Over 100 followers...you guys make it all worth it. To all of you that have supported me through this, thank you!
Chapter 12 – A Seat at the Table
In my life I've known little contentment. In my youth, I courted danger, lived for instant pleasure, and made choices that almost put me in an early grave. While it was certainly an exciting time in my life it lacked a certain measure of happiness. Restlessness existed in my soul that I was unable to quiet.
In recent years, my life has slowed down considerably. Gone are the days of hard living, excessive drinking, and shallow relationships. However, I still felt the incessant tug that something was missing. I wasn't content, happy, fulfilled.
In the past 24 hours I'd discovered it was never something I was missing at all, it was someone, more specifically Jo. We'd spent the hours after her emotional breakdown slowly, but steadily building a bridge to each other. Establishing common ground, a solid footing we could both navigate with ease. I didn't push her for anything she wasn't willing to divulge, and in return she was more willing to confide in me. Sometimes I simply sat beside her and listened quietly. Other times I asked the occasional question, or gave my opinion. More times than I could count I held her while she cried. While the bridge we were building was still shaky, for now it was holding.
My favorite times were when words failed us both so we reverted to a language that needed no explanation. We communicated with touch and feel. Our bodies so in synch we could read what the other needed, and deliver pleasure that should probably be illegal it was so addicting. I'd had my fair share of sexual experience. To the extent I'd been accused on multiple occasions of being promiscuous. Total bullshit in my opinion. Promiscuous implies that I wasn't choosy when, in fact, I was very choosy. I just happen to have more choices than most. Don't hate the player, hate the game my friends.
What was happening between Jo and I was entirely different. I've never been a believer in soul mates, or "the one", but whatever I was feeling now threatened to prove me wrong. It wasn't just the sex, and believe me it was transcendent, but I'd had great sex before. The problem with having great sex with someone you didn't feel anything for was the feeling of elation that accompanied the physical act vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Here one minute, gone the next. Leaving you feeling unsatisfied, and in search of the next big score.
The last thing I felt with Jo wrapped securely in my arms was restless. I didn't feel the need to move. I wasn't sure I could if I had to. I was utterly satisfied, both body and soul. Jo and I might not be soul mates and true love might not exist, but I knew one thing, she was my heart. The passionate, spontaneous, foul-mouthed woman in my arms was the missing piece of my puzzle that up until now had eluded me. I wanted for nothing when she was with me.
We spent hours talking, laughing, and loving each other. Occasionally, we took breaks for the essentials, like food or showers. Well, showers started out as essential, but quickly spiraled into recreational. I'll say one thing, given the limited space in my shower we could have easily pulled off the closet in the server room, I'll leave it at that.
"I can't believe you wanted to be a crab fisherman," I laughed.
"I was six," she huffed. "It's not that funny."
Another round of laughter exploded from me while Jo glared up at me. It was hard to take her glares seriously when she was half naked, her head lying on my chest as I twirled strands of her hair around my finger.
"It's pretty funny. Especially when you consider the fact that you don't like water."
"That's why there's a boat."
Picking my head up off the pillow I looked down at her, "You do realize the Bearing Sea is a pretty nasty place. Waves crashing over the side of the boat isn't unheard of."
"Since when are you an expert in Alaskan crab fishing?" she asked, her annoyance level climbing.
"Since Deadliest Catch debuted on the Discovery Channel."
Her face turned to one of confusion. "There's an entire show dedicated to crab fishing?"
"Basically. Where have you been? It's one of the most popular shows on TV," I chuckled, earning me another glare.
"I've been busy doing…things," she answered, waving her hand dismissively. "So, Mr. Know-It-All, what did you want to be when you were a kid?"
"Fireman."
"Lame."
"Lame? Firemen are cool. They scale burning buildings. Why is wanting to be a community helper lame, but your desire to fish for a living cool?" I inquired. One could never assume to understand the inner workings of Jo's mind.
"Everybody wants to be a fireman, that's what makes it lame. It lacks originality. No one dreams of being a crab fisherman so, by default, mine is cooler."
This is the kind of ass backwards logic that had her devising plans to break into places using parachutes and helicopters.
"Says the woman who doesn't like water. I'd say there are some flaws in your plan," I replied. The irony that she'd taken a job on an island wasn't lost on me.
"Yeah, well, I'm still working out the details," she said, shaking her head.
