Chapter 3: Masrani's Mistake

Owen was on a mission as he stormed forward, I chased after him trying to talk. We went down the elevator and when the doors opens, Owen ignored the man speaking to him. I flashed my temporary badge Claire gave me but he went after Owen still. "Sir, I need to see a badge! Sir!" "What happened out there? There are thermal cameras all over that Paddock." the guard was trying to hold Owen back as he fired his questions at Claire, who was trying to ignore him. "She did not just disappear!" Claire sighed and turned to face us as the guard gave up and went back to his post.

"It must have been some kind of a technical malfunction." "Were you not watching? She marked up that wall as a distraction. She wanted us to think she had escaped." Owen took a few steps toward Claire and I followed, ready to stop him if he even thought about putting a hand on Claire. "Hold on. We are talking about an animal here." "A highly intelligent animal." "400 meters to the beacon." a woman said and we all turned to the screen. I watched the screen as the squad, hired and trained for this, photos and heartbeat was up. Their camera's were also to the side and we could see what they were seeing for the most part. "You're going after her with non-lethals?" I asked and that seemed to anger Owen even more.

"We have 26 million dollars invested in that asset. We can't just kill it." "Those men are going to die." I went to Masrani. "Please Mr. Masrani, get them out of there. Owen's right, this animal is too dangerous to go after with non-lethals." he ignored me as the woman spoke again, telling us 300 meters to the beacon. "You need to call this mission off." Owen said, backing up what I was telling Masrani. "They're right on top of it." "Call it off right now!" Owen shouted, but Claire shut him down. "You're not in control here!" I was surprised that Claire was going along with Masrani, I thought I knew her better than that. "Aren't you supposed to be bringing our guests?" Masrani asked me, realizing who I was.

"Are you really worrying about that right now? I mean, I was supposed to bring them to see this new dinosaur but I bet that wouldn't have ended well would it?" I snapped and turned back to the screen. "Blood's not clotted yet. It's close." we all stared at the huge chuck of flesh the squad leader was holding. "What is that?" Masrani asked. "That's her tracking implant. She must have clawed it out." I said as Owen moved to the center. "How would it know to do that?" Claire asked and Owen answered her this time. "She remembered where they put it in. We all stared at the screen as the leader stood up and began to turn around. "It can camouflage!" he shouted as they were surprised and tried to back up to get shots off.

The leader didn't get a chance to run as she scooped him up in his claws with ease. He screamed as they backed up, shooting at it as they went. His camera went into the water as she must have slammed him down and then his heartbeat went flat. All we could do was stare in horror as we heard the men and women screaming and shouting before their heartbeats flat-lined also. Masrani put his hands together and up to his mouth as he realized what he had done by sending them out there with non-lethals, his mistake cost those men and women their lives.

"Evacuate the island." Owen said turning around to face us. "We'd never reopen." Claire spoke and I was getting angry at her myself, this wasn't like her normal self. Yes she was professional and all, but this was getting too far. "You made a genetic hybrid, raised it in captivity. She is seeing all of this for the first time. She does not even know what she is. She will kill everything that moves." Masrani took that moment to speak. "You think the animal is contemplating it's own existence?" "She is learning where she fits in the food chain, and I'm not sure you want her to figure that out." Owen didn't sugar-coat any for them.

"Now, Asset Containment can use live ammunition in an emergency situation. You have an M-134 in your armory. Put it on a chopper and smoke this thing!" Owen was giving out orders like he was in charge but I couldn't argue because it's exactly what I would have done too. "We have families here. I'm not gonna turn this place into some kind of war zone." Claire told him, but he was ready with a rebuttal of she already had. "Mr. Grady, if you're not gonna help, there's no reason for you to be in here." Owen smack a bunch of toy dinos off a workers desk as he stormed by, pausing beside Masrani and myself. "I would have a word with your people in the lab. That thing out there- that's no dinosaur." he nodded his head for me to come with him.

