"Oh what the hell is that?" Owen snapped as they headed up the private airstrip to a modestly sized propeller plane.
"That is Sharon," Tobias answered with a smile as he strode up to it, "and she's our lift so you better talk nice about her."
Owen gave Claire a sardonic glance and quipped, "did In-Gen run a psych evaluation before they hired him?"
Claire folded her arms and gave Owen a scolding stare. "If we used those you wouldn't have made the payroll either," she retorted heatedly.
Owen laughed at this and shook his head.
The group were all together, each carrying a small backpack of supplies as well as weapons and ammunition. Alan and Maggie accompanied them, Alan determined to discourage them right until the very last possible minute.
Vanessa raised her arm to shield her gaze from the sun. She spied three people up ahead, approaching the plane from the other side. Her gaze narrowed in suspicion at first until she realised she recognised the woman. "Hey there's Esme!" she called out as she started to wave.
Owen glanced ahead curiously, he barely knew the young woman and wouldn't have recognised her if Vanessa hadn't identified her. He had no clue who her companions were either.
Owen turned his curious blue stare on Sam and remarked, "I understand asking us along but she's never been, she can't know what she's getting herself into."
Sam sighed and pushed back some of her blonde hair exposing the scarring on the right side of her face. "I didn't ask her, she caught wind of the plan and it was a story she didn't want to miss." She gave Owen a pointed look. "I refused but then she brought in our mysterious benefactor who's bankrolling the plane and the weapons."
Owen nodded ahead to Esme's companions. "Is it one of them?"
Sam shrugged. "I've no idea, she didn't tell me a name, said he was in two minds about going so she didn't want to say anything in case he backed out."
Owen gave a mocking laugh at this. "We are all in two minds about this, the sane mind and the crazy mind."
They reached Esme and her companions. They were two men, one walking beside her with a polite smile and one towering behind them with a neutral expression as his gaze roamed over them curiously.
Billy was the first to size up the man beside Esme. He and Billy were of a similar age, both fair skinned with light brown hair but there the similarities ended. Billy was the taller and better built of the two, this young man had a serious appearance about him, even his smile seemed cool and professional. He was dressed for the journey in long, khaki shorts, a loose fitted safari shirt and brown boots and had a backpack loosely slung over his right shoulder.
The second man was much more intimidating, over six feet tall, muscular and armed with a prominent rifle he suggested a military background. Although he was a classically handsome, blue eyed blonde he gave off an aura of hostility that marred his appeal.
Esme gave Sam a bright smile as she approached. Esme oozed enthusiasm and was quick to hurry forward to give the blonde a light embrace, placing her arms loosely about Sam's shoulders and back.
Sam stiffened at the gesture and did not reciprocate.
"Sam, good to see you," Esme said chirpily as she stepped back from her. She repositioned her backpack on her shoulders before gesturing back to her companions with one hand. "This is-"
"Tim," Alan interrupted. He was staring at the brown haired man like he had seen a ghost. His blue eyes darted up and down in disbelief. He wanted to be wrong but he knew from the look he was receiving that he was right.
The young man nodded. "It's been a long time Dr. Grant," he said politely.
"Wait, wait," Claire interrupted as she hastened forward to them, "Tim Murphy, John Hammond's grandson?" she guessed. As part of her job, Claire had done her best to study the first park's failings so that Jurassic World would not repeat them, that had included learning who had been on the island the night of disaster. She had marvelled over the fact that two young children had been capable of surviving a T-Rex and raptors amongst everything else. She had figured it was solely down to Dr. Grant until her own nephews had demonstrated a similar feat.
"Tim what are you doing here?" Alan demanded with an aghast look. He gestured his hands outwards in despair, too upset to find any joy at being reunited with Tim.
Tim glanced at Esme first before seeking out Sam. "I want to help," he said in a voice that was calm but firm.
"Tim," Alan shook his head, "you know what these creatures are capable of, it's suicide. And you don't know that man is even still alive," he added with a heated glance at Sam.
"Remember what Eric survived," Billy said calmly as he glanced over his shoulder at Alan. "There is always a chance."
"One in a million," Alan scorned. "Eric was lucky and even if, if this man is alive there, what if you all die trying to save him?"
"Then I will finally have achieved a good deed," Tobias said mockingly with a grin. "Means after I get eaten alive I might see heaven."
"Happy thought," Claire murmured.
"I think you need more than one good deed to balance out all your sins," Owen teased.
"Have you all lost your minds?" Alan gawked at them in horror. "You have all seen what those creatures are capable of, it's not safe, it was never safe and now they've been out of containment for so long, you will be intruding on their territory and they will defend it. You will all be killed."
"Well that's added a dampener to what I was hoping would otherwise be a lovely vacation," Owen jested. "Seriously though I agree," he continued with a smile, "it's insane and we will all probably be killed. I even said no at the start but these two," he gestured from Claire to Sam with a wave of his thumb, "they don't like that word and the thought of a nice, quiet life on a tropical island at the bar, well it's just not as exciting as an island populated by manufactured, wild dinosaurs I guess."
"Mr. Grady I really can't tell if you're joking or not," Alan retorted as he frowned at the man, "and I don't like it. I knew your predecessor, Robert Muldoon, he knew what he was dealing with, he knew how intelligent and dangerous the raptors where and still they bested him. I've seen you on the television, treating them like...pets," he spat out the word. "I really don't think you understand."
It was Owen's turn to frown. "They died trying to help us evade an Indominus Rex, all except one Blue, she fought it too and survived so yes, I do understand. They are intelligent and lethal but they're capable of more."
"Alan I know what you mean," Tim spoke up calmly, "I was there too. I almost lost my life to them."
Alan turned back to the young man with an exasperated stare. He pushed his hand up against his hat, tilting it back slightly. "Why do you want to go then?"
