Chapter 11

 

 

     The rain was just beginning to fall when Alan lifted his head to look out of the window above his head. It had been a few hours since Malcolm and everyone else had left for safety…or that's what he was hoping for. Ellie hadn’t spoken to him since she informed him of his ineptness to the situation. So instead, he just thought to himself about how he got into this mess.  Secretly he prayed that this was all a dream and that he would wake up soon in his trailer with the Montana sun shining in.

 

“Maybe if I pinch myself I’ll wake up,” Alan murmured under his breath.

 

“What?” Ellie asked quietly.

 

“Hmm…nothing just talking to myself,” Alan stated as he stumbled over the words.

 

“Yeah right,” Ellie said nonchalantly.

 

“You know this isn’t my fault,” Alan said sharply.

 

“And whose fault is it?” Ellie asked.

 

“Yours,” Alan said accusingly.

 

“Mine?  And how in the damn world did you come up with this brilliant idea,” Ellie asked defensively.

 

“Well let’s see. First, I didn’t want to come, but no, you sat there in Hammond's office and made me feel guilty. Second, you ran off to this island with Malcolm, which by the way has to be the dumbest thing you ever done…well second dumbest thing. And third you…you…I can’t think of a third reason but there has to be one,” Alan lectured.

 

“I can’t believe it,” Ellie said, astonished.

 

“What?” Alan asked inquisitively.

 

“That you mange to become more cynical since we’ve been on this island,” Ellie said sharply.

 

“I haven’t…” Alan’s protest was cut off when Radcliffe came in with two men. One who was holding a rifle and the other was carrying a laptop computer.

 

“Dr. Grant, I believe it is now your turn to hold up your section of the negotiation,” Radcliffe said with a smile as the computer was placed on the table closest to Alan.

 

“How can I make sure that my friends got off the island?” Alan asked sternly.

 

“You can’t. For the first time in your life you are going to need to trust someone,” Radcliffe said as he walked over to Ellie.

 

“You've got a sexy woman here, Dr. Grant,” Radcliffe commented as he lifted a hand to Ellie’s face. Ellie backed off sharply.

 

“Don’t you dare touch her,” Alan screamed and lurched toward Radcliffe, but was pulled backed by one of his men.

 

“I won’t touch her, at least not yet. Fix the problem and both of you can fly off this island and into the sunset,” Radcliffe said with a smirk before he motioned the guards to leave. With one more glance he walked out the door himself.

 

“You sure know how to make friends Alan,” Ellie said as she walked over to the computer.

 

“Too bad I can’t keep the ones I want,” Alan said softly as he walked over to the computer and sat down.

 

“Why don’t you turn it on?” Ellie asked as she watched Alan look at the computer dumbfounded.

 

“Yeah that’s good idea” Alan replied hastily.

 

     It had only taken Alan a total of five minutes to figure out how to turn on the computer. Ellie laughed mentally to herself at the situation because at the moment it seemed nothing had changed. Alan still didn’t like computers. Thankfully it only took a few for Alan to open the file he needed but what was about to happen would cause Ellie to laugh for the rest of her life.

 

“2% plus another 89% minus some unknown amount would equal what?” Alan asked as he slowly typed each word into the computer.

 

“Unknown answer,” the computer screen blinked the answers.

 

“Okay how about 2% and 50%?” Alan asked as once again he slowly typed the question. The computer blinked the same answer as before, which caused Alan to cuss it out under his breath.

 

“Can I make a suggestion,” Ellie asked.

 

“Sure, why not,” Alan said sarcastically as he pushed the computer away.

 

“I’ll do the typing and you tell me what to do,” Ellie stated as she looked at him.

 

“Deal,” Alan said as he touched the computer and handed it over to her. The computer made a beeping sound and then shut down.

 

“What did you do?” Ellie asked as she looked at the computer.

 

“Nothing I just handed to you,” Alan retorted.

 

“Dr. Grant, you will never be machine compatible,” Ellie said laughing.

 

“What can I say I’m an old fossil,” Alan said with a smile. Ellie returned his smile for the first time that day.

 

“So what do we start with first?” Ellie asked as she turned on the computer.

 

“Try and figure out how to actually run B.C.D. and what outcomes will happen,” Alan stated across from the table.

 

     The hours passed by with no luck, leaving both Ellie and Alan tired and furious with technology in general. Seeing that their luck wasn’t going to get better, both retired to the small couch and sat down next to each other.  Ellie was rubbing her eyes hoping to make her vision clear up. Alan just leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

 

“I can’t see straight,” Ellie commented as she looked at Alan.

 

“I can’t think straight so we’re even,” Alan said with a smirk.

 

“You could never think straight,” Ellie shot back as she tried to get comfortable on the couch.

 

“Use my shoulder,” Alan said without opening his eyes.

 

“Alan,” Ellie warned. Alan opened his eyes and looked directly into hers.

 

“We’re both tired and need sleep. If we can get comfortable then we are more likely to get a better night’s sleep and we need it,” Alan said as he moved his arm to the top of the couch.

