Happy to be welcomed back with such open arms! Many thanks for the comments and glad to have you all back as well!

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Claire didn't know what more could be done to torture her! Part of her begged to be back at the hospital, ripping it apart, searching for Maisie. She'd left par Owen's orders. She trusted him and had met up with Zia, who was driving them back into California. With their miles, Claire felt a growing ferocity to hunt down whoever took her child. Then there was the part, aching to run away, back through time and all the way back up to the mountain ridge. Owen, her, and Maisie and a cabin by the lake. Funny how she had been anxious to get away a few days ago.

Zia slowed, jerking Claire to attention. She was expecting to see Maisie, but no... a stegosaurus lumbered across the street, its head and tail swinging from side to side. Zia thought a moment, then honked at her. The stegosaurus started, stumbled back, and bore a low, warning moan at them. Claire leaned forward to take in the length of the creature as it came nose-to-nose with Zia's car. "Really?"

Zia shrugged the anxiety off her face. But she yelped along with Claire as the stegosaurus walked past, brushing the car with its thick skin. Claire breathed easier as it shrunk in her sideview mirror; only to jump when its spike broke the back window. Zia cried at the scattered glass. "Seriously?!"

Claire might have teased her... if it had been anything other then a dinosaur! But she only placed her forehead back on the cool glass of her window, watching the land and sky blur by. Somehow the wonder of a stegosaurus was second to her current whirlwind of emotions. What she'd been feeling this past month... emotions she had deemed unnecessary for years. Now they bobbed on the surface, throwing her off balance. Guess I'll never stop fighting for control. And why shouldn't I? Here I am, daring myself to care... and look where it's gotten me.

Zia cleared her throat from her driver's hunch over the wheel. "I'm, like, two seconds away from erupting- pun intended- with questions, Claire. Fill me in, please!"

Claire righted herself, pulling her frazzled ponytail out so she had time to get the facts in order. "A Dr. Lewis ran some tests and found Maisie's immune system basically non existent. Leading me to think that the flu, measles, chicken pox, she's never had them before."

"It's possible," Zia thought aloud. "If she's been restricted to that mansion her whole life. But, I mean, every kid gets a cold."

Claire turned worried eyes at Zia. "What if it's because... of her make-up?"

Zia snorted. "You mean, human womb versus test tube?"

"And I can't get a hold of Iris to ask her." Claire couldn't help wincing. She wanted to be mad at the old caretaker, but Iris was only the guardian of Lockwood's secrets; not the creator of them. "Zia, how could I make a move like this without asking more questions?"

"There wasn't time." Zia shrugged. Claire craved the young paleo-vet's nonchalance. Zia reached over and squeezed her arm. "What's Owen say?"

"He's not answering." Claire exasperated. "Again."

"He's probably processing just like you." Zia said, adjusting her glasses. "But we do need an end game here... call Franklin. We can figure a place to meet up and he'll rely it to Owen. Oh, and Wu."

Claire's jaw dropped at Zia. "Henry? How-"

"Ask Franklin." Zia waved at Claire's phone. She was forcing a task on Claire to keep her mind off Maisie. It was working, Claire punching out Franklin's number with over-needed vigor. Franklin answered on the first ring. "Oh my gosh, Claire. How are you-"

"Franklin, Zia and I are back in California." Claire deflected his inquiry and put her phone on speaker. "We're trying to meet up with Owen, but he's not answering."

"Not to take his side," Franklin swallowed. "But he's got a lot on his plate. Some guys forced him to help break into InGen and Sergeant Terry's making it look like Owen deserted and put him on an arrest list-"

I was better off not knowing. Claire closed her eyes tepidly. Zia exhaled. "Real comforting to hear, Franklin."

"Well there's more-"

"Save it." Zia ordered his silence. "We had to take the 206 and we're on the old CA-88 right now."

"You're practically on a collision course with them," Franklin configured after a moment. "I had to trace some of the gallimus' through those hills... there's a gas station about 57 miles ahead of you, past Garberville. Owen can reach it in about that time. It'll take me closer to 90 minutes though."

"Works." Zia zoomed the GPS on her phone. "Rely that to Owen for us? He'll pick up for you."

Claire looked at her, wondering why Zia didn't take control more often. Not that it was new... just comforting to know that she could.

"I'll get there as soon as I can." Franklin assured them. "I've got something crazy to share."

That was becoming the theme of the day.

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The gas station was abandoned, but the pumps were still taking cards. Dr. Wu was gracious enough to lend some plastic to fill their tank. Owen had grown more tense with the risk, but now felt sweet relief seeing Claire step out of the car with Zia. Her face was worn out, her hair a bright and crazy cascade. He was out of his car and clutched her tresses like an anchor as he kissed her. "You ok?"

Claire clutched his shoulders, staring like he was kidding. "No. No, I'm not."

Owen wanted to pull her in, feel her close to him, but her posture advised against it. He swallowed. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

That jolted Claire slightly from her rigid stance, feeling his bandaged hand. "Apparently, you were busy."

