12. THE DINOSAUR FLY-BY
Based from the movie Jurassic Park 3 written by Peter Buchman, Alexander
Payne, and Jim Taylor
Wednesday, July 13, 1999 Choteau, Montana
Huford Udesky helped Cooper and Nash load up the guns in a plane. This time, they had changed. They were no longer wearing casual clothes. They all wore black jump suits with black t-shirts underneath. They also all wore sunglasses. They looked to be part of a private group of secret agents or something. The plane they loaded the things into was by no means run down or junky like the kind they had been handling in the plane graveyard. This plane even said "Kirby Enterprises -Your Future Is In Hand" written on the side.
"Do you think we'll be able to handle them, guys," Cooper asked Nash and Udesky. They all looked at each other and smiled.
"Yeah," they all said together, shrugging.
Suddenly a man in a suit and tie came walking forward, carrying a briefcase. He shook Udesky's hand.
"Hello," the man said. "I'm Ben Talon of the EPA."
"Oh," Udesky said smiling. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Talon. I was told that you might be early."
"Well, I want to get this investigation started as soon as possible," Ben replied.
"What's going on here Mr. Talon," Nash asked. "Why does the EPA want to go on a rescue mission for? It's not like this is the president's kid."
"It's not the kid's rescue that I'm truly concerned about," Ben replied.
"Then why the hell are you going," Cooper asked in a hateful tone.
"Calm down Coop," Nash said. "Let the man speak."
"There is a possibility that you guys aren't the only people going on this trip to Isla Sorna," Ben replied.
"What are you talking about," Nash asked confused. "This plane is barely able to hold all of the passengers that we know are going now."
"No sir," Ben replied smiling. "You don't seem to understand me. There is a large possibility that there will be a genetics company called Biosyn going there. The EPA has been investigating Biosyn for several years now. Actually it was since before the early nineties."
"What makes you so sure that they are going," Nash asked.
"What is it that they want on that island," Udesky asked.
"Why aren't you taking anyone from the FBI or something," Cooper asked.
"Slow down gentlemen," Ben replied, putting his arms up in defense. "I'll answer all of your questions. "First Mr..."
"Standish; Nash Standish," Nash replied shaking the man's hand. "And this is Mr. Huford Udesky and Mr. Cooper Reglado."
"Fair enough," Ben said smiling. "It's nice to meet all of you. To answer the first question, we know that they are going, because of a property that they have recently purchased. It's too long of a story to tell right now, and I don't think that I need to be seen when Dr. Grant arrives anyway. The second answer is that they want to take some of the dinosaurs off the island and put them in the property that they have bought. The property, by the way, is in San Diego. The reason we haven't informed the FBI, or any of the other law enforcement agencies is because if they were informed, they would take over this expedition, and any hope of finding Mr. and Mrs. Kirby's son would be done for. Does that answer your questions?"
The three men shook their heads in agreement. "Good. May I get on the plane now?"
"Yes sir," Udesky replied. "We're almost ready to go. We'll call for the rest of the passengers in a few minutes. You can go ahead and get settled in though. Since you don't want to be seen by Dr. Grant, it might be best to go to the back where the storage department is."
"Thank you," Ben said smiling. "That might be a good idea."
The EPA agent walked up the ramp and onto the plane.
"He's a weird man," Nash said, "but not too bad."
* * *
Alan Grant and Billy Brennan walked up to the airport from their truck. They had duffel backs with them that were very heavy. They walked out to a small runway where a white plane with several portholes, indicating plenty of seats, sat. On the wings, turning blades were located in the front. A long streak of blue lined the side of the vehicle. On the side, the hatch was open and three men in all black were loading things into the airplane.
The Kirbys were inside a small shed watching and waiting with a man wearing green cargo safari clothing. Grant immediately recognized him as Marty Guitierrez, the man who had talked to him down at a Costa Rican hotel after what had happened on Isla Nublar. Guitierrez had told him about animals that were on the mainland in Costa Rica. They had sounded like to have been Velociraptors. Grant had wondered a lot about what happened to those animals but he'd just assumed that the Costa Rican Government had killed them just like they'd done to the animals on Isla Nublar. He'd wished that they'd bombed Isla Sorna along with it, but he assumed that Costa Rica just didn't know that Sorna existed.
"Well, thanks for bringing me along, Alan. I appreciate it," Billy smiled at his mentor as they walked towards the small shed. Grant smirked, putting on his dark brown fedora.
"What did you think I was going to do," Grant asked. "You were the one that got me into all of this. You really think I would leave you behind to have fun! Oh, no. You're going to go through every irritating moment I go through."
Billy chuckled as they neared the Kirbys and Guitierrez. Paul saw them and put out his hand.
"We're almost ready to go," Paul informed happily. "My pilots are just finishing up the loading of the cargo." Paul smiled. Amanda wasn't as happy as Paul. It was easy to tell. She would manage a fake smile once in a while, but she just wasn't as cheerful as her husband. What could possibly be wrong? Grant thought this would be a really happy day for them; they were going to get to see dinosaurs in the flesh. Grant looked at Guitierrez who he could tell immediately was not in the talking mood, and was probably mad that he had been invited along on this adventure. He also seemed preoccupied with something else as well. What it was, Grant didn't know.
"What are they loading? It looks like a lot of heavy things," Grant pointed out. Paul whirled around, suddenly becoming nervous. These people sure were strange, that was for sure. From the looks of what those men were loading, it looked like weapons, concluding from the shape of the bags. "Are those guns? We really aren't going to need those, Mr. Kirby," Grant informed them.
"Perhaps not. But I always like to be safe. That's one thing that irritates Amanda. Isn't it? I'm always safe! She thinks I'm too safe," Paul said, sounding like he concocted that up in just a second. "As I'm sure you already understand, that island is kind of an unlucky place and-"
"If you only knew," Grant interrupted.
"Well," Paul began again, "we just want to be prepared incase there is some kind of emergency."
