Disclaimer: I do not own the Jurassic Park/World franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind.
31. Battlefield
When Gwyn arrived on Isla Nublar in 1993, she had been swept across the jungle in a red and beige jeep, with the number eighteen emblazoned on the side. It had been the––literal––vehicle that delivered her to what she thought was her ultimate dream. It was what booted her into her worst nightmares. But it stood out as a constant in the good parts of that twenty-four hour period. It lingered against the backdrop of the initial awe and giddiness. Once Gwyn had left the island and the nightmare behind, she hadn't given the jeep much thought; or any of the vehicles, really. She supposed that they were left to decay where they'd been abandoned, be it by the docks, in the jungle, or on the roadside.
But it was the number eighteen jeep that Gwyn was staring at, sheltered in the wide mouth of a concrete garage. It had certainly seen better days––the roll-cage had leafy vines wrapped around it, the body was rusting, and the paint-job was dulled by age, weather, and dirt. In her mind's eye she could see it as it had once been, practically brand new, with younger herself nestled between her father and Ian Malcolm. Of all the memories that had struck her, practically disabled her, this one did not. It struck her with a strange sense of nostalgia, one that almost turned her stomach. For that jeep carried all the naïvety and innocence that had been shattered shortly after leaving the vehicle. It made her a little breathless.
Gwyn took in the car-shaped empty space to the left of the remaining jeep. There were very obviously tire tracks that cut through the muck on the floor. On the ground was a grey hoodie, sprawled out like someone had laid down on it to get a look at the underside of the car.
"Look––they must have managed to get one of these beasts up and running again," she exhaled.
"Do you know where this road leads?" Owen asked.
Gwyn turned her gaze away from the jeep and turned it over to Owen. He jerked his head over his shoulder, into what initially appeared to be a continuation of the jungle. But upon a closer look, it was clear that it had once been a dirt road. Nature had long since reclaimed it. Tree branches had grown in a slight arch, betraying that they had once been shorn to clear a path. Scrub brush had overtaken the former road, which left leaves and fronds to skim at the ankles. That greenery came to a harsh stop at the edge of a slab of cement that created the floor of the garage. Gwyn's eyelids fluttered and she shook her head.
"No, I never traveled the old service roads. This is the back of the center, we only ever came in or left through the front." Her teeth sank into her lower lip, which was worried anxiously. They were so close to finding the boys, so damn close. Suddenly, Gwyn snapped her fingers in realization. "Lowery mentioned that some of the old service roads were repurposed for the current ones. Even if this one is void, it's gotta connect to one that'll get us back to the resort."
Owen started to nod, eyes snapping to the remaining vehicle. "Then all we gotta do is follow the road," he announced.
Gwyn huffed a short exhale and slapped a hand against Owen's back, the gesture encouraging. "Let's get this baby up and running then." She stepped into the garage, careful not to let her toe catch against the cement lip of the floor. The air inside was cool and musty; it smelled of decaying leaves and moisture.
"You sure sound like you've perked up," Owen commented. Gwyn glanced over her shoulder to find that he'd followed her inside. He arched his eyebrows at her as he leaned his rifle up against the side of the jeep. An exhale fled Gwyn's mouth, and a smile quickly quirked up the corners of her lips.
"We can conceivably catch up with those boys, Owen," she breathed. She dropped a hand on the hood and let out a nearly relieved laugh. "We're so close to getting them out. If I'm being honest, this positivity is probably adrenaline driven, so I can't guarantee how long it'll last."
A smile briefly flickered across his face; he nodded in understanding and reached in through the driver's side. "Then let's ride that wave of adrenaline." He turned the keys, which were still waiting in the ignition. Nothing. Not even a click.
"How did they even get one of these things started?" he muttered.
"Beats me," Gwyn breathed. She pulled her hand off the hood, taking away twenty some years of grime and dirt with it. With a grimace, she dashed her palm against her shorts, and turned towards a workbench and a set of shelves, which were pressed flush against the back wall. The shelves didn't yield much of anything––some empty boxes, dirty hardhats, old walkie-talkies. She let out a little 'ah-hah' upon spotting the key to solving their mystery. "Found some old jumper cables."
It was then, as Owen moved to the hood of the car, when Gwyn's eyes alighted on the only pop of color in the dingy room. Sitting on the corner of the bench was a headset, made of mottled green and once vibrant yellow plastic. She had seen a pair of them only once before, perched atop a young Tim Murphy's head. A disbelieving exhale puffed through her lips; just as she reached out to touch them, just as she heard Owen unlatching the hood––the ground trembled. Dust and dirt rained down from the ceiling. The sound of cracking wood echoed from the jungle.
