"Ellie, when is the cake coming?" Tim asked.
Ellie tapped her fingers on the countertop, and took a quick look at her watch, wondering the same thing. The cake was ten minutes late. Alan was in the shower, so it would be the perfect time for them to deliver it. "It was supposed to be here by nine-thirty. I think I'll give the front desk a call." However, before she could make the call, she heard a knock at the door.
"Good morning, Mr. McTeer sends his apology," the hotel employee said, holding the boxed cake. "Things got hectic, and this was the first time we've been able to deliver the cake."
"That's fine, it's perfect timing," Ellie said.
"Mr. McTeer thought you might need a book of matches for the candles."
"Oh, I forgot all about them, thanks." Placing the matches in her pocket, she took the cake from the young man. "Please thank Mr. McTeer for me."
"I'll do that. Enjoy the cake."
"We will." Ellie shut the door and turned towards Lex and Tim. "Guys, go get Alan's hat, and we'll surprise him when he gets finished dressing."
"Okay, "Lex said.
"Let's hide everything behind the kitchen counter, so Alan won't see it,"
"Excellent," Tim said, placing Alan's hat on the counter beside the boxed cake.
A few minutes later, Alan came out of his bedroom. "All done," he said, giving Ellie kiss.
Tim made a retching noise, drawing a smack on the arm from Lex. "Tim, that is so gross. They're just kissing," she said.
"I know — that's what's gross," Tim said.
"I don't know how Mom puts up with you," Lex said, rolling her eyes.
Laughing, Ellie smiled at Alan, her expression mysterious. "Follow me."
"What's going on?" Alan asked.
"You'll see." Ellie said.
"Happy Birthday!" Tim exclaimed as they walked into the kitchen.
Alan pulled up short as he spotted the cake and wrapped present. "I was hoping you'd forget." Nevertheless, he was interested to see what Ellie had gotten him for his birthday.
"Not a chance," Ellie said. "I wasn't about to let you off the hook. Come on birthday boy, bring your present over here," she said.
As Alan carried his present to the table, Lex brought the cake to the table and removed it from the box.
Ellie began to sing, "Happy Birthday," joined by the children.
"Alan, make a wish and blow out the candles," Tim said.
Alan paused and thought for a few moments, then he grinned at Ellie, took a breath, and blew out the candles. His wish was a simple one; that they could return home and live out their lives together.
"I hope you like your present," Lex said
"I'm sure I will." Alan took a seat at the table and inspected the gift-wrapped box. "This is terrific, how in the world did you find all this?"
"It was a group effort. The hotel supplied the cake," Ellie said with a smile.
Alan began to rip the paper off. "Well, let's see what we have here," he said, lifting the top off the box. He sat motionless, staring at the hat.
"Alan?" Ellie asked. When she did not get an answer, she touched him on the arm. "Honey?"
Finally, Alan removed the hat from the box, and held it in his hands. He looked at each of them with a broad smile. "It's perfect," he said. "Thank you so much." He gave the kids a hug, and held Ellie close for long minute. "You're the best, you know that?" he whispered in her ear.
Ellie's happiness faded; she wanted to be more than just the best to Alan, she wanted; she needed to know there was more to their relationship.
Alan placed the hat on his head, and arranged the brim to his satisfaction; although the fit was a little tight, he knew it would adjust over time.
"Wow, it looks great," Lex said.
"Let me go see," Alan said. Trailed by Lex and Tim, he strode into his bathroom. Peering into the mirror, he nodded in approval.
"Looks good," Tim said.
"I agree," Alan said. "Hey, it's early, but how about some cake?" He realized for the first time that Ellie had not accompanied them.
"Can we?" Lex asked.
"I think it can be arranged," Alan said.''
They returned to the kitchen; Alan found Ellie waiting, her expression set. He wondered why the abrupt change in her mood.
"The birthday boy has decided he wants some cake," Alan said, hoping it would cheer her up.
"Okay, I'll cut it." Ellie said, without enthusiasm.
Damn, what have I done now? Alan wondered, placing his hat on the table; determined to discover why she was upset. "Ellie, is everything okay?"
Ellie looked into Alan's puzzled eyes. She recognized his words had been said in innocence and she had overreacted. "Yeah, I just had one of those weird moments. I'm fine," she said, running her hand down his arm in affection.
"You sure?"
Ellie nodded and smiled. "You look very dashing."
"Thank you. It's a wonderful surprise."
"You do like it? I know how particular you are about your headgear."
"Well, if I had been shopping for a hat and seen it, I would have bought it myself."
"I'm glad. I was going to get you a wallet, but I decided to gamble. You don't look right without a hat."
"I didn't feel right without having one," he said with a chuckle, then glanced at the cake. "Ahhh… chocolate, my favorite."
"Yes, it is."
"I'll get the plates," Lex said.
"And I'll get the forks," Tim said.
"Tim, bring a knife to cut the cake, too," Ellie said. While Lex and Tim set the table, she changed her mind about cutting the cake, and handed Alan the knife. "You can do the honors."
"I think I can handle it." Alan cut four pieces of cake; the rich scent of chocolate drifted up to him. As he finished his piece of cake, hearing the knock on the door, they all turned. With grim steps, Alan rose and walked to the door. "Good morning, Dr. Grant," the man said.
"Good morning," Alan said.
"If you are ready, I will escort you to the ministry building."
Alan nodded, putting his hat on. "I'll be back later," he called out.
"Bye, Alan," Lex said.
Lynda Murphy strolled away from the Lear Jet, and then began to walk faster as she spotted Tim waving beside a white passenger van. The boy began to run towards her; she kneeled and held her arms wide.
"Hi, Mom!" Tim shouted, engulfing her in a hug.
"Oh, Timmy, I'm so glad to see you," Lynda said, holding him tight. She looked over him to where her daughter stood.
"Hi, Mom," Lex said.
"Hi, Honey," she said.
The two gazed at each other, then Lex closed the distance and joined in the hug. "I've missed you two so much," Lynda said.
