Without warning, the pole Mitch was pulling abruptly slipped out of his sweaty hands. Alan winced as the other side of the travois unexpectedly dipped toward the ground, wrenching his arm. Stressed by the sudden shift in weight, the other pole shuddered in Alan�s hand, threatening a wrist injury, so he released it and allowed it to drop. Behind them, Harding and Tyrell also lowered their travois to the ground, grateful for the opportunity to take a breather. They had not gone very far, but the wood bottoms of their makeshift travois dragging against the ground made the object seem heavier, and all of them were breathing hard from the exertion.
The sharpshooter�s face was apologetic as he looked at Alan�s reproachful expression, and he rubbed his sweaty hands against his jeans to dry them. �I�m sorry; it slipped out of my hand.�
Alan gave a slight nod, but did not reply, accepting the explanation as the truth. His own hands were slick with sweat, making it difficult to maintain a firm grasp on the pole. The air beneath the jungle canopy was growing thick and sultry, and seemed to press down on them oppressively. There was no breeze at all; not a leaf or frond made any movement, and the still air seemed to drip moisture, signaling a weather change that only Alan recognized. They were all drenched with sweat, their clothing sticking to their moist skin. Raising his hand, he wiped his wrist across his brow, trying to get the stinging sweat out of his eyes.
At the same time, Tyrell removed a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his forehead. �This damn heat and humidity is awful! It�s hotter here than it was in the open!�
�There�s no circulation in here,� Harding explained, his face was flushed from the heat and physical labor. �Maybe we should stop and rest a spell.�
There were murmurs of approval from the others, but Alan�s eyes were scanning the dense vegetation that surrounded them, listening to sounds that the others tended to ignore, and he shook his head, negatively. �We can�t stay here.� He turned over his wrist to glance at his watch. They had only been traveling for ten minutes, but the heat and humidity had made it seem much longer.
�Sorry, but I�m going to have to have a rest,� Tyrell said.
Alan noticed that the big black man was rubbing his bandaged arm. �All right. We�ll go ahead and change shifts, but we need to keep moving. We�ll change every ten minutes instead of fifteen.�
There were soft sighs of disappointment, but the others did not question his words, nor did they protest the lack of rest. His words were ominous, reminding them of the danger that they faced. Ellie and Garrett stepped up to replace Alan and Mitch, while Ernesto and Cesar relieved Harding and Tyrell.
Alan glanced down at his hands as they resumed their walk through the jungle. His palms were red and already were growing sore from pulling. He flexed his fingers, working out the stiffness. He was starting to agree with the laborers that it would have been much easier to have simply left the supplies behind. But then his eyes fell upon the sacks of supplies that would be dropped along their return route from the mountains, items far too important to leave behind, and decided that they would simply have to continue as they were; changing pullers when each shift became too weary.
The four who now pulled the two travois were struggling with the makeshift transports. His eyes settled on Ellie, who strained and sweated under the burden, determined to do her fair share. Over the past weeks, she had recovered nicely from the injuries sustained in the accident and had regained most of the strength she had lost, but this was a task that was difficult for a man twice her size, as evidenced by Tyrell, who was the strongest among them and who looked as tired as Alan felt. Ellie was leaning forward, pulling as hard as she could, and he regretted that there was not another worker to remove the burden from her. But even if there was, he suspected that she would resent the implications. She was just that kind of person; determined, with a stubborn streak a mile wide.
Less than ten minutes later, the pole slipped out of Ellie�s hands, and she stumbled off balance before recovering. Furious at herself, she rubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans, but found that the jeans were damp as well, as was the clothing of everyone present. She reached for the pole again, but Alan placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
�We�ll change pullers again,� he suggested.
�Has it been ten minutes yet?� she asked.
He glanced at his watch and saw that eight minutes had passed since the last change. �Yes,� he lied. It was close enough.
Even though she suspected that he was not being entirely truthful, she relinquished her pole to him and stepped back, flexing her hands and panting slightly from the exertion. Her heart was pounding wildly and she was surprised to find her muscles trembling slightly. Her head was throbbing in rhythm to her heart.
