CHAPTER 319
"Honestly Mr. Benton!" Dr. Levine sprinted off after King.
"Nice going, Arb," Kelly said as she followed Dr. Levine.
"What a moron!" Dodgson barked as he trailed them with stomping boots. "Jesus Christ, Howard! Don't let it get away!"
Arby and Diego were the only two left.
"Don't say it." Arby pointed a hot finger. "I will punch you straight in the Adam's apple."
Diego made a zipping motion across his lips as he held back a smirk.
"Come on," Arby groaned, and they both ran around the cage to join the pursuit.
Near the front of the nursery George Baselton was exiting one of the enclosures while zipping up his trousers and buckling his belt. With a questionably clean rag he'd found on a hook on the wall he dabbed at a large damp spot on the front of his pants. Rounding the door of the cage he heard shouting coming from deeper within the nursery. When he looked up George saw a bunch of little chicken-like creatures sprinting at him. He scarcely had time to react before the group of compsognathus were speeding between his ankles and running around his legs. George tripped and stumbled, and he almost toppled over. He grabbed the door to the cage and swung with it until it clanged against the enclosure. Hanging off of it George caught his breath and then stood on his own. He looked up when he heard more shouting.
"Stella!"
"Stella!"
People were calling from the other end of the corridor.
What George saw next was the baby t-rex bounding at him full speed. It roared as ferociously as its little mouth could muster, and George threw up his arms to protect himself.
George felt the baby tyrannosaurus slam into his side, and he fell to the ground. He turned over and watched the young hunter chase the comps toward the entrance door, but it was shut. The comps disappeared through a grate in the wall, and now the little t-rex was cornered.
George pushed to his hands and knees. Behind him he heard the hurried footsteps of the rest of the group. Ahead of him he watched Stella circle around at the closed door and look at him. She trilled and growled. Her stance was low, and her plumage prickled.
George got to his feet with a huff. He held up his hands as though he were a goalie. "Easy now, little guy."
Stella hissed and clapped her jaw.
George looked at the pole that was still hanging off her neck. He could jump and grab it, he thought. There was nothing to it.
George crept closer. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He tickled the air with his thick fingers, and his tongue protruded from the corner of his mouth as he prepared to leap.
Stella hissed and backed against the door. The pole at her side scraped along the concrete, and George kept his eye on it like he was about to snatch a fish out of water with his bare hands.
"Easy easy easy." George was in the final moment before the lunge. In the next second he would jump forward, grab the pole, and all would be well.
That was when somebody flung the door open from the outside.