TWENTY SEVEN

 

The sun was rising over the distant mountain peaks as they walked in silence along the path that led through the grove of trees toward the dormitory.  In stark contrast to the horrors they had experienced during the night, it had dawned a beautiful morning with shimmering streamers of sunlight penetrating the slight ground mist that had gathered in low areas.  Dew glistened on the grass, and the leaves and fronds dripped with accumulated moisture, and dampened their clothes as they pushed through the densest areas.

 

Alan carried the traumatized child on his right hip, supporting her with his right arm.  Her legs straddled his waist, and her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, clinging desperately to him for comfort and security.  He was very aware of the small head that rested atop his shoulder, and he found it not entirely unpleasant.  Reassuringly, he raised his left hand and patted the child’s back, and felt his heart warm when she responded by patting his back with her small hand, as if to comfort him in return.

 

A sound directly over their heads startled all three of them, and Alan felt the child’s body recoil in alarm, and a quick intake of air filled her lungs.  Lifting her head from his shoulder, she looked up with wide, frightened eyes, searching the treetops for its source.  A parrot, awakening from its slumber, squawked and ruffled its brightly colored feathers as it heralded the dawn, and then it opened its beak wide as if yawning, and stretched one leg out behind it as a human might stretch his body upon waking in the morning.

 

“It’s okay,” Alan said, his voice kind.  “It’s just a bird.”

 

Although she had been afraid to say anything while she had been with the other three men, the child sensed that this man was different, that he would not shout at her in anger whenever she spoke.  “Where are we going?” she asked.

 

“There’s a dormitory just beyond these trees that ---“  He caught a quick glance from Ellie, her expression telling him without words that he was speaking over the girl’s head, so he started over.  “Ellie and I have been living in a building just past these trees.  We’re going there.”

 

“Is it safe?”

 

“Yes, it’s very safe.”

 

When they emerged from the grove of trees, the child looked at it curiously, noticing the bars on the windows and doors.  “It looks like a jail,” the girl said.

 

“Yes, it does look a little like a jail, only it’s meant to keep bad things from getting inside,” Alan told her.  “When I decided I wanted to live here for a while, some very nice men came out and installed these bars to keep me safe.  They’ll keep you safe too.”

 

Satisfied, she laid her head down on his shoulder again, trusting him to protect her.

 

When they reached the barred door, Ellie withdrew the key from her pocket, and inserted it in the lock, then pushed it open for Alan to enter with the girl.  Once inside, she closed it and securely locked it while Alan carried the child into the living room and set her down on the sofa. 

 

At first, she clung to him, reluctant to let go of him, but his gentle coaxing convinced her that it was safe to release her arms from around his neck.  Ellie joined them, and sat down beside the girl, who immediately transferred the need for physical contact to her.  Ellie placed her arm around the child, who leaned against her for comfort as Alan sat down on the coffee table, facing them.

 

“What’s your name, honey?” Ellie asked.

 

“Tory,” she replied, distractedly, looking curiously around at the room and its furnishings.

 

“That’s a nice name.  Is it short for Victoria?”

 

The girl nodded.  “Uh-huh.”

 

“What about your last name?”

 

“Chavez.”

 

“Victoria Chavez,” Alan repeated the name, committing it to memory.  “Where do you live?  Do you live with your mommy and daddy?”

 

“My mommy.  We live in an apartment in L.A.”

 

“That’s a big city.  What part of L.A.?”

 

She lifted her shoulders in a bewildered shrug, indicating that until her kidnapping, her entire universe was the neighborhood in which she lived.  “I dunno.”

 

“How old are you?” Ellie asked.

 

“Six and a half,” she replied, brushing a hand across her dropping eyelids.  She was growing very tired.

 

Ellie smiled, recalling with fondness those days of youth when “a half” was a very important detail when revealing age.  “Six and a half?  Wow, such a big girl.”

 

Alan was less interested in her age, and wanted to cut right to the chase in his typically brusque way.  “Who were those men?  What were they up to?”

 

“I dunno.  I was playing Hide ‘n Seek with my friends, and I was gonna hide in some bushes, but someone grabbed me and carried me to a van.”

 

“You never saw them before?  How did you get here?  Were you on a boat or ---”

 

Ellie placed a gently restraining hand on his arm.  “Easy, Alan.  We don’t want to overwhelm her.”

 

He backed off with a nod, surprised to find that he was leaning forward in anticipation of her answers without realizing that he was intimidating her.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.”

 

Tory fell quiet, staring at a grass stain on the knee of Alan’s jeans for a long moment without really seeing it.  A frown puckered her small brow. It was obvious that she was envisioning something else in her mind, something unpleasant.  Finally, she tilted her head to look into Ellie’s face.  “What were those things?”

 

“What things?” Ellie asked, patiently.

 

“Those animals.”

 

“They’re called velociraptors, but we call them raptors for short,” Ellie replied, her voice gentle.   “They’re a species of dinosaur.  Do you know what a dinosaur is?”

 

“Uh-huh.  Barney’s a dinosaur, a purple one.”

 

Ellie flinched as a stab of intense yearning pierced her heart.  Barney had been Charlie’s favorite show, and the mental image of her precious son dancing on the hardwood floor in his pajamas while the Barney song played on television washed over her in a warm flood.  She turned her face away as a remembrance came to her; she had taken some video of both children.  Where was that tape?  When she got home, she would have to search for that cherished treasure when she sorted through hers and Mark’s personal belongings.

 

Alan saw the pained, distracted expression that flashed across Ellie’s face, and understood its source.  Stepping up to the plate, he said, “That’s right, but you know, Barney isn’t the same kind of dinosaur as the ones we saw last night.”

 

“I know.  He’s just make-believe.  Daddy didn’t like him.  He said he was just a man in a purple suit.”

 

“Where is your daddy?”

 

“I dunno.  He doesn’t live with us any more.  He went away.  Mommy said he went home to where he was living before.”

 

Alan frowned, puzzled.  “What do you mean, where he was living before?”

 

“Mommy said he used to live far, far away, but then he came to live with us for a while.  But they were always mad at each other, so he went back to his home, and he never comes to see me anymore.”

 

“Oh, is he from another country?”

 

“I guess so.”

 

“What country?”

 

“I dunno.  One of those men told me he was taking me to see Daddy, but that Mommy couldn’t go with us.”  Tears began to well in the girl’s eyes.  “I wanna go home.”

 

“What can you tell me about those men?” he asked.  “Do you know anything about them?  Where they came from?  What they were up to?”

 

Tory lifted her shoulders in a shrug, and sighed softly.  Ellie knew she was growing weary of the questions and probably needed to rest for a while.  “I dunno.  They argued a lot.”

 

“What did they argue about?” Alan asked.

 

“I dunno.  Different stuff.” 

 

“Did they tell you what your destination was?  Where you were going?”

 

“No.”

 

“How did you end up on this island?”

 

Scrunching up her face, she yawned with exhaustion and pressed her cheek close against Ellie’s breast, silently wishing this man would quit asking so many questions.  “We were on a plane, but it crashed.”

 

“Where?” Alan asked, instantly intrigued.  “Where did it crash?”

 

“I dunno.”  Her voice was growing weaker.  She pointed through the window.  “Out there, somewhere.  We walked a long way until we got to that other building.”

 

Ellie looked at Alan, who was obviously greatly interested in solving the mystery that had been dropped in their laps, but she knew the girl was exhausted and growing weary of the interrogation.  “I don’t think we should question her any more right now.  She’s been up all night and has endured a terribly frightening ordeal, so I think she needs to rest for a while.”

 

Alan glanced at her, as if startled that she would suggest they abandon their questioning, but then remembered that they were dealing with a very small child.  He nodded.  “All right.”

 

“Tory, would you like to lie down and rest for a while?”

 

Tory nodded, grateful that they weren’t going to ask her any more questions, but her eyes went to the nearest window, through which the sun was shining brightly.  “Those things can’t get in, can they?”

 

Ellie smiled reassuringly and gave her an affectionate squeeze.  “No, I promise they can’t get in.”  She stood up and fluffed the throw pillow on the sofa.  “You just lie down right here and take a nice nap.”

 

“You won’t leave, will you?” she asked as she stretched out on her side.

 

Ellie stroked her cheek, gently.  “No, honey.  We won’t leave you.  When you wake up, I’ll fix a nice breakfast for you.”

 

Alan stood up, and when Ellie glanced at him, he jerked his head toward the foyer, indicating that he wanted to speak privately with her.  She followed him to the foyer, but when she reached him, her eyes were drawn back to the child.

 

Keeping her voice low, she asked, “What do you think?”

 

“It sounds like she may be involved in a custody dispute.  She’s obviously American, so they’ll send her back to the States, but her father must be from a foreign country, probably a Hispanic country from the last name, Chavez.  He probably hired these men to kidnap her and bring her to him.  Something must have gone wrong with their plane, and they crashed on this island.”  He scratched his head, thoughtfully.  “The question is, how did they get to the island without the Costa Rican authorities knowing about it?”

 

“They probably do know about it,” Ellie replied.  “They would have been tracking them on radar, wouldn’t they?”

 

“Yeah, but this island is supposed to be off limits to civilians, and they told me they were cracking down on unauthorized air traffic in this area.  Too many accidents, they said.  We had to get special permission for Miguel to fly in every six weeks, and he’s required to notify them of the day and approximate times that he’ll be in the air.  If they had spotted this plane on radar, they would have sent out a plane to check them out.  The only answer is that they must have been flying under the radar.”

