TITLE: Jurassic Park New Beginnings

AUTHOR: Yvonne Bartha

RATING: PG-13

KEYWORDS: Jurassic Park

CATEGORY: Action/Adventure with a little bit of Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Romance thrown in. :)

SPOILERS: Includes anything that happens in the films and is mentioned in the fic.

WARNINGS: There are a few descriptions of people getting eaten by dinosaurs, but nothing too bad really.

ARCHIVE: Request to archive fic.

SUMMARY: Okay, not so brief, but here goes ... When a wealthy man decides to team up with the Biosyn Corporation and make his own secret dinosaur theme park, off the coast of the Baja Peninsula (Mexico), John Hammond turns to the only people he can trust, Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant. After some coaxing, he talks them into getting some valuable information from the Biosyn computers, in an attempt to get the island shut down. And, after an intense encounter with her soon to be ex-husband Mark, Ellie agrees to go along, as well.

Only what was initially set up as "sneak in, sneak out" mission, turns into something much more, as Grant and Malcolm discover that Biosyn has taken hostages. Tim and Lex Murphy, and Alan Grant's cousin, Jodie are the unlucky participants. So now the mission suddenly turned into a rescue operation . . . and a dangerous game of cat and mouse with some of the most feared creatures in the world.

DISCLAIMER: Um, I don't own the JP characters, so don't sue me :)

Jurassic Park: New Beginnings

June 2003

Chapter 1: The Proposal

Fort Peck, Montana

Alan Grant walked out of his trailer in Montana. One of his assistants had requested his presence about a 1/4 mile away, at one of the many digging areas. Rumor had it that a complete adult Velociraptor skeleton was found. He got into his truck and drove down the dirt road. He drove slowly and then stopped when he found the small crowd of about 10 people.

"Dr. Grant! Over here! You've got to see this," one of the young college students yelled.

Alan ran over to the crowd and made his way through. He looked down and was simply amazed by what he saw. The rumors were true. In fact, the truth far exceeded the rumors. There, directly in front of him, lay a complete and perfectly preserved Velociraptor. It was, hands down, the best single discovery his team had ever made.

"Who found it?" Alan asked.

Everyone pointed to the same person. It was a 20 year old college student. His name was Kevin Donavin. He had only been a part of the team for a few months.

"Well, congratulations, Mr. Donavin."

Alan walked up and shook Kevin's hand.

"Thank you, Dr. Grant."

"This is a first for our team. A perfectly preserved Raptor."

"Yes, sir. That's what I was told," Kevin said. Then he smiled. "Does this mean I have a spot on next year's team?"

"I think you can assume that," Alan said. "This calls for a celebration. Ladies and gentlemen, let's take a little break, shall we?"

Alan walked back to his truck . Most everyone followed, except for two students, who covered up the find. They followed soon after. Some of the guys jumped in the back of his pickup and two of the female students, Jessica and Beth, jumped into the passenger seat. The remaining people went to their own vehicles and followed Alan out of the dig site.

"Dr. Grant, I thought you found a complete skeleton before," Jessica commented.

"Well, that is true. We uncovered one before, but we weren't able to lift the right hind leg. It disintegrated during the excavation process."

"Oh, I see," Jessica said.

"Dr. Grant?" Beth asked.

"Yeah?" Alan asked, as he kept his eyes on the dirt road.

"Did you have a good conference?"

"Yes, thanks for asking. I think I managed to get funding for next year. I'll know tomorrow."

"That's great. I was wondering, if it wasn't too much trouble, if I could stay on next year?"

"Sure you can, Beth. You're a great asset to our team."

"Thank you," Beth said, smiling.

Alan really had a wonderful team assembled. There were about 6 college interns, 2 junior paleontologists, 1 paleobotanist, 3 geologists, and 2 demolition experts. There were also about a dozen men hired as transporters.

Alan reached the end of the dig site and stopped the truck, when he noticed a limousine blocking the exit road.

"What the . . . ?" Alan began to say.

He was about to stick his head out of the window to yell, but then he watched as an older, white haired man emerged from the limo. There was another younger man helping him get out. He recognized the man immediately. He got out of his truck and approached the man.

"Mr. Hammond. What brings you to Montana, sir?"

John Hammond smiled at Alan. He was 77 years old now and Alan noticed that he needed more than just a cane to walk with. The driver met Hammond on the other side and gave him his walker.

"Well, Dr. Grant, I'm afraid this is a business call of sorts."

Alan frowned. He didn't want to get involved in anymore of Hammond's business ventures.

"I'm really sorry you came all this way, Mr. Hammond."

"Now, now, Dr. Grant. You can at least hear an old man out, can't you?"

"Well, quite frankly, sir . . . no, I cannot."

