From the open doorway of the dormitory, Alan and Ellie watched silently as the InGen corporate helicopter gently settled onto the grassy knoll near the dormitory building. Their supplies were on the floor beside them; backpacks were stuffed full of changes of clothing, the cameras, the satellite phone, and personal hygiene necessities. An extra satchel with a long strap carried cans and packages of food, bottles of water, and a lightweight cooking pan. A couple of heavy duty bags contained the extra supplies, the ones that would be dropped off from the helicopter at the points Alan had marked on the map. The three plastic trash bags with their gruesome contents were lying beside them.
Tory stood nervously between them. The last time she had been on an aircraft, it had crashed; a nightmare event that she would never forget. Now, she must ride this noisy helicopter back to the mainland, as Alan and Ellie had called it, and neither of them would be with her for the journey. They were only going as far as the beach, and the rest of the way would be with a stranger. Trembling, she slipped her hand in Ellie�s, and felt the woman squeeze it comfortingly.
�Are you scared?� Ellie asked.
Tory nodded. �A little.� Her voice was small and weak.
�It�s going to be okay, honey. There�s nothing at all to be afraid of, I promise. Do you have all your things?�
Tory showed her the plastic bag containing the coloring book and crayons and the toy dinosaur. The doll was tucked into the crook of her arm. Ellie�s eyes lingered a moment on Charlie�s Apatosaurus. She had intended to leave it safely in the cubical, and was surprised that the child had decided to bring it with her, but she made no comment. It wouldn�t hurt to let her play with it a few minutes longer while they were on the helicopter.
The skids touched down in the grass, and Alan opened the barred door and set all the gear outside. When they were all outside, he pulled the solid door closed and locked it, then securely locked the barred door as well.
They could have used some help carrying all the items to the helicopter, but the pilot gave no indication that he might exit the craft to make the offer of assistance. Instead, he remained in the cockpit, keeping a wary eye on the surrounding trees, and Alan suspected that had he seen any sign of movement in the trees, he would have lifted off again immediately.
�Looks like he�s going to stay put,� he said. �Guess we�ll have to carry all this stuff ourselves.�
Ellie nodded, and picked up her backpack, the satchel, and one of the extra bags of supplies. With her hands full, she could not take Tory�s hand again, but the child was crowded close against her hip. �Come on, honey.�
Alan picked up the rest of the gear and the three black trash bags, and followed Ellie to the helicopter. He had assumed that the remains of the three smugglers would be stowed in the luggage compartment behind the cabin, but apparently the pilot had no intention of setting foot on the island. Alan could see his anxious face through the windshield, watching while they walked across the yard toward the helicopter, struggling with all the gear.
The rear door opened, and a well dressed middle aged woman gestured for them to approach, but both scientists noticed that she did not get out either. She merely leaned out the door as she beckoned for them to hurry, considering herself safer inside the thin fuselage of the craft.
When they reached the helicopter, Alan placed the bags and the gear on the ground beside the door and lifted the girl inside the craft. Tory immediately sat down in the center of the seat directly across from the woman so that Alan and Ellie would be on either side of her.
�Hi, my name is Donna Blair, from the United States Embassy in Costa Rica,� the woman shouted over the sound of the rotor blades as the paleontologist leaned inside with the child, but her eyes were darting nervously about, as if expecting to see a dinosaur emerge from the trees at any moment.
�Alan Grant,� the paleontologist replied. He stood back for Ellie to enter.
�I�m Ellie Sattler,� Ellie said as she stepped inside the chopper and moved past Tory�s and Donna�s legs to sit down on the other side of the child. Her backpack and the satchel were placed on the floor between her and the woman. Tory snuggled close against her with her head resting against Ellie�s upper arm.
Alan put his backpack and the bags of supplies on the unoccupied portion of the seat on which Donna sat, but the three plastic bags containing the human remains were placed on the floor of the helicopter. Then he stepped inside and pulled the door closed, securely latching it, and then sank into the empty seat beside Tory. Donna Blair sat alone on the seat across from them with their bags and satchels piled around her.
The pilot did not wait for them to buckle themselves in, but instantly lifted off the ground, eager to be away from there. The floating sensation as the skids left the ground was a bit distressing to Tory, and she made a small, frightened sound in her throat, prompting Ellie to placed a comforting arm around her to cuddle her closer.
