Jurassic Island

Chapter 4 – Trailer Four

The jeep bounced along the bumpy road. Kate involuntarily clutched Castle's hand as the jeep took a sharp curve, close to the edge of the road. She was surprised at the speeds the driver was taking some of these turns, especially considering the dirt road—calling it that was an overstatement; it was more like a path or hiking trail—was narrow and there was a very long drop off to one side. The slope was sheer, and the fall looked rather treacherous. Though, the ground was covered in a thick patch of foliage. Tall trees arched overhead, making a canopy that blocked out most of the light.

"It's like a tunnel," Castle grinned, winking at her, having way too much fun.

The driver let out a single barked guffaw, then turned the wheel sharply, steering the jeep away from the edge, and banking to the left. The engine revved as the jeep climbed up a raise and soon they were breaking through the densely packed foliage, emerging into a clearing by the edge of the ridge. The jeep rolled to a halt, and Kate released her breath, sighing in relief. She sincerely hoped they were able to get a different driver for their return trip to the Visitor Center.

As Castle tipped the driver, Kate inspected their accommodations.

The trailer—or rather trailers—stood parked along the curve of the cliff. Their home away from home consisted of two green, brown, and black camouflaged trailers, attached in the middle by an accordion belt, similar to those seen on large metro buses. On one, by a door, stenciled in white paint, was the number four. Kate pursed her lips as she took in the two trailers. Sure, they were clearly high-end, but she began to wonder if it would have been a better option to take a room in the luxury hotel not as far away from the Visitor Center and all the other attractions.

"You okay?" Castle asked, his eyes skimming over her face in mild concern. She could tell that he was eager for her approval of the accommodations he'd booked for them. This was, after all, supposed to be their romantic island getaway.

Kate gave him a quick nod, stamping down her second-guessing. If Castle wanted to 'rough it' then they'd rough it. The trailers did look bigger than she had been expecting. Perhaps this would be more like a rich man's version of roughing it, which she was totally fine with. Besides, she still hadn't yet seen the interior of the two trailers. Maybe they were more luxurious than the exteriors implied.

But before they explored, Kate needed to check on one thing.

She trotted over to the jeep before the driver could speed off. "How do we get a ride back to the Visitor Center?" she asked. Kate did not want to get stuck up here.

The driver looked at her with a friendly smile. "All the trailers are linked to the dispatch by short-wave radio. You'll find them by the door. Just call and one of us will come out to get you."

"Thanks."

"Enjoy your stay, ma'am," the driver said, tipping his cap. He gave them a wave, then turned the jeep around and zoomed back down the road, disappearing into the densely packed foliage.

Kate turned back to Castle, seeing he was already vibrating with excitement. He really was a nine-year old on a sugar rush. She adjusted her purse and dug out the keys to the trailer. She spun them around in her finger, giving her husband an amused look. "Okay, Castle, ready to check out our digs?"

XXX

All right, she had to admit, the trailers were impressive. One trailer was all living quarters. The larger of the two trailers consisted of a small kitchenette and lounge. And, much to her relief, they found their luggage waiting for them at the foot of the bed.

Kate was very pleased to discover the bathroom was not as small or cramped as she had feared it would be. Castle made no hesitation in pointing out that the shower stall was 'big enough for two'. She had rewarded him with one of her classic eye rolls and a glare, declaring it would only ever happen in his dreams, even though she knew she'd probably give in and they'd enjoy some quality time in the shower before too long.

"Alright, smarty pants, how about this?" Kate said, placing her hands on her hips and smirking at him. Why wait? They were, after all, on a romantic getaway, even if it was at Jurassic Park. She could still have some fun. "Why don't you unpack while I call Alexis and let her know we've arrived, and maybe… just maybe… we'll see about that shower. What do say to that?"

"Deal!" Castle agreed all to readily, pressing a quick kiss to her lips, before spinning her around and nudging her out of the bedroom and back through the accordion connector.

Kate laughed, but complied, stepping into the small lounge. Light satin curtains covered the windows, and she parted them to glance outside. She was rewarded with a magnificent view of the lake and fields below the ridge. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the stunning sight. It was beautiful. The tropical paradise that spread out before her was breathtaking. Add in the sight of numerous species of dinosaurs lingering around the water's edge, and it was a marvel beyond compare. Kate recognized the sight from the monorail ride, knowing that now she was seeing it from the other direction. If she squinted her eyes just right, she could make out the monorail track in the distance.

She quickly brought her phone up and snapped a couple of photos to share with Alexis. Since the wedding, Kate found herself making more of an effort to bond with her husband's daughter, not that she hadn't been trying before. But now that she and Castle were finally married, Alexis was family. And though Alexis was technically her stepdaughter, Kate liked to think she took on more of a big sister kind of role. Taking a few more photos, these ones of the trailer's interior, Kate plopped down into one of the comfy lounge chairs, skimming through her contacts. Hitting Alexis's number with her thumb, she leaned back and brought her phone up to her ear, listening to the ringing.

She answered on the third ring.

"Hi, Alexis," Kate smiled. "Guess where we are?"

XXX

A low electric hum filled the air as he climbed up the ladder alongside the concrete pen. Most visitors believed the T-Rex to be the most fearsome dinosaur on display at Jurassic Park, but Robert Muldoon would disagree with them. The raptors were far more deadly in his opinion. He leaned against the railing and looked down at the loading bay, watching as a group of men coaxed a reluctant bovine into a harness.

It was feeding time. He made a point of always being present.