It took little to no time for Gwyn to throw herself to the ground, shoulder colliding with the front of the jeep. She knew that sound. The sound of oversized feet colliding with the ground. Of an oversized body crashing into trees. Her heart seized inside her chest, cramping painfully in the grasp of fear. But unlike earlier, when Gwyn had been startled into a catatonic state, she was able to reach out and grab at Owen. She curled her fingers into his belt loops and pulled, urging him to the ground. He ducked into a crouch just as the rumbling resounded through the garage a second time. His hand shot out and planted itself on Gwyn's bare knee. Fingers slowly curled to give a reassuring squeeze––just as Owen leaned out to peek around the front of the jeep. And just as he did, there was another footstep… right inside the mouth of the garage. He rocked back immediately, jaw tense.
A rumbling snarl tore through the air.
And then it came again.
And again.
The Indominus' harsh breathing got closer and closer. Because the garage was just large enough for it to stick its head inside.
That was when Gwyn felt her muscles start to seize up. Her eyes rolled towards Owen, not daring to move her head. He was staring at her, wide-eyed, lips puckered in a silent hush. Gwyn carefully moved a hand to clutch at the one that still sat against her knee. Just beyond the top of the jeep's hood, she could see the Indominus' snout, its flaring nostrils. Her eyes widened in horror, terrified tears threatening to build up and spill over. She felt Owen's fingers tighten around her knee with almost painful pressure. A bid to look at him, to look away; and when she did, he quirked his brows in a silent promise. 'We'll be okay.'
A scream very nearly tore from Gwyn's throat when the Indominus started to nudge the jeep. The vehicle rocked and its metal body groaned as two of its tires were lifted off the ground. Rancid, hot breath washed over them, which spurred a lurch in her stomach. She clenched her eyes shut, twisted her head away, and pressed her lips together. When the jeep dropped with a sudden jolt and a loud crash, Gwyn's fingers tightened almost bruisingly over Owen's. She listened as the snarling slowly retreated. When quiet overtook the garage once more, she felt Owen start to worm his hand out from under her grasp. That hand rose and pressed a singular finger to his lips, then he pointed to himself and gestured around the jeep.
Gwyn watched as Owen leaned out around the hood of the jeep, movements deliberate and slow. He shifted onto his knees and stretched out around the side of the vehicle. When he returned to his previous sitting position, his gun was clutched to his chest. And as his eyes locked with Gwyn's, there was a moment of pure silence.
And then a cricket started to chirp.
There was no sound alluding to the presence of the monster that they'd just encountered. The ground didn't tremble under giant feet. Trees didn't snap by the whipping of a tail. There was no growling. By all intents and purposes, it seemed that the Indominus was gone.
Simultaneously, both Owen and Gwyn let out a long held breath. Gwyn's head dropped forward and her shoulders slumped. Just that single minute of terror had left her energy feeling sapped. She reached a hand out and dropped it against Owen's thigh; it was all she could manage as a 'thank you.'
And then the roof was torn open with a thunderous roar.
The Indominus ripped and tore at the rotting roof, debris raining down heavily. Gwyn instinctively twisted away, and hauled herself to her feet. There was a doorway just to her right, one that led straight into the visitor's center; she launched herself through it, and tripped into a wall. Slouched against it, she caught eye of Owen skipping out of the room just as the jeep was thrust forward and into a wall of concrete. He unceremoniously grabbed the sleeve of her button down and yanked, dragging her off the wall and down the hall. The two of them spilled out into the main lobby, casting terrified glances over their shoulders. They started to sprint towards the door, weaving and leaping over historic debris. Owen managed to launch himself out of the––already open––door, and he paused at the bottom of the stairs, hand outstretched for Gwyn to take.
But Gwyn ignored the hand and leapt over the cracked, uneven steps. Once she landed, she was off running again, searching for somewhere, anywhere to hide. When she caught sight of a large toppled tree surrounded by ferns, she decided it was as good a place to bivouac as any. She threw herself over the top of it, crashed to the ground gracelessly, and disappeared beneath quivering fronds. Not long after, Owen dropped down beside her; he pulled her tight against him, and pressed the two of them back against the tree trunk as much as he could. They hunkered there as they listened to the sound of distant crashing and roaring.