�It�s okay, honey,� she assured her. �We�re on our way, now, and soon you�ll be home with your mommy.�
Alan silently observed the buildings of the compound as they lifted higher and higher into the air, taking notice of their appearance from the elevated position. Through the large helicopter window, he could see the dormitory and the neighboring embryonic facility and the grove of trees which separated them. The damaged, rusted vehicles were scattered about the research center parking area like a junk yard. And standing in the shadow of the large building were two bi-pedal figures, watching the helicopter.
Alan shifted abruptly in his seat for a better view, but by then they had moved over the trees, obscuring his view. He had only glimpsed them, making him wonder if he had really seen them, but the implications were disturbing, for it suggested that the juveniles were lingering in the area. He and Ellie would have to be on their guard when they returned on foot.
�My goodness!� Donna Blair exclaimed, breaking into his thoughts. She had noticed the wrecked cars just before they disappeared from view. �What on earth happened there?�
Alan appeared distracted, so Ellie said, �We�re not sure. It happened long before we arrived, but these cars were abandoned a long time ago, so they likely fell victim to the weather and the animals.�
�No one was in them, then, when it happened?�
�No.�
�Oh, that�s a relief. I was imagining hoards of angry animals attacking the cars and the people in them. Why did they need vehicles on this island? There are no roads and certainly no place to go.�
�There were dirt roads,� Ellie explained. �We�ve seen the tire ruts in the grass, and there were places to go. They had a landing strip not too far away, and they would have used the vehicles to transport supplies. There were also other facilities on the island, so they would have used the cars and trucks to move from one to the others.�
�Oh, I see.� Now that they were safely off the ground and on their way, Donna seemed to relax somewhat. �I�m sorry for being so nervous, but I kept expecting to see one of those Tyran � Tyrano � Whatever they�re called, running toward us!�
Ellie smiled her amusement, �Tyrannosaurus Rex.�
�That�s it. I saw the news reports when it got loose in San Diego. Absolutely terrifying! Can you imagine anyone being stupid enough to bring a dangerous animal like that into a populated area? Whatever were they thinking?�
�Greed,� Alan said, as if that one word explained all evil in the world as he saw it. �We haven�t seen a Rex in this area in a while,� he said. �It�s the raptors you have to watch out for.�
Donna looked at him like she had no idea what he was talking about. For a moment, she appeared to be considering the idea of asking what a raptor was, then changed her mind, deciding that she did not really care to know the answer. Turning her attention to the child, she said, �This must be Victoria Chavez.�
Tory glanced nervously at Ellie, seeking her reassurance. Ellie squeezed her affectionately. �Yes, this is Tory. I�m afraid she�s a little traumatized after everything that�s happened the past couple of days. She�s going to need a lot of TLC.�
�I�m sure she�ll get it,� Donna assured her. �I�ll help her mother find a good therapist to help her cope with everything that�s happened. I�m sure she�ll be just fine.� Turning to Tory, she said, cheerfully, �Victoria, my name is Ms. Blair. I�m going to take you home to your mother.�
Again, Tory looked up at Ellie as if for verification. The eagerness in her eyes expressed the fact that she was very anxious to get home to her mother, but there was a wariness about her, reluctant to trust this woman.
�It�s okay, honey,� Ellie promised. To Donna, she said, �I�m afraid she�s a little apprehensive. Those smugglers were not very accommodating to her needs. Alan and I saw them treating her rather roughly.�
The woman�s demeanor became somewhat cool. �Yes, so I was told. My superior informed me that he expected the two of you to come to Costa Rica to give statements to the authorities regarding the things you witnessed, but that you both . . . had other things to do.�
Alan�s eyes narrowed slightly, a signal that he was offended by the implication that they could not be bothered, and there was a clip to his voice as he said, �Ms. Blair, the �other things� we�re doing is placing tracking devices on the pteranodons you probably saw flying around as you were approaching the island. The work we�re doing will protect civilization, should they ever decide to fly off the island. As for the crime, there is nothing else for me to tell that I did not tell them over the phone. Going all the way to Costa Rica just to repeat everything in person would have served no purpose. They have all the information I am able to provide.�
Reminded of the statements and the smugglers personal effects, Ellie picked up a small plastic grocery sack and passed it to her. �Alan picked up their papers and identification, and he and I made out written statements last night which you can present to your superiors. Perhaps that will pacify them until we get back to San Jose.�
Donna looked at it for a moment, determining that there was no blood or other objectionable material inside the nearly transparent white sack before accepting it. �Well, I suppose it will have to, won�t it?� she asked, placing it on the seat beside her.
