CHAPTER 219
Gary followed Daniel as they fled for the trees. He felt like he was in a war zone. With a thick column of black smoke still rising above them from the tanker more bullets zinged past. The burning rover was throwing bullets in every direction. There was no way for Gary to know if he was in or out of its line of fire. Every way he moved he felt like shots were zipping inches from his body.
"It's the god damned death blossom!" Gary shouted.
They were almost to the trees when another rocket tore past them and exploded just ahead of where they were. A tree trunk burst into fiery splinters. Daniel had dove to the ground, but Gary was thrown backwards. Bullets were still whizzing by as Gary saw Daniel's face appear above him. As Gary was pulled to his feet he felt a stab in his left shoulder. Before he even knew what it was Daniel pulled the three inch wood spike from the meat of his deltoid and threw it to the ground.
"You'll have time to hurt later. Keep moving. Oh, and maybe keep the corny 80's movie references to yourself. We don't have time for that crap." Daniel ran on into the trees.
Gary frowned, "I loved The Last Starfighter. That movie ruled." He grabbed his shoulder and followed. The deeper they went into the jungle the safer Gary started to feel. He could still hear the bullets striking the tree trunks behind them, but less and less of them were flying past them. Another rocket explosion went off to his left, and he shielded his head from the debris while he kept running.
The barrier of tree trunks grew thicker behind them, and soon there were no more bullets zinging past. Gary's sense of direction was a little scrambled, but he was pretty certain Daniel was leading them to the hanger. He had almost allowed himself to feel a hint of relief in the idea that they had once again escaped death. This was, of course, until he saw Daniel drop to his knees and fold backwards until he was flat on the ground. It happened in an instant, and Gary immediately found out why.
A female velociraptor vaulted over Daniel's flattened body, its claws slicing the air above him. Missing Daniel it pounced the ground just beyond him and without skipping a beat, sprang onto Gary. Gary was tackled to the dirt. The velociraptor snarled in his face, and he expected to feel the killer claws dig into his guts. Instead he heard two gunshots, and the raptor slumped on top of him with a blood gurgling shriek.
From beneath the dead velociraptor Gary saw Daniel on his knees with both revolvers pointed his way. A look crossed his face as though he sensed they were still under attack. Flipping the guns in his palms he wielded them like hammers. Daniel struck to his left. The butt of his revolver was swinging before Gary could see or hear any sign of danger. Nevertheless Daniel's gun made contact with the snout of a male velociraptor as it burst from the foliage. Teeth went flying from its skull, and it hit the side of a tree.
"Look out," Gary shouted as yet another female velociraptor rushed in from Daniel's rear.
Daniel threw a high heel behind him, and the bottom of his boot buried deep in the raptor's wind pipe. As the female raptor stumbled backwards gasping for air Daniel heard the male growling at his back. He turned to a sneering and bloody jaw coming at him. Daniel was ready and he delivered a double hammer strike to the raptor's skull, following through with a roundhouse kick.
The male collapsed, and Daniel turned back to the female who had caught her breath much faster than he had hoped. The raptor was sprinting at him with claws and jaws cocked at the ready. She was in the midst of pouncing on him when Gary lunged from the side and tackled her. Falling on top of the raptor he stabbed her in the belly with a sharp stick he had found. The raptor howled and then double kicked Gary in the gut with her heels.
Gary went flying into the air and slammed against a tree trunk. The raptor was in the midst of rolling back to her feet when Daniel leapt in and kicked her across the face. With the heel of his boot he stomped her skull into the ground.
Daniel went over to Gary and launched him to his feet by the collar. "You have to stop trying. It's painful to watch."
"Screw you," Gary winced in a half doubled over hunch.
"You're hardly my type. Come on. I'm sure that's not the last of them."