THIRTY ONE

 

 

“I’m sure glad the sea is calm today,” Harding said as they walked toward the beach with the equipment.  “After that rain shower yesterday, I was afraid we would be facing rough water which would have seriously hampered our efforts.”

 

“Everything calms down after a rainstorm has passed,” Tyrell said cheerfully, his deep voice and Jamaican accent as smooth as silk.  “Even the sea.”

 

The other three workers who helped him carry the boats trudged silently through the sand without the cheerfulness expressed by the big black man.  Their faces were tense with worry.  The money they had been offered for this job had been attractive enough to override their initial concerns, but now that the operation was at hand and they had actually gotten a look at the dangerous creatures, they were becoming gloomier about the prospect of actually handling them.

 

Mitch was a bit subdued also, for a great deal of responsibility rested on his skill with the rifle.  He was a good marksman who had brought down a number of large game over the years, but these flying reptiles might prove more difficult to hit than a lion or a bear.

 

And Alan, who had seen the damage that could be inflicted upon the human body as a result of the sharp teeth and claws, experienced many of the same concerns as Mitch.  With the exception of Doctor Harding, he, more than anyone else, knew the unpredictable nature of these prehistoric beasts, and he did not like the idea that someone might get hurt or killed while carrying out this job.

 

When they reached the moist sand just up from the rolling waves, the workers placed the inflatable boats on the ground and slowly put on their life preservers.  Many a trembling finger fumbled with the buckles as they secured the vests that Harding had insisted they wear.

 

Finding a suitable boulder with a reasonably level surface, Alan and Harding placed the cases containing the darts and the radio collars on it and opened them in preparation for the darting process.

 

While they prepared themselves, Harding gave his last minute instructions.  “Gentlemen, these animals have large wings with a leathery membrane, like a bat’s wings.  We don’t want them damaged by the motors when you pull them to shore, so cut the engines until you get the beast positioned between the boats, and then use extreme caution as you bring them in.  Tyrell, you and Garrett will keep the animals positioned between you.  Cesar and Ernesto, you will man the motors.”

 

The men mumbled inaudible responses, and Harding then removed two of the darts from the case and passed them to the sharpshooter.

 

“Mitch, I want you to keep a second dart handy at all times just in case the first one fails to properly inject the animal.  That is not likely to happen, but it’s best to be prepared.”

 

Because of the potency of the tranquilizer, the darts were tipped with small protective caps to prevent anyone who handled them from jabbing and inadvertently injecting himself, so he slipped one into his pocket for easy access.

 

After checking the safety on the automatic weapon and propping it against one of the boulders, Mitch removed the cap from the other dart and loaded it into the rifle, then lifted the weapon to his shoulder and looked down the long barrel to test the scope and the sights as he turned his attention to the sky where the pteranodons were gliding effortlessly above the water.  He sighted on first one and then another, following them with the barrel.  “Am I shooting at random, or are there specific ones we want to hit?”

 

“We have thirty collars, so we’ll tag as many as we can bring down,” Alan said.  “I want to use every single collar.  I haven’t studied the pteranodons since I’ve been here, so I don’t know if they use an alpha system like the raptors, or if they are simply mated pairs which live in a flock, like birds.  I would suggest darting a good mix of males and females.”

 

Mitch glanced at him over his shoulder, one eye closed against the glare of the sun.  “How the hell can you tell?”

 

“The males are bigger and have a larger head crest,” Harding replied.  “I would like to dart young ones, but it is difficult to tell from the ground, so out of thirty I would have to assume that some will be young and some will be mature.”

 

Alan withdrew his high powered binoculars from his pack and lifted them to his eyes, carefully studying the pteranodons that fished in the pristine water or soared overhead.  As he watched, one glided close to the surface of the water and snatched a fish out of the water with its clawed foot.  It immediately turned back toward the cliffs, and he knew it was feeding its young.

 

He had expected to find that uncontrolled breeding and a constant food source had increased the numbers to unmanageable levels, and was surprised to find that was not the case.  “There aren’t as many as I had feared,” he said.  He turned toward the cliffs, where he knew the creatures were roosting and observed the craggy nesting area.  Here and there, he could see tufts of grass in the rocks, but could not get a good angle to see the inhabitants of the nests.  He knew there were infants there, however, for the adults were extremely active, fishing in the ocean and taking food back to their young.  “The population seems to be under control.”

 

“The young ones probably fall victim to other predators,” Harding suggested.  “Like other avian species it takes a while to build strength in their wings, and when learning to fly they most likely fall to the ground much like baby birds.”  He indicated the cliffs high above the surf.  “Plus, they’re in an exposed area, so storms may play a roll by knocking infants out of the nests.” 

 

“There are a lot of storms here,” Alan agreed.  “On average, only one in five baby birds will survive to adulthood, so we may be seeing something like that here.  There are a lot of predators on this island.”

 

Squinting into the sunny sky, Harding spotted one that he judged to be the best candidate with which to start, and grasped Alan by the elbow.  “Doctor Grant, that one.”

 

Alan turned to see which one he was indicating, and peered at it through the binoculars.  It was huge, its long leathery wings outstretched, enabling it to glide effortlessly a short distance above the surf looking for fish.  The protrusion on the back of its head was large and had a slightly reddish tint, which seemed to indicate a healthy breeding male.  “Go for it,” he instructed.

 

Mitch sighted through the scope, taking careful aim as the creature caught an updraft, and pulled the trigger.  The shot was true, and the pteranodon lurched slightly and screamed in rage as it attempted to shake off the dart that was imbedded in the base of its wing.  It flapped its bat-like wings in an effort to gain altitude, moving away from what it perceived to be an unseen danger, but it was obvious that it was having trouble with mobility.  Moments later, the drug took effect and the pteranodon crashed into the water, erupting in a huge splash.

 

For several moments, there was utter silence on the beach.  The laborers appeared awe-struck by the event and appeared to have forgotten why they were there.  They stared with wide eyes as the creature fell, making no movement toward getting their inflatables into the water.

 

Alan had been observing the other pteranodons for reactions when the first one was shot out of the sky, and was pleased when he saw no effect at all exhibited by the rest of the flock.  They continued with their pattern of flying and fishing.  As he lowered the binoculars, he noticed that the workers were not going into the water, and he turned sharply toward them.  “Go!” he commanded.

 

Spurred into action, the four men pushed the boats into the water, and climbed into them, two per boat.  The two Hispanic men revved the engines as they sped toward the fallen pteranodon, their small crafts rising and falling on the swells as they fought the incoming surf.

 

Alan lifted the binoculars again, observing the animal that floated on the surface of the water.  Its wings were outstretched, but the shape of its head made it impossible for the creature to keep its nostrils above the surface.  Even with the engines, the inflatables were slowed by the incoming waves.

 

“They’d better hurry,” he reported.  “Most of its head is under the water.”

 

“This is what I was afraid of,” Harding said, shading his eyes against the glare of the sun as he watched the boaters fight the waves.  On the shore, the waves were gently rolling up on the beach, but farther out they rose in swells that pushed the boats toward the island.  “To minimize the risk to the animals, we’re going to have to make sure the retrieving team is in the water before we shoot them.  Even with the engines, they’re losing valuable time fighting the currents.”

 

At last, the boats reached the fallen pteranodon and eased alongside it, one on each side, and the engines were cut to avoid inflicting damage to the wings.  The other men deferred to the more outgoing Tyrell, and realizing that he was considered the unofficial foreman, he leaned down to grasp the head by the long protrusion at the back and pulled it out of the water.  It immediately blew spray into his face from its nostrils as it was finally able to breathe again, but he merely turned his head away briefly, realizing that he was the first person to actually touch one of the creatures since the facility had folded operations.  The head was awkward to handle, but he managed to pull it over the edge of the boat and he quickly wrapped a length of rope around the beak, making repeated loops before tying it off.  All the while, the dark, malevolent eye seemed to stare at him as he worked.

 

With the head secure, he reached down and grasped the nearest wing to help support it, surprised to find that it resembled an arm with a hand-like extension at the bend.  Garrett, in the other boat seized the other wing, and Cesar and Ernesto revved the engines again.  With their unique, prehistoric cargo riding the waves between them, they moved toward the shore.

 

Alan, Harding, and Mitch splashed into the surf to meet the boats, and it took all of them to manhandle the pteranodon onto the beach.  It was much lighter than it looked, but its sheer mass and huge wings made it difficult to manage.  They laid it on its belly just out of reach of the lapping waves, its wings fully outstretched, and Alan carefully turned the head to one side as he positioned it on the sand.  Then they stepped back to observe the temporarily helpless animal.