Most of Alan's team caught up to them. They were standing a little ways behind Alan, listening closely to the conversation. All of them knew who John Hammond was, of course. None of them had actually had the chance of seeing him in person.

"Please, Dr. Grant. I just need your advice. That's all. I don't need you to do anything or go anywhere. I just need your knowledge."

Alan looked at him suspiciously. Hammond hardly ever told the whole truth. But maybe, this time, he was being sincere. Alan was almost certain Hammond was just trying to reel him in. He took the bait, with the intent of being careful.

"Okay, Mr. Hammond. This won't take long, will it?" Alan asked. He gestured behind him. "I was about to celebrate a discovery that my team made this afternoon."

"No, it shouldn't take long. Please, could we go into your trailer and talk?"

"Sure, why not," Alan said, gesturing toward his trailer.

Hammond's assistant helped the man into Alan's trailer. After Hammond was situated, the assistant left.

"Alan . . . can I call you Alan?"

"Of course you can," Alan said.

"Good, good. Well, then, likewise, you can call me John," Hammond smiled, as Alan nodded. "Anyway, I have a proposal for you."

"I thought you said I wouldn't have to go anywhere or do anything."

"Well, can I be truthful?"

"Oh, please do, John," Alan said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"I would like you to accompany me somewhere."

Alan began to feel tricked, yet again, by John Hammond.

"That doesn't sound very official," Alan said.

"No, it's not official, that is true. But it could prove to be quite profitable to those involved."

Alan was getting more and more skeptical. The last time Hammond was this elusive, Alan ended up running from dinosaurs.

"Where, John?"

"To a secret island."

"Let me guess . . . off the coast of Costa Rica?"

Hammond laughed. It was a loud, hearty laugh.

"No, no, no, Alan. Not this time, I'm happy to say."

"What's this about, John? Enough with the secrecy already."

"Well, Alan. It has come to my attention that a renegade agent from InGen has stolen the embryo vials of every dinosaur species we ever made."

"When did that happen?"

"About three years ago."

"Three years ago?" Alan abruptly asked. He was growing tired of his visitor. "Why bring it up now?"

"Well, we knew that the embryo vials were stolen three years ago, that is true. But nothing ever came of it . . . until recently."

"What happened?" Alan asked, then stopped himself. "Oh, you know . . . never mind. I don't want to get involved in this at all."

"Please, Alan. I need your help on this one."

"No, John. I'm not going to any islands occupied with dinosaurs. You can forget ab-"

"Oh, no, no, no, Alan. This island isn't infested with dinosaurs."

"What, then?"

"It's an island with offices only. Offices belonging to the Biosyn Corporation."

"Biosyn? They're still around?"

"Yes. Unfortunately for all of humanity, yes."

"Okay, John. I have to admit, you have me intrigued . . . a little."

"Let me explain, Alan. About a year and a half ago, we got word that our renegade agent sold the embryo vials to the Biosyn Corporation. About 5 months ago, we found out that Biosyn was attempting to clone dinosaurs using our invaluable information. Information that we've painstakingly collected over the years."

"Were they successful?"

"Yes, they were. Biosyn bought their own island and started construction about 9 months ago. I couldn't believe we didn't catch it right away."

"So, there's a third island now?"

Hammond stared at Alan. He was trying to guess just how interested Alan was in the story.

"Yes."

"Well, isn't that just great . . . ?" Alan said, tapering his sentence off, as it ended in a few curse words.

"Alan, I need you to help me stop Biosyn."

"I am not a super agent. I'm a scientist. How can I possibly help you stop Biosyn?"

"With your knowledge of dinosaurs."

"John, no offense, but I think you have lost your mind."

Hammond laughed again.

"Alan, I can assure you that I am of sound mind. If you and I could fly to this island and identify the different types of dinosaurs that Biosyn has on their encrypted lists, we can prove that they are illegally cloning dinosaurs. We could get them shut down and put out of business, possibly even arrested."

"So, there are computers involved?"

"Yes."

Alan closed his eyes for a second. He didn't hate many things. He hated computers though. Hated them. Technological advances were sprouting up all around him. He suspected that it was only a matter of time before computers would take over his entire job, eliminating the need for himself.

"Count me out . . . again, John. Really, you have come to the wrong place. Why don't you try another paleontologist? I'm sure you can find some ignorant young person to sneak around and get what you need."

"I need someone who has seen the InGen dinosaurs, Alan."

"What's the difference?"

"It's complicated."

"Well, try me."

"Okay. I'm going to be completely truthful now," Hammond said with a very serious tone.

"I thought we were already doing that?" Alan asked.

"Alan, I'll give you $2,000,000.00 to accompany me to this island. I'll give you half of that, right now, if you'll agree to come."

