CHAPTER 23 Respect is Earned
Owen stood toward the back of the room where they had gathered everyone below deck. Zia was leading final updates and game plan. Owen wanted to get his thoughts straight and focus on what he needed to do.
"Plans have changed slightly thanks to new intel. We're going in with both subs on port side. Door teams will lock the two seals and blow the hull. We need divers ready to maintain the seal. We are in motion, so this ain't gonna be easy. Once we have interior access, I want four guys at each door. Two inside standing by to release, two on watch. Two stay in the subs at controls. We will need to go when we need to go."
Owen remained stoic though his insides were tearing up. He knew there was no way he was leaving that vessel empty handed.
"Claire is in the same location as the raptors, so our job might be a little easier. They're located about here, behind what we've been told is a complete lab setup. Beta team will go in and get Claire and the cages out. Alpha team, we're on finding and covering the other hostages. Beta team, if you can destroy any of the lab as you go through, do it. Simon's personal request."
Leon had given them as much detail about the vessel as he could. When he went in for the scheduled feeding, he walked through a full lab with a setup similar to the park's. They had decided that the vessel was created as a complete mobile operation.
"I can also confirm that our hostage count is down to 10. Three of the lab techs are confirmed compromised. We leave them."
Owen shook his head in anger. Leon had told Lowery that Claire had tipped him off to the possibility. He said he made sure to really watch the techs to see if they were cooperating willingly or under duress. As he walked through the lab, he said he noticed two of the lab guys hanging out and laughing at one of the work areas. He saw a third in what appeared to be a private glassed in office alone at a desk.
It was the fourth one he knew they had to save. She was sitting in a far corner alone. She looked young and scared. She was huddled in a ball almost as if trying to blend in with the wall. She didn't want to be here.
He told Lowery he would get to her specifically and bring her to the rescue zone.
"Leon and the other hostages are going to try to get to the rescue zone when we're confirmed in. They'll at least have radio contact. Raptors should be tranquilized on sight. High dose to keep them down until we are on board heading back. Have live ammunition on hand. Consider all others on board hostile." Zia was in her element. She knew what needed to be done and she was going to make damn sure everyone got home.
Barry poked his head through the door, "Hey Zia, 90 minutes out."
"Thanks Barry." she said. She turned back to the team in the room. "ETA 90 minutes until go time. That's it."
With that, the group broke and began final prep for the mission.
"Owen." Zia walked over to him to talk quietly.
"I'm fine, Zia." he replied shortly.
"Bullshit. Don't lie to me Owen. I need to know you have your head. You are going to be the strongest one on this team because you have the most to win or lose." she said firmly.
"Fine, no, I'm not okay. But drowning in it isn't going to get Claire home any faster. Or the girls. I'm focused on one thing and one thing only." he said looking straight at her.
"That's all I needed." she replied.
Leon entered the cell area with the next round of food. It was late and he'd lost track of all sense of time.
As he entered, he could see Claire was asleep on the cot and the raptors were mostly quiet making occasional noises. As he began stuffing the raptors food through the opening of Charlie's cage, he tried to get Claire's attention.
"Claire!" He whispered loudly. "Claire!" He tried again and saw her finally start to rouse.
She grumbled and moaned a bit. "Leon?" she asked, still disoriented. Her head was starting to feel heavy and she thought she might be sensing the early signs of a fever.
Leon moved over to Echo's cage as he glanced at Claire concerned. She was not looking okay at all.
"What's wrong?" he whispered back frantically.
"I feel like I've been hit by a bus right now." she said weakly.
"I just got word, they're about an hour out from us. You gotta hold on. I know it's shit, but try and eat something." he said sliding the food into her cell.
She felt like she was going to vomit, but made an attempt at the green stuff. The potato was rock hard.
Leon moved over to Blue's cage as she chirped at him.
"Hey Blue, you guys keeping Claire company?" he asked as he tossed her food into the cage.
She chattered in response.
"We're getting out of here soon." he said with a smile.
All of a sudden, Hoskins came in through the door, "Leon, get the fuck out. I need to question the prisoner." he said with a disturbing smile.
Leon looked panicked at Claire. He couldn't leave her. She looked back at him and nodded. Almost as if to say Go.
"You deaf? OUT!" Hoskins shouted at him.
He moved quicker to the door while glancing over at Claire. As he stepped out into the lab, he left the door slightly ajar. As he hesitantly made his way back out, he noticed the screen where he had seen the room's camera feed was off. Oh god.
He saw the scared lab tech sitting in the corner. He'd had so much freedom of movement, no one cared if he sat and waited with her a bit. He needed to stay near Claire if anything happened. Owen would never forgive him if he let it.
As he sat down, "Hi, I'm Leon. I work in the raptor paddock." he held out his hand.
"Mika." she said quietly, taking his hand lightly and shaking it.
"Well, Mika. I can tell you help is on the way." he smiled at her.
"Thank god." she breathed and started to quietly cry.
