Ellie cleared her throat and smiled uncomfortably at the man standing across from her. Alan never took this long to get ready. As the minutes went by, Ellie grew more and more irritated with the paleontologist.

 

Alan took one more look in the bathroom mirror. He knew he had stalled long enough. Emerged from the bedroom; he glanced at Ellie, and he knew he was in trouble. Guiltily, he realized he should not have taken advantage of her.

 

“Good morning,” he said to the man in mock cheerfulness.

 

“Buenos Días, Dr. Grant,” the man said. “My name is Enrique Prado Hernandez. I have been asked to escort you to the ministry building.”

Alan nodded, then glanced again at Ellie. “I’ll be back later.”

 

“Uh huh,” she said flatly.

 

Damn, I blew it this time. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” he softly said.

 

Despite her irritation, she understood his desire to maintain some small bit of control in his life. “You’d better,” she said.

 

"See you guys later," he said to Lex and Tim. "Have fun at the museum."

 

"We will," Tim said.

 

"Bye, Alan," Lex said.

 

Ellie watched the two men leave, and considered their next move. A moment later, she turned towards the children. “You know, we should get the hat wrapped before we go to the museum. There’s no telling when Alan will return. We’ll have more room at the table,” Ellie said, pointing at the table.

 

“Come on, Timmy, let’s get the hat,” Lex said.

 

“Oh, rats,” Ellie said, with a snap of her fingers. “We need some scissors. I’m going to see if the front desk might have a pair we could borrow.”

 

“Okay,” Tim said.

 

“I’ll be right back.” Making her way to the front desk, she smiled at the young woman behind the counter.

 

“Yes, Señora, may I help you?” the woman asked.

 

“Hi… By any chance, do you have a pair of scissors I can borrow? I need to wrap a birthday present,” Ellie said.

“We should have a pair here somewhere.” The woman began to open drawers. After a few seconds, she pulled a small pair out of the drawers and handed them to Ellie. “Will these do?”

 

“These will work fine. I’ll bring them back after we’re finished.”

 

“Take your time, Señora.”

 

"Thanks," Ellie said. “We’re good to go,” she said, re-entering the suite, where she found Lex and Tim waiting at the table, the hatbox, wrapping paper, and bow already on the table.

 

“Excellent!” Tim said.

 

Ellie removed the plastic wrap from one of the rolls of wrapping paper and unrolled a section. Her earlier guess proved correct; the paper’s length would circle the box, but it lacked the width to cover the entire surface on the sides of the box.

 

“It’s not wide enough,” Tim said.

 

“That’s why Ellie got the second roll,” Lex said.

 

Tim rolled his eyes. “I know, Lex.”

 

Improvising, Ellie and the children used both rolls of paper to cover the hat box. “Now for the bow,” she said, placing the bow on the box, first in the middle, then in a corner. “Which way looks the best?”

 

“I like it in the middle,” Lex said.

 

“Me, too,” Tim said.

 

“I think I do, too,” Ellie said.

 

She took the backing off the bow and attached it to the box, then held it aloft. “Looks impressive, doesn't it?”

 

“Yeah, Alan’s really going to like it,” Lex said.

 

“Well, then let's stash Alan’s hat in the closet and we’ll take off for the museum.”

 

They gathered the hat and leftover supplies and returned them to the closet. Ellie looped her backpack over her shoulder, and picked up the scissors to return to the front desk. “Ready?” she asked.

 

“Yep!” Lex exclaimed.

 

“Follow me then,” Ellie said, smiling.

 

 

 

“Dr. Grant, thank you for coming. My name is Jorge Moreno,” the man said, shaking hands with Alan. “I am an undersecretary for security for the government of Costa Rica. I would like to ask you a few questions.”

 

Obviously, otherwise there would be no reason for me to be here. The whole thing now seemed rehearsed, each time he was asked the same repetitive questions. Moreno was new, so perhaps there would be some new questions this time. “Let’s get started,” he said brusquely, settling into a chair across from the man’s desk.