 

“Damn, that’s one big mother –“  Tyrell started, then broke off abruptly, glancing apologetically at Ellie.

 

Ellie had heard worse from some of the men on the dig sites, and agreed wholeheartedly.  “Yes, it is!”

 

“I thought it would be heavier,” the black man added.

 

“Its bones are hollow,” Alan told him.  “Like those of a bird.”

 

Harding reached into the case containing the radio collars and removed the first one.

 

Ellie opened a spiral notebook and poised her pen over the paper.  “What is the tag number?”

 

“Number 1001,” Harding replied.

 

Ellie recorded the number, and added a description, speaking softly to herself, “Adult Pteranodon, male . . . “

 

While Harding positioned the collar around the creature’s neck and fastened it securely, Alan withdrew a tape measure from the backpack and glanced at Cesar, who was standing nearby,.  “Hold this,” he said, placing the end of the measure against the wingtip.

 

The man knelt down to hold the tape in the designated place while Alan stretched the tape to the other wingtip, and examined the results.

 

“The wingspan is twenty seven feet, six and three quarter inches,” he announced.

 

Ellie wrote down the information, and watched while Alan examined the animal from head to foot, touching and handling every part of its body, acquainting himself with the feel of its leathery wings, the peculiar “hand” on its wings with its elongated finger, its clawed feet, and paying particular attention to the long protrusion on its head.

 

As he pried the mouth slightly open to reveal the rows of sharp teeth, Tyrell bent over behind him, hands on his knees, and watched with extreme interest and curiosity.  “Those are some mean-looking teeth!”

 

“Yeah,” Alan agreed.  “The strange thing is, according to the fossil records, they’re not supposed to have teeth.  The name ‘Pteranodon’ means ‘winged and toothless’.  Obviously, something happened when the geneticists brought these creatures back.”  Unable to resist, he ran his finger along the row of teeth, but was careful not to get the finger caught between them just in case they clamped down on reflex.

 

Ellie looked over his shoulder, shaking her head.  “That’s incredible.”

 

“Is it awake?” Tyrell asked, worriedly.  “Its eyes are watching us.”

 

Harding smiled.  “Don’t worry.  It’s unconscious, but with this particular drug the animal's eyes remain open with corneal and pupillary reflexes present.”

 

“If you say so,” Tyrell grinned.  He pointed his finger toward the small tail.  “I' thought these flying dinosaurs had long tails.”

 

“There were many species of pterosaurs, and some of them did have long tails,” Alan told him.  “Dimorphodon, for example, which is from the Jurassic period and predates this animal.”  He stood up, dusting the sand from his knees.  “Fascinating creatures.  They existed during the age of dinosaurs, but they’re not true dinosaurs.  They are a species closer related to reptiles.  The name, ‘Pterosaur’ means ‘winged lizard’.”

 

Ellie could only smile as Alan continued to speak to the men as though they were in a lecture theater.  While Tyrell and the other laborers watched in fascination, Alan was once again the professor, giving an informative lecture on the animal that lay before them.  She knew he missed teaching, and hoped that someday perhaps he would be called back to instruct the next generation of scientists on the life and behavior of the animals on the island.

 

Harding carefully checked to make sure the radio signal was working properly.  “Looks good,” he announced.  “If we’re finished, I would suggest we wake this monster up and send him on his way.  Grant, if you’ll remove the ropes from around its beak, I’ll inject it with the antidote.”

 

While Harding loaded the syringe with the antidote, Alan began unwrapping the rope from around the pteranodon’s beak, leaving one loop tightly in place near the tip to make certain it was unable to react to the needle prick.  When he was ready, Harding knelt beside the creature and inserted the needle into its neck, then withdrew it and stood back.

 

Alan released the rope and backed up to a safe distance with the others, watching as pteranodon #1001 groggily lifted its head and clumsily gouged a furrow in the sand with its beak as it struggled to regain its mobility.  For several minutes, it continued to rest on the beach while its strength slowly returned, until finally, it used the knuckles of the hand-like protrusions on its wings to push itself upright.  Turning toward the humans, it stretched out its neck and screeched at them, warning them to keep their distance.

 

Everyone took involuntary steps backward, greatly intimidated by the prehistoric beast, but it made no move to attack.  Still a bit groggy and clumsy as the effects of the tranquilizer lingered, it seemed to realize it was in no condition to engage the humans.  Mitch hefted the automatic rifle, ready to react to a threat, but Harding put out his hand to silently urge him to wait.

 

Finally, the pteranodon shuffled slowly around to face the ocean, then opened its leathery wings and propelled itself into the air.  It flapped its wings just long enough to catch the air currents, then glided toward the nesting area.

 

“Well, that’s one down,” Harding said.

 

“That was easy enough,” Mitch said, cheerfully as he reloaded his rifle with another dart.  “At this rate, we’ll have these critters collared in no time!”

 

“Let’s not get too overconfident, okay?” Alan advised.  He did not see the slight frown that creased Mitch’s brow at the cautionary advice.

 

“Okay, gentlemen,” Harding said as he prepared collar #1002.  “Let’s bring down the next one.  This time, I want the boats in the water before we go any farther.  It took way too long to get out there to it, and we could easily have lost it to drowning.”  He paused with an amused shrug.  “Not that that would have been such a bad thing, but Hammond technically owns these beasts, and he wants them kept alive.  So, let’s shove off now.  Mitch, wait until they’re well away before you fire.”

 

Tyrell and his fellow laborers pushed the boats into the surf again, fighting against the waves which constantly tried to push them back onto the beach.  When they were well away, Alan selected a smaller animal with a less significant head crest which was gliding just above the surface of the water, a probable female.  At his instruction, Mitch fired a dart into it, and it fell quickly.  This time the boats drew alongside it in a matter of moments, sparing it the risk of drowning that could have befallen the first one.

 

Harding nodded, satisfied with the quick response of the team.  “Excellent job, men,” he said as they hauled the second creature onto the shore.

 

They laid it out in the same position that they had placed the first one, and Alan began taking measurements again while Harding fastened the collar on its neck.  Ellie wrote down the number and recorded Alan’s measurements.  Again, the tagging and the release went smoothly, and they watched as it soared into the sky again.

 

By the time the fifth animal had been collared and released, they had fallen into an efficient routine.  Each man now knew what was expected of him, and they carried out their tasks like a well-oiled team, and confidence was brimming.  After pteranodon #1005 had returned to the sky, Harding glanced at his watch and notated the time, suggesting that they break for lunch.

 

“Great, I’m starving!” Mitch exclaimed.  “I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”

 

He started to carry the rifles back to the camp with them, but it occurred to him that there was no one there to steal them, so he stood them on their stocks against the boulder with the safeties on to prevent accidents.  Likewise, Harding left the collars and tranquilizers where they were, and they walked back to the camp.

 

“We brought sandwiches for everyone,” Harding said to Alan and Ellie.  “I’m not sure what you two have been living on while you’ve been here, but I figured you might like something bought from a restaurant for a change.”

 

Mitch opened the ice chest they had brought, and began withdrawing and passing out the wrapped sandwiches and cans of cold soda pop.

 

Tyrell grinned good naturedly as he accepted his soda, his teeth very white against his dark skin, and said, “Sure wish this was an ice cold beer.”

 

Harding smiled in response.  “You know why we can’t have any alcohol on this job.  Every man needs to be sharp.”

 

“I know.  Guess the celebrating will have to wait until we get home, right?”

 

Alan and Ellie sat down together near the bluff and unwrapped their sandwiches.  “Hey, this is good,” Ellie said approvingly after the first bite.

 

“We bought them this morning from a small sandwich shop in San José before we boarded the helicopter,” Harding explained.  “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just got chicken salad for everyone.”

 

“I love chicken salad.  I used to make tons of them when we were on the dig sites back in Montana.  It feels strange to say this, but this is the first restaurant food I’ve had in seven weeks,” she added.

 

“They’ve gotten a little soggy from the mayo, but they still taste good,” Mitch said as he sat down beside Ellie.  “I’d love to taste one of yours, though.  I bet they’re fantastic.”

 

It was obvious to everyone that Mitch was interested in her, and Ellie smiled as she glanced at Alan.  She knew he had noticed as well, even though he chose not to react.  The brief depression she had felt over Tory had faded away during the morning, and her naturally friendly disposition welcomed the conversation.  “Well, no one ever complained,” she told him, then added with a laugh, “But that could be because no one else wanted the job of making them.”

 

“So, what were these ‘dig sites’ you were working on?”