Alan was taken aback by the offer. He stood up and leaned on his desk, trying to get a grip on what Hammond just said.

"I'll deposit $1,000,000.00 in the account of your choice today, if you like."

"John, why is it so damned important that I come with you?"

"Because I trust you, Alan. I don't . . . no . . . I cannot trust very many people at this point. I've gotten burned several times in the past, since I built that park, by people I thought I could trust. Even some of my own family members have succumbed to the temptation of being rich, leaving me to cope with all the red tape."

"John, I'm flattered that you trust me, but I still cannot accept your offer."

"I'll give you $3,000,000.00, Alan."

Alan began to get flustered. The amount of money that Hammond was offering was more than he had ever seen at once.

"Well. That is very generous of you, but-"

"Alan, I thought building an island with living and breathing dinosaurs would be a glorious thing to see. I was wrong."

"Obviously," Alan commented.

Alan sat back down. He was starting to come back to reality, out of his money coma, if you will. The rational man, that he had always been, started to come back. He continued to listen to Hammond.

"Yes, I know it was a bad idea. Now another man is trying to create the same dream, Alan. Another man, much like myself, with a lot of ambition and a lot of money to go with it."

"That's nice, John. Maybe the two of you could get together and compare the amount of death, a park like that creates."

"I don't want Marcus Envoy to be successful, any more than you do. He is only a few months away from completing his project."

"Since it's illegal to clone dinosaurs, why hasn't this Mr. Envoy been stopped?"

"Because he has built his island from the ground up, if you will. His island is totally man-made, built on an ancient volcano. He has used the volcano as a starting point to construct his island. He's built it near the coast of Mexico. The Baja Peninsula, to be exact. Right off the coast of the city Cabo San Lucas. The rules and regulations of our government cannot reach that far. And the government there refuses to see a problem. Mr. Envoy is paying them handsomely for their uncanny ability to turn their heads and not see anything suspicious."

"The politics involved here are beyond my scope," Alan said, shaking his head.

"There's more than politics involved here, I'm afraid. Cabo San Lucas has become a trendy spot for very wealthy people to visit. They even have a Hard Rock Café there," Hammond said, laughing.

"That's great, John."

"Sorry, that was off the subject. Well, anyway, if we were actually able to present undeniable evidence about what Biosyn is doing, we can get past the politics . . . and the money hungry government officials."

Alan got up again and paced around the trailer, thinking. He didn't want to go. That was for certain. But the money Hammond was offering was very hard to turn down. He had been in this exact situation before, with John Hammond offering him money to go to a mysterious place. He did it once, maybe even twice if you counted the Kirbys. Money always seemed to be a viable motivator for Alan. He was always in need of funding for his digs. He was almost convinced to go now.

"John, how long would this little trip take?"

"Only a few days, Alan."

"And where is this island with the computers?"

"It's also located off the coast of the Baja Peninsula."

Alan nodded and cringed as he thought about what he was about to get himself into.

Chapter 2: Ellie's Nightmare

Scottsdale, Arizona

Ellie Degler was sitting on her back porch of her suburban home in Arizona. She had been sitting there for about ten minutes, trying to get the strength and courage to go back into her house. She and her husband had been having another fight.

Mark was always yelling about something. This time it happened to be the phone bill. He was angry that Alan Grant's phone number had come up so many times that month. She had been cooking dinner when he marched into the kitchen, with the phone bill in his hand. He had been drinking and he was waving it in her face asking her if there was something going on that he needed to know about. She had said there was nothing to tell. That wasn't good enough, though. Mark had crumpled up the phone bill in his hands and threw it at her, still screaming.

Ellie didn't want the fight to escalate, so she had run outside. If she was outside on the back porch, she knew Mark wouldn't follow her and make a scene. He never made a public scene, even when he was drunk. That was the only thing Ellie could count on. Now she was ready to go back in and get the fight over with.

Ellie quietly opened the back door and walked back into the kitchen. Mark wasn't there. She breathed a sigh of relief. She walked into the living room. As she was walking to the front door to see if Mark's truck was still there, she heard a noise in the living room. She turned around. It was Mark. He was still there. He was sitting on a chair, staring at her.

"I thought you might have left," she said.

"No."

Ellie didn't want to fight anymore.

"Mark, can we just drop this Alan stuff? Please? I've told you a hundred times that nothing is going on with him. He's just a good friend. I like to talk to him. That's all."

Mark just kept on staring.

"Can we just stop fighting for one night, Mark?"

"Fighting? We're not fighting. We're just having a disagreement, Ellie. Fighting would imply physical contact, don't you think?"

Mark stood up. Ellie started to get frightened.

