As Dearing, Grady, Sembène and Cruthers had just finished viewing the archive footage, they heard a group of people walking down the hallway, fast and moving in their direction.
Cruthers opened the door and saw Brunet and the other grey guard officers move towards the control room.
Although they were still wearing their armour, they had left their helmets and weapons to their comrades earlier and cleaned their faces.
"What is happening?" Dearing wondered.
The guards continued to the control room and entered inside it.
The former director, the chief technician and the two keepers followed them.
"Who among your bunch has the authority to treat with us?" They heard Lynton's voice ask when they crossed the door.
Brunet stepped forward.
"Gilbert Brunet, the famous Black Lion," InGen's vice president said. "To say that we wanted to recruit you once."
Lynton also noted the presence of Dearing and Grady.
"And you are here too, Claire, with your bodyguard moreover. We are very disappointed that you collaborate of your own free will with that French dog out of simple resentment towards us. He and those who followed him coldly killed several employees of the company. You certainly did not know them, but that's no reason not to be angry at them and among those who were threatened, there was a part of the geneticists, people with whom you collaborated and who lived in Burroughs. Friends and neighbors of yours," she said not only against her but also to that of the other employees present in the room.
"It is unfortunate that the geneticists you are talking about have been caught in the crossfire. The only one we wanted was Henry Wu," Brunet said. "And before you spread rumours that we are holding at gunpoint Jurassic World employees and other civilians, know that they are free to come and go in the city and leave the island if they have the opportunity. I hold no grievance against them. You can ask them if you want proof. We are holding captive only a few of the mercenaries you hired and have decided to release the captured genetists except Doctors Robert Osment, accused of collaboration with Biosyn, and Ivan Prestion, Wu's right-hand man, confident and much more if I believe what I was told about him. We suspect him to know information about the Indominus still undisclosed that may be of vital importance and we will keep him here until her death. But if it can reassure you, we will not threaten his life or the ones of the other hostages."
The fact that Brunet did not intend to put pressure on InGen through the hostages left everyone relieved but also circumspect.
He had not asked to speak to the board for nothing but for negotiations.
He must had found another lever.
"What do you want?" Iger asked the guards.
"We demand that you give twenty-four million dollars as a compensation to each of the families of all the guards on the list that I sent you, put a stop to your plans for the Indominus or any other use of the result of your research in genetic engineering for military purposes, and publicly confess your crimes," Brunet answered.
As Silverman began to calculate the amount to be paid, Lynton looked at the guards disdainfully and Iger leaned back in his chair, crossing his fingers.
"Anything more?" He asked, expecting more.
"That's all our demands, yes."
While Silverman was having a look on the transmitted list, Lynton and Iger debated for a moment.
Once they had finished, Lynton turned to the camera.
"And if we refuse?" She asked.
"I got wind of your Operation Fallen Kingdom," Brunet told them. "At which price do you intend to sell your dinosaurs? Several millions each on average I guess. Less for the smaller ones but several dozens for the biggest and the most beautiful specimens I think."
"You don't think about…?" Iger started.
"Oh yes, I think about it," Brunet declared. "If I ever see the shape of the Arcadia looming on the horizon or if the USS Errinwright is still heading towards Isla Nublar tomorrow by noon local time before our demands are met, I will order the slaughter of every creature of your park."
The employees in the room, and especially Grady and Sembène, turned to Brunet and gave him a dismayed look.
"Sorry gentlemen, there is nothing personal in this."
He had told them this in a genuine tone, as he was well aware of the keepers' affection for the animals.
They looked at those who accompanied Brunet and realized thanks to the expression of certain faces that they too discovered his plan.
Among their group, some even whispered, wondering if they had the means to put his threat into action.
For its part, the board debated again, with more agitation than before.
"Four hundred and fifty-six million dollars!" The CFO suddenly exclaimed once the calculation done. "This is outright highway robbery!"
"Giving a portion of one treasure to a dragon is the only way to appease its anger," Brunet retorted. "It's either this or your life!"
"Life?!" Lynton repeated, eyes wide opened in face of this threat. "Come and get us!"
"I intend to!" Brunet said.
Lynton sighed, half grunting, and struck the table with the palm of her hand.
"I declare these negotiations over," she stated, exasperated. "I refuse to treat any longer with a criminal of your kind who does nothing but threatens us! I don't care that Isla Nublar is now nothing more than a few acres of ash and exterminate all its creatures if you feel like it, provided that you have enough ammunition, a thing that I doubt. We have the means to produce other dinosaurs on American soil. As for your insurgency, I fear for you that it is doomed to fail. You may be effective when it comes to dealing with a poor band of mercenaries but against a professional army, I would like to see how you fare. Because in the case you refuse to lay down your weapons, the US military will intervene to put an end to your insurgency. When its troops will arrive on Isla Nublar, what are you going to do? Resist with bows and spears?" She sneered with a contemptuous look. "I won't remind you the fate of those who dared to oppose US armed forces and progress with such weapons. You are so archaic, dinosaurs! It is the meteor."
The possibility of a US military intervention raised many concerns among the insurgents and the park employees, as all of them feared its eventual consequences.
However, many were those who clearly saw that Lynton was trying to scare them and push the guards to stop their insurgency.
InGen's vice president then spoke to Dearing.
"As for you Dearing, declare yourself Queen of Isla Nublar if you wish and sit once again in your office, to rule over ashes and a graveyard. Your reign will be short, and certainly hectic."
"The Special Forces will come for you too, you know," Silverman said, "to bring you to court. Unless that, like Cleopatra apprehending her humiliation by Octavian, and out of cowardice, you escape them by taking your own life."
Dearing realized that there was some truth behind his words and she felt a distress raising inside her.
But having nothing left to lose, she let her anger spoke freely.
"Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth!" She exclaimed as she stepped forward to position herself in front of the screen. "I'm sick of your venomous words and listening any longer to the bunch of assholes that you are!"
She then looked at the board members in the eyes, supporting their glare.
"Go fuck yourselves!" She told them. "Lowery, end the transmission!" She ordered.
Before the board could itself end the transmission, Cruthers obeyed and the meeting room in Palo Alto disappeared from the screen. The guards then left the control room, including Chapuy and his colleague.
As she walked in the hallway next to Drekanson, Darbinian said:
"And not a word about the Slayers and those we killed in the valley. One could think that their lives were worthless in their eyes. These people…"