With a low groan, Garrett sank to the mossy ground. �I don�t know about you guys, but I can�t go another step without resting for a spell.�
The two Costa Rican men needed no urging. Following Garrett�s lead, they sat down beside him, and a moment later Harding joined them in their mutiny. Giving Alan an apologetic shrug, he said, �If we keep pushing ourselves in this heat, we�ll collapse. Better that we rest a few minutes before we proceed.�
Alan did not like stopping so near the fallen Spinosaurus, but he knew the veterinarian was right. They were a long way from help if someone went down with heat stroke. �All right. We�ll take a breather.� He opened the ice chest and found the bottles of water, which he passed around to the others. �We�ll need to stay hydrated.�
Ellie accepted hers, uncapped it and took a long drink, then pressed the cold plastic bottle against her forehead as she closed her eyes. Alan sat down next to her.
�Headache?� he asked.
Her eyes opened and she glanced at him with an affirmative nod. �Is it that obvious?� she asked. �It�s this infernal heat. It never seemed this hot farther inland, or even out on the beach.�
�High humidity and no breeze make it feel much worse than it really is,� Alan said, opening his backpack. He withdrew a bottle of aspirin and shook two onto her waiting palm. �It�s going to rain,� he added, almost as an afterthought.
She did not ask him how he knew this; he just seemed to know these things, but Tyrell was sitting nearby and looked up, observing that the sun shining brightly through gaps in the canopy. �Are you some kind of human barometer?�
This brought an amused smile. �No. I�ve just been here long enough to recognize the signs.� He dragged his fingers through his lank brown hair, combing it back from his sweating face and watched while Ellie washed the aspirin down with a long drink from the bottle of water, then she set it aside, pulled her hair back in a pony tail and bound it with an elastic loop that she had withdrawn from her pocket.
A moment later, the sound of something moving through the nearby brush attracted their rapt attention. Conversations immediately halted, and all eyes turned in the direction of the sounds. There were no impact tremors, as there had been with the Spinosaurus, indicating that whatever it was, it was smaller, but the sound of it was ominous.
Several of the men cast anxious glances at Alan, gauging his reaction, but his expression was impossible to read. Like the others, his eyes were on the jungle foliage in the general direction of the movement, but he was unable to see it. He raised a finger to his lips, urging them silently not to advertise their presence, and they were only too happy to oblige.
The sounds continued to advance in their general direction, unmistakable footsteps crunching the jungle litter on the ground and the snapping of small branches as the creature pushed its way through them. Occasionally, they heard a rumbling snort as the animal tested the scent in the air. Finally, they saw a brownish object moving through a gap in the foliage. Alan�s sharp eyes glimpsed its features, noting the snout horn before it disappeared again. It did not pause or hesitate, but seemed to be moving toward the beach and the direction of the dead Spinosaurus, lured by the smell that humans could not detect.
�Ceratosaurus,� Alan said quietly after the sounds had faded.
�Dangerous?� Tyrell asked.
�Very. Fortunately for us, it�s more interested in the smells coming from the beach.�
Garrett, who had been the first to sit down, was now the first to stand up. �I don�t feel so tired any more.� Looking around nervously, he added, �Maybe we�d better put some distance between us and them.�
By unspoken consent, everyone stood up, and Alan and Mitch took the first travois again and led the way. They heard no more sounds in the jungle, but they occasionally heard a cry in the sky high above the treetops, indicating that the pteranodons were impatiently waiting for the larger creatures to feed.
The heat and humidity seemed to be getting worse, and the pullers tired more quickly this time, and after another ten minutes, they surrendered them to the next shift.
Mitch walked beside the travois, looking at the palms of his hands. Already, a couple of blisters were making an appearance, painful and red. With a sigh, he flexed his hands to relieve the stiffness and mopped the sweat out of his eyes repeatedly, wishing for some kind of fan to help relieve the oppressive heat.
His eyes moved toward the jungle, which closed around them in an intimidating manner, concealing the wildlife from his eyes, and he wondered if he could find a palm leaf large enough to use as a fan to help move the air around his face. He moved a short distance from the others, peering deeper into the jungle and looking high and low for something to serve his purpose. He kept the others in sight at all times, but more and more trees and shrubs were between him and the others as he searched. Several times, he found what seemed to be likely candidates, only to find them too flexible to utilize.
Walking on the other side of the travois, Alan noticed that the sharpshooter had moved a dozen yards or so from the group. �I wouldn�t wander out too far,� he cautioned.
�Just looking for something I can use as a fan,� he explained.
�You�re setting yourself up as a target,� Alan told him.