Gwyn lifted her head from where she'd sheltered it in the crook of Owen's neck. Just as she lifted her head, he dropped his. Their foreheads knocked together and she felt her nose squish against his. She focused on the sound of his breath rushing between parted lips. The smell of sweat and dirt. The way the cotton of his shirt felt curled between her fingers. The weight of his arm around her waist. It was enough to start calming her racing heart, just as a helicopter buzzed overhead. And in the direction that the helicopter moved, the sounds of the Indominus followed.
"Gwyn," Owen breathed. She felt one of his hands rise to clasp her cheek, felt him pull his head away from hers. "Gwyn, look at me." When her eyes opened, they immediately met his, which were steeled in a look of determination. "We have to follow the Indominus." Her hands tightened in his shirt. Owen's face crept a little closer. "The boys are gonna be fine, that car's gonna get them back to the resort. But we gotta let the folks at command know where she's going. Alright?"
A slow, deep breath pulled in through Gwyn's nose. She started to nod, eyes not once straying from Owen's. Her fingers went slack so her hands just rested against his chest. They were stranded in the jungle with a monster and dwindling options. Going after the boys was only feasible with a car, which they no longer had. They could try and follow the road on foot and get back to the resort, but that would mean they'd lose the location of the Indominus again. That couldn't happen. Because so long as that thing was loose, the potential for major disaster rocketted ever upwards. It was the most logically illogical choice to pick.
As Gwyn pondered the choice that they were making, a sense of resolve hardened within her chest. She was tired of being scared. The whole day had put her through the ringer, throwing worst fear after worst fear at her. It had rendered her a shaking, crying, useless mess. And Gwyn was over it. The way her body physically reacted, she couldn't help; but she could help the way she approached the situation. She could think about it with doom and gloom––or she could square up to it with determination and a confidence that she could get through this. She had done it before, she could do it again––and she could pull everyone through with her.
The glassiness of fear in her eyes hardened. It resolved into something steadfast and unwavering. "Alright," she said. "Let's do it."
Owen's thumb swept across the curve of her cheekbone, the pad of it rough. Before she could register the sudden proximity, his lips pressed against her forehead firmly. They lingered against her sweaty skin a moment before he was rising to his feet. The fleeting little kiss was a bright moment in a day of darkness. It left her shoulders relaxing, the tightness in her chest loosening. The brief brush with affection reminded her that this wasn't something she had to do alone; and it made her realize that that was how she'd been treating the situation all day. As though she'd been alone. But she hadn't been, and she wouldn't be. And what a relief that was. So when Owen offered a hand to help pull her to her feet, she accepted it with a firm grip, and let him haul her to her feet.
"I'll call Lowery, keep him updated; maybe he can be our man on the inside." Gwyn smirked a little and pulled her phone out of her pocket. The screen wasn't faring much better than earlier; the crack had spidered and dirt had found its way into the fractures. "He'd love the sound of that, 'man on the inside'…"
"Can we trust him?" Owen asked, tone genuinely wary.
Gwyn arched a wry eyebrow. "If he was loyal to InGen I don't think we'd be friends. Aside from you and the boys at the paddock, Lowery's one of the only people I really trust on this damn island."
Owen tipped his head in a nod and shouldered his gun. "Then give him a call. See if he can get Claire to have ACU approve lethal force."
Thumbs tapped at the cracked screen, selecting Lowery's contact as the two started to jog further into the jungle. It was harder than expected to keep concentrated on the phone, and the uneven terrain, even with the phone pressed against her ear.
"Gwyn!" exclaimed Lowery in a hushed voice. "Where are you? Claire came back and said that you and Owen were––"
"We found her, Lowery, we found the Indominus," Gwyn cut off in a pant. "We're, uh… South of the Gyrosphere Valley. Chasing her away from the old visitor's center."
"You're following the dinosaur? Gwyn, you're… Wait. You could be headed towards the Aviary, that's just south of the old park."
"Is it possible you could get Claire to convince ACU to get out here? Gun this thing down?" she huffed out. She avoided tripping over a root, which twisted out of the ground in a low arch.
"ACU is already in the air." Lowery's tone was apologetic, almost; there was a wince in it. "They approved it just before Claire came back, Masrani took the helicopter."
"Masrani is flying a helicopter!?" Gwyn sputtered.
"Yeah, we couldn't stop him, it's been a whole thing. Look, I'll have the information radioed in to him, put him on the scent. And I'll see if we've got anyone available to grab you and Owen at the Aviary," Lowery told her. "Just… be safe, please."