"Who's sharing first?" Zia announced herself with a glare at Dr. Wu. "And, who invited him?"

Dr. Wu returned her dry tone. "I'm not thrilled to be here either."

"Only comfortable with things in cages?" Zia bit out. Dr. Wu ignored her, sending a curt nod to Claire. She straightened her hair. "Henry."

Owen kept his grip on her so she'd look at him. "I told him about Maisie."

Claire blinked. "Wh-"

"I already knew." Dr. Wu exasperated. "And I'm insulted to find that you do."

"And me." Zia waved from across the car. Dr. Wu looked sick at the thought. He glanced at the ground, rubbing his chin. "And none of you have the slightest comprehension-"

"Say it." Owen wheeled on him, at his limit with the guy's pompousness. "See what happens."

"How is he even here?" Claire finally asked.

"He was hiding at InGen." Owen told her, eyes still on the squirmy doctor. "Where the remaining embryos were supposed to be. They weren't."

Claire's eyes lifted, leaving their worry for puzzlement. "The embryos... from the estate?"

"What others could there be." Dr. Wu put in. Owen gestured to Zia and lowered his voice as she joined him and Claire. "We could use them to get Maisie back. Wu moved the embryos yesterday. He was supposed to follow, but then my Russian buddies and I happened."

Any questions stemming from that Claire saved for later, new determination in her eyes. She broke their circle. "Henry, do you know where those embryos are?"

Dr. Wu shook his head. "Of course I do. And I know what will happen if I tell you. You'll flush 35 years of research and achievement down the toilet. You accept me to stand for that? No one knows a tenth of what I do about their make-up, their capabilities, or how to go about administering them."

Zia tilted her head to the darkening sky. "Can barely see you from that high horse you're ridin' doc."

Dr. Wu just about laughed at her. "Proving that this is all some big joke to you."

"It lost its humor when people started dying." Owen spoke before Zia could. Dr. Wu remained unfazed, though exasperated. "People die every day in their devotion to make progress. The future of our way of life stems from countless sacrifices, made since the dawn of time! Why do you think Masarani was willing to take risks in the park? Why Hammond and Lockwood even considered giving dinosaurs life again? Because it is our natural right to move forward. Any good scientist knows that."

"It's not scientists that dinosaurs are eating." Claire bit out. Dr. Wu moved his glare a step closer. "First, that's rich coming from you-"

Claire worked her jaw, a subconscious look going to Owen. How had her eyes changed so much from three years ago? From three weeks ago? It was a change that welcomed and worried him.

"Second," Dr. Wu moved his shoulders. "What do you want me to say?" He eyed Zia, but only for a second. "That we ignore the questions and the curiosities? That we live in the Stone Age? We could argue stances all night. But none of it will change the significance that those embryos- or your girl- holds. Should she survive or not."

Claire threw herself at him. Owen barely caught her as a car honked its way beside them, dispelling some of the tension. Claire backed up, pulling herself together as Franklin parked and got out. His disheveled appearance matched well with everyone else's; only his face was more excited. "Owen, you are not going to believe..."

He stopped, looking unsure at Dr. Wu. Though, what was the point in holding back now? Owen didn't know if he could handle anymore bomb shells right now. He sighed as Franklin joined their circle. "I'm off the army's 'Most Wanted List'?"

Franklin's face fell. "Actually, they've probably listed me with you by now."

Zia snorted. "I'd love to glimpse your mug shot."

"Franklin," Claire butted in, her voice taking its usual command. "Please tell me there's a way to track Maisie from the hospital."

"If they were bold enough to take her, you think they'd be lazy enough to get caught." Dr. Wu threw in, sharing his own puzzlement. "Why take the risk in the first place?"

Claire teared up again, sucking in a breath. "They knew she was sick..."

"...and couldn't risk losing her as a specimen." Owen concluded the cold thought.

"They would know her value." Dr. Wu repeated, suddenly thoughtful.

"How do we know it's more then one person?" Zia pointed out. Owen looked at her, then grabbed Claire's shoulder. "One to keep an eye on her..."

"...one to drive." Claire finished, life sparking back into her eyes. "An ambulance."

An ambulance to where? Owen scrambled for more of the pieces to fall into place. Even with Maisie needing medical attention, they would dump the ambulance for something inconspicuous. From there, they could blend into any highway and back road; Owen tilted his head back to avoid becoming sick. Every road... which one are you on, Maze?

Dr. Wu's movements caught Owen's peripheral. He stared over at the scientist's pacing. Fingers to his chin, brow furrowed over his eyes, he was nursing a deep thought. Claire caught it too. "Henry, what?"

Dr. Wu held up a hand, eyes flitting over the ground. "The day after we evacuated Lockwood's lab, there was a message on my private cell. A woman identified herself as an anonymous partner of Mr. Mills'. We had intended to meet the week following the auction."