 

“Alan and I used to spend every summer on paleontology digs.  You know, excavating the remains of dinosaurs.”

 

Mitch glanced at Alan, who appeared to be giving his sandwich his utmost attention, but was obviously listening to the conversation.  The sharpshooter was uncertain exactly where Alan Grant stood in Ellie’s life.  Maybe he was her professor or mentor or something of that nature.  “Was that something you enjoyed doing?”

 

Her smile faltered somewhat, considering that a rather bizarre question.  “I wouldn’t have gone on them year after year if I hadn’t enjoyed them,” she told him.

 

“Touché,” he said, grinning.  “You just seem like someone who would be better suited to modeling or something.”

 

She laughed aloud.  “Modeling?  Me?”

 

“Why not?  You’re tall and beautiful and slender.  Isn’t that the combination of ingredients that they look for in models?”

 

“I have no idea what they look for in models.  It isn’t something I ever wanted to do.  In fact, from what I’ve seen I think it would be quite dull.  I’m more interested in the ancient world, finding new species of dinosaurs and the plant life that supported their eco system.”

 

“You sound very passionate about it.  Perhaps you should write a book,” Mitch suggested.

 

“My first book was published last fall and has been doing quite well,” she told him.  Glancing at Alan, she saw that he was watching impassively out of the corner of his eye.

 

“I’ll have to read it,” Mitch was saying.  “You really are into this sort of thing, aren’t you?”

 

“Very much.  As dangerous as it was for InGen to recreate these animals, it provides a unique opportunity for Alan and I to study them.  With the fossils, we were unable to determine their color or the texture of the skin.  Here, we can observe all that and so much more, like their breeding and nesting habits.  And by placing radio collars on the pteranodons, we’re making it safer for them to co-exist with humans.”

 

“How long do you think it will take to collar all of them?”

 

“That depends on how everything goes,” Alan told him, indicating that he had, indeed, been listening to their conversation.  “If this keeps going as planned with no problems, I’d say we should get ten to twelve done today, and hopefully the same amount tomorrow, and the rest the following day.”

 

“So, we’ll be spending two nights here, probably,” Mitch mused.  A couple more days to get to know Ellie.  He took a large bite of his sandwich and washed it down with a long drink of soda.  He was feeling very confident and pleased with the way the job had progressed so far, and his participation in it.  “I can’t believe how easily this operation has been going.  When Doctor Harding said it could be dangerous, I was expecting to be attacked during the whole process.”

 

“So far, they’ve left us alone, which is good,” Harding agreed.  “I have to agree, though.  I rather thought they’d give us more trouble.  Humans are really too large to be considered a typical food source for them, given their light bone structure, but they used to attack the sides of the cage when the feeders would come.  I’m not sure why.”

 

“They attacked us too, when we unwittingly ended up inside their cage,” Alan told him.  “They were quite vicious, in fact, and certainly capable of causing a great deal of damage or even death.”

 

“So why haven’t they attacked us here on the beach?” Tyrell asked.  “Compared to the other animals on this island, we must be considerably more helpless, easy prey so to speak.”

 

“That is a fact,” Alan agreed.  “You also bring up a good question, one that I really don’t have an answer for.  Freedom, perhaps.  Can you imagine living your whole life inside a cage?  The river flowed through the canyon the cage was built over, so their diet was limited to fresh water fish.  Out here, they have a greater variety of choices for food, and a much larger area to fly in which to search for it.”

 

Ellie turned to Alan.  “It is surprising that the act of shooting these animals out of the sky didn’t stir the rest of them up more.  I was a bit concerned that it might even cause them to leave the area.”

 

“I wondered about that too,” Alan admitted.  “The mated pairs are obviously staying close because of their young, but I wondered about a forced migration in response to our presence.  That doesn’t seem to be happening.”

 

“They don’t seem to feel threatened,” Harding agreed.  “Maybe the scientists were right about suppressing their instinct to migrate.”

 

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Mitch asked.  “Makes it a lot easier for us.”

 

“We have a long way to go,” Alan reminded them.  “It’s been relatively easy so far, but that could change in a heartbeat.  We can’t let ourselves get complacent or careless.  We have to always stay alert.”

 

Ellie finished her sandwich and wadded up the wrapper.  “You finished with yours?” she asked, looking at Alan.

 

He handed her his wrapper and empty pop can, and she carried them to the black trash bag that had been designated for depositing the trash.  Mitch watched her for a moment, then got up and followed her.

 

“Is he always like that?” he asked quietly, nodding toward Alan.

 

“Like what?” she asked.

 

“So negative.  Every time someone comments how good things are going, he reminds us not to get careless.  We all know what our job is, and everything is going better than planned.  So well, in fact, that it’s become almost routine.”

 

“He’s right, Mitch,” she said, seriously.  “He knows everyone is doing a good job, but on this island, carelessness and overconfidence can get you killed.  He and I have both seen it happen before, and we don’t want to see it again.  You have no idea how quickly things can turn around.  That’s why he keeps reminding everyone to stay alert.  We haven’t had any problems at all yet, but we have a long way to go before we can allow ourselves to breathe easier.”

 

“Nothing’s going to happen,” he insisted.  “We’ve got everything under control.”

 

Ellie looked at him for several moments before answering.  He was a nice man, very friendly and outgoing.  But he was like so many others who encountered the prehistoric species on the island.  He was over confident, and did not yet understand how quickly things could go wrong.  “There is one thing you need to remember, Mitch.  Out here, you are never in control.”  With that, she returned to Alan, who had stood up with Harding.

 

The sharpshooter gazed after her, still finding her incredibly interesting, but convinced that she was an alarmist like her partner.  He smiled to himself, confident that she would soon see that it was possible for humans to control their environment, and that he was ready for anything.

 

Harding stood up, brushing the sand from his trousers.  “Break’s over, gentlemen.  And lady,” Harding added with a smile at Ellie.  “We still have a lot of pteranodons to collar before supper, so let’s get to it.”

 

No one was quite ready to return to the job, but with the exception of a few groans, no one complained as they gathered their gear and returned to the beach.

 

For the next couple of hours, everything continued to go as planned.  In efficient succession, the flying reptiles were darted, brought into shore, and fitted with their radio collars, then released again.

 

The eighth capture, however, revealed to everyone just how quickly they could lose control of the situation.

 

It began smoothly enough.  Mitch’s shot was dead-on, as always, bringing the pteranodon down with an accurately placed dart to the neck.  The boats were already in the water, and after securing its jaws with rope, the laborers sped back to shore, supporting it between them.

 

Everyone splashed into the surf to help carry it to the beach.  Doctor Harding, helping to carry the massive head, noticed that the rope which secured its mouth seemed a bit too loose, but because there had been no incident of premature recovery, it seemed a minor detail, and by the time they laid the creature out in the sand, he had forgotten about it.

 

But just as the men relaxed their grips on the pteranodon, it revived unexpectedly.  Whipping its head violently back and forth in an attempt to rid itself of the restraints, it clubbed Garrett aside with its head crest.  With an exclamation of pain and surprise, the laborer tumbled backward onto the ground.

 

“The rope’s coming free!” Harding shouted, realizing his own error in not reporting it immediately.

 

Tyrell reached for the rope just as it came free, and watched in horror as his arm went directly into the beast’s open mouth!  An instant later, the jaws clamped down on the arm, and he was hurled through the air with strength he had underestimated the creature possessing.  He landed heavily on his back fifteen feet away, the wind driven from his startled lungs.  Everyone else stumbled back out of the way.

 

Opening its mouth again, the beast screeched in rage and confusion as it struggled to get to its feet, flopping clumsily on the sand as it sought to regain its mobility in the after-effects of the drug.  Confused by its inability to get to its feet, it screamed again.

 

The other pteranodons seemed agitated by its cries, and their activity in the sky became more aggressive.  They answered with chilling cries of their own, and one of them came in closer, swooping down toward the humans in a false charge before lifting on the currents again.  This action seemed to galvanize the rest of the flock, and more of them began to dive toward the humans on the beach.

 

“It’s giving a distress call!” Alan shouted, ducking on reflex as another one came in alarmingly close.  “Hit it with another dart!”

 

Everyone looked at Mitch, who was looking frantically for the second dart that he had been keeping on hand.  He jammed his hand into first one pocket and then the other, but it had apparently slipped out unnoticed.  “I can’t find it!  It must have fallen out!”