�Predators go for the stragglers and wanderers, Mitch,� Harding reminded him. �You�ve seen that in Africa as many times as I have. Better stay close.�
Without warning, something skittered past Mitch�s ankles, causing him to jump involuntarily and in his anxiety he tripped over a clump of brush and fell onto the mossy ground.
Everyone stopped to look at him in surprise. He scrambled to his feet again and quickly closed the gap between himself and the others. When he was safely in their midst again, he looked around wildly, but whatever it was had vanished. �Something brushed against my leg!� he exclaimed.
The others looked anxiously around, but there was nothing to be seen except the still foliage and his puzzled companions. A few of them seemed a bit spooked, but Tyrell�s very white teeth flashed in a broad grin.
�Getting a bit jumpy there, Mitch?�
�I�m serious!� Mitch insisted. �I felt something run past my leg!�
Alan did not join in the teasing. �Probably a compy,� he said.
�A what?�
�It�s a small dinosaur. Mostly, they�re scavengers, but they�ll take down game if they�re hungry. They�re most likely heading for the carcass. They�ll clean it up after the larger predators get finished with it. They run in packs, so when you see one there�s likely --�
�There�s another one!� Garrett exclaimed, pointing as another greenish little creature scurried between him and the travois, inspiring the man to sidestep quickly away from it. It glanced at them with a beady black eye as it ran past, but did not stop.
Moments later, the area was teaming with the agile little creatures. With peculiar chirps and chittering sounds, they swarmed through the area bounding almost gracefully over the travois and detouring around the humans� legs. With curses and exclamations, the workers stepped from side to side, trying to avoid contact with the small dinosaurs. Garrett tried to kick at one, but it skittered sideways out of range.
�Just stand still and let them pass,� Alan advised. �They�re not interested in us.�
His calm voice and demeanor had a soothing effect on them, and they settled down, watching with fascination as the diminutive dinosaurs scurried away, disappearing into the jungle behind them.
�I didn�t know dinosaurs came that small,� Tyrell said as the last green tail disappeared through the foliage. �They�re almost cute. I should have caught one of them to take home as a pet for my boy.�
�You would have gotten yourself bitten,� Alan objected. �They may be small, but they�re carnivores with sharp teeth that are capable of doing serious damage. Get your boy a dog. Wild animals are better left in the wild.�
His words were blunt, but Tyrell took no offense. Alan Grant was, after all, the dinosaur expert. �Yeah, I guess you�re right.�
�Let�s go,� Alan said.
They resumed their arduous trek through the foliage, keeping the boulders and black rocks that lay at the foot of the sloping ground behind the cliffs on their left. After nearly an hour had passed, the trees finally began to thin and the soil became sandier as they neared the beach once again. In the sandy ground, the make-shift travois were more difficult to pull, so the others joined in to pull it the last few dozen yards until they emerged into the sunlight.
By unspoken consent, everyone released the poles and allowed them to drop to the ground. Rubbing sore arms and shoulders, they stepped into the open, expecting to feel a cooling breeze on their faces, but found that the breeze did not exist. The air was calm and still, only marginally less sultry than it had been under the jungle canopy.
�Damn, it�s as hot and humid out here as it was in that jungle!� Tyrell swore.
�Well, at least we�re safe out here,� Garrett said as he brushed past him to find a shady spot at the foot of the cliff. He dropped down in the sand and leaned back against one of the boulders.
�No place on this island is totally safe,� Alan told him. His eyes examined the beach and scanned the air above the water for pteranodons, and could just make out a few of them out in the distance. The beasts were apparently more interested in the activity on the other side of the cliffs. �However, I think we�re safer here than we were on the other side.�
As he moved toward the boulders where Garrett sat flexing his sore hands, Tyrell looked up at the sky, which remained clear and blue, prompting him to say in a teasing fashion, �No sign of rain yet.�
�It�ll be here soon enough,� Alan said. �The surf�s already getting rough.�
The others turned to look at the water, observing the waves that crashed noisily against the rocks and rolled up onto the beach in foamy breakers, driven ahead of the approaching storm.
Tyrell shrugged, then found a shady spot and sat down. No one else commented.
Feeling safer out in the open and well away from the carcass of the Spinosaurus, the rest of them spread out to find shady areas beside the boulders to sit down and rest while they waited for the helicopter to pick them up.
