Hope you're ready for some action, people, because this chapter is chock-a-block full of it. Got my muse back, so enjoy.

On a side note; to the Guest reviewer who very astutely pointed out that Owen seemed a little OOC in the second chapter (I believe the word hormonal was used), thanks very much for your input. You make a valid point. Seeing as we have no actual reference point to work with in terms of Owen being a parent (something which I think we can all agree renders drastic chance on a very primal level), I went with my gut. So if I shot and missed, sorry. I agree Owen is portrayed as a very calm individual and I've tried to stick to that as much as possible. Thanks again for your feedback! - Tyler

"Lowery," Claire balanced her suit jacket over the arm clutching her coffee and held her phone with the other, "Please tell me some good news."

"Package delivered." Her friend confirmed, "Though I gotta tell you, Claire, I think you're making a big mistake. Those files might not hold up in court as evidence if they find out you stole them!"

"That's the lawyers' problem, not mine." She hurried towards her office through a crowd of suited individuals with earpieces, "Masrani will absorb my share of involvement in the I-rex fiasco in exchange for information on Wu. I delivered. It's a win-win situation."

Lowery sounded like he was smirking, "You spend way too much time with Stanley. Please tell me you aren't babysitting again. Fisher's people are all over HQ today!"

"No, Stanley's with his father, actually." Claire juggled her coffee, jacket, and phone as she opened her office door, "Owen took him to see the raptors hatch."

She'd been as surprised as Owen when his son had quietly asked if he could tag along that morning. The cautiously-optimistic look on Owen's face as he and Stan headed off had given Claire high hopes.

She looked up from her phone to come face to face with a lean, hard-faced blonde sitting on her desk.

"I'll call you back." Claire hung up and set down her coffee, "Agent Fisher. This is a nice surprise."

"Oh I doubt that, Miss Dearing. Especially considering the circumstances." Fisher pushed off from the desk, "This is the second time I find you smack in the middle of a Jurassic scandal?"

"It's an occupational hazard." Claire smiled coldly. She couldn't – wouldn't – tell Jolene about the files. It would only incriminate her and Owen, and Tucker would likely find some way to stall until he could figure out a countermove.

"Did you need something in particular? My schedule is pretty hectic."

"I can imagine, what with that T-rex on the loose." Fisher titled her head, "Tucker says the situation is contained. That how you'd put it, Miss Dearing?"

"It really doesn't matter how I would put it. That isn't my department." Claire placed her jacket carefully over the back of her chair.

"What exactly is your department? Tucker says Masrani Corps railroaded you onto the team." Fisher crossed her arms, "He thinks you're here to spy on him."

Claire spread her hands, "Well, I can't really help what Tucker thinks, or does, for that matter. Now if you'll excuse me…"

"I already told your assistant to clear your schedule." Jolene informed her, "Tucker and some hard-hat in a Prada suit gave me a bogus tour of the clean-up site. I need someone with full access who isn't desperate to sweep things under the rug."

"And that someone is me because..?" Claire raised her eyebrows.

"You're not on Tucker's payroll." Fisher picked up Claire's jacket carefully, "You're not on his A-team list. You're here because you want the truth." She handed Claire her jacket, "And so am I. Shall we?"

"You sure you're okay?" Barry asked for the fifth time, "I don't think you should be here. You look terrible."

"Have you checked out a mirror lately, man? You ain't lookin' so hot yourself." Owen threw out the absent-minded insult from his position watching the raptor eggs. He could hardly contain his excitement. It was an exhilarating – and sobering – experience to imprint on such powerful creatures.

"I just hope the project can be relocated when Agent Fisher shuts this place down." Barry quietly pushed a chair under Owen, "That woman is ruthless. Everyone is complaining. They say she is intrusive."

"Well, I can't wait for her to intrude on me." Owen replied.

"Seriously?" Stan looked up from a holographic progress chart in disgust.

"Oh, relax." Owen rolled his eyes, "What I meant is I have a lot of dirt on Tucker…"

"You're in a committed relationship!" Stan muttered as though he hadn't heard the man.

"That's right, Owen. Better leave Fisher to me." Barry grinned.

"And you're pushing forty!" Stan burst out as he continued his rant.

