When Drew had planned out their attempt against the Novum smuggling operation, he'd accounted for a lot of possible unexpected outcomes. The Novum head of projects being behind the operation hadn't been one of those outcomes – as had being held at gunpoint by about ten armed mercenaries.
As the mercenaries kept their guns trained on Drew, Leon, Cynthia and Nikolai's heads, Frank snarled, "You heard me. You mugs even go to move, we're cleaning you off the floor!" "Frank, calm down", Percival stepped forward, "There is no need for violence – you have your portal and dinosaur park. Walk away – step back and we will let you go." "No chance", Leon snarled, "We're going to stop this, all of it!"
"How?", Percival smiled, "Now, Theodore wished to use this portal to give sanctuary to the extinct creatures you would bring back – however, he didn't understand the way the pendulum would swing when he created it. Fortunately, I did see its potential – based on what blueprints I could scrape from Theodore, I had my own portal created in secret." Frank muttered, under his breath, "A shit one.", before Percival continued, "I sent the late Duncan to the park to keep an eye on you, whilst my operation over here began our acquisitions. I didn't want to get you involved in this, but… you have forced our hands repeatedly and made us go to extreme measures." Nikolai muttered, "The mass breakout." Percival nodded, "Very astute, Koshkin, very astute – it was a cover for Duncan stealing the portal. However, the attempt failed – you see, I wanted something smaller scale, but Frank…, well, Frank overcomplicated it." Frank glowered at Percival.
Drew said, "So you betrayed Theodore… for your own ends – and you're going to sell these things and their bits to the highest bidder… and you're using this crap to justify it. That's low, man. That's low." Percival rolled his eyes, "A turn of phrase worthy of Shakespeare. Anyway, to put it simply, Theodore opened Pandora's box and there's no closing it now." Suddenly, a mercenary pointing a gun at Leon said, "Sorry to interrupt, boss, but if your attempt to disrupt our operation failed, the rest of your lot have been apprehended and you're currently being held at gunpoint… what the hell do you have to smile about?"
Leon took a step back and smirked, "I'll have you know, you're not looking at the entirety of our contingent." Frank took a step back and said, "What? The rest of your lot on the boat? We've got them, you mug! You haven't got anyone to save you!" Leon smirked in reply, "That's where you're wrong…", as he lifted his whistle to his lips and blew…
Frank, Percival and the mercenaries barely had time to express their surprise as Drogon suddenly emerged from the shadows and grabbed the mercenary threatening Leon by the arm, before flinging him into his mouth and eating him. Another mercenary attempted to shoot the allosaur, before being rushed by Rhaegal. A third was snapped up by Viserion. Percival, Frank and the remaining mercenaries ran off. Drew lifted his communicator, "Alice, Will, they've got their own portal somehow! We're going after them – get in the other truck and help us!"
Meanwhile, on the Venture, the muscly guard who was holding Jack, Collete and Adrian at gunpoint, said "We've talked to the boss – and apparently, he's got another group of your lot at gunpoint. You've got no weapons, you've got no plan – you've got nothing." He paused, "You know, these animals might be 'ungry – how's about we give 'em a little snack before their journey?" He lifted his gun towards Jack's head, getting ready to shoot.
Jack raised his hand and said, "Wait!" The mercenary lowered his gun, confused, "What is it?" Jack breathed out and said, with a smirk, "What if we've got something planned that might not be good for you?" The guard took a step back and said, almost amused, "Excuse me? We've been pointing our guns at you for the past ten minutes – you couldn't have planned anything! You're just trying to bluff me, to scare me into letting you go! I wasn't born yesterday, mate!" Jack shook his head, "No, no, you still haven't taken some things into account – say, the three Allosaurus the rest of our contingent have. That's shoddy planning; I'd be talking to whoever hired you." The mercenary smirked, "Even if you've got your oversized geckos here, you wouldn't be able to get 'em over in time. You're just bluffing!"
