D AY 2: SAN FRANCISCO
August 15, 2001
1. ARRIVAL
Edward Campbell was on a bumming 747 and on his way to San Francisco. Sitting in front of Campbell was his assistant, Jeffery Robinson. Jeffery wore some safari cloths and a pair of wire-frame glasses. Campbell sighed as he stared out the window at his right side.
Jeffery smiled. "What's wrong Ed?"
"I'm not really sure Jeffery," Campbell replied. "I guess I'm just nervous is all."
"You... nervous," Jeffery asked laughing. "That's funny sir."
"What's so funny about that," Campbell asked looking at his assistant oddly.
"Nothing really sir," Jeffery replied. "Just that you are hardly ever nervous. You get scared every now and then, but those butterflies haven't ever tried to come after you before. Is something bothering you?"
Campbell put his hand on his white beard and stroked it slowly. He was clearly thinking. "I had a late lunch with Alex today."
"Is he what's making you nervous," Jeffery asked. "Don't worry about Alex sir. He won't be a problem. He's been a good employee for quite a long time."
"No, it's not Alex that bothers me. It's something that he said that is though." Campbell picked up a magazine in the empty seat beside him. It was the recent addition of the 'Times'.
Jeffery stared at Campbell for a few long minutes. He'd wondered what it was that Alex could've said that would make Campbell nervous. No one had ever made Campbell nervous just over a little information. This turn of events kind of worried Jeffery a little himself. He'd hoped that what this all really was, was just Campbell being worried about the investigation working out.
"So what did Alex say?"
"It appears that someone that survived Isla Sorna has found out about our little project in the Congo," Campbell said, not taking his eyes away from the magazine. "He said that it was someone that he used to work with in Kenya. He's name is Roland Tembo. Have you heard of him?"
"Yes I have," Jeffery replied. This was not going to be good for his and Tosha's plans. Alex wasn't supposed to find out about the Roland Tembo problem. And what was really bad about it was that Campbell now knew as well. Things weren't looking good. "How did he find out?"
"I'm not really sure and I don't think that Alex really knows either. However, Mr. Tembo is going on trial in Nairobi, probably right now. If he tells anyone about the park we're ruined!"
"What's he on trial for?"
"Oh, that's just about some tiger he killed. Alex went down there to defend the Zinj Corporation, but I fear the worst will come of this."
"Sir we have the Zairian Government on our side," Jeffery stated. "Even if Roland did get the officials in Nairobi to believe him, they wouldn't be able to get out to the Congo to find out if he was telling the truth. Zaire would stop them as soon as they crossed the border. Hell, maybe even before they crossed the border."
"Perhaps you're right my friend," Campbell said smiling. "I'm probably worried about nothing. Alex knows what he's doing. I'm just being silly. The only real problem is Tosha and her law firm."
"You have got a really good point there sir," Jeffery replied laughing. "She's always been a pain in the ass."
"And Jim Murphy isn't much better either," Campbell said. "Stephanie Oswald is the only reasonable one among them. The other two may be good sponsors and have helped to keep this project going and secret, but I'm afraid that they're going to try and bomb my park or maybe worse. I've feared it for a long time."
"So have I sir," Jeffery said. "So have I."
Campbell looked at his watch. It was 10:25 in the morning. "Eric is probably in school right now. I'm guessing he's in PE class right?"
"I believe that's correct sir," Jeffery replied.
"PE classes," Campbell said shaking his head. "I hated PE classes."
"I liked them sir," Jeffery said. "The captain of my basketball team I was. It was a great time in my life."
"Well," Campbell began," at least one of us was good at athletics. "I pretty much sucked at them. They were definitely not my cup of tea."
"Why's that sir," Jeffery asked. "I'd thought you would've loved sports."
Campbell shook his head. " No Jeffery. I was a slow runner for one thing. I was also way too concerned with my schoolwork and other responsibilities. I even had an after school job so I could start making my own money so I could go to a good college..."
"And that's just what you did sir," Jeffery replied. "I heard you went to Yale. Is that true?"
"Completely my boy," Campbell said. "I was a hard worker and it all paid off. I received my master's degree in Zoology and immediately joined Earth First. I've always loved nature. It's a really wonderful thing to me, and to see man destroy it like they've done in the past is just disgusting. We didn't accomplish much in the group, except to improve lab animal testing. Earth First just didn't succeed very well. Hell, they shut down after Nick, myself and a few others left to create Zinj Bioengineering. I guess, in the end, man always wins over nature. I guess we need paper and pencils more then we need to be able to breath."
Jeffery laughed. "Too true, sir..."
Suddenly an intercom cut the two men's conversation off. "Attention please. We'll be landing at San Francisco International Airport in five minutes. Please fasten you're seatbelts, and thank you for choosing American Airlines."
"Well," Campbell began, "we've come this far without being caught. Do you think this inspection will do ok?"
"I'm positive of it sir," Jeffery replied smiling. "Absolutely positive."