Although she was more patient than Alan, Ellie was starting to feel the same annoyance with the woman�s judgmental tone. �Ms. Blair, I hope you understand that what we are doing is of utmost importance. Those pteranodons are capable of flying great distances, and what we�re going to do could save a lot of lives. I think that takes precedence over coming to Costa Rica to repeat the things they already know, don�t you?�
�Three men have died, Miss Sattler. There is a certain protocol that must be followed, and my superiors simply want to make sure there is nothing else to add. However, your written statements will certainly help in that regard, and I�m sure they will appreciate that you took the time to write them.�
Several moments of uneasy silence settled over the helicopter as Alan�s eyes stared icily at Donna Blair. The woman was starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze, and she broke eye contact to brush absently at an imaginary piece of lint on her slacks, wishing he would look away.
Tory was looking nervously at the adults in the cabin, sensing the uneasiness that had settled over them. She could tell that they didn�t like each other, and she was reminded of the constant arguing between the three men who had kidnapped her.
Noticing that the little girl was growing upset, Ellie changed the subject. �Are you the one who�s going to fly back to the states with her?�
�Yes. I�ve booked a first class flight for this afternoon on --� Her eyes fell upon the rather lumpy black trash bags, noticing the name tag on one of them, and she seemed to lose her train of thought. �Tate,� she said, curiously, reciting the name on the label. Then her eyes widened with sudden shock. �Oh, dear! Is that �?�
�The remains of the people who kidnapped her,� Alan confirmed her worse thoughts. �They had an up-close encounter with a pack of angry raptors. I was only able to identify one of them, so I placed his name on the bag with a label.�
With an involuntary gasp, she shrank away from the bags, sliding across the seat to the far side. Pulling her eyes away from the bags, she focused them on the paleontologist, wondering how he could be so casual about people being killed. He looked steadily back at her, seemingly unaffected by the fact that there were three skeletons inside the helicopter with them that had been living, breathing human beings only a few days before.
Turning to Ellie, who seemed a bit more civilized than the very candid man, she said in a nervous, hurried voice, �We had hoped to get out here to pick up the child much sooner, but it was taking so long to find those missing hikers, and then one of the helicopters broke down and nearly crashed, and . . .� Her eyes darted back to the bags, irresistibly drawn to them. �Oh, dear. I don�t know if I can fly the whole way back to Costa Rica with those things in the helicopter with me!�
�They�re just bones, Miss Blair,� Alan said, matter-of-factly. �They can�t harm you.�
Ellie concealed a smile behind her hand at Alan�s somewhat sarcastic reply.
�Well, I know that!� she retorted somewhat forcefully as the image of bloodied bones with the flesh ripped from them flashed into her mind. Bile burned in her throat, and she swallowed several times. Her voice was quieter when she added, �It�s just knowing what they are that makes it so objectionable. I knew they had been killed and eaten. I just didn�t expect there to be remains.�
�Once we land on the beach, perhaps we can have them transferred to the baggage compartment,� Alan suggested.
The woman seemed to relax a bit with the encouraging news that she would not have to stare at those lumpy bags the whole trip. �Yes. Good idea. I will insist on it.�
Silence settled over them again.
The chopper skimmed over the tree tops, offering a splendid view of the island, and Alan turned his attention to the landscape, pressing his nose against the Plexiglas as he looked for signs of animals or any unusual defoliation that might indicate overpopulation. He was pleased to see that the island�s ecosystem seemed stable. The trees were lush with foliage, the meadows carpeted with healthy green grass.
Donna Blair turned to Ellie, the scientist who seemed the friendlier of the two, noticing that she, too, seemed interested in the forests below. �So,� she said, breaking the silence. �They told me you two have been living on this island.�
Realizing that Alan would not respond to the small talk, Ellie made eye contact with the embassy agent again. �We�re scientists, studying the animals and the habitat,� she explained. �And yes, we�ve been staying here for some time. It�s difficult to conduct a thorough study without spending a great deal of time with them.�
�Aren�t you afraid?� the woman asked.
�Afraid of what?� Ellie asked.
�The creatures down there!� Donna exclaimed with surprise and a certain degree of indignation that she had even asked the question. �My goodness, how could you not be afraid? I wouldn�t want to set foot on this island, much less traipse around in the woods looking at dangerous animals! There have been reports of people being killed here over the years.�
Ellie glanced at Alan to see if he would jump into the conversation, but he seemed to be deliberately avoiding it, leaving her to deal with the woman�s questions. Never comfortable with small talk, his attention was directed completely on the scenery below. �We have a healthy respect for the animals and what they can do, so we�re cautious and very careful whenever we�re among them.�
�I see,� Donna replied with forced politeness. �Well, I don�t think you could pay me enough to spend even ten minutes on this island.�
The statement seemed slanderous, and caught Alan�s attention and his annoyance again. �We�re not being paid for this, Miss Blair,� he told her. �We�re conducting research.�
Donna looked embarrassed. �I�m sorry if I offended. I meant nothing by that. I just . . . � She did not finish the sentence, for Alan had already turned back to the window, dismissing her completely.