Muldoon walked along the raised platform, arching his neck as he glanced down into the pen. He couldn't see them, hardly ever could. The dense foliage concealed them. Still after all this time, he didn't know why they still kept them alive. Hardly any visitors were given a tour of the Velociraptor Pen, except for some extremely wealthy VIPs. Muldoon didn't see the point. The beasts were too dangerous. Yet another disagreement with his employer that was unending.

The winch gears buzzed to life, and Muldoon turned his head to watch as the cow, completely unaware of her impending death, was hoisted up into the air. They used to be able to send the unknowing bovine in through the loading gate. But that was before the big female's inclusion two years ago. She had quickly become the pack leader, killing off two of the others before seizing control. She made the other beasts more aggressive. And she was clever. Too clever. She had the others attacking the fences when the feeders came. So a new method of feeding them had to be devised.

Hammond had dismissed Muldoon's concerns, saying that the lions at his wildlife park in Kenya did the same thing before they grew accustomed to their captivity. But Muldoon didn't think that was the case here. These beasts were fierce predators, and were deadly smart. They never attacked the same place twice. They remembered.

Dr. Grant had felt the same way during the inspection tour two years ago. He had questioned the wisdom of breeding raptors, but as usual, Hammond had dismissed his concerns. Now the big female had had two years to firmly establish her regime, and Muldoon was growing worried about what plots that cunning predator was concocting. He had little doubts that it wouldn't be too long until they needed to come up with another method of feeding them, so sure he was that the raptors would find some weakness in this current method.

The crane swung overhead and Muldoon narrowed his eyes, watching as the unsuspecting cow was positioned over the upper gate. A buzz sounded, and the gates retracted enough so that the cow could be lowered into the pen. The beast mooed, and disappeared into the densely packed foliage.

Muldoon gripped the railings, heart pounding in anticipation. If he was honest with himself, this part always scared the shit out of him. An eerie silence filled the air. The cow mooed, sounding anxious and afraid. It had good reason to fear. Through the thick ferns, Muldoon caught a glimpse of something move. It was fast, so quick that if he hadn't known anything was there, he would have thought it was his imagination playing tricks on him.

Nothing happened for the next three minutes. Muldoon could see nothing inside the pen except for the sway of the large ferns in the gentle breeze. The cow mooed again. And then they struck. A horrific rolling howl and sharp roar filled the early evening air, and the foliage shook violently. The cow made a pitiful sound of terror.

And then everything went still.

It was over.

XXX

Castle plopped down on the bed, a lopsided grin still plastered on his face. He shifted, propping himself up on his elbow to watch Kate finish drying off her hair. The shower had been a bit of a squeeze, but it had been fun. And it helped that his gorgeous wife was extremely flexible. He definitely hit the jackpot with her. Kate spotted him staring and shook her head, giving him a little glare.

He held up a hand in surrender. "Yeah, yeah… I know… staring is creepy," he sighed, before hopping off the bed, and shuffling through the accordion to the front trailer. Castle had been staring at Kate Beckett for almost seven years now; he knew when to back off. Though, he could tell that her glare had only been half-hearted.

If they'd been staying in a hotel room, he'd call room service and order a bottle of their most expensive wine—preferably red. Kate and red wine was a perfect combination. But room service was kind of impossible here. Fortunately for him, it didn't appear he would need wine to get his wife in the mood. Kate had been particularly voracious in the shower. She'd even bit him between his shoulder and neck, marking him. The flesh was still tender, but oh so worth it. He never did mind it when Kate marked him. He liked the notion behind it.

Rummaging around the kitchenette, Castle was pleasantly surprised to see that the small refrigerator was stocked with some fruit and vegetables, along with some cheeses and meat slices. There was a also a six-pack of Pepsi, one of Jurassic Park's major corporate sponsors, and bottled water.

Castle grabbed a grape and popped it into his mouth before closing the refrigerator and heading into the lounge. He didn't know why Kate was so worried that he couldn't handle 'roughing it' in a trailer. He'd been in some slummy trailers in his day. In comparison to those, this was a presidential suite at a five star hotel. He found some books and two sets of binoculars lying on one of the end tables in the lounge area.

He let out a sigh when he sat down in one of the comfy armchairs, surprised by the soft cushions. He chuckled. Yeah, this is roughing it, he thought with amusement. Picking up one of the books, he grinned, and immediately began flipping through the pages. It was one of the books Dr. Alan Grant had written for the park, detailing each dinosaur on exhibit, along with his first hand account of his trip two years ago.

"Oh, Castle."

He tore his eyes away from the paragraph he'd been reading when he heard his wife's seductive voice. She was standing in the kitchenette, all bare legs and tousled hair, looking like sex on two legs. Well, she always kind of looked like that, especially when she wore those killer heels… which she was wearing now. He gulped, taking in the white silk robe she wore, or rather the lack of. The robe was scandalous. It barely covered her.

"Yes, Kate?" he gulped, unable to conceal the unrestrained lust and arousal in his eyes as he took in her glorious form.

Kate arched an enticing eyebrow in his direction, shifting her hips slightly into a more provocative stance. "The shower was fun and all, Castle," she purred in that damn sexy voice of hers. "But I do believe you promised me that we would… rock this trailer tonight."

Castle practically pounced out of the armchair, leaving the book forgotten as he lunged for his wife. Kate giggled and moaned as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her fiercely. He slipped his hands along her thighs and ass, lifting her up into his arms. Kate growled in desire, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Castle smirked mischievously, and took her to bed.

And the trailer most definitely rocked that night.