"We will be––and let Claire know her nephews are headed back to the park in an old park jeep!" With that, Gwyn ended the call and devoted the whole of her attention to maneuvering through the jungle.
As they progressed, the landscape changed. The thicket of the jungle turned into tall grass and tall, thin trees. Neither Gwyn or Owen talked as they ran; the only words exchanged were 'this way' for direction, or 'branch' as a warning. By the time they were free of any kind of foliage, their legs were aching, they were dripping in sweat, breathing hard. They had arrived at a grassy cliff, from which they could see the verdant valley where the aviary was nestled. It was a great glass dome that was cradled on one side by craggy, tree-covered mountains. But from that cliff, it was impossible to see anything beneath the canopy of trees below. Just as Owen and Gwyn stumbled to a weak-kneed stop, a helicopter buzzed overhead. It swept in towards the aviary with purpose, its course true.
Gwyn bent forward at the waist, hands braced against her knees. She huffed out a breath and let her head hang forward for a moment.
"She's gotta be down there somewhere…" she panted.
"Looks like they've honed in on something," Owen huffed.
When Gwyn straightened up, she smoothed her hands across her sweaty forehead, and through her hair to keep it out of her face. The helicopter had started to hover over one spot, wobbling in the air from side-to-side with the air of an inexperienced pilot. That was when the gunfire started––loud and repeated and piercing. It was impossible not to notice the slight jump of Owen's shoulders at the sudden start of the sound. They watched, helpless, as the helicopter chased the unseen Indominus. And then the gunfire stopped. The silence was tense and eerie.
"Do you think…?" Gwyn couldn't think to finish the question, as though that would jinx it.
"I dunno…" Owen's grip tightened around the grip of his gun. "But I don't like it. That amount of gunfire couldn't have killed it, it should've taken more."
The answer to their question came with the sudden appearance of winged creatures from the base of the aviary. A group of pterosaurs swept skywards, towards the helicopter, having broken free from the glass dome. It was with a cold wash of realization that Gwyn realized what had happened. ACU had stopped firing because the Indominus had breached the aviary. It was no longer just a frankensaur on the loose––it was a handful of flying dinosaurs, too.
"Oh my god…" Gwyn uttered in a quavering voice.
"Shit," Owen bit out under his breath.
The pterosaurs had converged on the helicopter, swarming it aggressively. Gunfire started up, but only briefly; because even from where they stood, it was easy to see that the helicopter rocked, and a man inside tumbled out. He was only hanging for a moment before a pterosaur swept in, snapped him up, and darted away. The helicopter started to sway and spiral as the dinosaurs repeatedly snapped at and attacked it. It wasn't long after that it completely went into a tailspin, and then crashed into and through the top of the aviary's dome.
The eerie silence returned only for a moment––and after that moment a swarm of pterosaurs poured out of the new hole. They immediately spread out into the sky, their silhouettes striking and dark against the sky. When it was evident that they were flying towards them, Gwyn batted at Owen's arm.
"Run," she breathed. Both of them started to back up, eyes locked on the approaching creatures in horror. "Run!"
"Trees! The trees! Go, go!"
Both of them twisted around and started to run back the way they came, seeking the shelter that the trees caused. The croaking calls of the pterosaurs grew closer and closer and closer––till Gwyn felt Owen grab her round the waist and throw them both to the ground. A pterodactyl swooped over their heads, screeching an awful sound as it missed them and kept flying. Gwyn twisted around a little to peer back at the aviary, unaware of the soft thud of her phone falling out of her pocket. More and more winged dinosaurs poured from the aviary, taking to the skies and flocking in the same direction.
They were all headed towards the resort.
OOOO
By the time that they stumbled back onto resort property, everything was kicking off.
Staff anxiously darted this-way-and-that as a PA announcement warned them of the containment breach. Vehicles sped by, flecks of dirt and debris sprayed up by the wheels. It was pure and utter chaos. Gwyn stood in the middle of the curving, cracked road, watching as people flitted about in a growing panic. It was exactly the chaos she would have pictured Jurassic Park had descended into, had it been fully operational at the time of its downfall. The energy, hectic and electric, was foreboding. A daunting reminder of what had happened, and a warning of what it could become. What it would become if something wasn't done about it.
"Hey!" Owen called. Gwyn twisted around to find him sat astrive an ATV, the engine revving. "Get on!"