"And where are my kids?" Mark asked.

"They're with my mother. It's Friday. Remember, we decided they could stay with my mom?"

"I remember talking about it. I never approved it though. Why are you letting my kids go off to places I don't approve of?"

"Mark, it's my mother. Not some crazed person."

Mark didn't like her attitude. He sprang up from his chair, grabbed a hold of Ellie, and shook her violently. She broke his grip and grabbed her car keys. She ran for the front door. She didn't want to stay in the house with him anymore, not even for one more night.

Mark had other plans. He grabbed her arm, took the cars keys, and threw her up against a wall. As Ellie bounced off the wall, Mark slapped her across the face, making her fall down.

"I don't want you using the phone anymore," he demanded.

Ellie started to cry. He seemed so detached from her. He was a totally different person when he would drink. And the drinking seemed to occur more and more frequently. He had been making unfair demands like this for quite a while now. First she couldn't go to the neighbor's house anymore, then she wasn't allowed to use the checkbook anymore, and now the phone. She was crying partly because she was scared, but mostly because she had been weak and let this go on too long now. She sat up.

"Mark. I'm leaving you. I cannot take this anymore."

"Take what?"

"The fighting. And the demands. I'm not going to do this anymore."

Mark pulled Ellie up off of the floor. He shook her for a minute, and then slammed her up against the wall again. He hoovered over her, waiting for her to make eye contact with him. When she finally did, Mark closed his fist and punched her in the face. Ellie fell back down. She watched, as Mark came after her again. She was able to get up and get away from his this time.

Ellie ran past Mark, turned around and pushed him as hard as she could. She managed to knock him down. She grabbed Mark's truck keys that were hanging on a rack near the front door. She made it to the front porch, before Mark grabbed her ankle and she fell. She turned and looked at him. She lifted her leg back and kicked him in the head. She got up as fast as she could and got into Mark's truck. As she was trying to find the right key, she could see Mark. He was already back on his feet and coming through the front door. She fumbled the keys for a few seconds more and then she found the right one. She started the truck and backed up, just as Mark grabbed the side mirror on the driver's side. He let go and started to shout at her.

"I'm going to kill you, Ellie. You hear me? No one leaves me! No one! I will kill you!"

Ellie pulled away from her home. She was crying. She was scared and had no idea where she was going to go. As she drove, she started thinking about what had gone wrong between herself and Mark.

Ever since Alan had visited about 2 years earlier, Mark had thought something was going on between herself and Alan. He would bring it up quite a bit. He really had started to go crazy or something. Charlie was 5 now. This constant fighting over Alan had been going on for a little over 2 years. About a year ago, the physical violence had started. Ellie was constantly covering up black eyes and bruises.

Ellie would call Alan in tears at least once a month. Before he would answer, she would always make herself stop crying. Then he would say hello and she would instantly feel better. She wanted to tell him what was wrong, but she could never bring herself to actually saying the words out loud. They would simply talk about nothing, or maybe the dig site or how her kids were doing. When she would hang up the phone, she would always feel better about herself.

She knew her children would be all right with her mother for the time being. She would call her mother later and explain everything. She needed some time to herself, to think things through. She decided to head for the airport and get away from Arizona for a while.

Chapter 3: Tim and Lex

Anaheim, California

Alexis Murphy sat in the stands, clapping and whistling loudly, as her brother received his high school diploma. Tim Murphy gave her a stern look, as he walked off the stage. She had promised not to embarrass him, but to his dismay, she decided to ignore that promise.

"Lex, stop embarrassing him," her mother said.

"Sorry, mom. I couldn't resist. Look at him . . . he's such a nerd."

"Alexis," her father said. "Stop it."

Lex looked at her father and coldly nodded. She hadn't seen her father in 7 years. After her parents divorced, her father came around for a couple years, but then was never heard from again. Then, out of the blue, he called to ask if he could come to Tim's graduation. She hated him. She hated him for leaving them with nothing. But mostly she hated him for not being a part of her life. He had just disappeared off the face of the planet.

Tim sat back down in his place, with his diploma in hand. Now he could go to college. He had been taking every Science and Math class that he could in high school. He already had a scholarship set up at the University of California, Berkeley and had an internship set up at the University of California Museum of Paleontology. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Alan Grant.

Lex already had an Associate Degree in Computer Programming & Software Technology from Westwood College of Technology in Anaheim, CA. She had completed that program before she was 19 years old, as she went to college while still in high school.

While thinking about what computer degree to go for next, she decided to take her career path in an all new direction. She was currently in her Junior year at the Stanford University Medical Center. She was doing volunteer work at the Stanford University Hospital, where she had been working since her Sophomore year. She already had her Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) behind her, getting a very high score. In addition, she had one of the highest grade point averages in her graduating class.

