Do not ask me why I've been updating so frequently. I don't know why. But here you go, another chapter.

This one's a little shorter, but I didn't want to keep going past the last scene in this one, because the next scene made more sense as a chapter opener. Hope you enjoy!

The green park jeep bounced along the gravel road, heading towards the main park. Emily forced her eyes away from the window. Her whole body was trembling slightly, and her heart was still beating far too fast. Emily buried her head in her hands, taking several deep breaths to steady out her breathing and get a handle on her nausea. She hadn't been this close to a panic attack since, well, her first-time seeing raptors after the incident in 1993.

Briana's voice cut through the jeep, "Are you alright Dr. Grant?"

It took Emily a second to respond, "Yeah, I'll be fine. I just, need a minute." It wasn't entirely a lie, she was feeling just a little better, though the trembling hadn't stopped. Emily lifted her head from her hands, one of which subconsciously covered the scar on her right forearm.

Briana's eyes moved to the scar, looking slightly curious.

It was a look Emily was used to getting. Ever since she'd been nine, when the raptor had bit her arm at Jurassic Park, she'd been getting those looks. In any other situation, Emily probably would have explained exactly how she'd gotten it. But she really didn't want to descend into a panic attack, so the paleontologist shifted her gaze back out the window.

But Briana's gaze only lingered for a moment, before shifting to the front seat, where Owen and Lizzy were sitting. Emily could vaguely hear her asking Owen to drop her off at the ACU center. But Emily was pulling out her phone and opening up her last text message with her father.

She knew if she told him what was going on he'd demand she get off the island immediately. But if ACU could capture the Indominus, then there was no need to tell him anything till after the fact. And the last thing Emily wanted to do was cause her dad any more worry than he already felt about her being on the island.

The paleontologist's thumbs hovered over the keyboard of her phone all the way to the ACU building. In the end, she typed four words;

"I love you Dad."

Emily straightened her fedora as the elevator ascended to the main control room of the park. Her heart was still beating way to quickly, but her hands had stopped shaking quite as much. She brushed some dirt off her dark green tank top, which was also damp with sweat.

The elevator doors slid open, but before the guard stationed there could even get a word in edgewise, Owen was angrily asking, "What the hell happened out there?!"

Claire turned from the massive screen, motioning for the guard to let them past, "Mr. Grady, please do not shout."

Emily spoke up, "He's got a point, that should not have happened." Emily knew her voice barely carried, but the adrenaline from the Indominus escape was fading and she didn't have the energy to make it any louder.

"Dr. Grant, we're a little busy if you haven't noticed. Please save the lecture for later." Claire shut Emily down immediately.

And if the paleontologist was honest, it flipped a switch inside her. She was done playing nice. It was time for the park's operations manager to get a look at the infamous Grant family temper. Her voice rising considerably, Emily stepped forward, not caring about the muddy footprints she was leaving behind, "Do you have any idea what's going on here, Ms. Dearing?!"

"Yes, I do, Dr. Grant." Claire looked annoyed now. Good.

"Well, you certainly aren't acting like it." Emily was angry.

"Dr. Grant, I'm trying to coordinate a response here, I need you to hold your tongue for just a few moments."

"That, thing," Emily paused on the word, "just ate two people, marked up the wall of her cage to trick us into thinking she got out and, hid from thermal detection."

Claire's red hair bounced as she strode over to Emily, "Hold on, we are talking about an animal here."

Lizzy stepped up to Emily's side, "A highly intelligent animal. She set a trap Claire."

One of the control room workers looked up from her screen, her voice even, "400 meters to the beacon."

Emily's gaze snapped to the screen, Lizzy's and Owen's gazes following. There were at least eight ACU members list on screen, their heartbeats displayed below their name and rank. Briana's was at the top, the rank of commander displayed underneath it. Four different camera angles were displayed to the left of the ACU members.

They all watched as the members got out of the vehicles and began working their way through the forest. Emily was no weapons expert, but she was pretty sure the ACU was carrying-

"You're going after her with non-lethals." Owen confirmed Emily's suspicions.