She bounded over, was shoulder-checked by a wide-eyed facilities worker, and leapt onto the back of the ATV. Her hands braced against his shoulders to keep balance, her fingers curling against taut muscle. They jostled forward and sped off down the road, which curved and wove through the jungle. They swerved to avoid park employees and vehicles alike. For as much as the park touted that their employees were ready for anything, their reactions to the breach proved that they, in fact, were not. The chaos only ramped up while they drove; more people were crowding the roads, and the shadows of approaching pterosaurs sliced across the sunny ground. Gwyn couldn't help but tip her head back as they drove, her hair whipping round her face, to watch the winged dinosaurs swoop by.
Upon reaching the main resort's maintenance alleys, the ATV stopped dead. Too many panicked workers were milling around to keep on driving. Just as Owen climbed off, a man passed by and thrust a tranquilizer gun into his hands. A PA announcement informed everyone that they were to tranquilize the pterosaurs, not shoot them dead. All the while, on the other side of the wall, the sound of horrified screams perforated the air. The sound of terror and pain and death. A gruff sound tore from Gwyn's mouth as she jumped off the ATV. And just as her feet touched the ground, a tranq gun was shoved into her hands as well. The weight of it put what was about to happen into harsh perspective.
"Shit," Gwyn breathed, voice cracking. Her heart had climbed up into her throat, where it throbbed anxiously.
"Just remember what I told you earlier," Owen attempted to assure. Gwyn looked up, eyes wide.
"Owen, you gave me a two minute crash course!"
He arched his eyebrows with a little more attitude than necessary. "Then it's a good thing that it's not firing bullets." A high-pitched laugh tore through Gwyn's lips. She was holding the tranq gun like it was about to explode. Owen wrangled an arm around her waist and pulled her in the direction the crowd was moving. "Just stick by me and you'll be fine."
"Way to sound like a cheap action hero," she muttered under her breath. Gwyn fumbled to get a better hold on the gun, silently willing her fingers to stop shaking. "These things aren't gonna make a big difference in the long run, they know that right?"
There was a heavy sigh from Owen; a silent way of saying he agreed. "I think they're still clinging to the hope they'll pull out of this; they want to save the assets." They rounded a corner and everyone ahead of them started to jog, jog straight towards a set of open doors that led right into the park. "Get ready."
Gwyn held the tranq gun close to her chest as they followed suit and started to jog. The screaming got louder, the sun got brighter and hotter. It felt like she was entering into one of those scenes in a war film, where the soldiers storm the battlefield for the first time. It was overwhelming. It was terrifying. The day had escalated in a way she would not have expected; this was so far beyond anything that had happened in ninety-three. For as awful as it had been, trekking through the jungle while on the run from a dinosaur was something that Gwyn could do. It was her 'area,' so to speak. But this? The battlefield that had overtaken the resort streets? That was Owen's area.
Maybe sticking by him really was the best idea, no matter how cheesy it had sounded.
The streets were a perfect mess. Tables and chairs and kiosk carts were overturned on the ground. People were falling and scraping skin across the pavement, while others were being pursued or attacked or carried off by pterosaurs. Windows had been shattered, roofs had been torn up. It was the real life version of a disaster movie set, and it was soul rattling. While the horrific awe of the landscape had struck Gwyn, Owen had been nothing but business. He headed a group of men with tranq guns, all of whom stopped when he did, and started to fire into the air. Pterodactyls and dimorphodons were swooping and diving, snapping monstrous jaws at terrified patrons. And just as Gwyn raised her tranq gun to try her hand at firing––a familiar face caught her eye.
"Claire!" she cried out, the butt of her gun still nestled against her shoulder.
Claire, who had come running around the corner, whipped her head around upon hearing her name called. Her hair was a wild mess, curling in the humidity, sticking to sweaty skin. Her clothes were dirtier than the last time Gwyn had seen her, which spoke of difficulties returning to the resort. It was, admittedly, a relief to see her safe; and a look that reflected that feeling washed over Claire's face.
"Oh, thank god!" she exclaimed. She darted over to Gwyn, heels clacking wildly against the pavement.
"What're you doing out here?!" Gwyn practically had to shout over the cacophony of sound. She reached out a hand to grasp Claire's arm, a gesture that the other woman mirrored.
"My nephews are here!"
"Here here?"
"Yes! They came through the West Gate," Claire panted, throwing a hand out to gesture towards the mentioned gate. "They're out here somewhere, I just don't know where."
"I'll help you look for them."
