Chapter 9: Welcome To The Island
70 Miles West of the Baja Peninsula - Daytime
Jodie Grant was sitting quietly in a helicopter. She had only been awake for about 5 minutes. She looked around the helicopter, trying to get her bearings. She counted four dark dressed men in the helicopter, plus two pilots. Behind the pilots, sitting in separate bucket seats, were two of the men. In the rear, in a bench-like seat, were the other two men. Jodie was also in the rear, in between the two men on the bench-like seat. As far as she could tell, all of them were armed. She was understandably scared. She looked at the man to her right.
"Where are you taking me?" She asked the stranger.
He looked at her, with a blank expression on his face.
"No talking," he simply said.
Jodie obeyed the man. She just sat there, trying to figure out what had happened.
She had been whisked away in the middle of the night by some strangers. She had been sound asleep in her dorm room, when two men came crashing through the 4th floor window, into her room. She was startled out of bed and quickly tried to run to the door. She was met by two additional men there. There were three other girls in the dorm room with her, and all of them, including Jodie, had been screaming. One of the men had come very close to Jodie and had injected her with something. She had instantly felt wobbly and sleepy. That was the last thing she remembered. Now, as she woke up, she found herself on her way to some unknown destination.
The man on her left looked down at her.
"You have no idea why you are so important, do you?" He asked.
Jodie shook her head. She could feel herself shaking.
"Where am I?" She asked again, hoping this other man would be more helpful.
"You're in very good hands, don't worry," he answered.
Jodie was growing tired of the confusing questions and answers.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"I will be your only friend on our little journey, so don't act up," he said.
Jodie was about to temp fate, and ask another question, when the co-pilot interrupted.
"Jacob. ETA five minutes."
Jacob looked away from Jodie.
"Thank you, Frank," he said.
He looked back at Jodie.
"I think that in about five minutes, a lot of your questions will be answered," he said, smiling.
Jodie didn't say anything. Jacob looked out the window and she followed his gaze. There was nothing but ocean and a small island coming into view, in the distance.
The five minutes went by quickly. Jacob leaned forward and shouted to the co-pilot.
"Frank. Let's not land right away. Let's show our . . . guest . . . the, what should I call it? The scenery," he said.
"Yes, sir," Frank said.
The helicopter flew North and started to make a circle around the island in a counterclockwise direction.
Jacob was looking below, when he smiled and looked back at Jodie.
"Look down there," he said, pointing.
Jodie did what she was told. She wasn't sure what she would see when she looked down there. One thing for sure, she wasn't prepared for what was down there. She exhaled in awe at the unexpected creatures below. The helicopter was flying very low, so Jodie could get a good look at a few herds of prehistoric creatures. There was a herd of Brachiosaurus grazing, just below the helicopter. As the engine and propeller noise got closer, one of them lifted up its head and almost came up level with the helicopter.
Jacob watched Jodie's reaction carefully.
"This is Brachiosaurus Cove. This is where all the plant eating dinosaurs are contained," he explained.
Jodie was clearly very interested.
"Are we on Jurassic Park?" She asked, never taking her eyes off the dinosaurs below.
"No. We're somewhere much better than Isla Nublar," he said. "Welcome to Isla Norte."
Jodie was starting to figure out what all of this might be about. It must have had something to do with Alan Grant, and her relation to him. Why else would she be looking at dinosaurs right now? She also knew that it probably wasn't about something very good. The way she was brought here was proof enough of that.
As she was still trying to grasp what she was seeing, something else caught her attention. Something in the water, just beyond Brachiosaurus Cove. She was sure that she saw something break the surface of the water, and then submerge again. Jacob noticed it, too.
"That's our most prized possession. Elasmosaurus," he said proudly.
Jodie didn't really know what that was. Jacob saw the blank look on her face, so he explained.
"You know. Loch Ness Monster . . . Nessie. It's quite an eater, too."
Jodie nodded and continued to look for it, but it didn't show itself again.
The helicopter gained a little altitude, and then accelerated toward the Southeast corner of the island. Jodie watched, as they flew over a very big bridge and over another smaller portion of the island. It looked like the dinosaurs were contained on the left portion of the island only. She also saw a large runway, just to the right of the helipad. It was located right on the eastern coastline.
The pilot made a completely smooth landing. The two men in front of Jodie opened the doors on both sides of the helicopter and quickly made their way out. Jacob motioned for the other man, sitting to Jodie's right, to get out. He did so, leaving Jacob and Jodie alone in the back area.
"Time to get out," he said.
Jodie nodded and began to get out. Jacob followed her. She turned to ask another question, but Jacob put a finger to his mouth.
"No more questions. Just follow them," he said, pointing ahead at the other men.
Jodie frowned and continued to follow the other men.
© 2002 by Yvonne Bartha