 

Ellie nodded.  “Yeah, you’re probably right.  If they were trying to smuggle her out of L.A. and take her to wherever her father is, then that would make sense that they would avoid being tracked on radar.”  Her attention remained riveted on the small figure lying on the sofa, and Alan saw the familiar expression that always found its way onto her face whenever she was looking at a child.  “Poor little thing.  I don’t think all this has fully impacted her, yet,” she said.

 

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”  He observed the child for several moments.  She appeared to have already drifted off to sleep, a fact which surprised him, considering everything that had happened to her.  “She’s too calm.  She’ll probably have a meltdown when it does hit her.”

 

“We’ll just have to be here when it happens, and comfort her as best we can.”  She turned back to Alan.  “What are we going to do with her?  It’s too dangerous to keep her here any longer than necessary.”

 

“We’re going to have to notify the authorities about her and let them know what’s happened.”

 

“Her mother is probably worried sick about her,” Ellie added.  “I know I would be under the same circumstances.”

 

“Yeah,” Alan agreed.  Lifting his hand, he gently caressed her cheek, drawing her attention away from the child.  “How ‘bout you?  How are you holding up?”

 

“I’m better now.”  She placed her hand on his wrist, and affectionately rubbed it up and down his arm as tears filled her eyes.  Her lip trembled.  “I thought I was going to lose you!”

 

He nodded, solemnly.  “Yeah, I thought so too.  I’ll have to think about that later, and why it let us go; but right now . . .”  He paused briefly, knowing that Ellie would vehemently object to his next statement.  “I’m going to look for that plane.”

 

Her hand tightened possessively on his wrist.  “Alan, no!”

 

“I don’t think she’s going to be able to give us any more information.  I doubt if they made her privy to their intentions, but even if they did, she’s too young to understand it.  I may be able to find some of the answers we need on the plane.”

 

“What about the raptors?  They might still be out there.”

 

“I’ll be all right.  I have the gun,” he reminded her.  His hand went to his pocket to verify that it was still there.  “Besides, animals don’t typically kill for pleasure.  They kill for food, and I don’t think they’re hungry right now.”

 

Ellie grimaced at the thought that the raptors had just fed on three human beings.  “Where will you look?  You don’t even know which direction to go!”

 

“Actually, I have a pretty good idea from the direction the flashlights were coming from last night.  I’ll just back-track their trail and see if I can find it.”

 

She knew that arguing with him was pointless.  Once he made up his mind to do something, there was no stopping him. Her eyes implored him to reconsider, but she made no more protests.  Instead, she said, “Be careful!”

 

“I will.”

 

With a reassuring smile, he went through the bars, and locked them behind him.

 

Ellie followed him to the door and watched through the bars as Alan walked back toward the grove of trees, then, after he had disappeared into the grove, she returned to the living room and sat down in a wing chair to watch the child as she slept.

 

                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~

 

Traveling as quietly as possible, Alan retraced his path through the grove of trees.  When he reached the facility yard, he paused cautiously just inside the tree line, and his eyes briefly swept the area for danger, lingering a moment longer on the damaged vehicles that littered the clearing and which could easily conceal predators the size of raptors.  He did not, however, believe that the raptors had remained in the area, having probably returned to their nesting area.  Still, it paid to be prudent, so without lowering his guard, he left the cover of trees and crossed the yard, then moved up the slope toward the spot where he had seen the flashlights the night before.  

 

As always, his eyes and ears were constantly alert, paying particular attention to the things that were normal as well as listening for the things that signaled danger.  He carried the pistol inside his pants pocket for easy access, but as an added precaution his hand rested lightly on the grip that protruded from the top of his pocket.  The safety was on to prevent an accidental discharge that could cause him injury, but he kept his finger on the mechanism, ready to release it at a moment’s notice.

 

Halfway up the slope, he found a large easy-zipper plastic bag lying on the ground, and inside it were a coloring book and a box of Crayola crayons.  Obviously, Tory had dropped them there during their frantic escape from the raptors.  Knowing that the crayons would melt when the heat of the sun reached the slope, he picked them up and carried them to a shady spot beneath a tree.  He left them there, intending to pick them up on the return trip.

 

At the top of the slope near the edge of the jungle he found a scrap of bloodied cloth, and knelt down to examine it.  It was a piece of a man’s shirttail, evidenced by the rounded seam and the buttons that clung to the side of it.  The grass was dappled with splattered blood.  A shiver crawled up his spine.  This was the spot where the first man had been taken, when the flashlight had abruptly gone out.  Dropping the cloth onto the ground again, he followed the trail of bent and broken blood-splattered grass into the tree line where the man had been dragged.

 

About twenty feet inside the trees, he found the flashlight and stooped to pick it up.  Apparently, the victim had attempted to beat off his attackers with it, for the casing was bent and the lens was shattered.  Automatically, he flipped the lever to the “on” position with his thumb, and was not surprised to find that it no longer worked.  He tossed the useless object aside, and his eyes came to rest on the large dark stain in the grass about ten feet away from where he stood.

 

His pulse increased as he made his way toward it, a feeling of nausea creeping into the pit of his stomach with the realization that this was where the raptors had devoured their unfortunate victim.  Bloodied, shredded bits of clothing littered the circle of bloodstained grass, along with small chunks of sinew and parts of the skeleton with shredded flesh still clinging to them.   A few feet away was a single boot.  He did not have to look to realize that the foot was still inside it. 

 

He turned away, unable to gaze upon the grisly scene for very long, and at that moment he heard a low chirping sound from the nearby shrubs, and he knew that a pack of compies had gotten the scent of blood, and were making their arrival. 

 

Something brushed past his ankle, and his body jerked on reflex.  He looked down, even though he already knew what it would be.  A compy tilted its head to gaze up at him through its glittering eye, then it trotted to the remains and looked them over.  With his scientist’s fascination overcoming his revulsion, Alan watched with interest as it pulled a bit of flesh from the bones and swallowed it.  A second compy scurried onto the scene, ignoring Alan completely as it joined its packmate.  A few seconds later, the remains were covered by the diminutive dinosaurs, and fights broke out among them as they vied for the best position.  Within minutes, the small scavengers would effectively strip the bones clean.  There was nothing Alan could do for the man except collect what was left once the animals had finished with them, so he backed away from the ghastly sight.

 

Leaving the scene of the first attack behind him, Alan proceeded through the jungle’s undergrowth, following the occasional broken branch or torn frond that indicated he was traveling in the right direction.  The trail was relatively easy to follow, for the men had traveled carelessly, trampling on young saplings and ferns, and tearing at the delicate foliage as they pushed their way through it.  They had been ignorant of the fact that their carelessness would attract predators unlike any other on earth.

 

As he pressed deeper into the jungle, the ground became softer, and he found the footprints of the people who had taken that path.  Once, he found the small imprint in the soft mulch where Tory had stepped, and nearby was the tread of a man’s shoes.  And most disturbing were the three-toed tracks that had stepped over the human footprints, suggesting that they had been stalked for some time before they were attacked.

 

On impulse, Alan glanced over his shoulder to verify that he himself was not being stalked at that very moment, even though logic and the normal sounds of nature told him that, for the moment at least, he was relatively safe.  As expected, there was nothing behind him except the gently swaying fronds. 

 

Nervous sweat trickled down his back, tickling his skin and causing his shirt to stick in an irritating fashion.  Mopping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, he resumed his walk through the jungle, following the signs left behind by the strangers.  He began to notice irregularities in the footprints of one of the men, once observing the hand and knee prints which seemed to indicate that he had fallen several times.  Possibly, the man had been injured in the crash, and was having trouble keeping up with the others. 

 

At last, more than an hour later, he saw the glint of the sun on metal flashing through the trees, and knew that he had reached the long, narrow clearing where the smugglers had attempted to set down the plane.

 

Stepping from the protection of the trees, he observed the crash site with interest.  Great chunks of sod had been torn up by the plane’s landing gear, leaving deep ruts to mark their path.  At the far end of the clearing was the wrecked airplane.

 

Following the trail of torn sod, Alan walked across the clearing and approached the small aircraft.  The doors were open wide, and he leaned inside for a look around.  A doll lay forlornly on the floorboard, and he reached out and picked it up.  The doll’s eyelids opened, and it stared at him with a blank expression.  Having never paid much attention to dolls, he tipped it onto its back and watched as the lids closed again, as if the doll was sleeping.  He found it interesting how much detail went into the doll’s appearance.  Its skin was soft and flesh colored, its hair was light brown, and it even had eyelashes reminiscent of a real baby.  Completing the illusion, it was dressed in a pink baby dress, knitted booties, and a white diaper, as if it was a real baby.  He stood it upright to see the eyes open again.

 

Then, feeling somewhat foolish, he looked around quickly, as if to make certain that no one was watching him play with the doll, then tucked it under his arm, deciding that the child would probably want her toy back.  Reaching under the seat, he felt around for any notebooks, documents, or other items of interest that might have slid under it during the crash.  Finding nothing, he climbed into the pilot’s seat.  Laying the doll down on the co-pilot’s seat, he opened the storage compartments and withdrew a small stack of documents.

 

A pilot’s license and ownership papers indicated that the plane was owned and piloted by Gerard Tate, out of Los Angeles, California.  An address, social security number, and other significant information were included on the documents, so he placed these items beside the doll, intending to take them back as well.  They would be turned over to the authorities investigating the incident.  Leaning over, he thrust his hand under the pilot’s and co-pilot’s seats, but his search turned up nothing else of interest. 