"I'd also like to point out you ended up in not one, not two, but three jobs that are basically just like being a fireman except you get to shoot people. So, in reality you're the one who lacks creativity," I taunted.
"That wasn't a lack of creativity, it was a lack of options," she fired right back.
Our easy conversation was interrupted by someone pounding on the outside of my bungalow. I had a pretty good idea of who it was, and I had an even better idea of how I was going to kill him.
"It's been almost two days you guys! Give it a rest already," Barry yelled.
Jo groaned, her head that she'd raised due to the racket immediately fell back onto my chest. "What are the chances he'll just go away if we ignore him?"
"Slim to none," I said, smiling. "Get dressed, I'll meet you outside."
Going back to the land of the living was the last thing I wanted to do, but Barry was like a dog with a bone when he got something in his head. He'd probably filled up my voicemail with threatening messages by now. I was a little surprised he'd taken this long, but talk about cock blocking.
Reluctantly getting out of bed I threw on some clothes, running my fingers through my hair. Before leaving the room I turned around, flashing Jo a smile when I found her eyes already trained on me. It was good to know she couldn't keep her eyes off me anymore than I could her.
Exiting the bungalow the harsh Costa Rican sun beat down on me. Jesus, it was hot out. I spotted Barry and Lowery seated in some lawn chairs haphazardly strewn around the front lawn.
"Dick move man," I told Barry, grabbing a lawn chair of my own.
"Seriously? It's been almost two days. I was worried if I didn't intervene you two wouldn't have any bodily fluids left," Barry laughed. "The rumor mill on the island is running with this one man. You two need to surface before they started theorizing you've eloped."
I raised my eyebrows at him. "The rumor mill? I always knew you had the soul of an 80 year-old woman."
Barry shot me the finger before continuing, "I can't help but know about it. My association with you makes me a prime target for information. I can't get within two miles of Main Street without being accosted."
"I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with the betting pool you're holding the money for," I mused, smirking at a shocked Barry. That pool was the worst kept secret on this island. The only person who didn't know about it was Jo, and that was only because she knew exactly four people on the island. Well, that and she scared the bejeezus out of everyone so they gave her a pretty wide berth.
"You know about the bet?" Lowery probed gingerly. He was fidgeting in his seat, unable to look me in the eye.
"Of course I know about the bet. Who ended up winning?" The pool was based around when Jo and I would finally "get together", whatever that meant. To win all you had to do was select the correct day. Last time I'd checked the payout was up to $500.
"Marco," Barry pouted. "He picked the night of the gala. He said it was because he has, and I quote, the sight."
I smiled, Marco was always rambling on that his grandmother on his father's side had "the sight", and she had passed it on to him. He claimed it helped guide him through life, and sometimes even gave him glimpses of the future. I thought he'd been sipping a little too much of his Trashcan Punch.
"That's not it," Lowery interrupted, "Zara stopped by Margaritaville a few weeks before the gala and was going on and on about Jo's dress. When he asked her to describe it he changed his bet to the night of the gala."
"That's smart," Barry stated. "If I'd known Jo was going to wear a dress like that I'd have put my money there too."
"No kidding," Lowery added, a little too enthusiastically for my taste. It was hard to fault the guy. It was like that dress had been pulled directly from every man's fantasy.
"Easy hero, that's my girlfriend you're drooling over," I cautioned. While I could understand Lowery's lustful stare it didn't mean I wouldn't break his face if he didn't cut it out.
Lowery discreetly wiped at his mouth. "I wasn't drooling. That's just…she's like a sister to me."
Barry barked out a laugh. "She's like a sister to you because you got friend zoned. If I remember correctly when you first met her you wanted to hit that," Barry explained, complete with air quotes for hit that.
I closed my eyes, praying for patience. My brain couldn't process computer nerd Lowery and hit that in the same sentence. It was like pickles on ice cream, it simply didn't go together.
"I..well…I love Vivian," Lowery tried to clarify, swallowing the lump in his throat. I rolled my eyes and sent up a thank you to anyone in the near vicinity when Jo opened the bungalow door, strolling out. Anything to end this conversation. My mouth watered as I looked at her. The gown from the gala had nearly brought me to my knees. Seeing her wearing my clothes, hair wild from our night together, lips still deliciously swollen made it hard to breathe. There was just something about a woman wearing your clothes that was sexy as hell.
