Chapter Eleven

Worlds Apart

PART ONE

Dusk was settling over the trees as the group silently made their way through the jungle, the tension high and hanging over them like a choke hold.  Grant was still fuming over the stupidity of the Kirbys.  He was irate about the phony check, but what irked him more was what the two had allowed their child to do.  Grant thought back to Charlie and his anger mounted.  What kind of parents were these people?  Grant would sooner give his limps than even consider letting someone bring Charlie even a hundred miles near these islands.  And Amy, his baby girl…he'd kill anyone who even contemplated bringing her here.

Grant decided that Paul and Amanda Kirby had to be the most irresponsible people he'd ever met.  And then he paused, thinking of the old man who had started it all.  No, he reasoned.  Hammond is worse.  The man created these dinosaurs as a theme park ride!

Suddenly he heard Nash yell: "Look!"  And then the survivalist pushed passed everyone, rushing over to where a sail was entangled in a tree.

Amanda and Paul broke out into a desperate run, searching for any sign of their son.

Billy looked to Grant, wondering what the paleontologist thought of the discovery.  Grant only shook his head grimly.  "No," he whispered to his student.  "I don't think so."

Billy understood and nodded then, turned to watch the Kirbys scour the area.  "How long has Eric been missing?"

"Six weeks," Udesky answered for the frantic parents.

"Six weeks," Grant repeated, stunned.  There was no way the kid could still be alive.  Out here alone on an island crawling with hundreds – if not thousands – of prehistoric animals: the chances were near impossible.  "How old is Eric?"

"Fifteen," Paul answered hurriedly.

Grant and Billy approached the sail.  Grant looked up at it doubtfully.  "Think you can use it?"

"If it's not too torn up."

Amanda came to stand in front of them as the two men tugged at the sail, yanking it down.  The straps snapped forward.  Amanda screamed as she got entwined in the tangled mess.  She looked up to find herself face to face with a corpse.  She shrieked, fumbling to get loose.

Grant reached over and untwisted the ropes.  Amanda, now free, immediately ran off.  "Mr. Kirby, go after her," Grant ordered.

Billy cocked an eyebrow.  "She's a bit squeamish," he commented as he continued to pull the sail down.

Grant grunted a reply, picking up the dead compy and flinging it away from the sail.  "I'd hate to have seen her reaction if it had been a human."

"I don't know," Billy said.  "Coming across a dead dinosaur may be more frightening than finding a dead person."

"Not if the person was someone you knew," Grant pointed out.

Billy nodded his agreement.  "You think they may be alive?"

Grant shrugged.  "I didn't think so at first, but I don't any sign of an attack here.  But Eric and the friend have been out here for six weeks.  The odds aren't in their favor."

"Doctor Grant," Paul called out.  "I think you better come look at this!"

"Stay here," Grant ordered before running over to where the Kirbys had gone.

"Look," Paul whispered, pointing down at the ground.

Grant eyed the dozens of nests with dread.  "Raptors," he murmured as the three other men joined them.  Why did it have to be raptors?  "We have to get out of here," he warned them, ushering the group away quickly.  A couple yards away, Grant halted, turning his head slightly in confused worry.  "Where's Billy?"

The younger man came trotting up to him.  "I'm right here."

"What were you doing?"

"Photographing the nests."

"Don't wonder off like that again," Grant decreed, relief evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry."

Grant snorted.  "You got me into this mess and if anything happens to you then it'll just be me and the damn tourists."

Billy chuckled, shaking his head as he followed his mentor through the trees.

They hiked on for another couple hours before the dark forced them to find shelter.  Grant led them closer to the brontosaurus herds and they all climbed up the largest trees they could find.  Grant had taken the first watch, staring out into the darkness, keeping a careful watch over the others who were now dozing off.

His mind began to wander and he found himself wondering what Ellie was up to.  There wasn't much time difference between them.  She had probably put the children to bed a couple hours ago and was now…what?  Sleeping?  Reading?  Writing?

Grant sighed, picturing his wife sitting at the kitchen table with a mug full of chilled Green Tea, papers strewn about her, and her pen dangling from her mouth as she poured over the material in front of her.  Grant wasn't a very sentimental or romantic man, but at the moment he would've given it all to be sitting across the table from her.

PART TWO

Ellie tossed and turned on the queen-sized bed.  All the empty space was making her feel uneasy and lonely.  Granted, Alan often went out of town for weeks on end to supervise dig sites and Ellie had learned to adjust to sleeping alone.  Yet, tonight was different.  Tonight she was aware that her husband wasn't safely inside a trailer pouring over fossils, texts, and lectures.  He was somewhere she couldn't reach him.  He was somewhere flying over an island of nightmares.

Ellie crawled out of bed, slipping on her silk robe as she made her way to the kitchen.  What bothered her most about this whole thing was that she couldn't get on the phone and call him.  How was she to know everything was all right if there was no way to talk to him?

She made herself some herbal tea and then sat at the table.  Maybe if she had never left the field this wouldn't have happened.  She wasn't sure how her working on the dig sites could have changed anything, but she still held the regret of leaving.  Maybe she could have done something.  Made a difference in the way things were going.

She sighed, pressing her forehead to the black marbled tabletop.  No, she had done the right thing by leaving.  She couldn't handle the strain.  The memories.  And then she had gotten pregnant.  There was no way Ellie could've returned even if she desperately wanted to.  Someone had to watch Charlie and Amy.

Ellie, thinking of Alan and their children, fell asleep. 

End Chapter Eleven

Chianna:  Sorry.  This one is longer!

Megazord Master:  Well, I'm pretty much sticking to the main idea, but I'm diverting from the movie.  So, it's ok if you haven't seen JPIII in ages.  Thanks for reviewing!

Fluffy:  Thank you so much.  And don't worry, Eric will be showing up very soon.  I take it you've read Return to Jurassic and Return to Jurassic: Annihilate 23 by Autumn Darkness?  If not, I recommend it.  Both stories are pretty much about Eric.

SimCatz:  Thanks!  And I've been enjoying your story, Circle of Dreams.  When will you update?