Separating, Lynda backed up a step to take a close look at her children. Except for a few fading bruises, they looked healthy. Standing off to one side, she spotted a tall, blonde woman, and a muscular young man. "You must be Ellie," she said, holding out her hand, which Ellie shook with a firm handshake.
"I am. Alan will meet us back at the hotel. We were hoping the Costa Ricans would leave him alone for once, but no luck," she said.
"Lynda, I'm Joe Reiling."
"Joe, I'm glad to meet you," Lynda said, shaking his hand.
Joe collected the large empty suitcase Lynda had brought for Lex and Tim's clothes, while Tim grabbed a smaller suitcase.
"I got it," Tim said.
"Be my guest," Joe said.
"The children look terrific, Ellie," Lynda said, as they followed Joe to the van.
"Considering everything they've been through, they're doing well."
"I should have never let them go to that island. I was so stupid," she said. "I should have known something would happen."
Ellie stopped and faced Lynda. "You sound like Alan," she said. "He blames himself for putting me in danger. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. You couldn't have known what was going to happen, and you trusted John to keep your children safe. We all did."
Lynda nodded. "I know you're right, but… Oh, I don't know," she said with a rueful laugh. "I'm such a mess right now."
"I understand," Ellie said, and smiled at Lynda's skeptical expression. "My parents divorced when I was a child, and I know it took a while for my mother to get her life together."
"I have hope then." Lynda heard the understanding and compassion in her voice. She liked Ellie Sattler, and was thankful her children had been in her care.
"Mom, Ellie come on. It's going to rain," Lex called out.
"Oops," Lynda said. "She's right." She observed the dark clouds approaching and the two women hurried to the van.
On the way to the hotel, the children filled Lynda in on what they had been doing while in San José. Joe Reiling hadn't been able to tell her much about the accident, but although she knew it had been a horrible experience, her children's high spirits impressed her. Accident…what an inadequate word for what had happened to them on the island.
After Lynda checked into the hotel, they accompanied her to the one-bedroom suite that the Embassy had reserved for her.
"Joe, I'll take that one," Lynda said, referring to the smaller of the two suitcases.
Joe nodded, and glanced at his watch. "Well, I need to get back to work. I've got a meeting in a half hour."
"Okay, thanks, Joe," Lynda said.
Joe nodded and smiled. "It was my pleasure, Lynda. Ellie, tell Alan hello for me. I'll meet you folks at ten tomorrow morning."
"We'll be ready," Ellie said. "Lex, Tim, let's give your mom some time to freshen up," she said. "Lynda, we're right down the hall in suite five."
"I'll be there in a few minutes," Lynda said.
"Should we take our suitcase?" Lex asked.
"That's a good idea, Lex," Ellie said.
"Rats," Ellie said, disappointed to find the suite empty. She glanced out the window, hearing the slow drip of rain begin. At least it was not thundering.
They each took a seat in the living room to wait for Lynda. "Ellie?" Lex asked. "I've been thinking about something. We shouldn't talk about what happened on the island, right?"
Ellie exhaled; she had not thought about it. "I think that would be the best thing for everyone."
"Nobody would believe us anyway," Tim said.
"You might be right," Ellie said.
"Can I start packing?" Lex asked.
"Sure, that's a good idea," Ellie said. "Be sure to keep out your pajamas and your toothbrush and toothpaste. And keep out a change of clothes to wear tomorrow."
"Okay, I will," Lex said. She grabbed the suitcase and went into her bedroom.
"I need to figure out what we're going to have for lunch," Ellie said. "I bet Lynda's hungry."
"I'm hungry, too," Tim said, following her into the kitchen.
"I bet you are." Opening the refrigerator, Ellie stood with her hands on her hips. "We have leftover roast beef. How would you like a roast beef sandwich?" She would warm the leftover vegetables for Lex.
"Cool," Tim said.
A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door, and Tim ran to answer it.
"Come on in. Alan hasn't gotten back yet," Ellie said to Lynda, as she entered the suite.
"What kind of information are they trying to get out of him?" Lynda asked, frowning.
"It's one of life's great mysteries. They keep asking him the same questions. It's like they're waiting for something, but we can't figure out what." For a moment, her frustration threatened to boil over and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Can I get you some iced tea?"
"Oh, sure, I'd love some."
To her relief, Ellie heard the sound of a key inserted into the doorknob.
"Hi, guys," Alan said, entering the suite. He placed his hat and the key on the desk. "Lynda, I'm sorry I missed you at the airport," he said, with a rueful smile. "My keepers couldn't do without me for one day it seems," he grumbled.
"I'm sorry they're doing this to you," she said, taking his hand.
Alan shrugged. "I'm almost used to it." He glanced at Tim and Ellie could see his mood brighten.
"Hey, Tim," Alan said.
"Hi, Alan," the boy said. "I'm glad you're back."
"Me too. Where did Lex get off too?"
"Lex is doing some packing. I was about to get us some iced tea; want a glass?" Ellie asked.
"Tea would be great."
"Lynda, have you had lunch yet?" Ellie asked, as she poured three glasses of tea.
"No, I haven't."
"Well, if you don't mind leftovers, we've got roast beef for sandwiches and vegetables for Lex."
"That sounds wonderful." Lynda had noticed the leftover birthday cake on the table.
"Today's Alan's birthday," Tim said.
"Oh, I see. Happy birthday."
"Thanks," Alan said.
"We got him a new hat." Tim said. "He lost his old one on the island."
"That's too bad."
"I was fond of that hat, but I'm happy with my new one." Alan said.
After everyone had sweetened the drinks to their liking, they made their way to the living room.
"I'm going to go bother Lex," Tim said with a sly grin.
"Don't forget, she's bigger than you are," Lynda said, with a chuckle, as Tim ran into Lex's bedroom.
"Ellie's told me a little bit about what's been going on since you got toSan José," Lynda said.