"Wow Jo, that is one impressive walk of shame," Lowery whistled. Without missing a beat Jo shot him the finger, taking a chair next to me, propping her feet up on an old egg crate.
"Did you both come over here just critique my wardrobe? Cause I gotta tell you, I was having more fun before you showed up."
Lowery blushed instantly, pushing his glasses up his nose, a clear sign of his discomfort. Barry laughed, shaking his head as I pinned her with my eyes. I licked my lips, scrutinizing every inch of her. Her mouth opened then closed a few times as she bit her bottom lip in a way that drove me to the point of insanity. We could talk about all this life and death stuff later, right?
"If you guys could keep your hands to yourselves for a few minutes that would be helpful," Barry stated bluntly. Jo stuck her tongue out at him. "We need to discuss what you found the night of the gala."
Hearing it out in the open was like a bucket of cold water was poured on my head. I sobered up immediately, forced back to our reality. As much as I'd like to hunker down in my bungalow with Jo we couldn't hide from the world forever. I glanced at Jo who gave me a slight nod to proceed. I recounted every detail of information we'd uncovered pertaining to the raptors and the Indominus Rex. The longer I talked the more everyone's mood soured. The actuality that our employers had potentially created a monster was bad enough. The fact, they'd obviously learned nothing from Jurassic Park, and were proposing even more outlandish ideas with Velociraptors made me livid. There was stupid, and then there was just plain reckless. The silence that followed once I was done permeated the air louder than an explosion.
"Not to be the odd man out here, but the information on the raptors isn't really that surprising," Lowery muttered, unsure of his declaration.
Turning my head I narrowed my eyes on him at the same time Barry leaned forward in his chair.
"He's right," Jo stated, coming to his defense. "Why invest money, time and resources in the raptors if they were never going to be incorporated in the park in some way?"
"You agree with what they are trying to do?" I asked, my displeasure leaking out. Weren't we supposed to be on the same side of this thing?
She shook her head, "I'm not saying it's a good idea or even a viable one, but if you look at it from Simon's perspective there's no money in raptors if they aren't eventually an attraction."
"They will never be safe," Barry pointed out. "Everything we are doing is purely research, science. The notion they can ever be tamed is ludicrous."
Ludicrous was putting it mildly. There was a better chance of me banging Skeletor than the raptors being used as military assets.
"I agree, and I think Simon does too, but to secure funding for the project you have to have some kind of solid end game. People don't donate millions of dollars because they're good guys. They want measurable, tangible results," Jo clarified.
"That isn't the part we should be focused on," I pointed out. "It's InGen thinking they can be used as weapons that concerns me."
Heads all around the circle nodded in agreement.
"Um, not to say the raptors aren't important, but what about the evidence suggesting there is an actual genetic hybrid somewhere on this island," Lowery asked.
There wasn't enough time in the day to deal with all this bullshit.
"That is an entirely different story. The raptors being militarized is bad. A completely new species of dinosaur running loose in the middle of Central America kinda makes me want to update my resume," she responded, rubbing her temples.
True statement. I'd been thinking the same thing.
"So, what do we do?" Lowery asked the group.
No one answered right away. What could we do? Obviously staying quiet wasn't an option, but there was no good way to approach this landmine.
Jo ran her hands through her hair, sitting up. "I take it to Simon."
"No!"
"No way!"
Barry and I bellowed in chorus. Jo was about as subtle as a kick to the nuts. No way should she be the one to delve down this rabbit hole. Plus, whoever put the spotlight on this catastrophe was bound to paint a bullseye on their back. The number of targets she was already sporting made me uncomfortable, adding this one would tip me over the edge.
She held up her hands, attempting to calm us down. "Well, what do you propose we do? Just sit on the information? Kindly ask InGen to stop making genetic hybrids and leave your raptors alone?"
I hated it when she was right.
"Simon is our only option. He either lied to my face about all this or he has no idea. My gut says he's in the dark. We can change that," she reasoned.
"And what if he did know?" I shot back. I wanted to have faith in Simon, but the list of people I trusted was small. Both of them were sitting beside me.
"Well, we cross that bridge when we come to it. If we do nothing then what was the point of all this? We have to try."