"With a very long stick!" Owen snapped, "Which I will hit you with if you take another crack at my age, little boy!"

"Oh, but you can do it!" Stan headed for the bathroom, "I need to go wash my hands. And my ears."

"And your mouth, while you're at it!" Owen yelled sourly after him. Barry shook his head.

"Be careful what you say about Tucker. If he goes down, he could take us with him." He reminded his friend solemnly, "Don't rock the boat, Owen."

"I ain't scared of Tucker. Truth be told, I only came out here for Claire. Got me a Navy pension." Owen sank gratefully into the chair, "My old man's ranch is falling apart. Thinking about takin' it over once I can get us off this rock."

"Good luck." Barry snorted as he pulled up a seat beside his friend, "Tucker needs you and Claire here, whether he likes it or not. The T-rex will be back. The wall can't hold her. And no one knows where the raptors are…"

"Back!" Stan's return from the restroom caused Owen to nudge Barry with his foot, "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope." Owen pinned Barry with a look, "You sure you don't want to imprint on one?"

"We both know I'm totally unqualified." Stan's eyes were alight under his bangs as he surveyed the eggs, "I think you just want me to have my own pet raptor to fend off the bullies."

"If you think they are pets," Barry spoke up severely, "then you are not ready."

"I just said I wasn't. Like, five seconds ago."

"Shut up." Owen shushed the pair as one of the eggs began to crack. A tiny claw punctured the shell, followed by a grey, shriveled snout.

"Hey, little guy." Owen grinned tenderly, cautiously extending a hand as the hatch-ling broke free of its confines,"Welcome to Isla Nublar."

Jolene Fisher stood alongside Claire Dearing, eyeing the dismal fencing that subbed the unfinished wall. A few feet off, a shades-sporting agent (Claire suspected he was Jolene's muscle) was muttering into his earpiece.

"This is pathetic." Fisher ground out, "Tucker told me the wall was complete and infallible."

"Well, as you can see," Claire waved at the wire, "it's neither. The carnivores were all pushed south but they break through sporadically. The pterodactyls are uncontrollable."

"We didn't encounter any during the trek from the dock." Fisher squinted.

"That's because Tucker had a pile of fresh animal carcasses lining the opposite coast to distract them." Claire folded her arms as they retraced their steps back to the golf cart they'd commandeered.

"What about their shock transmitters?"

"After we evacuated the island, many of our devices malfunctioned due to lack of maintenance. The shock transmitters still work, but we can't trigger them."

"So what you're telling me is that Tucker's control over these animals is a complete sham, an illusion."

"I'm just telling you the facts." Claire stated, "Right now, there are countless predators roaming free on this island, and the only thing separating us from them is that." She pointed at the fencing, "What I'm telling you is evacuate the island. Leave these animals alone. You want to prosecute people? Do it somewhere no one will get eaten."

As if on cue, a thud resonated through the air, rumbling in the ground beneath their feet. Both women's heads shot up at a rustle in the treetops in the near distance.

"Oh god." Fisher breathed, her hand dropping to the hilt of her .44.

"We should leave!" The other agent had already pulled out his weapon and was ushering them backwards.

"Get in! Go!" Claire snapped into action first, breaking into a sprint to close the last few meters to the golf cart. Fisher was hot on her tail, swinging feet-first inside as her fellow agent climbed in behind her.

"What is it?"

"I have a few theories, but I'm not waiting around to find out!" Claire started the engine and pulled a U-turn, cursing her luck. Lately it seemed all she did was outrun dinosaurs in high-speed chases.

Owen would probably tell her it was her own damn fault for skirting the fence with a T-rex on the loose. As if he hadn't done the same freaking thing a few days ago.

Claire could hear the roaring grow louder and she knew what was chasing them. The T-rex was hungry again. And Claire was starting to think the golf cart might not do as well as her Jimmy Choos.

"We have to get back to the base!" Fisher was yelling in her ear, "There's defensive protocol in place for this, right?"

"We can't lead her there!" Claire snapped as she attempted to maneuver the cart through the brush, "She'll wreak havoc! We have to try to lose her in the trees."

"Are you insane?" Fisher hollered, precisely at the moment that the great beast broke cover, pounding into view as she tailed their vehicle.