Alan�s stomach rumbled, reminding him that they had missed lunch due to the appearance of the Spinosaurus, and he glanced at his watch to verify the time. �Well, we�ve got some time to kill, so does anyone want a sandwich while we wait?�
Several of the men spoke up eagerly, and Mitch popped open the lid of the ice chest and reached inside for the sandwiches.
�I�m not sure that�s a good idea,� Harding said, drawing frowns and objections from the other men. �If a storm is coming and we get caught in it on that helicopter . . . well, a full stomach might not be a pleasant experience. I think I�ll save it for a good meal at the hotel when we arrive.�
Mitch looked at the sandwich in his hand, and it suddenly did not look so appetizing. With a sigh, he dropped it back into the chest and looked up to see if anyone else wanted one. The other men shifted, clearly experiencing hunger, but no one stepped forward for a sandwich.
Harding noticed that Alan and Ellie were also hesitating. �Since you two are staying on the island, feel free to go ahead.�
�We hate to eat in front of you,� Ellie objected. �It doesn�t seem fair.�
�Shoot, we�re the ones who will be having a nice hot meal at the restaurant this evening,� Mitch told her. �THAT doesn�t seem fair.�
�You know what I�d like to have?� Ellie asked.
�What?�
�A pizza. Pepperoni, with lots of melted cheese.� She sighed with longing. �I can�t even remember the last time I had a pizza!�
Alan smiled. �I�ll buy you a large pizza when we get back to the States.�
�You�ve been on this island for quite some time, Dr. Grant. What do you miss the most?� Harding asked curiously.
Alan thought for a moment, then said wistfully, �Teaching. Describing a new find to a class full of eager students, taking them onto the dig site to see it first hand, helping them piece together the fragments to identify the species.�
Ellie�s smile faltered, and her eyes became sympathetic. The others were unaware that the paleontologist had been relieved of his tenure at the university, so she made no comment about that. Instead, she said, �Alan�s a natural when it comes to teaching paleontology.�
Alan drew a deep breath and forced a smile. �I suppose you were talking about food, though, weren�t you? Ellie�s mother makes the best fried chicken you ever ate.�
�It�s an old family recipe,� Ellie explained. �Mom gave me the recipe, but I think she left out some important ingredient, because mine never tastes quite like hers. I�m sure she�ll make us some when we get home, and I�ll look over her shoulder while she�s doing it!�
�That�s often the way it is, isn�t it?� Harding asked. �My sister�s mother in law has a wonderful recipe for orange spice cake, but whenever someone asks for the recipe, she omits some key ingredient that makes it special. I never did understand why some people do that. I mean, you don�t want the recipe to die out, right?�
�I think they do that to keep the exact recipe within the immediate family,� Ellie said. �With Mom, it was probably an oversight that I never got around to asking her about. She lives in Virginia, and Alan and I were always in Montana.�
Alan had closed the lid on the ice chest, but Harding suggested, �Why don�t you take some of the sandwiches with you? We won�t be eating them, and they�ll just go to waste.�
�We�ll take a few,� Alan said. �In this humidity, it won�t take long for the bread to start molding.� He sat down in the shade beside Ellie, apparently deciding that it would not be right to eat in front of the others.
Ellie looked over at Tyrell, who sat on Harding�s left. �How�s your arm?�
He glanced at the gauze she had wrapped around his arm. It was a bit worse for wear from the intense heat and the work they had done tagging the pteranodons and dragging the travois through the jungle, but it was still in place. �I hardly notice it, to be honest,� he replied.
�That bandage looks a bit tattered. Maybe I should wrap it again.�
�Nah, that won�t be necessary,� he assured her.
�Well, be sure to get it looked at when you get back to the mainland.�
Tyrell smiled pleasantly. �I think you two don�t trust me!�
�I just know how men are about getting injuries checked out,� she countered, tossing a knowing glance at Alan, who looked up and gave a lame shrug, knowing that her comment was a direct reference to him.
�I�ll make sure he does,� Harding promised. �Hammond won�t like that there�s been another accident, but at least no one was killed this time.�
�Speaking of accidents! Did you know about the body in the vault?� Ellie asked, drawing a sharp glance from Alan, who was clearly not yet ready to reveal their discovery.