Grant and Billy nodded as the people walked out to the plane. In the next moment, the men were done. As they turned around, Grant saw they were all pretty muscular, unless it was just that they had a lot of armor on.
"I still don't quite understand how you were able to get the Costa Rican Government to clear this, but I guess we'll be ok," Grant said shaking his head.
Paul waited a moment and then put on his irregular manufactured smile. "Now that's the spirit, Dr. Grant," he replied. Amanda approached and nodded, putting her hands on Paul's shoulders.
"So tell me about your team," Grant said. "I need to know who we have to work with here."
"That's perfectly fine," Paul replied. "Beside us is a Biologist, Dr. Marty Guitierrez."
Grant smiled. "We've met."
Paul was confused. "You have?"
"Dr. Grant and I have met down in Costa Rica," Guitierrez said. The man still seemed irritated for some reason that Grant couldn't figure out. Guitierrez was so distracted that he'd now turned away from the team and was smoking a cigarette.
"Well that's good to know," Paul said showing his nervousness again. "Our pilots work here in Choteau. They are skilled military pilots, and they actually went to dessert storm."
"Why do you need three of them," Grant asked.
"It's one of their weird precautions," Paul replied. "They work as a team. If they aren't together they won't work for you no matter what the price is. I would've tried some other pilots, but they're all on some sort of leave, or already have customers."
At that, the pilots gestured for all of them to board the plane. The five of them walked up the steps and through the hatch.
* * *
Inside, the plane was nicely furnished with white, leather seats and tan carpet. Grant noticed that all the seats were able to bend back in order to lie down. He smiled. On this trip, it would be good to take a nap to avoid annoying chat with the tourists. He immediately took a seat across from Billy. One of the men who was dressed in all black sat behind Grant while Guitierrez took the other seat in the back, and the other two, a black man and a red-head, took the pilot's seats. Paul and Amanda Kirby sat in front of Grant and Billy.
"Here we go folks," the black man announced. He pressed a few buttons and pulled on the steering wheel. His co-pilot looked at him with a small smile and gave him a thumbs up. The plane turned and began to go faster. Grant looked out the window and saw them rush down the runway, slightly picking up off the ground. In a few moments, he saw they were above Montana and he heard the wheels retract into the underbelly of the plane. They kept rising higher and higher into the clouds. Grant sighed with relief.
* * *
The expensive and beautiful airplane soared through the sky, ripping through clouds. On the inside of the plane's passenger quarters Billy was rambling on about something.
".And then, my friend looks up at me with a very twisted face," Billy said." It was so freakin' funny. Anyway, he was just hanging there. Chris went after him though. He had on a paraglider, so he wasn't in any trouble."
Billy was clearly trying to get a laugh out of Grant. However, it was evident that during this trip, Grant was not going to be at a calm state. How could he considering he was almost killed on the other island several years ago? He seemed to be nervous about all of this, but was trying his best not to show it.
"Billy. you're always carrying that pack around," Grant said." What's up with it?"
"Well, that's the next story I was going to tell you," Billy replied. "You see I've had this for barely as long as I can remember. My dad was a fireman, and he loved it. Everyday, after work, he would come home singing the same song over and over again to himself."
"But what about the pack," Grant asked.
"Well that's the thing. This pack was lying next to my bed the last night he came home singing his song. Next day, mom came in my room with an unpleasant glare in her eyes. She looked at me, and told me in these exact words. 'William.your dad wants to tell you something.' I said 'what mom? What's he want to tell me?' and then mom starting to cry, told me I would have to pray to get his answer. He never did come home. And every time I look at this pack, I remember the song he would hum. You see he was a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings, so he would sing The Road Goes Ever On. Hah, he was a terrible singer, but that didn't matter."
"Go on," Grant said.
"Well. a few years passed. Mom was outside hanging clothes. we didn't have enough money to buy a washing machine or dryer, dad basically homeaged us. But ever since he was, well mom got a job at the local grocery store making around three dollars an hour. She barely drew enough to pay for our food. After a while."
"Billy. don't go any further," Grant said shaking his head.
"Oh. yeah maybe I shouldn't," Billy said. "But let me continue the story about the pack."
"By all means," Grant replied smiling.
"Chris and a few more of my buddies went with me to K-2. Of course, I had my pack on, and hanging from the side of it was a pulley for a parasailer. Those things are pure fun. Anyway, we got about oh, thirty-four hundred feet up, right before the impact winds came through with blistering cold temperatures. Daniel went off first, followed by Kevin and Niki. I went last; to make sure they made it. After all, I am the king of parasailing! I waited a few moments, to let the last of the gusts go by. I jumped, my excitement overweighing my intelligence. The gusts weren't over. Wind blew me right into the side of the cliff. Wham! I smacked the side, and I was knocked out. I had no control of my body."
"Well."
"Anyhow, I woke up, and I was lying at the place where we had jumped. Daniel came after me. I looked around, you know, to get a grasp on what had just happened. I then looked at my backpack. It had a small tear in it. Kevin said I was hanging on the side of that cliff by my pack. It saved me. That's why, to this day, this pack goes everywhere I go. And it's with me while I'm doing. whatever I'm doing."
"That's quite an amazing story Billy," commented Guitierrez from the back. "A friend of mine has a lucky pack as well. It's saved him a few times also."
Billy looked at Guitierrez trying to hide his anger. He hated it when people listened in on conversations that they weren't allowed in. It was just very rude to him. "Yeah, that's interesting Dr. Guitierrez." Billy turned back to Grant trying even harder to hide his anger. "When we get back Alan, I'll tell ya some more," Billy said." You know, when we aren't around anyone else and alone."
Billy turned back around and looked at the man in the backseat beside Guitierrez. He recognized him as Cooper Reglado. "How do you guys know the Kirby's?"
"Ah, oh through our, our church," Cooper replied.
"What denomination," Grant asked.
"Uh, the one that loves God and Jesus," Cooper replied smiling.