"Jesus!" Fisher screamed.

"I'm engaging!" The male agent twisted backwards and took aim.

"Unless you have a grenade launcher hidden in that suit, you'll only make her angry!" Claire yelled. She was ignored, of course. Gunshots rang through the air, some glancing off trees, other hitting their target and soliciting a thunderous roar.

The T-rex did not break off pursuit. Claire knew she wouldn't. Instead, she picked up speed at an alarming rate.

"Watch out!" Claire screamed as the beast launched itself at the golf cart. A heavy ram from its head sent the tiny vehicle flying, bouncing, rolling. Claire hit the dirt hard, battered and bleeding but lucky to have jumped when she did. Adrenalin pumped into her, forcing her to limp and crawl for cover.

She took shelter behind a clump of swollen roots, looking at the twisted remains of the overturned cart in horror. A hand, then an arm shot from underneath, and Claire watched the male agent drag himself from the wreck.

His eyes met hers, broken shades hanging off his broken nose. It was heartbreaking to see the defeat in the man's eyes as the massive shadow loomed over him with heaving breaths. In one swoop, the T-rex gathered him up in her mouth, tossing him into the air before she snapped her jaws shut.

Claire covered her mouth with her fist, tears filling her eyes and streaming down her face. She scrambled back further until she came upon a ditch under another swell of roots. It was likely the burrow of some woodland creature. Claire really didn't care. She wriggled inside, conscious of no major injuries as she squeezed her slender frame in the tiny space.

A giant set of claws rattled the ground inches from her face as the T-rex sniffed the air. Claire shut her eyes tightly, forcing her breath to regulate even though terror flooded her nerves. A long, agonizing minute stretched by before the animal moved on with a roar of outrage at having lost its prey.

Claire waited. She waited for what seemed like hours before she dared to emerge from her hideaway. Clothes full of dirt and insects and bruises mottling her skin, Claire attempted to determine her location based on her surroundings.

She had no idea where she was.

"Okay. Okay." Claire brushed her tangled hair back from her face and fished out her cell phone. The screen was destroyed, along with her chances of calling for help.

A violent coughing sound made Claire tear a path through the trees. She found Jolene Fisher curled in a ball under the roof of the golf cart.

"Oh my god. Okay, just…lie still." Claire kept a level head, although her voice and hands shook as she heaved the metal aside with a groan.

Fisher clutched her leg, "I…I can't move it."

"Well, you're going to have to." Claire assessed the limb with her limited medical knowledge and determined it was broken – but not severely. "We can't stay here. We're too close to the wall. Once it gets dark, we're toast. Give me your phone."

"I left it back at HQ."

"Are you kidding me right now?" To Claire, this was sacrilege – not to mention highly inconvenient.

"I didn't want Tucker trying to contact me while we were on our tour!" Fisher hissed between gasps of pain, "In hindsight, not my brightest move. Where's Smith? He had a phone."

"There's no gentle way to tell you this." Claire winced, "Smith didn't make it. And neither did his phone."

"Oh my god." Fisher choked out, and it was the first glimmer of empathy Claire had ever seen from her, "That's it. I'm evacuating the island before anyone else gets killed."

"Well glad as I am to hear that," Claire assessed the forest before deciding on a route, "we have to make it back alive first."

"How far to the base?" Fisher was a tough woman and, to her credit, she only grimaced as she allowed Claire to help her to one foot.

"Farther than we can walk with your leg like this." Claire slung Fisher's arm across her shoulders, "I'm going to get you someplace safe and then go for help alone."

"What?" The agent sounded alarmed as they began to hobble away, "Where could possibly be safe between here and there?"

"Just leave that to me. Keep your voice down and your gun handy." Claire grunted under the weight of the woman as they plodded along.

She wore her poker face – the one that had never failed to assure potential investors. But inside, she was terrified. Two people (one injured) traveling on foot and virtually weaponless this close to the wall had pretty slim chances of reaching safety in time. Claire knew there was a sentry tower within a few miles in either direction, but that meant skirting the wall.

It was risk they'd have to take.

"Grady!" Tucker burst into the lab, shoving aside a white-clad geneticist in the process, "Where is that son of a bitch?"