Of course we had to try, but placing Jo's safety in the direct line of fire didn't sit well with me. Not that she'd need it or want it, but how could I protect her if I wasn't there. Barry shook his head, in agreement with Jo's logic. Lowery just looked sick sitting in his lawn chair, staring at the ground. The guy liked a good conspiracy theory, but make one a reality and he needed training wheels.
"Why does it have to be you?" I asked, trying to keep a level head. The crushing feeling in my chest was threatened to engulf me. If anything ever happened to her I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I just found her. I couldn't lose her now.
"Who else is going to do it?" she asked softly, testing the waters. "Simon trust me, and he trust my judgment. He'll listen to what I have to say."
Someone trusting Jo's judgment was a scary thought, but she was right, again. It made me sick.
"It makes you a target," I said, standing up and pacing in front of the group.
"I'm already a target." Abruptly I stopped my pacing to glare at her. She just shrugged, like someone threatening to put her in a body bag was no big deal. I guess in her world it wasn't.
"That doesn't fill me with warm fuzzies Jo."
"It's our best option Owen," Barry interjected, coming to her rescue. I swung my death glare to Barry. Never in my life had I glared, now I couldn't look at anyone without wanted to inflict bodily harm. I don't know what I was more pissed about, that he'd taken Jo's side or that he was right. I am not a man who likes to be cornered, and right now I felt like a caged lion. Putting my hands on my hips I dropped my head, defeat flooding my veins.
"Fine, Jo will talk to Simon." I hated conceding, but we had no other option save doing nothing, and that was something none of us could live with.
The shindig broke up pretty quickly after that, Barry and Lowery making their way to their respective cars. When it was just the two of us I didn't move, still attempting to come to terms with our "plan". I could tell by the way Jo was acting she'd misinterpreted my demeanor. She thought I was mad. She couldn't be further from the truth. I wasn't made at all, I was scared. Terrified if I was being honest. Being in a relationship with Jo meant coming to terms with her being in dangerous situations, but I'd foolishly thought I'd have more time to adjust before one was dropped in my lap.
"Why do you always put yourself in these situations?" I asked her quietly, turning to face her.
Her face softened at my words. She stood up, walking over to me. "Because it's my job." She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tight. The tip of her nose nuzzled my neck as she placed a light kiss against my skin.
"Come on," she said, pulling me towards the bungalow. Not that I didn't like where this was going, but we still had some kinks to iron out before she went toe-to-toe with Simon tomorrow.
"You think you can distract me with sex?" I laughed as she continued trying to pull me. She stopped, turning around, seductively making her way towards me. She lightly brushed her breasts against my chest, her hands running up and down my biceps.
"Well…yeah." Any coherent thought flew out of mind when she'd swayed her hips back and forth a minute ago. Touching her tits to my chest while caressing my arms just cemented the deal. We could talk logistics later, much later.
Before she could protest I lifted her off her feet, throwing her over my shoulder. Her very girly squeal in response made me grin.
"Don't think this conversation is over," I told her, patting her delectable ass as I carried her inside.
Hours later we were both sated in bed, wrapped in each others arms. The worry rolling off of Jo was tangible. I knew she was anxious about talking with Simon. She wanted to believe he was a good man. His answers tomorrow could shatter her carefully constructed image of him. Jo prided herself on being able to read others, hell it was a part of her job, so to be wrong about Simon would be devastating. Even if Simon had no knowledge of what was happening at his park it wouldn't improve the situation. In fact, it made it worse. How far could InGen go if they could slip something of this magnitude passed someone like Simon?
All the "what ifs" were weighing heavily on both our minds, but I was more concerned with the implications for the woman beside me. InGen wouldn't appreciate this information being common knowledge. Hoskins had already tried to kill her for less.
"You need to be careful tomorrow. No matter how Simon reacts, what he knows, this is a very delicate situation," I said, pulling her closer.
"I know. I can do delicate."
I snorted, "Really?" Jo was a lot of things. Delicate, was not one of them.
"Of course, but I only break it out in extreme circumstances."
"I love you," I declared, a low laugh rumbling deep in my chest.
The ear splitting smile she flashed me was mesmerizing. She leaned forward, kissing me passionately, trying to convey with a kiss what she was unable to voice. It hadn't escaped my attention she hadn't said she loved me back. With anyone else it would have pissed me off, but with Jo I knew the history behind the words. Or more accurately, I knew the lack of history. She'd never had anyone love her and she'd certainly never loved anyone in return. It was simply a foreign concept. Like trying to convince her there were beverages other than beer.
