CHAPTER 211
The allosaurus watched as the dilophosaurus disappeared into some near by brush, then it shifted its stare back to Kyra. Standing dead in the carnivore's sights Kyra stiffened up like a deer in the headlights. Prickling the comb of scales along its back the allosaur hissed at her and began to step forward.
Kyra shook off the paralysis of fear and looked around frantically for a place to hide. Among the graveyard of heavy machinery the first thing she laid her eyes on that was close enough and looked remotely sufficient was the sifting drum of a trommel.
Kyra grabbed Seth and hooked her arms under his pits. As she watched the allosaurus move toward them she said, "Seth, if there's any chance you can move your legs some help would be good right now."
Seth let out a weak moan, though Kyra could not even tell if it was intentional and directed at her or not. The sludgy green venom was dripping away from his eyes and she could see that they were bloodshot and lazy. His jaw was slack. His lips were pouring with drool.
"Alright." Kyra hoisted him up and started powering backwards toward the trommel with Seth's feet trailing after.
The allosaurus roared and picked up speed. Kyra stumbled and fell. She got back up and continued dragging Seth, but she could already see there was no way to make up the lost ground.
The shadow of the allosaurus swept upon them, and Kyra recoiled to the ground. The dinosaur's foot came up ready to pin her and its jaws widened. Kyra saw no escape from the beast.
From the allosaur's right something rushed in and struck it in the head. Kyra saw that it was Dr. Johnson wielding a heavy metal rebar. She struck the allosaurus again, and it craned its neck at her with a vile hiss.
"Run!" Dianna hollered.
The allosaurus tried to put its attention back on Seth and Kyra, but Dr. Johnson whipped it across the face. "No! Over here!" She jabbed it in the neck eliciting a bitter growl, but now she had the dinosaur's full attention.
"Oh god." Dianna was standing only a few feet from the allosaur's teeth. She could smell its breath as it hissed at her. The hot air from its gullet billowed into her face, and then the allosaurus snapped at her.
Dianna threw up the rebar and blocked the dinosaur's bite, but it knocked her to the ground. Scrambling to her feet she ran for the rubber tire loader, feeling a rush of air as another bite swept behind her. The allosaur's feet thudded behind her as she sprinted and dove between the huge wheels of the loader and slid underneath the machine just below the articulation point. The allosaur's jaws followed after her, bumping against the tires and slamming into the metal frame. It could not reach Dianna because the loader was articulated with the wheels turned together on that side. The allosaur pulled away and examined Dianna's position for a moment, then began to circle to the other side of the machine where the wheels were articulated further apart. with more room to squeeze between the tires the allosaurus plunged its face at Dianna again. This time the threat of it reaching her was much more real. From beneath the dirt crusted yellow frame of the loader Dr. Johnson saw the allosaur's scaly snout thrust at her. As the dinosaur intruded with a wide open mouth Dianna took the rebar and jabbed down its throat. With a gag the allosaurus retreated out from under the loader. Coughing and hacking it circled to the rear bumper hoping for an easier way to reach Dianna. The allosaurus went to stoop its head beneath the counterweight at the back of the loader, when in mid motion it spotted Kyra again.
At the mouth of the sifting drum there was a pile of fill dirt that Kyra was using to scale up to the opening. Still dragging Seth she muscled her way backwards up the slope. The loose rocks and rough soil crumbled under every step she took, working against her the whole time.
Making her way to the top Kyra drug Seth into the large metal sifting drum. The tightly woven wire mesh that now encased them was caked with mud and rocks. It was like being in a cave, only the sunlight shone through wherever the dirt wasn't plastered on. Kyra drug Seth halfway up the drum which was nearly the length of a bus. She stopped there, and collapsed against the side of the sifter, catching her breath. Seth was still limp and drooling at her feet. Now that she was sitting she noticed that her back and shoulders were tingling. The dilophosaurus venom had soaked through her clothes and was absorbing into her skin. She held her hands up to her face, flexing her fists. They were tingling as well. Her fingers were going numb.
At the mouth of the drum she heard the sound of loose earth crumbling. Kyra turned her head and saw the allosaurus making its way up the pile of fill dirt.