Chapter Seven
Beth stared. The sweat trickled its way down past her ear as she watched, unable to look away, and that eye just stared right back. The small, round pupil shrunk and dilated as the light fluctuated, a fascinating and unnerving sight. Around the eye orbit, the scaly red skin of the creature looked puckered and lumpy, like an angry rash that was only getting angrier the longer she looked. The eye darted in its socket, a twitchy movement, almost alien. Beth swallowed, feeling the sweat reach her neck now. The chicken cocked its head on one side and gave a strangled cluck, and then looked away, its interest in Beth completely spent.
The crowded bus bumped through yet another pot hole, causing the chicken's head to swing back to her, accusation in its eyes this time, balefully glaring from its owners arms as he sat next to her. As if Beth had any say in which hole or bump the madman of a driver decided to take them over. The other passengers seemed not to notice, simply swaying with the movement, untroubled by the speed or heat. The chatter of Spanish voices amid the blaring background music from the radio mixed in and out with the creaking of the bus axle, growling of its engine and the frequent clucks of the chicken. And the goat that another passenger had hold of down the back of the bus. Not for the first time did Beth wonder what on earth she was doing, and she hadn't even set foot on the island yet.
She glanced around the bus again, squinting as they passed a gap in the trees and allowing the sun to shine through the dirty and dusty windows. The bodies of what felt like a hundred people were crammed into the bus, some holding their luggage, others their livestock. The rest of the luggage, including Beth's, was precariously strapped to the roof of the bus. An alarming prospect that grew worse with every bump. Beth half expected her belongings to be scattered in a haphazard trail behind them across half of Costa Rica. The thought of her underwear, hanging from a tree, was a humorous yet mortifying prospect.
She craned her head down and peered out of her window to see if anything new presented itself for a view from the bus. Still the same dusty road, the occasional dusty shack and the endless trees of the jungle on either side. If there was ever a beaten track, they had left it behind long ago. She felt a fleeting urge to be back in Washington, sat next to Oliver and frowning at his long legs as they stretched out across the coffee table. Just the familiarity of the old mundane existence felt like a comfort, like an old blanket she knew needed to be replaced but she couldn't quite let it go. She thought back to the hurt look in Oliver's eye's when she'd told him she would be away for a few months, and quickly pushed the lure of old comforts away. Old comforts come with new stings. She fidgeted with the necklace at her throat, not sure if it was reassuring now or a cold reminder she had lied to him.
She frowned at the chicken, finding its imagined contempt somehow aggravating. What did a chicken have to be contemptuous about? Its owner suddenly laughed.
"Puede ser un poco amargada, pero no muerdo." The man chuckled to himself again, as if he'd said the funniest thing in the world, and half shook the chicken at her. "Puedes acariciarla." Beth found herself doing that inexplicable thing people did when they didn't understand.
"Yeah," she said, with a nervous laugh of her own. The man carried on looking at her expectantly, and Beth just smiled and turned away, feeling every drop of sweat on her forehead. She did not like feeling uncomfortable.
The bus slowed to a groaning stop, and a couple of tired looking passengers got off. Beth looked forward between the shoulders in front of her to try and see where they were. There was a flash of eyes in the rear-view mirror at the front and then the driver was barking something.
"Oye americana, esta eres tu." The dark eyes in the mirror looked directly at her, and it took a moment for her to realise he was speaking to her. She looked around, absurdly checking there weren't any other Americans on the bus. The man with the chicken grunted his way out of the seat and gestured at her, a smile on his face. A simple and polite gesture, but Beth didn't like feeling singled out. She could feel the eyes of everyone on the bus, including that damn chicken.
"Right,'' she mumbled, shuffling out of the creaking seat awkwardly and threading her way down the aisle. She could feel the humidity of outside pushing in at her the closer she got to the doors and away from the air conditioning of the bus, as inadequate as it was. The driver sniffed and coughed as he squeezed himself out of his seat and plodded down the steps off the bus in front of her, hocking up something from the depths of his throat and noisily spitting the contents into the greenery at the edge of the road.
Beth tugged at her shirt collar, trying to let a bit of air in around her neck as she watched the driver clamber up a small ladder at the back of the bus and begin mumbling to himself as he vanished amongst the piles of strapped down luggage.
It gave Beth a moment to look around. Aside from the road carrying on into the distance, the only other feature was a small track that led into the jungle, wending its way off to god knows where. A small signpost, weathered and rusty, leant at an angle beside the bus. She could barely make out the words, and it was a mystery how the driver knew. Local knowledge, she supposed. She hoped it was the right place. She fingered the small piece of paper in her pocket that she had been sent in the mail, giving the scantiest of directions for Wu's proposal. Another bead of sweat trickled down her neck as she considered the horrible possibility she had not conveyed her destination correctly to the driver. Her current position looked as far from the exciting ideas and thoughts she'd imagined as possible. But then, she'd not really known what she should have thought. The mystery of this venture was still exactly that.