Normally, such an omission would plant a seed of doubt that could break a relationship a part, but this time it just didn't matter. I didn't need her to say the words because I already knew she loved me. Words were fickle, it was actions that meant something, and every action Jo had shown me screamed that she loved me with every fiber of being. That was enough for me.
She sat up, crossing her legs as she looked down at me. Uncertainty was etched into her face as she struggled with whatever was on her mind. I grabbed her hand, squeezing it to let her know she could tell me anything.
"I…I don't want you to…I need you to know…" she stuttered.
Grabbing her other hand I told her, "Hey, it's OK, I know. I told you, I want you. As much or as little as you can give me. I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes dropped down to the bed. "I just want to be enough," she whispered.
It broke my heart, the doubt in her voice. I sat up, cradling her head in my hands, forcing her eyes to meet mine.
"You are. You are everything to me now. That won't change." It was my vow, a promise. I would prove to her that some people kept their words. I would be her rock. We were a team now. I searched her face, making sure the words sunk in. Her eyes were bright, hopeful, as she leaned forward, kissing me. I felt myself relax a little. She was choosing to believe in me, in us. I could work with that.
x x x
The next morning my alarm woke me too early. Reaching over towards Jo my hand came up empty. Just like that the early morning fog was gone as I sat up quickly searching the small bedroom for any sign of her. I saw a note on my bedside table with Jo's messy scrawl scratched across the paper.
Morning Sexy,
I'm off to "talk" to Simon. I thought it'd be best if I got there early, less chance we'd be interrupted. It was a tough choice considering how adorable you look in the morning, but I figure the less witnesses to whatever might happen the better. Stop worrying, I'm kidding (mostly). Just in case I'll disable the security cameras. OK, I can tell by your face you didn't find that funny. Seriously though, everything will be fine. I'll tell you all about it tonight at our dinner date. I was hoping you might have it in you to whip up another culinary masterpiece. If not, I have enough Nutri-Grain bars at my place for both of us :) I knew that one would get you. There's some coffee made at my place if you want to stop by on your way out. If not, do you mind stopping by anyway to turn the pot off…I'm 99% sure I'll forget.
Yours Always,
Jo
P.S. I feel like such a tool writing that, but it doesn't make it any less true.
Leave it to Jo to make ambushing someone sound like a walk in the park. What did she plan to do, break into his office and wait for the man to show up at work? I laughed before stopping. That was probably exactly what she was going to do. Hanging my head in my hands I sighed, this wasn't going to end well.
Since there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it now I decided to get ready for the day and keep my fingers crossed. Hoping for the best and planning for the worst was going to be a common occurrence in this relationship.
Normally I look forward to work like a kid looks forward to Christmas morning, but today would be nothing short of painful. There wasn't much on the schedule other than mundane tasks. The girls had a rare "free" day. I thought it was important that I spend time at the paddock that didn't involve training. Sure, I was their alpha, but if every time they saw me I was demanding things from them it could go south in a hurry. Today was reserved for me to do nothing more than observe them and vice versa. Unfortunately, it also involved ensuring the day-to-day tasks associated with running an organization like mine were accomplished.
Dressing quickly I left the bungalow, making the short trip to Jo's camper. As promised there was fresh coffee, complete with a travel mug waiting on the counter. Jo was a disaster in the kitchen, but her coffee was nothing short of miraculous. She told me she'd perfected it on one of her last tours overseas. I think her ability to brew the perfect cup stemmed from her insomnia. She needed caffeine to function, and this stuff could run a mac truck for days it was so strong. How she managed to get the slight notes of hazelnut and spices to peak through the insane amounts of espresso was a mystery.
Arriving at the paddock I was hopefully today wouldn't blow as much as I was imagining. A few hours of paperwork later I'd lost all hope. Why did ordering pigs require me to sign 78 pages of request forms? Was it really necessary to have a staff meeting to talk about paddock maintenance? Deep down I knew I'd brought this on myself. I refused to relinquish control of my operation to anyone. The girls were my family. I simply couldn't leave anything to chance where they were concerned. Any outside interference would guarantee one thing, problems. The only person I allowed in the mix in any capacity was Barry. I'm pretty sure he wished I'd cut him out like I had everyone else. He'd been working on the office supply order for 45 minutes. The time and effort it took to get things to this remote island paradise was staggering.
