut between the battling dinosaurs. For a moment he felt like he had made a critical error in his timing. Hellfire shifted directions and stumbled right at him. Dr. Conners ended up clearing the carnivore's ankle by only a matter of inches. In almost the same instant Two Face's tail whipped over his head so close that it brushed the ends of his hairs. Despite almost wiping out, Dr. Conners balanced the bike and was cutting across the motor pool. Even though there was a small engine screaming just below him he now found it strangely quiet as he was furthering himself from the rumbling Jeeps.
Shooting up the dirt road that led back to the main operations building he yelled into his radio headset, "Marcus! Logan! Are you back there?"
A crackle filled his ears, and a wind garbled voice came through. "We're right behind you. Damn, that was close."
Bryce was pretty sure it was Marcus who was talking. He answered back, "Good. Let's keep a close formation."
"Right."
In moments Bryce heard the buzz of their motors coming up beside him, and then they were right next to him.
Marcus said, "Hey, Doc, I don't see any of those bastards following us."
Bryce looked around. They were crossing in front of the operations building now. Everything looked spooky and deserted. Especially with all the broken windows and the debris from the storm it was beginning to resemble a ghost town, and then there was something else as well, something horrifying. "What the hell," Dr. Conners gasped. "My God." His eyes fixed on the dark interior of the operations building as he zipped past it.
"What's wrong?" Marcus craned his neck to see, but it was already out of view.
"No. Don't worry about it." Bryce shook his head to clear the image and continued toward the gate. In any case Marcus was right. They didn't appear to be getting followed, but Bryce knew well enough by now not to believe that was actually the situation. "The both of you just keep your eyes peeled. I'm sure they're out there."
"Yep," Marcus said.
"Rodger that," Logan followed up. Even through the wind distortion in the headset Bryce could tell that Logan was talking through a giant wad of chewing tobacco.
"Holy shit," Dr. Conners said as they came up on the main gate. The whole thing had been smashed wide open.
"Guess we don't have to open the gate either," Marcus said.
"I'll bet you that's how them carno-whats-its got in," Logan chomped.
"Maybe," Dr. Conners said as they passed through the gate. Seeing the twisted and smashed metal reminded him that at this point anything could be running loose. Leaving the confines of the operations compound under such circumstances created in him an even greater sense of vulnerability. There was truly no safe place on the island any more. Neither where they were coming from or where they were headed was without a lurking danger. The feeling of insecurity only grew stronger as they left the road and sped into the jungle.