As always thank you for the support! Keep the reviews coming! Next chapter will probably be posted later tonight because my daughter is having surgery tomorrow. (Nothing major, just tubes in her ears. She's 6)
"Your conference call is on hold." Zara informed me when I walked back into the office.
"Right," I huffed and unlocked my door.
Tossing the envelope on my desk, I reached for my phone and got to business.
Thankfully the call was shorter than I thought. I felt proud I was able to schedule another round of investors to come once our next species was ready to be unveiled.
My phone buzzed on my desk and I reached for it. "Hello?"
"Hi Claire this is Tony at the lost and found. Someone turned in that stuffed animal you were helping Patty with."
"Oh great!"
Zara buzzed on the intercom. I pulled the phone away from my ear to answer her. "Yes?"
"The kids are here." She informed me.
"On my way." I grabbed the envelope and headed for the elevator.
"Sorry, Tony, I'm here. Did you inform that mother?"
"Yes, she offered to return the one her daughter picked out since they were identical."
I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued on.
"We informed her that you wouldn't think it was necessary and to consider it a gift."
I smiled against the phone and nodded. "Exactly what I would have said. Now she has a backup."
"Glad we are on the same page. We had the dinosaur sent to their room."
My eyes scanned the lobby as I descended the stairs. Gray was the first one of the kids I spotted over by Mr. DNA. "Gray? Is that you?"
"You have a meeting?" Tony asked.
"Ok," I agreed to having the stuffed animal sent to their room, so they didn't have to trek back to the lost and found to pick up it. "Yeah, no I'm going to have to go. My nephews are here."
"Oh, wonderful I hope they have a great time."
I hung up just as I reached the bottom step.
"Aunt Claire!" Gray called out as he ran towards me.
I knew it was a while since I've seen them, being on the island I lose track of time with my sister back in the States. This is the first time they are visiting the park, but the second time they were on the island. After Maisie was born Karen and Scott made the trip without the boys. They were young and the park was fairly new, so she didn't want to bring them here. She still can't wrap her head around the fact that we decided to raise Maisie on the island. They brought the boys back here for Maisie's first birthday, but she wouldn't let them visit the park.
"Hi!" I cooed as he dove into my arms. "Oh," I was taken aback by his affection. "Oh, my gosh, you're so sweet."
I glanced up at the man that used to be my tiny nephew. "Whoa, Zack. Last time I saw you, you were…" I lowered my hand to be level with my hip. "You've grown so much."
"It's been seven years." He didn't look amused. I chalked it up to teenage hormones.
There was someone missing in my small lineup of children. I looked around to see Maisie attached to Beth's side.
"Hey, baby." I spoke softly as I walked up to them.
"She's being shy." Beth whispered.
"Oh," I whispered back and knelt down in front of Maisie. "You ok?"
She let go of Beth to wrap her arms around my neck. Her mouth pressed against my ear. "They're big."
I couldn't help but giggle and she leaned back, narrowing her eyes at me. "I'm sorry," I wiped away my smile and kissed her cheek. "Gray is only three years older than you. you'll have fun."
She searched my eyes for any sign of a lie. "Promise?"
I smiled and held up my pinky, "Promise."
Her face was serious for a moment longer as she looked at my hand. I watched the smile slowly creep across her face and she hooked her pinky with mine.
"We've got two promises going today. Think we can handle that many?" I asked as I stood up.
Maisie stuck her chin in the air and tapped it with her finger, "We got this." She concluded.
I laughed and tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Can we go now?" Gray hopped around, catching Maisie's attention and she laughed at him.
"Here," I handed the envelope to Beth, "this is for food and merchandise if they want to get anything."
"You're not coming with us?" Gray stopped jumping around.
"Oh," I knew that look. It was the same disappointed look that Maisie gives when I've said something she didn't want to hear. "I wish I could, but—" I didn't want to use the excuse that I had to work. I decided to change the subject. "Tomorrow I can take you into the control room. Show you behind the scenes. That's cool," I glanced up at Maisie. "right, Mais?"
"Yeah it's really neat back there. You can see everything going on in the park."
Neither of the boys seemed interested and Maisie shrugged. Glad it didn't bother her.
My phone rang in my hand and I quickly glanced back up at Beth. "Ok, I have to go. Take good care of them."
She took Maisie's hand and nodded.
I waved as I watched them go. Maisie turned to look at me just as my phone rang again and I turned away from her to head back up the stairs. "Hello?"
"Claire?" It was Vivian from the control room.
"Yeah, I'm here. I'm on my way up."
"Ok, Mr. Masrani's chopper will be here in twenty minutes."
I looked down at my watch. "Right on time." I sighed and hurried towards the control room. I paused at the drink station and smiled at Amanda behind the counter. She waved and quickly filled a coffee cup for me. She handed it over just as I reached the counter.
"You're a lifesaver!" I smiled and took the cup from her.
She giggled. "Bye, Clair." She called after me as I hurried away.
I scanned my badge and waited for the door to open up to the control room.
"What's the live count?" I asked Vivian.
"twenty-two thousand, two sixteen." She answered.
"Any incidents?" I studied the screens in front of me. Satisfied that all looked normal.
"Yeah, six kids in the lost and found," Lawery answered this time. "Uh, twenty-eight down with heat stroke—" He turned slightly in his chair and I caught sight of his shirt.
"Where did you get that?" I snapped.
He followed my gaze to his shirt. "Oh, this? I got it on Ebay. It's pretty amazing. I got it for one hundred fifty dollars. A good condition one goes for three hun—"
"Didn't it occur to you that's in poor taste?" I knew it was just as shirt, but it was a shirt that was probably snatched up from the rubble when they came in to clean up the park. Then sold for profit.
"Sure," he shifted uncomfortably, "yeah, no it did. I understand, people died It was terrible. But that that first park was legit!"
I sighed as he mumbled on. "Ok, let's not wear it again." I cut him off. Not wanting to get in an argument with him.
Vivian was quick to change the subject. "Did you close the deal?"
"Looks like it," I responded. "Verizon Wireless presents the Indominus Rex."
"Ugh…" Lawery grumbled. "That is so terrible." I tried not to laugh at him. He reminded me of Owen. Always has something witty to say. Luckily I had more than enough practice dealing that that kind of personality. "Why not just go the distance, Claire and let the corporations name the dinosaurs. They've got all the ball parks. Why stop there?"
I wasn't listening to him. My attention was on the blinking red outline around a portion of the map. "Why are the west planes closed?"
"Another packy roaming outside her zone, but she's fully sedated and ready for relocation." Vivian double checked her screen to make sure she was correct.
Lawery continues to mumble to himself.
My blood boiled. This was not supposed to happen. "Security said those invisible fences were a no fail. This is the second time this month."
"Well, the packys short out their implants when they butt heads" Vivian replied.
"How much longer until they get her out of there?" I was so aggravated at the fact I had to deal with his again. They could potentially be a hazard if a guest came face to face with one wondering outside her fence.
"She just got five milligrams of carfentanil," Vivian giggled.
"Yes, so she's very stoned, so why don't we show a little sympathy," Lawery was pushing my last nerve. "I mean you do understand these are actual animals, right?"
And there went my last nerve. "Clean up your work space, its chaotic."
"I like to think of it as a living system," he marveled over his unorganized mess. "just enough stability to keep it from collapsing into anarchy." He explains himself as he reaches up to fix one of the dinosaurs.
Knowing how clumsy he is I reached for the garbage can with my foot and pushed it over just as his cup fell into it.
Maisie broke my heart to write in this chapter! I had the hardest time having Claire walk away from her lol.