"Lawery," I panted into my phone. "We're heading your way. Call in a chopper."
"Hurry up!" He yelled back at me. "Zara went to your house to get some essentials you'll need. She just left for the docs."
"Thank you," I sighed and hung up the phone.
"Are we going home?" Maisie asked over my shoulder.
New tears spilled from my eyes. I couldn't tell her our home was no longer safe.
"We'll be fine." I promised her. That was the only answer I could come up with.
Thankfully she didn't press any further.
"Where are we going?" Zach asked.
"Getting out of here." I answered.
"Finally!" Gray cheered.
Owen slowed down in front of me as we arrived at the Innovations center.
I barely had the truck in park and he was off his bike, running around to the back. I slid out, running behind him.
"Let's go!" Owen called out to the three kids. He automatically held his arms open just as Maisie leaped off the back of the truck, landing hard in his arms. She wrapped herself around him tightly as he made his way to the Innovations center.
Gray and Zach ran after him and I brought up the rear, keeping the kids safe between us.
"Claire," Owen started and I took the lead.
"Control room!" I yelled, "that way!"
We ran as fast as we could towards our freedom from the island. Slowing down, I realized we were alone. The lab was empty as we ran passed.
Owen glanced over his shoulder when he didn't hear my heels clicking on the floor.
"They evacuated the lab," I explained. The place was abandoned, the only sound was the humming of machines.
Curious as to what the lab workers were up to, I took a step inside.
"I want to leave!" Maisie complained.
Owen placed her on her feet, ignoring her rough tug on his arm, he continued after me.
She was slowly distracted by the reptiles in their cages.
"Dad, why are these here?" She asked, poking at the glass tank holding a lizard of some sort. "They're not dinosaurs." She pointed out.
Owen shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. His eyes met mine before answering her. "No, Sweetie, their not. They use DNA from these reptiles to fill in gaps for a specific dinosaur. It's crap if you ask me."
I cleared my throat.
"I agree," she looked up at him and he smiled down at her before meeting my eyes again.
"See, even she knows."
I opened my mouth to argue with him, but there was a commotion behind me.
The lab wasn't completely empty. Men I didn't recognized were packing up DNA samples.
"What are you doing?" I asked, stepping towards them.
"I'm afraid that's above your pay-grade, Honey." Hoskins appeared from around the corner.
"Where's Henry?" I asked.
"Dr. Wu, he works for us." He answered.
Gray stepped out from behind Owen, who took a protective stance in front of the three kids. His right shoulder keeping me slightly behind him.
"That's not a real dinosaur," Gray pointed out the blueprints of the Indominus on the computer screen in front of us.
Hoskins turned to look at the screen Gray was looking at. "Nope,it ain't kid," he agreed. "but somebody has to make sure that this company has a future."
I began to understand it all. The Indominus wasn't made for the enjoyment of the park goers. InGen had other plans.
"Imagine," he started, looking back at the screen again. "that one, a fraction of the size. Deadly, intelligent, able to hide from the most advanced military technology. A living weapon unlike we've ever seen."
Owen stepped away from us, his thoughts catching up to mine. Owen's research for the raptors was a part of the plan for their next hybrid. They were using him to create a more dangerous monster than the one we were facing now.
I stopped listening to Hoskins, too focused on Owen's back, trying to read his next move. I was pretty certain he was going to kill him.
I reached out quickly, touching his arm, bringing him down from the fire I knew that burned through him.
His muscles tightened under my fingers. I gripped him tighter.
Through the same door we came through, one of the raptors barged into the lab. Her focus was on Hoskins.
"Shit!" He yelled, startled.
Maisie screamed, her arms locking around my waist. Owen's arms shot out, holding the four of us behind him.
Hoskins tried his best to reason with her, but she stalked towards him as if we weren't even in the room.
Mimicking one of Owen's motions, he brought his hand out to try and get the raptor to understand him.
Without hesitation she chomped down on his hand.
Maisie screamed again, this time slipping from my grasp and running for the door.
"Maisie!" Owen hissed, chasing after her.
"Get me out of here!" She yelled. Owen caught up with her easily, reaching for her arm.
Gray jumped around her running back towards the innovations center.
I ran after him. "No," I told him. "This way."
Maisie, hysterics taking over, yanked her arm from Owen and ran towards the control room.
The raptor dove through the glass window to the lab, blocking our path. Maisie tripped, trying to stop herself from running right into the raptor. Owen caught her mid-air and tucked her under his arm as we ran back to the innovations center.
Finally back outside we took a moment to catch our breath. Too soon we were surrounded by the three remaining raptors.
Zach and Gray were at my side, standing against Maisie we was hiding her face in my hip.
Owen stood in front of us, directly in front of Blue. Their eyes locked and I was forced to keep my hold on the kids, or wrap myself around Owen to try my best to protect him.
Blue stepped towards Owen and each one of the kids sucked in a sharp breath. I recognized Owen's stance from many days of logging in to the security cameras at the paddock. Sitting at my desk I'd watch his motions closely. Right now I knew he was going to try and gain her trust.
I jumped when she snapped at his outstretched hand, but she didn't try and bite it.
"Easy," Owen spoke softly. His soothing tone caused Maisie to peek at him. I flattened my hand against her back, pressing her harder into my side.
Owen's hand got closer to Blue and she stood still, her eyes focused on his.
"Easy," he repeated even softer than before.
He finally reached her headpiece and unhooked it, letting it fall to the ground.
"Wow," Maisie whispered.
"That's it," Owen whispered. Satisfied.
We heard her roar before she stalked around the corner. The Indominus came into view.
Maisie pressed her mouth into my hip and let it muffle her scream.
Zach and Gray stepped close to me again. I let go of Maisie's back and gripped Gray's wrist.
Would the raptors turn on Owen again? Was this our final moments? I almost felt ready. If this was how we were going to die then at least we would all be together. None of us being separated from the other—forced to move forward alone.