jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第75部分

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g　be…hind　me　making　a　racket　I　couldn't　believe。　Some　dinosaurs　heard　it　and　came　after　us。　We　took　off　running。　I　was　leading；　but　when　I　looked　back　they　were　running　off　on　their　own　with　the　dinosaurs　right　behind　them。　I　couldn't　do　nothing　so　I　just　kept　running。〃
　〃Oh　no！〃　Ellen　gasped。　Angie　pulled　her　closer。
　〃Those　dinosaurs　didn't　get　them。　I　heard　them　calling　my　name　later。　Walking　through　the　forest　yelling　my　name。　So　stupid。　I　knew　they　would　only　get　me　killed　so　I　just　let　them　keep　looking。　They're　still　looking　as　far　as　I　know。〃
　〃You　should　have　stuck　together。〃
　〃What　for？　They　almost　got　me　killed。　If　I　stuck　with　them　I'd　be　dead　now。　It's　every　man　for　himself　in　here。　They　needed　me。　I　didn't　need　them；　I　can　take　care　of　myself。　I　don't　need　anybody。〃
　Angie；　whose　arm　was　still　around　Ellen's　shoulder；　had　been　listening　to　the　conversation；　watching　Ripman's　eyes。
　〃So　why　did　you　help　us？〃　Angie　asked。
　〃For　the　fun　of　it。　I　didn't　like　what　they　did　to　that　dinosaur。　They　didn't　kill　it　for　food；　they　did　it　for　fun。　I　decided　to　have　the　same　kind　of　fun。〃
　〃You　could've　left　us。〃
　〃I　may　still。〃
　〃And　you　don't　need　anybody？〃
　〃Nobody。〃
　〃Then　why　do　you　keep　looking　at　my　breasts？〃　Angie　challenged　him。
　It　was　too　dark　to　make　out　colors；　but　Ellen　was　sure　Ripman's　face　reddened。　He　turned　away　and　didn't　say　anything。　。　Angie　obviously　knew　what　men　needed…especially　teenage　men。　Suddenly　self…conscious；　Ellen　pulled　her　blouse　together　in　front。　The　absurdity　of　her　sudden　modesty　struck　her：　one　minute　running　through　the　forest　dodging　bullets；　and　the　next　minute　embarrassed　that　a　teenager　was　peeking　at　her　bosom。
　Then　she　realized　Angle　was　naked　from　the　waist　up。
　〃Ripman；　give　Angie　your　coat；'〃　Ellen　told　him　crisply。
　Ripman　turned　back　defiantly。　He　sat　tight…lipped；　making　no　move；　facing　the　same　crisis　he'd　faced　with　John　and　Cubby。　He　didn't　want　anyone　to　bee　dependent　on　him。　Finally　Angie　spoke　up。
　〃If　you're　cold；　go　ahead　and　keep　it；　I'm　fine。〃
　Ripman　snorted　softly　and　mumbled；　〃I　don't　get　cold；〃　then　removed　his　coat　and　tossed　it　to　Angie。
　〃Get　some　sleep；〃　he　ordered。　〃I'll　keep　watch。〃
　When　he　left　he　took　his　backpack　and　canteen　with　him。　Ellen　wasn't　sure　they　would　see　him　again。　Eventually　Angie　slept　fitfully；　but　Ellen　spent　the　night　worrying　about　John　and　damning　her　husband　for　leaving　her。
　
　They　were　drunk；　but　the　party　atmosphere　was　gone；　replaced　by　fear　and　anger。　John　was　glad　that　one　of　the　men　was　dead；　one　of　those　who　attacked　his　mother。　Another　one　was　hurt；　but　not　hurt　bad　enough　to　suit　John。　It　must　have　been　Ripman；　John　thought；　who　put　those　arrows　into　the　men　and　helped　John's　mother　escape。
　Cubby　and　John　had　watched　as　the　men　fired　after　his　mom　and　the　other　woman。　It　was　a　long　time　before　the　bikers　gave　up　searching。