Billy and Grant exchanged glances. Guitierrez smiled a lost smile. Grant motioned for Billy to lean in.
"These people are a lot loonier then I thought," Grant whispered. "Do you have any idea what's going on here Billy?"
"Not a clue Alan," his apprentice replied.
"None of this makes any sense to me," Grant whispered. "It's quite weird for someone to want to fly over Sorna after all that they probably heard about it."
"Or think they heard," Billy added.
Grant shook his head in agreement. "It's pretty bad if you don't know what denomination your church is."
"Also you've noticed how nervous the Kirby's seem to be, haven't you," Billy asked.
"Definitely," Grant whispered. "I think they're hiding something."
"What could they be hiding," Billy asked.
"I don't know Billy," Grant replied. "But whatever it is, I'm sure I won't like it."
* * *
Up front, Paul Kirby was talking to the pilots. "So how much further?"
Then, one of the pilots, Huford Udesky, spoke up from the cockpit. "We still have about an hour or so. Let me clear uh, with the Costa Rican air patrol"
"Great," Paul replied playing along so that Grant could hear them.
"Well I'm going to take me a quick nap while we are waiting," Grant said.
"Yeah I think I'll do the same," Billy said.
Grant tilted his fedora down to shadow his eyes. Grant closed his eyes seeing the blackness around them. He soon fell into a nice sleep that would take a turn for the worse.
* * *
It didn't seem long before Grant felt someone nudging him. There was a frail and beautiful voice that kept repeating his name. Grant finally took his fedora off his eyes to see Ellie Reiman shaking him awake, although she looked a little messy. Her hair was awful and her cloths were ripped in several places, plus she looked several years younger from the last time that he had seen her at the Reiman household.
"Alan! You need to see this," Ellie exclaimed. Grant quickly rose back up in his seat to see Lex and Tim Murphy asleep and Ellie, Robert Muldoon, and Donald Gennaro looking in the pilot's cockpit area. Grant stood to look at what they were looking at only to see that the two pilots were dead. Their veins had been pulled out of their necks and their ribs were showing. Their intestines were sprawled out on the floor.
"My, God! What did this," Grant whispered.
There was a very loud hissing sound from the back of the helicopter. Grant and the others turned around to see a huge Velociraptor staring right at them. They all froze in terror at what they saw. The raptor then leaped for them landing on Gennaro ripping his body apart as he screamed.
Suddenly, the helicopter started to go out of control and started to rush downward toward the Pacific Ocean below. Muldoon jumped up in the front of the helicopter trying to get the chopper to go back up, while everyone screamed to the heavens. Muldoon's efforts were useless. The helicopter went crashing into the dark water below.
Grant turned to see that the raptor had been thrown from Gennaro's body and had hit the side of the chopper. The animal was unconscious.
"Is everyone alright," Grant yelled. It seemed that everyone except Grant was unconscious. He was the only one that was awake or possibly alive.
Suddenly he saw a huge object coming toward the helicopter. Grant recognized it immediately as being a humongous Plesiosaur coming right toward the chopper. Grant screamed as the animal opened its mouth and things went black.
* * *
Grant then woke up to Billy's voice. "Alan. Alan get up, we're about there."
"Billy. I'm not so sure about. about this," Grant said as he was trying to shake the dream away.
"Ah it's okay. remember. we aren't landing," Billy said smiling.
"I suppose. okay," Grant said. "Hey, owww. help me up. I have a catch in my side."
"Sure you old geezer," Billy said. "Don't over do it."
Grant stared at Billy annoyed. "Just wait until you are my age. Besides, I'm only ten or so years older then you!"
Guitierrez laughed listening in to the two odd Paleontologists.
"Let's not imagine me at your age," Billy said. Billy helped Grant up, and they proceeded to the Kirby's seats.
"Welcome to Kirby airlines, Dr. Grant, and Dr. Brennan," Amanda said for some weird reason.
"Shouldn't she have said that when we got on the plane," Grant thought to himself. The whole situation was getting stranger by the moment for Grant. Every sign in his mind was telling him that something was wrong, but he didn't know what he could possibly do about it.
"Hey Alan, she called me doctor," Billy said smiling.
"There's only two doctors on this little camping trip and you're not one of them," Grant teased.
"You know. I know just as much as you do," Billy said.
"Okay," Grant said. " Then tell me..."
Billy prepared for a quiz. Grant was always hard on his questions when it came to them, but he was sure that he'd do ok.
"Archaeopteryx. How did it use its wings?"
Billy looked at him astonished. That one was easy. "Other than flying, it would flap them in a violent notion. it would extend its left wing, and flap the right one to, you know, confuse it's prey."
"Okay. Tell me this," Grant said.
Billy grinned, waiting to answer Grant's question like no one's business.
"What unique bone in a dinosaur causes it to differentiate itself between it and modern reptiles," Grant said with a smile. "There is no way he is going to be able to come up with the answer to that one," Grant thought to himself as he sat back down in his seat.
"That sleep really got your smart box ticking," Billy said.
"Exactly," Grant replied. "Billy, pretty much all hipbones on each species of dinosaur was constructed so that it would stand at an erect stance." Grant then flipped Billy on the chest. "Buddy."
"I'll buddy you in a minute," Billy said putting his hands on his hips.
"Amanda, how far is Sorna from here," Guitierrez said a little tired of just staring at the ocean. He was ready to see the actual animals. He was also tired of the Paleontology lecture that was taking place. He had heard all of these lectures from Richard Levine a million and one times.
"Huh," Amanda said dumbfounded. "Oh, it's right up there, see?"
* * *
The plane broke through the puffy white clouds. They approached a lush green piece of land, a jewel in a huge sea of bright blue. Large canyons and valleys covered the entire area. In the middle of the island's crevices, stretches of tall trees light and dark green colored, dotted with red flowers and berries. It could almost be paradise, if it wasn't for the things that lived on it, which made it a world untouched by time. The Lost World that Ian Malcolm had lectured about years ago, and before he even knew about the island. This was the place left alone by man for so many years. Well, four years.