Harding frowned. �What body in what vault?�
Ellie gave Alan an apologetic shrug. �Um, yeah, it ��
Alan interrupted. They were committed now. �One of the workers was killed by a raptor shortly before the island was abandoned. His name escapes me at the moment, but according to MacFarland�s journal the killing was hushed up by Blake and some of his cohorts.�
�Gavin Shurley,� Ellie said.
�Shurley?� Harding repeated, his relaxed posture becoming more tense as he leaned forward.
�You knew him?� Alan asked.
�Yeah, I knew him. Blake told us he had quit without giving notice and had left the island to parts unknown. You�re telling me that was a lie? That he was killed?�
�Yes.�
�Are you absolutely sure?�
�Positive. Aside from MacFarland�s journal, which stated quite clearly that he was killed by a raptor, Ellie and I saw the body. There were deep wounds on his abdomen, starting just below the sternum and going to just below the naval. He probably died of massive internal hemorrhaging. The body is still in the vault in the autopsy room. Apparently, they planned on giving him a quiet burial in an unmarked grave out in the jungle, but the hurricane interrupted their plans.�
�Does the journal say how it happened?�
�A particularly clever raptor feigned illness to lure the workers into opening the cage, giving her an opportunity to escape. Apparently Shurley was in her way.�
Harding�s face darkened with anger. �We had a number of accidents, all of them costing time and money, and risked closing down the facility for good. Many of the investors were getting jittery and the attorneys were nervous about lawsuits costing more money than the facility could afford. I remember Blake saying during a meeting once that we had to do whatever was necessary to keep the project up and running. Apparently, he was willing to take it beyond what is ethical. I would very much like to see this journal.�
�We plan to present it to Hammond,� Alan said. �We want to make sure the attorneys don�t get hold of it before he sees it, but before we do that I�d like to make some copies just in case someone tries to hush it up.�
�Wise move,� Harding agreed. �I�d appreciate it if you would make an extra one for me. I would be very interested in reading MacFarland�s thoughts.� He shook his head, clearly troubled. �I met Gavin several times whenever I was present to care for the animals. He was always so professional, always taking the necessary precautions according to Muldoon�s orders. I can�t believe he wouldn�t dart the animal before going into its cage.�
�According to the journal, it was because of administrative cutbacks,� Alan told him. �Darts were expensive, so they were used sparingly, and it was decided that the animal was too sick to be dangerous. Stupid people,� he added. �Don�t they know that a lawsuit is much more expensive than taking the proper precautions? Even Muldoon told us that the raptors should all be destroyed. But those educated idiots in charge, who probably didn�t know a raptor from an Apatosaurus, were dictating policy from their fancy desks.�
Ellie could not keep from smiling. �As you might notice, Alan doesn�t have much respect for upper management.�
Harding smiled in response. �I don�t think too highly of them either, if you must know the truth. Hammond would be the exception. He isn�t going to like hearing about this cover-up. He�s an excellent employer, one of the best men I�ve ever worked for, and I assure you he will see that restitution is made to Gavin�s family.�
�According to MacFarland, Gavin Shurley didn�t have any immediate family,� Ellie interjected.
Harding nodded, slowly. �I wasn�t aware of that, but it doesn�t surprise me. Many of the people who hired into this project had no immediate kin.�
�Because it was so dangerous?� she asked.
�No. It was mostly because of the fact that they had to live here on the island. There were no facilities available for families, and,� his eyes swept the landscape in emphasis. �This was hardly the ideal location to bring a wife and kids.�
�Didn�t Hammond oversee what was happening on these islands?� Ellie asked. �He seemed so proud of Jurassic Park, and I was under the impression that he spent a great deal of time there.�
�He did, but he�s getting up in years, and Site B, as Isla Sorna was called then, had not been developed as a theme park yet. At Jurassic Park, he had a suite in the hotel that was his to use whenever he was there, but here there were no hotels or bungalows, so his visits were sparing and for only a day at a time, always leaving before dark. He trusted Blake and MacFarland to take care of everything.�
�And they let him down,� Ellie concluded.
�Well, there were accidents on Isla Nublar too. We all knew when we signed on that this was a high risk project, but there were too many foolish mistakes; mistakes that never should have happened. Most of the mistakes did not have tragic consequences. Unfortunately, some did, and with each incident, some of the investors and stockholders backed out, deciding it was too risky. Hammond is wealthy, but it would have bankrupted him to venture into this project without some additional financial backing. They were eagerly fighting for a place in line when he first announced this project of his. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before, and they must have seen a long string of dollar signs when they looked ahead to the completed project, but some of them did a complete about face when people started dying. After the accident at Jurassic Park, that finished it for most of them. The few that stayed beefed up their staff of attorneys and advisors, and there were threats that one more accident would finish them. Blake knew that.�
�And decided to cover it up,� Ellie concluded.
