Night was falling on the park but the chaos was still unfolding. Claire had led everyone to where she had left Emma's car after Owen said they'd be needing it. They had gotten word from Lowery at the main controls that Hoskins had taken over since Mr. Masrani had fallen and was going to try to use the raptors to track down the Indominus Rex. After getting to the car they had gotten stuck in a massive crowd causing a delay in whatever Owen had planned. By the time they arrived at the raptor cages it was dark. Before getting out of the car Emma pulled her hair up in a ponytail. The boys stayed in the car while the three adult got out, being greeted by none other than Hoskins. "The mother hen has finally arrived." He said with a cocky grin on his face.
Owen walked right up to him and punched that grin right off his face. "Get the hell out of here and stay away from my animals."
"Admit it, you wanted this to happen." Emma said with venom in her voice.
Hoskins backed up in defense. "Aww Jesus! How many more people have to die before this mission starts to make sense to you people?"
Owen's friend Barry joined the group. "It's not a mission, it's a field test."
Hoskins looked at Barry then back to Owen. "There are gonna be cruise ships that show up here at first light. Everybody's gonna get off this island. You're gonna watch a news story tomorrow about how you all saved lives! No, better yet, how your animals saved lives." He paused and looked Owen dead in the eye. "This is happening with or without you."
Hoskins walked off leaving the others standing there. Emma looked up at Owen with pleading eyes. "You know they're not going to listen to them. He lets your raptor go without you leading them and we've got another situation on our hands, Owen."
"So what do you suggest I do?" His eyes met hers.
Emma grinned. "I suggest we get our asses in there and take care of this the right way."
He nodded with a small smile and they headed towards where Hoskins had disappeared to. Claire stayed back with her nephews as Emma, Owen and Barry walked into the meeting room. Hoskins face lit up once they walked over to the table where a map of the island had been placed out. There was no argument when Owen just took over. "We know she is in sector five. This is a game we call "Hide and Seek." This is a scent drill we've done about a thousand times with these animals." He paused and made eye contact with several of the men around the table. Emma noticed she was the only woman in the room since Claire had stayed outside. "When they get on target, and they will get on target, wait to engage. Velociraptors are pack hunters, they like to herd the animal into a kill zone. That's when we take our shot. Get a clear shot, wait on my command and give her everything you got. We've got one good target gentlemen, do not shoot my raptors… please."
The men nodded and Hoskins gave the command to get ready. Owen took Emma's hand and motioned for her to follow him. They walked out of the building and headed over to the cage where the raptors had been chained up. They stepped into the cage and almost immediately the raptors started making noises. They could tell that they were a little jumpy after Hoskins' men had equipped them with cameras. Emma walked over to Blue, her personal favorite. "Hey Blue." She spoke softly and Owen watched as she wandered closer to her.
"She hasn't seen you in a while so don't feel bad if she acts weird." Emma nodded but still got closer to where her head was trapped in a steel muzzle so she couldn't bite anyone. Her hand rested on the exposed area of Blue's head and was a little surprised when she seemed to calm down a little. Owen joined Emma with a smile on his face. "Guess I can take that back, huh?" She nodded.
"Hey, Owen." They both turned to see Zach and Gray standing on the other side of the cage. Owen stepped closer to them while Emma stayed with Blue. "Are they safe?" Gray asked while looking at the four raptors.
Emma looked back and watched as Owen shook his head. "No, they're not."
"What are their names?" Zach asked him.
"Well, you got Charlie." He said while pointing at the far side of the cage where Charlie was hooked up. "Echo. Right here is Delta, and the one Emma is with is called Blue, she's the Beta."
"Who's the Alpha?" Emma looked back at Gray and smiled.
"He's standing in front of you, kid." She said while stepping beside Owen who nodded in agreement.
"What about you?" He asked her.
"I'm just their friend." Owen smiled down at her. "This guy is the one they respect. He's taken care of them since they were hatched."
"That's so cool." Zach said and Gray nodded making Emma and Owen smile.
"They're ready to go." Claire walked up to the cage behind Zach and Gray. "I need you two to stay with me okay?" They both nodded. "Be careful out there." She said back to Emma and Owen before walking towards a van with her nephews behind her.
"You should stick with her." Owen started but Emma stopped him.
"No, no, no. You're not getting rid of me that easily. Besides who would watch your back out there?" Owen grinned, giving in. "We're sticking together till this is over."