"Amanda. we've waited for this forever," Paul said.
"I know," Amanda said. "And we even got the best of the best to be our guides in the expertise of these animals."
"I actually used to study them a while back," Paul said.
"Oh? Why didn't you pursue paleontology," Grant said not believing a word of what Paul was saying.
"Because I couldn't tell the difference between Amanda and a Tyrannosaurus," Paul said smiling.
"Okay, I'm not that ugly," Amanda said, with her mouth wide open.
"But Mrs. Kirby, Tyrannosaurs are Beautiful creatures, why, I even made friends with one about eight years ago," Grant said.
"I'm not great at detecting sarcasm, but. God," Billy said.
In the cockpit Nash and Udesky were on a radio. "The-Rica-around. Please, turn," A voice over the radio said.
"Cut it off," Nash said. He couldn't believe that the Costa Ricans had no hope that Eric could've possibly still been alive. Those idiots just didn't realize that they were professionals and that they knew what they were doing. Governmental types were always that way toward Nash and any of his people. They always believed that he couldn't get the job done. That's why he took Paul Kirby's proposal. He wanted to prove to all of those political people that he could be good at any job that they were to throw at him.
"-No-turn around immediate-," The voice over the radio said. Udesky then leaned up and switched the radio off.
"Tell em' we are about ready to start searching over the island," Nash said.
"Mr. And Mrs. Kirby, we're about to begin our first circle around." Udesky said.
"Excellent," Paul said. "Amanda, get the recorder out."
"Yeah it's right here," Amanda said pulling out a camcorder.
Grant sat there shaking his head. These people had no idea what they were doing. If they did get to go on that trip to the moon they'd probably mess something up and blow the craft to pieces. "You better put that away, Mrs. Kirby," Grant said. "What we are doing is pretty much illegal."
"He's right honey, we won't forget this anyway," Paul said.
"Yeah, Okay," Amanda said, putting the camera back into her bag. She was extremely disappointed to not be able to record the events that they were about to see, because she was hoping for some kind of remembering of this expedition, because it would more then likely be her last. "Hey we are above the beach now."
* * *
The plane soared above Isla Sorna. Ocean waves crashed up against the rocky beaches, and they were suddenly delivered to a calm surrounding as the forests and jungles hid the ocean. The plane was now sailing over the island.
"I haven't thought about it until now but." Billy said.
"Billy they are nothing great," Grant said.
"Still. this is a great moment for me,"
"I understand," Grant said smiling. He knew that since Billy was new to Paleontology and really interested in dinosaurs that it was going to be hard to get him to realize that these dinosaurs were dangerous. However, he was sure that Billy would eventually realize it anyway.
"Well, oh hey Cooper, tell us if you see anything," Paul said.
"Nah, I thought I would keep it to myself," Cooper said. "This guy is an idiot," Cooper thought to himself. Did Paul actually think that he wasn't going to speak up if he saw that poor boy? Paul had lost his mind. Cooper wanted to be on this island as much as Dr. Grant did, and he was sure that he didn't want to be here at all.
"Mr. Kirby, who are the pilots," Grant asked out of the blue. "You never did tell me their names."
"They're just. hey look," Paul said with excitement as he pointed out the window.
They looked out one of the plane windows to see a herd of yellow shaded dinosaurs.
"Hadrosaurs. Billy. look," Grant said.
"Oh. oh." Billy said.
"If you think you're about to cry, then go away," Grant said.
"No way. this is extraordinary. just look at them," Billy said.
"Lord. Lord. Paul honey are you seeing this," Amanda asked. "This is incredible!"
"Yeah, ooh, ahh, that's how it always starts, but then later there's running and then screaming," Grant said smiling.
"How could I not," Paul said, not paying attention to what Grant said. "Dr. Grant, inform us. what are they probably doing?"
"Well they stay in herds to scout for food mainly, and to evade predators, such as the Suchomimus and many of the raptor families," Grant said. "They are considerably close to the beach so I assume they are wanting water, but are afraid of the beach containing predators."
"Absolutely amazing," Paul said.
"Now aren't you glad you came," Amanda said smiling. "Plus you're getting paid."
"I'll tell you when we are back home," Grant said.
"Oh guys, lighten up," Paul said.
Grant looked out the other side, and saw a herd of Triceratops. "Oh, over here, come here, you can see a herd of triceratops. and look beyond them, next to the pond. a pack of Brachiosaurs. and as you can see, the alpha male leading the group, Mrs. Kirby, Paul, look."
The Kirby's seemed to be starting to lose Grant's attention as they just continued to stare out of the windows not amused to what Grant was showing them. Grant frowned at this.
"Mr. Kirby there's a landing strip up ahead if you want us to set her down," Nash said from the cockpit.
"No, no," Paul said. "Circle around some more first."
"What did he just say," Billy asked.
"What do you mean," Grant asked. "You can't land here."
"Hold on, I can explain," Paul said throwing up his hands in defense.
"You said we weren't landing. Kirby, we are not by any means landing this craft," Grant commanded.
"Dr. Grant, just wait a second now," Amanda said.
"What's going on," Guitierrez said still looking out the window not paying much attention to the other people, because he was too amazed at what he was seeing. He now knew that Levine was right and wished he was there with him to share the joy.
"I'm not sure," Cooper said in reply to Guitierrez.
"You cannot land on this island," Grant said getting furious at everyone.
"Dr. Grant please," Paul said.
"Do not land this airplane. that was the agreement," Billy said.
"Are we landing or not," Nash asked.
"No! We are not! Take us back to the mainland immediately," Grant commanded more angrily then he'd ever been before, because he'd just been lied to about something that could've ended up with him dying. " Mr. Kirby, you are in trouble."
"Now, just let me explain," Paul said.
"Paul just tell him," Amanda pleaded.
"Okay, we're landing now," Udesky said.