"I'm beginning to feel like I should just record the answers and send it to them," Alan said. He looked over and saw Lex and Tim enter his bedroom with a suitcase.
"Lex brought up something earlier. She didn't think she or Tim should talk about what happened on the island," Ellie said.
Alan sat upright. "I hadn't thought about it."
"I hadn't either," Ellie said. "I thought she had the right idea."
"I think she does," Lynda said.
"They haven't talked about it much, and we haven't pressed them. They do need to talk about what happened."
"When they're ready, I'll be glad to talk to them," Lynda said.
They were interrupted as Lex marched into the living room, arguing with Tim.
"Did you get packed?' Lynda asked.
"Almost…Lex took forever, of course. She had to put everything in just right," Tim said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, be quiet. Tim's making a total mess of the suitcase," Lex said.
"I'll go check out the disaster area later," Lynda said with a chuckle.
"I think I'm going to get lunch ready," Ellie said.
"Need some help?" Alan asked.
"If you want to get the dishes and silverware out, that would be terrific."
"Will do." Alan pulled the dishes out along with the silverware from the dishwasher.
"What can I do?" Lynda asked.
"I think Alan and I can handle everything," Ellie said.
"Okay, I'm going to survey the suitcase disaster, then," Linda said.
Ellie laughed. "Good luck," she said.
Lynda went into the bedroom, and sat down on the bed next to the suitcase. Tim had indeed made a mess of the suitcase. With a shake of her head, she began to sort their clothes.
After a few seconds, her daughter entered the room. "See what I mean?" Lex asked.
"I do."
"I had all my clothes packed, and Tim messed everything up. I don't know why he has to be such a slob."
"Well, he's a boy."
Lex giggled. "True."
"I want to talk to you." Linda said, as Lex took a seat next to her. "Honey, I've been a lousy parent. I've been preoccupied with all my troubles, and I know it's hurt you." She stroked Lex's blond tresses. "I almost lost you and Tim on that island, it scared me so much, and it made me realize I've neglected you two. I promise, from now on, I'm going to be the best parent I know how. Can you forgive me?"
Lex looked at Lynda, her eyes filled with tears. With a sob, she launched herself into her mother's arms. "Mommy, I love you."
Lynda began to cry as well. It had been years since Lex had called her that, it seemed like they had been fighting for just as long. "I love you, too, sweetie."
"I'm sorry about blaming you for what happened with the divorce and all. I was wrong," Lex said.
"Well, here's what we're going to do. Today we're starting over, okay?"
"Okay..."
As they pulled apart, Lynda observed Alan's clothes hanging in the closet. "Lex, are Alan and Ellie going together?"
"Yeah, but Ellie's sleeping in the other bedroom in the other twin bed. Tim's been sleeping on the sofa bed."
"Oh, I see..." she thought it was a thoughtful gesture on their part. " I like them."
"Me too," Lex said. "Ellie's cool and funny. They're both smart, but they aren't stuffy – well, Alan's kind of grumpy sometimes, but Mom, he's so brave, and he's interested in helping Tim become a Paleontologist."
"And he's handsome, too."
Lynda was amused to see Lex blush.
"Yeah, he is," the girl said.
As they wiped their tears away, Tim entered the bedroom. "Why are you crying?" he asked.
"Well, we're just too emotional," Lynda said, as she and Lex began to laugh.
"Weird. Alan said we can have the Monopoly game and the puzzle."
"You know, I haven't played Monopoly in years," Lynda said. "We'll have to start playing."
"Really? You will?" Tim said in surprise.
Lynda winced to herself; that something most families did would be so surprising to her son was embarrassing to her now. "Timmy, come over and sit down, okay?" She continued after Tim sat down beside her. "I'm going to say the same thing I told Lex. I haven't been a very good parent. From now on, I'm going to be the best parent I know how to be. We're going to have fun, and be a real family, okay?"
Tim grinned broadly. "Cool!"
"Mom, what about Dad?" Lex asked.
That was a harder subject, Lynda thought. After they had separated, her ex-husband had not acted the least bit interested in the children, and had only seen them a few times. She did not want to get their hopes up. "I don't know what's going to happen with your father. He has visitation rights, if he chooses to use them. I hope he'll stay in your life."
She broached the next subject with care. "I know you two went through a terrible time on the island, and saw some horrendous things. If you want to talk about it, I'm here."
Both children nodded. "Okay," Lex said.
At that moment, Alan poked his head into the room. "Lunch is ready."
"Thanks, Alan," Lynda said. "Come on, we don't want to hold up lunch."
As they ate, Alan realized it was a good time to bring up their plans for next summer. "You know Tim, Ellie and I had an idea. If it's okay with your mother, we'd love to have you come to Montana next summer and do some prospecting with us - if you don't mind getting up early.
Tim jumped out of his chair and looked with excitement between his mother and Alan. "Mom, can I please?"
"You don't want to go to summer camp?" Linda asked.
"No way, I want to go to Montana with Alan and Ellie. Please, Mom?" he asked, bouncing on his toes.
"Well, I guess I can let you go then."
"All right! Thanks, Mom. Wow, Alan, it's going to be so cool!"
"Well, it'll be cool until July," Alan said.
"I meant it'll be cool to be there," Tim said, then realized Alan was joking with him. "Ha, ha…"
Ellie noticed Lex had a frown on her face, and exchanged a look with Alan. "We'd love for you to come to Montana, if you want to."
"Really? I'd like that," she said, smiling now.
"Alan? Can we go play video games? We still have some Costa Rican money." Tim asked after lunch.
"Sure, go ahead," he said, handing Tim his room key. The two youngsters took off for the game room.
"Oh, I almost forgot something. I'll be right back," Lynda said, and strolled out of the suite
Soon, Alan heard a tap on the door. Lynda entered the suite, handing him the check that Peter had cut for her. "I want you to have this and no arguments either."
As he took the check, Alan saw the amount and did a double take, astonished to see it was twice as much as he was expecting. "Wait, this is too much."