 

Leaning back in the seat, he gazed at the jagged cracks in the windshield, and wondered which one of the three men had soared into the Plexiglas.  Probably Caskey, he decided, recalling the bloody gash he had seen on his forehead.  The nose of the plane was resting against a large tree, causing the metal to crumple from the impact.  The propeller had sliced off low branches and bark, and was now pinned between the plane and the tree trunk.  All in all, it was lucky that none of them had been killed in the crash.

 

Gathering up the documents and the doll, he slid out of the seat and stood back to look at it once more.  The three men must have brought some gear along with them, since this was obviously not just a day trip.  Finally, his eyes settled on the storage compartment beneath the plane.  It was ajar, either knocked open in the crash or else it had been opened after the crash and not fully closed.

 

Stepping forward again, he opened it and looked into the compartment, his eyes immediately falling upon the duffel bags that were lined up inside it.  Without hesitation, he withdrew them, one at a time, and placed them on the ground beside the plane.  Here he hesitated as his good upbringing took command of his actions.  Opening the bags seemed like a personal violation of the privacy of the men who had owned them.  On the other hand, all three of the men were dead, and had no further use for their possessions.  Identifying them was crucial, so he finally squatted down beside them and grasped the zipper-pull on the nearest bag and pulled it open.

 

A folded shirt lay on top, and he pushed it aside, reaching deeper into the bag.  He found the typical items belonging to most men: several changes of shirts, pants, underwear, shaving cream, a can of deodorant spray, and a razor.  Finally, concealed near the bottom, his fingers closed around a flat leather object that he instantly recognized as a wallet.  He pulled it from the bag, and opened it up.  A driver’s license had been inserted in the front slot, and he looked at it carefully.  Raymond Caskey.  The face that scowled back at him was the one who had carried the rifle.  He opened the bill pocket and counted two hundred and sixty four dollars tucked inside, but did not remove them.

 

In a side compartment on the duffel bag, he found a photograph of Tory and a physical description of her and her mother, along with her home address and the neighborhood school she attended.  An envelope contained correspondence with someone named Salvatore Chavez, who was likely the little girl’s father.  He sat down in the grass to read it, and discovered that Chavez had promised to pay Caskey a huge sum of money in exchange for bringing his only child to him in Ecuador, confirming Alan’s suspicion that this was a custody dispute.

 

Placing the wallet and the envelope with the pilot’s documents and the doll, he grasped the bag by the handles and tossed it back inside the storage compartment.  Then he knelt down beside the next one and unzipped it as well.  There was no wallet in this one, suggesting that the man had carried it in his pocket, but he did find an identification tag attached to the handles of the bag; Dennis Reese.  He unfastened the tag and placed it with the other items he had sequestered, and that duffel bag joined the first one inside the compartment. 

 

The third one contained no identification, but he knew it must surely have belonged to the pilot, so he stood up and returned it to the storage compartment, and closed the door.  Standing up again, he looked around the clearing for any other objects of interest.  A crumpled brown paper bag lay near the trees, so he went curiously toward it.  Beside it, were several empty plastic water bottles and several sandwich bags containing crumbs of bread, indicating that they had paused to eat before making the trek toward the compound.  Feeling somewhat irritated that they had merely dropped their litter on the ground without regard to nature, he gathered them up and placed them inside the storage compartment, then securely closed the compartment door.  The biggest piece of litter of all, the plane itself, he could do nothing about.

 

Then, with all three of the smugglers identified, he reasoned that there was no need to remain.  Gathering up the doll and the documents, he began the long hike back to the dormitory.

 

                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Ellie stood silently at the front door, her arms draped through the bars and hanging limply over the crossbar as she gazed worriedly toward the grove of trees where she had last seen Alan more than three hours earlier.  There was no sign of him or any other living being; only the foliage stirring gently in the mild breeze. 

 

Apprehension, as intense as it had been before her arrival on the island, consumed her and etched her face with worry lines.  It had been her fear for his life that had brought her to the island, but now, locked inside the dormitory, she felt powerless to do anything to help him.  Were it not for the little girl who slumbered on the sofa, she would have immediately left in search of him, to offer what assistance she could.  More than once, she considered walking over to the research facility to see if there was any sign of him, but in the end, she knew that her responsibilities now lay with protecting the child.

 

Restlessly, she paced from the foyer to the common room to check on Tory Chavez, as she had done repeatedly.  The exhausted child had not stirred at all since lying down, and Ellie returned to the door again and inserted her arms through the bars again.  She had gone upstairs only briefly to change out of her oversized sleeper tee-shirt and into a sleeveless blouse, before returning to her near-constant vigil at the door, staring across the empty yard toward the trees, waiting and worrying as she forced aside the terrifying images that kept creeping into her mind, images she did not want to think about.

 

Turning over her wrist, she glanced at her watch, watching as the second hand continued to tick slowly around the dial, but still Alan did not return.  Pressing her forehead against the bars, Ellie closed her eyes and sighed, heavily, “Alan, where are you?  Dear God, please watch over him and bring him safely back to me.”

 

A shrill scream behind her caused her to jump, and she whirled around and rushed to the living room door.  Tory was sitting up on the sofa, screaming in terror.

 

Ellie rushed to her side and sat down on the sofa beside her.  Placing her arms around her, she attempted to draw her close against her in an effort to calm her, but the frightened girl, still only half awake, flailed with her fists to ward off what she presumed to be danger and continued to scream.  Ellie attempted to grab her by the wrists, but Tory was stronger than she looked, and her fist connected with Ellie’s jaw.  Trying to ignore the pain that shot through her jaw, she managed to finally grasp each of her thrashing hands and pinned her arms to her sides, all the while speaking firmly to her, and shaking her gently.  “Tory, it’s all right.  Tory, stop it!  You’re safe, now!” 

 

Finally, the child stopped struggling, and stared at her through large, frightened eyes.  Ellie could see the coherence coming to her eyes as she came fully awake.  Then, the she collapsed against her, sobbing mournfully.  Her small body was trembling uncontrollably.  “That thing came out of the woods and grabbed him, and he was screaming!  I was so scared!” 

 

Ellie knew that she was reliving the horrors of seeing the first man attacked and dragged into the jungle by the raptors.  “You’re safe now, Tory.  Alan and I won’t let it hurt you.”

 

“I wanna go home!  I want my mommy!”

 

Ellie held her tightly and rocked her soothingly, as she had done with her own children.  “I know you do, honey.  Alan and I are going to make sure you get home to your mommy, I promise, but I’m afraid it might take a few days.”

 

Tory wailed louder in despair, but it was muffled against Ellie’s blouse.

 

“I know it’s frustrating, sweetheart, but we’re on an island in the ocean,” Ellie explained, gently, attempting to divert her attention away from her longing for her mother.  “Do you know what an island is?”

 

The head moved up and down against her shoulder.  Ellie waited patiently as the sobs were gradually reduced to hiccups and sniffles, then she pulled a couple of tissues from the box on the lamp table and offered them to her.  Tory wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

 

When she was calm again, Ellie drew her into her arms again and continued, “They’re going to have to send out a plane or a helicopter from the mainland to pick you up, and that might take a little bit of time.”

 

“How long?”

 

“I don’t know.  Hopefully, not too long.  Alan went to the place where your plane crashed to see if he could find out who those men were, and when he gets back, he’s going to call for help.”

 

Tory was silent for a long time, reluctant to leave the security of the woman’s consoling arms, and thinking about the man who had rescued her from her kidnappers.  Finally, she asked, “He’s a nice man, isn’t he?”

 

Ellie smiled, her cheek pressed against the top of the girl’s head.  “Yes, he’s a very nice man.”

 

“Those other men weren’t nice at all.  They yelled at me, and they were mean to me.”

 

“I know.  We saw the way they were treating you.  That’s why we decided we needed to get you away from them.”

 

They heard the click of a key turning in a lock, and they both looked toward the foyer, listening to the sound of the door opening and then closing again.  Immense relief spread through Ellie’s entire body, and she closed her eyes with a silent prayer of thanks, but she felt the child tense with apprehension.

 

“It’s okay, sweetheart.  It’s just Alan coming back.”

 

He stopped briefly in the foyer, and then a moment later, he stepped into the room.  He was smiling.  “I found a friend of yours on the plane,” he announced, holding the doll toward Tory.

 

A smile brightened the child’s face, and she reached eagerly for it.  “My dolly!”

 

“That’s not all.  I found your coloring book, too.”  He gave the doll to her and placed the plastic bag on the coffee table in front of her.

 

Ellie smiled her appreciation of Alan’s thoughtful gesture, and watched as the girl hugged her doll against herself, as if embracing a dear friend.  “You did good, Doctor Grant,” she said, approvingly.  Noticing the papers and the wallet in his hand, she asked, “Did you find anything interesting at the plane?”

 

“Yeah.  I didn’t find much, but I did find their identification and a little bit of information about this situation.”

 

She nodded, understanding that he did not want to talk about it in front of the girl.  Her eyes dropped to his empty pocket, where he had been carrying the pistol.  “What did you do with the gun?”

 

He seemed puzzled by her inquiry.  “I put it back in the box in the foyer, where I always keep it.”

 

“We’re going to have to put it in a safe place for a while, someplace with a lock on it.”  With significance, her eyes darted quickly to the child and back.