She watched as one of the passengers who'd got off before her ambled off down the road, confident in their destination. Beth envied them for some reason. She wished she knew where she was going. She checked the paper and the name of the place she ought to be and compared it with the sign. Looked like the right word, which wasn't the biggest comfort. She took a breath, trying to find some confidence and then gasped it out as her enormous backpack thumped down onto the ground beside her.
The driver jabbered something and then another pack thumped down. A man stepped up beside her, half startling her. Had he been there the whole time? He swept a gaze over her, and she suddenly felt the nasty realisation that she was one woman in the middle of nowhere. She hated showing vulnerability, but it was rather difficult not to feel it when strange men loomed up next to her and gave her a look that was verging on a leer. Horror stories of missing travellers entered her mind unbidden. The effect was somewhat worsened as the driver swung down from the ladder and climbed back into the bus without a word, revving the idling engine and driving away in a cloud of dust. Beth's mouth felt extremely dry as she watched it round a bend up ahead and disappear from view.
She hauled up her pack and regarded the man as he did the same, fighting off the nerves in her stomach. Costa Rican maybe, and now that she looked closer, he was somewhat attractive. Dark hair, with maybe a fleck of grey around the ears. Some well-kept facial hair as well. She couldn't help but notice his hands as he hefted his pack. He turned to her, aware of her looking, a small smile creeping across his face.
"You look a long way from home,'' he said. "Hope you're not lost?" In another tone, that might have sounded sinister, but he had a soothing voice that lent itself well to his accent. As Beth looked longer, she felt a vague familiarity about the man.
"No, I'm not lost, thanks,'' she said, adding a pinch of resolve to her voice. "Just doing a bit of sight-seeing." He seemed to smirk at that.
"Funny that,'' he chuckled. "Me too." He gave her a look up and down. "Do I know you?" There was that smirk again. As if he knew something she didn't.
"I don't think so,'' she said. She cleared her throat, fingering the paper in her pocket again and deciding it was time to move on. The memorized instruction of taking the single track appeared in her mind. She hoped he wasn't going that way. "I'd best get going. Sights to see, y' know." She turned and headed towards the track, trying to shrug the straps of her pack into a comfortable spot. The man had fallen in step beside her and she felt her stomach tighten a notch more.
"I hope it's not too far. After that bus ride, my ass feels like a block of stone."
"I beg your pardon?" said Beth.
"To the meet point, Doctor,'' he said, running a hand through his hair and nodding ahead. "Does your instruction say to walk up this way too?" Beth felt her eyes dart about suddenly, wondering if her whole chance at building on her career was about to come crashing down. How did he know she was a Doctor? That smirk now looked like he knew everything she was up to. She found it a struggle to even order up any word to say. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this whole secret enterprise.
"I…" she started, unsure of where she was going to go with it.
"Relax,'' he said. "I know where I remember you from now."
"Oh?" she managed to cough out. He held out a big hand to her, a gesture of introduction.
"Alejandro Perez Arias,'' he said warmly, shaking her hand with a firm gentleness. "I was the gourmet chef at the Park. I was on the shuttle bus with you when we left the Visitor Centre, before that storm." He frowned.
"I…had no idea," said Beth, trying desperately to remember that night. Had he been on her bus? "How did you know I was a Doctor?"
"Well, I didn't really. You just have that look, so I took a guess. Good guess, no?" His voice held a playful note. Beth felt herself warming to him already. Funny how two minutes ago she thought the worst might happen.
"A good guess,'' she said, nodding. "Not sure I could have made the same guess about you though."
"What? You mean I don't look like a chef?"
"I guess without your hat, no,'' she said, an easy smile working its way across her face. "So how does a chef find himself on this project?" He chuckled again, but this time there wasn't much humour.
"Turns out the day that storm hit, back in ninety-three, was the last day I cooked anything worthwhile. Truth be told that was going to be my empire, in that kitchen. Mother Nature had other ideas for me. I've not had much luck getting any kind of work like I had there. Fast food and greasy outlets is the best I could find for a chef who couldn't provide prior reference's. Bit difficult when your job was still under a Non-Disclosure Agreement."
Beth found herself nodding, the sour taste of the familiar tale still just as bitter a mouthful to swallow. The University had been the best she could do. Seemed a bit better than Alejandro had managed anyway.
"How do you fit in though?" asked Beth. "They are hardly bringing the Park back."
"Someone's gotta keep all you big brain people fed, no?" He hoisted his pack, puffing under the apparent weight. "That and the incentive they gave me. Money like that, I can start my own restaurant." He had a look in his eye that said he had it all planned out. Much like Beth had when Henry's letters had trickled in since their meeting. The ones that had detailed the financial benefit of seeing the project through. Money was a good way of greasing the wheels of ambition.
They ambled up the track, the trees either side of them reminding Beth of the island. The depth of the jungles on Nublar had felt mysterious with an edge of attractive danger, something she felt now looking into the trees. The rugged and wild vegetation just had an air of adventure. She realised she could hear the gentle roar of the ocean of a sudden, somewhere over the creaking trunks of the trees. She couldn't quite work out which direction it was though. The distant cries of gulls floated across the slight breeze.