"Masrani, I need to go with him, I can't assist with your guests." I followed after Owen and Masrani called after me. "You must. They say it has to be you. No one else. Go to the office now Shelly." the elevator doors closed before I could object. "I'll drop you off at the office. I'm going to the lab." "Owen, I'm not worry about Masrani's special guests, I'm worried about the other 20000 people that could get hurt. We need to do something." "That's why I'm going to the lab, I'm going to figure out exactly what that thing is and how to kill it. Forget their money, it's a danger to every single person on this island."

He drove me to the office, not even putting the car in park. "Owen. Look at me." he did and I knew he could see the fear in my eyes. "I don't want anyone else dying today. Please tell me you will be careful. Don't be reckless." he nodded and took my hand. "I want you to do the same. Get those guests back to the hotel or somewhere you are going to be safe. I'll radio Barry and let them know. Shels, call me if something happens and I'll be there." I got out and he drove off, I sighed and turned to the office, it was too dark to see inside so I opened the door and flipped on the lights.

As my eyes adjusted, I found myself standing in front of six people that was unbelievably beautiful/handsome. "Hello, my name is Shelly, Mr. Masrani has informed me that you are his special guests. Unfortunately we have had a small issue with the dinosaur you were here to see, I will be taking you to the hotel until Mr. Masrani can join us. I'm sorry." "We are not here to see a dinosaur." the blonde man said, stepping forward with a woman, who looked like she was going to cry. The man's voice stirred something in my head, it was familiar. I groaned and rubbed my temple. "Look, I'm sorry, we have to go right now. I'll pull the SUV around."

I didn't give them a chance to say anything as I went around the building and got into the car. I honked the horn and they rushed out into the car. I did catch a glimpse of something super shiny as they hurried over and into the shade of the car, tinted windows of course for the heat. I figured they must have jewelry or something, but it made my head hurt even more. I shrugged it off as best I could as I drove forward, trying not to stare at the man in the front seat out the corner of my eye.

None of them spoke as we drove, I was thinking that I should feel awkward and uncomfortable, but I wasn't. it was odd but I felt so safe and normal with them near me, it was as if I already knew them but I couldn't figure out where. I knew that I would remember such beautiful people. I tried to glance in the mirror at the ones in the back, but I didn't want to seem nosy. I finally gave up and spoke, "Sorry about all this, but I can't really say what has happened." "A dinosaur escape. Killed people. You all are still trying to either capture or kill it." I looked at the dark-haired girl in the back, hearing her ringing bell like voice.

"Did Masrani tell you?" she shook her head, smiling brightly. The woman patted her lap and the girl quieted down. "Forgive her, she is a bit excited." the woman's voice was also like a bell but it sent a wave of calm over me, making me shiver. I pressed the gas more as we sped down, realizing that I needed to make sure these people were safe and I needed to get back to Owen. I hit my brakes and we swerved to the side as I stared at the chopper flying toward the dinosaur birdcage. "What's wrong?" I saw the dinosaur then, white oddly enough. It was huge and running straight for the glass. "Oh shit!" I watched in horror as it slammed into the cage, a huge hole, meaning the aerial dinos would be loose too.

"That's the dinosaur that's causing the problems." the girl in the back said and the huge guy laughed. "Man, that's not even a challenge. No problem." I turned and looked at him with a shocked face. "Opps. Sorry. I mean, I know it's serious and all." "Let's go, before the aerial ones come after us. Their beaks can tear this car apart no problem." I gunned it again, racing down the road, praying that Owen and Claire was safe. I saw an old Jurassic Park Jeep racing down the road also and then heard the screeching of the dinos. "Oh crap!" I said I heard the siren go off as we pulled to a stop behind the old Jeep in the resort. "Look, it's not safe outside, run inside as soon as possible."

"Where are you going, Shelly?" the blonde man asked and I sighed. "I have to assist the other workers and make sure no other dinosaurs get out and no one else gets hurt. Please just do what I tell you to." "We can help!" the dark-haired one said brightly and they shushed her. "Look, I'm sorry, you aren't equipped to handle this type of thing. We are." I took a last look at all of them before I slammed the door after getting out and I pulled out my pistol for last resorts. I took off running meeting up with the other worker soldiers and I caught a glimpse of Owen with Claire. I grabbed a tranq gun and began to fire at the dinos attacking people. Claire jumped up on a table and began to yell for someone names Zach and Gray.