"Right here, Tucker." Owen called out wearily, handing the last of the raptors to an assistant carefully, "What do you want?"

"I want to know what the hell your little girlfriend thinks she's pulling!" Tucker was sweating as usual, only it was becoming evident that the heat had little to do with it, "She's hijacked Agent Fisher, taken her off the grid for a little sight-seeing!"

"Yeah, I hear she does that." Owen cast a stern look at Stan as the boy opened his mouth eagerly.

"Best tour guide ever." Stan muttered with a grin.

"Well this time she's gone too far!" Tucker shook his handkerchief in Owen's face, "I'm suspending her from duty and banning her from headquarters!"

"You can't do that!" Stan, to everyone's surprise, stepped forward angrily, "Claire doesn't even work for you!"

"Kid's got a point." Owen added calmly, even as he moved Stan back out of Tucker's personal space, "Claire's here on Masrani Corps behalf. They absorbed InGen years ago. You've got no jurisdiction."

"I am the authority on this island!" Tucker threw down his handkerchief as he flew into a rage, "I make the rules! And I know a conspiracy when I see one!"

"What conspiracy?" Owen's brow crinkled.

"You and Claire are out to frame me for involvement with Wu!" Tucker's beady eyes were wild, "I know you broke into my office. I showed Fisher the evidence!"

"You mean that grainy photo you were waving in Claire's face the other day?" Owen sighed patiently, "Tucker, that coulda been anybody."

"Except that the eyewitness who took the photo confirmed your identities!" The man spat, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out the picture.

"Is that…you had it laminated?" Owen rubbed his jaw to hide a smirk, "Really?"

"Let me see that!" Stan snatched the photo before Tucker could stop him.

"Hey! That is evidence, you little shit!" Tucker made a grab for it, but Stan leaped back a few feet, examining the photo with a squint.

"Huh."

"What?" Owen gave Tucker a single, threatening look before he moved behind his son to look over his shoulder.

"This is a screenshot from a security camera." The teenager declared, "Look at these digits. And the framing. This is that cam on the curb outside HQ!"

"This is theft. I'm calling security!" Tucker had his cell phone out, face red as a beet.

"Well, I'll be damned." Owen turned sharp eyes on the man, "There's no witness. You just invented one. So who's framing who, Tucker?"

"Get out! Get out of my lab, or so help me God, I'll have you tasered!"

"We're leaving! Keep your pants on. Come on, Stan."

They didn't see the dark, vengeful look Tucker shot at their backs, didn't catch the softly-muttered "We'll see who finds her first."

They should've.

"Who are you calling?" Stan asked as they stepped into the daylight.

"Claire." Owen held his phone to his ear, "She shouldn't be off-site with a T-rex on the loose."

"Claire can take care of herself."

"I didn't say she couldn't." His father responded evenly, frowning at his phone screen, "That's weird. Her phone's off."

"Maybe she wanted a break from nosy control freaks." Stan had obviously developed a little crush. Owen would have thought it was cute if he wasn't busy worrying about his girlfriend.

Claire's phone was never off.

"Hey, Celia." He re-routed his efforts as he held up his phone, "You heard from Claire today?"

"That FBI agent wiped out her schedule!" Celia sounded outraged, "She said something about wanting Claire to show her around the island – like that's in her job description!"

"Yeah. Did Claire say where they'd be? What time they were heading back?"

"No. I've been calling her for half an hour. Her phone's switched off."

Owen didn't like the turn the conversation was taking, "Could you try to get Fisher on the phone, find out what's up?"

Celia let out a sigh that resembled a growl, "I'm on my break."

"Thank you." Owen hung up, shook his head, and reminded himself to find Claire a new assistant, "Hey, Barry!"

"Owen!" His friend caught up to them, his face tight with displeasure. "Tucker's talking to the feds. He's trying to have you and Claire arrested."

"Yeah, great. Listen, I need you to take Stanley back to the cabin and meet me in…"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Stan snapped, putting himself between the two men, "Where are you going?"

"To find Claire." Owen directed his next words at Barry, "See if you can get some of the guys, anyone who wants to help."

