The Digging Site
The blue sky shined over Grant's digsite in Montana.
"Billy, I don't think I'm doing this right."
"Sure you are, Simone. Here put the spoon away and use this toothbrush."
Billy Brennan, an assistant professor at the dig site, handed his friend: naturalist Simone Blixton a toothbrush to dig up a fossil.
She used the toothbrush to dig at the fossil right away.
A car pulled up.
Grant walked out.
"Alan's here," said Billy and stood up.
Simone stood up and walked after him.
"Alan," said Billy.
"Alan," said Simone.
"Mr. Brennan. Ms. Blixton."
And he shook both their hands.
"How's my assistant professor doing, huh?"
"Just fine, Alan. Simone and I were just digging up a fossil."
"So you've done a good job," said Grant, looking at the dug-up fossil, "how you doing, Simone?"
"Fine. Despite my job as a naturalist, Billy and I are actually getting the hang of all this digging on our own."
"Alan. Simone and I want to show you something."
"Okay."
And the three of them walked into Billy and Simone's tent.
"What is it you wanted to show me, Billy?"
Billy bought a random fossil and presented it to Grant.
Grant gasped back in surprise.
"Is that a fossil of a raptor?"
"Yes, Alan. And check this out."
He blew through the mouth of the fossil and out came two faint blowing sounds.
Grant was surprised.
"Pretty neat, Billy."
"Um, excuse me, Dr. Grant," said a man peeking in through a tent.
Grant, Billy and Simone looked back at the man.
The man extended out his hand and said "Paul Roby. Roby Enterprises."
He reached into his pocket, bought his card and showed it to Grant.
The four of them came out of the tent.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Roby?"
"Well, I am a great admirer of yours and I have an extremely interesting proposition to discuss. Would you and your associates like to join my wife and I for dinner this evening? Our treat."
"You know, I've been traveling and I'm very tired. Maybe some other time."
"I guarantee it'll be worth your while."
Billy and Simone walked in and spoke up.
"We'd love to," said Billy.
"It would be great," said Simone.
Grant gave a weak smile.
"My pleasure. He said. What time and where?"
"Hell And Creek Bar And Grill at 7:30."
"Okay. Great time. I gotta get back to work now."
"Okay. See you there."
"Yeah, bye."
And Paul took off.
Grant gave Billy and Simone a worried look.
He looked quite hesitant.
"What?" they both said with their arms up.
Dinner
That evening, Grant, Billy and Simone walked into the bar.
"Any sign of them?" said Grant.
Paul raised his hand up and flagged them down at the back of the booth
"Dr. Grant. Glad you could make it. This is my wife: Amanda."
"Hi," said Amanda.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Roby," said Grant and shook her hand.
"Anyway," said Paul, "Dr. Grant, Billy, you can across from us and Simone shall sit in the middle between Billy and my wife.
As they sat down, the waitress came over and placed Paul and Amanda's beers down on the table.
"Thanks, Catfish," said Paul.
"You're very welcome. And what'll you fellas be drinking, tonight?"
"Ice Pick, Catfish," said Grant.
"Two, please, Cat," said Billy.
"And you there, young lady?"
"Um, the same thing they ordered."
"Right away," said Catfish and walked back towards the bar.
"First off," said Paul, "let me say as a dinosaur enthusiast, Amanda and I have admired your work for years."
"It is truly," said Amanda, "what's the word? Inspiring."
"Thank you," said Grant.
"Amanda and I, well, we just love the outdoors. Heck we've been on pretty much any adventure tour they can come up with: Galapagos, K2, the Nile..."
"We even have two seats reserved aboard the first commercial moon flight."
"Hmmm. Interesting," said Grant.
"Now," said Paul, "for our wedding anniversary this year we wanted to do something really special, something...
"...once-in-a-lifetime," said Amanda.
"We've arranged for a private airplane to fly us over Isla Sorna. And we want you to be our guide.
Catfish came back and placed down the beers.
"Here you go, guys."
Grant just sighed, smoothed the tablecloth and took a sip of his beer.
"That's a very nice offer, Mr. Roby, but I'm afraid I'm much to busy. If you like I can refer you to a number of highly qualified professionals whom I know."
"No, no, see Dr. Grant," said Paul "you're the best. You've seen these animals in the flesh. No one else has come close to you."
"I'm flattered," said Grant, "but I've taken this little adventure tour. And with the air restrictions they've imposed after the report of what Ian Malcolm and Richard Levine had discovered on that island, you can't fly low enough to see anything of interest.
"Why would you think that?"
"Well, after the destruction of Isla Nublar and the chance of extinction stated from InGen fed those dinosaurs, I'd say they're all pretty much extinct.
Paul was momentarily stymied but Amanda just rallied.
"You see, that's just the thing. Paul and I have special permission to fly low.
"How low?" Billy asked, taking a sip of his beer.
"Well," said Paul, "I'm no aviation specialist. But I do know it's hell of a lot lower than anyone else.
"From what I understand, it's pretty much whatever we want," said Amanda
"That's hard to believe," said Grant.
"Let's just say that through my business imports/exports, emerging markets, I've made some friends in high places. In this case, the Costa Rican government," said Paul.
"Dr. Grant, you don't know how important it is for us to have you come along. It would make all the difference," said Amanda.
Grant was trying to find another way to decline when Paul pulled out his checkbook.