A car appeared ahead, rolling slowly from a concealed spot. An old saloon style, faded green with spots of rust and a bent antenna. One of the hubs of a wheel was missing and there looked to be a considerable dent in the driver's door. Beth found herself frowning again, wondering if this was the next step in the puzzle of the journey. Her instructions had just said to walk up this track where she would meet a contact. Hardly a reassuring look if this was the contact. She couldn't even see the driver yet through the dusty windows.
She slowed her pace as the car approached, Alejandro adopting a similar speed. She could see his hands twitching at his bag strap. A nervous tick maybe? Was he just as unsure as she? He didn't seem it. The car stopped and a door squealed open. A shape moved behind the windshield, which then became a man, which then became a very tall man with short dark hair. A cigarette drooped from his mouth as he placed a long arm across the top of the open door, large hand dangling.
"You're the Doctor and the cook?" he said. American then, from his accent. Sounded like maybe a north accent too. Wisconsin perhaps. Or maybe Minnesota. His skin had a sheen of sweat, and his jawline a touch of stubble. Looked like the kind of man suited to whatever Beth had gotten herself into.
She nodded, swallowing the lump and nerves down. "I am Dr. Weaver."
"No kiddin,'' said the man. "Guess that makes you Bobby Flay then, eh hombre?"
"Guess it does,'' said Alejandro, his lip twisting in either annoyance or confusion. Beth wasn't sure which.
"Here's your two-minute warning then,'' said the man, taking a quick pull of his cigarette and flicking it onto the dirt. His leg twisted as he ground it out with a foot. "We got an hour's drive coming up, so you need to take a leak, then there's the John." He nodded at the greenery around them and then sat back in the car, the sound of a lighter being flicked and the flash of the flame as he lit another cigarette.
Beth felt like she couldn't have gone even if she needed to, whilst Alejandro grunted something and wandered into the trees, his hands fumbling around his belt buckle. She cleared her throat and made her way to the trunk or the car, yanking it open and stuffing her pack in. She left it open for Alejandro, and then took a breath before climbing into the back seat.
The car was stuffy and smelt of smoke mixed with old leather. The driver sat in front of her, watchful eyes in the mirror regarding her through a cloud of smoke. She stared back. Or tried to. The man's gaze seemed hard, almost judgemental. The last thing she needed was judgement. She looked away and watched the jungle, determined to ignore the mans eyes and Oliver's face as it flashed across her mind, that sting of judgement knocking on the door again. It had just been so easy to lie to him. Maybe that was the worst bit of it all. She let out a long breath.
"You got a name then?" she said, having a go at sounding confident and as if she did this kind of thing all the time. The driver sniffed, a noise that made Beth decide she didn't like him one bit.
"Yeah." A plume of smoke blew across the mirror. He sounded as if she'd just asked the most stupid question in the world. Beth dug her nails not his knees, annoyed that she felt annoyed.
"Care to share then? Or do I call you what I like? I have a few in mind."
"Ha,'' he snorted, amusement creasing around his eyes. Those watchful eyes. "I'll share when we get to the hotel. Safer that way."
"The hotel?" Beth felt a glimmer of hope at the idea of a hot shower and washing the grime and sweat of several days travel off her.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up,'' said the man, his eyes showing more amusement. So much for that then. Alejandro appeared from the jungle, fastening his belt and then stowing his pack in the trunk. He climbed into the car next to Beth, giving her a look before fixing the driver with a determined look.
"Ready when you are then. Hombre."
"Finally," said the man, those eyes contemplating the chef from the mirror. "Buckle up then kids. Time to get this show on the road."
XXXXX
The car slowed to a whining stop, allowing the cloud of dust from the road to catch up and envelope them, settling on the windows and the body work and making Beth have to squint even harder at the building in front of them.
An hour or so of anticipation and unsure excitement had led her to this, and now she felt that anticipation gestate into a heavy lump of disappointment.
The promised hotel looked far from welcoming. Situated in a small clearing in the jungle at the end of a long and bumpy road, a good mile or so from the main routes, it was a long, low ramshackle building of wood and corrugated metal, a single and drooping power line running from one corner of the roof to a lonely looking wooden pole by the trees. Beth could see it was certainly not something the hospitality industry of Costa Rica used. Wu had said there might be some less favourable accommodation but she hadn't thought it would be this bad.
Misshapen shutters hung from small and dirty windows, and there was a single door at the end of the facing wall. Someone was stood in the shadows by the door, leaning against the wall and looking every inch as unwelcoming as the hotel. Not quite the vision of daring scientific adventure she'd had in mind.
"Here we are then kids,'' said their driver, taking the chance to light another cigarette and grunt his way out of the car, stretching his long arms above his head.