"No, it isn't enough. I can't put a monetary value on all you've done for me, but this will be a start, I hope."
Alan did not know what to say. "Lynda, thank you from both of us." He would not have to worry about funding his field research for several years, and in fact could upgrade some field equipment. "Ellie can you keep this? My wallet's a mess."
"Sure," Ellie said, placing it in her wallet, shocked at the amount of the check.
"Ellie told me about the problems Tim and Lex have been having," Lynda said, after taking a seat in one of the chairs.
Alan nodded. "A couple of nights after we arrived, we had a storm, and Tim had a panic attack. He handles thunder a lot better now, so perhaps he's adjusting. He gets a little anxious, but nothing like that first time." He smiled grimly in response to Lynda's questioning glance. "We were on the road in the storm when the Rex attacked us. I think thunder reminds him of that time."
"My God, Alan. That must have been terrifying."
"You know, I thought the Rex would be the worst of it, and we would be safe once we made it back to the Visitors Center. I was wrong on that count. We couldn't have been in more danger."
"Was it the Velociraptors?"
Ellie and Alan looked at Lynda. "Yes. Nedry cut the power to the raptor enclosure, and they got loose. How did you find out about them?" Ellie said.
"While I was on the board, I did some independent research on the different species they were creating. I have to say, they frightened me just reading about them. Of all the species they were planning to keep, they seemed to be the most dangerous."
"You were right," Alan said. "They're intelligent and vicious, and they almost got us all. It was madness to create them."
"I passed the information to the rest of the board," Lynda said. "There was some concern, but in the end, greed won out. I sometimes wish I'd have stayed on the board, kept fighting for… I don't know; some small bit of sanity to prevail."
"It sounds like you did your best. I just hope there aren't any more of them," Ellie said.
"What do you mean?" Lynda asked. "I was told the island was bombed and the dinosaurs were killed."
The two scientists exchanged a look. "Some species have escaped to the mainland. There have been attacks on some babies, and before we left for Isla Nublar, we received a fax image of the hindquarters of a Procompsognathid."
Lynda looked at them, dumfounded at the news. "Alan, please tell me you're joking."
"I wish I was. There have been other larger tracks found. No one knows what species they are. I hope whatever they are, they'll stay far away from civilization."
"How did they get to the mainland?"
Alan told her everything Guitierrez had disclosed to them as well as his hypothesis about how the dinosaurs could have reached the mainland.
"That's incredible. What is the government doing about this?"
"I don't think there's much they can do at this point."
"Even if they are herbivores, they could do great damage to the native ecosystem," Ellie said.
"What if they're predators?" Lynda asked.
"I try not to think of that," Alan said. No one said anything for a long moment, until Alan spoke again. "We haven't said anything about this to Lex and Tim. There's no use scaring them further."
"Good."
"One other thing. Lex had a nightmare last night," Alan said.
"She did?" Ellie asked surprised she had not woken up.
"I couldn't sleep so I went out to the patio," Alan said, nodding. "She showed up a few minutes later. She said she was glad she didn't wake everybody up. She had a bad one the second night we were here."
"I see," Lynda said. "I'll keep an eye out for that when we get home."
A stab of worry shot through Ellie. Alan had not said he was still having trouble sleeping, in fact; he looked fine.
The door opened and Tim and Lex returned from the video game room. "Well, we are now broke," Lex said, with a giggle.
"Uh, oh," Lynda said. "
"Since we're all here, I think there's something we should discuss," Ellie said, as she remembered what Lex had asked her earlier that day. "Lex brought up something that I think needs to be discussed."
"You mean whether we should talk about what happened?" Lex asked.
"Right. Lex and Tim didn't think it was a good idea, and I agree."
"I think that's very wise," Alan said.
Lex shrugged. "Like Tim said, who would believe us?"
Alan thought of the diary he and Ellie had written. If they were forced to go public, would anyone believe them, even their friends?
"Good morning," Alan said, as Joe entered the suite.
"Morning Alan," Joe said. "Good morning everybody."
Lex and Tim had finished packing after breakfast, this time with Lynda's supervision. Their suitcase now sat in the living room next to Lynda's suitcase.
"Hi, Joe," Tim said.
"Ready to head back home?" Joe asked.
"I guess so," Lex said.
"I think you guys have everything packed, right?" Alan asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Tim said.
"Okay, while Lynda's checking out, we can load up the suitcases," Alan said.
Lynda checked out of the hotel, and with the suitcases loaded, they made the trip to the airport. After parking near the InGen jet, Alan and Joe carried the suitcases to the airplane where one of crewmembers met them.
"Mrs. Hammond, we'll take off when you're ready," the crewmember said.
"We'll be there in a minute," Lynda said.
"Of course," the man said.
They all turned to face each other, and for a moment, no one said anything. Alan cleared his throat. "Well," he said. "I want to give you something." He took two pieces of paper out of his shirt pocket, which contained their home and University telephone numbers, as well as the number for their field phone. "We're in Denver during the school year and Montana during the summer," he said, handing each child a paper. "If you want to talk to us, we'll be at one of these numbers. You can call us anytime."
Lex and Tim nodded, their eyes filled with tears. They rushed to him and he found himself surrounded by Lex and Tim, their arms around him.
"I'm going to miss you," Tim said.
"I'm going to miss you, too, but hey, we're just a phone call away," Alan said, patting his back, his throat tight with emotion.
"Tim, don't forget those English classes," Alan said, trying to lighten the mood.
Tim broke into a smile at Alan's words. "I won't."
"Thank you," Lex said.
Lex and Tim next embraced Ellie, who felt the hot sting of tears on her face. She would miss these two children. Thrown together by circumstance; they had made an indelible impression on her. "Remember what we talked about," she whispered to Lex.
"I will. Thanks for listening to me," Lex said.
"Any time, kiddo."
With reluctance, they broke the hug.
Lynda exchanged embraces with the two scientists. "You take care of each other."
"We will," Ellie said.