After the graduation ceremony, Tim found his dad outside.

"Thanks for coming, Dad."

"You looked so grown-up, standing up there."

"That's because he is all grown-up," Lex said.

"Lex, stop it," Tim said.

"Why should I? He hasn't been around us, in like, forever. And now, you want to forgive him for running out of our lives? Well, I'm sorry, Tim. But I'm not willing to do that."

"Alexis, please calm down," her father said.

"Don't you ever talk to me again," Lex said, pointing at him.

She stormed off towards her car. She didn't look back until she reached it.

"Mom, I'll call you later," she said.

"Lex, wait, please come back here," her mother pleaded.

Lex didn't respond. She started up her car and left the parking lot, leaving the rest of her family standing there.

"I'm going to head home, too," Their mother said. She looked at their father. "Good-bye."

"Bye," he said.

Soon, Tim was alone with his dad. There was a long and uncomfortable silence between them, as they just stood there, staring at the passing cars in the lot. Finally, his Dad broke the silence.

"So, I heard you're going to study dinosaurs."

"Yes, Dad."

"Well, that's good news, son. Did that doctor guy help you get into the school?"

"What doctor guy?" Tim asked, confused.

"You know, that guy that was with you on that dinosaur island."

"You mean Dr. Grant. Oh, no, he didn't have to help me get in the school, Dad. I was able to get an academic scholarship."

"Wow. I didn't know that."

"I better get going now, Dad. I've got a lot to do before the party that Mom is throwing me. Thanks for coming."

"You're welcome, son. I'm very proud of you."

Tim nodded and then shook his father's hand. He didn't feel close enough to him to hug him or anything. Tim got into his Jeep and drove off toward his house, leaving his father there alone.

Lex was driving around and crying. She was very upset with how she handled her father. She loved him, of course, but she was still very angry with him. She decided to drive to her Grandfather's house so that she could talk to him about it. John Hammond always seemed to say and do the right thing when she was upset.

She pulled into the driveway and put her code into the security box. As she drove up the long and winding driveway, she noticed that it was very dark. It didn't look like anyone was home. She was about to back up, when she noticed some lights going on and off near the 2nd floor of the massive house. She quickly got out of her car and ran up to the front door. She was very worried about her Grandpa. A few months ago, when he had fallen down, he flicked the lights on and off several times to get the attention of one of the security officers patrolling the grounds. She glanced around as she reached the door. There were no security officers in sight. Just blackness and quietness.

Lex used her keycard to open the front door. She went inside and quickly made it up the staircase, toward the west side of the house.

"Grandpa? Grandpa, are you in here?" She asked, as she went inside the room she thought the lights were coming from.

To her surprise, and horror, her Grandpa wasn't in the room. Instead, there were 5 dark dressed men. She figured it was a robbery. She turned and tried to run, but didn't get far. Two of the men grabbed hold of her, just as she reached the staircase. The bigger man grabbed her hair and slammed her down to the floor very hard.

Lex rolled on floor, and then turned to look at her attackers for a brief second. The two men were right on top of her again. They lifted her up and began to bring her back to the room where the other men were waiting. She strained against them, trying to break free. She was successful, after she bit one of the men on the arm. He let out a cry, as she broke free from him. She ran toward the staircase and tried to get back downstairs. She was about half way down when she heard a gunshot. She stopped immediately and raised up her hands.

"Okay, okay. You win," she said, turning around.

The man with the gun walked past the two men. He was staring Lex down, as he slowly walked toward the staircase. He was pointing the gun at her and it was making her very nervous.

"Alexis Murphy, correct?" The man asked.

The man had a British accent.

"Uh, yes. Yes, sir," she said.

"Well, Alexis, my name is Patrick Bodan. Pleased to meet you."

Lex didn't know what to think. These men were not friendly, that was for sure. But this Bodan person was talking to her in a way that was unexpected.

"Alexis," Bodan said, as he reached the staircase, "why don't you bring yourself back up here?"

Lex nodded and walked back up the stairs. When she reached the top, Bodan handed the gun over to the man she had bitten. Now that she was right next to Bodan, she guessed he was about 6'4" and about 250 pounds. He was a very big man.

"Now, this is for biting my dear associate," he said.

Bodan lifted his hand, with lightning reflexes, and struck Lex in the side of the face. The sudden blow forced her head to jerk sideways. She looked back at him, a few tears running down her face.

"And this is for running away, Alexis."

He slapped her once again, causing her to almost fall down the stairs. She looked up at him.

"Please, please just leave me alone. I don't know what you want. I don't know who you are. I just want to go home."