"I'm ordering 500 pens, 250 boxes of paper, and 300 ink cartridges," Barry mumbled, hunched over his keyboard typing. I took the opportunity to stop signing paperwork. I needed a break before I developed carpal tunnel from all the writing.
"You don't think that's overdoing it?" I asked. Buying in bulk was a proven cost saver, but we still had to get Claire's approval for these orders. Something told me she'd take issue with us buying out the nearest Office Max.
Barry swiveled around in his chair, murder in his eyes. "I'm not going through this every few weeks. This should keep us stocked for a few months, a year if we're frugal. If we run out before that you can write in your own blood for all I care."
Welcome to Jurassic World, you don't have to be crazy to work here we'll train you.
"OK buddy, simmer down. If you want 1,000 pens you can have 1,000 pens," I said, trying to calm him down. "Why don't we take a break? We missed lunch by about three hours."
The promise of a break and food calmed Barry down. I checked my phone, again, hoping Jo might have called. Just like every other time today I found it suspiciously void of any calls or texts. Hopefully this was a good omen. Before we could make it out the door my office phone rang. Jogging back towards my desk I picked it up as Barry hovered near the door.
"Raptor paddock, this is Owen," I answered.
"Mr. Grady, this is Dr. Kondrat calling from the health clinic on campus." I fell into my chair, absolute terror making my vision blur. I couldn't breathe, I could barely see. Every thought was focused on Jo, and what the man on the other end of the phone was going to tell me. "Mr. Grady, are you still there?"
Clearing my throat I answered, "Yes, I'm here. What were you calling about?" Barry inched closer to my desk, his arms folded over his chest, his face serious. I hit the speaker phone button, resting my head in my hands.
"I'm calling at the request of Mr. Masrani. He would have called himself, but he's tied up with park business," the doctor explained. I wished the guy would hurry up and spit it out, I was dying here. "A man was admitted to my clinic today with a fractured collarbone."
"A man?" I interrupted him.
"Correct, a…let me see if I can find it. Yes, here it is, a Mr. Hoskins," he clarified, "As I was saying, his collarbone was fractured in several places. He refuses to specify how the injury occurred; only going so far as to say a crazy lady attacked him. Mr. Masrani was made aware of the incident and insisted I call you. To be honest, this violates doctor-patient confidentiality, and I made my opinion on the involvement of an outside party clear to Mr. Masrani, but since this is an independent health clinic in a foreign country I'm not bound by some of the, shall we say, normal laws governing medical practice."
Barry's smile was so wide it was almost blinding. Dr. Kondrat might not know who the "crazy lady" was, but he was the only one. Whatever Hoskins had done I was positive he deserved the broken bones Jo left him with, but the guy had a long memory. He was dangerous when provoked. Too bad for him so was Jo.
"Well, I appreciate the call Dr. Kondrat," I told him.
"If you don't mind me asking, why would Mr. Masrani want you to be notified about an incident involving a mentally unstable woman?" I bit down on my knuckle to keep from laughing into the phone. Barry had given up trying to quietly express his amusement, and had moved to other side of the office where he could roll hysterically on the ground in peace.
"Ah, I'm sure he just wants to make sure all department heads are on the lookout," I answered smoothly. Or it could have something to do with the fact the "mentally unstable woman" was my girlfriend. Simon had a twisted notion I had some kind of control over Jo. I had better control over my girls, and they only listened to me about half the time.
"Well, that's probably best. The injury was quite horrific, and rather painful I'm afraid. I would be careful until this person is apprehended; this isn't the type of damage just anyone could inflict. If it wasn't so gruesome it would be impressive," he finished.
"Right, well, thanks for the call. Have a good day," I replied, hanging up the phone. Immediately I picked up my cell phone, dialing Jo's number. Straight to voicemail. Well, if I needed anymore confirmation she was the one who'd beat the shit out of Hoskins I had it now.
Josephine King, Avoidance Level = Master.
Sighing I dropped the phone back on the table. "This wasn't what I had in mind when we talked yesterday."
"I don't even remember Hoskins factoring into the equation," Barry supplied, still laughing intermittently. Solid point. "Besides, whatever he did he deserved what he got, and then some."