"Ready for this then?" said Alejandro, looking a bit hesitant. Beth wasn't sure she ready at all, but she forced any doubts down now. She'd been brave enough to say yes back when she was home and amongst what she knew. She needed to be brave now, confronted with what she didn't know. And in any case, it was likely to get a whole lot more unknown from here. What was success without a bit of daring?
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, climbing out of the car and shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. They retrieved their bags from the trunk and followed their driver across the grass towards the big shack. The air smelt strongly of the sea, and Beth could hear it a lot clearer now. Off towards her right somewhere. Salt on the breeze, mixing with the deep scents of the jungle around her. Made for a strange aroma, but it was a good remedy for the nerves. It appealed to that adventurous spirit of ambition that was stirring in her. Made her hold her head up high as she followed the driver to the building.
The smell of treated wood joined her senses as they drew up to the structure, the signs of its effectiveness evident in places whilst absent in others. The man at the door pushed off from the wall and blocked their way, eyes hidden under a cap and thick arms folded across a thick chest. A square jaw jutted out, skin tanned and pock marked. The chin lifted up, giving Beth a look at the piggy eyes beneath the cap peak. A hard looking man, with a mean curl to his lip as he looked down at them from a considerable height. The voice that came out did not match the man though.
"You're late Perry." It was one of the softest voices Beth had ever heard come from a man so thickset. Not high or girlish, just soft and gentle. Like he didn't want to speak any louder than was necessary. The driver, or Perry apparently, jerked a thumb in Beth's direction.
"Blame them,'' said Perry. "They must have caught the slowest bus in the country. See you inside El." Perry gave them a final look and then slipped around the man mountain, clapping him on the shoulder as if they were old friends. Beth gripped her pack strap as the man took a heavy step towards them, seemingly gaining in height and width. The thick muscle in his forearms squirmed under the skin as he clenched his fists, and she could hear the air rushing up through his nose as he took a deep breath, as if he was preparing to either scream at them for being late or choke them to death. A huge hand reached out, and those hard features softened.
"Dr. Weaver? Mr. Arias? I'm Elliot." That soft voice held no menace now. "Can I take your bags? They look heavy and I'm sure you've had a long and tiring trip, not least having to suffer Perry's chain smoking." Beth found she didn't resist as the hand relieved her of her pack, Elliot showing not the slightest effort as he hefted the weight of both bags. "If you'd like to follow me? I can show you around before the briefing." He gave them a warm smile and then led them through into the building.
Beth followed in after Elliot and Alejandro and found herself in a small entry foyer, which led into a wider hall smelling of musty old wood and oil. A number of fold out chairs were arranged at one end, facing a wall which had what looked like a projector screen set up against it. Sure enough, the projector itself sat against the wall nearby next to an old filing cabinet with a stack of folders on top. Against the adjoining wall Beth spotted a few shelves with several bottles of water. She swallowed a dry lump, remembering how thirsty she was of a sudden.
"Please help yourself to any water,'' said Elliot suddenly, smiling as if he'd guessed her thoughts. Without waiting, he plucked two bottles with a meaty fist and passed them to Beth and Alejandro. She drank deeply, feeling as if the dust was being washed away from her throat. He led them on through the hall, and through some windows Beth could see a group of people outside, some sat on old plastic garden chairs and chatting, others milling about in the grassy space. Most wore hats or caps, but she couldn't quite see any features yet. Looked to be a few women at least. Made her feel a bit easier.
They reached a wall at the end of the hall with two doors, and Elliot led them through the left hand one. Beth felt that easy feeling fade a bit when she saw three rows of low camping cots, thin blankets laid out on them with a lumpy looking pillow. In the corners of the room and the edges of the windows were some alarmingly large cobwebs. Not exactly the most comfortable looking place to sleep, but Beth was fast accepting this was how it was going to be now. Lots of the cots had a pack or rucksack similar to hers already either laid on it or leant against it, and one was conspicuous for having a traditional looking old suitcase by it. As if someone thought they were going on vacation. Elliot strode over to the last two cots without packs and laid hers and Alejandro against them. He smiled that friendly smile again.
"Don't worry,'' he said. "It's only for tonight. The room next door is the rest rooms. Male and female." He smiled again, and Beth felt an appreciation for his awareness. For such an intimidating man, he seemed more like an attentive concierge or tour guide.
"Gracias," said Alejandro, stretching his arms out.
"Yes, thank you,'' said Beth quickly. "What now then?" Her crumpled piece of paper did not cover what was next from this point. Elliot pointed back into the hall.
"Next is the briefing. Mr. England will want everyone present. He doesn't like to say things twice."
"Mr. England?" said Beth. "I thought Dr. Wu was heading up this program?" Elliot nodded, a thoughtful purse to his big lips.
"Right. Dr. Wu will oversee…" those little eyes squinted, "…well, he'll oversee whatever it is you science guys do. Mr. England is in charge of the logistics and security. He's coordinating the whole operation in terms of getting us there, keeping us there and looking after you guys." He indicated back out into the main hall. "If you'd like to go take a seat, I'll let Mr. England know everyone is now here."