August 15, 2001
1. ARRIVAL
Edward Campbell was on a bumming 747 and on his way to San Francisco. Sitting in front of Campbell was his assistant, Jeffery Robinson. Jeffery wore some safari cloths and a pair of wire-frame glasses. Campbell sighed as he stared out the window at his right side.
Jeffery smiled. "What's wrong Ed?"
"I'm not really sure Jeffery," Campbell replied. "I guess I'm just nervous is all."
"You... nervous," Jeffery asked laughing. "That's funny sir."
"What's so funny about that," Campbell asked looking at his assistant oddly.
"Nothing really sir," Jeffery replied. "Just that you are hardly ever nervous. You get scared every now and then, but those butterflies haven't ever tried to come after you before. Is something bothering you?"
Campbell put his hand on his white beard and stroked it slowly. He was clearly thinking. "I had a late lunch with Alex today."
"Is he what's making you nervous," Jeffery asked. "Don't worry about Alex sir. He won't be a problem. He's been a good employee for quite a long time."
"No, it's not Alex that bothers me. It's something that he said that is though." Campbell picked up a magazine in the empty seat beside him. It was the recent addition of the 'Times'.
Jeffery stared at Campbell for a few long minutes. He'd wondered what it was that Alex could've said that would make Campbell nervous. No one had ever made Campbell nervous just over a little information. This turn of events kind of worried Jeffery a little himself. He'd hoped that what this all really was, was just Campbell being worried about the investigation working out.
"So what did Alex say?"
"It appears that someone that survived Isla Sorna has found out about our little project in the Congo," Campbell said, not taking his eyes away from the magazine. "He said that it was someone that he used to work with in Kenya. He's name is Roland Tembo. Have you heard of him?"
"Yes I have," Jeffery replied. This was not going to be good for his and Tosha's plans. Alex wasn't supposed to find out about the Roland Tembo problem. And what was really bad about it was that Campbell now knew as well. Things weren't looking good. "How did he find out?"
"I'm not really sure and I don't think that Alex really knows either. However, Mr. Tembo is going on trial in Nairobi, probably right now. If he tells anyone about the park we're ruined!"
"What's he on trial for?"
"Oh, that's just about some tiger he killed. Alex went down there to defend the Zinj Corporation, but I fear the worst will come of this."
"Sir we have the Zairian Government on our side," Jeffery stated. "Even if Roland did get the officials in Nairobi to believe him, they wouldn't be able to get out to the Congo to find out if he was telling the truth. Zaire would stop them as soon as they crossed the border. Hell, maybe even before they crossed the border."
"Perhaps you're right my friend," Campbell said smiling. "I'm probably worried about nothing. Alex knows what he's doing. I'm just being silly. The only real problem is Tosha and her law firm."
"You have got a really good point there sir," Jeffery replied laughing. "She's always been a pain in the ass."
"And Jim Murphy isn't much better either," Campbell said. "Stephanie Oswald is the only reasonable one among them. The other two may be good sponsors and have helped to keep this project going and secret, but I'm afraid that they're going to try and bomb my park or maybe worse. I've feared it for a long time."
"So have I sir," Jeffery said. "So have I."
Campbell looked at his watch. It was 10:25 in the morning. "Eric is probably in school right now. I'm guessing he's in PE class right?"
"I believe that's correct sir," Jeffery replied.
"PE classes," Campbell said shaking his head. "I hated PE classes."
"I liked them sir," Jeffery said. "The captain of my basketball team I was. It was a great time in my life."
"Well," Campbell began," at least one of us was good at athletics. "I pretty much sucked at them. They were definitely not my cup of tea."
"Why's that sir," Jeffery asked. "I'd thought you would've loved sports."
Campbell shook his head. " No Jeffery. I was a slow runner for one thing. I was also way too concerned with my schoolwork and other responsibilities. I even had an after school job so I could start making my own money so I could go to a good college..."
"And that's just what you did sir," Jeffery replied. "I heard you went to Yale. Is that true?"
"Completely my boy," Campbell said. "I was a hard worker and it all paid off. I received my master's degree in Zoology and immediately joined Earth First. I've always loved nature. It's a really wonderful thing to me, and to see man destroy it like they've done in the past is just disgusting. We didn't accomplish much in the group, except to improve lab animal testing. Earth First just didn't succeed very well. Hell, they shut down after Nick, myself and a few others left to create Zinj Bioengineering. I guess, in the end, man always wins over nature. I guess we need paper and pencils more then we need to be able to breath."
Jeffery laughed. "Too true, sir..."
Suddenly an intercom cut the two men's conversation off. "Attention please. We'll be landing at San Francisco International Airport in five minutes. Please fasten you're seatbelts, and thank you for choosing American Airlines."
"Well," Campbell began, "we've come this far without being caught. Do you think this inspection will do ok?"
"I'm positive of it sir," Jeffery replied smiling. "Absolutely positive."