Couldn't argue with that. I myself wanted to break a few of Hoskins more delicate body parts after the stunt her pulled at the paddock a few weeks ago. What concerned me was what had driven Jo to such lengths? To the outside world she appeared to act without thought, but nothing could be further from the truth. Everything she did served a purpose. No action was ever wasted. The only thing I could think of that would validate this type of retribution was an outright threat against someone close to her.
"Agreed. She'll need to be even more careful now. Hoskins may be stupid, but he's dangerous, and he's got the support of an entire organization at his fingertips," I stated.
"She's got us," Barry stated. Damn right. If anyone wanted at her they'd have to get through me first. Good luck to anyone who tried that.
The rest of the day passed without incident, unless of course you account for the numerous paper cuts Barry and I suffered through in our day of paperwork hell. Once home I took my time changing, grabbing a beer, and getting ingredients together for dinner. I expected Jo anytime, and I really needed to have myself in check before she showed up. I wasn't mad per say. I was more concerned she would start a fight she couldn't win.
Half an hour later she pulled up in her Jeep while I was at the grill basting the chicken with my homemade BBQ sauce. She climbed the porch steps just as I'd closed the grill.
"Any of that for me?" she asked hopefully.
"I got an interesting call today," I said, my eyebrows raised and arms crossed over my chest.
Her face paled, her eyes darting back towards her camper. Oh, I really hoped she tried to run. That would make thing far more interesting.
"Really, about what?" She was aiming for casual, but fell far short. The quiver in her voice was unmistakable.
"Seems Hoskins ended up at the clinic with a broken collarbone," I replied dryly. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
She leaned against the porch railing, examining her nails with unnatural interest. "Um, I can neither confirm nor deny anything."
I ran a hand through my hair in exasperation, "This is your idea of delicate?"
"In my defense he pushed my buttons and his bones are brittle," she said grimacing.
Was there anyone on this island who didn't push her buttons? You couldn't just go around breaking bones because someone pissed you off.
"What happened?" I asked my voice softer.
She walked over to a chair, sitting down with a sigh. "Just Hoskins being Hoskins. Threats, violence, intimidation. Normal day at the office."
That mother fucker was going to die. It was bad enough he tried to kill her using my girls, but to threaten her again was a death sentence. She leaned her head back against the chair, her eyes closing. She looked tired, and I suddenly realized today had to have been hard for her. We still hadn't even broached the topic of her conversation with Simon. I felt like an ass. All day the only thing I'd done was sign and file paperwork while she'd been left to deal with eccentric billionaires, deranged maniacs and genetically modified killing machines.
"You OK?" I sat down on the coffee table directly in front of her, placing my hands on her legs.
"I'm fine. Hoskins on the other hand is going to need a few weeks before he's back in the saddle again."
I chuckled. Good, I hope that shit hurt like hell for weeks. "Well, at least it will never be boring. We're gonna have to work on your temper." She scoffed in mock outrage, giving me a half-smile.
"That's not even the best part," she disclosed, changing the subject. "I had a pretty interesting conversation with Simon."
It was time to put the woman and children to bed, shit was about to get real. I sobered up immediately, my entire focus squarely on Jo. She launched into the events of her day, starting with her ambush conversation with Simon. I wasn't surprised he'd found out about the InGen's sinister plans for the raptors. Simon wasn't stupid, and there was a reason he was a gazillionaire. Men like him left little to chance. What got my blood boiling was him signing off on the idea.
"Are fucking kidding me?" I yelled. "He can't seriously think the idea is viable."
"He doesn't. He knows the raptors will never be tame enough for what InGen is proposing. He's simply using their idea to his advantage," she affirmed. It was a small consolation that Simon wasn't on board with the idea of the girls as weapons, but we'd take a win where we could get it.
"What about the Indominus Rex?" I questioned. At this point I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but we'd come this far. There was no going back now. Jo hesitated, scratching her head while she collected her thoughts. This was going to be worse than I thought.
"That's a little different story. We were right, they aren't purely theory. In fact, up until about six hours ago there were two."
About 10,000 things ran through my head all at once, but I was unable to utter a single word. Not only was the I-Rex real, there were two. Well, there used to be two.
"You saw them? Up close and personnel?" I didn't want Jo within two continents of those things, but if she'd seen them then we could use that to our advantage. We were seriously lacking in the information department when it came to the I-Rex project.
She cringed, "A little too up close and personnel."