�That would be my guess.�
�That wasn�t his only cover-up, I�m afraid,� Alan said. �There was also a maintenance worker who was carried off by the escaped raptor a day or two later.�
Harding looked considerably unsettled by this. �Another one?�
�It�s mentioned in the journal, and I found a few human bones shortly after I arrived.�
Harding leaned back again and fell silent for several moments, looking at the two scientists thoughtfully. Finally, he said, �Dr. Grant, Hammond invited me to spend a few days with him after we get back. He wants a full report on the tagging process. I know you intended to inform him of all this, but would you object if I bring this up while I�m there? I don�t think this should wait any longer.�
Ellie turned to see Alan�s reaction, and found him looking back at the veterinarian with an expression that was totally unreadable.
Correctly interpreting his hesitation, Harding added, �I assure you, I will not be part of another cover-up. I just think that Hammond should be advised of this development as soon as possible. There is really little damage that can be done at this late date. The park is shut down permanently, the investors and their attorneys are gone. However, Hammond needs to find out if Blake is still on his payroll. If not, he�ll need to track him down and get some answers about what happened here.�
Alan remained silent for several moments, clearly weighing in his mind the pros and cons of bringing this to Hammond�s attention via Harding. �Very well,� he said at last. �I�ll have copies of the journal made and send him the original when we get back. I�ll also bring the bones of the maintenance worker for identification. I don�t think the journal provided a name, but Hammond should be able to get a name from the personnel records, since it was claimed that he had quit around the same time as Shurley.�
�Sounds good,� Harding agreed. �I would also be very interested in seeing your studies once you�ve published them.�
�I�ll send you a copy,� Alan offered.
�I�d appreciate that.�
Fifteen minutes later, they saw the dark speck of the InGen Corporate helicopter moving toward them, gradually growing larger. It settled in the sand a short distance from the tree line, and to their surprise the side door opened and a familiar smiling man dressed in an equally familiar white suit emerged from it. He carried a walking stick with the flare of a Scottish gentleman, and he looked a bit thinner and frailer than he had the last time they had seen him, but there was no mistaking his identity.
�Mr. Hammond!� Ellie exclaimed, genuinely pleased to see the aging eccentric who had dreamed up the concept of Jurassic Park and its inhabitants. Dusting the sand from the seat of her jeans, she moved forward to greet him. He made a move to embrace her, but she held back, explaining, �I�m filthy and sweaty.�
But John Hammond was not to be put off. �Don�t worry about the clothes,� he said, cheerfully in his Scottish lilt, pulling her into his arms. �Don�t give them a second thought. So good to see you again, Doctor Sattler. And you as well, Doctor Grant,� he added, offering his hand to Alan, who grasped it in a welcoming handshake. �We saw a few of the Pteranodons during our approach, and I could see the collars on them. Excellent idea; superb, in fact. My crew was adequate, then?�
�More than adequate,� Alan told him. �They�re an excellent team. Mitch is a crack shot and everyone quickly found a routine that got the job done efficiently. Unfortunately, we had to quit before we were quite finished.� He explained what had happened with the Spinosaurus.
Hammond listened with a growing frown of concern for the safety of the crew and regret over the fate of the carnivore. �Well, tragic that it was necessary to destroy it, but if there was no choice, then there was no choice. Some of my geneticists complained about it being a particularly nasty creature to manage; very dangerous, they said.�
�I had several encounters with it,� Alan said. �I can�t say I�m sorry it�s dead.�
�Well, it was the last of its kind,� Hammond reminded him. �That makes it a bit tragic, but sometimes we must make sacrifices, don�t we?� His smile returned, apparently dismissing the Spinosaurus from his mind. �Well, we�d best start getting things loaded. There is a storm brewing on the horizon, according to the weather reports, and it would be best if we were back to the mainland before it hits.�
Tyrell grinned his concession, and Mitch cast a rather admiring glance at Alan for having predicted it, but made no comment. �All right, boys, let�s get this gear in the compartment.�
He and the four laborers began dismantling the travois and transferred the inflatables and the rest of the gear in the helicopter�s cargo hold. Harding oversaw the storing of his own supplies, but Alan and Ellie lingered with Hammond.
