CHAPTER 220

As they turned to go the trees around them erupted with more velociraptors. Some sprang from behind tree trunks and the low foliage. Others dropped from branches above.

Daniel had his pistols in hand, but he could already see that there was no shooting or fighting his way out of this one. He pointed his barrels skyward as a sign of surrender.

Gary recoiled from several sets of snapping and snarling jaws that were coming his way, but he had nowhere to go. Everywhere he turned there were more velociraptors. His eyes shifted to Daniel. "That's it? End of the line? You're just giving up?"

"Why don't you try one of your famous tackles."

The surrounding velociraptors were uncomfortably close, but something was keeping them at bay. With a sound of shifting foliage just beyond the group the raptors shuffled aside allowing for another to enter.

Daniel and Gary turned to see this larger figure approaching them like a ghoul. The spine chilling air of this utahraptor was enough to give anyone the chills. With its features being so reminiscent of a scavenging bird Gary recognized the newcomer at once.

Gary leaned his chin towards Daniel and whispered, "it's Vulture."

"You gave all these bastards names?"

Gary shrugged, "just the big raptors. Well actually, it wasn't me. Dr. Johnson mostly names a lot of the other dinosaurs too, usually something like, Killer or Storm, but every once in a while she comes up with a stripper name like Stella, or something. I really don't get what her process is."

"Gary?"

"What?"

"Are you still talking? I don't give a shit."

Gary shrank away from him.

Daniel eyed up Vulture's scaly wrinkles and ratty plumage. "God, she's even uglier than the last one, like a great, big, ugly turkey vulture."

Vulture walked up to Daniel with sour eyes. It was like she knew he was insulting her.

Daniel stared her right back. "What are you lookin' at, you festering skeksi?"

Unbeknown to Daniel two velociraptors had come up behind him to either side. When Vulture let out a hoarse bark they snatched the pistols out of his hands.

"Hey!" Daniel's eyes shot to either side in surprise.

Vulture hissed in his face.

Daniel recoiled, looking like he was going to vomit. He met eyes with Vulture and said, "I better get those back, you hideous stinking buzzard."

Vulture scowled and hissed again.

"You know, I'm beginning to think you actually understand me." Daniel gave her a stone stare.

Gary chimed in, "then why don't you shut the hell up with the insults before you piss her off and she fillets both our asses? Maybe you could figure a way out of this mess instead."

"We're dead, Gary. Last stop. Final destination. Deceased. Demised. Goners. No way in hell out."

"Jesus Christ." Gary shook his head and crossed himself.

"So how do you think they'll kill us? Tear our guts out? Slash our throats? Cut off our limbs one by one?" Daniel was beginning to sound like he was getting a charge out of pondering the nature of their pending execution. All the while he and Vulture shared an unbroken scrutinizing stare.

"Shut up, Daniel."

"Oooh. Maybe they'll shoot us in the backs with our own guns. That'd be god damned splendid."

"They don't have thumbs. They couldn't do it even if they figured out how."

"Well, you're just a buzz kill."

"Would you just shut up already?"

"Oh, big man with the big words," Daniel chuckled. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting your plot of the master escape?"

"God damn it, Daniel! Just shut up!"

Vulture was watching them argue back and forth. Her eyes were darting from one to the other as they bickered. Finally she let out a bellow and they both shut up.

After a brief silence Daniel pointed at Gary and said, "he started it."

Vulture let out another hiss followed by a growl, and she inched closer to Daniel's face. As she stared him down a screech cut the air. Another rocket streaked through the canopy and struck the branches above them with a clunk, but it did not explode. The projectile spiraled down through the trees and landed between Vulture and Daniel with a plunk.

Everyone jumped back, and still the rocket did not explode. Daniel looked at it curiously as the back end fizzled out. His eyes darted up, realizing that Vulture was waiting for some kind of reaction from him to determine how she should proceed. It occurred to Daniel that she didn't fully understand how their weapons worked. As Vulture examined him with a firm brow it left Daniel with all the time he needed to formulate another reckless and haphazard plan.

Daniel grabbed the back of Gary's shirt in both fists, and in one violent tear, split it from top to bottom.

"Hey, what the hell!" Gary cried.

Before he could do anything about it Daniel spun him in place and unraveled the shirt from his torso.

While Gary wobbled in a state of dizziness Daniel swiftly bandaged the shredded clothing around his right palm in thick layers, creating a makeshift glove. Plunging his wrapped hand to the ground Daniel picked up the rocket and thrust it at Vulture.

"Ha!"

Vulture and the other raptors jumped back.

As Daniel held the rocket in his hand he could feel the heat coming through the wrap on his palm. The scorched projectile had just flown out of a burning car and was practically red hot.

Daniel could see that the raptors were expecting bullets, or fire, or some kind of danger to explode out of the rocket, but it did not, and Daniel knew he couldn't deliver.

"Ya!" Daniel thrust the rocket at Vulture's face again. "Ya! Ya!"

The raptors further recoiled.

As Gary overcame his dizziness he observed what Daniel was doing. "You know that's only going to fool them for about another ten seconds."

Daniel was charged with a newfound rush of adrenaline, sparking him with a broad grin. "Then you better grab my pistols quick, Gary."

"What?"

"Get my pistols. Now, Gary."

Gary turned to the two velociraptors holding Daniel's guns. His face turned white. "I-I can't."

"God damn it, Gary, you can."

"Shit," Gary swallowed and inched his hands out toward the velociraptors. Each one had one of the two revolvers held between their teeth. Both velociraptors curled their lips, narrowed their eyes, and growled at Gary's approach, but they did not move.

"Hurry, Gary." Daniel saw the gears turning in Vulture's head. She was figuring it out fast. Daniel could see she was about to call his bluff.

Gary put his hands on the pistols and the velociraptor's growled louder. He began to tug, but they wouldn't let go. Their lips curled higher, and their eyes became fierce.

"Come on," Gary breathed. "It's just like taking a rope toy from a chihuahua, only I'm gonna die."

Unexpectedly both raptors let go in unison and Gary almost fell backwards as the pistols came free.

Gary was so shocked that he laughed, "hey, Daniel, I got the guns."

Daniel didn't answer. Vulture had crept so close to his face that their noses were almost touching. With one set of fore claws the utahraptor pushed the rocket aside, and she growled at Daniel. It was subtle, but Daniel swore at that moment that she shook her head at him. It was a gesture so chillingly human that it personified Vulture in a way such that Daniel viewed her in a whole new light.

He leaned in closer until his cheek was against her jaw, and he whispered so Gary wouldn't hear, "God Damn. You've been watching us since the moment you hatched, haven't you? Every facial expression, body gesture, the sound of our voice. You've been listening to our words, observing our behaviors, trying to put the pieces together, trying to figure out this crazy world you were forced into, how it works, and what it all means to you. I can see it in your eyes now. You're sharper than these little guys." Daniel made a slight nod to the surrounding velociraptors. "I believe on some level you really can understand me. If not, then you're picking it up damn fast. I can see why he wants you so bad. But the truth is though, for all your brains I still think you're ugly as shit." Daniel made a small salute and leaned away. "Hey, Gary?"

"Yeah?"

"Run."