Claire nodded frantically, thankfully, and turned her attention to the swarm of ever-moving people. She climbed atop an overturned kiosk, which let her stand a little taller. Gwyn made a sound of protest––as it made her more of a target––but followed, tranq gun at the ready. One pterodactyl swept in close, and with a squeeze of her finger, Gwyn fired a dart into its neck. It squaked and banked, swooping away from them. She continued to keep her eyes and gun pointed skyward.
"Zach! Gray!" Claire cried, voice carrying over the overwhelming chatter and screams.
"Do you see them?" Gwyn asked.
The answer came in the call of "Aunt Claire!"
"There!" Claire squeaked in relief, thrusting a pointed finger outwards.
Gwyn dropped her gaze from the sky and scanned the crowd in the direction she'd been pointed in. Her eyes narrowed and flickered around, jumping from face-to-face-to-face till she landed on two boys sprinting towards them. A pterodactyl was bearing down on them, beak snapping in anticipation "Red shirt?" When she received a nod, Gwyn swore under her breath and thrust the tranq gun into Claire's arms. "Take this, stay here!" With that, Gwyn leapt off the kiosk and began to sprint towards the boys. She ran at them, waving her arms towards the ground frantically. "Get down! Get down!"
The pterodactyl was swooping down for the kill. its massive wingspan took out umbrellas, shattered windows, sliced through awnings, and knocked down people as it got closer to the ground. The older boy, with wide eyes, met Gwyn's gaze as he ran; she gestured down at the ground again.
"Get down!"
The older boy grabbed the younger one and dove for the ground, just as the pterodactyl's belly hit the pavement with destructive force. It slid towards them, pointed beak threatening to make impact. The boys scrambled backwards, till their backs were pressed flush against the wall of a snackbar. By the time the dinosaur stopped sliding, the tip of its bill was no less than half a foot away from their faces. It was motionless, it made no move to attack; the impact had likely ended its life.
Gwyn slid to a stop beside them, the soles of her shoes grating shattered glass into the pavement. The boys were staring at the pterodactyl in disbelief, the older of the two bracing a protective arm across his brother's chest. She braced a hand against the wall the boys were leaned up against and offered the other. Their heads snapped upwards, and they fixed her with wide-eyed, shocked stares.
"Zach and Gray?" she panted. Both of them nodded, a little dazed. "C'mon, let's get you to your aunt."
The older boy––who she believed to be Zach––grabbed hold of her hand, his fingers trembling against hers. Gwyn pulled, assisting him in slipping out from between the wall and the pterodactyl. When she turned back to assist Gray, there was a slight furrow of recognition between his brows. His lips parted like he was about to ask a question, but he said nothing. Gwyn pulled him to his feet and nodded for the boys to follow her.
The kiosk was close by, but the way was not clear. They would jog a couple of steps, stop as frightened tourists crossed their path, run a few more and then have to duck as a pterosaur buzzed their heads. When they were half-way there, Gwyn caught sight of something sweeping towards them from the corner of her eye. She had just enough time to push Gray into Zach, which sent the two stumbling aside. Just as the dimorphodon descended, Gwyn threw her left arm up to block its talons from getting her face. It worked––but that meant those talons sliced across and into her upper arm. The force of the swooping hit sent her to ground, and the dimorphodon screeched at her hungrily. Its talons remained embedded in her arm, effectively pinning it down. She shoved her free hand against its neck, a bid to keep its teeth away from her face. Gwyn's heart was hammering inside her chest. The thing was heavy, it was strong. It would only be so long before her arm gave out and let its jaws snap down around her face.
A sandwich board suddenly swung into view, colliding with the dinosaur perched atop Gwyn. The creature let out a strangled sound, disoriented suddenly. The sandwich board swung back around, with all the force of a baseball bat. This time the dimorphodon released her arm, and just in time for another hit. It tumbled aside, producing angry sounds which only intensified as the board was dropped atop it. Those sounds ceased when a tranq dart embedded itself into the creature's body. Gwyn gaped up at none other than Zach, who had been wielding the board. He was breathing hard and his eyes looked a little wild.
"Y'alright?" he panted.
Gwyn looked over at her arm, realizing for the first time that it hurt. There were slashes cut into the fabric of her sleeve, and blood had started to pool beneath and stain it. She turned back to Zach and nodded.
"Thanks to you, yeah," she breathed. She maneuvered back to her feet and flinched as she batted grit off of the now skinned flesh of her right leg. The scratches on her arm were throbbing and burning, and she could feel blood starting to trickle down her arm. "C'mon, let's go."