Alan showed him the map of the island that he had brought with him from the compound. �I�ve marked the sites where I want the supplies to be dropped,� he said as a reminder, just in case he had forgotten that they would be dropping him and Ellie off.
�That reminds me,� Hammond said. Returning to the helicopter, he reached inside the passenger compartment and withdrew a couple of small boxes. One of them was an ice chest, much smaller than the one Harding had brought.
�I thought perhaps you might be able to use this,� the aging gentleman said. �It�s lightweight and contains a couple of those blue ice thingies that will keep several bottles of water cold for you. I never can remember what those are called. Anyway, it�s specially insulated by my manufacturers, so if care is taken to keep it closed, it will remain cold for five or six days. I�m not sure how long you will be out in the bush, but hopefully it will provide you with cool drinks and help preserve anything you might want to keep.�
�Thank you,� Ellie said, accepting the gift. �That was very thoughtful of you to think of us like that.�
But Hammond wasn�t finished yet. �And when I heard that you two wanted to be dropped off in the mountains for additional investigation of the wildlife, I put my scientists to work on this.� He presented Alan with another small box, this one the size of an old fashioned lunch box. �Open it!� he said with the eagerness of a child.
Alan was not particularly pleased to be presented with additional items that must be carried with them during their hike, but he humored the old man. He unlatched the box and flipped open the top to reveal a small control panel and eight small sensors. He looked up at Hammond with a puzzled expression and a slight shrug, indicating that he had no idea what it was or what he was expected to do with it.
Hammond was almost bursting with enthusiasm, and chuckled delightedly at Alan�s lack of comprehension. �That is a security device. Simply attach these sensors to the trees around your camp, turn on the lasers, and if anything breaks the beam an alarm will sound on this panel!� He pointed to eight tiny light bulbs on the control panel. �Each of these bulbs corresponds with one of those sensors, enabling you to determine which beam was broken. That will not only alert you to something approaching your camp and give you a chance to respond, it will also tell you which direction it is approaching! Quite ingenious.�
Alan�s blue eyes lit up with interest as he lifted one of the sensors to examine it. �How is it powered?�
�A battery pack. It�s stored under the control panel. With twelve hours of operation each night, they should last better than a week, but I included a couple of extra battery packs in the event that these are defective or in case you need the protection during the day for whatever reason. And the sensors will transmit up to fifty yards, so you can place them far enough out to allow yourselves time to prepare for anything that breaks the beam. It always pays to be prepared, correct? I would test it each night when you set it up to make certain it is functioning properly, but it�s quite simple to operate.�
Alan replaced the sensor in its nest and as he looked appreciatively at the elderly gentleman, he could not help but feel impressed by the device. �This will come in very handy. I had no idea how we were going to get any sleep without one of us standing guard. A half night of sleep for each of us was not going to help us stay alert.�
�Now you can sleep all night and not worry,� Hammond said, smiling happily. �And it gives me piece of mind as well, knowing that it will help keep you both safe while you�re studying my creatures.�
�Thank you.� Ellie leaned over to kiss his cheek. �You�ve solved one of our biggest problems.�
He smiled happily, but before he could respond, Harding said, �Chopper�s loaded, and the pilot�s getting reports of the storm, so we need to get going. Dr. Grant, we weren�t sure where to place your supplies; we thought you�d want to store them yourself.�
�Yes, I do,� Alan agreed, moving toward the helicopter. �I�ll need to be closest to the door, so I�ll keep our gear close to me.�
�The helicopter�s going to be a mite crowded,� Hammond said as he and Ellie fell in step behind him. �There are eight seats in the passenger compartment and there are nine of us. I�m afraid I didn�t consider this when I decided to come along. I was just so keen to see you both and deliver the security device that I�m afraid I failed to remember how many people I had hired for this job!�
There were a few nervous chuckles from the workers as they climbed into the aircraft one after the other and sat down on the eight cushioned seats arranged in three rows. Ernesto and Cesar took the two rear seats. Directly in front of them, Tyrell, Garrett, and Mitch sat down in the comfortable seats, leaving the three forward seats vacant. Harding, Alan, and Ellie would take those.