Grant stood up and started for the cockpit, and was then knocked out cold by someone behind him.
Payne, and Jim Taylor
Wednesday, July 13, 1999 Choteau, Montana
Huford Udesky helped Cooper and Nash load up the guns in a plane. This time, they had changed. They were no longer wearing casual clothes. They all wore black jump suits with black t-shirts underneath. They also all wore sunglasses. They looked to be part of a private group of secret agents or something. The plane they loaded the things into was by no means run down or junky like the kind they had been handling in the plane graveyard. This plane even said "Kirby Enterprises -Your Future Is In Hand" written on the side.
"Do you think we'll be able to handle them, guys," Cooper asked Nash and Udesky. They all looked at each other and smiled.
"Yeah," they all said together, shrugging.
Suddenly a man in a suit and tie came walking forward, carrying a briefcase. He shook Udesky's hand.
"Hello," the man said. "I'm Ben Talon of the EPA."
"Oh," Udesky said smiling. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Talon. I was told that you might be early."
"Well, I want to get this investigation started as soon as possible," Ben replied.
"What's going on here Mr. Talon," Nash asked. "Why does the EPA want to go on a rescue mission for? It's not like this is the president's kid."
"It's not the kid's rescue that I'm truly concerned about," Ben replied.
"Then why the hell are you going," Cooper asked in a hateful tone.
"Calm down Coop," Nash said. "Let the man speak."
"There is a possibility that you guys aren't the only people going on this trip to Isla Sorna," Ben replied.
"What are you talking about," Nash asked confused. "This plane is barely able to hold all of the passengers that we know are going now."
"No sir," Ben replied smiling. "You don't seem to understand me. There is a large possibility that there will be a genetics company called Biosyn going there. The EPA has been investigating Biosyn for several years now. Actually it was since before the early nineties."
"What makes you so sure that they are going," Nash asked.
"What is it that they want on that island," Udesky asked.
"Why aren't you taking anyone from the FBI or something," Cooper asked.
"Slow down gentlemen," Ben replied, putting his arms up in defense. "I'll answer all of your questions. "First Mr..."
"Standish; Nash Standish," Nash replied shaking the man's hand. "And this is Mr. Huford Udesky and Mr. Cooper Reglado."
"Fair enough," Ben said smiling. "It's nice to meet all of you. To answer the first question, we know that they are going, because of a property that they have recently purchased. It's too long of a story to tell right now, and I don't think that I need to be seen when Dr. Grant arrives anyway. The second answer is that they want to take some of the dinosaurs off the island and put them in the property that they have bought. The property, by the way, is in San Diego. The reason we haven't informed the FBI, or any of the other law enforcement agencies is because if they were informed, they would take over this expedition, and any hope of finding Mr. and Mrs. Kirby's son would be done for. Does that answer your questions?"
The three men shook their heads in agreement. "Good. May I get on the plane now?"
"Yes sir," Udesky replied. "We're almost ready to go. We'll call for the rest of the passengers in a few minutes. You can go ahead and get settled in though. Since you don't want to be seen by Dr. Grant, it might be best to go to the back where the storage department is."
"Thank you," Ben said smiling. "That might be a good idea."
The EPA agent walked up the ramp and onto the plane.
"He's a weird man," Nash said, "but not too bad."
* * *
Alan Grant and Billy Brennan walked up to the airport from their truck. They had duffel backs with them that were very heavy. They walked out to a small runway where a white plane with several portholes, indicating plenty of seats, sat. On the wings, turning blades were located in the front. A long streak of blue lined the side of the vehicle. On the side, the hatch was open and three men in all black were loading things into the airplane.
The Kirbys were inside a small shed watching and waiting with a man wearing green cargo safari clothing. Grant immediately recognized him as Marty Guitierrez, the man who had talked to him down at a Costa Rican hotel after what had happened on Isla Nublar. Guitierrez had told him about animals that were on the mainland in Costa Rica. They had sounded like to have been Velociraptors. Grant had wondered a lot about what happened to those animals but he'd just assumed that the Costa Rican Government had killed them just like they'd done to the animals on Isla Nublar. He'd wished that they'd bombed Isla Sorna along with it, but he assumed that Costa Rica just didn't know that Sorna existed.
"Well, thanks for bringing me along, Alan. I appreciate it," Billy smiled at his mentor as they walked towards the small shed. Grant smirked, putting on his dark brown fedora.
"What did you think I was going to do," Grant asked. "You were the one that got me into all of this. You really think I would leave you behind to have fun! Oh, no. You're going to go through every irritating moment I go through."
Billy chuckled as they neared the Kirbys and Guitierrez. Paul saw them and put out his hand.
"We're almost ready to go," Paul informed happily. "My pilots are just finishing up the loading of the cargo." Paul smiled. Amanda wasn't as happy as Paul. It was easy to tell. She would manage a fake smile once in a while, but she just wasn't as cheerful as her husband. What could possibly be wrong? Grant thought this would be a really happy day for them; they were going to get to see dinosaurs in the flesh. Grant looked at Guitierrez who he could tell immediately was not in the talking mood, and was probably mad that he had been invited along on this adventure. He also seemed preoccupied with something else as well. What it was, Grant didn't know.
"What are they loading? It looks like a lot of heavy things," Grant pointed out. Paul whirled around, suddenly becoming nervous. These people sure were strange, that was for sure. From the looks of what those men were loading, it looked like weapons, concluding from the shape of the bags. "Are those guns? We really aren't going to need those, Mr. Kirby," Grant informed them.
"Perhaps not. But I always like to be safe. That's one thing that irritates Amanda. Isn't it? I'm always safe! She thinks I'm too safe," Paul said, sounding like he concocted that up in just a second. "As I'm sure you already understand, that island is kind of an unlucky place and-"
"If you only knew," Grant interrupted.
"Well," Paul began again, "we just want to be prepared incase there is some kind of emergency."