 

“Dr. Grant, how did you become involved with InGen?” Moreno asked.

 

Alan sighed; so much for new questions. “Gennaro called me one day and told me InGen was building a children’s museum, complete with a dinosaur exhibit. A few seasons earlier we had discovered the first dinosaur eggs in the western hemisphere, but I hadn’t published anything. Gennaro somehow found out about the discovery and wanted information about the nesting habits of Hadrosaurs.”

 

“How did he find about your discoveries?”

 

“I don’t know, you should ask him,” he said. With those words, Alan observed a change in the man’s expression, putting him on guard.

 

 “Unfortunately, we cannot locate Señor Gennaro.”

 

“I told them they’d better watch him,” he muttered. “Anyway, I wrote InGen a paper on the dietary habits of juvenile Hadrosaurs, as well as a summary of everything we knew about their nesting habits. In return, they agreed to pay me $50,000. Gennaro began to call me with all kinds of speculative questions on dinosaur behavior. I was tired of the calls, and made them a deal. If they stopped calling me, I’d settle for $12,000. They sent me a check, and I forgot about the matter.”

 

“When did you first come into contact with John Hammond?” Moreno asked.

“A year later.”

 

“Did you suspect any connection between InGen and Hammond?”

 

“No, none at all. The checks came from the Hammond Foundation."

 

The letter from Hammond, an offer to help fund his field research, had arrived unsolicited. A phone call later, he and Hammond had an agreement; and the first check arrived by courier a week later, just in time for the upcoming field season.

 

“How frequently did you speak with Hammond?”

 

"I spoke with him a few times on the phone. I met him face to face for the first time last week."

 

Moreno nodded. “Dr. Grant, you told Minister Olvera you received an x-ray of a small dinosaur recovered from the mainland.”

 

“Right… I talked with my crew chief, but he couldn’t find the fax. It must have been thrown out with the trash.”

 

“I see. I will inform Minister Olvera of this. Can you tell us who sent you this fax?”

 

“It came from a technician at the University of Columbia, by the name of Levin.” Alan did not mention Guitierrez, although the Costa Ricans probably knew who he was.

 

"This dinosaur was a small one, no?"

 

Alan nodded. "Yes, about the size of a chicken."

 

“Is it possible larger species could have escaped from Isla Nublar?”

 

“It’s possible, but I don’t know how they could get to the mainland. It’s much too far to swim. They would have to be transported somehow...” Alan suddenly remembered Wu’s statement in the nursery. “Of course…” he said softly.

 

“Dr. Grant, did you remember something?”

 

“Yes, we were in the nursery, and we watched a Velociraptor hatch. The geneticist, Dr. Wu, told us he had hoped the egg would hatch before he left for the mainland. We also heard an announcement about a boat leaving in fifteen minutes. They would have used boats to transport personnel, supplies, and equipment back and forth from the mainland.”

 

“Did you see this boat?”

 

Alan shook his head. “I didn’t see it, but that’s got to be how the Compie escaped. Because of the malfunction in the sensors they never missed it.” Or any animal which might have escaped, he added silently.

 

“Thank you for telling us this, it will be a great deal of help to us. Now, I’d like to talk to you about what happened on the island.”

 

Reluctantly, Alan began to give his account of the disaster on Isla Nublar.

 

 

 

Lex giggled and pointed at Tim. “Ellie look, there’s a butterfly on Tim’s head.”

 

“Tim, you look cute,” Ellie said.

 

Tim scowled and rolled his eyes, then gingerly touched the top of his head. The butterfly flew off, and Lex giggled again.

 

The museum tour complete, they stood in a large enclosure filled with several native species of butterflies. “I would like to thank everyone for coming. Have a good afternoon,” the tour guide said.

 

“That was fun,” Lex said, as they walked towards the exit. “I wish Alan didn’t have to go talk to those men again.”