 

Comprehension dawned.  “Yeah, you’re right.  I didn’t think about that.  I’ll lock it in the desk drawer.”

 

Still clutching her doll in one arm, Tory tugged at Ellie’s blouse with the other hand, and when she had the woman’s attention, she gestured her to come closer.  Ellie leaned down, and the girl whispered in her ear.  Alan watched, puzzled, wondering what the secret was.

 

“Oh,” Ellie said to the girl.  “It’s upstairs.  I’ll take you.”  She took her by the hand.  To Alan, she said, “We’re going upstairs for a few minutes.”

 

“Okay.  I’ll lock up the gun box and call the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica to get the ball rolling about getting her back home to her mom.”

 

“See?” Ellie said to Tory.  “We’re going to get you home with your mommy real soon.”

 

Placated, the child reached for Ellie’s hand and hopped off the sofa.  Together, they went into the foyer and up the stairs while Alan picked up the pistol box and proceeded down the corridor to the office, where the box would be safely locked away for the duration of the child’s stay with them.  He then looked up the telephone number for the U.S. Embassy, and placed the phone call.

 

Reaching the upstairs landing, Ellie walked with Tory down the corridor to the lavatory, and pushed open the door.  Tory gave the doll to Ellie for safekeeping while she went into one of the stalls and closed the door.  Ellie waited near the wash basins, using the time to admire the life-like features on the doll. A few moments later, she heard the toilet flush, and when Tory opened the stall door, she passed the doll back to.  Lifting the pan from its peg, she filled it up with water and carried it into the stall, and filled the tank again.

 

“It isn’t hooked up to the water supply anymore, so we have no running water,” Ellie explained.  “Every time we flush, we have to fill it up by hand.  It’s kind of primitive, but we’ve gotten used to it.”  She carried another pan of water to one of the wash basins, and poured it into it.  “You’ll have to wash your hands in cold water,” she said, handing her a bar of soap.  “The only way of heating water is downstairs on the stove.”

 

She stood and watched while the girl dipped her hands in the water and lathered them up, then rinsed.  Ellie handed her a towel to dry on, and then Tory held her hands out for the woman to inspect them.

 

“Good job!” Ellie told her.  “Now, let’s get those smudges off your face, shall we?” she added.  Dipping a washcloth in the water, she wiped away the dirt and grime she had acquired during her trek through the jungle.  Standing back to admire the girl’s olive complexion, she said, “There you are, pretty as a picture.”

 

Tory had not received many kind words in the last few days, and she beamed happily in response to Ellie’s praise.

 

Ellie opened the door for her and they went back into the hall, but as she led the way toward the stairs, Tory paused at the door of the room where Alan and Ellie slept to look inside.

 

“What is this place?” she asked, curiously.

 

“Well, a long time ago, before you were even born, some people lived here.  They worked in that big building you were in before.  They were making dinosaurs, so that people could come and see them.  It was going to be sort of like a zoo, only with dinosaurs instead of regular animals.  Have you ever been to the zoo?”

 

“Uh-huh.  Mommy took me and some of my friends to the zoo on my birthday.”

 

“Well, the people who were making the dinosaurs lived in this building.  It wasn’t big enough to make regular bedrooms for everyone, so they made one big room with all these little rooms inside it.”  She pointed to the nearest one on the right.  “See that little room there with the curtain across the door?  That’s where I sleep.  Alan sleeps in the one next to it.  Want to see my room?”

 

Tory nodded, so Ellie led her inside and pushed back the curtain.  Tory entered it slowly with great curiosity.  “It sure is little.”

 

“I know, but we don’t stay in here very often.”

 

The child walked slowly around the cubical, looking at Ellie’s possessions, particularly interested in the personal items she had placed on her dresser.  Her eyes finally stopped on the toy Apatosaurus that stood on one corner, but she did not reach for it.  “That’s a dinosaur.”

 

“Yes, it is.  It’s an Apatosaurus.  It used to belong to my little boy.”

 

Tory looked up at her, curiously.  “What’s your little boy’s name?”

 

“Charlie.”

 

“How old is he?”

 

Ellie’s smile faltered only slightly.  “Almost four, but . . . well, he went to live in Heaven with his daddy and his little sister.”

 

“I bet you miss him.”

 

“I miss him a lot.”  Ellie hesitated, experiencing a mother’s possessiveness of her child’s toy, but she forced those feelings back down.  The child needed toys to play with while she was their guest, and there were few things on the island that would serve that purpose.  “Would you like to play with the Apatosaurus while you’re here?”

 

Tory nodded.  Ellie removed the toy from the corner of the dresser, and after a barely noticeable hesitation, she handed it to her.  Tory took the dinosaur carefully into her hands, and turned it around to admire its realistic appearance.  “I bet this was one of his favorite toys,” she said.

 

“Yes, it was.” 

 

As if sensing the woman’s concern over the toy’s condition, the little girl said, “I’ll be really, really careful with it.  I promise.”

 

Ellie smiled.  “I know you will.”  Satisfied that the girl would take proper care of Charlie’s dinosaur, she asked, “When was the last time you had anything to eat?”

 

“Last night.  Mr. Caskey brought some sandwiches, but they weren’t very good.  The bread was dry.”

 

“Do you like omelets?”

 

The girl’s eyes lit up enthusiastically, and she nodded her head, vigorously.  “Mommy makes them sometimes.”

 

They went down the stairs, and Ellie led her into the kitchen.  Tory stopped at the entrance to look around, apparently surprised by the size of the huge room.  Her large eyes traveled over the room, looking curiously at the refrigerator, full sized freezer, the two ovens, and the large preparation tables.

 

“They had to prepare food for a lot of people,” Ellie explained.  “That’s why it’s so big.”

 

Tory stepped into the room, still looking around.  She stopped to peer into the recently stocked pantry, then went to the four-wheeler.  “What’s this?”

 

“That is what we use to bring our supplies in from the landing strip.  Alan hired a man to bring us food, but he has to land the airplane a long ways off, so that makes it easier for us.  Let’s find you something to stand on, shall we?”

 

She went into the library room with Tory only a step behind her, like a fawn remaining close to its mother’s flank.  There were several ottomans in the room, some big and bulky, others simply a small footstool.  She picked up one of the smaller ones, and returned to the kitchen and placed it against the preparation table.  Tory stepped up on it, bringing her up to a height more suitable for helping.

 

“There, that’s better, isn’t it?” Ellie said.  “We just got some fresh eggs yesterday ---“

 

“They aren’t dinosaur eggs, are they?” Tory asked, her nose wrinkling.

 

Ellie laughed as she opened the refrigerator door and removed a carton of eggs.  “No, they’re regular store-bought eggs.”  She carried the carton back to the preparation table and broke enough of them in a bowl to make three omelets. 

 

“Can you beat the eggs for me while I fix the cheese?” Ellie asked, offering her the rotary eggbeater.

 

Tory nodded.  She set her doll on the edge of the counter and the Apatosaurus next to it while Ellie placed the beater in the bowl of eggs.  Tory grasped the top of the beater and began to slowly and awkwardly turn the rotary handle.

 

“You’re doing great,” Ellie praised.  She knew she would have to finish the job, but it was important to keep the child busy.  Returning to the refrigerator, she located a package of sliced deli-style ham among the lunch meats and a block of Colby cheese, then opened the vegetable drawer.  “I’m going to put some onions and peppers on mine and Alan’s.  Do you want some too?”

 

Tory shook her head.  “No, thanks.  Just the ham and cheese, please.”

 

“You got it.”  While the girl continued to work the eggbeater with rather clumsy, unskilled hands, Ellie began to grate the cheese, keeping a watchful eye on her young helper, and smiling to herself as the eggbeater slipped from side to side in the bowl while the girl struggled to hold it steady.

 

Footsteps coming down the hallway alerted them to Alan’s presence, and they both turned toward the doorway.  Ellie noticed that Tory flinched slightly at the sound, and understood that she would probably be a nervous child for quite some time. 

 

A moment later, Alan entered the kitchen, and smiled, “Ah, making breakfast, I see.  What are we having?”

 

“Omelets,” Ellie replied.  “You were on the phone a long time.  How did it go?”

 

“The authorities are none to happy about having to deal with yet another accident here, I’ll tell you that,” he replied.  “They’re going to call her mom and let her know that she’s okay, but I’m afraid she’s going to have to stay here with us for a couple of days.  Some hikers managed to get themselves lost on a mountain in Costa Rica, and all the search planes and helicopters have been dispatched to help find them.  When they get done there, they’re going to send out a helicopter to take her back to the mainland.  From there they’ll put her on a plane back to Los Angeles.”

 

“They’re not planning to let her fly all that way by herself, are they?” Ellie objected.  “She’s only six!”

 

“Someone from the Embassy will accompany her.”

 

Tory did not catch everything that Alan had said, but she understood that it would be several days before she saw her mother again.  Tears welled in her eyes, and the eggbeater became quiet as she laid it against the sides of the bowl, no longer interested in helping.  “I miss my mommy,” she said, sadly.

 

“I know you do,” Alan said, growing uncomfortable with the tears he saw in the child’s eyes.  He glanced helplessly at Ellie.

 

Ellie recognized the pleading expression on Alan’s face, and came to his rescue.  Placing her hand on Tory’s shoulder, she said, “I have an idea.  Would it make you feel better to talk to your mommy on the telephone?”

 

Hope sprang to the girl’s face.  “Could I?”

 

“Sure you could,” Alan agreed.