He had their attention now. Dr. Wu drew a calculating breath. "Sure of its success, Mills scheduled to have our team meet and discuss new methods, other possibilities, for these animals and their DNA." He eyed Owen intently. "Blue's DNA was meant for extraction, with the purpose of creating more hybrids that mirrored her traits."

"Traits that she learned." Owen stressed.

"Her genetic make-up proved more receptive to these traits than others." Dr. Wu had stepped back into his 'Lord of the Sci-Fi' shoes. "In case you forgot, I was the first to note intelligence in the raptors. IBRIS was created to test that theory against multiple strands of genetic code."

Owen resisted an eyeroll. "I was there for the debriefing."

"Were you present for the hours required to assemble even a single code," Dr. Wu's voice turned shrill. "let alone manipulate it into a living thing? Every raptor born was a unique and pristine turnout of our labor. Blue's was simply the first to respond in the way that we wanted."

"And if she hadn't?" Claire was suddenly asking. Dr. Wu sighed at her. "You- both of you- knew where we were going with the program. You signed the same agreements, filed the same reports as the rest of us."

Owen clutched his fists. "Get to the part we don't know."

"The meeting would be the next step in creating more hybrids," Dr. Wu reined himself in. "However, Dr. Inger lighted to a new direction. That it was urgent we still try to meet. Lockwood's cloning-"

"Wait!" Claire stopped him, her face blanched more then it already was. "You said... you said Dr. Inger?"

"Dr. Patrice Inger." Dr. Wu elaborated.

Owen caught Claire's arm as she wobbled. Zia stomped forward and shoved the doctor back. "You know her!"

Owen's frustration mounted. "Somebody wanna clue me in?"

"She called me... at the hospital." Claire backed up from Owen, even while she still wavered. "I told her where I was. Why I was there-"

Zia looked back at them. "That conference we had. A Dr. Inger was one of the callers." She glared at Dr. Wu. "Blonde, brown eyes, scrawny neck."

"I haven't met her, so I wouldn't know." Dr. Wu emphasized. "Only that she wants to meet with me. And if I don't, I might not to be able to advance our research."

Owen stared at him in a disbelief. "She may have kidnapped a kid and you're worried about missing a meeting."

Dr. Wu kept his face collected. "She must've felt she had no choice."

Franklin looked between them. Then squared his shoulders. "You and Dr. Inger are taking unnecesary risks. You move the embryos and schedule a business meeting, even while every federal law enforcement is looking for you."

"Implying?" Dr. Wu stared at Franklin; like he didn't like other people trying to sound smart. Franklin swallowed, but went on. "You wouldn't take that risk if Dr. Inger hadn't promised something you don't have. Like a human clone."

Dr. Wu threw up his hands. "You have no proof that Dr. Inger-"

"We don't have any other theories either." Claire jumped back into the conversation. Her eyes remained red, but her face had steeled, matching Owen's frustration. "Henry, where's that meeting?"

"You honestly think-"

Owen squeezed the front of Wu's shirt, pinning Dr. Wu against the car with his arm and his glare. "Here's what's going to happen, doc. You and Inger can talk DNA until you're blue, but we-" he gestured between Claire and himself. "Are taking Maisie home."

A breath passed. Dr. Wu's eyed Owen's grip, holding off his intimidation."You're asking the impossible, Mr. Grady. The cloning took place, whether you like it or not. That can not be ignored."

I can make him tell us. Owen's grip was about dissolving the fabric of the doc's shirt.

"This isn't one of your specially cooked dino eggs, Dr. Wu." Zia's voice strained. "It's a kid."

"All the more reason she must be carefully monitored." Dr. Wu actually pushed back on Owen. "It's already being proven she can't exist outside strict environmental conditions."

"Maisie will adapt with time." Claire said. "But only if she's given the chance."

"She is an irreplaceable unit of science!"

"She's a life, Henry." Claire countered. Owen pulled the doctor up, putting them eye-to-eye. "Either we go with you or you don't show up at all."

The two men stared off, Owen knowing his resolve was stronger. Dr. Wu's was overshadowed by science and progress. A few more seconds and he sighed in defeat. "There's an old InGen facility, past Lone Pine and in the valleys. With dried up lakes and ghost towns, it was perfectly secluded for any outsourced operations. It hasn't been used in ten years, so Dr. Inger felt it was perfect. Far from the curious public, as she said."

Owen knew it wasn't much. They couldn't even be certain that this Dr. Inger knew who Maisie was. But her name was popping up too many times to be a coincidence.

"Guys," Franklin raised his hand, as though for permission to interrupt. They looked at him, just as he was bleached out by flood lights. Owen looked toward the road with the others. His stomach dropped when he saw several army vehicles pulling in to the gas station.

"What-" Claire stated her confusion as the vehicles braked. Soldiers were out then, their guns raised.

"Oh boy." Franklin gulped, laptop hugged to his chest.

"Freeze!" Colonel Placer ordered them.