 

Harding rushed to the darting kit and with hurried, shaking hands, grabbed another one from the case.  An instant later, he felt the breeze generated by the wings of another pterandon as it swooped very close, and he shrank back to avoid its claws and teeth.  With a loud screech it aborted its attack.  As the veterinarian turned with the dart, he saw that the others were crouching on the beach, their hands over their heads in an attempt to protect themselves from the angry beasts that continued their aerial assault on the humans.  Mitch was swinging his darting rifle like a club, and managed to connect with one.  Knocked temporarily off balance, it nearly fell to the ground, but managed to recover and get back into the air.

 

A terrified scream drew their attention to Cesar.  A pteranodon had grasped the frightened man by the shoulders and was attempting to lift him into the air.  Cesar twisted and flailed with his fists, managing to break free from one clawed foot, but dangled from the other as it flapped its massive wings in an effort to gain altitude.  He was too heavy for it, and it was unable to get him off the ground, but it refused to release him.

 

Mitch looked toward the boulder against which he had placed his automatic rifle, but as he started to move toward it he saw a pteranodon swooping down toward him, and he immediately dropped onto the sand.  The beast pulled up.

 

As he was crouching down, Mitch suddenly spied the missing dart a short distance in front of him.  On his hands and knees, he scrambled toward it, spraying sand in all directions in his haste to get to it.  Stretching out his hand, he snatched up the dart and quickly loaded it, then fired it at the pterandon that continued to assault Cesar.  It immediately released the frightened man and flew a hundred yards down the beach before it crash landed in the sand.  Cesar collapsed onto the ground.

 

Harding ran back to the sharpshooter and thrust another dart at him.  Mitch grabbed it and hastily tried to load it without removing the cap, but it would not go into the chamber.  Irritably, he snatched the cap from the tip and plunged it into the cylinder and snapped it closed.  Raising it quickly to his shoulder, he fired another dart into the back of the pteranodon that was still flopping in the sand, continuing to give the distress calls.  It struggled a few moments longer, then became still.

 

When the distress calls ceased, the other pteranodons abruptly broke off the attack, but their confused cries continued to resound as they circled overhead.

 

Alan got slowly to his feet and watched as the flock regrouped in the sky above him.  The attack seemed to be over, and the calls began to die down, so he grabbed a rope and approached the nearest pteranodon.  There was anger in his fingers as they looped the rope repeatedly around the animal’s mouth and tied it off.  If anything was likely to cause a forced migration, it would be a situation just like this one, where the pteranodons felt threatened.  He could only hope that they would continue to linger on the island long enough for them to get the rest of the collars placed.

 

The lightest person there, Ellie had instinctively dropped onto her belly on the sand beside a boulder in an effort to reduce the risk of being lifted into the air, and she slowly pushed herself up, looking around at the chaos on the beach.  Alan was kneeling beside the first animal and was tying a rope around its jaws, but she could tell by his posture that he was annoyed.  His stiff back and the quick movements of his hands as he looped the rope were tell-tale signs of his displeasure in the events that had occurred.  Everyone else seemed disoriented, uncertain of what to do next.

 

Cesar was slowly struggling to his feet rubbing his shoulders, and Tyrell, who was finally able to breathe again, was now sitting up watching the activity and holding his injured arm against his massive chest.  He was nearest, so she moved toward him.  “Are you okay?” she asked as she knelt beside him.

 

He allowed her to gently pry his arm away from his chest to have a look at the damage.  It was bleeding from the row of puncture wounds caused by the teeth in the animal’s jaws.  “I’m bleeding,” he said, weakly, his eyes focusing on the punctures.  “You know, I don’t really like blood,” he added, solemnly.

 

“It doesn’t look serious,” she said reassuringly, but as she looked at his face, she noticed that his eyes were becoming glassy and looked like they were about to roll.  “Are you feeling woozy?” she asked, worried that he was about to faint.

 

“J-just a bit.”

 

“Don’t look at it,” she instructed.  I’ll wrap it up for you.”

 

With the first pteranodon properly secured, Alan stood up again and looked at the workers.  Ernesto had escaped injury and was standing idly nearby, while Garrett rubbed the bruise that was forming on his chest after being struck by the head crest.  He did not seem badly injured, so Alan pointed to the pteranodon that was lying farther down the beach.  “You two.  Get that one secured.”

 

The two men looked at each other, and for a moment, Alan thought they were going to revolt.  Then one of them snatched a strip of rope and they ran down the beach toward it, but he noticed that they approached it with great caution.  He turned his attention to Cesar and checked for injuries.

 

Harding appeared at Ellie’s side a moment later with the first aid kit, and she popped it open and searched through it, picking out a disinfectant and a roll of gauze.  She cleaned the wounds carefully and applied the disinfectant cream to it, then carefully wrapped the gauze around it and secured it with tape.

 

“Have you had a tetanus shot recently?” she asked.

 

Tyrell managed a weak grin.  “I hate needles as much as I hate blood,” he answered.

 

She smiled in response.  For some reason, the biggest, strongest men seemed to have the biggest revulsion to the sight of blood and needles.  “Well, if I was you I would have this looked at by a doctor when you get back to San José, and also get a tetanus shot just to be safe.  We don’t know what kind of bacteria they might carry in their mouths, so promise me you’ll do that as soon as you get back.”

 

Tyrell nodded.  “Okay, I promise.”

 

“Do you need to rest for a while, Tyrell?” Harding asked.

 

“No, no.  I’m fine,” he assured him.  He struggled to get his feet under him, then sank back down.  “Maybe I’d better rest for a moment.”

 

“Just take it easy for a few minutes,” Harding said, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.  “We have two down, so we’ll get them both collared.  That’ll keep us occupied for a while before we need you to go back out in the boat.”  He looked up when Alan approached.  “How’s Cesar?”

 

“Just a little stunned,” Alan replied.  “He has some scratches on his shoulders, but he’ll be okay.  I think he’s more frightened than anything.  It’s a damn good thing those things weren’t strong enough to get him off the ground, or it would have carried him out of reach, probably taking it back to the nest in those cliffs.”

 

Harding fell silent, thinking about that.  They would never have been able to reach him, had that happened, and he shuddered to think about the worker being devoured by a flock of nestlings.

 

“This is what I’ve been talking about,” Alan said, sternly, breaking the sudden silence with the voice Ellie had heard him use to lecture students who had not been paying attention in class.  “We didn’t have any serious injuries this time, and we were damn lucky.  What happened to that extra dart?”

 

“This isn’t my fault!” Mitch protested defensively, thinking that the blame was being place on him.

 

“No one said it was,” Alan replied calmly without accusation, and held up the dart that he had removed from the neck of the animal.  “The tranquilizer didn’t fully discharge.  It got enough to knock it out of the sky and apparently enough to keep it on the ground, but not enough to keep it under as long as we needed.”

 

Harding took the dart and turned it in his hands, examining it carefully.  “That happens occasionally.  Nothing is completely foolproof.  You’re right, Doctor Grant.  It is too easy to become careless, and mistakes can have serious repercussions here.  I’m partly to blame.  I noticed when we were bringing the pteranodon to shore that the rope had become loose, but I forgot about it by the time we had positioned it.  That’s why we always need to keep that extra dart within reach.  We haven’t needed it until now, so it’s understandable that it would slip your mind.  But we need to always be aware.”

 

Mitch gave a lame shrug, mildly placated.  “It must have fallen out of my pocket at some point and I didn’t notice it.  From now on, I’ll check to make sure it’s there before I shoot the first one.”

 

Alan observed him as he spoke, taking note of the fact that Mitch was embarrassed and annoyed more with himself than with those who had reminded him of his oversight.  He was taking responsibility and agreeing to be more careful; he could ask for no more than that.  “All right.  Those who are injured should sit this one out.  The rest of us have work to do.”  Turning, he returned to the prone figure of the winged beast and began taking measurements.

 

Harding paused to draw a deep, calming breath, then selected the next collar and joined him.

 

Ellie gave a long, meaningful look at Mitch, then followed with the notebook.

 

Mitch looked after her, understanding that the look was a direct reference to their earlier conversation about Alan’s frequent reminders to always stay alert.  He sighed heavily.  As irritated as he had been with the paleontologist’s continued warnings, he could not deny that he had been right after all.  All it had taken was one small mistake, and things had spiraled out of control.  Ellie obviously knew Alan very well.  How personal was their relationship?

 

Reaching into the darting kit, he removed another dart, checked the cap, and placed it in his pocket.  He removed the cap on another and reloaded the darting rifle, then joined the others, determined that he would not be so careless next time.