Emily couldn't stop herself from all but yelling, "She's going to kill your whole ACU squad. You need to kill it or evacuate. Now." Emily knew she sounded at least a little hysterical, but she sure as hell felt that way.

Mr. Masrani didn't even turn from the screen, "We have 26 million dollars invested in that asset, we're not going to kill it."

Claire put in, "We'd never reopen if we evacuated. Please, Dr. Grant, calm yourself."

Emily had no such intentions. They wouldn't listen to her either way. The paleontologist took a deep breath, "Evacuate this damn island or you're going to have another '93 on your hands!"

At that, Mr. Masrani nodded to the security guard, who grabbed Emily by the arm, "Please come with me Dr. Grant." The guard pulled Emily toward the door; Emily let him.

If they wouldn't listen, she'd deal with this herself.

The tourists gave Emily a wide berth as she all but stormed down the hallway to the lab area. Her panic had largely been replaced by anger, again. And she had one step of a plan; find out what the hell this monster was made of. After that, Emily wasn't sure what she'd do. But at least she had a starting point.

Rounding a corner, Emily slammed straight into Sam. Her hat slipped off her head, but he caught it, asking, "Emily, what are you doing here?"

Emily just grabbed her friend by the arm, pulling him over to a door that she knew led to a large storage closet. Sam just gave a little yelp of surprise but let her pull him into the closet.

Emily turned to face him, "What do you know about the Indominus Rex?"

Sam raised his eyebrows, "Probably the same you do, Tyrannosaur for the base genome, but the rest is, "classified", to quote Wu."

Emily ran a once more shaking hand through her hair, "It's loose."

"What? I mean, I knew something was loose, I got the alert, but that's what's out?" Sam went a little pale.

Emily nodded, "It's like, thirty feet tall and, oh God it's terrifying…" She trailed off, hands shaking again, and breathing quick.

Sam nodded and reached down to take Emily's hands, his soft expression hardly visible in the dim light of the closet, "Hey, don't panic. It won't help anything."

"How can I not panic?!"

"I," Sam sighed, "I don't know."

Emily pulled away and started pacing back and forth in the small space, "They won't kill it and they won't evacuate!" She could feel her panic levels rising again, for the second time in a day.

"Emily," Sam gently grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her pacing, "I'll do some digging, see if I can't figure out what that thing is made of. Okay?"

Emily took a deep breath, "Okay. But promise me that if things get worse, you'll leave, okay?"

"Okay," Sam nodded as well.

Which was when Emily realized just how close they were standing. Sam must have noticed it too, because even in the dim light, Emily could tell he was blushing. Something inside Emily decided, screw it, I'll probably die today anyway.

So, the paleontologist leaned forward a little, and her phone rang. They both hastily stepped away from each other. Sam cleared his throat a little, looking away as Emily pulled out her phone. It was Lizzy, so, naturally, Emily answered.

"Hello?"

"Emily, I know it's kind of a bad thing to ask, but two kids are missing out in the gyrosphere valley, and ACU can't spare the men to get them."

"So, you need my help?"

"Yeah."

Emily frowned a little. She really did not want to head out into the jungle, especially with that, thing, on the loose. But there were kids out there. And she wouldn't wish what had happened to her at the age of nine on anyone, no matter how old. "I'll come."

"Great. Because Owen just told me that the kids are Claire's nephews."

"I'll meet you guys in the back parking lot."

"Got it."

Lizzy hung up and Emily pocketed her phone, finding Sam watching her closely.

"You're going back out there, aren't you?"

Emily nodded.

"Be careful."

"I'm going to be running around with that monster on the loose. There's only so much I can do."

Sam put his hand on the door handle, "If anyone can survive it, you can."

Emily followed him out into the hallway, "Thanks Sam."

"No problem," Sam gave her one last grin and moved down the hallway to the lab, dodging oblivious tourists as he went.

Emily straightened the strap of her satchel and strode in the opposite direction, trying to ignore the thought that she might never see Sam again.

Not much to say after this one. Leave a review if you feel like it, they really do help.