 

Cheered considerably that she would get to talk to her mother, Tory nodded.  “Okay.”

 

Ellie finished grating the cheese and began chopping onions and peppers.  Noticing that Alan was standing idle, she said, “Alan, would you finish beating the eggs?”

 

Alan picked up the eggbeater, and completed the job that the girl had started, then he stood and watched while Ellie prepared the omelets.  When they were done, Ellie handed Alan his plate, and she carried hers and Tory’s into the dining room and placed them on one of the tables.

 

Then, after the meal was eaten, Alan led them to the desk in the office, where the phone was recharging.  Leaving it hooked up the charger to assure there was enough power to complete what might be a lengthy call, Alan phoned the American Embassy at Costa Rica, and identified himself to the person who answered. 

 

While Ellie and Tory stood near his chair, he listened for a long time to the person on the other end of the line.  Ellie knew from the pensive expression on his face that the person was relaying some new information to him about the situation.  After a few moments, he said, “Yeah, I can gather the remains.  What’s left, anyway, and take my word for it, there isn’t much, just parts of the skeletons.  I’ll have to put them in plastic garbage bags, but I’m afraid I can only identify one of them, the pilot, Tate.  He was killed before the other two, and is in a different location.  Caskey and Reese are few yards apart, but like I said, there isn’t much left.  It’ll take DNA and dental records to determine which is which.”

 

Ellie grimaced, realizing that Alan was talking about the remains of the three men, and knew that he must have found them.

 

After another pause, Alan said, “Physically, she’s just fine, but she’s really missing her mother.  Ellie suggested letting her talk to her over the phone.  Do you have the number?”  He paused while the other person answered.  “Could you?  That would be great.”  Placing his hand over the mouthpiece, he said, “They’re going to connect us.”

 

Tory moved closer to the chair, stopping at his elbow, her eager face shining with the anticipation of speaking with her mother.

 

After a few moments, Alan spoke again.  “Mrs. Chavez?  Yes, this is Alan Grant.  I have your daughter here, and  . . . .   Yes, ma’am, she’s just fine.  She’s right here with me, and she’d like to talk to you.”  He paused again, listening.  “You’re very welcome.  Hold on.”  He helped the child into the chair and handed the phone to her, but pointed to a button on the keypad.  “Don’t touch this, or it will disconnect the call.”

 

Carefully avoiding the forbidden button, she quickly brought the phone to her ear.  “Mommy?” she said into the mouthpiece.  The child began to cry again, but this time they were tears of joy.  “I love you too, Mommy.”

 

Ellie was standing quietly, her eyes filling with joyful tears that the mother would soon be reunited with her lost child, and understanding that the mother was probably weeping tears of joy that her child had been found safe.  After a moment, she felt Alan touch her elbow to attract her attention.  When she looked at him, he nodded toward the door.  They backed into the hallway so that they could talk freely.

 

“It is a custody dispute,” Alan told her, quietly.   “I found some correspondence on the plane between one of those men and the girl’s father.  He hired them to kidnap her and fly her to Ecuador.  Apparently, she was kidnapped in broad daylight from a neighborhood park across the street from their apartment.  There were witnesses to the kidnapping, but they were unable to get to her in time to help.  She’s been missing for two days, but they thought it was a local predator.  They never suspected the father, because he hasn’t made any attempts to remain in contact with her since he split with his wife last year.”  He glanced through the door at the child, who was telling her mother about her adventure and her two new friends.  “There is no way to know how long it will take them to find those hikers.  Could be a few hours, or could be days.  Do we have enough things here to keep her occupied for that long?”

 

Ellie was smiling.  “I think I can keep her busy in the kitchen.  We can bake some cookies, and she has her coloring book and her doll.  She won’t be any trouble.”

 

He nodded, quite willing to let her assume total responsibility for the child for the duration of her stay.  Spying the bruise that was beginning to show on her jaw, he pointed to it with his forefinger.  “What happened there?”

 

Ellie placed her fingertips against the sore spot.  “Oh, that.  Tory woke up while you were gone and had a panic attack.  I tried to calm her down, but she smacked me pretty good before I could stop her.  I think she’s going to need some psychological help to deal with all of this.”

 

He nodded in agreement.  “Yeah, I’m sure she will.  Something like this is traumatic enough for an adult, but for a child . . . ”

 

She placed her hand on his upper arm, rubbing affectionately.  “How are you dealing with all this?”

 

“I’m hanging in there.  You?”

 

“Better, now that you’re back.  I was getting worried.  I heard what you said about the remains.  I take it you found them?”

 

He nodded, slowly.  “Yeah, I found one of them just inside the tree line on the ridge as I was following their trail back to the plane.  I found the other two on the way back.  They’re in the open on the other side of the research center.  There wasn’t much left on the skeletons when I found them, and the compies were starting to work on cleaning them up.”  He sighed, heavily as he folded his arms and leaned back against the wall.  “If they had just surrendered to me, they would still be alive right now.  Fools.”

 

Her hand tightened on his upper arm.  “It wasn’t your fault, Alan,” she said, firmly.  “You tried your best.”

 

“I know.  It’s just such a waste.  A few years in prison, and they would have been out to resume their lives.  It didn’t have to end like this.”

 

“They didn’t realize what they were up against.  There is nothing you could have done to convince them.”  She hesitated, not really wanting to ask, but feeling like she should offer anyway.  “Do you want me to help you . . . pick up the remains?”

 

“I appreciate the offer, but no, I wouldn’t put you through that.  I’ll wait until tomorrow, then go over and gather them up.  It should be safe by then.”

 

“I – I can handle it,” she said, trying to sound more convincing than she actually felt.  “I think.”

 

He smiled.  “I know you can, but there’s no need to put yourself through that if it isn’t necessary.  Besides, you need to stay here with her.”

 

She glanced at the child, remembering that she could not be left alone while they were out of the building.  “Okay.  What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements tonight?”

 

His expression indicated that he had not given that any thought at all.  “Oh.  Well, I guess she can sleep in my bed and I can bunk down here on the sofa.”

 

“Okay.  I’ll need to find something for her to sleep in, too.  Even one of my smaller tee-shirts will swallow her, but I guess it doesn’t matter.  Is there some kind of large wash tub in the building or out in the storage shed?”

 

“Yeah, I think I saw one of those round metal ones in the shed.  Why?”

 

“She’ll need a bath before I put her to bed tonight, and I don’t want to put her through a cold water shower.  I want to heat it for her down here in the kitchen, and let her bathe properly.”

 

“Okay, I’ll go out and get it.”  He paused, briefly, then said, “I’ll be honest with you, a real bath in a tub of hot water sounds pretty tempting.”

 

“It does, doesn’t it?” Ellie agreed.

 

“I’m not sure if I can fit in that tub or not, but I’m going to try my damndest.”

 

                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Tory was a bit depressed after speaking with her mother on the telephone, but soon cheered up when Ellie offered to play with her for a while.  While they did that, Alan went out to the shed to fetch the round lightweight metal tub and carried it back to the concrete stoop, where he set it down and scrubbed it until it looked brand new.  He then carried it inside, and placed it near the door, where it would be easier to empty.

 

As dusk settled over the island, Ellie heated water on the stove and poured it into the tub for the child’s bath.  Tory was a bit apprehensive about bathing so near the open door, but Ellie reassured her that there was no one on the island who could see her, so while the child took her bath, Ellie washed and dried her clothes for her, and provided her with a tee shirt to sleep in.  Then, each in turn, Alan and Ellie bathed in the circular tub, luxuriating in the hot water that they had denied themselves for so long.

Then freshly bathed, they all retired to the common room.  Alan had turned the light on, so that Tory could spread all her crayons out on the floor while she colored in her coloring book.

In the soft glow of the lamp, Alan lay contentedly on the sofa against the backrest, grateful to have survived yet another terrifying encounter with the creatures he had been studying.  He could only wonder what significance that occurrence represented, but he was not yet ready to think about it.  For now, he was satisfied merely to be alive and in the company of the love of his life.  As he had been given another chance at life, he had likewise been given another chance to find joy in his personal life, and he was determined he would not jeopardize that again.

Ellie lay beside him on the sofa, her head resting on his left shoulder, her long blonde hair fanned out across his arm and cascaded over the edge of the sofa.  His right arm was draped across her slender abdomen, his hand protectively at her waist, securing her to prevent her from rolling off the sofa.

Below them, on the braided rug that covered the tile floor, Tory had fallen asleep on her coloring book, her crayons scattered around her in a colorful array of paper-wrapped wax sticks.  Safe in her slumber, she was temporarily oblivious to the events that had stranded her on the island with two perfect strangers who had rescued her.

Intensely aware of the man who lay behind her, Ellie sighed with pleasure and contentment as she watched the sleeping child, thinking that they were like a family, enjoying a quiet evening together in the living room of any home in America.  For the first time in months, she felt complete, inspired by the revelation that Alan had finally confessed his love for her.  Yet, behind her jubilation was the distressing question she was unable to put out of her mind:  Had he spoken the words because he thought he was going to die and he knew how desperately she had wanted to hear it?  Or had he at last declared the true depths of his feelings for her, feelings he had kept hidden?  She had never known him to lie, nor had she known him to speak words of love.

His breath was warm on her neck.  "What are you thinking?" he asked, softly, as if able to sense the confusion within her.

She hesitated, reluctant to bring up the subject of her doubt for fear of offending him, or worse, risk hearing him take back those long desired words.