"Ready to go?" Lynda said.
The children nodded, then trudged up the stairs followed by Lynda, Tim turned back and waved and then disappeared into the plane. Lex turned and did the same. Linda with a wave of her own, disappeared into the jet.
A lump in her throat, Ellie waved, then with her arm around Alan's waist, walked back to the van with Joe, and climbed in.
"Since the kids are gone, you guys are going to have to come up with something else to fill your time," Joe said, as he drove away from the airport.
It occurred to Alan that this would be their first night alone in days, hell, weeks. After everything that had happened, they deserved a special night out. "I'm sure we can figure something out."
Soon, they pulled up in front of the hotel. "You guys have a good night," Joe said.
"We will," Alan said.
"Going to check for messages?" Ellie asked as they entered the hotel.
"Nope, and I don't intend on the answering the phone either. For today, it's just the two of us," he said. As fond as he was of the children, it was nice to have Ellie all to himself again.
"Oh, I see. Have anything special in mind?"
"I think a dinner out is a good place to start. Then we might have to improvise again."
Ellie smiled; she had fond memories of the last time they had improvised
"Let's take a look at that guide book," Alan said. "I want to find out what the best restaurant in San Jose is." They had spent little of their cash; he felt like splurging.
"Uh, oh," Ellie said, her heart sinking, as they approached their suite. A Costa Rican man stood by the door, waiting for Alan.
Alan cursed under his breath; he had been told that he would have the day free.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Grant. I'm sorry to disturb you, but Minister Olvera needs to see you."
"About what?" Alan said, irritated to see the man.
"He did not say."
"Well, maybe we can salvage the evening," Ellie said.
"Yeah, we will. I'll see you later."
"Okay." She fought off the urge to tell him she loved him. After she watched Alan trudge down the hall beside the other man, she retrieved her room key and entered the suite. Dropping her backpack on a chair, she sat on the couch, her arms crossed across her chest. Now what can I do, she thought to herself. She had picked up after the kids before they left for the airport, and the suite was clean.
Full of nervous energy, she went to the window and stared outside. Their suite was too quiet, she mused. She had become used to having the children around. She realized she had not spoken to her parents in a few days; nodding to herself, she decided that's what she would do.
She gasped and turned at the loud noise, her heart racing. "Yikes," she said, realizing it was the phone. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she answered the phone.
"Hi, there," her mother said.
"Oh, hi, Mom," she said.
"Are you okay?" Abby asked.
Ellie laughed in nervousness. "I'm fine. The phone startled me." It had happened again; the instant panic. What was wrong with her? "You read my mind. I was just going to call you."
Abby laughed. "Your father and I were wondering if you have any idea when you would be leaving."
"I'm afraid not. Alan's talking to the Costa Rican's now."
"How are your bumps and bruises?"
"Oh, much better. Alan's back is doing fine." If he could just sleep, she thought.
"Good. I was wondering what you were doing about your classes?"
"We've made arrangements for substitutes. We have one of my Grad students taking my class and one of Alan's PhD candidates is teaching his basic Paleontology course. Neither one of us are happy about it, but until the Costa Rican's finish their investigation, we're stuck here."
"Oh, that's too bad. Are you still taking care of the children?"
"They left for home this morning with their mother."
"I have a hard time picturing Alan with the kids."
"Oh, Mom, he's great with them. The other evening, they even talked him into playing Monopoly," she said with a laugh. "The boy, Tim's his name, wants to be a Paleontologist. They're coming out to Montana next summer. I still have no clue why he's so against having children, but I'm hoping this will encourage him to talk about it when we get home."
"Why wait until you get home?"
"Well," she said, hesitating. "Alan's got a lot on his mind right now, and he's frustrated by everything that's going on. I don't want to push him."
"I can understand that, but you're going to have to get to the bottom of this."
"I know, I know," she said, with a sigh; they had had this conversation before.
"Okay, I'll stop nagging you."
Ellie laughed. "It's okay."
"Well, I should get back to work."
"I'll talk to you later, I hope with good news."
"Bye, honey."
"Bye, Mom."
Ellie sighed as she replaced the receiver. Deciding to move her clothes into Alan's bedroom, she made her way into her room.
Joe walked up to his desk, and as he removed his suit jacket, his phone rang. "Reiling," he said, tossing his coat on his desk.
"Joe, it's Ambassador Pauley. The Costa Rican's have found tracks on the mainland. They think they're dinosaur tracks."
"My God," Joe said.
"Look, they're on their way to pick Grant up. They want him to go look at the tracks."
Oh, damn… Joe thought. He knew how that would go over with the man.
"Meet me downstairs in five minutes," Pauley said.
"Yes, sir, I'll be there."
Joe grabbed his jacket and ran to the elevator.
As soon as Alan arrived at the ministry building, he was ushered into Olvera's office. Standing across from him was a military officer.
"Dr. Grant, I'm sorry to bring you here today," Olvera said. "I have an urgent matter that I must discuss with you. This is General Silva, head of our National Guard."
Alan nodded. "General..."
"I have read much about your exploits on Isla Nublar," Silva said.
Alan nodded again, and looked at both men. His internal radar was singing; something was wrong.
Olvera cleared his throat. "Earlier you told Senor Moreno that it was possible that some of the animals might have escaped on the supply boats."
"It's the most logical explanation. Why?"
Olvera glanced at the General. "A series of tracks have been discovered in a new cleared field in the northern part of our country. We suspect they may be escaped dinosaurs from the island."
Alan closed his eyes trying to drive the sudden image of the raptors surrounding them, cutting off all escape. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. "What did the tracks look like?"
"The men who found them stated they had three toes, and were as long as a man's foot."
Bipedal... "Did they see any animals?" Alan asked.
"No, the men were too frightened to investigate further. Dr. Grant, we need to you to look at the tracks."
Alan stared at Olvera in disbelief. "No way, no how. Have somebody take some photos, and I'll take a look at them. I'm not going anywhere."