"And of course, we're prepared to make a sizeable contribution to your research here."
Billy and Simone looked at Grant in encouragement not to let any of them down.
"I can write all kinds of numbers on this check. Just tell me what exactly it would take," said Paul, clicking his pen.
Grant thought for a moment of how pointless it would be to go over to Isla Sorna for nothing but then thought about the dig site. The Robys would pay him to fund the site for another few decades.
He gave a look interest.
"I'll do it," he said.
"Great," said Paul.
"Excellent," said Amanda.
And they all gave a toast to a successful tour over the island.
The Airplane
Next morning, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 flew through the air.
The two pilots: Nash and Max flew into view of Isla Sorna.
Paul and Amanda sat across from each other in the front row.
Grant and Billy sat across from each other in the second row.
Simone sat across Mullins in the third row while Udesky and Cooper sat at the back.
Grant re-settled in his seat and looked across to Billy.
"Even with what I pay you, you should consider getting yourself a better bag."
"No way. This is a lucky bag. Couple years ago some buddies and I went hang gliding off these cliffs in New Zealand. Updraft sent me right into the side. BOOM!
"That does sound lucky."
"It was this strap alone that saved my life. Got caught on a rock as I was falling.
"Reverse-Darwinism. Survival of the most idiotic."
"Listen Alan, I really appreciate you bringing me along."
"The bones will be there when we get back. That's the nice thing about them. They never run away. And besides, you got me into this. I don't intend to be alone with these people."
He laid his hat down and rested for a nap.
"Wake me up when we get there," he said to Billy.
"Sure thing."
And he watched as Grant closed his eyes and went to sleep.
He turned back to Mullins.
"How long have you known the Kirbys?"
"Um, through our church."
"What religion?"
"Uh, the one that worships god and believes in him."
"Wow," gasped Simone, "that's interesting to know. And you guys?"
She turned back to Udesky and Cooper.
"We're his acolytes," they both replied.
"Wow," Billy and Simone both gasped in amazement.
The plane continues onward.
Grant awoke groggily in his chair, groggy.
He heard a hissing noise.
He looked next to him to Velociraptor sitting in Billy's seat.
"Alan," said the raptor in Billy's voice before striking.
Grant awoke up with a start.
He was very disoriented.
Billy was leaning over him.
"Wake up. We're almost there."
Grant turned and looked through the window.
Clouds obscured the view.
The sight of Isla Sorna rose majestically out of the water.
The plane descended sharply to the island.
All of the passengers looked other the window at the amazingly green island.
A voice came in over the radio through the cockpit.
Unidentified aircraft approaching Isla Sorna, this is San Juan approach. You are flying in restricted airspace. Immediately turn to the coordinates two-zero-zero. I repeat redirect to..."
Nash gave Max a look so he switched off the radio.
The plane now descended to a mere hundred feet above the treetops.
Paul put his hand atop Amanda's as they stared intently out the window.
Billy looked to Grant.
"Admit it, Alan. You're excited."
"The chances are, Billy, that we won't see a thing."
Max called back from the cockpit.
"Boss! Udesky! Cooper! Yell up if you see anything!"
No, we thought we'd keep it to ourselves!" Mullins yelled back.
Grant looked out the window in surprise. Deep down, he knew he was wrong about the dinosaurs.
"There. There! An Apatosaur. Look at the coloration."
The passengers saw an Apatosaur grazing on the grass.
"I'm so used to seeing bones," said Billy.
"Me too," said Simone, "it's just weird to see the skin."
"Mr. and Mrs. Roby!" called Grant, "if you look out the right you can see..."
But Paul just waved him away with a hand, staring intently out his window.
Max put down his binoculars.
"South shore is clear. The rest is rock," he said.
"Are we on?" said Nash.
"Yep, we're on."
Looking out the window, Grant noticed they were flying awfully low. Just then, he hears a mechanical hum and a low rush from outside.
"That's not the landing gear, is it?" he asked.
Neither Paul, Amanda, Mullins, Udeksy or Cooper responded.
"You can't land here."
Paul turned back to him.
"Dr. Grant if you'd just sit tight, we'll explain this all in a jiffy.
"We can't land on this island."
"It's going to be all right," said Amanda, "just..."
Grant rose out of his seat, heading for the cockpit. He'd wrestle for the controls if he had to.
Cooper rose out and grabbed him.
He pulled him back.
Grant started to struggle but he was certainly no match. Cooper was the toughest of the mercenary quintet.
Paul rose out of his seat.
"Wait, Cooper, no. Dr. Grant, would please sit down?
But it was too late.
Cooper's well-practiced fist hit him dead on.
Paul groaned.
Billy rose up and walked up to Cooper.
He gave him a glare.
"You can't just hit him like that. What's your problem?"
"What yours?" said Cooper.
Billy jumped on him.
"He happens to be my mentor," he said, struggling Cooper.
"Ain't that too bad?" said Cooper, wrestling him to the floor.
"Hey!" shouted Simone and rose out of her seat.
"Billy, are you alright?"
"You just sit yourself down, young lady," said Mullins and pushed her back into her seat.
"You son a bitch," said Billy, "you don't ever touch her like that."
He walked to fight Mullins back but Udesky rose up and pushed back into his seat.
Billy and Simone both realized that they were no match for a trio of tough mercenaries.