I know, I know, my updates have been farther apart. My health has not been the best this past month. Just think that the longer this story goes, that's less time you have to wait until the release of Jurassic World 3! Either way, I'm back and ready to take a bite out of your day! Enjoy, and review!
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"You can't be-"
"Until another idea comes along, yeah, I am." Owen gripped the dashboard with his good hand, eyes zeroed in on the t-rex. Everything in Claire's eyes protested the idea. "Suppose it goes after Terry's car and not ours! Maisie-"
"Maisie's already in danger, Claire." Owen breathed deep to convince his ribs that they were fine. "You don't think Terry or Inger will threaten her the minute we get close? We need them distracted."
"Inger doesn't know we're following her." Claire pointed out. "And she has that medicine. We can catch up to her-"
"Before they reach the highway?" Owen asked.
Things were happening too fast for her to answer. They were coming on the t-rex and would likely pass her, in order to reach Inger and Terry. Almost twenty minutes had passed and Route 136 was ending. Owen knew if Terry and Inger got to the highway, their chances of finding Maisie would shrink. Regardless of the zero traffic. Claire pushed the car neck and neck on the t-rex, its massive body casting a shadow darker then night over them. Claire kept the pace, knowing the car could outrun her. That gave little comfort. She hadn't noticed their headlights yet... but she would. They risked their own lives as well as Maisie's. But what else did they have?
"Owen, Claire?" Zia's distorted voice broke the tension. Owen held the walkie up, answering back. "What is it?"
There was a pause. "Dr. Wu... he just died."
Claire's mouth fell open.
"You guys okay?" Owen asked, knowing they had more pressing issues. Zia recognized it too, moving on. "Franklin reached the army and he's got enough to prove your innocence. There's just no one to read it- they're chasing some escaped dinosaurs from their base."
Owen's stomach dropped. "How many?"
"I don't know." Zia told him sourly. "But if they've got guys headed in your direction-"
"Yeah." Owen finished her thinking. "They'll be coming in behind us. Thanks, Zia."
"You gotta plan?"
"Working on it." He looked back at Claire. She didn't say anything, pushing back the terror in her eyes as she laid on the horn. The t-rex started as they pulled ahead on the road, letting out a roar as she recognized the moving target. Owen cringed as the windows vibrated, looking back. "She's taking it."
Claire gave a tense nod. She closed her eyes as the earth reverberated beneath them. They steadily grew more frequent, but the car stayed on course... until it hit the taillights of Dr. Inger's car. Owen leaned forward, squinting ahead. A black car sped up ahead of her. It had to be Terry! Owen checked again and the legs of the t-rex continued to lumber after them. "C'mon girl... follow your stomach."
"Do me a favor and not be you right now!" Claire suddenly burst out, her tunnel vision on the car ahead of them. "Think they're able to communicate?"
"They don't need to to notice our hitchhiker." Owen readied his firearm, resisting the view in the rearview mirror. Dr. Inger had sped up, but so had Claire. This just egged the t-rex on, gaining speed along the road behind them. "Get to the side of her."
That tensed Claire up more. "And... what?"
"Terry's gonna panic any second." Owen assured her. As collected as the guy was... well, he had more experience in this area. "He'll run for the trees."
"With or without Maisie?"
"I don't know." Owen was pained to admit. "I'll get her. You take Inger."
Claire pushed her breath out; her way of saying she trusted him. She fought to keep the car right as the t-rex suddenly shoved her nose between the back fenders. Dr. Inger's car was thrown over, sending sparks as it skid across the asphalt.
"Keep going!" Owen ordered Claire. If they braked, they were dead. He kept Terry's vehicle in his sights. C'mon! Prove me right, prove me right-
Terry's tail lights went bright as the car swerved, screeching to a halt in the ditch. Claire slammed on the brakes, putting them between Terry and Inger. Owen's seatbelt was already off. His body protested his contact with the ground, but seeing Terry bolt fueled him again. Claire was also out and running for Inger's car, rifle at the ready. The t-rex sent another shockwave as it caught up with them. Terry faltered, but it didn't stop him from yanking the back door open.