"I should go with you." Stan insisted, "I remember some of the places Claire took me. I could help."

"And I appreciate it," Owen raised his eyebrows, "but the best thing is for you to stay put in the cabin. We can't take passengers on this trip."

"Well then you shouldn't go either! You're still hurt from…"

"I'll be fine. That's why Barry's coming along."

"You don't have to come." Barry muttered quietly in his friend's ear, "We can find her without you, Owen. Maybe he is right."

"I said I'm fine."

"Are you insane?" Stan snapped, "You were in a coma for three days!"

"If I slow you down, ditch me." Owen parried bluntly, opening the rucksack on his bike for his weapons, "We need an ID on their ride, as well as their last known location…"

"Dad, just STOP!" Stan burst out suddenly, yelling the words furiously and causing both men to jump. Owen froze, turning to face his son, who was clenching his fists and breathing heavily. Stan's face was flushed, but there was something desperate in his eyes.

Too late, Owen identified the core of Stan's outburst; he couldn't lose another parent.

"Sorry. Just…" Stan dragged a hand across his eyes angrily, "…do whatever you want."

"Shit." Owen breathed, "Stanley…"

"Don't worry. I'll stay in the freaking cabin!" His son spat out, turning on his heel and storming down the path towards the cabin, "Just find Claire!"

Owen put his hands on his hips and cursed.

Barry clapped him on the shoulder, "We'll find her." He promised quietly, before breaking into a jog on Stan's trail.

Claire looked up at the thunder rolling across the overcast horizon.

"Just what we need," She muttered, "a tropical storm."

Fisher glanced up at her from her position sprawled in the dirt. They'd stopped to rest after the agent started blacking out.

According to Claire's mental compass, they should have hit a tower by now. The afternoon was tepid and rain had already begun to spit through the trees. She knew they had to get to shelter, and fast.

"Come on." Claire held out her aching arm briskly, "We have to keep moving."

"Easy for you to say." Fisher was drenched in sweat, "You're not the one running this marathon on a broken leg."

"If you want to keep your leg," Claire replied stonily, "I suggest we find cover before something comes along and eats it."

"You are just loving this, aren't you?" Fisher drawled as she took Claire's hand and rose to one leg, "Last time we met, you were the villain. Now you get to play the hero."

"I'm not playing anything. This isn't a game, Agent Fisher. This is life and death. Now let's go."

It was grueling work, hiking through the woods in the rain. At one point, a snake slithered across their path, seeking shelter from the storm. It seemed ridiculous to be afraid of it when Claire knew what else they might encounter. They pushed on as the rain fell harder.

"Look!" Fisher called, relief flooding her voice as a tall building came into view.

"We made it!" Claire breathed in disbelief, "Come on!" She bolstered the agent in her grip as they trudged through the soggy grass.

They didn't notice the blur darting through the trees behind them.

"Hello?" Claire pounded on the watch tower's heavy set of doors.

The only sound that met her was a groan as they creaked open.

She frowned, blinking away raindrops as she peered inside, "Hello?"

"Where are the guards?" Fisher had propped herself up against the wall. She had to yell over the torrential downpour.

"I don't know!" Claire insisted, "I think this might be one of the new towers under construction."

They ducked under the water falling in sheets from the ledge above the door as they entered. Fisher collapsed onto a huddled group of cement bags as Claire shoved the doors closed with all her might. "Looks like you were right. I thought all your towers were manned twenty-four seven."

"They keep building new ones as the wall's construction progresses." Claire brushed her soaking-wet hair away from her face.

"At least it has walls and a roof." Fisher glanced around.

The dusty ground floor room was bare except for chairs, a table, and the odd forgotten tool.

Fisher eased herself into one of the seats and poked at the plastic bags on the table, "Looks like the workers left some food. You want a half-eaten sandwich or one-third of a burrito?"

Claire had already tuned her out, taking in the circular room as the rain beat down on its windows.

"This looks like a circuit breaker." She ran a hand over a fresh panel, tugging it open to reveal a mesh of wires, "Wow. Okay. I can do this."

"You're not actually going to touch those, right?" Fisher's mouth was full of food.

"The watch towers have operating signals that help them inter-coordinate." Claire checked that the breaker was killed as she spoke, "If I can hook this up somehow, I might be able to get someone's attention."