 

 

 

 

 

---

THIRTY TWO

 

The sun had set behind the mountains in the west.  The circles of light from the campfires seemed diminutive in the encroaching darkness.  The laborers quickly discovered that nighttime in the jungle was very different than daytime, and the anxiety was evident in their tense faces.  Shadows lurked behind bushes and trees, and there were noises that could not be identified, putting everyone on edge.

 

Because most animals fear fire, Alan had suggested building several campfires in the open well away from the bluff, forming a protective ring.  The workers were huddled in small groups near the fires as if seeking comfort from the dancing flames, their moods greatly subdued as they considered the unknown dangers that might be prowling the dark forest just beyond the reach of light.

 

The aroma from their supper still lingered in the air, and everyone present knew that the smell of food could attract the carnivores.  Every rustle of the trees and bushes drew rapt attention, eyes peering into the blackness beyond the forest’s edge.  Alan’s reaction to these noises was carefully gauged by the others, seeking consolation in his knowledge of the beasts, but if he was aware of their intense glances, he gave no indication of it.  Mitch kept his rifle, loaded with live ammunition, close at hand, and more than once his nervous hand reached for the weapon before relaxing again.

 

The sounds of the surf rolling up on the beach and crashing against the rocks below the cliff was a soothing sound, and Ellie listened to it longingly.  Beside her, Alan was leaning back against the bluff behind him, his legs crossed at the ankle as he penned his thoughts of the day’s events into his journal using the light from a small lantern that the tagging expedition had brought.  A short distance away, Harding was carefully checking the remaining tranquilizer darts while Mitch cleaned the darting rifle.  Farther out, Cesar and Tyrell were spreading their sleeping bags on the ground, intending to bed down early in preparation for their turns at guard duty later.   Ernesto patrolled just inside the perimeter of the camp, turning an alert ear to every noise in the jungle, while Garrett sat quietly on his sleeping bag, his arms wrapped around his knees, clearly wishing he was someplace else.

 

Mitch and the laborers were especially nervous.  They had never worked with InGen’s unique laboratory-bred animals, and all five of them cast frequent, uneasy glances into the darkness at the edge of the camp.  Observing their edginess, Ellie found herself thinking about the time she and Alan had been caught out after dark weeks earlier.  It gave her a clear understanding of what the workers were experiencing.  Turning her attention to Alan, she watched as he turned a page in his notebook and positioned it on his lap again.  Even though he appeared relaxed and very much at ease, she knew that he was remarkably in-tune with his surroundings.  Any subtle change in the sounds coming from the jungle would bring him totally alert, and she drew reassurance from that.

 

Lured by the sound of the sea, she finally stood up and stepped over Alan’s legs as she made her way through the camp toward the beach.  Mitch looked up as she passed, his eyes lingering on her with more than casual interest, but she ignored him.  Moving out of range of the campfires, she skirted the bluff and felt the turf beneath her feet change from dirt and grass to soft sand.

 

The temperature was slightly cooler here on the beach, where there were no fires to generate heat or the trees and the bluff to retain the warmth.  A mild breeze caressed her face as she came to a stop just above the reach of the lapping waves.

 

It was a beautiful night.  The moon shimmered on the constantly moving water, and a host of stars twinkled in the heavens, more stars than were ever visible in the city back home.  In spite of the dangers that lay in the jungle behind her, the scene that stretched out before her was one of peace and tranquility, and she allowed it to embrace her and draw her into its serenity.

 

In the camp, Alan had watched as Ellie made her way through the campsite and onto the beach, and felt the desire to go with her.  He had never been a romantic.  He was a man who dealt better with things he could see and touch rather than emotions he barely understood, but he knew that he wanted to explore these sentiments that he had always kept buried.  Ellie needed them, and he was beginning to realize that he needed them too.

 

As he laid aside his journal, he glanced at Mitch and saw that the sharpshooter was looking after her and appeared to be contemplating the idea of going after her.  Alan was aware of the fact that Mitch, like most men, found Ellie attractive, and it occurred to him that he was not putting out any signals that he and Ellie were together.  Deciding that needed to change, he got up and followed her, and although he did not glance over at Mitch, he was aware that the other man’s eyes were following him.

 

As Alan disappeared into the darkness, Harding smiled without looking directly at Mitch.  His attention was still on his darts and collars, but his peripheral vision was good and he saw the expression of uncertainty on the other man’s face.  “I know what you’re thinking, and I would let it go if I were you.”

 

Mitch turned to face him.  “They’re together?”

 

“Well,” he said, then paused to test the radio receptor on the collar he was examining.  Setting it aside, he continued, “She came halfway around the world to be with him here on this island.  She’s risking her life with the dangers in this place to be near him and help him with his work.  Alone.  What do you think?”

 

Mitch shrugged and exhaled a quiet sigh.  “Well, that has occurred to me, but I couldn’t tell for sure.  He never gave any indication that they’re together, and he certainly isn’t possessive of her.”

 

“It’s called ‘trust’.”

 

Mitch gave a small snort.  “Yeah, something my ex-wife never had.”

 

Harding chuckled.  “We all have our problems, don’t we?”

 

“Damn right.”  With a sigh, he went to his bedroll and lay down, folding his hands behind his head.  Maybe it was time to see if he could work things out with Renee.

 

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

 

Alan paused in the darkness to observe Ellie, standing silhouetted against the moonlit ocean, and felt the stirrings of love for her in his heart.  Not the physical wanting associated with love, but the emotional and spiritual yearning that is felt for the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with.  It was stronger than ever, or perhaps he was simply more receptive to them.

 

Moving closer to her, he slipped his arms around her waist from behind and spoke softly against her silky hair, “You know, it’s dangerous to wander out here by yourself.”

 

She leaned back against him and draped her arms over his at her waist.  “I know, but I was keeping an alert ear to the tree line.  I could hear the ocean from the camp, and was drawn to it.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the beach in the moonlight.  It’s so beautiful out here.”

 

“So are you,” he told her.  He pressed his lips against the side of her head, then added, “I like the sounds of the waves breaking against the rocks.  I’ve never spent much time on the shore, here or anywhere else.  I never had the time.”

 

“You’ve always been a workaholic.”  The words were spoken without resentment, but he heard the slight wistfulness in her voice for the lost years in which they had been apart.

 

“I know.  I suppose a part of me will always be a workaholic, but I promise you that I won’t allow it to dominate my life like before.”

 

“You love what you do,” she said.  “There aren’t many people who can say that.”  She turned her face so that her forehead rested against his cheek, and closed her eyes, content to be in his presence.  He heard her soft sigh.

 

She did not say so, but he knew there were other thoughts in her mind, longing thoughts and worried thoughts for the young visitor they had entertained for the past few days. “You’re missing Tory, aren’t you?”

 

“You know me too well,” she replied.  “I know it was a traumatic experience for her, but I really enjoyed having her around.  I’ve missed being around kids.  I wonder where she is right now.”

 

Alan turned over his wrist and glanced at the illuminated face of his watch.  “Well, it’s eight o’clock here, so that would make it six o’clock in Los Angeles.  She’s probably having supper with her mother right about now.”

 

She turned to look at him.  “Do you think so?  You think she’s home now?”

 

“Mm-hmm.  I think it’s about a six or seven hour flight from San Jose to L.A. and Ms. Blair had already made the reservations, so barring any unforeseen delays, she’s had her happy reunion with her mother and is probably worn out from the trip.  She’ll probably go to bed early tonight, and Charlie’s dinosaur will probably be standing in a place of honor on her bedside table watching over her.” 

 

“And her mother will stand at the bedroom door for a long time watching her sleep, afraid to let her out of her sight.  I know I would be in her place.”

 

Even without looking, she sensed that he was smiling at her through the darkness as he pressed his cheek against the side of her head.  “I think you have your answer,” he said quietly.  Before she could ask what the question was, he continued, “You told me once that you weren’t sure you could love someone else’s child like your own, but you know now that you can.  You loved that little girl, and she was only with us a couple of days.  You have so much love to give, Ellie.  When you’re ready, I have no doubt that any child who comes under your care will be loved as your own.”

 

She could not help but smile her agreement.  “I know.  I suppose I love all children.  I was still hurting terribly when I said that.”  She paused briefly, thinking about the two precious lives that were lost.  “It still hurts, but it’s getting so that I can think about them and see the fun times we had together, not just the way I lost them.”  Teasingly, she added, “Maybe my love of children is part of the reason I love you so much.”

 

He drew back slightly, surprised.  “What do you mean?”

