Isla Sorna, Visitor's Centre Approach - 8:57 AM
"It's stuck fast!" The escort called back as he rammed his shoulder against the gate for the umpteenth time. The security gates had been designed to keep dinosaurs out, but they'd also been designed for regular maintenance an in the hot, humid tropical conditions on the island it hadn't taken long for the metal to start decaying. "We could blow it open with a grenade, or try hacking it open with a pickaxe or something." The man was shouting, but Betty wasn't paying attention.
Off to one side of the path she could see the bushes rippling as if caught by the wind, but unlike most of the undergrowth these plants seemed to the rippling the wrong way. "Never mind that for now," she called out in a soft, measured tone. "I think we may have some company."
Moving with swift, coordinated precision the escort detail quickly took up covering positions around the Jeep, checking their safeties were off and rounds were chambered as the rippling got closer. Glancing back over her shoulder for a moment Betty was pleased to see two of the armed men were looking at the far side of the road as well, covering the flank just in case they were dealing with pack hunters, like the 'raptors.
As the rippling stoppe Betty found herself holding her breath as she waited for the penny to drop. Whatever it was stalking them was just inside the grass off the road now, almost close enough that a single good jump could've had it on top of the Jeep and right in her face, and as the tense seconds passed Betty found herself waiting for the monster to emerge.
When it finally did she found herself disappointed, the small Compy stepping casually out from the undergrowth as the gunmen trained their weapons on it. Betty thought she even heard one of the guard chuckle to himself as he lifted his rifle up, dismissing the small creature as harmless. A moment later a second Compy leapt from the cover of the grass, quickly followed by a third. Before long a swarm of the small creatures were jumping, stepping and leaping out onto the hard packed road with more following by the second.
Betty could tell the men around her were getting nervous, sweaty hands shifting on their rifle grips as the wave of critters moved slowly closer and when one sprang up onto the back of the Jeep the guard inside panicked, firing off his weapon as he blew the small creature to pieces, spraying blood over Betty as he did.
Outside the swarm stopped dead as they began to give off a low, soft hissing which at first Betty wasn't even sure was really even there as she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed the blood off of her face with disgust. The noise grew louder though, with more voices joining the chorus until the whole pack were chanting together.
Almost as one the pack began to move again, marching closer as the soldiers took careful aim, choosing their targets amidst the throng. "Hold your fire!" One of the men called out, his voice cracking, but it was too late. As the animals leapt forwards the soldiers will finally broke and they opened fire, mowing down the animals as the driver gunned the engine, slamming the Jeep forwards into the gate and smashing through it with their reinforced chassis.
Suddenly Nellie-79 was there with them, her jaws snapping left and right as she fought her way through the wave of scavengers. Betty lost sight of the magnificent animal as the Jeep rounded the corner and passed behind the trees, btu Nellie-79 didn't even notice her Mistress had gone, she was far too busy ripping the smaller creatures apart even as they nipped and snapped at her face.
The fight was soon over but not in the way Nellie-79 expected. A deep, resonant roar sounded from closer than she was comfortable with and the Compys began to scatter, heading off across the road and vanishing into the undergrowth, leaving their dead and dying siblings behind. Reaching down with the jaws Nellie-79 quickly snapped up one of the carcasses, carrying it off in her mouth as she made her way along the road, heading for the Visitor's Centre.