"There's no time for that. Rain is predicted for later today. You will be protected." Olvera glanced at the General, who nodded in the affirmative.
"That's true, Dr. Grant," Silva said, with confidence. "A detachment of soldiers will accompany you. You will be very safe."
Famous last words, Alan thought. He tried to think of a way out of this jam. He thought about calling Ellie, but dismissed the thought. He did not want to worry her. There was nothing she could do, anyway.
Alan was about to demand a call to Pauley, when Olvera's intercom buzzed, though the conversation was in Spanish, Alan heard her say "Ambassador Pauley," and heaved a small sigh of relief. Olvera said something, and the door opened. Pauley followed by Joe, hurried into the room.
"Minister, I'd like to know what's going on." Pauley said. "Why is Dr. Grant here?"
"Ambassador, this is an internal matter for my government," Olvera said.
"I understand, but that does not answer my question. Why is Dr. Grant here?"
"Ambassador, I'll tell you why I'm here," Alan said, breaking into the conversation. "They've found more tracks, and I'm supposed to go inspect them."
"Dr. Grant, what do you mean by more tracks?" Pauley asked.
"Didn't they tell you? Dinosaur tracks were found earlier this year in the mountains, and now it seems they've found more tracks."
"Dr. Grant, I'd like to know how you found out about this."
"A friend told me."
As Pauley and Olvera began to argue with one another, Alan glanced at Joe, who shrugged. It was becoming clear that he had no way out of this situation. "Excuse me," he said, raising his voice.
Pauley and Olvera fell silent, gazing at him.
"All right, I'll go."
"Dr. Grant –" Pauley said.
"Let's get this over with," Alan said, cutting the Ambassador off. He turned towards Joe. "Tell Ellie I'll be back later."
Joe shook his head. "I'm going with you."
"Like hell you are," Alan said.
"You are not going with Dr. Grant," Pauley said.
"Sir, Alan needs an interpreter," Joe said.
The last thing Alan wanted to do was to put Joe's life in danger, but he was correct. He had picked up a few phrases of Spanish, but he could not speak the language.
"Sorry, Alan, if you're going, I'm going." Joe looked at Alan and Pauley in defiance.
Pauley nodded and looked at Alan. "Dr. Grant, it's up to you."
"All right," Alan said in resignation.
After flying northwest from San Jose for over an hour, the helicopter carrying Alan, Joe, and a National Guard officer and three soldiers landed in a large clearing. After the officer and his squad got off the helicopter, Alan jumped down, joined in a few seconds by Joe.
Alan checked his surroundings, and saw a small rickety shed stood near the edge of the forest; a civilian jeep parked near it. A rough dirt road led away from the clearing. It was starting to drizzle, the cloudy skies darkening the area.
A man exited the shed and approached the group. The officer spoke to the man for a few seconds, then turned towards Alan and said something in Spanish.
"He wants us to follow him," Joe said.
Led by the nervous worker, the officer gave his men an order and they fell in behind him, followed by Alan and Joe.
Joe noted that Alan's head moved back and forth, his head cocked as though listening. Listening for what, he wondered.
The worker stopped, pointed towards the ground, and said something in Spanish.
Alan stared at the tracks, paying no attention to the others; in an instant, he guessed what species they were. He did not see tracks; he saw the cunning eyes, the incredible speed, and strength of the animals. With an effort, he shook off the image, aware that Joe was speaking to him.
"Do you know what they are?" Joe asked.
"I'm betting Velociraptors," Alan said. "A year old or so, by the size of the tracks. Muldoon said they were lethal at six months." He gazed towards the rain forest, aware it had gone silent. "Oh, shit," he whispered, as the hackles rose on his neck. "Joe, tell him we need to get out of here, right now," he said whispered.
Joe nodded and said something to the officer, who shook his head.
Alan did not need a translation to know the man did not understand the danger they were in. "Start back to the chopper."
Joe started to argue; it looked like Alan had lost his nerve. He started as he heard a hiss and a growl; he turned and gaped behind him at the creature standing on its hind legs.
Alan turned then froze, fighting back the panic enveloping his entire body. The raptor had not moved and was staring at the chopper as if waiting for something; he realized, with a sick feeling, he knew it was waiting for the men to run to the helicopter.
One of the men in front of him did just that and ran towards the chopper. At once, the rest did the same. The raptor barked a command, and Alan was transported back to Montana. They attack, not from the front, but from the side, he had told the kid. As he had predicted, two other raptors appeared out of the forest, running towards the panicked soldiers.
Alan stood, rooted in astonishment, as the first raptor ran right past them. A few seconds later, in horror, he saw the first man go down, screaming. The helicopter's engine revved and he felt the air displacement from the rotors as it took off.
Gathering himself, Alan did not take the time to think about why the raptor did not go after them; he knew that they only had a few seconds to get to safety. He thought of the shed and but dismissed it as a possibility. He knew of only one safe place to find safety.
Joe saw the worker make it to the shack, and slam the door behind him. "Alan, the shack."
"No!" Alan said, as Joe started to run towards the shed.
Joe stopped and spun around. "Why?"
"No time to explain, we have to get into a tree."
Joe hesitated then nodded, betting his life that Alan's experience would carry them through. They sprinted into the forest, Alan in the lead.
Alan prayed there weren't more raptors. He did not want to go far; the important thing was getting off the ground as soon as possible. He halted and spun around, and pointed to a suitable tree. "That one," he said.
Understanding, Joe grabbed the lowest branch and began to climb. Alan let him get one level up before he began to scramble up the tree. They climbed as fast as they could, their fear driving them upward.
Joe stopped and looked down at Alan, who soon pulled himself to Joe's level. Peering towards the ground, he judged their height against how high the raptor had jumped in the control center. "Higher," he whispered.
Joe nodded. This time Alan took the lead. He climbed a few feet higher and pulled himself onto a ledge; he realized it was similar the one he had been on with the children. He looked towards the ground and decided it was high enough. Joe came up behind him, and Alan nodded, pointing down. They both sat down, breathing hard. The fit was a little tight, but it would work Alan decided.