"You can talk to me about anything," he prompted.

"I need to know something," she said, finally, but with reluctance.

He nuzzled her hair with his cheek, inhaling the scent of the fruity shampoo she had used.  "You’re wondering if I meant what I said at the research center," he guessed.

Surprised, she shifted position, turning her head on his shoulder so that she could look into his face.  "How did you know?"  Then, before he could respond, she quickly added, "I didn’t want you to think I doubted you, or anything, but ---"

He pressed his lips to her temple in a warm, tender kiss.  "I can understand how you might have doubts.  I had never told you I loved you, even when we were together before your marriage."

"I always hoped you did, but you never said."

"Ellie, I don’t know why it was so hard for me to confess my true feelings, but it has never been easy for me to speak words of love.  I know now that everyone, including me, needs to hear it from time to time.  The joy I felt when you told me you loved me too was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.  The only thing in recent memory that even comes close to it was when I first saw you after got off the plane, and I realized you had come because you cared for me."

Again, she was surprised.  "You acted so angry.  I didn’t think you wanted me here."

"I didn’t want you here!  I was scared -- terrified, actually, that you would be hurt or worse.  I guess I had forgotten that you’re pretty good at taking care of yourself.”  It seemed to be the perfect time for confessions, so he pressed onward, offering the explanation he should have given years earlier.  “Ellie, I never meant to neglect you.  I was so obsessed with trying to complete my research before word of these islands leaked out that I guess I let it consume all of my time.  After you left, I threw myself into my work even more.  I had little interest in anything except my work.  And I knew that even that was fading rapidly into history."

"I should have been more understanding.”

 

“No, I bear the responsibility for our problems.  You had every right to seek out the kind of life you wanted.  When I received your wedding invitation, I knew you had found what I had never given you.”

 

“Even after the wedding, I never got over my loneliness for you.  I kept hoping you would come to visit me."

Again, his pause was long before he finally answered.  "I couldn’t do that.  Seeing you, knowing that I couldn’t have you would have made me even more miserable.  Besides, your husband wouldn’t have appreciated a former lover showing up to spend time with his wife."

"You came by last summer.  I can’t even begin to express how much those few hours meant to me."

"They meant a lot to me, too.  When I saw how happy you were, all those things you had, things I was never able to give you -- a nice home, two beautiful kids, I wished ---" he stopped.

"What?" she prompted.

"I wished it was me.  I wished it was me instead of Mark coming home from work that afternoon to be greeted by such a beautiful family.  I was envious.  I resented him because he had you, and I didn’t."

His confession surprised her.  "You never let on."

"I realized then what my obsession with my work had cost me.”

"Well, since we’re giving our confessions, I have one, too.  Even though I loved Mark, I was always in love with you.  This sounds horrible of me, but when you drove away that night last summer, I thought my heart was going to break.  I wanted to run after you and beg you not to go.  I felt terrible about that.  I stood out on the driveway for a long time after you had left, dreading going back into the house because I was afraid Mark would know how I felt."

"I’m sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For not going after you when you left me.  There hasn’t been a day since that I haven’t regretted it."

She placed her fingers against his lips to silence him.  "Don’t.  Don’t dwell on the past.  We have our future, now, and we’re going to make the most of it."

He pressed his face against her hair and whispered into her ear, “I sort of wish we were alone right now.”

 

She giggled, intrigued.  “And did you have anything in particular in mind, Doctor Grant?”

”I’m sure I could think of something.”  He drew her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers.

"Eewwww!"

Breaking their kiss, they both looked up and saw that Tory had awakened, and was making a face of repulsion.

 

Ellie started to laugh at the child’s reaction to their kiss, and Alan soon joined her.

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

TWENTY EIGHT

 

Alan awakened at dawn the next morning feeling wonderfully refreshed and invigorated, in spite of his makeshift bed on the sofa.  The warm bath the night before had helped to relax him, and that, accompanied with exhaustion from the interrupted sleep the previous night and the long hike to the airplane, had all contributed to a deep and restful slumber.   But there was more, and a smile came to his lips as he thought about his conversation with Ellie before retiring last night.  The honesty and sincerity of their conversation and the declaration of love he had given and received had rejuvenated him in ways that nothing else could have.  The value of Ellie’s presence in his life superceded everything else.

 

Tossing back the sheet, he sat up on the edge of the sofa and yawned, running his fingers through his fine textured hair as he waited for the drowsiness to fade away.  Finally, he stood up and stretched, cringing when his back popped, then picked up the clean clothes he had placed on the coffee table, and dressed.

 

After another tremendously satisfying stretch, he trudged slowly up the stairs.  As he passed the bedroom, he went to Ellie’s cubical and quietly pulled the curtain aside just a crack, and verified that she was still sleeping soundly.  Dropping the curtain back into place, allowing her to sleep a while longer, he went into the bathroom to shave and wash his face.  The cold water drove away the last lingering threads of drowsiness.  Thankfully, there was no need for the morning jolt in the shower stall, so when his tasks were complete, he went downstairs and put on a pot of coffee.

 

While he waited for the coffee to brew, he leaned back against the countertop, and his thoughts drifted to the remains of the three men that lay nearby, exposed to predators.  The phone call could come at any time that the lost hikers had been found, and that a chopper would be sent to pick up the girl.  He would need to be ready and have the remains at hand when they arrived.  He did not want to risk additional loss of life by including others in the collection process, and that meant he would have to do it himself, for the island was not forgiving of humans who did not respect the wildlife.

 

He drew a deep breath and released it in a heavy sigh of dread.  This was not a task he looked forward to.  And there was yet another task that needed to be dealt with: Getting to the coast to tag the winged creatures that remained a viable threat to civilization.  He would need to telephone John Hammond to learn the status of the tranquilizer darts.

 

Behind him, he heard the stream of brewed coffee begin to pour into the glass bowl, and he opened the cabinet door and withdrew a coffee cup.  He was just pouring his first cup when Ellie stumbled into the kitchen.  He noticed that her sleepy eyes seemed to brighten a bit when she saw him. 

 

“Good morning,” he said as he fetched a second cup from the cabinet, and poured some for her as well.

 

“Tory’s still asleep,” she said with a yawn as she approached him.  “I can’t believe I slept so well last night, after everything that happened the night before!”

 

He put the pot back on the warmer, and turned to face her again, but neither picked up their cups.  “I slept well, too.  I guess we were all exhausted.”  He spread his arms in a welcoming manner, and then wrapped them tightly around her when she moved into them.  “So, we have a few minutes to ourselves?” he asked with a smile.

 

“Mm-hmm,” she murmured.

 

“Good.”  He pressed his lips against hers in a good morning kiss that lingered a while, savoring the contact.  Finally, he pulled back and smiled.  “I’ve missed waking up to that every morning.”

 

“Me too,” she agreed.  “And we don’t have to deny ourselves anymore,” she added.  “I’m glad everything is out in the open now, so that we won’t lose any more time.”

 

“I’m glad too,” he agreed.  He planted one more kiss on her forehead, then reached for his coffee cup.

 

The tasks he needed to do that day were apparently on her mind as well, for she asked, “So, are you going to collect the remains today, or wait?”

 

“Before you came down, I was just thinking that I need to get that over with so we can be ready when they find those lost hikers.  Scavengers will have already scattered the bones, and if I wait any longer, I may not find all of them.”

 

“I wish you didn’t have to go back there by yourself,” she said, glumly.  “I’ll worry the whole time you’re gone.”

 

With a gentle smile, he placed his hand on the side of her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb.  “I know you will, but remember, I survived alone on this island for a long time.  I’ll take the gun and the prod, and I’ll keep my eyes peeled.  It’ll be okay.”

 

“I would feel a lot better if there was some way I could keep an eye out for you.  If we could find some kind of a noise maker, I could watch from the deck with the binoculars and let you know if I see anything suspicious lurking around nearby.  That would give you more time to respond to danger.”

 

“Yeah, it would,” he agreed.  “But we don’t have any kind of a whistle or a bell or anything else I can think of that would carry the distance.”

 

After several moments of thoughtful deliberation, Ellie opened the compartment under the preparation table and withdrew a couple of stainless steel sauce pans.  Gently, she banged the bottoms together to test the sound, then exchanged glances with him.  “I think I can put enough force behind this to get your attention.”

 

“Okay.”  He placed his coffee cup on the countertop.

 

“You’re going now?”

 

“If you must know the truth, I’d rather do this before I eat anything,” he told her, meaningfully.  “You have no idea what condition those bodies are in.”

 

Together, they went down the hallway to the foyer, where Alan had hung his backpack on the coat rack.  He unzipped it and removed the binoculars from inside it.

 

“I have a flashlight in my top dresser drawer,” he told her.  “Would you mind getting it for me?  I’m sure I’d wake her up.”

 

“Okay.”

 

They went back upstairs, and Alan waited in the corridor with the two pans while Ellie quietly slipped through the curtain on Alan’s cubical, and very quietly opened the dresser drawer and pulled out the flashlight.  As she turned toward the door again, she paused to gaze at the child, verifying that she was still sleeping soundly.  The slow steady breathing indicated that she was still fast asleep.  She left as quietly as she had entered, and then she and Alan proceeded to the rooftop deck.