　Then　the　men　built　a　fire　away　from　the　body　of　their　friend　and　passed　bottles　around。　Cubby　and　John　crept　through　the　forest　until　they　could　hear　the　men　talk　of　their　fear　and　plans。　The　injured　man；　Carl；　listened　for　a　while　before　cussing　their　stupidity　and　throwing　the　fiberglass　arrow　from　his　leg　in　their　faces。　After　that　he　led　the　discussion。
　〃We　can't　let　those　women　get　away；〃　he　argued。　〃They　saw　Deputy　Dawg　get　it。〃　No　one　dared　point　out　that　Carl　had　done　the　killing。　〃What　about　what　we　did　to　the　women？　Hey；　Miller；　what's　your　wife's　old　man　gonna　say　about　that？　Think　you'll　still　be　workin'　at　his　mill　after　that？　Butler；　Chief　Peters　hates　your　guts　already。　He's　been　looking　for　some　reason　to　get　your　parole　pulled。　He　finds　out　about　this　and　your　ass　is　back　in　the　can。　He　didn't　like　Deputy　Dawg　better'n　anyone　else；　but　what's　he　s'posed　to　do　when　one　of　his　deputies　gets　killed？　He'll　pin　it　on　all　of　us；　not　just　me。　And　what　about　Bobby？　Kishton；　you　were　a　better　friend　a　his　than　the　rest。　You　gonna　just　let　someone　murder　him　like　that？　Shot　him　in　the　back　。。。　in　the　fuckin'　back！　It　ain't　right。〃
　Carl　wheedled　and　worked　on　all　of　them　till　they　agreed。　They　couldn't　let　the　women　get　away；　and　whoever　killed　Bobby　was　going　to　pay　for　it。
　Cubby　and　John　slipped　away　after　that　for　their　own　discussion。
　〃We　gotta　help　them；　Cubby。　Ripman　helped　my　mom。　You　know　he'd　help　us　if　we　were　in　a　jam。〃
　Cubby　agreed　and　so　they　decided　to　disable　the　motorcycles；　giving　Ripman　and　the　women　a　chance　to　get　away。　It　also　gave　Cubby　and　John　a　better　chance　if　they　came　after　them。　They　then　worked　their　way　through　the　forest　to　a　spot　well　away　from　the　camp。　It　wasn't　close　to　the　bikes；　but　a　shorter　crawl　wasn't　worth　the　risk。
　John　had　listened　to　the　men　long　enough　to　pick　out　their　voices。　There　was　Carl　of　course。　One　of　the　others　was　Miller；　one　Kishton；　and　Butler；　who　seldom　spokethat　worried　John。　As　John　crawled　he　listened；　checking　the　voices　against　his　list。　They　were　around　that　fire…except　Butler；　who　could　be　anywhere。
　John　had　been　inching　through　the　grass　on　his　stomach　for　what　seemed　like　hours　and　was　almost　to　the　motorcycles。　The　last　stretch　would　be　the　most　dangerous；　because　the　grasses　and　the　ferns　were　trampled　down　and　even　on　his　belly　he　would　be　visible。　John　knew　the　roaring　fire　the　men　were　staring　into　would　help。　Their　constricted　pupils　would　find　it　hard　to　pick　out　shapes　in　the　shadows。
　He　heard　Cubby　crawling　through　the　grass　to　his　left。　They'd　started　toward　the　bikes　at　different　spots；　but　were　angling　toward　the　targets。　But　another　noise　came　from　his　right　and　he　froze。　Someone　was　walking　through　the　grass。　He　pulled　his　knife　from　its　sheath　and　slowly　rolled　over。　He　was　angry　about　what　they　had　done　to　his　mother；　but　he　was　also　afraid。
　There　was　a　burst　of　shouts　from　the　fire　and　he　picked　out　Kishton's　voice；　then　Miller's。　This　one　near　him　was　either　Carl；　or　Butler。　He　listened　to　the　approaching　steps。　There　was　no　hint　of　a　limp；　and　Carl　had　been　limping　badly。　It　must　be　Butler。　It　wouldn't　matter；　they　were　all　bigger　than　John；　and　all　with　biceps　twice　the　diameter　of　John's　skinny　ones。