"Alright, alright. You're gonna need a gun." He stepped closer and pulled her to him. "And you're riding with me."
Emma looked up at him and let out a soft laugh. "Yes Sir." He kissed her once before they stepped out of the cage so Barry could get the raptors ready. It was a little hectic with everyone walking around to get the final things arranged. Emma was given a gun and she and Owen were informed that they had retrieved his motorcycle. She waited by the bike while Owen went to the new cage the raptors had been moved to. He took the piece of flesh from where the Indominus Rex had clawed out her tracker and waved it near the small opening on each door. Once he was sure they had all gotten the scent he walked back over to where Emma waited and they hopped on the bike. She wrapped her arms around his waist and they waited for the signal to go.
Barry had joined their side on a four-wheeler and the other men were in a truck. Owen gave the okay to the man watching the gate and he pressed the button, opening the doors and releasing the raptors. The engines of the vehicles roared to life and they all sped after the raptors that went racing off into the woods. Owen and Emma were the closest to the raptors and eventually rode up so they were in the middle as if they were a part of the pack as well. Emma smiled, realizing this was probably the coolest thing she'd ever do in her life.
They zipped through the jungle and suddenly started slowing down. "They found her." Emma said as the motorcycle came to a complete stop. They got off and Emma held her rifle, ready for whatever was happening next. All of the men prepared themselves behind a fallen log and waited. They watched as the raptors called out to the jungle, getting a loud roar in response. The trees shook telling them she was coming. Emma was taking deep breaths trying to get herself to calm down. She felt Owen's arm rub up against hers and she looked over at him. He looked back at her and gave her a reassuring nod. The Indominus Rex appeared out of the trees and the raptors surrounded it.
Several noises were exchanged between the animals. "Something's wrong, they're communicating." Barry said making Emma lower her gun a little.
"I know why they wouldn't tell us what it's made of…" Owen began.
"I don't think I wanna know." Emma's voice was full of dread and her stomach turned, knowing exactly what he was going to say.
"That thing's part raptor." Then as if on que the raptors and the rex turned and looked at them all.
"Oh my god." Emma said under her breath. Just then one of the men made the command to fire. She was frozen for a second but eventually pulled herself together and fired her gun. One of the men stood up with a grenade launcher in his hands and set it off towards the Indominus Rex. Emma could feel the warmth from the explosion and took a step back as she watched the giant animal fall for a moment but pick herself back up before running off.
None of the raptors were to be seen, not even Blue. "Watch your six, raptors got a new alpha." Owen warned the men. He stood beside Emma and motioned for her to stay by his side. She tried to ignore the sound of screams coming from the men in the group as they were taken out by the raptors. She continued on by Owen's side but they both stopped when they spotted Delta. She peaked her head over the top of the long grass and turned her head to the side as if surprised to see them. Owen was lowering his gun when a loud whistle approached Delta from behind. Suddenly there was a large explosion that sent Owen and Emma flying back.
Emma sat up, feeling for her gun but realized it was nowhere near her. She heard a twig snap and her eyes shot up, landing on Blue. She was maybe five feet away from Emma and was crouched down, eyeballing her. "Come on Blue… You know me." She heard the raptor growl which sent shivers down her spine. She backed up slowly as Blue stepped closer. There was the familiar sound of a motorcycle making Emma feel like she had a chance. She didn't want to turn away from Blue, afraid that she would pounce.
"C'mon Emma." She heard Owen's voice behind her and continued slowly backing up. "Almost there."
Once she felt like she was close enough she whipped around and sprinted the last few steps, practically throwing herself onto the back of the bike. "Go, go, go, go!" They sped off with a relatively pissed off Blue right behind them. "God I love you right now." She held onto Owen and let out a sigh of relief. Emma turned back to see Blue still racing after them.
They found the main road and eventually caught up with the van Claire and her nephews were in. Owen drove so there were right beside the driver's side door. "We've gotta get indoors, follow us." He sped up them so that they were in front of the van and kept going. They pulled in behind the Innovation Center and ran inside and towards the lab.
Once they were there Emma gasped. "They evacuated the lab." Claire finished her thoughts. They all walked inside and looked around.
"You okay?" Owen asked while grabbing her arm. For a moment Emma didn't know why he was asking until she looked down and noticed a deep gash on her left bicep.
"I've been better." She said with a short laugh then her eyes filled with tears.