Elliot thudded away, disappearing out of another door into the back yard of the building. Beth heard the voices a bit clearer for a moment before the door swung shut. She took a deep breath, nodding to herself this was what she wanted and becoming aware of the building pressure between her legs of a sudden. Alejandro was making his way out into the hall.
"Shall we?" he said.
"You go, I'll catch up." He shrugged and ambled off, allowing Beth time to sidle out and over to the door to the rest rooms. The door creaked open at her touch, leading to the expected sight of two further doors. There were words written on each of them, and she opted for the one she guessed was Spanish for Ladies.
Inside was not much different to the rest of the place. Cobwebs, dirty and dusty walls and with the addition of a grubby basin with nasty smears of green algae around its edge. One sad and rusty looking old faucet dripped solemnly onto the old porcelain beneath a mirror with a single crack running through it. Two stalls faced the basin, and Beth darted into the left hand one, using her hips to shut the door and fumbling the lock across the door with a thumb. She wiggled her pants down, the sweat making it an unpleasant task, and gingerly took a seat.
The stream of piss that came next made her realise just how long she'd gone without relieving herself. She felt her stomach begin to relax and untense, an indicator she'd been gripping every internal muscle without realising for quite some time. Nothing like stepping into the unknown to make your bladder clamp up tight.
She let out a luxurious sigh, closing her eyes and ignoring the damp smell of the room and the echoing drip from the faucet. Her bladder emptied itself and she tilted her head back in relief. The prospect of sleeping in that decrepit old room with a load of strangers didn't seem quite so bad now. Funny how something as simple as taking a piss made you feel better. She fingered the necklace at her throat and felt a longing smile tug at her mouth. Old comforts might sting, but at least they would be there when she got back.
The door to the room opened and she heard footsteps. Not the hurried footsteps of someone needing the toilet, but slow and measured steps. She froze, feeling the absurd shame of being on the toilet when someone else comes in. As if it was something to be embarrassed about. She leant slightly to the side and saw a shape in the crack between the door and frame. She couldn't make out the person, but she could see shoulder length dark hair above a collar of a dark green shirt. She moved a bit more and saw a hand grip the side of the basin. A scar travelled up the forearm of the pale skin.
The woman took something from a pocket but Beth couldn't quite see, and then she started tilting her head back slightly. She was doing something to her face, and Beth heard a hiss of frustration and then a grunt of approval. The hands fussed at the pocket again and then went back to gripping the basin. Beth squinted as the woman leant towards the mirror. There was a deep and measured sigh from the woman, the sound of air being blown from puffed cheeks in a steady and controlled way.
"You can do this," she whispered to herself. Beth strained forward. "You can do this." Another breath, and then the toilet seat clunked on its hinge as Beth leant too far. She saw a flash of a face as it spun round, eyes wide, and then a bang on the door. "The briefing is starting. Finish up in there and let's go." The voice had a sharp edge to it, and Beth felt like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have. Which was half true.
"Right," she managed. "Coming." The door to the room banged against the wall as the woman left. Beth cleaned herself up and fumbled her way back into her pants, wondering if she'd just made life a little bit more difficult for herself in some way. More than likely. She exited the stall and washed her hands, drying them on the back of her thighs, feeling the nasty sensation of being flustered.
She strode out into the hall as people were beginning to file in from outside. A mixture of shining and sweaty faces, murmuring and muttering, as they trudged in and began to each take a seat facing the projector screen. Beth watched them as they entered, her eyes flicking on each of them, trying to catch sight of any familiar faces. She smiled when she saw Pat Morgan, and Jill Manning now, following in after a white-faced young man who looked like he had maybe wandered into the wrong gathering. She looked past his nervous face at the two Geneticists she had known back at the Park. Jill caught her eye and gasped in surprise, warm recognition on her face. She gave an excited and conspiratorial wave and followed Pat, who nodded with a wink, as they found a seat. Beth made her way her way to an empty seat, near to the nervous looking man.
Looking forward, she felt a jolt of worry as the woman from the rest room sat next to the projector screen against the wall, watching the gathering assembly with a frosty glare. Beth got a good look at her now. Dark brown hair, with what looked like either grey or maybe blonde at the roots? She looked maybe late thirties, and as if she had been chiselled from stone. She looked like she was clenching her jaw, and Beth got a look at the scar on her forearm now. A long one, with a big round end to it, almost like a comma. Any doubts the woman might have felt in the restroom looked long forgotten as she swept the group with her withering look. The woman's eyes settled on Beth for a moment before flicking on to the next person.
All the seats had now been filled, and it was more people than Beth had at first suspected. Maybe sixteen or seventeen people in total. With Dr. Wu towards the front, now that she saw him. He looked quite unusual in outdoor type clothing. It didn't suit him. He sat with legs crossed and back straight, his lips locked in thoughtful silence. He turned his head a few degrees and gave her the slightest of nods.