"Alan—" Joe said.
"Shh," Alan said, holding up his hand. The screams had died off, but the raptors were still out there. They were not safe. They had left a scent trail and it had not rained enough to wash it away. The raptors could not climb trees, but he did not want them to know where they were hiding.
Joe nodded; numb, out of his element. He heard nothing except for an occasional snarl or growl, the animals had gone quiet, probably feeding. His stomach lurched at the thought. He was mystified why Alan had chosen a tree instead of the solid walls of the shed. But he had got them this far, so he must have a reason. With the crack of splintering wood, he heard another gut wrenching scream.
Beside him, Alan closed his eyes, and exhaled slowly.
"The shed?" Joe whispered.
Alan nodded. The man had been doomed the minute he had entered the building. He had seen there was no way to lock out the raptors, the door could easily smashed.
With a chill, Joe knew he would be dead, if not for Alan's quick decision.
Alan had spent a large part of his adult life outdoors and had learned to read and interpret the sounds of nature. The sounds of the predators died away, but the forest remained silent, as though listening for the raptors. As darkness fell, he realized it was raining harder. Keep it up, he prayed. The more it rained, the more their trail would wash away. He cupped his hands to collect the falling rain, and then took a drink. Joe followed suit; gulping the clean fresh rainwater.
Ellie stared out the window into the growing darkness, her apprehension increasing by the minute. Something was wrong. She had called Joe and was told he was not there. The man had been evasive which worried her even more. She had then asked for the Ambassador and was told he was not available either. Then Olvera could not be reached. Where was Alan?
There was a knock at the door, Ellie hurried to it and jerked it open. It was Ambassador Pauley, Olvera and another man. Her stomach tightened in sudden dread "Where's Alan?"
"Dr. Sattler, may I come in? I need to talk to you." Pauley said.
She closed her eyes to calm herself, and then moved aside to let Pauley enter. She turned towards him. "Where is Alan?" If Pauley did not answer her she would scream.
Pauley took a deep breath. "Dr. Sattler, I have some bad news."
The rain had masked the sound of the forest and its inhabitants; as it let up, Alan heard the welcome sounds of the forest. Alan sighed in relief. "They're gone," he said, keeping his voice quiet.
"My God, I've never seen anything like those animals," Joe said.
Alan nodded. He refused to dwell on what had happened. He had to remain focused on what he had to do to get them home. Work the problem… The chopper was gone; he did not think any of the soldiers had made it to safety. Should they wait for a rescue? The Costa Rican's might think everyone else was dead, and close off the area. If they decided to leave, they could not walk out; the jeep was the only way out. Did they dare try it later that night? It was a cloudy moonless night, and he could not see two feet in front of him. He knew the direction they had to go to get to the jeep, but they would never find it without a flashlight.
"What are we going to do?" Joe asked.
"We have a couple of options, as I see it. The rain washed away our scent trail, so we should be safe here as long as we stay quiet. We can stay here and wait for a rescue party—"
"Do you think they'll come? Won't they think everyone's dead?"
"That's a distinct possibility. I do know Ellie won't give up on us, but who knows if she or anyone else could find us."
"What's the other option?" Joe asked.
"At daybreak we make a run for the jeep and get the hell out of here. Did you see that dirt road when we landed?"
"I saw it."
"It must connect with a paved road at some point. It looked like we headed northeast after we took off. If we can make it to a town, we can call for reinforcements. What do you think?"
"I think it's the only option we have."
"I do too. Look, why don't you get some sleep?" Alan asked.
"Here?"
"You'll be surprised how easy it is. I'll keep watch."
Joe chuckled. "Wake me in a couple of hours, will you?"
"I will."
Shocked by what Pauley had told her, Ellie's strength gave way and she almost collapsed. Pauley rushed forward to assist her. "Dr. Sattler—Ellie, please come and sit down."
"Get away from me," she said, pushing his hand away.
There was a knock at the door behind Pauley. "Ellington, can you get that?" he asked, once again attempting to help Ellie.
"Yes, sir."
Ellington opened the door; Pauley looked around and saw it was Robert Muldoon.
Muldoon took one look at the scene and shoved Ellington out of the way, then rushed over to Ellie. She looked at him mute, unable to speak.
"What the hell's going on here? Ellie, are you okay?" he asked.
"Mr. Muldoon, there's been an accident. We asked Dr. Grant to inspect some tracks that were found in the forest," Olvera said.
"Joe Reiling went with him," Pauley said.
"Oh, no, dear God, no," Muldoon said. Beside him, Ellie began to cry; he reached out and took her hand.
"The animals came back and attacked the party," Olvera continued. "The only survivors were the helicopter pilots."
"Where did this happen?" Muldoon asked.
"A forest that was being cleared for a pasture. Near the mountains," Olvera said.
"Which mountains?" Muldoon asked.
"The Isamola Mountains."
Ellie and Robert exchanged outraged looks. "You knew there were dinosaurs in the area, even before these tracks were found, and you not only put Alan and Joe in harm's way, but your soldiers, too. You wanted to get rid of him," Ellie said.
Olvera stiffened. "Dr. Sattler, there was never any intent to harm anyone," he said.
Ellie did not believe a word he said. "Where is his body?" She asked her voice soft.
"We have not retrieved the bodies yet," Olvera said.
Ellie looked at Olvera, her gaze sharp and penetrating. "Then how do you know he's dead?"
"According to the pilot's report, there no way he or anyone else could have survived. They said the dinosaurs cut off all means of escape."
It had to be the bloody raptors again, Muldoon thought. If they'd only gotten rid of the damn things, or better yet, never bred them in the first place…
"Did they see Alan killed?" Ellie asked.
"Well, no. The pilots said in the chaos they lost track of both he and Mr. Reiling," Olvera said.
At that moment, Ellie knew in her heart Alan was alive. "He's alive."