Turning her head, Ellie looked outside the window at the scenery below. She had seen portions of the island from the air when she had first arrived, but the helicopter, with its large windows and lower altitude, offered a much broader view than the smaller windows of Miguel�s airplane.
Silence settled over the people in the helicopter again. Donna Blair�s eyes continued to dart nervously toward the three trash bags which sat conspicuously on the floor near the hatch, but Alan and Ellie looked out the windows at the ground below, searching, she realized, for the animals that inhabited the island.
Finally, Alan turned to the child and said, �Tory, there�s a diplodocus over near the trees. It looks kind of like that Apatosaurus you�re holding, only it has a longer neck and tail.� He lifted her onto his lap and pointed through the Plexiglas at the long necked dinosaur that was browsing on the young saplings in a clearing. �See it?�
She nodded, holding the toy dinosaur up to compare them.
Intrigued, Donna slid across the seat so that she could look at the animal, the likes of which she knew she would likely never see again, and she felt her heart leap with the same kind of excitement that strikes everyone when they see an extinct creature for the first time. It moved slowly along the edge of the tree line, its snakelike neck enabling it to nibble on the leaves and tender twigs at the tops of the trees.
�I�ve seen the skeletons at the Smithsonian in D.C., but I never thought I�d ever see a living dinosaur. To have the technology to recreate them is truly miraculous. Is it dangerous?�
�All animals are dangerous if they�re cornered or feel threatened,� Alan replied. �However, these are peaceful plant eaters. They won�t bother anyone who isn�t bothering them.�
�Have you ever seen one up close?�
Ellie grinned. �He got up close and personal with a Brachiosaur once. It ate the hat right off his head!�
As the helicopter soared past the dinosaur, Donna shifted in her seat for a better view, and her foot brushed against one of the plastic bags. With a high pitched �Oh!� she jumped as if she had been shot and quickly retreated back across the seat to the other side, all thoughts of the diplodocus driven from her mind by the reminder of what was concealed inside those bags. Feeling eyes upon her, she looked up and found that both Alan and Ellie were watching her.
Donna�s face flushed with embarrassment, but this time she made no comment about the contents of the bags, and tried to shift her attention away from it by looking out the window, but they were over a forested area again and there was nothing to see except mile after mile of dense foliage and wilderness.
Finally, after another stretch of uneasy silence among the three adults in the cabin, the trees began to thin and they could see the expanse of ocean stretching out to the horizon. The ground became sandier with clumps of brush and grass struggling to survive in the less fertile soil. A short time later the rough, rocky promontory came into view. Alan leaned hard against the window to gain the best view possible, and carefully studied the nesting ground of the pteranodons from the air. They were too far out to see any of the nests, but he knew they were there, tucked into craggy crevices in the cliffs. Several of the winged beasts could be seen flying just above the cliffs and out over the water in search of food.
�Are those the creatures you�re going to put the tracking devices on?� Donna asked, observing the size of the creatures and suddenly realizing that the task of placing the devices on the creatures was a potentially dangerous one.
�Those are the ones,� Ellie confirmed.
The plans that were keeping them from giving verbal statements in person at the American Embassy suddenly did not seem so frivolous. �I noticed them when we arrived, but we�re so far off the mainland that I never thought about them flying to civilization. If they�re capable of flying such great distances, why haven�t they done so yet?�
�They seem to have found a suitable nesting area here on the cliffs, and from what I understand the scientists genetically altered their desire to migrate,� Alan explained. �However, the concern is that the genetic alterations might not be passed down to the following generations or the instinct to migrate might be strong enough to override it, so in the interest of mankind, we decided it was best to place a tracking device on them to monitor their movements. That way, we will know if and when they leave the island. Obviously, someone will have to periodically return to tag the subsequent generations.�
�What would happen if they did leave the island?� Donna asked, curiously.
�Any animal that leaves the island will be destroyed before it reaches the mainland,� Alan stated.
Suddenly, the helicopter cleared the tree line, and a broad sandy area dotted with small clumps of grass stretched out from the trees toward the shore. The pilot hovered for several moments, lining up the craft with his chosen landing spot, then slowly maneuvered it down toward the ground. Dry sand sprayed from beneath the rotor blades as the helicopter settled onto the flat area up the shore from the sloping beach.