"Oh, Alexis, darling," Bodan said. He always used her full name. "You are not going home . . . not for a very, very long time, my dear. I'm afraid that you have gotten yourself caught up in something that is way beyond your comprehension."

Lex was crying pretty hard now. This man was really scaring her. She hadn't been this afraid in a long, long time.

"Now, Alexis, this is just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

And with that, Bodan pushed Lex down the stairs. She tumbled and tumbled, hitting her head several times on the railing on the way down. By the time she reached the bottom, she was knocked unconscious.

"What are you doing?" One of the men asked.

The man's name was Jacob Darnby. He was also one of Envoy's most trusted associates. Jacob would often disagree with how Bodan did his job. But Envoy had made it clear that Bodan was in charge of this particular mission.

"I'm taking control of the situation. Call Mr. Envoy. Update him on our situation. Tell him we have Hammond's granddaughter. See what he wants done with her."

Jacob stared at Bodan for a minute, thinking about telling him off. He decided not to.

"Okay."

Jacob dialed his cell phone and talked to Mr. Envoy for a few minutes, then he turned the phone off.

"Mr. Envoy says she'll work nicely into the plan. Bring her with us," he said.

"Well, Mr. Envoy is the boss. Grab her. Let's get out of here," Bodan said.

As Bodan and the rest were coming out of Hammond's house, Bodan ran into a young man, who was making his way up the driveway. Bodan was much bigger than the young man and was able to easily wrestle the kid down to the ground. Bodan whistled for 2 of his men. They ran over and picked the young man up. Bodan studied him for a few seconds and smiled when he recognized him.

"Timothy Murphy. Well, this definitely works in our favor. Two of Hammond's grandchildren are better than only one. Welcome to the party."

Tim looked up at him. He had no idea who the man was. He glanced over behind Bodan, and saw two other men carrying Lex. She wasn't moving.

"Lex? Lex!" Tim yelled.

Lex didn't respond. Bodan smiled.

"Timothy, your sister had to be detained. She was quite a handful. Now, if you decide to be a handful, we'll have to detain you, as well."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Patrick Bodan. And that's all you need to know right now, Timothy."

Tim struggled for a few seconds, but the two men holding him were too strong for him. He finally gave in.

"Let's get going, shall we, gentlemen?" Bodan asked.

They all walked a few yards into the nearby wooded area of the estate. There was some sort of military vehicle hidden in the woods, along with more dark dressed men.

Tim watched as they threw his unconscious sister into the back, and then they forced him to get in. He had no idea what was going on. He only showed up there to see if Lex was there. He had gone home to help his mom out with his party. He tried to call Lex several times at her apartment, but she didn't answer. He was a little worried about her. He knew how upset she was, after seeing their dad. He guessed she was either driving around or that she had went to Grandpa's house. As he walked up the driveway, he never thought anything like this would happen.

Bodan was in the back with Tim and Lex, along with about 6 other men.

"Mr. Bodan, who are we going after next?" One of the men, Smith, asked.

"Well, Mr. Smith, since we now have a sort of "kid theme" going, I want you to find the next kid on the list," Bodan said, and then he smiled at Tim. "Kids are so very easily abducted."

Smith started flipping through pages and pages of data. He finally stopped on one.

"Here we go, Mr. Bodan. Jodie Grant."

"Grant? As in . . . Alan Grant?"

Tim sat up a little straighter when he heard Alan Grant's name. He started listening more carefully.

"Yes, sir. Says here that Jodie is his cousin. She's 12 years old," Smith said, reading from the profile.

"Well, isn't that sweet? Okay. Jodie Grant it is, then. What is her location?"

"Chicago, Illinois, sir."

Bodan turned on his transceiver and talked to the driver.

"We need to head to the airport right away. And get 4 tickets to Chicago, as fast as you can."

"Yes, sir," the driver said.

Bodan looked at the numerous men sitting all around him.

"I need four men to go to Chicago and pay Ms. Grant a visit."

Jacob was the first to volunteer.

Chapter 4: Viva Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Alan stood in the lobby of the MGM Grand Resort Hotel and Casino. It was about 6:00pm, the day after Hammond had visited. He set his bags down and went to the check-in desk.

"Can I help you, sir?" A very pleasant woman asked.

"Yes. I believe I'm registered here. Alan Grant."

The woman typed in his name and few seconds later, she looked up at him with a smile.

"Yes, Mr. Grant. You have a Glamour Suite. Very nice. I'll get your keycard, sir."

"Thank you."

John Hammond had succeeded in talking Alan into going on his little mission. He was asked to meet with the rest of the small team, assembled by Hammond, in Las Vegas. First thing in the morning, Alan and the rest of the team would go to the island, get the required documents from the BioSyn computers, and then come back to the states. It seemed like a simple thing and that's what scared Alan the most.