 

“I know,” Ellie said. “I feel kind of guilty about having all this fun. But, there’s nothing Alan can do about it, and I know he wants you to enjoy yourselves.” She checked her watch. “Let’s take a vote, do you guys want to grab a bite for lunch while we’re out, or eat at the hotel when Alan gets back?”

 

“I can wait,” Tim said.

 

“Me too.” Lex said.

 

“Then let’s see how good my cab calling skills are,” Ellie said. She stepped to the curb and held her hand out at the first passing cab. It was occupied, as was the second. The third cab stopped beside her; the driver leaned over and looked out the passenger side window.

 

“Can you take us to the Apartotel El Sesteo?” Ellie asked in Spanish.

 

“Sí, Señora,” the man said.

 

Ellie opened the door to the back seat. “In you go guys.”

 

 

 

“Thanks for the ride,” Alan said, as the car stopped at the hotel’s entrance. For once, the trip had not been a total waste, he mused. He now knew the probable means of escape from the island.

 

“My pleasure, Dr. Grant. Have a good afternoon,” Hernandez said.

 

Alan strolled into the hotel, glancing at his watch, and decided to wait for the others to return to eat lunch. He sensed another headache brewing, so he would take a couple of aspirin. He spotted Robert Muldoon who raised his hand in greeting. The last time Alan had seen Muldoon was at the airport. “Robert, what a pleasant surprise,” he said.

 

“I agree,” Muldoon said. He pointed in the direction of the bar. “I’m about to make my way to the bar, would you like a beer.”

 

“I’d love one.” The beer would probably make his headache worse, but he could not pass up the opportunity to speak to Muldoon.

 

After each ordered an Imperial, they took a seat at a table. “How are you?” Muldoon asked.

 

“Oh, I’m doing great,” Alan said, sarcastically. “I endured another session with my Costa Rican friends this morning. Have they been dragging you in to talk to them?”

 

“They have… There’s not much I can tell them,” Muldoon said shrugging.

 

“I know even less than you do, but that doesn’t seem to matter.”

 

“Gennaro’s the one they should be hounding.”

 

“Well, that’s going to be difficult. It seems the Costa Rican’s are unable to locate Señor Gennaro.”

 

Muldoon snorted with derision. “Why am I not surprised by this? I bet he had help from InGen.”

 

“I’m thinking the same thing.”

 

“Water under the bridge… How are Ellie and the kids?”

 

“We’ve had some rough spots, but considering what they went through, they’re doing remarkably well. She took them to a butterfly museum this morning.”

 

“What about you? You look a little ragged around the edges. Having nightmares?”

 

“Lex is having the nightmares. I’m not sure what’s happening with me.” Grant shrugged. “I keep waking in the middle of the night thinking something’s in the room, but there’s never anything there. I can’t get back to sleep afterwards.”

 

“Did something happen during the night?”

 

“No, we slept in a tree. I haven’t a clue what’s going on,” Alan said and managed a laugh. “Did Hammond tell you about the Compie?”

 

Muldoon shook his head, and peered at Alan. “No, what Compie?”

 

“Before we left Montana, someone sent us a fax of a Compie’s hindquarter. They found it here on the mainland.”

 

Muldoon looked at Alan in alarm. “Oh, hell…”

 

“We had a visitor yesterday, a researcher based here, by the name of Guitierrez. He gave me some disturbing information.” Alan repeated what Guitierrez had told him before. “Their diet was strange.”

 

“What did they eat?”

 

“Soy, agama beans, chickens… Lysine rich foods.”

 

Muldoon whistled softly and shook his head. “I didn’t hear a thing about this, or the Compie. That’s a migratory pattern.”

 

“I agree.”

 

“My God. They went into the mountains?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“They’ll never find them in there.”

 

Alan nodded. “How big were the supply boats?”

 

“They were large enough to hide juvenile dinosaurs, especially small ones. It must have snuck on board while one was docked.”

 

“How good was the security on the boats?”