"I know you'd like to believe that; I want to believe it too. But it's impossible," Pauley said.
"You don't know Alan," Ellie said. "He's alive and if Joe is with him, then Joe's alive too. We have to go out there and find him."
"Ambassador, if there's one man who could survive a situation like this it's Alan Grant," Muldoon. "If you don't want to help us then we'll find them, one way or the other."
Ellie looked at Muldoon and managed a smile. Muldoon winked at her. "We'll get him back."
"Ellie, the scene is not going to be pretty," Pauley said.
"Ambassador, you forget. I know what carnivorous dinosaurs can do to a human body. I know he's alive," she said, her voice stern.
"Minister?" Pauley asked.
After a moment, Olvera nodded. "We leave at dawn."
The voice, feather light, almost a caress, came into Alan's mind. "Hello, dear one."
"Amanda?"
"Yes, Alan."
"How..." He could not tell if he spoke aloud or in his mind. "Am I dreaming?"
"Think of it as a dream. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened to me and our baby."
"Amanda, I can't... I can't help wondering, if you hadn't been pregnant I wouldn't have lost you."
"The pregnancy did not cause the aneurysm. It was meant to be, both for me and our baby."
"The doctor told me that, but still, I couldn't help thinking it caused it. Your mother… what she told me."
"I know what my mother said," Amanda said, regret in her voice. "It was a terrible thing to say."
"She didn't mean it, she was distressed. But she said what I was thinking."
"I'm so sorry, Alan. Do you love Ellie?"
Somehow, Alan was not surprised Amanda knew about Ellie. "Yes, I do," he said, without hesitation.
"She needs to hear that from you, or you'll lose her."
"I know, but I feel like I'm betraying you."
"You're not betraying anyone. We had a wonderful marriage, and nothing will ever change that. Ellie's a good, kind woman, and I know you will have a full loving marriage with her as well."
"You don't mind if I get married again?"
"Of course not, I want you to be happy. If the situation was reversed, wouldn't you want me to be happy?"
Alan thought a minute. "Yes, of course." He felt he emotional walls he had taken so much time to construct around his heart began to crumble.
"I have to go now," Amanda said. "I'll always cherish the time we had."
"I will too."
"Goodbye, Alan."
Alan opened his eyes, and blinked. Had he been speaking with Amanda, or was it his conscience speaking to him. He would never know, he guessed. Despite the situation, he found himself at peace. The guilt he had been carrying was gone. Leaning his head against a limb, he closed his eyes and dozed, knowing that somehow he would survive this ordeal.
Ellie and Muldoon climbed into the Huey, followed by Pauley and Olvera. Behind their helicopter, another sat as a squad of armed soldiers boarded the craft. Both the choppers had mounted machine guns. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon.
Ellie sat down on a bench, Muldoon beside her. She knew Pauley and Olvera thought she was in shock or hysterical. But she was certain Alan was alive, and it gave her a strange sense of calm.
Pauley came over to her. "We're going to follow the road they would have taken back to San Jose. Hopefully we'll meet them."
Ellie nodded, knowing Pauley did not really believe Alan was alive. "Good."
Alan gave Joe's shoulder a nudge. "Joe, wake up."
"Wha…" Joe opened his eyes, and then looked around wildly as he remembered where he was.
"See, you can sleep in a tree."
"I thought you were going to wake me up?"
"You needed your beauty sleep."
Joe scowled and shook his head. "Did you hear anything?"
"If they came through, they didn't wake me up. Everything sounds normal. I had the strangest dream, though."
"What about?"
After a second, Alan smiled. "Never mind. You still okay with our plan?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
Alan nodded. "Can you drive a stick?"
"Sure, why?"
"I bet you run faster than I do, and those extra seconds might make a difference. When we go, I want you to make a beeline for the jeep and drive."
"What if there's no key?"
Alan had thought of that potential dilemma. "Then we'll have a problem. I want to spend as little time as possible on the ground. If there's no key, then head back to the tree, and we'll think of something else." There was no backup plan if they could not start the jeep. "And look—if something happens to me, you don't stop or try to help me. Promise me you'll keep going."
"Okay, I will."
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
Alan climbed down the tree, making as little noise as possible, then waited for Joe to join him. He motioned for him to follow. As they approached the clearing, he spotted the jeep. He went down on one knee, watching and listening to his surroundings; sensing nothing was out of place.
Joe faced out from Alan to watch behind them. Again, he felt out of his element, and only the unruffled presence of the man beside him kept him calm.
After several seconds, Alan was as sure as he could be about the area. He stood and took a deep breath. Nodding at Joe, he pointed to the jeep. "Ready?"
The jeep looked terribly far away, Joe thought, but he nodded.
"Okay, go," Alan whispered and burst into the clearing. As he had expected Joe passed him, his arms and legs pumping, running for his life.
Joe ran with every fiber of his being. He ignored the gruesome remains of the dead; did not look back at Alan. He closed the last few yards to the jeep and jumped in; looking for the ignition, hoping against hope the key was there.
On an impulse, Alan slowed, then stopped next to an M-16 lying on the ground. He grabbed it, then took off running. He was relieved to hear the jeep's engine catch and start.
Joe gunned the motor and despite what Alan had said, looked behind him. He was coming fast, carrying an M-16. "Come on, come on," he muttered.
Alan threw himself into the back of the jeep, coming to rest in the back seat. "Go," he said.
Joe did not wait; he released the clutch and floored the accelerator. The jeep threw up a stream of mud as they took off; Joe spun the jeep around and aimed for the dirt road. Moving through the gears, he raced as fast as he dared down the bumpy road.
Alan climbed onto the back seat, then checked the M-16's magazine. It was full.
"Hang on!" Joe yelled.
Alan was thrown upwards, and then slammed down on the seat. As the jeep careened over the rough road, he steadied himself by grabbing the side of the jeep with one hand, the other clutching the rifle, watching for the raptors to appear.
"Oh crap," Joe said, slamming on the brakes.