"It says here that you're a doctor. What kind of doctor, if you don't mind me asking?" The pleasant woman asked.

Alan was about to answer, but then was rudely interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"He's not a real doctor, don't let him fool you. He just digs up dinosaurs."

The woman looked past Alan, and nodded at the man behind him. Alan started to turn around, but before he was even facing the man, he spoke.

"Hello, Ian."

Ian Malcolm smiled. The two men shook hands. Malcolm was impressed that Grant remembered him. They hadn't seen each other in about 10 years, since the incident on Jurassic Park. Not long after they were helicoptered to safety, Ian, Alan and Ellie were all detained in Costa Rica for about a week, answering question after question about the island. When the Costa Rican authorities were finally satisfied, they were all able to finally return back to their lives. Ian lost touch with both Alan and Ellie after that.

"Alan Grant. It's so nice to see you. Hey, you got a Glamour Suite, too. It has a fabulous wet bar. How's Ellie?"

Alan stared at Malcolm and slightly shook his head, as the questions came rambling at him. The last question caught Alan's attention. After all these years, that guy was still after Ellie. Alan didn't even see Ellie anymore, but he was still very protective of her when it came to this guy.

"She's great, Ian. What are you doing here?"

"Hammond invited me."

"John Hammond invited . . . you?"

Malcolm laughed.

"Yes. Yes, he did. Why don't you get your keycard? We'll talk more in the bar. Sound good?"

"Sure, why not."

Alan got his keycard from the pleasant woman and then arranged to have his luggage brought to his room. He suddenly felt like the simple little mission he had signed up for was about to take a turn for the worse. Why would Hammond invite Malcolm? He would definitely have to ask Hammond about that.

Alan and Malcolm went to the lobby bar.

"What do you say, Alan? Wanna switch rooms?"

"What? Why?"

"I smoke now. I have a nonsmoking room. You have a smoking room. I checked. You don't smoke, do you?"

"No."

"Then why do you need a smoking room, my friend? Come on, hand over your keycard. Be a good friend. Come on."

Alan didn't want to talk to Ian, much less argue about rooms. He handed his keycard to Ian. Ian gave him his.

"I have a feeling, by the way you're acting, that I'm going to get billed for a lot of liquor," Alan commented.

"You are probably on the right track there."

"I have to get my bags redirected to my new room. Excuse me," Alan said.

Alan hoped he could take the opportunity to get away from Malcolm. Ian slapped him on the back and laughed very loudly. People in the bar were looking at him strangely. Alan just wanted to go to his room.

"Don't be silly. I'll take care of that later. So, what did Hammond promise you, Alan?"

Alan just stared at Malcolm, without answering.

"Don't tell me . . . money?" Malcolm asked.

Alan just kept staring.

"Yeah, it was money. How much?" Malcolm asked.

"Ian, I'm going to go upstairs to my room now."

"Oh, come on, Alan. How much?"

"Good-bye, Ian."

Alan smiled and left the bar, leaving Malcolm in the bar alone. As he was just about to the lobby again, he heard Malcolm again.

"See ya tomorrow, Dr. Grant. Bright and early."

Alan just shook his head and waved his hand in the air. He didn't stop walking. He didn't even turn around.

Ian smiled and went back to drinking.

Alan decided not to go to his room just yet. He just wanted to get away from Malcolm. He left the lobby and went into the casino. He was just wandering around for a few hours, playing a few slot machines here and there, when he heard a female voice call his name. He looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, but he couldn't find the source. Then, he heard his name again.

"Alan?"

Alan turned around and found himself standing directly in front of Ellie Sattler/Degler.

"Ellie?"

Ellie smiled and hugged him.

"Oh, my God, Alan. What are you doing in Vegas?"

"It's a long story."

"I'd love to know anyway," she said.

Alan smiled at her. He hadn't seen her in so long. He had only talked to her on the phone. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair was about shoulder length and she was wearing a very elegant red dress.

"Wow, you look great, Ellie."

"Thank you," Ellie said, smiling at him. "Mark and I are here on vacation. Would you believe that John Hammond payed for it?"

Alan nodded.

"Yeah, I would believe that," he said.

Ellie looked at Alan carefully.

"Oh, no. Hammond is the reason you're here, too?"

Alan nodded and then looked down.

"Alan, you accepted another one of Hammond's half-brained ideas?"

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Ellie laughed.

"Well, I guess I sort of did, too. He came to me about a month ago saying he wanted to repay me for my involvement in the Jurassic Park incident. I said no, but he just kept on insisting. He begged me for about a week straight. I finally said okay, so he arranged it to look like a contest that I had won. Mark still has no clue that John even came to see me."