 

They moved to the railing nearest the research center, where he placed the binoculars around her neck by its strap.  “Here’s what I want you to do.  While I’m gathering the remains, scan the perimeter of the grounds with these,” he said, grasping the binoculars.  “If you spot anything, bang the pans to get my attention.  When I look this way, use the flashlight to signal what the predator is.  We’ll make up a code.  I should be able to hear an adult Rex coming, but if you should spot a young one, give one flash, then pause, then confirm with another flash.”

 

She nodded.  “One flash, a pause, and then another flash.”

 

“If you see raptors, give two flashes, a pause, then repeat as before.”

 

“Two flashes for raptors,” she repeated.

 

“There is no doubt that I would hear the impact tremor of the Spinosaurus, but there are other carnivores on the island, like Ceratosaurus, but I’ve only seen it once since I’ve been here, so I doubt if there are any in the area.  Use three flashes for all other species.  After you’ve identified the species for me, use the flashlight to tell me what direction they’re coming from.  Use a standard clock format; twelve o’clock, straight up, will tell me that as I am facing you, there is one directly behind me.  Three o’clock is your right, my left; and so on.”

 

“Got it.” 

 

She lifted the binoculars to her eyes, testing the focus and her ability to see through the tree tops toward the research center grounds.  She immediately shook her head, discouraged by the lack of visibility. 

 

“This is no good.  There are too many trees in the way.  I can see splashes of color on the vehicles through the treetops, but there is no way I could see anything approaching you on this side of the research building.  I can see up the slope where we saw the flashlights the other night, and a portion of the ground in front of it stretching out toward the far tree line, but the tree line behind the Center is hidden from my view by the height of the building.  There is no way I could see anything approaching your position in that section.  I need to get higher to see over it.”

 

As one, they turned toward the awning that covered the trap door, each one thinking the same thing; they had stood on top of it once before, when Alan had discovered the return of the sauropods to the area following their terrifying encounter with the Spinosaurus. 

 

“That should add another eight or nine feet of height for you,” Alan said. 

 

He had left the aluminum ladder securely tied to the railing after his previous use of it to prevent it blowing away in a storm, so he untied it and propped it up against the awning, placing the bottom of it against one of the tables, and he used the rope to lash it firmly to the table leg, which was bolted to the deck, to prevent it from slipping.  When it was secure, he climbed up the ladder with Ellie right behind him, and they looked out across the lush landscape.

 

“I can’t get over how beautiful it is here,” Ellie commented as she gazed over the tree tops toward the research facility.  “So beautiful, and yet so savage.  Such a contradiction.”  She lifted the binoculars to her eyes again, and nodded her satisfaction with the result.  “Yes, I can see a narrow strip of ground behind the research building, just inside the treeline.  I should be able to see anything coming out of the trees from there.”

 

“Okay, good.  Now, the pilot is located a short distance inside the trees over there,” he said, pointing toward the slope.  “You won’t be able to see me in there, so I’ll get him first.  The other two are in the open right over there.”  He pointed again to a position between the building and the slope.

 

“I don’t see them,” Ellie said.

 

“Bring the binoculars up just a bit,” he told her, placing his hand under her elbow and gently pushing up.  “They are about twenty feet from the trees on the far side.  See that dark patch of ground?”

 

She nodded, moving the binoculars to a patch of grass that was darker in color than the surrounding grass.  Scattered inside the patch were lumps of matter, presumably torn clothing and bones, but it was not difficult to identify the cause of the dark grass.  Ellie lowered the binoculars to look grimly at him.  “Blood.”

 

“I’m afraid so.”

 

“It looks like a feeding frenzy,” she added.  “Bones are scattered everywhere.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” he agreed.  He saw the worried look in her eyes, and said, “Now, don’t go worrying, okay?  I have you to be my eyes, and I trust you to take care of me.  It’s going to be just fine.  I’m going to go out in the yard and wait for you to give me the all-clear to advance.”

 

“Okay.”

 

With a reassuring smile, he backed down the ladder, and trotted down the stairs to the second floor and moved down the corridor toward the staircase, but as he passed the dormitory he paused, thinking about the child inside.  It would not do for her to wake up and start calling to Ellie while she was occupied, so he slipped into the room and parted the curtain with his hand to verify that the child was still sound asleep.  Satisfied that she would probably sleep a while longer, he went down to the first floor and proceeded to the kitchen, where he pulled three large garbage bags from the box under the sinks.  He shook his head slowly, thinking it a terribly impersonal way to transport the remains, but he had nothing else in which to contain them. 

 

With the bags in hand, he stopped in the office and located a black marker, and wrote the name Tate on one of the bags, for he was the only man he could positively identify.  Next, he withdrew a pair of latex gloves from the box he kept on one of the shelves, and then unlocked the desk drawer to get the pistol.  He tucked it into the front pocket of his jeans as he made his way back to the front door. 

 

Once outside, he stepped away from the building and looked up at the deck where he could see Ellie scanning the research area with the binoculars.  After a thorough inspection, she lifted her hand to give the okay sign.  He waved to acknowledge the gesture, and moved into the trees once again, feeling a great deal more confident with Ellie scanning the tree line for him.

 

As he entered the grove of trees, he rested his hand on the handle of the pistol that protruded from his pocket, ready to draw it if needed.  He knew the research area was clear, for he had heard no warning sign from Ellie, but he paused to observe the scene that stretched out before him anyway.  With the scent from the bodies in the air, he would exercise extra caution as he approached them.

 

Finally, he left the protection of the trees and walked up the slope toward the pilot’s remains.  Halfway up, he turned toward Ellie, and saw that she was dutifully scanning the area all around him with the binoculars.  She spotted him instantly, and waved to acknowledge his presence.

 

God love her, he thought to himself as he waved back.  Turning again, he continued up the slope and into the trees, keeping a wary eye on the foliage on both sides of him.

 

When he reached the scene of the first attack, Alan paused to observe it for several moments.  The compies had effectively stripped the bones of every bit of flesh and sinew, and scattered them over a greater area than previously.  Many of the bones had been broken to get to the marrow, and the skull had been crushed. 

 

Grimly, he withdrew the pair of latex gloves from his pocket and put them on, then he opened the plastic bag labeled “Tate”.  Maintaining his watchfulness, he approached the remains and squatted down to pick up one of the femurs, turning it in his hands to examine it.  Small teeth marks were plainly visible on the long thigh bone where the compies had gnawed away the flesh.  It was placed inside the plastic bag, and he reached for the other femur, which was still connected by cartilage to the tibia, and bore similar markings as the first.  Holding the bag open farther to receive the larger pieces, he slipped them inside.

 

Picking up ancient fossilized bones, or even bones that had been weathered for several years, was a very different task than gathering fresh bones that had been a living, breathing human being only 36 hours ago, and Alan felt his stomach tighten in revulsion as he picked up the shattered skull, minus the mandible.  He was not surprised to find that the skull was empty, its eyeless sockets staring back at him as if in horror.  His stomach rolled alarmingly, threatening to rebel against the visual stimulation, and he knew he was about to gag.

 

Quickly, he placed the skull inside the bag with the other bones he had collected, and stood up to move away for several moments, turning his back on the grisly scene.  Leaning his hand against a nearby tree, he inhaled deep, shaky breaths until the tightness in his stomach began to subside.  When he was under control again, he turned around to face the remains again. 

 

Okay, Grant, you can do this, he told himself, encouragingly.

 

Returning to the remains, he squatted down again and began picking up the remaining bones.  The mandible was first, and his natural curiosity could not resist pausing to examine the teeth.  They were in fair condition, and contained several silver fillings and one tooth had a gold crown.

 

Some of the smaller bones, such as those of the fingers and toes and pieces of the shattered skull, were missing, and he knew they had been ingested by the carnivores and were therefore beyond recovery.  The boots were nearby, and he felt his resolve weaken a bit at the thought of picking them up, knowing that the feet might still be inside, but he was a man of principle, and he knew he must complete the task fully.  Taking a deep, soul cleansing breath, he picked up one of the boots, and his scientist’s mind could not resist looking inside.  What he saw almost made him gag again.  The compies had gnawed as far inside the boot as they could reach, but the foot was firmly wedged inside, and they had been unable to remove all the flesh from deep inside it.  He could see teeth marks on the boots, indicating that the diminutive dinosaurs had attempted to breach the footwear, but the tough tanned leather had not yielded.  He placed the boot inside the bag with the bones, and resisted the urge to look inside the other boot as it joined its mate.  A few scraps of bloodied clothing were scattered about the area, so he gathered them as well and placed them inside the bag with the rest of the remains, therefore cleaning the area as thoroughly as he could of any traces of the human intruders.

 

One down and two to go.

 

He glanced at his watch.  He was taking too long.  Ellie would soon start to worry.  Quickly, his eyes scanned the bloodstained grass, searching for additional bones, but was relieved to see that he had collected all that were available, so he tied the bag closed with a nylon zip-tie, and walked swiftly back to the research yard.

 

As expected, Ellie was watching for him, and he noticed a distinct slump of relief in her posture when she saw him.  Now that he was safely back in the open, she shifted her attention to the tree line that surrounded the yard.

 

Alan walked down the slope again, and proceeded to the area where the two other smugglers had met their fate.  He drew a deep breath and released it in a heavy sigh as he gazed at the scattered bones and the bloodstained grass.

 

The bodies had fallen about ten feet apart, with enough distance between them that even with the bones scattered as they were, he knew he should be able to keep them separated.  Apparently, one man had been taken down first and the other had continued to run until he, too, had been brought down by the raptors.  