She glanced around the other attendees now, taking in the first impressions of her would be fellow, and illegal, adventurers. Hard faces, nervous faces, excited faces. More men than women too. Always the way. She glanced at the man beside her, now tapping his knees. Couldn't have been older than thirty. Maybe younger, now that she looked at him. Short hair with a vague shadow about the jaw, and long legs like Oliver. She found herself frowning at his choice of footwear though. Sneakers were hardly what she would have chosen for where they were headed. On his other side was Perry, the chain-smoking driver with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
The door to outside banged shut and a man strode to the front. Beth watched him take every step. This man radiated purpose, carrying himself like a general and not giving anyone so much as a glance, as if anything before him was inferior and not worth his notice. Not too dissimilar to Wu then. She found herself staring at the sleeve pinned to his chest, the stump of where his left arm should have been just vaguely showing as a shape beneath the fabric. For a one-armed man though, it didn't look like it hampered him in anyway. His air of command made it look like he could have been missing both arms and it have not been a problem. He ran a hand through his iron-coloured hair, pinched the bridged of his large nose and cleared his throat, his bushy moustache travelling up and down as he wrinkled his lips. The dull chatter in the room ceased and he took a step forward.
"Welcome everyone,'' he said. His accent made it hard to place his nationality, but he sounded American. "My name is Kurt England. Former member of InGen. I assume we all know why we are here? Yes?" He raised his eyebrows, as if he expected an answer. There were a few tentative nods and some muttering of the word yes. "No!" growled Kurt. "You are all here of your own accord, sight-seeing and travelling. Some of you are even on your way to visit family. Any answer other than that, should we be detained by anyone with so much as a whiff of authority, and this whole pantomime unravels."
He cleared his throat again. The room was very quiet now. He certainly had their attention.
"Now," Kurt went on. "Be under no illusions, we are on our own in this project. There is no contract of employment here. There are no safety nets or a slick cunt of a lawyer in a slick office waiting to bail us out if we get into trouble. If we are caught, there is no wiggling out of it. I will deny I know any of you, and you will deny you know me. I'm sure it won't escape any of you that Masrani Global is funding this venture, unofficially of course. But if this does go south, trust me when I say Masrani Global will pull every slick cunt of a lawyer into things to make it official they had no part of it. Is that clear, because I won't repeat it."
"Jesus," whispered the nervous man next to Beth, the tapping on his knees getting a bit faster.
"With that out the way then, let's get on with it. Hal, if you would please." Kurt nodded at a small man with a round tummy who shuffled up and wheeled the projector to the back of the assembly and turned it on, illuminating the screen with white light. "If you've followed the news, which you will have done because you're not an idiot, you'll know that the Costa Rican Government has a dedicated branch of the Coast Guard now patrolling the Las Cinco Muertes archipelago."
There were a few murmurs of acknowledgement as a slide of the islands appeared on the screen with markers and arrows surrounding them.
"These guys are persistent zealots with tight patrols, as you can see by the indicators of their movements on the screen,'' said Kurt. "Daring tourists and locals alike have been detained and prosecuted by these bastards, so let's avoid them at all costs." The slide disappeared and was replaced by a more focused map of Isla Sorna, with various shapes and circles drawn on it. Beth felt her throat tighten at the sight of it. She'd been there once, and her palms began to prickle with the excitement of what she was going to do there. Kurt had produced a telescopic pointer from a pocket and was now gesturing to the map. "In a nutshell, this is the objective: To fly in low, and under RADAR detection, an hour before first light tomorrow. On arrival, we will secure our base of operations here," he pointed to a dot on the map, "the Embryonics Laboratory. My team has already conducted an operation here to ensure our arrival is smooth and safe, with minimal risk of discovery by the authorities or the wildlife of the island. You will be pleased to hear we have established sanitation means." Beth looked around at the faces, some of them scratching at chins or frowning at the screen. "Once we have settled in, Dr. Wu and his team will begin their work. Once that work is completed, we will evacuate the site."
It sounded so very simple, put like that. Wu had said the project would take some months. Kurt England's layout seem to leave out an awful lot of detail. Almost on cue, someone raised their arm. Kurt nodded at them. "Dr. Morgan?" Pat cleared his own throat.
"Sounds easy in principle," he said, "but surely there's a lot of other missing information here?" Kurt gestured to the woman made of stone sat by the wall.
"This is Catherine Redgrove," said Kurt. "She's worked closely with me for the last few months and is my Left-Hand." He gave his stump a wiggle. "She will elaborate on the objective from here." The woman stood up, her hands opening and closing.
"On arrival, and once secure, we will split into teams. White, Blue and Green. White team will be headed up by Dr. Wu. He will liaise with his colleagues as to their particular plans. Blue Team will be looked after by myself and Kurt. Blue Team will be in charge of security and logistical movements and will ensure the safety of everyone. Green Team will fall under our remit and will comprise of Hal Priest," the man at the projector gave a wave, "Valerie Norton and Alejandro Arias. Mr. Arias will be keeping us all fed, while Hal and Valerie are our I.T engineers and technicians. They will support White Team with their endeavours and ensure operations are…operational." Catherine cast a stern eye on the crowd, almost in challenge.