"I need to stay here for a few minutes to keep an eye out. Then I need to get back where the other guys are. You need to come with me when I go. We need to go without drawing attention to ourselves. Just like we're going for a walk. Got it?" he said gently.
She just nodded, tears still falling.
He looked back at the door and realized it was slightly ajar still.
At least he could hear if anything went wrong.
Just a few more minutes.
He needed to get to his radio.
Back in the room, Hoskins began circling the cell like a predator. Claire was terrified. She knew if he decided to come in here, there would be nothing she could do.
The raptors were screeching, disturbed by his presence in the room. They sensed the danger come off of him and recognized his scent as that of a threat.
"Little girl, little girl, what shall we do with you? You're not going anywhere, that's obvious."
The raptors were screeching.
"Shut up!" he hollered at them.
"You know, I almost respected you at one point. You knew how to be a boss. Now look at you. Small and weak. You may have run things on the island, but here, I'm in charge. I think it's time to show you what it really means to be a boss." he said as he started to open the cell door.
Claire was in a panic. She was very weak and getting worse. She had no where to go. She could see the door to go out left open. If she could get to it somehow, she might be able to hide and buy time until Owen got here. She moved as far away from him as she could. As she backed up, she fell and cried out as she landed on the concrete floor.
The raptors were screeching as Hoskins slowly approached her on the ground. She was looking up at him and the open cell door behind him. She needed some way to get around him.
"I bet Owen can't give it half as good, little girl. Let's see how well you take orders." he said, smirking dangerously as he reached for the button of his pants.
Claire was frantic. She had no way to get around him. She looked all around for anything she could use to defend herself. Then she saw it.
The potato on her tray.
Looking at the door, then Hoskins, then behind him, she made a split second decision and before he could act, she reared up and kicked him right in the crotch. As he stumbled back , but not to the ground, Claire moved to grab the potato and as hard as she could, reached through the cell bars and threw it at the buttons next to the door.
Bullseye. Thanks JV Softball, she thought.
Before Hoskins could gain the full ability to stand, the four cages all opened.
"Fuck!" he shouted as he realized all four raptors were quickly out of their cages. The cell was too small for them all to go in, so Charlie and Delta ran for the open door, smelling prey on the other side. They soon heard screaming and screeching coming from the other room.
Echo circled so she was over near Claire, sniffing her through the bars. Claire froze, not sensing aggressiveness yet from her, but not wanting to spook her.
Blue entered the cell. Her eyes were completely fixed on Hoskins.
"Easy, girl. Easy..." Hoskins attempted using what he'd seen Owen and Barry use for commands, but Blue wasn't backing down. She slowly crept closer. Echo stayed near Claire on the outside.
Blue broke her stare briefly with Hoskins to look at Claire, who had started to cough and tried to hold it back.
She then stared back at Hoskins, while slowly circling herself so that Claire was behind her.
Claire, herself, stared in awe as she realized Blue and Echo were forming a protective line around her.
She looked at Hoskins who was practically shitting himself as Blue held ready like she was waiting for an order.
She finally spoke up softly, so Hoskins could hear, but Blue wouldn't be distracted. "Hey Vic. One of the big lessons I've learned this week thanks to your little future plans, is that loyalty, respect, and care matter most whether you are man or beast." A look of determination crossed her face. "I don't want to do this to them, but you leave me no choice...Blue!" she said as loud as she could, raising her arm, "GO!" she shouted.
"NOOOOOO!" Hoskins screamed out as Blue pounced and grabbed his leg, dragging him out of the cell with him struggling to get away.
Before he could get another scream out, Blue began tearing at him and Echo jumped in with her. Claire just watched in horror as Hoskins was ripped to shreds.
She stayed far back in the cell, hoping the raptors would just go out the lab door. Echo, when she finished, started to nose her way out to the other room.
Blue, however, came back in the cell, approaching Claire.
"Easy, Blue. Easy, girl." Claire weakly put her hand out slowly so that Blue could smell her.
Blue slowly tipped her snout toward Claire so that she could put her hand on it. She began to purr and nudge her to get up.
Claire kept her eyes fixed on Blue's as she pulled her hand back and reached for the bars to pull herself up. Blue stepped back a few feet to give her room to stand.
She remained mostly frozen, but again stretched her hand out for Blue to accept. The raptor again stepped forward and placed her head in Claire's hand. She then stepped backwards out of the cell door, still looking at Claire as if she was meant to follow.
Claire slowly started to follow, keeping mostly still as she walked, not sure at all what Blue was going to do.
Then she chirped out and turned for the door, pausing and again waiting for Claire.
In amazement, Claire continued to slowly follow with Blue glancing back at her to make sure she was there, carefully avoiding what remained of Hoskins.
She was really weak. A fever had definitely begun to take hold, but she needed to get to where Owen could find her.
As they made their way into what looked to be a lab, Claire could see the carnage from the other raptors' escape.
Four raptors on the loose in an underwater vessel. What could go wrong?