 

“Security? Ha! Since the technology was infallible, why should there be any reason for security,” Muldoon said bitterly, rubbing his temples roughly. “God, I hope it’s not the Raptors.”

 

“I don’t even want to think about the possibility.”

 

Muldoon leaned forward, and spoke earnestly. “Alan, I tried my best to get them to destroy the whole bloody lot of them. They all laughed at me, told me I was being paranoid. Even after they killed one of my men, they still wouldn’t listen.”

 

“It seems they didn’t want to listen to anyone. Say, there’s something I’d like to ask you. Did you and Ellie have some trouble on the island?”

 

Muldoon grimaced and nodded. “It’s entirely my fault. I didn’t handle the situation well, at all. Actually, I got pissed off drunk and left Ellie in the lurch. I feel lousy about the whole thing.”

 

“Look, why don’t you try to talk to her? She’s not one to carry grudges. Time has passed; I think she’ll listen to you.” He finished his beer and looked at his watch. “Well, my ‘family’ should be back from their museum trip soon,” he said with a grin, and then his face grew serious. “Talk to Ellie.”

 

“I will. I’ll see you later.”

 

“Goodbye, Robert.”

 

Alan returned to a quiet, empty suite. The beer had intensified his headache. He took two aspirin for some relief, then turned on the television. Rapidly turning the channels, other than the Costa Rican versions of soap operas, the best he could find was a soccer game. Stretching out on the couch, he closed his eyes to rest.

 

 

 

Opening the door; television on, Ellie could see Alan stretched out on the couch. At first she thought he was asleep, but his eyes opened, and he rose up on the couch.

 

“Hi,” Ellie said.

 

“Am I in the doghouse?” he asked, as she sat next to him.

 

Ellie laughed. “No, I’ll let you off this one time.”

 

“Ellie, I’m sorry. It was a juvenile thing to do.”

 

“I know, but don’t worry about it. Were the questions the same?”

 

“Pretty much. I did find out one thing. I’ll tell you about it later. They also want to see me again tomorrow.”

 

“Oh, no.” Ellie could see the tightness around his eyes and she rubbed his arm worriedly. “Hey, do you feel okay?”

 

“I’ve got a headache. I took some aspirin a few minutes ago, which should take care of it. You know, I need some exercise. I think I’ll take a swim after lunch.”

 

“Good, then I’ll join you after I put the roast on.”

 

“I will certainly enjoy that,” he said.

 

“Do you want anything special for lunch?”

 

“Whatever you want.”

 

“How about grilled cheese and some soup.”

 

“That’s fine with me. Need some help?”

 

“Nope, you stay right here and rest.” Ellie walked into the kitchen. “Guys, how does vegetable soup and grilled cheese sound?”

 

"Great,” Tim said.

 

“Are we going to eat outside again?” Lex asked.

 

“Yeah, let’s do,” Tim said.

 

“Tim and I can set the table,” Lex said.

 

“Thanks Lex.”

 

While the children set the table on the patio; soup heating, Ellie began to prepare the bread for the grilled cheese.

 

After the table had been set, Tim came and sat next to Alan and looked at the television. “Do you like soccer?”

 

“Not really, it was either this or some Costa Rican soap opera. I’m a rugby man myself, but American football is good too.”

 

“Rugby’s a rough game.”

 

“I have some scars to prove it.”

 

“Alan, it takes a lot of school to become a paleontologist, doesn’t it?”

 

Alan nodded. “Quite a bit, I’m afraid. I double majored in zoology and geology. Then I got my Masters and PhD in Paleontology.”

 

“Oh, man. I’ll never get out of school,” Tim moaned.

 

Alan laughed. “Degrees are like any endeavour. If you really want it you’ll complete your studies. But you know something? I never stopped learning. Every time we extract a skeleton I learn something new.”

 

“What classes should I take?”

 

“You’re in which grade?”

 

“I’ll be in fifth grade.”

 

“Well, you should take as much science and math as you can.”

 

“Good, I like science and math.”