"You're getting out of here okay? I promise. You will see your family again." She loved that he was being so sincere but she shook her head.
"I don't have any more family." He tilted his head to the side. "My mom was all I had left. I don't have anyone." Her mother had passed away only a couple months after she had come to the island. The memory was something that always made Emma feel horrible.
Emma was sitting in her new bungalow with her phone clutched in her hand. She was a little surprised to see that it had survived her temper tantrum. She had gotten a call just ten minutes earlier that she had hoped she would never get. It was her mother's friend, Lisa. Emma had thought it was a little weird hearing from her mother's friend but when she heard the grief in her voice her legs gave out underneath her and she fell to the hardwood floor. Her mother was dead. Lisa had said it was a heart attack, that there was no telling it was going to happen. She then told Emma that the funeral was going to be taken care of and everyone would understand if she didn't make it home. Once the call was over Emma screamed and stood. She walked over to her nightstand and shoved everything off the top of it, sending it all over the room. She had picked up a pillow from her bed and chucked it at the door wishing it would do more damage. She had grabbed the other pillow and was about to throw it too but instead fell back to her knees and dropped it at her side. If anyone could hear her sobs they would have known she truly was in pain.
She didn't hear front door open and didn't hear the person cross the room and stop at her side. She suddenly felt weightless and opened her eyes to see that Owen had picked her up off the floor. He didn't ask any questions he just sat down on the bed and held her. "My mom…" She started through her sobbing. "She'd dead." Owen pulled her closer and pressed his lips to her temple as she cried in his arms.
That was the day Emma and Owen had become closer friends. Since then he always watched out for her and whenever she would be brought back to that day he was there for her. "You have me." His voice came through her thoughts and her eyes landed on his. And he was still there, Emma realized. "I'm not going anywhere."
Emma jumped slightly at the sound of someone walking into the room. They walked to a capsule and sealed it shut. "What are you doing?" Claire asked just as Hoskins walked in.
"I'm afraid that's above your pay grade, Honey." He replied while walking through the dimly lit lab.
"Where's Henry?" She asked making Emma realize Dr. Wu was not among them.
"Dr. Wu works for us." Emma watched as Gray inched past everyone and looked at a computer screen with the rendering of the Indominus Rex.
"That's not a real dinosaur." He said as he looked up at Hoskins.
"No, it ain't kid." He turned to look at everyone. "But somebody's gotta make sure this company has a future." Emma's jaw almost dropped. "Imagine, that one, a fraction of the size, deadly, intelligent… able to hide from the most advanced military technology. A living weapon unlike anything we've ever seen."
"You're weaponizing it? Are you an idiot, you've seen what it's done. It has outsmarted everyone here!" Emma glared at him.
He was about to reply when one over the raptors appeared at the entrance of the room. Owen almost immediately placed himself in front of Emma and everyone else. "Shh boy, we're on the same side." The raptor that Emma realized was Charlie had him pinned against a window and Hoskins had his hand out as to say he wasn't the enemy. "I'm on your side." Emma jumped as Charlie lurched forward taking his hand in her mouth. Hoskins screamed and Owen pulled Emma by her arm with the others right beside them. They made it out of the lab and ran hallway only to be stopped by Charlie crashing through the glass and landing in front of them. They all turned around and ran the other way into the main area of the Innovation Center.
As they ran past the Holoscape Emma noticed Gray had hit the screen on a random dinosaur to distract Charlie who was right behind them. The distraction worked and they got outside. Emma would have kept running all the way to the docks if Owen hadn't put up and arm to catch her. She looked up and noticed Blue was standing right in front of them. Echo flanked them on the left and Charlie came in on the right. They all hissed. "That's how it is, huh?" Owen said while dropping his gun as he stared at Blue. They were standing so close Emma could feel her breath against her cheeks. Her heart was pounding and she knew Blue could feel it. She watched as Owen reached out to Blue. "Easy." He told her while going for the band that had been attached to her head. He pressed the clasp and it came undone, falling to the ground. "That's it." He told her. Emma took a deep breath realizing they the girls were on their side again.
Just when she thought they were in the clear the ground shook from the steps of the Indominus. She came into view and stared them down while communicating with the raptors. Blue turned to her and called out making the Indominus mad. She hit Blue with her head and sent her flying into a building. Emma held back the urge to scream. Owen gave out a whistle telling the other two to attack before they all ran for safety. Claire, Gray, and Zach took cover in one of the gift huts while Owen and Emma crouched down behind the fake Amber display.