"How will we be supplied?" This from Valerie. A thin woman with a head of outrageously curly hair.
"We will have a months' worth of supplies with us to start,'' replied Catherine. "Food, equipment and clothing. That will include nicotine patches and gum, for any of you that smoke." She looked pointedly at Perry, who did not look impressed, frowning through a cloud of smoke. "After that, weekly drops will be made by our capable pilots. Mr and Mrs Chiles?" Two people sat together raised their hands and nodded. The man had a pair of aviators perched on his head. Beth wondered if all pilots were issued them when they passed their exams.
"What about the animals?" asked Pat, rubbing at his jaw thoughtfully. Catherine took a long deep breath, then crossed over to the cabinet with the folders on top. She passed the stack to Jill.
"Pass these around, Dr. Manning," she said bluntly. Jill took a folder and then passed the pile along. Wasn't long before one was sat in Beth's lap. She thumbed through it, seeing various pages and print outs of the animals, a map of Sorna and what looked like schematics of various buildings and compounds. Red circles had been drawn around certain places on the maps, with handwritten annotations to the typed information which accompanied the pages of the animals. Animals she'd helped create, if only on Nublar. She looked at each one in silent awe, absently trailing a finger down an image of a pachycephalosaurus. Kurt cleared his throat again.
"Hal, if you'd put up the first slide. We'll start with the vegans." Hal sniffed as he fished a slide from a stack on his little table, placing it on the projector and lining it up. An image of a stegosaur and triceratops appeared. Kurt jabbed the image with his stick. "Before he died, and before that absolute shit cake of a fiasco in San Diego, Hammond organised a team to document the animals on Sorna. He had thermal imaging technology which assisted his team with the location of the various species, in your packs you should have details of where their movements were noted. Of all the leaf munching ones, these two species are the biggest threat to us. They are very migratory. Give them a wide berth. Next."
The image vanished and the next showed a carnivore. Beth found she nibbled her lip as she looked at the slender form of the crested dilophosaurus. Kurt cleared his throat. Beth was beginning to wonder if he had something permanently stuck there.
"Now then. These nasty little cunts are ones to definitely avoid, which goes for all of the carnivores. Hell, it goes for all of the damn dinosaurs. The less we see of them, the less they see of us. But the dilophosaurus numbers have increased since ninety-three. They are a widespread species and have been known to travel all over the island. The territory of the larger or more aggressive predators means that the dilophosaurus can be found in unusual places. Next."
The image of a velociraptor appeared. Kurt looked at it for a few quiet moments, a deep and dark frown settling on his face. He used the tip of his pointer to smooth the tip of his moustache.
"We all know these ones," he rumbled. Beth saw Catherine adopt a frown of her own now, her eyes almost boring into the projector screen. She rubbed at the scar on her arm. "Arguably the most dangerous dinosaur that InGen created." Beth watched Dr. Wu make the slightest of twitches. "We all heard the rumours of what happened on Nublar with the resident raptors when the Park went to hell. It's believed these animals killed at least two members of staff that were there during the incident." Kurt rubbed at his moustache again and cleared his throat. "One of those being Robert Muldoon."
"I heard the pack on Sorna bagged Muldoon's second and a load of others who went missing,'' said Pat. "That true?"
"Nah, that's not what I heard happened?" This from a man Beth didn't recognise. He grinned a wolfish grin, cracking two or three knuckles. "Wasn't the dinosaurs killed those people. Sorna is haunted now…"
"Yes, thank you Dr. McCallister," cut in Kurt. "Idle rumour is not necessary here. Nor those well-worn ghost stories we've all heard." McCallister chuckled and settled back in his seat, looking as if the disappearance of people was something to enjoy. Others seemed to share his thoughts, grinning in similar fashion.
Kurt cleared his throat. "Now, as I was saying. These animals are extremely intelligent, extremely strong and fucking aggressive. The good news is their territory is noted as being here," he slapped the screen where there was a circle around a dot on a map of the island. "The grasslands surrounding the old Worker Village are where they nest. The Embryonics Lab is far from there. All being well, the raptors won't even know we are there."
The next few slides went by, each showing a different carnivore, increasing in size and with an accompanying bit of babble from Kurt about where they were found and how obviously dangerous they were. Baryonyx, carnotaurus and allosaurus all appeared and disappeared in turn, each seeming to also increase the nervous tapping of the man next to Beth. In fact, he was looking a shade pale now. Perhaps the doubts were digging deeper in him than anyone else and he was wondering if he'd made the right decision to go back. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, her hand straying to her necklace.
The next slide appeared and Beth felt her pulse quicken. The profile of a tyrannosaur dominated the screen. The animal that the world had seen now, bringing disbelief and intrigue with it. And death. She didn't know why seeing this one made her realise the danger they were all facing by going back. She knew the animals were loose, and that they had been for years now. They were breeding, flourishing and the island was theirs. Almost felt wrong to be encroaching on it now. She shook the thought away. Science brought all of it to life. Science would do it all again, and more, and she would be a part of that. Regardless of the dangers. She flinched as Kurt cleared his throat, the sound already becoming quite annoying.