 

“Most people love dinosaurs when they’re kids, but most outgrow it and turn to other things.  You’re like a big overgrown kid when it comes to dinosaurs.  You should see your face when you give a lecture or when you’re teaching others about them.  It’s like you’re in another world.  Charlie talked about you for weeks after you left, how the ‘Dinosaur Man’ had told him about each of the dinosaurs you gave him.”

 

“I was afraid I was talking over his head.  It’s hard for me to know how to talk to kids.”

 

“He was too young for some of it, but kids understand more than you might think.  You certainly made an impression on him.”  Tears of longing burned behind her eyes, and she fell silent as she blinked them back.  “He was such a good little boy.”

 

Sensing the darkening shift in her mood, he changed the subject.  “We were so busy getting things packed and ready last night that I didn’t get a chance to ask how your folks are doing.”

 

Grateful for the topic change, she cleared her throat to dislodge the lump that had formed there, and drew a deep, cleansing breath.  “They were glad to hear from me again, and scolded me profusely for not calling more often.  I feel badly about that, but we get so caught up in our work that I forget they’re waiting at home, worrying about us.”

 

“Did you tell them about what we’re doing?  Hiking back from the mountains?”

 

“No.  I figured it would just worry them unnecessarily.  I did tell them about Tory and what we’re doing with the pteranodons, but I completely left out the part about the mountains.  They insisted that we be careful and to call more often.”

 

“The truth is, I think we’re about finished here.”

 

This surprised her, and she drew back to gaze at his features in the moonlight.  “Seriously?”

 

“There is little else to do and see at the research center.  And now we’re going to the mountains, the one place that has eluded me.  But I’ve been here a long time, and I think I’ve done about as much as I can do.  It’s been a good experience, but once we get back from the mountains, we’ll start making preparations to leave the island.  I want to get our records and the samples I took back to my lab for further evaluation, and I’m ready to get started on the book.  This island will be here for a long time, maybe forever, so if I ever need to come back, I can do so.  I no longer hate it or the things it represents.”

 

Ellie turned around to face him, and their arms immediately went around the other in a loving embrace.  “I love you so much, Alan.”

 

“I love you, too,” he responded.

 

They were the sweetest words she had ever heard him speak to her, and her arms tightened as if she could not get close enough to satisfy her. 

 

They were quiet for a while, then Ellie said, “I guess we should be getting back into camp.  We’ll need to get some rest before it’s our turn to stand guard.”

 

With his arm loosely wrapped around her waist, they walked back into the camp.  As they walked, her mind drifted ahead to the mountains they would be exploring.  Alan was looking forward to the hike, eager to see what mysteries were concealed there, but Ellie was worried.  There would be unknown dangers, perhaps unknown species, some probably carnivorous.  But Alan had a gun to help protect them, and that gave him additional confidence.

 

“I noticed you didn’t mention that you have a pistol,” Ellie commented, her voice low.

 

“Better to keep that between us,” he said.  “I won’t be able to get it on the plane when we go home and I don’t want to have to explain where it came from, so I’ll have to leave it here when we leave.  I really have no use for it at home anyway.”

 

Together, they moved out of the darkness and into the ring of light from the campfires.

 

Harding looked up as the couple passed.  “We had a good day,” he said.  “Why don’t you sit down and join me for a spell?”

 

“Sure,” Ellie agreed readily.  She sat down opposite him, and Alan sat down beside her.

 

“Doctor Grant, I know what your opinion was of Jurassic Park, but I’ve been meaning to ask you; what did you think of Peter Ludlow’s decision to remove some of the animals from the island for the purpose of creating a more controlled theme park exhibit in San Diego?”

 

“Ludlow?” Alan asked.  He had not been privy to the decisions of the previous expedition to the island, but had heard about them through news reports.  The name did not ring a bell, but quickly deduced to whom Harding was referring.  “Oh, you mean Hammond’s nephew.  It was the dumbest idea imaginable,” he said, bluntly.  “These are not zoo animals, and they have no business being in a cage.  I saw the cages at the embryonic facility, and it gave me chills to think of them being penned up like domestic animals.”

 

“I agree with you, yet we keep dangerous animals like lions and bears in cages,” Harding pointed out.

 

“That’s true, but this is an entirely different type of animal.  The animals you are referring to co-exist with humans in our own time-period, and zoo animals are typically captive bred.  These animals, dinosaurs, became extinct millions of years ago.  They were never intended to walk the earth at the same time as humans.”

 

“Yet here they are through the miracle of science.”

 

“Yes, here they are,” Alan conceded.  He paused thoughtfully, then shrugged.  “If he had set his sights smaller, like a few compies or a couple of Protoceratops, he probably would have gotten away with it.”

 

“But those aren’t impressive enough to attract the public’s attention for very long.  The public craves things on a grand scale, things that are exciting and perhaps even dangerous.  And they pay big bucks to see them.  Of course, we know that the lure of big money is why Ludlow was interested in it.  From what I’ve heard, he was a greedy little weasel.”

 

“Therein lies the problem, doesn’t it?” Alan asked.  “To satisfy his lust for money and to appeal to a public willing to pay high prices, he selected one of the biggest, meanest carnivores ever to walk the face of the earth, and which is not only impossible to control, but lethal and totally unpredictable.”

 

“All carnivores are unpredictable,” Harding agreed.  “But the sheer size of the T-Rex made it a foolish enterprise.  We have many dangerous animals in zoos all around the world; lions, tigers, and bears –“

 

“Oh, my!” Ellie interjected, playfully.

 

Harding and Alan turned to look at her, puzzled.

 

She looked from one to the other, astonished that they did not understand the joke.  “Didn’t either of you ever see The Wizard of Oz?”

 

Harding chuckled, softly.  “Oh, yes, of course.  It’s been a few years, though.”

 

“Boy, that one fell flat,” she said.  “Did you have much opportunity to work with the Pteranodons before the hurricane shut everything down?”

 

“Only on occasion whenever one would injure itself.  If I was here, I would tranquilize it and treat it, but whenever I was on Isla Nublar, the assistant vets would care for them.  They were difficult beasts.  My heart jumped up in my throat when I heard they had escaped the cage, but it appears that Dr. Blake’s genetic altering has done its job, since they appear to be staying here on the island.  I must admit, I am surprised about that.”

 

“Why?”  Ellie asked.

 

Harding smiled and leaned back against the rocky ledge behind him in an attempt to make himself more comfortable.  “Let’s just say that Blake is the epitome of the stereotypical ‘mad scientist’.  Many of his ideas were pretty far out there.  But then, so was the idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life, so I guess he was in his element, wasn’t he?”

 

Alan nodded in agreement.  “Doctor MacFarland wanted all the Pteranodons tagged with tracking devices,” he said.  “And I know that Blake was against it, but why didn’t someone overrule him?  Why was that not done while they were all contained, rather than wait for them to escape?”

 

Harding cocked his head in surprise.  “How did you know about that?”

 

“We found MacFarland’s journal locked in his desk at the hatchery.  He was quite adamant about his concerns.”

 

Harding smiled.  “Ah, you found your way through the hidden door.  Rather like some kind of sick game show, wasn’t it?  ‘And behind this door . . . ‘.  That was another of Blake’s ideas.  Better that the visiting investors not be subjected to the sheer number of casualties caused by our modern era.”

 

“Pollution.  Atmospheric conditions?” Alan asked.

 

“Exactly.  For all their size as adults, they’re quite fragile as hatchlings, and Blake feared that the investors would withdraw their funding if they knew that entire clutches of eggs were being lost, some in the shell, others shortly after hatching.  Even in the sterile lab, infant mortality rates were extremely high, and MacFarland was kept quite busy determining the cause of death so that the problem could be analyzed.  At any given time, there were dozens of infants and adolescents in the autopsy room waiting for examination.  I was unaware that Mac had kept a journal, but I knew he had doubts about a lot of the things that were going on here, so it makes sense that he would write them down in a journal.”

 

“So MacFarland expressed his concerns about the pteranodons to you?”

 

“Yes, he mentioned this to me several times, and suggested that the young animals be tagged before they were released into the cage.  He was quite worried that these winged creatures would somehow get out of their cage and fly to civilization.  He did not paint a pretty picture, and several of the other scientists agreed with him.  However, Doctor Blake scoffed at the notion, saying that putting radio collars on them would remove the air of authenticity for the guests coming to view the animals.  He insisted that his genetic alterations would suppress their desire to migrate.  He managed to convince most of the other scientists that MacFarland was an alarmist with no basis for his concerns.  I hate to admit it, but the gene seems to be working.  The pteranodons are still here.”

 

“Do you think there is a chance that this gene will be handed down through their young?” Ellie asked.