Maisie! Owen actually blinked as she was pulled out and pushed toward the embankment. Her face was flushed, but she was in one piece. Owen pushed himself into a run. As he did, crashing glass and scrapping metal sounded behind him as the t-rex bit into their car. But that wouldn't distract her for long. Owen came up the embankment to where Maisie struggled with her footing. He didn't remember the steps, only registered her turning, then reaching for him. He grabbed; he had her!
Then a blast from behind blew his focus. Before a pain split the back of his head.
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Blue skidded, then stopped. She had almost cleared the trees, clearing a path for the others to follow... if they could. She was faster then them and couldn't be sure if they would make it. That wasn't what pulled her attention, however. Blue looked back now to see the smoke and hear the injured roar rise above the sparse branches. The wind blew the scent of the smoke up her nose... along with other scents. Owen.
Last time though, his scent had been false and had caused her to be sloppy. Blue wasn't risking her capture again. She eyed the opposite direction again, where the land stretched out and bore no scent of people. It was certain freedom. That was where she needed to be headed, before the human hunters caught up. Blue shuffled her feet, sniffing again. Owen was still there.
She had been lingering for too long... so why wasn't she running?
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Claire barely had time to duck beside Dr. Inger's car before the explosion hit her ears, blinding her a second later. She clutched the rifle until everything stopped spinning, then peeked beyond the up-turned tire. A blockade of five army Humvees took aim several yards down the road. The t-rex's head turned with a moan, her shoulder smoldering from the hit it took. And she still wasn't down! Only confused as to which way to attack. Claire looked back, their smashed car blocking any view of Owen or Maisie. Had it been any other intersection, there would've been nothing but flat brown land for miles. But as it were, there were scrawny dry trees on either side. Owen will get her there... Focus!
Claire crawled along Inger's overturned car. It was hot and she smelled gas. If one of those RPGs got close enough... Claire made it to the cracked windshield. Through it, she spotted Dr. Inger's bloodied forehead and hands, scrambling with her twisted seatbelt. With the butt of her rifle, Claire cleared out the broken glass. "Dr. Inger... you alright?"
Dr. Inger ignored her, freeing herself and grabbing a slight metal case. It was wedged between the seat head and the roof. Claire dropped the rifle and reached in. They both grabbed the handle at the same time. With her other hand, Inger grabbed her wrist with surprising strength. "Please! Please don't take her away!"
That's rich! Claire stewed, their eyes meeting. Nonetheless, she helped the doctor crawl out of the dented, smoking vehicle. She brought the case with her, which Dr. Inger latched onto the minute they were both free. "You have to understand, Mrs. Grady. I'm doing what's necessary-"
"You stole her!" Claire stressed, the sentence nauseating her. Dr. Inger shook her head, wiping blood from her eyes. "Maisie's body needed to be returned to controlled conditions. And she needs to be kept there, so that she'll be monitored properly." She gripped the case harder. "Where I can help her."
"Maisie." Claire raised a finger in the woman's face. "Is not a lab rat you get to collar. She has the right to decide, how she feels and what she wants."
Dr. Inger's pained face dropped then into a dry laugh. "Rights? What of the rights of those who created her? The rights of those who will benefit from her existence?"
"We compromise one person, we compromise them all." Claire spat the words out. Movement drew her eye to the t-rex as it squared off with the advancing Humvees. "Henry's dead."
Dr. Inger stopped and the realization took its time across her face. Claire listened to the firing of the guns, thought back to the brutality against the stegosaurus. "None of this was necessary before... but we let it get too far." She looked back at this desperate woman. She felt the need for progress, understood it even. "We've both had our say in how to move forward from this; the experiments, the research, the park. But... it's not just dinosaurs anymore. We're idiots if we treat it as anything else."
The gunfire began to ricochet off the car, jarring them both. Claire yanked the case away from Inger, standing. But suddenly the car was spinning, knocking Claire and Dr. Inger back down. Claire's stomach caught the brunt of the fall and she clutched the case as she rolled away before the car did. Wait, where was the rifle?
The t-rex bellowed above them and Claire looked up. She had to blink, feeling blood entering her eye. Had she gouged it? She pressed on it with her palm as the t-rex staggered into the trees. Maisie!