Alan reached for the door handle, but at the same instant it opened from the outside, and an average sized man with windblown dark hair looked in at them. His eyes fell first on Alan, then Donna, and then he slipped his sunglasses down a bit as they came to rest on Ellie.
�Name�s Mitch Beckett,� the man shouted to be heard above the noise from the blades. �I�m going to be your sharpshooter for this operation.�
�Alan Grant,� the paleontologist shouted back as he stepped from the helicopter onto the sand. The two men shook hands, then Alan leaned back inside for the gear they had brought with them, and the three black sacks. �Ms. Blair wants these three bags stowed in the luggage compartment.�
Mitch�s eyes settled on the lumpy bags with revulsion. �Those are the, ah . . .�
�Yeah.�
Grimly, Mitch went to the side panel on the helicopter and opened it. Alan followed carrying the bags, and Mitch took one of them to help stow them, and as he lifted it inside it, he was able to feel the hardness of the bones inside. After Alan had placed the other two bags inside, he closed the hatch.
�I�ve been a hunter all my life and I�ve seen some pretty gruesome things in the bush, but I must say that takes the cake,� the sharpshooter admitted. �Obviously, there is nothing left but bones. They were devoured?�
�Yes. I picked up everything I could find. It�ll be up to the DNA experts to figure who is who, since I could only positively identify one of them.�
�Whew! I don�t envy what you must have gone through to pick them up.� There was respect in Mitch�s eyes as he observed the paleontologist. �Guess you never thought something like that would be part of the job description, eh?�
�You got that right,� Alan agreed.
Inside the helicopter, Donna Blair exhaled a sigh of relief to have the objectionable items removed from view. Now, they just had to get safely off the ground again, and with the sharpshooter just outside the door, she was feeling a great deal safer than she did at the compound when they had picked up their passengers.
As Ellie collected her backpack and the supplies, Mitch leaned inside. �Let me get those for you.�
�Thank you,� she said, gratefully.
�Glad to help.� He grasped the bags and withdrew them from the cabin.
She turned to Tory, who was still seated, her large eyes filling with tears that she would likely never see her new friends again. �I guess this is good bye,� the woman said.
Tory nodded and put her arms around Ellie�s neck for a heartfelt embrace. When she drew back, she held out the toy Apatosaurus. �Thank you for letting me play with your little boy�s dinosaur,� she said.
Ellie�s heart lurched as she looked at Charlie�s toy dinosaur held in Tory�s small hand, torn between taking it away from her and letting her keep it. Her son had loved his dinosaurs. Many hours had been spent in the sand pile with this very toy, and in her mind she could see him there, covered from head to foot with sand, the dinosaurs scattered all around him in his make-believe world. She knew that the keepsakes were not the important thing; it was the love that would always exist in her heart for both her children. But the toys were all she had left of the children, and the thought of parting with even one of them was painful for her.
Tory waited, wondering why she did not take the dinosaur.
She reached for it, then stopped. �Tell you what. I have a long trip back through the jungle and he might get broken or lost, so why don�t you keep him safe for me?� As soon as she had spoken the words, she wanted desperately to take them back, to give in to the possessiveness that lingered over Charlie�s toys.
�Thank you,� the child said. �I�ll take really good care of him.�
�I know you will.� Tears were crowding behind Ellie�s eyes, and she avoided looking at the dinosaur. �You take care, okay? And give your mommy a big hug when you get home. Mommies like to hear that too, you know.� Her voice was choking, and she blinked hard to force back those tears.
�I will.�
Ellie stepped from the vehicle, her hand pressed against her mouth in an effort to stop her lips from trembling. Alan leaned inside. �Do I get a hug, too?�
Tory flung her arms around Alan, and he kissed her cheek. �I�ll miss you,� she said.
�We�ll miss you too. You be a good girl, and mind Miss Blair.�
�I will.�
�Bye, Sweetie.� He backed out of the helicopter, and Mitch closed the door and gave the thumbs-up sign to the pilot.
The helicopter slowly lifted off the ground, and they could see Tory�s face in the window, waving to them as it turned toward the open ocean.
Experiencing a profound sense of loss, Ellie brushed a tear from her cheek and tried to control the hitch in her chest that threatened to turn into sobs. Alan placed a comforting arm around her, squeezing her with great affection. �That was a nice thing to do, letting her keep Charlie�s dinosaur,� he said. �I know that must have been hard.�
The lump in her throat seemed to expand, and her voice did not sound like hers when she replied, �I have the others at home. And I hope maybe it will help her remember us.�
�I don�t think she�ll ever forget what happened here,� he said, grimly.