 

“But you can’t neglect your English classes either.”

 

Tim’s face scrunched up in distaste. “English? Why?”

 

“You’ll have to publish your research, write grant proposals, and keep a daily field journal. Every paleontologist needs to have a good command of English.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“You haven’t changed your mind have you?”

 

Time mulled over Alan’s words for a minute, then smiled. “No, I still want to be a paleontologist.”

 

“There you go. It also helps to be able to draw a little bit.”

 

“Like in your book?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Alan, Tim, lunch is ready,” Ellie said. “What do you want to drink?"

 

“Milk for me, please,” Tim said.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Alan said.

 

Ellie chuckled; they had already polished off the first gallon of milk.

 

“Come on, Tim.” He put his arm across the boy’s shoulder, and they both went out onto the patio.

 

 

 

“Okay, guys, I’m ready for our swim, how about you?” Alan asked.

 

“I am!” Tim said.

 

“Me too!” Lex said.

 

“Okay, I’ll get changed,” Alan said.

 

“I’ll meet you out there after I finish putting the roast on,” Ellie said.

 

“Okey, dokie.” Alan said.

 

Ellie decided to cook chickpeas, which Lex said possessed a lot of protein.

“Lex, I’m going to make the chickpeas, okay?”

 

“That sounds great.”

 

“We’re having macaroni and cheese. And… I’m going to try some mashed plantain.”

 

Tim smiled broadly. “Goody!”

 

Alan came out of the bedroom, dressed in his swimsuit. “Don’t be too long, okay?”

 

“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” Ellie said.

 

They did not have a roasting pan, but a heavy cast iron skillet and its matching lid would work perfectly. Ellie heated some oil in the pan and turned on the oven. While the oil heated, she mixed flour, salt, and pepper together then dusted the roast with the mixture. The roast searing; she began to slice potatoes, carrots, and onions. As the meat browned, she added two cups of water, the vegetables, some thyme, and a few bay leaves. For extra flavor she added a little of the Salsa Lizano.

 

As she entered the bedroom to change into her swimsuit, she halted as the phone rang. “Hello?”

 

“Uh, hello — is Dr. Grant there?”

 

“He’s not here right now. This is Ellie Sattler, can I help you?”

 

“Oh, hello, this is Lynda Murphy.”

 

“Hi, it’s good to talk to you. They’re at the pool with Alan.”

 

“I’m surprised you can get Tim out of the pool.”

 

Ellie laughed. “He does like to swim.”

 

“I wanted to call and tell you the papers are signed, I am now officially a free woman.”

 

Ellie could not miss the anger in Lynda’s voice. “I see,” she said. Not knowing the details of the divorce, she was unsure of what else to say. Congratulations? That wouldn’t be appropriate.

 

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’ve done,” Lynda said. “I’m sure you can’t wait to get back to teaching.”

 

“You are right about that. Lex and Tim have been a lot of fun. I’m afraid Lex has a crush on Alan though.”

 

 Lynda laughed. “The poor man. I guess the Costa Rican’s are still talking to him.”

 

“Everyday… They ask him the same questions over and over again.”

 

“Oh dear. I’m truly sorry you got mixed up in this.”

 

“Well, we’re alive. At this point, it’s what I’m focusing on.”

 

“Dr. Sattler, are the kids really okay? I’ve sensed Alan hasn’t been able to talk freely.”

 

“Please call me Ellie.”

 

“Okay, if you’ll call me Lynda.”

 

“He’s wanted to talk to you about what happened, but the children have always been around.” Ellie paused for a second, then began to speak. “Lynda, I won’t sugar coat it. They’ve been through a terrifying ordeal, and witnessed some things no one should see, adult or child. They seem outwardly fine, but Lex has had a nightmare or two; and Tim’s apprehensive when it thunders." Ellie suspected Lex had suffered from more than the one nightmare, but there had been no more terrified awakenings, and she had not mentioned anything. “We’ve been keeping them busy.”