When they returned to the overturned kiosk, they came across a completely different scene. Owen was sprawled across the ground, face turned away from the snapping jaws of a dimorphodon. Its claws were digging into his chest, and his hands were pushing at it with all the strength he could muster. Gwyn's heart lurched in horror. She leapt one step forward––unsure of what she was going to do, but she had to do something––but then froze when Claire leapt off the kiosk. She bashed the butt of the tranq gun against the dinosaur's head with bruising force. When it slumped and Owen tossed it aside, she proceeded to fire three darts into its body, effectively neutralizing the threat. Gwyn, Zach, and Gray all wore matching expressions of surprise.
"Is that Aunt Claire?" Zach voiced, clearly thrown by what he'd just seen.
"Yes," Gwyn exhaled. She nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "It is."
Claire, breathing hard, tossed the gun down, and offered a hand to Owen. She helped to pull him up, the first amiable interaction they'd had all day. He stared at her, almost shocked, and inclined his head in silent thanks. She returned the nod before she took notice of the trio watching from the sidelines. Her head whipped around and a gasp pulled from her throat.
"It's them!" she exclaimed. She released Owen's hand and booked it towards them. "Zach! Gray!" When she reached them, her hands immediately found Gray's shoulders, which she squeezed in relief. Tears had welled in her eyes and started to cut across her flushed cheeks. "Oh, my god!" She cut her eyes over at Gwyn, who was stood just beyond Zach's shoulder. "Thank you!" It was a breathy, almost broken thanks, which Gwyn accepted with a faint nod. Claire returned her attention to her nephews, clasping Gray's face between her hands frantically.
Gwyn's attention snapped to Owen, who, thankfully, only looked a little rumpled. A wave of relief washed over her; and there was nothing that she wanted to do more than hold him. Check to make sure the dimorphodon's talons hadn't lacerated his skin. Feel the heat of his skin, hear the sound of his breath, have her arms wrapped around him tightly. When he looked up from retrieving his tranq gun, their eyes met. It was all she could do to convey those feelings with her gaze, because there was simply no time for anything else; and by the way that Owen tipped his chin in a slight nod––and how they flickered down to her bloody arm––he understood.
"Thank god! What happened? What is this?" Claire fussed. Her thumb flicked over a scrape on the boy's chin. "Are you okay?! Where did you go?! Why didn't you come back!? I was so worried about you!"
"Hey, we gotta go," Owen urged, nodding back the way that he and Gwyn had come.
"We need to get out of the open," Gwyn agreed.
Claire nodded and grabbed for Gray's shoulder and Zach's arm. "Come on, come on!"
In making their way back into the service alleys, Owen headed the way, walking with the determination of a soldier. The boys stuck close together, eyes darting frantically and jumping at every horrific sound. That pulled at Gwyn's heartstrings more than she could have ever imagined. She took up the rear of the group, walking behind them, ready to reassure and protect as needed. It was a relief when they made it off the public streets, away from the horror. It felt like they could breathe again, if only for a moment. Claire had extracted her phone and put it up to her ear once the noise had died down.
"Lowery, I'm on my way back to you," she said. There was a pause, in which she pulled a face and plugged her other ear with fingers. "What do you mean 'use the raptors'?"
The question stopped Owen cold, his face going stony. There was only one person who would dare pose that as a plan. A cold anger started to bubble up in Gwyn's stomach, her eyes flying to meet Owen's. His eye twitched and he nearly growled.
"Son of a bitch!" he snarled.
"You shouldn't say bitch," Gray piped up innocently.
"Both of you take the kids, get them someplace safe," Owen instructed.
Just as he finished speaking, there was a great rattling sound. The group slowly turned around and faced the large metal door that allowed park vehicles to enter the resort. It was starting to bow in the middle with the force of hundreds of pushing hands. The hunk of wood that was meant to keep it closed was starting to splinter down the middle. It would only be moments before it snapped. And, sure enough, as they all spun back around to make a run for it, the doors burst open.
"Car!" Gwyn shouted.
There was a park vehicle idled in the middle of the alley, which proved to be a convenient escape point. Gwyn jumped in the back with the boys, seated firmly between them. Owen started the car and yanked it into reverse, speeding away from the flood of people pouring in from the resort. Zach and Gray were spouting reassurances and instructions––"you god this!", "go faster!", "damnit, drive!"––from the back. Claire was screaming as the mass of people rushed them. And Gwyn just stared wide eyed at the view of the park that they got through the now open doors; a pterodactyl stood perched atop a display skeleton, flapping its wings and screeching victoriously.