"Wow."

Ellie laughed again.

"Wow? That's it?" She asked.

"Yeah," Alan said.

"Well, what did he offer you?"

"$3,000,000.00"

"Wow!" Ellie exclaimed.

"Exactly. I'd be stupid to turn that down, don't you think?"

"Definitely. God, that man never quits, does he?"

"No, he doesn't," Alan said. "So, did Hammond tell you what was going on?"

"No, not really. In my stupidity, I really just thought he was trying to be nice to me."

Alan smiled.

"Not a chance. Hammond always has some plan up his sleeve."

Alan spent the next half hour explaining to Ellie everything he knew about BioSyn, Hammond, and a third island. After about another half hour of just catching up with each other, Ellie finally had to call it a night.

"Well, Alan, I've got to go meet Mark."

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He's . . . looking into . . . buying . . . a condo nearby. He's talking to someone about it right now. I was bored, so I told him I'd meet up with him later."

Alan carefully watched Ellie as she spoke. It seemed to him that she was making the whole condo thing up. The dramatic pauses in between words grabbed his attention. He didn't let on.

"Okay, Ellie. Well, maybe you'll get lucky and Hammond won't show up at your hotel room door in the morning. Hopefully, he'll leave you out of it."

"Hey, a little espionage could be fun."

Alan smiled at her. She smiled back. He so very badly wanted to just embrace her again, but he felt she would find that a little strange. Instead he started to back up.

Ellie watched him back up. She could tell he was uncomfortable. She took a few steps forward, touched his shoulder, stopping him from moving backwards. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Alan smiled again.

"Okay, Alan. I've really got to get going. Mark is going to be . . . well, furious. I'll talk to you again soon, okay?"

"Okay. Take care, Ellie."

"You too, Alan. Be careful."

"I will."

Alan stood there and watched Ellie turn around and quickly start to move through the casino crowd. He kept on watching her until she disappeared into the crowd. He stood there about a minute more. Then he finally decided to go to his room. Seeing Ellie really made him happy. But something didn't seem quite right with Ellie and Mark.

Alan got into one of the many elevators and started ascending to his room. He couldn't stop thinking about Ellie. The elevator doors opened on his floor, but he just let them shut. He decided to go back down to the lobby.

He walked up to the check-in desk. The same pleasant woman was still there.

"Hello there," he said.

"Well, hello," she replied.

"I was wondering if you could tell me what room a friend of mine is in?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. We're not allowed to give out personal information on our guests."

Alan frowned.

"It's very important."

"Sir, it is against hotel policy to give out personal information."

"Even if it's important?"

"Sir, I don't want to have to call security."

"Okay, okay. There's certainly no need for that. Thanks for your time."

Alan walked away from the check-in desk and was about to give up, when he thought up another way to get what he wanted.

"Ian," he said to himself, smiling.

He went back to the bar. Malcolm was still there, just as Alan knew he would be. Alan walked in just as Malcolm was hitting on some unsuspecting woman.

"Excuse me, Dr. Malcolm?" Alan asked.

Malcolm looked at him.

"Yeah, that's me," Malcolm said, smiling.

"You have a message at the desk."

"Oh, do I?" Malcolm asked.

Malcolm looked away from Alan and directed his attention toward the woman next to him. He politely excused himself and then followed Alan out.

"What's this about, Alan?" He asked.

"Ian, I need you to do something for me . . . without asking questions."

"Okay."

"Could you go up to the desk and find out where a guest's room is?"

"Why can't you?"

"I tried. She wouldn't tell me a thing. Something about privacy. I figured if anyone could get a room number, it would be you."

"Well, what a nice compliment, Alan. Sure, I'll get the info for you. What's the name?"

"Now this is the part where you can't ask questions."

"Okay. Okay. Name?"

"Ellie Degler."

Malcolm looked at Alan very strangely, but he didn't ask questions. He had promised not to, after all.

"Okay. I'll be right back," Malcolm said. "And you know, I'm going to have to ask a few questions later, right?"

Alan smiled.

"Later. Just get the room number."

Malcolm nodded. Alan watched Malcolm go to the same pleasant woman at the check-in desk. After a little small talk, some laughing, and some flirting, Malcolm was able to get a little piece of paper with a room number on it. Malcolm kissed the woman's hand, smiled at her, and then made his way back to Alan.

"Here you go," Malcolm said, handing Alan the paper.

Alan laughed.

"You truly are amazing. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Look, I'm going back to see that beautiful blonde that was in the bar. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay."

Alan started walking toward the elevators, when Malcolm turned around and shouted at him.

"Remember, Alan. Bright and early. Better get some sleep! No funny business."

Alan waved him off and stepped into the elevator.