They watched until the helicopter was merely a dot in the brilliant blue sky, then Alan turned to Mitch, who had been watching patiently a short distance away, realizing that he would have been intruding on an emotional moment if he had spoken. �Are you all set up?�
�Almost,� Mitch replied, approaching them. �We placed our camp a short way up from the beach in a clearing beside the bluff over there.� He indicated the direction with a sweep of his arm. �It�s a slight depression in the rocks, and sort of wraps around in a bit of a horseshoe shape, and since we�ll be here overnight, we decided it would protect us against a rear attack should anything decide to try to sneak up on us.�
�Hammond explained to you what we�re doing here?�
�Yes. He said that you are in charge of this operation, and instructed us to assist you in any way possible.�
They picked up the gear, and began walking toward the camp. Ellie cast one last, longing glance over her shoulder at the empty sky, then drew a deep, cleansing breath and trudged through the sand behind Alan. Tory would be all right once she was back with her mother, but it had been wonderful being around a child again!
As he walked, Alan surveyed the terrain. It was a lovely spot with a gently sloping pristine coastline extending upward toward the flat sandy area near the tree line. The ocean was relatively calm, with waves smoothly rolling up onto the beach before sliding back again. The rocky cliffs were not as high as they had first appeared, but were extremely rugged. They began as a few large boulders, volcanic in nature, that were strewn about the beach and which had been pushed up from the earth sometime in its prehistoric past. From there, the volcanic rocks began an upward progression, first forming jagged bluffs until it culminated into the craggy cliffs, a castle built from magma accessible only to the pteranodons which roosted in its black towers. Below it, the coast had eroded over the centuries, separating several small island-like formations from the cliffs, and they could hear the waves breaking against them.
Tilting his head back, Alan shaded his eyes with his hand as he viewed the pinnacle, determining that it was much too rugged to safely negotiate. Farther out, the pteranodons glided gracefully on the air currents above the surf in search of fish.
Mitch saw the direction of his gaze, and said, �They came in pretty close while we were setting up. Obviously, they were curious about us, but they haven�t bothered us yet.� He smiled at Ellie. �When I was told we�d be meeting with a couple of paleontologists, I wasn�t aware that one of them would be a woman.�
Ellie sighed, not really in the mood for the subtle flirtatiousness in Mitch�s comment. �I�m a paleobotonist.�
�I stand corrected,� he said, good naturedly. �And what does a paleobotonist do?�
�I help determine the vegetation that existed during the age of dinosaurs.�
�Plant matter decomposes. How can you determine what plants existed back then?�
�Fossils. Many species left their imprints in mud which hardened to stone.�
�Oh, yeah! I�ve seen those in museums.�
They made their way through a cluster of large boulders at the foot of the bluff, and soon emerged into the clearing that Mitch had told them about. The base of the bluff formed an irregular protective backing to the camp, not quite a half circle since the extension was longer on the far side that it was on the beach side, but it was a prime camping spot in terms of protection. The trees crowded close around the camp, with one side opening up to the beach.
Five men were inside the clearing, four of them working on a pair of inflatable boats, while the fifth was seated on the ground with a large metal case opened up in front of him. He was examining each of the tranquilizer canisters, and there was something immediately familiar about him to both Alan and Ellie, but it was Ellie whose face suddenly lit up with recognition.
�Doctor Harding?�
Gerry Harding looked up, and a smile spread across his face as he stood up, dusting the sand from the back of his trousers. �Ellie Sattler and Doctor Grant. How have you been?�
It had been years since they had seen Harding on Isla Nublar where he had been treating a sick triceratops just before the storm had struck, and the two scientists immediately moved toward him.
�I didn�t expect to see you here!� Ellie said.
�Neither did I,� Harding replied as he took Ellie�s hand, �but Hammond called last week to tell me what you two were up to, and he asked if I would be willing to come along to dispense the proper dosage in the tranquilizer canisters. I never expected to set foot on these islands again, but I must admit, I was curious to see for myself how the animals were doing.�
�They�re thriving,� Alan said, offering his hand to the dinosaur veterinarian, who grasped it in a friendly handshake.
