CHAPTER 181
The allosaurus was stomping into the jungle. Its bellows were full of fury. Seth tripped and fell to the ground. Dianna, who was just a step behind him, scooped Seth up by the arm and gave him a push to get going again.
His elbows and knees had scraped open. Seth didn't even have to look to know it. They had run down into a shallow trench where water likely flowed when heavy rain came through. Right now it was a mere bed of mud and sharp gravel, the likes of which Seth had cut himself on.
"Over here!" Kyra waved. She was at the other side of the basin where a cluster of twisted tree roots was exposed from the eroding trench wall.
Dianna and Seth watched her weave behind the roots at one end, and she disappeared into the tangle. When they reached the place where Kyra had just been they saw there was a narrow recess along the wall within the curtain of roots. They did not see Kyra though. She had vanished.
Behind them the allosaurus was tromping down into the ditch. It looked at Seth and Dianna and roared. A comb of pointed scales along its neck and back prickled and the beast shuddered with rage.
"Get in!" Dianna pushed Seth.
They both crawled in, hearing the allosaurus approach with booming strides. Seth still did not see Kyra. He had no clue where she could've gone. He was beginning to think that something had happened to her.
"Kyra?" he shouted.
"Over here!" Kyra had seemed to pop out of the wall like magic, and then she retreated in again.
As Seth crawled closer he found that there was a four foot opening in the wall that led into a slender tunnel, and Kyra was hiding within. He recognized what it was at once. It was certainly a lava tube, and he knew the velociraptors had been using them to traverse the island undetected.
"Are you crazy? We can't go in there!" Seth backed up.
The allosaurus slammed against the curtain of roots and began ripping them apart with its teeth and claws. Prying them open it wedged its snout in but could not quite reach them yet. The allosaurus roared and began tearing at the roots some more.
"Jesus, Seth, keep moving!" Dianna pushed him.
The allosaur's fore claws reached in and took a swipe, slashing the back of her shirt.
Seth ducked into the hole and Dianna dove in right after him. She could feel the breeze on the back of her legs as the allosaurus took another snap. Pushing Seth and Kyra further into the tunnel she turned to face the allosaurus.
The carnivore wormed its way into the hole, but could get no further than its shoulders. The dark hollow was filled with angry bellows, the pounding of its body against the rock walls, and the scraping of its claws. Despite its furious efforts the allosaurus could not reach them.
"What do we do now?" Seth was out of breath and hugging his skinned elbows and knees.
Knowing that the tunnel might be crawling with velociraptors Dianna wanted to avoid venturing into it as much as Seth did. Hoping the allosaurus would soon give up and leave she said, "we wait."