Grant and Billy nodded as the people walked out to the plane. In the next moment, the men were done. As they turned around, Grant saw they were all pretty muscular, unless it was just that they had a lot of armor on.
"I still don't quite understand how you were able to get the Costa Rican Government to clear this, but I guess we'll be ok," Grant said shaking his head.
Paul waited a moment and then put on his irregular manufactured smile. "Now that's the spirit, Dr. Grant," he replied. Amanda approached and nodded, putting her hands on Paul's shoulders.
"So tell me about your team," Grant said. "I need to know who we have to work with here."
"That's perfectly fine," Paul replied. "Beside us is a Biologist, Dr. Marty Guitierrez."
Grant smiled. "We've met."
Paul was confused. "You have?"
"Dr. Grant and I have met down in Costa Rica," Guitierrez said. The man still seemed irritated for some reason that Grant couldn't figure out. Guitierrez was so distracted that he'd now turned away from the team and was smoking a cigarette.
"Well that's good to know," Paul said showing his nervousness again. "Our pilots work here in Choteau. They are skilled military pilots, and they actually went to dessert storm."
"Why do you need three of them," Grant asked.
"It's one of their weird precautions," Paul replied. "They work as a team. If they aren't together they won't work for you no matter what the price is. I would've tried some other pilots, but they're all on some sort of leave, or already have customers."
At that, the pilots gestured for all of them to board the plane. The five of them walked up the steps and through the hatch.
* * *
Inside, the plane was nicely furnished with white, leather seats and tan carpet. Grant noticed that all the seats were able to bend back in order to lie down. He smiled. On this trip, it would be good to take a nap to avoid annoying chat with the tourists. He immediately took a seat across from Billy. One of the men who was dressed in all black sat behind Grant while Guitierrez took the other seat in the back, and the other two, a black man and a red-head, took the pilot's seats. Paul and Amanda Kirby sat in front of Grant and Billy.
"Here we go folks," the black man announced. He pressed a few buttons and pulled on the steering wheel. His co-pilot looked at him with a small smile and gave him a thumbs up. The plane turned and began to go faster. Grant looked out the window and saw them rush down the runway, slightly picking up off the ground. In a few moments, he saw they were above Montana and he heard the wheels retract into the underbelly of the plane. They kept rising higher and higher into the clouds. Grant sighed with relief.
* * *
The expensive and beautiful airplane soared through the sky, ripping through clouds. On the inside of the plane's passenger quarters Billy was rambling on about something.
".And then, my friend looks up at me with a very twisted face," Billy said." It was so freakin' funny. Anyway, he was just hanging there. Chris went after him though. He had on a paraglider, so he wasn't in any trouble."
Billy was clearly trying to get a laugh out of Grant. However, it was evident that during this trip, Grant was not going to be at a calm state. How could he considering he was almost killed on the other island several years ago? He seemed to be nervous about all of this, but was trying his best not to show it.
"Billy. you're always carrying that pack around," Grant said." What's up with it?"
"Well, that's the next story I was going to tell you," Billy replied. "You see I've had this for barely as long as I can remember. My dad was a fireman, and he loved it. Everyday, after work, he would come home singing the same song over and over again to himself."
"But what about the pack," Grant asked.
"Well that's the thing. This pack was lying next to my bed the last night he came home singing his song. Next day, mom came in my room with an unpleasant glare in her eyes. She looked at me, and told me in these exact words. 'William.your dad wants to tell you something.' I said 'what mom? What's he want to tell me?' and then mom starting to cry, told me I would have to pray to get his answer. He never did come home. And every time I look at this pack, I remember the song he would hum. You see he was a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings, so he would sing The Road Goes Ever On. Hah, he was a terrible singer, but that didn't matter."
"Go on," Grant said.
"Well. a few years passed. Mom was outside hanging clothes. we didn't have enough money to buy a washing machine or dryer, dad basically homeaged us. But ever since he was, well mom got a job at the local grocery store making around three dollars an hour. She barely drew enough to pay for our food. After a while."
"Billy. don't go any further," Grant said shaking his head.
"Oh. yeah maybe I shouldn't," Billy said. "But let me continue the story about the pack."
"By all means," Grant replied smiling.
"Chris and a few more of my buddies went with me to K-2. Of course, I had my pack on, and hanging from the side of it was a pulley for a parasailer. Those things are pure fun. Anyway, we got about oh, thirty-four hundred feet up, right before the impact winds came through with blistering cold temperatures. Daniel went off first, followed by Kevin and Niki. I went last; to make sure they made it. After all, I am the king of parasailing! I waited a few moments, to let the last of the gusts go by. I jumped, my excitement overweighing my intelligence. The gusts weren't over. Wind blew me right into the side of the cliff. Wham! I smacked the side, and I was knocked out. I had no control of my body."
"Well."
"Anyhow, I woke up, and I was lying at the place where we had jumped. Daniel came after me. I looked around, you know, to get a grasp on what had just happened. I then looked at my backpack. It had a small tear in it. Kevin said I was hanging on the side of that cliff by my pack. It saved me. That's why, to this day, this pack goes everywhere I go. And it's with me while I'm doing. whatever I'm doing."
"That's quite an amazing story Billy," commented Guitierrez from the back. "A friend of mine has a lucky pack as well. It's saved him a few times also."
Billy looked at Guitierrez trying to hide his anger. He hated it when people listened in on conversations that they weren't allowed in. It was just very rude to him. "Yeah, that's interesting Dr. Guitierrez." Billy turned back to Grant trying even harder to hide his anger. "When we get back Alan, I'll tell ya some more," Billy said." You know, when we aren't around anyone else and alone."
Billy turned back around and looked at the man in the backseat beside Guitierrez. He recognized him as Cooper Reglado. "How do you guys know the Kirby's?"
"Ah, oh through our, our church," Cooper replied.
"What denomination," Grant asked.
"Uh, the one that loves God and Jesus," Cooper replied smiling.
Billy and Grant exchanged glances. Guitierrez smiled a lost smile. Grant motioned for Billy to lean in.