"Now for the big guys. The movements of the Rexes is widespread. As at last count, there are five adults on Sorna, one sub-adult and one infant. Yes, the same infant from San Diego. There are two mated pairs, and one roaming adult female. With the exception of the sub-adult and infant, they are all from the same group originally bred nearly ten years ago. The island is mostly divided between the two mated pairs and the single female. As we understand, the Embryonics Lab falls within that female's domain. If any of you remember the blue tyrannosaur with the hiss, that's her."
There were a few nods. The man beside Beth had gone still now.
"Let me re-iterate,'' said Catherine suddenly, standing up. "Our operation is to be conducted within the Lab. If there is occasion to move outside the complex, it will be minimal. To that end, there should be no instances of contact with the animals. In the event there is contact and anyone is injured, if the injury is not severe we will patch you up as best we can. If its…a bit more complicated than that, you will be airlifted out as soon as possible and dropped as close as possible to the nearest hospital. You will be disavowed from this operation at that moment and on your own. Is that clear?" She swept them all with that look again, a look that spoke volumes. Beth got the impression that was the best they could hope for in terms of humanitarian compassion from the woman. Kurt tapped the floor with his stick.
"I hope you all followed that. If you didn't," he took a breath, as if the thought caused him physical pain, "then you have details in your packs. You'll be woken at four AM tomorrow, I want everyone to be ready in good order. Now, are there any final questions? And yes, it is too late to back out now."
A silence settled on the group, everyone perhaps contemplating their own worries or excitement for the project. Or almost everyone. The man beside Beth was thumbing through his pack now, and Beth could see a slight tremble to his hands. People were beginning to get up now that the briefing had reached a conclusion, threading their way back outside or to the room with the cots. Kurt was saying something about food in an hour. Beth leant over to the young man.
"Hi," she said quietly. Bright eyes slid round to look at her. "You ok?" He regarded her in silence, a small twitch to his lip.
"I…" he started, looking like the concept of talking was a mystery. It was a bit painful to look at.
"I'm Beth. Do you want to get some fresh air? You look like you need it." He had a go at a smile.
"Sure. Uh, I'm Sam." He offered her a hand, the formality of it seeming a bit odd amongst the nature of why they were there. She shook it, feeling a strong grip, if not a bit twitchy.
"Nice to meet you Sam,'' said Beth. They stood together, pushing the chairs out of the way and making for the door outside. In the hall, Perry and another man looked like they were unboxing some food of some sort in a corner. "You ever done anything like this before then?"
"Not exactly,'' said Sam, shielding his eyes as he stepped out into the garden area. "Uh, you?"
"Not exactly,'' said Beth, feeling a flurry of the nerves. "Still, sounds like they've got it covered." She gave him an encouraging smile, finding it refreshing to reassure someone else instead of herself. They looked at the various members of the group, a strange and motley gathering preparing for a strange few months. "I'm sure everything will be fine."
XXXXX
The gecko darted along the branch, legs moving in a blur and tongue flashing in the night. The fly squirmed and buzzed frantically as it stuck to the end of the tongue before it was dragged inside the gecko's mouth, a single leg sticking out of the pale green lips of the lizard. A successful hunt. And now to move onto the next one. Movement caught the gecko's eye below and it scampered around the branch, hiding itself from the shapes on the ground.
In the distance, through the hunting ground of familiar trees and bushes, the single light from the big shape where the creatures below had gathered during the daytime shone and cast long shadows against the edge of the forest. There were two of the creatures below now. Two black shapes facing each other. The gecko watched them, ready to run should they be hunting. Their movements seemed tense, but it did not detect threat. It watched, tilting its head. They made low noise now. The gecko listened, uninterested.
"You ready to do this then?" This from the smaller of the two shapes. The bigger one seemed to be the more tense of the two. The gecko could see it in its body.
"I'll have to be. You sure there's no other way though?"
"I've been trying for months now," said the small shape. A low huff or hiss of some kind now. "It has to be this way." A huff of air from the bigger shape now, still tense.
"And the others? You're really comfortable with this plan? With what it could do to them?"
"Whatever it takes. That's what we agreed. They made their choices anyway. Just like we made ours."
The was a longer silence now. The gecko flicked its tail.
"You really sure you're ready to go back? After what happened? What you went through?" This from the tense shape. The gecko did not understand why it was so agitated. The smaller shape looked at the ground.
"I'm sure." The smaller shape made a slow movement, producing something and looking at it in their hand. Light glinted of its surface, like a flash of moonlight on water. "I've not come this far to stop now."
"Then let's finish this. Come on, let's get back before anyone notices. Anyway, I'll need a bit of sleep before we start this all over again."
The two shapes slipped away through the trees, back towards the big wooden shape where the other creatures were. Silence returned to the forest.
The gecko watched them go, uninterested. It carried on hunting.