　The　footsteps　were　almost　in　John's　ear　when　they　stopped；　replaced　by　fumbling　and　then　the　sound　of　peeing。　John　could　smell　and　hear　Butler's　loud　whizzing。　Soon；　John's　knee　felt　damp。　John　silently　cursed　him。
　A　loud　splintering　crash　rolled　through　the　meadow　startling　a　gasp　out　of　John；　who　trembled；　afraid　of　being　heard。　Butler　took　two　steps　forward　and　uttered　a　〃What　the　shit？〃　John　could　now　see　him　through　the　grass；　but　Butler's　eyes　were　riveted　on　the　far　side　of　the　meadow。　John　heard　the　sounds　of　running　men。
　Butler　shouted；　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃
　〃You　see　anything？〃　an　approaching　voice　asked。
　〃Damn。　Maybe　Coop　and　the　bitch　was　right。　Sounds　like　there　are　more　of　those　things　around。　Maybe　bigger　ones。〃
　The　sounds　of　splintering　and　thumping　continued　but　gradually　drifted　off。　One　by　one　the　men　judged　the　noise　to　be　far　enough　away　and　then　turned　and　walked　back　to　the　fire。　Butler　was　the　last　to　go。　John　waited　until　Butler　had　enough　time　to　walk　to　camp；　and　then　pulled　his　leg　out　of　the　puddle。
　He　worked　his　anger　back　up　so　he　would　have　the　courage　to　continue　and　then　crawled　forward；　inch　by　inch；　as　silently　as　possible；　trying　not　to　sway　the　grasses　and　ferns。　He　reached　the　trampled…down　portion　and　pushed　his　head　out　far　enough　to　see　down　the　newly　created　path。　The　men　still　circled　the　fire。　When　John　looked　to　the　left　Cubby　poked　out　of　the　grass；　gave　him　a　thumbs…up　sign；　and　crawled　to　the　nearest　bike　as　John　did　the　same。　The　plan　was　to　cut　a　fuel　line　and　the　spark　plug　wires　on　each　one…otherwise　they　could　cannibalize　one　bike　to　fix　another。
　Ripman's　stolen　knife　was　sharp　and　the　fuel　line　cut　easily。　The　spark　plug　wires；　however；　were　deep　in　the　engine　and　John　had　trouble　reaching。　He　switched　from　the　smooth　edge　to　the　serrated　edge　and　sawed　more　than　halfway　through　the　wire；　seeing　no　point　in　cutting　any　further。　On　the　second　one　the　spark　plug　wires　were　easy　to　cut。　He　found　some　tubing…the　fuel　line？…and　cut　through　it。　He　approached　his　last　bike；　the　one　closest　to　the　fire；　slowly　on　his　hands　and　knees。　The　men　were　talking　softly　now；　poking　at　the　fire　with　sticks；　and　passing　around　a　bottle。
　John　sawed　through　one　spark　plug　wire；　and　then　another；　but　he　had　trouble　reaching　the　remaining　wires　from　this　side。　However；　the　cut　fuel　line　immediately　began　dripping　gas。
　He　turned　to　crawl　back　and　realized　Cubby　was　gone；　his　earmarked　destruction　apparently　plete。　John　was　debating　whether　to　follow　Cubby's　path　back；　or　his　own；　when　he　heard　a　〃pssst；〃　and　turned　to　see　Cubby's　face　poking　out　of　the　grass　on　the　other　side　of　the　bikes。　Checking　the　men　again；　John　crept　across　the　makeshift　parking　lot。　Cubby　disappeared　into　the　grass　as　he　approached；　and　John　followed。　A　few　yards　away；　Cubby　waited。　Putting　his　mouth　to　John's　ear　he　whispered；　〃Help　me　find　that　man　they　killed。　He's　around　here　somewhere。　But　be　quiet。〃
　John　was　too　scared　to　risk　asking　why。　They　split　up　but　kept　each　other　in　sight。　After　a　few　minu