Jack breathed out, "What if, whilst you were pointing your, considerably sized, gun at me, our Rhamphorynchus had time to grab the remote that we dropped on the floor and give it to me? And I've just pressed a few buttons and opened some of the dangerous animals' cages." Jack, with an arrogant smirk, lifted the remote control. "Wot?", the man went. He barely had time to react before the Postosuchus, moving so fast it was practically a blur, slammed into him, before dragging him back into its cage. The others took a step back in surprise – one lifted his gun and attempted to shoot the Postosuchus… before, a Quetzalcoatlus impaled him through the stomach and dragged him back to its cage. Another man was grabbed by a Eustreptospondylus and dragged back to its cage, whilst an Albertosaurus and an Australovenator played tug-o-war over a scrawny mercenary. Jack, Collete, Adrian and Keehar ran up the stairs out of the hold and up to the main deck.
As they walked down the corridor, as silent as they could, they heard a burly mercenary scream, "Bill, Bill? Answer, you idiot! What's going on down there?!" Jack suddenly cleared his throat and lifted his tranq gun. As the mercenary turned to him, Jack said "Karma.", before firing at shooting him with a dart. The burly mercenary lifted a wrench and walked towards Jack, before, after a few steps, beginning to slump, as if in a drunken stupor. He walked a step slower, before suddenly falling on his face. Collete walked over and checked him, "He's out." Jack lifted his communicator, in a note of smug triumph, and said, "Drew? The boat's in the harbour and it's going to be staying there for quite a while. How're things on your end?"
With their portal salvaged, Percival, Frank and the remaining seven mercenaries stood, hiding in one of the maintenance buildings. Frank looked out of the window and said, "They'll find us soon. We've got to get to the helicopter as quick as we can." Percival snorted, "We most certainly will. You, on the other hand…" He nodded and the remaining seven mercenaries lifted their guns. Frank took a step back, "What the hell!"
Percival gave Frank a cold look, "I've been aware of your plans. Your plans to turn on me and sell everything we've acquired here to line your grimy little pockets. So I had Duncan talk to the rest of your crew about turning on you. It was surprisingly easy – you'd be surprised on how little your allies respect you." He gestured to an African-American mercenary, with a taser, before saying "Tase him for me – he'll cover our retreat." The mercenary advanced closer to Frank, and said, "Sorry, man", before jabbing his taser into Frank's gut. Frank fell to the floor, convulsing as Percival and the remainder of the mercenaries got in the Jeep and drove toward the helicopter.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Percival looked out of the window to see Drew, Cynthia, Leon and Nikolai in the first truck, with the allosaurs running alongside it. Turning to the mercenary in the driver's seat, Percival said, "Please go faster!" The mercenary turned to him and smirked, "Don't worry, boss. I know just the trick". Suddenly putting his foot on the brake pedal and swerving, the Jeep drifted the last few feet towards the helicopter – Percival and the mercenaries quickly got out and boarded it. Turning to the pilot, Percival said, "Get us out of here!" The helicopter's rotors began to turn, it rose into the air and it moved off into the clouds.
Pulling up by the abandoned Jeep, Drew, Cynthia and Leon got out of the car, the allosaurs by their side. Drew stamped on the floor and said, "Dammit!", as Cynthia looked at the disappearing helicopter, and shook her fist, snarling "They've all got away". Leon put his hand on his chin and said, "Maybe not." To Drew and Cynthia's looks of bemusement, Leon said, "There were ten mercenaries with Percival, including Frank, and the allosaurs got three… there should have been seven mercenaries with Percival. I could only see six – did you see that Frank with them? Because I didn't."
The truck pulled up outside and Alice, Will and Raksha got out. Seeing the unconscious Frank on the floor, Alice lifted her communicator and said, "We got… Frank, was it? Did you get Percival and the others?" At Drew's response, she sighed, "Oh. Well, we've got one…"