 

Harding drew a deep breath as he considered the question, then let it out in a heavy sigh.  “Who can say?  Personally, I’m surprised that they haven’t started migrating yet.  Nature has an incredible way of repairing and regenerating.  When Hammond called me to assist in your expedition, I suggested that all the Pteranodons simply be destroyed.  Hire a group of sharpshooters to come out here and annihilate them.  That’s the best way of assuring that none of these creatures ever get off the island, but needless to say, he was adamantly opposed to the idea.  I truly have a fondness for that old man, but sometimes he does not use the best judgment.  Flying carnivores of this size should never have been brought back to begin with.”

 

“No argument here,” Alan agreed.

 

“Tagging them is the next best option, and I commend you for taking the initiative.”  Harding’s gaze settled on the world renowned paleontologist.  “I couldn’t believe I had heard correctly when Hammond told me you were on this island, apparently living in harmony with the animals.  Over on Isla Nublar, everything was so organized.  We knew which animal was in which paddock, so we could move around the Park with relative safety -–“

 

“Until the storm,” Ellie interrupted.

 

“Yes, until the storm.  I was on the last boat to the mainland, so I missed all the action, thankfully.  I figured that was the end of Jurassic Park and all the animals, but Hammond insisted that work continue here on Isla Sorna in the hopes of resurrecting the Park.  And once again, I was on that last boat to the mainland when the storm destroyed the facility here as well.”

 

“So it really was a storm?” Ellie asked.

 

“Yes.  You sound surprised.”

 

“The condition of the vehicles parked around the facility made it look like the animals might have revolted or something.”

 

“Ah, I see.  No, I assure you, it was a hurricane.  Quite a bad one, actually.  So, Doctor Grant, why did you decide to come out here alone to study these animals?  I’ve wondered about that ever since Hammond told me you were here.  Why didn’t you bring assistants with you?  There is safety in numbers.”

 

“Not here, there isn’t,” he replied.  “Every time humans come here in numbers, there have been accidents caused by carelessness.  They advertise their presence to every predator in the jungle, and they end up getting killed.”  He indicated the campsite and the people in it.  “Even this is too much, but thankfully we’re staying here on the beach instead of going into the jungle.  Alone, I can travel quietly, disturbing very little as I pass.  I won’t deny that there were a few times when I could have used an extra pair of hands or that I didn’t feel moments of loneliness, but I knew that I was safer by myself.”

 

“That’s what my daughter, Sarah, said when she got back.  She was here nearly a week by herself, you know.  I nearly blew a gasket when I heard about that,” he admitted with a smile.  “I know she’s a grown woman and very capable, but she is my daughter and I worry about her.”

 

“The things she learned were very valuable,” Alan said.  “I read her papers and thought about her experiences here alone, and knew that she had the right idea.  Alone is the best way to be on this island.”

 

Harding’s eyes shifted quickly to Ellie.  “And yet you’re no longer alone.”

 

Alan smiled.  “No, I’m no longer alone.  Ellie showed up unannounced during one of my supply drops, and has been with me ever since.  She understands what I’m doing here, and she knows how to travel with me without advertising our presence.  She’s the only person I completely trust to work with me.”

 

She patted his thigh, affectionately.  “We’re a good team!”

 

“That we are.”  He tucked an errant lock of lank hair behind his ear.

 

Harding smiled, amused.  “Hammond said they powered up the generators for you, but obviously you’ve been living without most modern conveniences.  I’ve been watching you since we’ve been here, trying to figure out what was different about you.  Your hair is longer.”

 

“I couldn’t convince a barber to come with me,” Alan joked with a slight smile.

 

“And he won’t let me cut it for him,” Ellie added.

 

“If you’d seen what she did to it the one time I let her cut it for me, you’d understand why!” Alan told him, emphatically.

 

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder.  “Alan!” she scolded, happily.  “He’s also more tanned and a little more buffed up.  They have some wonderful exercise equipment back at the dormitory, and we’ve been taking full advantage of it.”

 

“Yes, I had forgotten,” Harding said.  “Some of the workers expressed the desire for the exercise equipment to keep in shape during their off-hours, and I was surprised that Hammond sprang the money for it.  He’s really quite a good man to work for, always willing to accommodate the needs of his employees.  All he asks for in return is dedication and quality work.”

 

“What about your daughter?” Ellie asked.  “I’m surprised she didn’t come with you.”  She did not say so, but it would have been nice to have a woman to talk to for a few days.

 

“I’m sure she would have been tempted if she had known about it.  She and Malcolm are in Europe on vacation.”

 

“So, they’re still together, then?”

 

Harding shrugged.  “For the moment.  I like him, I suppose.  He can get on my nerves at times and he doesn’t have a very good track record as far as relationships, but she’s more than capable of handling his eccentricities and she seems happy, so I guess that’s what is important.  They tell me you’re headed for the mountains after we get finished here.  What is it you’re looking for?”

 

“I’m curious to see if there are any species that have retreated to the mountainous regions and what those species are, their diets, their preferred habitat.  Not only that, but I would like to see if perhaps there are any species that are native to this island that may have sought sanctuary in the higher elevations.”

 

“Well, I urge you to be careful,” Harding said.  “This isn’t the safest place for a hike!”

 

“Tell me about it!” Alan agreed.  “In spite of how careful we are, we’ve had a few close calls.  But we’ve learned from them.  All we can do is keep our eyes and ears open, and try to be prepared for anything.”

 

Ellie yawned into her cupped hands as drowsiness began to set in.  “I think I’ll turn in for the night.”

 

“Sounds like a good idea,” Alan agreed.  His eyes settled on Ernesto, who was still patrolling just inside the ring of campfires.  “Ellie has the last watch.  Wake me when it’s my turn.”

 

“Will do.  Goodnight.”

 

Alan and Ellie made their way back to their bedrolls, and lay down side by side to sleep.

 

 

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

 

Alan awakened with a sudden start, and for several tense moments he stared into the darkness around him, experiencing a brief sensation of waking confusion at finding himself in an unfamiliar environment.  It only took moments for the memories of yesterday’s successful tasks to slowly work their way back into his awareness, but his body remained tense.  Whatever had awakened him had been so subtle that he was unable to identify it.

 

It was still dark and very quiet.  The campfires had burned out hours ago, and he could hear the quiet snores of some of the workers as they slept nearby.  Ellie’s inert form lay beside him, still sound asleep, and he lifted his head to see over her.  Taking his turn at watching for signs of danger, Cesar was seated on a boulder against the bluff, his legs stretched out in front.  Although he was a little concerned that the fires had been allowed to die down, he was satisfied that all appeared to be well.

 

Rolling onto his back, Alan laced his fingers together behind his head and gazed up at the sky.  Stars twinkled and flickered in the heavens, and the moon had passed its zenith and was slowly making its way back toward the opposite horizon.  The night was peaceful, and the air was calm.  With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to catch a few more minutes of sleep before it was his turn to stand guard.  But the nagging sensation that something was not right seeped into his stomach, and it only took him a few moments to realize that it was eerily quiet.  Day and night, there was always noise in the jungle.

 

Then he felt it; the alarming tremor in the earth beneath his body, so very slight that it was almost unnoticeable, but he had no doubt what it was.  His eyes snapped open again, and he sat up abruptly, looking cautiously around.  In the moonlight, he could see the motionless forms of the workers lying on the ground nearby, and beyond them the trees and jungle foliage hung limply in the nocturnal stillness.  No one else had awakened, and therefore had not noticed the vibration.  Turning his head, he looked toward Cesar, who did not react at all to the tremor and apparently had not felt it.  Beneath him, the ground shuddered again, ever so slightly.

 

More in tune with the dangers of the island than the others, Ellie raised her head, focusing on him through the darkness, and noticed that he was sitting up.  “Alan?” she asked, her voice a whisper.  “Did you feel –“

 

“Yes.  Get against the bluff,” he whispered back as he rose to his feet.  “Don’t make a sound.”

 

Responding instantly, Ellie scooted herself toward the protection of the bluff, her eyes large.

 

Alan got up, and as he moved toward Cesar he was angered to discover that the man’s chin had fallen onto his chest and he sound asleep.  That explained why the fires had gone out; they weren’t being watched.  Placing a hand on his shoulder, Alan gave him a firm shake.  Cesar wobbled briefly on the boulder and nearly fell off as his head jerked up.  Realizing that he had dozed off, he started to offer an apology, but was stopped by Alan.

 

“Sh!” the paleontologist hissed.  “Get against the bluff with Ellie,” he whispered.