"These people are a lot loonier then I thought," Grant whispered. "Do you have any idea what's going on here Billy?"
"Not a clue Alan," his apprentice replied.
"None of this makes any sense to me," Grant whispered. "It's quite weird for someone to want to fly over Sorna after all that they probably heard about it."
"Or think they heard," Billy added.
Grant shook his head in agreement. "It's pretty bad if you don't know what denomination your church is."
"Also you've noticed how nervous the Kirby's seem to be, haven't you," Billy asked.
"Definitely," Grant whispered. "I think they're hiding something."
"What could they be hiding," Billy asked.
"I don't know Billy," Grant replied. "But whatever it is, I'm sure I won't like it."
* * *
Up front, Paul Kirby was talking to the pilots. "So how much further?"
Then, one of the pilots, Huford Udesky, spoke up from the cockpit. "We still have about an hour or so. Let me clear uh, with the Costa Rican air patrol"
"Great," Paul replied playing along so that Grant could hear them.
"Well I'm going to take me a quick nap while we are waiting," Grant said.
"Yeah I think I'll do the same," Billy said.
Grant tilted his fedora down to shadow his eyes. Grant closed his eyes seeing the blackness around them. He soon fell into a nice sleep that would take a turn for the worse.
* * *
It didn't seem long before Grant felt someone nudging him. There was a frail and beautiful voice that kept repeating his name. Grant finally took his fedora off his eyes to see Ellie Reiman shaking him awake, although she looked a little messy. Her hair was awful and her cloths were ripped in several places, plus she looked several years younger from the last time that he had seen her at the Reiman household.
"Alan! You need to see this," Ellie exclaimed. Grant quickly rose back up in his seat to see Lex and Tim Murphy asleep and Ellie, Robert Muldoon, and Donald Gennaro looking in the pilot's cockpit area. Grant stood to look at what they were looking at only to see that the two pilots were dead. Their veins had been pulled out of their necks and their ribs were showing. Their intestines were sprawled out on the floor.
"My, God! What did this," Grant whispered.
There was a very loud hissing sound from the back of the helicopter. Grant and the others turned around to see a huge Velociraptor staring right at them. They all froze in terror at what they saw. The raptor then leaped for them landing on Gennaro ripping his body apart as he screamed.
Suddenly, the helicopter started to go out of control and started to rush downward toward the Pacific Ocean below. Muldoon jumped up in the front of the helicopter trying to get the chopper to go back up, while everyone screamed to the heavens. Muldoon's efforts were useless. The helicopter went crashing into the dark water below.
Grant turned to see that the raptor had been thrown from Gennaro's body and had hit the side of the chopper. The animal was unconscious.
"Is everyone alright," Grant yelled. It seemed that everyone except Grant was unconscious. He was the only one that was awake or possibly alive.
Suddenly he saw a huge object coming toward the helicopter. Grant recognized it immediately as being a humongous Plesiosaur coming right toward the chopper. Grant screamed as the animal opened its mouth and things went black.
* * *
Grant then woke up to Billy's voice. "Alan. Alan get up, we're about there."
"Billy. I'm not so sure about. about this," Grant said as he was trying to shake the dream away.
"Ah it's okay. remember. we aren't landing," Billy said smiling.
"I suppose. okay," Grant said. "Hey, owww. help me up. I have a catch in my side."
"Sure you old geezer," Billy said. "Don't over do it."
Grant stared at Billy annoyed. "Just wait until you are my age. Besides, I'm only ten or so years older then you!"
Guitierrez laughed listening in to the two odd Paleontologists.
"Let's not imagine me at your age," Billy said. Billy helped Grant up, and they proceeded to the Kirby's seats.
"Welcome to Kirby airlines, Dr. Grant, and Dr. Brennan," Amanda said for some weird reason.
"Shouldn't she have said that when we got on the plane," Grant thought to himself. The whole situation was getting stranger by the moment for Grant. Every sign in his mind was telling him that something was wrong, but he didn't know what he could possibly do about it.
"Hey Alan, she called me doctor," Billy said smiling.
"There's only two doctors on this little camping trip and you're not one of them," Grant teased.
"You know. I know just as much as you do," Billy said.
"Okay," Grant said. " Then tell me..."
Billy prepared for a quiz. Grant was always hard on his questions when it came to them, but he was sure that he'd do ok.
"Archaeopteryx. How did it use its wings?"
Billy looked at him astonished. That one was easy. "Other than flying, it would flap them in a violent notion. it would extend its left wing, and flap the right one to, you know, confuse it's prey."
"Okay. Tell me this," Grant said.
Billy grinned, waiting to answer Grant's question like no one's business.
"What unique bone in a dinosaur causes it to differentiate itself between it and modern reptiles," Grant said with a smile. "There is no way he is going to be able to come up with the answer to that one," Grant thought to himself as he sat back down in his seat.
"That sleep really got your smart box ticking," Billy said.
"Exactly," Grant replied. "Billy, pretty much all hipbones on each species of dinosaur was constructed so that it would stand at an erect stance." Grant then flipped Billy on the chest. "Buddy."
"I'll buddy you in a minute," Billy said putting his hands on his hips.
"Amanda, how far is Sorna from here," Guitierrez said a little tired of just staring at the ocean. He was ready to see the actual animals. He was also tired of the Paleontology lecture that was taking place. He had heard all of these lectures from Richard Levine a million and one times.
"Huh," Amanda said dumbfounded. "Oh, it's right up there, see?"
* * *
The plane broke through the puffy white clouds. They approached a lush green piece of land, a jewel in a huge sea of bright blue. Large canyons and valleys covered the entire area. In the middle of the island's crevices, stretches of tall trees light and dark green colored, dotted with red flowers and berries. It could almost be paradise, if it wasn't for the things that lived on it, which made it a world untouched by time. The Lost World that Ian Malcolm had lectured about years ago, and before he even knew about the island. This was the place left alone by man for so many years. Well, four years.