She heard the next click, catching the light of another RPG arching into the air. Claire felt time still, following it back down with her good eye. Her breath caught as it erupted against the t-rex's back. This time, the force drove her down. Claire flattened herself as the road, the cars, her very soul shook with the gigantic fall. Stale air blew past everything, filling her mouth and hair with dust. She dared to look up only when the eerie quiet settled with it.
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"...ad! Dad!"
Owen's head throbbed, while every bone within him shook. The earth had shuddered, causing him to roll back down the embankment... surprisingly keeping him conscious. The repercussions clouded his ears, but he still lifted his head. Several of the trees had fallen, others split in half under the weight of the t-rex. Everything was still, abnormally still... one foot to the left, and her leg would've crushed them-
"Dad!"
Maisie. Owen righted himself, seeing her scuffle with Terry. He tore up, only needing two steps to punch him away from her. Maisie, relief over her flushed face, wrapped herself around him. Owen hugged back, finally breathing. Took RPGS and a t-rex, but she finally called me dad!
"Took you long enough." Maisie sniffled into his shirt. Owen eased her back to get a good look at her. A few scrapes and bumps, but she'd live. Owen then caught the gauze taped over her arm. "What happened there?"
"Back up." came Terry's tight, frustrated voice. Owen pushed Maisie behind him as Terry came up from his knees, gun poised at Owen's stomach. This guy was crazy! Owen kept Maisie's hand in his and his eyes on Terry. "Man, is it really worth it?"
Terry leveled the gun farther up. "I'll answer that after I kill-"
A screech cut him off, knocking Terry flat into the grass. Owen's eyes bulged as Blue pinned Terry, shielding Maisie as she closed her teeth around his neck. There was a snap, a jerk through his body, and Terry went limp. Blue gave an extra squeeze before she released. Owen kept still as she raised her head, cocked it, then chirped at him. Owen thought about how to respond- then felt Maisie slump against him. "I-I don't feel good."
That jerked his attention away. "Don't worry, kid. Claire's got some medicine for you."
He picked her up against his own pains, eyeing back at the road. It was blocked by the tail of the t-rex; Owen stared, trying to piece the carcass with the few times he'd escaped death. But he didn't have time. The quiet was falling back and the army was moving in. He stayed here, and Placer was going to arrest him. Then I get Maisie her medicine before they do.
"C'mon." Owen encouraged Maisie, getting onto the road. "Claire!"
"Owen!" Claire staggered up from behind their smashed car, holding a small case in her hand. Spotting Maisie, she ran to meet them... Dr. Inger following. Blue's hiss came from behind. Why was she still here?
"Mum." Maisie muttered as Owen passed her over to Claire, who set her down as Owen snapped the case open. "Tie her arm off."
"You need to swab it." Dr. Inger threw in, kneeling beside them. "She could get an infection."
"Come near her and I punch you again." Claire warned her.
Owen eyed the three syringes laid inside the case. He passed the elastic to Claire, giving him time to test the needle. Claire kept Maisie in her lap, kissing her forehead. "You'll feel this for just a second, sweetie."
Owen nodded, running his thumb up Maisie's arm, seeking a vein. Finding one, he poked the needle in and inserted the medicine. Maisie kept her eyes closed until he pulled it out. Claire breathed out with it, finding Owen's hand as she held Maisie close. Owen dropped the syringe, leaning in and releasing his relief as he kissed her. "Scared me for a minute."
"I was following your orders," Claire kissed him back. "Remember."
"Is this really what we're doing." Dr. Inger cried... then she really cried out, jumping back from them. Owen looked over his shoulder to find Blue at a distance, watching them. Head tilted, she looked concerned. He hadn't seen that look since she was hatchling.
"Hey girl," Owen rose, his movements subtle. "Nice work."
Blue paced a few feet, looking over Claire and Maisie. She let out a purr, head low- as though inquiring. This was surreal. Owen grinned. "They're okay. We'll be okay."
Blue straightened, as though satisfied with that. With Placer and his soldiers getting closer, she backed up and turned. Again, Owen watched her make for the woods. Only to jolt when the shots ran out.