 

     Ellie hesitated for a moment before leaning her head on his shoulder and draping her arm across Alan’s chest. Alan sighed in relief as he curled his arm around Ellie trying to pull her closer to him as he fell asleep. Ellie smiled at the gesture before finding herself slowly falling asleep. Within a moment, both were sound asleep and oblivious to what was happening elsewhere.

 

 

 

     Across the island a group of people where trapped in a small area that looked to be once a cage for some animal. As the rain came pouring down, one of the members looked up and stared across the island with hatred in his eyes. Slowly he stood up and walked over to the bars on the cage.

 

“I swear on my life I will make you pay for this, Grant,” Malcolm growled to himself as he gripped the bars in frustration.

 

“Ian, get over here and help us dig the hole,” Sarah shouted over the rain. Ian shook his head once more before walking over to the group.

 

“The bars must be buried six feet or more and we have no shovels to dig the hole so how do you expect to dig a damn hole,” Malcolm demanded.

 

“Got a better idea?” Lex asked as she looked at him

 

“No, but that doesn’t mean we need to dig a hole,” Malcolm stated.

 

“Listen, this is our only option if you have noticed. Grant left us to die for his own selfless pride and I don’t know about you but I don’t want to die in the middle of a cage or on this island,” Tim yelled surprising everyone around him.

 

“Who knew you had a backbone,” Lex stated.

 

“Yeah well now you know,” Tim replied quietly as he went back to digging a hole with his hands.

 

“Are you going to help or not?” Lex asked as she got to her knees and started to dig in the ground.

 

“If we get out this alive, remind me to kill Alan," Malcolm stated as he dropped to his knees and started to dig in the wet mud.

 

“ROARRRRR” from a distance the grouped heard the sound.

 

“Must go faster,” Malcolm said as he looked toward the jungle. With that the group started to dig faster.

 

 

     Meanwhile back at Radcliffe's little hideout, Radcliffe was sitting at his chair rotating his buck knife in his hand. The situation hadn’t turned out the way he had hopped but rather it was better. He had Alan caught and working on the program to make Jurassic Park run correctly and Alan’s little friends were in a cage where they would be until tomorrow morning when he would leave them to the raptors. Radcliffe raised his head as James, one of his men, entered the room.

 

“Sir, I just checked on Grant and he is asleep,” James stated.

 

“And Ellie?” Radcliffe asked.

 

“Next to him.”

 

“Did you check on the others?”

 

“No, I sent Bryan to check on them,” James replied sternly.

 

“Tell him to check with me when he returns,” Radcliffe replied and turned around to face an empty wall. With a little bit of force, he threw the knife at the wall there it struck and stayed.

 

“I’m going to go and get something to eat,” Radcliffe said as he walked past his guard and into the deserted hallway.

 

 

 

     Malcolm was digging as fast as he could but the rocks buried in the Earth were beginning to cut his fingers and with each cut he was forced to slow down. By the looks of it, the rest of the group was having the same problem but each one of them keep digging because they knew they were facing death if they didn’t get out of the cage.

 

“Stop what you are doing,” a man yelled from outside the cage. Malcolm jumped to his feet and looked over to the man.

 

“Like hell, we aren’t going to stop until we get out of here. You will need to shoot us first,” Malcolm stated as he tried to wipe the water off his glasses.

 

“I can arrange that,” the man stated as he raised the gun to the level of Malcolm's head.

 

“He didn’t mean it,” Sarah said as she stood up in front of Malcolm.

 

“I know, and for your knowledge I don’t plan on shooting any of you,” the man stated as he lowered the gun. “I’m here to help.”

 

“What?” Lex asked. The man shook his head and walked over to the lock on the cage and used the keys to open it.

 

“Get going, find your friend and get off this island,” the man stated as he held the cage door open. The group hurried out of the cage. Malcolm was the last to leave, but as he left he stopped and look at the person.

 

“Why are you doing this?” Malcolm asked.

 

“Because Dr. Grant was once a teacher of mine. He isn’t going to get off this island alive unless you help him,” the man explained sadly.

 

“What will happen to you,” Lex asked, concerned.

 

“Just go, I will worry about myself. But remember one thing. Dr. Grant is a decent person, he just got mixed up with some bad people,” the man replied.

 

“What is your name?” Malcolm asked as the rain began to stop.

 

“Bryan. Now go, please,” Bryan begged and without a second of hesitation the group took off running into the jungle.

 

 

     Bryan walked back into the hideout, dripping wet and scared. He had just disobeyed an order from Radcliffe and he knew that death would be the price to pay for doing it. He just hoped that he could stay alive long enough for the group to get out and away from danger. He, just like Grant, had gotten mixed up with some bad people, but unlike Grant he couldn’t leave unless he was dead and now that seemed to be Bryan’s only option.

 

“Radcliffe is looking for you,” James stated as Bryan walked into the room.

 

“What does he want?” Bryan asked, frightened.

 

“He wants an update on those people in the cage,” James stated as he picked up his knife and began to clean it with a towel.

 

“Where is he,” Bryan sadly asked.