�So you two have been living on this island, studying and cataloguing the animals?�
�Alan�s been here for more than nine months, but I just arrived seven weeks ago,� Ellie told him. �We�ve been studying their behavior patterns in the wild.� Her eyes fell on the tranquilizer case. �So how does this work?�
He knelt down in front of the case, and removed one of the small darts for demonstration. The others knelt down around him. �Each one of these is filled with a type of tranquilizer that was developed here on Isla Sorna before operations closed down. The geneticists developed and fine-tuned this drug for use exclusively on the dinosaurs. Hammond had to track down a couple of the scientists and obtain the formula to have a fresh batch fast-tracked for this operation. I don�t know how he pulled it off, but I guess money talks.�
Alan picked up one of the darts to examine it, turning it slowly in his hand. It was very much like regular wild animal darts, cylindrical in shape with a sharp point, which was tipped with a protective cap to avoid an accidental jabbing. �Are you sure about the dosage?�
�Yes. We have used this before on the pteranodons, so I�m quite confident about the proper dosage.�
Alan lifted his eyes to the veterinarian�s face. �So, you worked with them before, when they were still inside the cage?�
�Yes. Surly beasts. I heartily approve of your idea to tag them with tracking devices.�
�Tell me about them,� Alan urged. �What are we going up against, logistically?�
�Well, for starters, Hammond hired one of the best sharpshooters in the business. Mitch is a former SWAT officer, highly trained and skilled. He was with me in Kenya when we were working with lions. He�s an outstanding marksman, and will have no trouble darting the animals for us. But these creatures won�t behave the way the big cats do in Africa. Cats are wary. They will alternately approach and stop to check you out. They are infinitely patient. These beasts are going to be swooping and diving if they sense a threat, and they may just attack in force. We�ll have to be prepared for anything.�
�You mean kill them,� Ellie said.
�If necessary, yes. Hammond is adamantly opposed to causing them physical harm, but we must protect ourselves.�
�Does your sharpshooter have live ammunition?� Alan asked.
Mitch had been listening a short distance away, and he took his cue to move forward and squatted down beside them. �At Gerry�s suggestion, I smuggled in an automatic rifle, but we�re to use it as a last resort only.�
Alan exchanged glances with Ellie. �How did you manage to get it through customs?�
�I didn�t,� Mitch grinned. �Hammond told us the problems you went through just trying to get a handgun into Costa Rica, so we simply floated it and everything else down from California by boat.�
�The same way Malcolm�s expedition did,� Ellie said.
Mitch nodded. �The only way to avoid customs was to stay well off shore. It also enabled us to carry the rest of our gear. Loading all those inflatable boats, coolers, sleeping bags and the rest of the equipment on an airplane and keeping track of them once we reached Costa Rica would have been a nightmare, so we left everything anchored offshore while we waited for word from Hammond.�
�They didn�t find your presence there suspicious?� Alan asked.
�Not really. Hammond had notified them that we were coming and what we were doing, and I guess they were so pleased with what we were doing that they didn�t bother us. The coast guard did board the vessel, but they only looked at some of the equipment and left. I let them check out my darting rifle, but I kept the automatic hidden.�
�What would you have done if they had found it?� Ellie asked.
�I knew they wouldn�t,� he replied with a confident smile.
The haunting cry of a pteranodon pierced the calm air, and they looked up as two of the winged creatures soared overhead. One was carrying a small animal in its long jaws, apparently intending to take it to the nest to feed its young. The other was aggressively attempting to steal it, while the first was defending its prey with equal aggression. The humans shaded their eyes against the brilliance of the sunny sky, and observed the aerial duel. The would-be thief swept close, attempting to snatch the dead animal with its long jaws, succeeding in grabbing what appeared to be a long tail, but the other abruptly folded its wings and dove beneath it, still carrying the bulk of its catch. Undaunted, the thief gave chase.
�What is that they�ve got?� Harding asked, unable to see the prey clearly.
�Looks like a compy or maybe an infant raptor,� Alan replied. �Hard to tell from this distance.�
Finally, the two huge combatants disappeared behind the rocky cliffs, and they would never know who ended up with the prey.
Mitch�s body gave an involuntary shudder. �I�ve faced assassins, bank robbers, gangs, drug dealers, and marauding lions, but I�ve never come up against something as scary as this. So tell us, how dangerous are these animals to humans?�
�When they were caged, they would occasionally fly at the barriers in an attempt to attack the workers, but in spite of their size, their bones are hollow, like those of a bird, so I cannot believe they could actually pick up an adult human,� Harding replied. �Still, their claws and teeth are lethal, so they have to be considered extremely dangerous.�
�Teeth?� Ellie asked, surprised. �The fossils I�ve seen do not have teeth.�
�These do,� Alan told her. �Didn�t I mention that?� When Ellie shook her head, he continued, �I noticed the teeth last summer; another reminder that these creatures are not genetically pure. What kind of explanation do the scientists have for that?� he asked, turning his attention to Harding.