 

Cesar did not object.  Moving quickly and quietly, he joined Ellie against the rocky bluff.

 

As Alan made his way toward Harding, who lay motionless on his bedroll, another tremor shuddered up his body from the ground, and this time Tyrell slowly pushed himself onto his elbow.  He blinked sleepily, apparently experiencing the same confusion upon waking that Alan had experienced.

 

Seeing that he was awake, Alan obtained his attention and pointed toward the bluff, where Ellie and Cesar were waiting.  Tyrell blinked nervously, but understood that something serious was occurring, for he did as directed without speaking.

 

Harding looked up when Alan knelt down beside him and shook him awake, but the finger pressed to the paleontologist’s lips halted the words before they were spoken.  His expression became a concerned frown.

 

“Something’s approaching.”

 

At the paleontologist’s sinister words, Harding felt a cold shiver run up his spin and his scalp prickled with uneasiness.  He rose up on his elbows.  “Are you sure?” he asked in a quiet voice as his eyes darted quickly to the blackness of the trees that skirted the edge of their campsite, even though he already knew he would be unable to see anything.

 

Another impact tremor, still faint but noticeable, was an undeniable indication that something very large was moving toward them, and the two men held their gaze for a long moment before either spoke.

 

“Maybe it’s just a Brachiosaurus,” Harding suggested quietly, hopefully.

 

“I don’t think so,” Alan whispered back.  “Listen.  What do you hear?”

 

Harding tilted his head slightly, listening intently.  The night was still and quiet, and the only sound was the waves breaking on the rocks at the foot of the cliffs.  “I don’t hear anything except the waves against the rocks.”

 

“That’s what I mean.  We should be hearing crickets and jungle frogs.  Something’s coming; something so fearsome that the other animals go silent to avoid detection.  We need to get everyone up.  If this thing comes closer, I don’t want a panic to attract its attention.”

 

Harding nodded his head in agreement.  Regardless of what it was, it was always better to be prepared.  “All right.”

 

Moving quietly, Harding went to Ernesto while Alan went to Garrett, rousing them from their sleep and urging them to remain quiet and move closer to the protection of the bluff.  With fear etched on their faces, the men quickly and quietly did as instructed, crowding nervously against the rocky barrier.

 

“Sit down and try not to move,” Alan instructed when he joined them.  “If it’s a T-Rex, it can walk right by and never see you if you don’t move, so stay calm.”

 

Without responding, everyone who was standing sat down against the bluff, understanding that Alan was making them less visible to any predator that might approach the clearing.

 

Minutes ticked by without incident.  The impact tremors were becoming stronger and more frequent, and the rocky bluff behind them was an excellent conductor of vibration, drawing uneasy glances from the frightened humans who were huddled against it.  Although they remained still as ordered, their eyes shifted constantly, peering into the darkness of the jungle, looking and listening for any indication of danger, imagining that the large leaves and fronds were concealing hidden menaces.

 

The animal was getting nearer, and soon they could hear something large moving through the trees nearby.  Limbs snapped from the trees as the great bulk of a very large animal pushed through them, and the ground trembled with each step.

 

A terrifying roar split the stillness, and Garrett groaned in fear, drawing a sharp, reproachful glance from Alan.  Ernesto crossed himself in a fervent motion, and his lips moved rapidly in silent prayer.

 

“Be still!” Alan reminded them, his voice an urgent whisper.

 

Ellie met his gaze and held it a moment, recognizing the roar as one she had heard before, and along with Alan, identified the creature that had made it.

 

Long, tense minutes continued to tick by.  Noticing the illuminated face on Mitch’s watch, Alan directed him to cover it, and the sharpshooter instantly complied by placing his other hand over it.

 

There were no more tremors, prompting Garrett to whisper, “Is it gone?”

 

His answer was the loud bellow of the creature, so near they could almost smell its fetid breath.  Alan grimaced.  It was just beyond the edge of the bluff where it wrapped around the camp, and the curious scientist in him compelled him to shift ever so slightly in an effort to get a glimpse of it.  It was too dark to see it, but he was certain that he could feel its malevolent presence, and could envision how it looked as it turned its head from side to side, searching for prey.  He knew it was testing the scent in the air, detecting the aroma of the charred wood of the camp fires.

 

It uttered another roar.  Alan could feel Cesar trembling beside him, and grasped his arm firmly to remind him to remain silent.  Mitch looked longingly across the clearing toward the rifle he had failed to snatch when he had been awakened, and he wondered if it would have done any good anyway.

 

Then, they heard the snapping of tree limbs again and felt the tremors as the animal moved past the edge of the camp and began to move away.

 

They waited, huddled against the rocky bluff, remaining silent in the hope that it would not be induced to return.  The tremors continued to diminish and finally they stopped altogether, allowing the humans to breathe a bit easier.

 

When it was quiet again, Alan whispered, “I think it’s gone, but I suggest we keep quiet and remain close to the bluff a while longer, just to be safe.”

 

Everyone tried to relax, but their fear was evident in their wide eyes and rapid breathing.  They remained like that for nearly a half hour, when Alan noticed that the jungle sounds were beginning to return.  Crickets and frogs resumed their nightly chorus, and a bat was briefly silhouetted against the moon as it fluttered to and fro chasing insects.

 

“It’s safe now,” Alan said.

 

Reluctant to leave the protection of the bluff, the frightened men stood up but continued to linger near the rocks, prepared to retreat to its safety again if necessary.

 

“What the hell was that?” Tyrell asked, his voice sounding a bit unnatural in the aftermath of the terrifying incident.

 

Harding shook his head, clearly puzzled.  “The only meat-eater that large is the T-Rex, but I’ve heard them before and that didn’t sound like a Rex to me.”

 

“It was the Spinosaurus,” Alan replied.  “The biggest, meanest predator on this island.”

 

“Spinosaurus?” Harding asked with surprise.  “I’m not familiar with that species.”

 

Now it was Alan’s turn to be surprised.  “You didn’t know about that one?”

 

“No.  This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

 

Ellie spoke up.  “Remember the journal?  MacFarland mentioned that a different vet had been called in to treat the sick Spinos.”

 

“That would be Doctor Reynolds,” Harding said.  “Describe this animal to me.”

 

“It’s a little bigger than a T-Rex, but meaner with a crocodilian snout and a sail down its back.  Very interesting in appearance, but absolutely lethal.”

 

“Another carnivore,” Harding said, thoughtfully.  “Sarah didn’t mention it.”

 

“I doubt that she saw it.  According to the journal, it was an infant when the island was abandoned, the only survivor of several attempts to obtain live specimens, and when she was here, it was probably still small enough to be in danger from the Rexes, so it probably stayed under cover.  And this is a large island, so it’s possible that their paths wouldn’t have crossed anyway.  It’s fully grown now, and I’ve encountered it a couple of times.  Were you aware that InGen was creating species that were not on their list?”

 

Harding’s eyebrows went up in surprise.  “No, I was not.  Are you suggesting that there are others besides this Spinosaurus?”

 

“Not suggesting.  It is a fact.  There are several species on this island that were not on the list.  Most are simple plant eaters, like diplodocus, but the Spinosaurus is by far the most dangerous.”

 

“Fascinating.”

 

“I wish the hell there was some way to destroy that thing.  We’ll have to keep a sharp eye out tomorrow when we finish up the tagging.  If it sees the pteranodons getting knocked out of the sky, it’ll come over here expecting an easy meal.”

 

Cesar felt particularly shamed, and he apologized profusely, “Forgive me, Señor, for allowing the fires to go out.  I didn’t mean to doze off like that.”

 

“Well, in this case, it was probably a good thing,” Alan told him.  “Most animals are afraid of fire, but I believe that if the Spinosaurus had seen them, it probably would have come in to investigate.  That’s the problem with being on this island.  Using fire to protect yourself against most predators can attract the attention of other things.”

 

Mitch had retrieved his rifle, and held it possessively in his hand as he rejoined Alan and Harding.  “Any chance that thing will come back tonight?”

 

“Probably not, but if it does, you’ll notice the dead silence all around even before you feel the impact tremors,” Alan said.  “The animals in the jungle are a reliable watchdog.”  He looked around at the nervous workers.  “Everyone else may as well try to get some sleep.  I’ll take the next watch.”

 

Even though no one really felt much like sleeping, the fact that Alan was taking the next watch seemed to instill confidence in the others, and they dispersed to their sleeping bags.  But even though they lay down, few of them actually managed to drift off.  Instead, they kept their ears turned to the jungle around them, listening carefully for any indication that the monster was returning.