The car jerked to a sudden stop as Owen whipped backwards into a side alley and stopped. They all watched the swarm of people run past, screaming, thrashing, crying, and tripping. Gwyn let out a breath of relief, shoulders slouching.
"This does not feel safe!" Zach announced.
"Can we stay with you?" Gray questioned pleadingly.
"I am never leaving you as long as I live," Claire promised, voice firm.
The response the boys had was nearly immediate.
"No, no!" Gray exclaimed, his hands reaching out to touch Gwyn's arm and Owen's shoulder. "Them!"
Zach muttered a 'no,' pointed at Gwyn, and darted his eyes at Owen.
The air in the car shifted into something heavy and awkward. Gwyn shifted in her seat, legs pulling against the leather seats. She twisted her left arm so she could try and get a better look at her wounds; the sleeve was dark with blood, and it had started to trickle down the exposed skin of her forearm. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Gray had turned his head towards her. She could practically feel his eyes boring into her. When she looked over at him, he quirked his brows.
"You're Gwyn Grant, right?" he asked.
She cleared her throat and nodded, clamping a hand back over her arm. "Yeah, I am."
Gray nodded and looked back out the windshield. "Yeah, definitely them."
Afterword: When I told myself that everything would pick up, I did not expect to have to write three action sequences in one chapter, wow. But, heyo, we've made good headway into the film! It's going faster than I thought, really, which is something!
Review Replies!
MsRosePetal: Lucky for Gwyn, she visited the old park ruins earlier in the story! That's actually partly why I had that scene earlier; so that by the time we got to this point, she wouldn't be put wholly out of commission. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
AlchemyWriter: I, actually, always intended for Claire to still develop into more of a badass. I had always planned to keep her bit with the tranq gun, but I realized that the jungle scenes really only work well with two people. And I do intend on continuing into Fallen Kingdom! And the wrecked car is definitely something that would throw Gwyn for a loop, probably more so than seeing the abandoned park center. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
NicoleR85: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Angel JJK: It's been an age since I wrote it, but I did write Gwyn returning to the visitor's center (it's like, chapter 15 or something like that). Aside from wanting to be nostalgic with it, I wrote it so that Gwyn wouldn't get too caught up in being back at the old park in this scene. I love some good Gwyn/Owen moments, and this one was chock full of 'em! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
monkeybaby: I hope that the chapter lived up to your expectations! Thanks again!
AsAmyAsAlways: I don't know if I deserve the moniker of 'Queen,' but thank you! It's really good to be back and writing again. I realized that the jungle moments were more suited for two people; but also that Owen and Gwyn would have no idea who Zach and Gray were, so she had to come back into play. But a little more badass than before! We'll have a nice little chat with her talking about what went down in HQ while Gwyn and Owen were still out in the jungle. Thank you again; I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Lady of Sign: We're actually going to hear from Claire what went down at HQ once she got back next chapter! I had thought of writing a little moment of it, but it didn't fit in as well as I would have wanted it to. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
AugustRrush: Thank you so much; I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!
Makokam: Sending Claire back made these sequences a lot easier to write. I realized that those scenes were better written between two people, and a lot easier that way, too. Less to try and incorporate and balance evenly. We'll get back to Blue next chapter upon their return to the paddock! I've got lots of fun planned for the stint of time they're at the paddock. And I feel that Gwyn is––slowly––getting to the point where she's saying what you did. Where she's just like 'I've lived this before, I can get through it again.' I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
Guest: Gwyn and Owen's little chats are always fun to write; and always fun to pick and choose where they happen. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
Daydreamerxx: Of course! I'm always happy to get another chapter up. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter; thanks again!
AmericanNidiot: We'll get some good post-island fluff with Owen… some nice massages, like he promised ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
SunflowerRose: I'm happy that you enjoy the story enough to keep rereading both of them! Thanks again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
MageVicky: I'm glad Gwyn being the nudge for Claire to leave worked out well! I figured that they're friendly enough that Gwyn could make her see enough reason and convince her to go. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
And thank you to those that added this to their follows/favorites; it means a lot!
And the ball will keep on rolling next chapter. We'll get some Hoskins (ugh), some of the Girls (huzzah!), and lots of chatting (it'll be fun, I promise). I'm excited for next chapter, I really, really am! Good shit's gonna happen. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter; thanks again, y'all!
~Mary