 

Opening one of the bags, he went to work on the nearest body.  Like that of the pilot, the skulls of both men had been crushed, but this time, he worked more quickly.  The skulls and mandibles were placed inside each respective bag without pausing to examine them.  The arm and leg bones were collected, as were the ribs and spines, all of them inserted in the bags without delay.

 

Standing up at last, he scanned the ground for any remaining items, then withdrew the nylon ties from his pocket.

 

As he was closing the last bag with the nylon tie, he heard the alarming clatter of Ellie’s pans banging together.  Looking toward the dormitory roof, he saw he flashlight giving the signal: two flashes, a pause, and then two more flashes.  Raptors!  Using the flashlight, she gave him the two o’clock location signal.

 

Looking over his left shoulder, he saw a young raptor standing just out of the tree line behind the research building.  It had heard the clatter made my Ellie’s pots, and was gazing toward her, apparently unable to determine the source of the unfamiliar noise.  Finally, it turned toward the man and watched him curiously.

 

Remembering the peculiar behavior of the raptors the night of the attack on the smugglers, Alan kept a wary eye trained on the young dinosaur as he slowly picked up the three bags, which were made rather heavy by the bones of three adult males, hoping it would leave him alone.  It observed him for several moments, until he started moving toward the dormitory again, and then it crouched slightly and began to follow, its attitude a definite posture of aggression, but for the moment, it gave no sign of attack.

 

Carrying one bag in his left hand and two in his right, Alan kept his attention riveted on the raptor.  He did not want to shoot unless absolutely necessary, but he was prepared to defend himself.  It continued to stalk him at a pace that matched his own.

 

The urgent banging of the pots caught his attention again, and he looked up at Ellie.  Disregarding the identifying signal, she pointed the flashlight straight up, indicating that one was directly behind him.  He felt his pulse step up a notch as he looked over his shoulder again and saw two more raptors approaching from behind.  He instantly knew that this was the trio of raptors that he had often referred to as “the renegades”, the three juvenile troublemakers that had broken from the main pack.  As he watched, one of the two behind him broke into an attack run.  The other two followed its lead.

 

“Shit!” Alan breathed. 

 

Dropping the bags, he pulled the pistol from his pocket, removed the safety, and pointed at the nearest raptor.  Fighting down the panic that was rising inside him, he sighted carefully on the nearest raptor and squeezed the trigger.

 

The raptor shrieked in pain and surprise as the bullet struck it mid-body, and it crashed to the ground, skidding several yards on the dewy grass.  It kicked its hind leg in apparent agony, while its two companions reacted to its strange behavior by stopping to investigate.  Sniffing the fallen raptor, they smelled the blood that was flowing from the wound in its torso.

 

Grasping the bags again, Alan began to run as fast as he could, but was slowed by the weight of the bags that he was dragging behind him.  As he entered the grove of trees, he glanced over his shoulder.  The other two raptors were looking after him with uncertainty, apparently understanding that he had somehow caused the demise of their pack-mate.

 

From the top of the deck awning, Ellie had watched in horror as Alan was forced to shoot the raptor, and with her binoculars had observed the demeanor of the remaining two as they stopped at the side of their pack-mate.  She knew that Tory had most likely been awakened by the banging of the pans and the report of the gun, but her primary concern at that moment was getting Alan safely back inside the building.

 

As she watched Alan running toward the grove of trees, Ellie found herself mentally encouraging him to drop the bags, reasoning that he could run faster without them and they could be collected later, but Alan apparently had no intention of surrendering the bags of remains.

 

Drop the bags, Alan! screamed the voice in her head.  Drop the damn bags!

 

Alan was desperately curious to see how they would react to the dying raptor, but he did not wait around to find out.  His safety was priority, so he went into the trees, still dragging the bags.  They bounced off tree trunks and snagged in the shrubs, all the while slowing down his flight, but after experiencing the personal horror of picking up the remains, he refused to leave them behind, knowing that scavengers would rip open the bags.  He did not want to have to pick them up again.

 

As he disappeared from her view in the trees, Ellie ran to the aluminum ladder and hurried down it so fast that she lost her footing and crashed to the deck.  Oblivious to the pain of her fall, she ran down the stairs to the second floor, where she could hear Tory calling to her in panic from her bed.

 

“It’s okay, Tory!” she shouted as she ran past the room.  “Stay there!”

 

“What’s happening?” the child asked, fearfully.

 

“Just stay there!  I’ll come back up for you in a few minutes.”

 

“Ellie!”

 

Ellie ignored the frantic pleas from the child and pounded down the stairs.  She was at the front door in a matter of moments, and fumbled the key out of her pocket with trembling hands and taking care not to drop it, she inserted it in the lock.  She pushed it open and stepped onto the concrete stoop just as Alan emerged from the grove of trees, still dragging the plastic bags behind him.

 

He glanced over his shoulder, and was relieved to see that the raptors were not following, but he did not slow his pace.  Ellie was standing at the door waiting for him, and he could hear her shouting to him:

 

“Drop the bags!” she screamed.  “Just drop them!”

 

To her dismay, he did not drop them, but instead continued to struggle with their weight as he ran toward her.  She could see that he was growing exhausted from the effort, but he ignored her suggestion.

 

She pushed the door open wider for him when he reached it, and he tossed the three bags inside first, then pushed her inside.  Lastly, he entered the foyer and pulled the bars closed behind him, then stood leaning against it, gasping for breath.

 

“Alan,” Ellie’s voice was strangely calm and quiet in the aftermath of such a terrifying event.  “Why the hell didn’t you drop the bags?”

 

Alan began to laugh, a surprising reaction in Ellie’s opinion.  “I thought about it, but you have no idea what I went through to pick up those bones, and I had no intention of leaving them behind.  Irrational, perhaps,” he admitted.  “But I wasn’t going to give them up, no matter what.”

 

“That’s crazy!” she retorted.  “What the hell were you thinking?  Those bones aren’t worth your life!”

 

“I know.  I told you, it was an irrational response, but I just couldn’t help myself.”  He drew her into his arms for a comforting embrace, and she could feel his heart pounding against her breast, and his chest heaved as he struggled to recapture his breath.

 

After a few moments, he remembered his curiosity about the three raptors, so he pushed her away and lifted the binocular strap over her head.  Leaving the bags on the floor in the foyer, he trotted up the stairs. 

 

Ellie’s eyes lingered briefly on the lumpy bags, now badly beaten and snagged in places, knowing what was inside them, then she hurried up the stairs after Alan.

 

“Where are you going?” she asked as she caught up to him on the stairs.

 

He glanced over his shoulder at her.  “I want to see how they react to their fallen companion.”

 

At the top of the stairs, they saw Tory standing in the doorway of the dormitory room, still dressed in Ellie’s tee shirt, and clutching her doll in her arms.  “What’s happening?”

 

“Oh, it’s okay, honey.  Everything is all right,” Ellie told her, soothingly.

 

“I heard noises.”

 

“I know.  I banged a couple of pans together, that’s all.  Nothing to worry about.  Do you want to go back to bed?”

 

“No.”

 

“Alan and I are going up of the roof for a few minutes, but I want you to stay down here, okay?”  She glanced at Alan, who was starting up the stairs to the roof.  She desperately wanted to join him.  Placing her hands on Tory’s shoulders, she suggested, “Tell you what.  Why don’t you go on to the bathroom and wash your face and get dressed, then I’ll come and get you and we can make some breakfast, okay?”

 

The child nodded.  “Okay.”  She knew that something was going on, but also knew that the adults weren’t going to tell her what it was, so she padded down the corridor in her bare feet and went into the bathroom.

 

In agitation, Ellie blew at a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead, then started up the steps after Alan.

 

He was not on the deck, so she knew he was on top of the awning, so she climbed up after him.  He stood with the binoculars pressed to his eyes, observing the two raptors who lingered beside their fallen comrade.  Curiously, they nudged it with their muzzles, as if urging it to get up.  The fallen animal made one final attempt to get up, then fell back and lay still.

 

Finally, the two raptors turned and walked away, leaving the body of their companion behind.

 

“Fascinating,” Alan muttered.  “I rather thought they might eat him.  Apparently, raptors aren’t cannibalistic to their own species.”

 

“Are they the three juveniles we saw when I first got here?” she asked.

 

“Mm-hmm.  And now there are two of them.  I probably should have just killed them all, and ridded the island of their menace,” he added, thoughtfully.  He lowered the binoculars.  “The scavengers will have another feast.”  He turned to face her.  “Did I hear Tory calling you before?”

 

“Yes.  I sent her into the bathroom to wash her face and get dressed.  I’m afraid we scared her with all the commotion.”

 

Alan nodded.  “Yeah.  I was hoping we could do this without incident, but obviously on this island anything can and does happen.  Ellie,” he added as she turned toward the ladder.  She stopped and turned to face him again.  “Thanks for warning me.  You saved my life again.”

 

She reached up and gently caressed his cheek with her fingertips, managing a weak smile, then she turned and climbed back down the ladder.  Her hip was beginning to throb where she had fallen, but she knew it was only a minor contusion that would heal quickly.

 

Alan turned back toward the research grounds and lifted the binocular again.  The two surviving raptors walked back toward the bloodied grass where the two victims had lain before, and paused to sniff at the blood on the ground, before entered the trees again in the same vicinity in which they had emerged.

 

Alan lowered the binoculars and returned to the ladder and started back down.  There was nothing else to see.  The compies would eventually arrive to clean up the dead raptor, but it was a scene he was witnessed before, and felt no need to see it again.