 

“I see. Thanks for letting me know. It will give me an idea of problems to watch for. I haven’t been the best mother for a while, and things have been tense between Lex and I for a long time. I know I’ve been too hard on her, but that will change.” Lynda paused before speaking. “Did they see my father die?”

 

“No, they didn’t find out until after we got to San Jose.”

 

“It’s strange, but I’m relieved.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Did you know they haven’t even retrieved his or Ian Malcolm’s body from the island?”

 

Ellie stiffened, shocked by Lynda’s words. “No, I didn’t know.”

 

“Joe Reiling told me the Costa Ricans want to be sure all the animals are dead – or they’re using that reason as an excuse.”

 

“Oh, how terrible,” Ellie said.

 

“Ellie, can I ask you something?”

 

“Sure, anything…”

 

“How much was my father going to pay you for the trip?”

 

“He was going to pay us each $20,000 a day.”

 

“I see. Did he give Alan a check?”

 

“No, I’m sure he was going to give it to Alan when we left.”

 

“Okay. I’ll see you get the check. You’ve earned it, two or three times over.”

 

Ellie looked skyward in gratitude. “Lynda, I can’t tell you how much Alan will appreciate it. He’s been worried about what’s going to happen to his field research.”

 

“As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t even begin to pay you back.”

 

“It does, believe me. We were talking about something the other day. If it’s okay with you, we’d like for Tim to come out to Montana next summer for a bit. It might change his mind about being a paleontologist, once he sees how much work it is. We’d love to have Lex too, if she wants to come.”

 

Lynda chuckled. “Sure, Tim can go, if you don’t mind putting up with him.”

 

“It won’t be a chore at all.”

 

“Well, I have a lot to do before I leave. Joe Reiling has arranged a room for me at the hotel.”

 

“Lynda, the Embassy is a short distance from us. Joe can swing by and pick us up so the kids can meet you.” Ellie remembered Alan’s appointment.

 

“That would be great.”

 

“Alan is supposed to go downtown again. Hopefully, he’ll be back by the time you get here.”

 

“I hope so. Once I find out the ETA I’m going to call Joe. He’ll let you know what time to be ready.”

 

“We’ll be ready.”

 

“Bye, Ellie.”

 

“Bye.”

 

She finished changing into her swimsuit. Slipping on an over shirt and grabbing the room key, she opened the door into the hall.

 

“Oh!” she exclaimed, and jumping backwards, heart beating rapidly in alarm; once again, she found herself in the defensive position.

 

Robert Muldoon preparing to knock, equally surprised, took a step backwards.

 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Muldoon said with a nervous laugh.

 

Ellie attempted to pull herself together. “Robert, Alan’s not here.”

 

“Well, actually, I wanted to talk to you. I’d like to apologize for my behavior on the island.”

 

Ellie took a deep calming breath, debating whether to let him in. “Come on in,” Ellie said at last, and took a seat in one of the side chairs.

 

Muldoon sat on the couch, leaned forward, and put his elbows on his thighs. “Ellie, I’m sorry about how I acted on the island. I’m ashamed of myself. I knew those animals better than anyone, and I should have been able to keep my head.”

 

“Its okay, Robert. Everyone reacts differently to a situation like that.”

 

“You showed a great deal of courage and resourcefulness.”

 

“I don’t know about that,” she shrugged. “I was scared stiff.”

 

“How are you doing?”

 

“I haven’t had any nightmares, but I’m jumpy. It’s like I expect something to grab me.” She had not told Alan this; she didn’t want him to worry about her more than he already did. “If you see Alan, don’t mention anything. He’s got too much to worry about as it is.”

 

“I won’t. Well, I’ll let you get to the pool.” He stood up and walked to the door. “Tell Alan hello for me.”

“I will.”

 

“Thanks for listening to me.” Muldoon looked relieved. “Take care, Ellie.”

 

“You too, Robert.” Shutting the door to the suite, she walked towards the pool.