"Amanda. we've waited for this forever," Paul said.
"I know," Amanda said. "And we even got the best of the best to be our guides in the expertise of these animals."
"I actually used to study them a while back," Paul said.
"Oh? Why didn't you pursue paleontology," Grant said not believing a word of what Paul was saying.
"Because I couldn't tell the difference between Amanda and a Tyrannosaurus," Paul said smiling.
"Okay, I'm not that ugly," Amanda said, with her mouth wide open.
"But Mrs. Kirby, Tyrannosaurs are Beautiful creatures, why, I even made friends with one about eight years ago," Grant said.
"I'm not great at detecting sarcasm, but. God," Billy said.
In the cockpit Nash and Udesky were on a radio. "The-Rica-around. Please, turn," A voice over the radio said.
"Cut it off," Nash said. He couldn't believe that the Costa Ricans had no hope that Eric could've possibly still been alive. Those idiots just didn't realize that they were professionals and that they knew what they were doing. Governmental types were always that way toward Nash and any of his people. They always believed that he couldn't get the job done. That's why he took Paul Kirby's proposal. He wanted to prove to all of those political people that he could be good at any job that they were to throw at him.
"-No-turn around immediate-," The voice over the radio said. Udesky then leaned up and switched the radio off.
"Tell em' we are about ready to start searching over the island," Nash said.
"Mr. And Mrs. Kirby, we're about to begin our first circle around." Udesky said.
"Excellent," Paul said. "Amanda, get the recorder out."
"Yeah it's right here," Amanda said pulling out a camcorder.
Grant sat there shaking his head. These people had no idea what they were doing. If they did get to go on that trip to the moon they'd probably mess something up and blow the craft to pieces. "You better put that away, Mrs. Kirby," Grant said. "What we are doing is pretty much illegal."
"He's right honey, we won't forget this anyway," Paul said.
"Yeah, Okay," Amanda said, putting the camera back into her bag. She was extremely disappointed to not be able to record the events that they were about to see, because she was hoping for some kind of remembering of this expedition, because it would more then likely be her last. "Hey we are above the beach now."
* * *
The plane soared above Isla Sorna. Ocean waves crashed up against the rocky beaches, and they were suddenly delivered to a calm surrounding as the forests and jungles hid the ocean. The plane was now sailing over the island.
"I haven't thought about it until now but." Billy said.
"Billy they are nothing great," Grant said.
"Still. this is a great moment for me,"
"I understand," Grant said smiling. He knew that since Billy was new to Paleontology and really interested in dinosaurs that it was going to be hard to get him to realize that these dinosaurs were dangerous. However, he was sure that Billy would eventually realize it anyway.
"Well, oh hey Cooper, tell us if you see anything," Paul said.
"Nah, I thought I would keep it to myself," Cooper said. "This guy is an idiot," Cooper thought to himself. Did Paul actually think that he wasn't going to speak up if he saw that poor boy? Paul had lost his mind. Cooper wanted to be on this island as much as Dr. Grant did, and he was sure that he didn't want to be here at all.
"Mr. Kirby, who are the pilots," Grant asked out of the blue. "You never did tell me their names."
"They're just. hey look," Paul said with excitement as he pointed out the window.
They looked out one of the plane windows to see a herd of yellow shaded dinosaurs.
"Hadrosaurs. Billy. look," Grant said.
"Oh. oh." Billy said.
"If you think you're about to cry, then go away," Grant said.
"No way. this is extraordinary. just look at them," Billy said.
"Lord. Lord. Paul honey are you seeing this," Amanda asked. "This is incredible!"
"Yeah, ooh, ahh, that's how it always starts, but then later there's running and then screaming," Grant said smiling.
"How could I not," Paul said, not paying attention to what Grant said. "Dr. Grant, inform us. what are they probably doing?"
"Well they stay in herds to scout for food mainly, and to evade predators, such as the Suchomimus and many of the raptor families," Grant said. "They are considerably close to the beach so I assume they are wanting water, but are afraid of the beach containing predators."
"Absolutely amazing," Paul said.
"Now aren't you glad you came," Amanda said smiling. "Plus you're getting paid."
"I'll tell you when we are back home," Grant said.
"Oh guys, lighten up," Paul said.
Grant looked out the other side, and saw a herd of Triceratops. "Oh, over here, come here, you can see a herd of triceratops. and look beyond them, next to the pond. a pack of Brachiosaurs. and as you can see, the alpha male leading the group, Mrs. Kirby, Paul, look."
The Kirby's seemed to be starting to lose Grant's attention as they just continued to stare out of the windows not amused to what Grant was showing them. Grant frowned at this.
"Mr. Kirby there's a landing strip up ahead if you want us to set her down," Nash said from the cockpit.
"No, no," Paul said. "Circle around some more first."
"What did he just say," Billy asked.
"What do you mean," Grant asked. "You can't land here."
"Hold on, I can explain," Paul said throwing up his hands in defense.
"You said we weren't landing. Kirby, we are not by any means landing this craft," Grant commanded.
"Dr. Grant, just wait a second now," Amanda said.
"What's going on," Guitierrez said still looking out the window not paying much attention to the other people, because he was too amazed at what he was seeing. He now knew that Levine was right and wished he was there with him to share the joy.
"I'm not sure," Cooper said in reply to Guitierrez.
"You cannot land on this island," Grant said getting furious at everyone.
"Dr. Grant please," Paul said.
"Do not land this airplane. that was the agreement," Billy said.
"Are we landing or not," Nash asked.
"No! We are not! Take us back to the mainland immediately," Grant commanded more angrily then he'd ever been before, because he'd just been lied to about something that could've ended up with him dying. " Mr. Kirby, you are in trouble."
"Now, just let me explain," Paul said.
"Paul just tell him," Amanda pleaded.
"Okay, we're landing now," Udesky said.
Grant stood up and started for the cockpit, and was then knocked out cold by someone behind him.