"Because I survived and if I can and Lex can and you and Ellie and grandpa and Dr. Malcolm, twice, then it means Jack has a chance too."
"Is it worth all of your lives?"
Tim winced slightly. "Alan you can't weigh lives against each other," he retorted quietly.
"No one is being forced to go," Sam murmured. She had folded her arms and was glancing at Alan with a subdued hostility. While Alan argued with them Jack waited. "I want only volunteers."
"No need to go back to the dramatics of it," Tobias spoke up jovially, "we're all here, we all agreed. No one was forced or blackmailed or bribed well..." Tobias glanced over at Owen and then Claire and winked. "Unless the boss lady maybe sweetened the pot for you Owen?" he queried suggestively.
Claire raised her hands to her hips before pointing back at Tobias with one finger. "Now, there's really no need!" she snapped. She just about kept the heat from her face but felt her composure slip a little with Tobias' smirk. "He's going for Blue!" she snapped.
"Well if you're into that," Tobias murmured, "always did wonder which girl you meant when you said your girl was the best," he added with a glance at Owen.
"Blue, obviously," Owen retorted bluntly much to Claire's chagrin.
"Claire's a woman not a girl," Vanessa said firmly.
Tobias rolled his amber eyes at this. "All this political correctness bullshit, least my pteradons didn't mind the term chick," he grumbled.
"Gee Tobias and there I was wondering why you were still single and had nothing better to do than join us on this mission," Owen mocked.
"Yeah, just like you," Tobias pointed out. "You have raptor fetishes and I have commitment issues, I'm still the better of the two of us."
"Raptor fetishes?" Tim queried. He had pulled an expression of revulsion and was gazing at Owen dubiously.
Owen waved his hands in protest as his face wavered between embarrassment and anger.
Claire raised a hand to hide her smile.
"It's not like that," Owen snapped. "I imprinted on them, I was their alpha."
"Is this why it didn't work out between you two?" Vanessa queried as she raised her eyebrows slightly and looked to Claire.
"No," Claire said as she dropped her hand back by her side. "He couldn't live outside his van, struggled to open a window even for fresh air."
"It was not that bad," Owen retorted with a shake of his head, "and you were controlling, you got cranky if a magazine was sitting on the coffee table."
"I think they need therapy," Billy murmured, "and Isla Nublar probably isn't the place for that."
"Are they always like this?" Tim queried Esme as Owen and Claire continued to bicker.
The question drew Sam's attention back to Tim and his silent companion.
"We've all been quite rude," Sam spoke up, "who is your other friend here Esme?" she queried as she looked to the stoic blonde.
"Ah my fault," Tim answered. "This is Captain Ryan Winter, he's my guard."
"Well that's cheating," Tobias sneered, "the rest of us are defending ourselves."
"I know my limits," Tim said. "Ryan was a soldier, he's a trained sniper and he's done some hunting as well."
"Can he speak?" Vanessa demanded bluntly. She was staring at him with displeasure figuring he was coming along so Esme wasn't the only one unfamiliar with the island.
"When I feel like it," Captain Winter answered in a sombre voice that had an Oxford accent to it.
"Oh good a tourist!" Tobias taunted swiftly as he sneered at the accent.
"Since the dinosaurs own the island it's safe to say we are all tourists," Captain Winter retorted bluntly.
Sam gave a faint smile at this as she nodded agreeably. "It's their kingdom that's for sure."
Tobias glanced up at the sky pointedly. It was mostly clear but in the distance he could see white clouds. He knew how deceptive the serenity could be, a storm could appear within minutes. He had checked the weather reports of course but these were tropical islands and with tropical islands came tropical storms.
"We need to get going," Tobias said, "can't miss our flight window."
"No," Alan protested with another shake of head, "Billy, Tim, you two can't seriously be doing this."
Billy rested his hands on hips and looked back to Alan with a mixture of annoyance and empathy. He knew why Alan was mad, Billy had almost died on Isla Sorna, hell people they were with had died.
Maggie squeezed Alan's left arm gently. "Alan they're going," she said softly, "wish them luck."
Tobias headed over to the plane. Sensing an awkward moment, Owen, Claire and Vanessa followed suit.
Sam glanced over at Esme and Captain Winter. "We should load the plane," she said.
Esme nodded and allowed Sam to lead the way after the others towards 'Sharon'.
Ryan, unwilling to leave his charge so soon, stayed as he was, silent and statue like beside Tim.
Tim met Alan's gaze with warmth and empathy in his own.
"I understand why you're against this Dr. Grant," Tim addressed him calmly, "but a man's life is at stake and I can help so I'm going to."
"It doesn't have to be you, either of you," Alan argued.
"No but better someone who knows the danger than someone who doesn't," Billy insisted.
Alan sighed and cast at angry stare at Sam's distant form. "That woman would see all of you killed for one person," he snarled.
"It's not like that," Billy protested angrily. "Alan she'd do it alone if she had to. She's asking for volunteers."
"She's asking for sacrifices!" Alan snapped with a glower.
Maggie squeezed his arm pointedly. "Alan don't leave it bitter," she said, quiet but firm.
Alan shook his head in annoyance. "Alright, you're both determined to be foolish fine. I wish you luck, I wish you all the luck there is in the world and more because you need it. It doesn't matter what you both know, what you've both faced, the island's changed, this is a different park with newer monsters you haven't encountered and no one knows what they're like now after all this time without supervision. They've been wild for years, thriving and breeding and expanding their territory."
"Dr. Grant I'm not a little boy anymore," Tim insisted. "We are taking precautions this time."
"It won't be enough," Alan despaired.
"Have faith," Tim retorted with a small smile.
"It's what I'll cling to for both of you," Alan answered.