The veterinarian shrugged. �I�m not sure they had an explanation other than it was a byproduct of the unique circumstances of being created in a laboratory with a certain amount of genetic tampering. The scientists were surprised, but not particularly concerned.�
Ellie shuddered. �That is disturbing.�
�It is food for thought, isn�t it? One thing is for certain; we�re going to have to be very careful in how we handle these animals.�
�When we encountered them inside the cage,� Alan said, reflectively, �they were extremely aggressive. You are right, Doctor Harding, that they can�t pick up an adult human. They tried to pick up my young assistant, Billy Brennan, but were unable to get more than a few yards off the ground. They worked him over good, though. Damn near killed him. It was a miracle he managed to get away from them.�
Mitch spread his hands, welcoming input. �How�s the best way to do this? Obviously they�re not going to come to us willingly.�
�We have no choice but to shoot them out of the sky,� Harding said. �I hate to do it, and it�s going to be traumatic for them, but there is no other way. That�s why I asked Hammond to provide those inflatables. Water will provide a safer landing place for them than the ground, where they might be impaled or damage their wing membranes on tree limbs, or suffer broken bones on the rocks, so when we shoot one, we�ll have to go out and pull it back to shore.�
�There will be a risk of drowning,� Alan pointed out
�Yes, that�s true,� Hammond agreed. �The workers will have to get out there quickly and get its head out of the water. The inflatable boats are equipped with outboard engines, top of the line, as John always says, so they should be able to reach them in good time.�
At the mention of the inflatable boats, everyone turned their attention to the men who were finishing up with the boats.
�Hammond gave me some leeway in hiring the help I felt we needed to accomplish a thorough job,� Harding said. �These men are all experienced with inflatables. They will pull the animals to shore and will help with anything that requires muscle power.� He pushed the case which contained the tracking devices toward Alan for his inspection.
The paleontologist immediately popped open the lid to look at them, and picked one up for closer inspection. �They look like the radio collars used on bears and other wildlife.�
�Yes. This was the one area that was not entirely to my liking. I had hoped that technology had improved to the point where we could merely attach wing tags to them, but unfortunately there is no battery-pack that small which has a long enough life span to make them practical. They used the smallest batteries available which provide the most power and durability, but they still have enough size that the animals will know they�re there. Eventually, they will have to be replaced when the battery packs lose power. Hammond�s people are working on developing something that will last longer, and I believe there will eventually be a power source small enough to use a wing tag, but for now, this is what we have to go with.� Harding was keeping an eye on the laborers, and announced, �Looks like they�re finished with the boats, so I would suggest we get to it.� He picked up the case holding the darts and glanced at the sharpshooter. �Get your weapons ready.�
Mitch immediately rushed to pick up both his darting rifle and the automatic weapon, while Harding, Alan, and Ellie approached the four laborers. Two were Hispanic, presumably Costa Rican locals, one was a sturdy black man, the other a solidly built white man. The boats were gray rubber with wood floors and an outboard engine mounted on the stern, and Alan eyed them skeptically, feeling immediately concerned for the safety of the workers.
�Are those boats strong enough to support an animal that size?�
�They�re a lot stronger than they look,� said the black man with a mellow accent that could only be of Caribbean origin. He offered his hand. �Name�s Tyrell. I�ve been using these boats for years. They�re durable and dependable.�
�I�m worried about one of those claws puncturing the hull,� Alan said.
Harding stepped in. �Once the tranquilizer takes effect, it completely paralyzes the animal�s central nervous system. They will be totally unable to thrash about, so the boats should be safe.�
�I�m more worried about the people in them,� Alan clarified. �At the very least, I would suggest tying the jaws shut as a precaution.�
�Agreed.� Harding indicated the lengths of rope that the laborers had placed inside the two inflatables. �I�ve already recommended that very thing.� To the laborers, he explained, �Once the animal has been brought down, the first thing to do is pull the head into the boat and secure the jaws. Keep the head above water at all times, and get them to shore as quickly as possible.�
Nodding their understanding, the four laborers picked up the boats by the lifting handles and carried them toward the water�s edge. Mitch carried his rifles against his shoulders, muzzle up, and Alan, Ellie, and Harding fell in step behind. The darting process was about to begin.
Go to Chapter Thirty One