"Hot-wiring in a thunderstorm? You've got my attention!" Fisher slammed down her burrito, "It's suicide. We should hole up till the rain blows over and then make a break for the base."

"Well, thanks for your input." Claire snapped, then froze at a scuffle that echoed through the tower. "Did you hear that?"

"It's probably just the storm." Fisher's cynical expression was illuminated in a flash of lightening not far off.

Claire felt her throat seize up as the noise grew louder, faster, closer.

"It's not the storm."

"Then it's probably nothing!" The agent sounded nervous. Her hand fell to her gun.

"This is Isla Nublar." Claire clutched the edge of the table as the shuffling stopped dead outside the door, "It's never nothing."

The door rattled as though a thousand cats were scratching at it. Claire grabbed the closest available weapon – a wrench – and backed up to stand by Fisher.

The door burst open. Fisher raised her gun. Claire hefted the wrench.

A pint-sized creature with a long tail skittered into the room. It cocked its head at the women, scuttling forward before it pawed at the air curiously.

Fisher scoffed, "Jesus," She lowered her gun, "It's just a goddamn baby."

"That's not a baby." Claire whispered, horrified, "It's a full-grown Compy."

The dinosaur bared its teeth, hopping onto one of the chairs.

"Wait, what?" Fisher's gun rose again, "I thought InGen discontinued cloning after the Bowman incident!"

"I guess…nature found a way."

"Well, should I shoot it?"

"Compys are typically scavengers. Maybe it's just hungry." Claire watched the dinosaur closely as she inched a hand towards the leftover burrito beside her.

Fisher kept her gun trained on the animal, but her eyes darted nervously to other woman.

"Be careful."

Just as Claire extended the food towards the Compy, a dozen more burst through the open doorway. The tiny creatures launched themselves like projectile missiles at the women. Claire swung her wrench wildly, while Fisher pried the Compys from her and fired off random shots.

They were overwhelmed by numbers. Tiny teeth tore at their hands, legs and faces. Every time they shook one lose, another would latch on.

Claire smashed her wrench into a fallen Compy's skull, crushing it even as another one chewed on her arm.

"There are too many!" Fisher yelled between yelps of pain as she wrestled.

"Just keep fighting!" Claire punctuated her statement by slamming herself against the wall and dislodging two Compys digging into her back. Fisher hit one with the butt of her gun, and three more jumped her. When one of them bit her broken leg, she tumbled to the floor and was instantly swamped.

"Jolene!" Claire fought to her side, kicking and swinging and yanking.

She didn't even notice the heavy thudding on the floor until the Raptor was right there, in the room. It shrieked ferociously, blasting its voice through the tower. The Compys panicked and scattered, abandoning their prey. The raptor hissed and snapped at the tiny animals as they darted from the room.

"Oh my god. Blue." Claire breathed, "No!" She shoved Fisher's gun down as the woman took aim, "Don't. Move."

Blue was drenched, water rolling off her incredible body. She was favoring her left hind leg heavily, bent at an angle as she clicked in her throat.

Claire had no idea what would happen next. Blue could eat her, or both of them, or neither of them. There was no telling what the raptor was capable of – or wanted.

Blue inclined her head, pushing her snout against Claire's face and scaring her to death. Claire closed her eyes tightly, tears escaping, as Blue sniffed at her hair and clothes. Abruptly, the raptor leaned back on her haunches, and with a snarl, she limped out the door.

Claire slumped back, heart racing, stunned to be alive.

"Why is it doing that?" Fisher's shaky whisper alerted her to the fact that Blue was standing in the doorway, raking her hind claws through the mud.

Claire knew her fair share about dinosaurs, but she was hardly a behavioral pattern expert like Owen. She squinted in confusion as Blue stood outside doorway with a cocked head.

"I…it can't be."

"What? If it's gonna eat us, what the hell is it waiting for?"

Claire felt disbelief as the words left her mouth, "I think she's standing guard."

So I hate to keep harping on about reviews. It makes me look so needy. But I really do thrive on feedback. Opinions, suggestions, constructive criticism - it's all welcome, guys. Share your views! - Tyler