Jurassic Park

Chapter Thirteen – The Nightmare Ends

Author's Note: Well, here it is everyone – the final instalment to my Jurassic Park story! I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please do let me know what you thought of the story as a whole, and please vote on the poll on my profile, too! I would like to thank those who have taken the time to review my story. I really appreciate all your comments. Have a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year! I hope you enjoy the final chapter . . .

Grant's nodding head fell violently forward, which aroused him from his present disturbed slumber. It took him a moment to recollect himself, as he sleepily gazed around him at the rest of the sleeping men. Where were they? Of course, they were still down inside the basement after escaping the Spinosaurus, who had now long given up its desperate search for them. As sleep slowly melted away, Alan began to remember the events that had occurred since their arrival on Isla Sorna, and the hopelessness of their current situation. They had no means of escaping the island now that their plane was completely demolished and the battery on his cell phone completely dead. He knew that Jo would be worrying herself sick, which, in this case, was a good thing, Alan thought, as that would probably urge her on to summon up a rescue party for them. Although Grant generally berated his sister for her habitual tendency to fret about things, right at this moment he was glad he had a sister who would be anxious about him, and would not rest until she knew he was safe.

Grant's thoughts now turned to Professor Gates and his dastardly mission to Isla Sorna. He had had no right to come here and risk men's lives to capture man-eating dinosaurs, and bring them back to the mainland. They belonged here on the island, away from all civilisation. Once caged and in captivity, the dinosaurs would become wild with rage and more deadly to deal with. The lives of the public would be constantly at risk once they set foot on land. The Professor must be stopped somehow, and soon . . .

"Dr. Grant?"

Alan looked across at Billy who had quietly moved away from the security of his corner and sat down next to him. "You okay?"

Grant gave a short nod. "Just thinking, Billy."

"About the Professor?"

Alan nodded again. "I'm worried, Billy. That Professor is a mad man to do what he did, and the lives of the public are at risk until he is stopped. Until we are rescued there is nothing we can do about it, and it makes me mad to think what could happen . . . what might be happening now because we're not there to stop him."

Billy said nothing. He had never heard Grant confess to being worried before. In fact, this was the first time that Grant had ever really opened up to him and shared his feelings. Billy gave a half smile. Grant must really trust him to have expressed his feelings like that. To win the respect of such a man as Grant was special, and not to be held lightly, and Billy never forgot this moment in the years to come.

"It wouldn't surprise me if your sister was sending a search party for us now," said Billy cheerfully. "I can almost hear the army helicopters coming to rescue us now!"

Alan gave Billy a feeble smile and was about to make a reply, when he stopped. Billy looked at Grant's half-open mouth in confusion. "What is it?"

"Shhh!" was the only reply Billy had. Alan's eyes seemed to be listening as well as his whole body. He had craned his head forward, and seemed to be straining his ears acutely, as if he was trying to penetrate them through the ceiling and walls to where the sound was coming from.

The noise was only faint at first, and seemed only perceptible to Grant's ears. And then Billy heard it, too. It was a whirring sound, very much like the noise of a propeller. It was gradually growing louder, and then seemed to be right overhead. The other men had heard it, too, and had risen to their feet, muttering sounds of recognised delight.

"You heard right it seems, Billy," said Grant, his eyes dancing with joy.

Leading the way, Alan made a dash for the ladder and clambered up to the top, where he fumbled for the latch of the trap door in his excitement. Finding it at last Alan swung it open and tumbled out, the other men laughing and stumbling over one another in their expectation and joyful relief. They rushed through the disorderly and destructed building, thanks to the rioting Spinosaurus, and once outside, shielded their eyes from the strong morning sun as they scanned the blue skies overhead. To their animation they beheld not one but two rescue helicopters circling the island, obviously in search for them. Shouting and waving in their excitement, the remaining five men ran through the forest, too relieved and thankful to pay any thought to the dangers that were still lurking around them, or what they might meet upon their way through the dense, foreboding forest. They ran breathlessly forwards, shouting on the top of their voices until they were almost hoarse, still waving wildly. They were nearly out of the forest now and had nearly reached the place where their demolished plane still lay. The helicopters had now seen them, and had begun to descend gradually to the ground as the men made their way to their rescuers.