 

“His office,” James replied without looking up.

 

     Bryan nodded slowly as he headed toward the office. He knew then how those who are sentenced to death felt. Knowing that in the matter of minutes your existence on this planet would be gone. But unlike those people, no one would know he had died and his family wouldn’t be able to give a proper funeral because his body would never be taken back to the states, but rather he would decompose here for eternity.  Bryan knocked on the door and waited for the response that would change his life.

 

“Come in,” Radcliffe's voice carried through the door.

 

“You wanted to see me sir,” Bryan said as he laid the gun down on the table.

 

“Did you check on the prisoners?” Radcliffe asked as he looked at his knife.

 

“Yes,” Bryan said sternly.

 

“And?”

 

“They are where we left them. To be exact, they are just sitting in the mud wondering what is to come next.”

 

“Bryan how long have you work for me?”

 

“Over a year, sir.”

 

“So you know by now that I can tell when someone is lying to me.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“You wouldn’t be lying to me now, would you?”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

“Good,” Radcliffe stated with a smile and walked over to Bryan. “You should know that I had James go and check up on you to see how you where doing and to my surprise he returned and told me that you released the prisoners.”

 

“He said that, sir,” Bryan said shakily.

 

“Yup,” Radcliffe stated with a smile.

 

     With one quick movement of the wrist Bryan felt the blade enter his body slicing right up to his heart. He fell to the ground with a screaming pain. Radcliffe looked down at him and shook his head before kneeling next to him.

 

“You could have been good…but thanks to you I now need to work harder,” Radcliffe stated.

 

“Go to hell,” Bryan said with force but it came out barely.

 

“You first,” Radcliffe replied before taking the knife and slicing Bryan’s throat. Bryan die instantaneously on the ground. Radcliffe rose to full height and walked out of his office and over to James.

 

“Take the body out to the middle of the jungle and leave it there. Then I want you back here…we have a hunting game to play,” Radcliffe stated with a smile on his face as he headed down the hallway. James just watched him go with no signs of guilt or shock on his face of what had just happened.

 

 

 

     Malcolm was running through the jungle as the plants hit every part of his body making him wetter than he was before. Close behind the others followed not knowing where Malcolm was leading them or how long they had before Radcliffe found out that they were out.

 

“Ian, please stop,” Sarah yelled from behind. Malcolm forced himself to stop running.

 

“We need to get away,” Malcolm stated, out of breath.

 

“And go where?” Sarah asked. “We are trapped on an island with no mode of transportation off it and to top it off we have a man, who by now is pissed, after us and a bunch of dinosaurs looking for us to be their supper.”

 

“We need to get to safety,” Tim stated shaking from the cold.

 

“Just follow me I know where I’m going,” Malcolm stated as he looked around.

 

“Follow you where,” Lex asked.

 

“We are going to get Alan. There is only one way off this island and he is the person that will help get it. As much as I could kill him right now, he is the only person that can help and he is my friend,” Malcolm said quietly before starting to run again. Everyone followed him without anymore questions.

 

 

 

Alan was sound asleep, not dreaming of running in the jungle or of Ellie, but rather he was having dreams of sitting on a beach watching the sunset over the water. He felt his heart was content and if he could, he would stay in that moment for the rest of the time. But time has a funny way of changing that and like time, his dream changed to him running again in the jungle but this time he didn’t stop until he reached the bank of the river and it was there he saw a little girl.

 

“Who are you?” Alan asked, out of breath.

 

“I’m someone you will know eventually,” The girl replied without turning around.

 

“Can I get a name at least,” Alan asked softly.

 

“Sorry doesn’t work that way,” the girl stated.

 

“What doesn’t work that way?” Alan asked, confused.

 

“Life.”

 

“Life?”

 

“Yes life. Haven’t you ever noticed that things you plan on never happen and if they do happen, it isn’t the way you anticipated?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well that is life. We as people are placed on this planet for whatever reason and during that time we meet people that are meant to be special and some of those people are so special that we need them in our lives in order to survive.”

 

“What does this have to do with anything?”

 

“You have that type of person in your life but it isn’t who you think it is.”

 

“Oh, that’s helpful.”

 

“I’m not here to help. I’m here to guide and right now you are lost. The jungle holds the answers you seek, you just need to listen.”

 

     With that last the sentence, the girl disappeared and Alan woke up in a sweat. His heart was pounding and he felt as if he had seen a ghost or something close to it. The voice was one he had heard before but it couldn’t be the same. Alan looked over at Ellie who stirred in her sleep before waking up. She looked at Alan in a panic.

 

“What’s wrong?” Ellie asked as she sat up.

 

“Nothing,” Alan’s voice was shaking.

 

“You look as if you have seen a ghost,” Ellie replied as she placed her hand against a cheek.

 

“More like heard one,” Alan said scared.

 

“Heard?” Ellie inquired.

 

“I heard my mother’s voice in my dream,” Alan replied as he looked at Ellie.

 

“What is wrong with that?” Ellie asked confused.

 

“My mother died when I was a baby,” Alan answered. Ellie just looked at him shocked.