"They're not big enough, Owen." He looked over at her. "We need something bigger." She got up and ran to the hut, throwing herself inside. "We need something bigger." She said to Claire who looked back at her with confusion.
"We need more teeth." Gray replied.
Claire's eyes widened. "The T-Rex." Emma nodded.
"I need a flare." Claire nodded and stood. She pulled open the emergency box that was tacked to the wall and handed Emma the flare.
"It's the only one we've got." Emma nodded and looked at the flare in her hand.
"It'll have to do." She took a deep breath and looked at the boys then back to Claire. "Can you get ahold of the control room?"
Claire nodded, unclipping the walkie-talkie she had on her waist. Lowery was the one to answer. "Lowery, listen to me. When you see Emma outside the gate of paddock nine you need to open the door."
When Emma got the affirmed nod she took a deep breath. "You stay with them. If I don't make it back run for the docks, take Owen with you." Claire nodded just before Emma jumped out of the hut and ran back to where Owen was hiding.
He looked at her, noticing the flare in her hand and shook his head. "Are you crazy?!" His voice was a little hushed but Emma could still hear the worry in it.
She shrugged her shoulders and grinned. "Maybe I am." She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him to her. She pressed her lips to his in a hurried kiss. "You better make it out of this Owen Grady." Without another word she got up and sprinted away in the direction of the T-Rex paddock. They were just lucky it was right next to the Innovation Center. The only thing Emma could hear were her feet hitting the pavement and her heavy breathing. The moment she reached the paddock she took a deep breath and looked up at the camera, giving it a nod. As the large gate started opening Emma's heart pounded. If she made it out of this alive she would be sure to tell Owen Grady she loved him and had for a long time.
She lit the flare and looked into the enclosure. She started thinking about how hard it must have been to capture this T-Rex. Unlike most of the animals on the island she was from the original park. Emma had done some behavior study on her but she knew she was a tough one. She whistled once and waited as she heard the giant animal approaching the opened gate. Emma almost gasped when she came into view. "Hey, Big Girl, down here!" She waved the flare in the air then took off running back to the front of the Innovation Center when she let out a fierce roar. She was running as fast as she could and wouldn't let herself look back, knowing the T-Rex was right behind her. Emma let out a joyful noise when she ran under the Spinosaurus skeleton display. She threw the flare in the direction of the Indominus and ran in the opposite direction as bones went flying in every direction.
She had taken refuge behind one of the beams a gift shop as the large animals went at each other. She looked back at the small hut seeing that Owen was in it with Claire and the boys. She wanted to cry she was so happy to see them all alive and well. Just then the tail of the Indominus knocked down the beam Emma was hiding behind sending her flying back into the street. She hit the ground a skid a little against the rough pavement. She had heard Owen scream her name and lifted her sore arm up to signal she was okay. She suddenly felt something nudge her and for a moment she thought it was Owen trying to pick her up. But when Emma opened her eyes she saw Blue staring down at her curiously. "Hey girl." She said with a small smile. Blue made a soft noise that almost sounded like a kitten purring before nudging her again. Emma lifted right arm and placed her hand on the side of Blue's neck. Blue stared at her as if saying it was okay. Emma wrapped her arms around her neck and Blue pulled her to her feet just as Owen ran up to them. He gathered her up in his arms and carried her into the nearest building with Claire and her nephews right behind them.
"You okay?" Owen asked as he continued walking.
Emma nodded. "I will be." She looked outside to see that Blue was now helping the T-Rex take down the Indominus. "I can walk." Owen nodded and set her on her feet but took her hand in his as they all continued running. They were at the end of Main Street now and had nowhere else to go. They all watched as the T-Rex threw the Indominus into the side of the corner building on the other side then pushed her towards the body of water. The Indominus crashed into the fence around the large body of water but didn't fall in. She stood and let out a roar just as she took a step forward. Emma let out a small scream when she saw the Mosasaurus jump out of the water taking the Indominus in its mouth and dragging it back to the water.
The T-Rex walked away leaving Blue alone for the time being. She looked to Owen and Emma as if asking if there were any more threats. When Owen shook his head Blue turned and ran off behind the Innovation Center. "Let's get the hell off this island." Emma said getting nods from everyone else.