She explained that Simon had taken her to Paddock 11 to see the dinosaurs. I struggled to place the characteristics she was describing as she told me about their appearance. The resembled no dinosaur I could recall.
"You're sure it's part T-Rex?" I queried.
"100%, there's no mistaking that." This was bad. Scratch that, this was fucked up. What possible purpose could the lab have for using the T-Rex genome other than creating an actual T-Rex? "That's not the worst part, there are so many other DNA possibilities it's staggering. They exhibit behavior that is so familiar, but I can't put my finger on what it is yet."
"Well, if they are attempting what Simon asked for, more teeth and scarier, god only knows what they dipped their hands in," I supplied. These people were straight up oxygen thieves.
"Want to hear the part that will give you nightmares?" She paused, swallowing deeply before continuing. "The bigger one ate the smaller one."
I froze. Siblicide. I'd studied the phenomenon, but never witnessed it. The killing of an infant by a close relative, usually a sibling, was a basic evolutionary driver meant to ensure genetic viability of a population. It was mainly seen in birds, but had been noted in hyenas and wasps occasionally. Normally, it occurred as a means for the older sibling to ensure there were adequate amounts of food thus solidifying their survival. A sibling meant another mouth to feed, and if resources were scarce it led to the killing of younger rivals.
"You OK?" Jo was waving her hand in front of my face trying to get my attention.
"It ate the sibling?" I needed to be sure. This type of predatory behavior was far outside the documented parameters of any known dinosaur. That type of aggression, especially against a family member, would mean lethal consequences the likes of which we might not be able to measure.
She shook her head, and I got up, returning to the grill. Pulling open the lid I furiously turned the chicken over as I ran through the implication in my head.
"Simon wants me involved." Of course he did. He wanted to cover his ass, and Jo was his insurance policy. She could be his eyes and ears for a project that had spiraled dangerously out of his control.
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him he's fucking crazy if he doesn't blow that thing up before it eats everyone on this island." I believed her. Sometimes Jo's judgment could be deemed "questionable", but she was right on the money this time. "I think it's probably a good idea. We need to know what's going on and that's easier if I have a seat at the table," she continued.
"Yeah," I responded, resignation bleeding into my voice. "It's going to get a lot worse, you know that right?"
She nodded her head in silent agreement. The question remained, was there anything we could do to stop it?
We were in for the fight of our lives. The cost of which I wasn't sure I was willing to pay.
jahoney: I think you are right...no one can be strong all the time. I'm glad you enjoyed the peak into Owen's past. I do think seeing his past helps us understand how alike the two of them actually are. I wanted it to help establish how he understands some of what she is going through, and why they are so drawn to each other. Sometimes unless you've been there you just can't understand. Thanks for such insightful reviews, they help me strive to get better each week. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.
MsRose91: The original scene was very emotional, and I found that writing it from Owen's was just as stressful. He has his own demons to deal with and bringing those into the light was important. I hope that it shows how much he understands Jo, and why he is willing to stick by her. Thank you for reading and reviewing, it means the world.
KaraAlissa: That is such an awesome compliment. Sometimes when I'm writing I try to imagine what it would be like to be in the room, and I try to put that on paper so everyone can experience it. It's so great when you hear that it actually worked. Sometimes there is so much happening it's hard to know what to include and what to omit. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, thanks for the review!
BlueEyedPisces: The similar history these two share is essential, I think. I wanted that chapter to show how much Owen understands Jo, why he is willing to help her, and plant the seeds for his devotion. It helps us establish the shift in their relationship, and this chapter gives us our first peak at the "new Jo and Owen". As for the ringtones, I'm with your mom on this one...the Redskins suck, go Dallas! :)
angelicedg: I'm so glad you like them. I dig them too, but sometimes I'm hesitant to put them in. I always think, is this too much? too cheesy? etc. As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing...it means a lot and keeps me going!
JesseBWriting: I enjoyed writing that scene from Owen's POV. At first, I was slightly wary, I thought it would be hard, but once I started it came pretty naturally. I think it was because I knew there needed to be a connection in their pasts. Some way for us to see why they were so "connect" for lack of a better term. I'm so happy you enjoyed reading it and hope you liked this chapter also.
LadyBugQueen421: Yeah! I'm glad you liked it and hope this one doesn't disappoint. Thanks for reading and reviewing!