�I�ll take the extra seat in the cockpit with the pilot, of course,� Hammond added.
�Will this vehicle be able to handle this much weight?� Harding asked as he took his seat, speaking the words that the others were reluctant to say, but their anxious faces indicated that they had been wondering the same thing. �We have a lot of passengers and gear.�
�It�s one of the most powerful helicopters made; top of the line, and quite capable of handling the weight,� Hammond assured him. �No worries there.� Turning to Alan, he said, �I�ll show your map to the pilot and direct him where to place your supplies and where to let you off.�
With a nod of acknowledgement, Alan climbed in last with the plastic bags of food items he intended to drop along the way, which he placed on the floor. Seizing the handle, he slid the door closed and sank into the vacant seat beside Ellie
Hammond climbed into the co-pilot�s seat and informed the pilot that they were ready, and the aircraft lifted slowly off the beach.
As they rose over the treetops, everyone leaned toward the windows in an attempt to see the beach on the other side of the cliffs, hoping for a glimpse of the activity they had left behind, but the cliffs were too high and the beach too distant. Unaware of their interest, the pilot banked toward the mountains.
As they rose higher into the air, the darkening of the sky on the distant horizon, brightened by an occasional flash of lightning, became more evident, and generated some concern among the workers.
�I sure hope that holds off until we get back to the mainland,� Mitch commented behind Ellie. �I sure would hate to get caught in the air when it hits!�
�The good thing is that it�s moving in from the west,� Alan said. �Once you leave this island, you�ll be moving away from it. Hopefully, you can stay ahead of it.�
�It�s going to be a rough ride if we can�t!� Harding said, then added, �Too bad this craft isn�t capable of high altitudes, or we could just get above it. I imagine more than a few of us will be airsick! Better see if we can find some buckets in the storage compartment!�
�Glad I won�t be with you,� Ellie laughed.
There were nervous chuckles from the workers, indicating that none of them found it very amusing.
Alan was barely listening to the banter behind him, preferring to keep an eye on the terrain below, searching for wildlife. They sailed over broad sections of jungle and open meadows, but saw only a small group of five Parasaurolophus browsing in a clearing. Ahead of them, the mountains were growing nearer.
After a while, the helicopter began to descend, indicating that they had reached the first of the drop-off locations notated on Alan�s map, and he grasped one of the sacks of packaged goods and bottled water. When the aircraft was firmly on the ground, Alan slid the door open and stepped outside the crowded vehicle, feeling a bit like an item in an overly filled container being ejected forcibly. Quickly, he looked around for a suitable place to stash the supplies. It only took a moment to decide on the cavity between the buttress roots of a large tree, and he tucked the sack inside it where it would be semi-protected, and arranged several rocks over it to keep it in place. Then he jogged back to the waiting helicopter, and they lifted into the air again.
As they progressed closer to the mountains, the terrain became more rugged, with rocky bluffs and outcroppings, and the helicopter settled down again near one of them. Alan placed the next pack on a rocky ledge about five feet off the ground.
With their supplies in place, the helicopter�s next stop was a sloping grassy meadow deep in the mountainous region. This time, he and Ellie took their remaining gear and climbed from the helicopter to begin their expedition. Mitch moved into the seat Alan had vacated, and leaned out the door.
�It�s been nice meeting both of you,� he said.
Ellie extended her hand with a smile. �Nice meeting you too.�
Alan shook his hand last. �You did a good job out there.�
Mitch gave a nod of thanks. �Take care, both of you,� the sharpshooter said, clearly wondering what it was that motivated the two scientists into making such a dangerous endeavor.
�We will.�
As Mitch closed the door, Hammond�s door opened and he emerged from the co-pilot�s seat with the map, which he presented to the two scientists.
�You both have a safe trip,� he said. �I expect to hear from you when you get back.�
Ellie smiled. �I�ll put you on the list of people to call,� she promised.
Hammond clearly wanted to linger, but the pilot was watching them anxiously from the cockpit, so he quickly embraced Ellie again and shook Alan�s hand. �Well, I suppose if we�re going to outrun that storm, we�d best get a move-on! I�d suggest you two try to find some shelter. Looks like you�re going to get wet!�
The rotors powered up again as the elderly gentlemen climbed back inside, and the aircraft lifted into the sky and banked toward the mainland. Alan and Ellie were alone once again.
Go to Chapter Thirty Five