Another sight met their eyes as they arrived out of the forest and onto the dirt road. A very large cargo ship was arriving on shore just as the helicopters landed. Some men were emerging on the deck, barking orders and sending men down below. They were fully armed and dressed in full uniform.

Marines, thought Billy as he looked on.

An officer jumped down from the first helicopter and approached the men. "Which of you is Dr. Grant?"

"I am," replied Alan as he advanced towards him. "And this is the missing John Hammond," he added, nodding in the direction of the bearded billionaire. "We found him here when we landed on the island in search of him."

The officer looked surprised for a moment, and then a slow smile spread over his face. "We hoped we might find you here still alive. One of the Professor's men informed us that Mr. Hammond had been left on the island. I'm here to ensure you are all escorted back home in safety. Harry Warne informed us of the danger you were in and enlisted our help in rescuing you from the island. The other ship is carrying the captive dinosaurs that Professor Gates brought back from here, and they are now being returned to their rightful place where they belong. If you ask me the Professor was completely mad – it was a crazy, foolish scheme to bring back deadly creatures like this and endanger the lives of innocent people, but the stupid fool paid for it."

Grant gave the officer and inquiring look, to the which he replied, "He was savagely killed by the very T-Rex he captured and so admired. He paid the penalty for his crime with his life, Dr. Grant, as so did many other innocent people." The officer spoke these words in a tone of utter contempt, and there was a hint of sadness in his voice when he related the awful tale of the T-Rex's escape, and the many lives that had been lost that fateful night. He then turned and looked at the five men with a frown. "There should be more of you. I was told that six men had made a trip to this island. Including Mr. Hammond there should be seven of you."

Grant gave a heavy sigh before answering in a tone full of remorse, "Two of the men were killed, Officer, by those savage beasts the Professor loved so much."

The officer made no reply but simply nodded his head in grave sympathy.

The men now boarded one of the helicopters. They were all smiling, laughing and talking, except for Alan who's grim face conveyed that he was still thinking about the two men who had lost their lives, and who could have been with them on the helicopter, had they not fallen prey to the deadly inhabitants of the island.

Billy sensed Grant's grief at the loss of the two men, in particular his friend, Darren Wright. Billy took the vacant seat next to Grant and gave him a knowing smile. "I know how you're feeling," he said quietly. "But it's not your fault they were killed. You didn't force them here, and they took the same risk we all did. You never asked us to do anything that you weren't prepared to do yourself. And you accomplished what you came to do. It wasn't a wasted trip, Dr. Grant."

Alan looked at Billy and couldn't help but smile at his friend. "Thank-you, Billy. I'm just glad we're getting off this place." And then giving a short laugh, he turned to Billy and grinned. "Just remind me never to make a trip here again!"

Billy laughed as the helicopter began to rise up into the air.

The Officer who had greeted them had taken a seat up front with the pilot, and looking back he shouted over his shoulder to Alan, "You're sister will be mighty glad to see you, Dr. Grant. She's been through a bit of an ordeal herself." He then related to the astonished Grant what had happened the night before. Alan's eyes widened in alarm and disbelief as the officer explained about the Raptor attack, and Jo's grapple with death. The tale completely silenced the astonished men, who listened in wonder to the officer's story.

Billy turned to the bewildered Alan with a look of amazement. "Seems we haven't been the only ones face to face with death!"

Grant suddenly started chuckling, which grew into a hearty peal of laughter.

Billy looked at Grant, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Grant was laughing so much now that Billy had to listen hard to understand what he was saying. "Here we were running from dinosaurs, and two Raptors turn up at Jo's house! Imagine, real live dinosaurs roaming the streets of San Francisco!"

A slow smile spread over Billy's face, which turned into a wide grin, and then he began to laugh, too. The other three men stared at them in surprise at first, but then began to join in until the entire helicopter was filled with the sound of jovial laughter. It was a real release to be rescued from their long nightmare of terror that they had spent on Isla Sorna, and the only thing that they could do now was laugh with relief.

As the helicopter began to sail away in the sky, Grant looked down out of the window at the large crowd of men on the land, who were hauling heavy metal cages out of the ship which contained the tranquilised dinosaurs. They were back to stay on Isla Sorna, to be left alone with no further interference from man, where they could roam free in their natural habitat to be left in peace and freedom. Grant smiled with satisfaction. At last they were back on Isla Sorna: back where they belonged!

The End.