20
11- The great manoeuvres have began
D - 1 on Isla Nublar - Southern part of the island – 6 : 30 am
The day is slowly rising. Trevor and his men are about to break camp.
They have nothing more to make in this sector which is not the one where will take place the real attack.
They thus withdraw quietly towards the creek where stayed, to wait for them, some people and a little equipment.
This morning, the sky is of a dirty and uniform grey. The wind seems calmed, temporarily, but the rain falls ceaselessly.
After a long dismantling and a tiring walking, considering bad conditions, the commando squad joins its companions, taking advantage of the last moments of the low tide.
Everybody will spend the day in the camp, the soldiers as the animals, while waiting for the next movement.
It is an opportunity for the men to dry themselves and to prepare carefully their material for the next day.
Arrived in the creek, they are welcomed by some mercenaries stayed there.
Tents wait for them shielded from cliffs.
- It is 7 : 30 am, shouts Trevor. Meeting in one hour in the main tent for the presentation of the schedule of today and of tomorrow morning.
« Don't be late ! And take care of your animals ! They have to be on good form, too ! »
Suddenly, Williamson, the radio, runs out of the room of transmission.
- Ah, my colonel, here you are at last ! Since yesterday afternoon, « the mole » tries to contact you. Apparently, he has important informations to communicate to you. »
- Receipt, answers Trevor. I follow you. Let us see what he has to tell me. "
He penetrates, following his soldier, in the room where are arranged all the bugging devices and communication.
The mercenary seizes a microphone and begins its calls :
- Hello, here "dinosaur 1", I call "guard dog". "Guard dog" do you receive me ? »
- I receive you hardly and clear, "dinosaur 1". »
- The colonel has just arrived. He is next to me. I cross him to you. "
- received, "dinosaur 1" !
" Meanwhile, connect your screens of reception because I have images for you.
« Well, here is the story, my colonel. Yesterday afternoon, while the wind was still acceptable, I made unstick a drone to watch the sea in the neighborhood of the island. This is the way I saw arriving, at about 2 : 00 pm, a boat of the American navy.
« Intrigued, I made my machine make circles farther so that it is not located, and I continued to watch the movements of the ship.
« This one accosted and about sixty "marines" landed. They were welcomed by Grady and another man than I did not recognize.
« I send you the images. »
- They arrived well, pursues the colonel. We have them in display on the screen.
« Perfect, "The Mole", it is a very good job. »
Trevor does not stop looking at the screen.
A question challenges him. Why does a unity of "marines" land on this island, exactly when he gets ready to take action ?
No way to imagine a single moment that it is a coincidence.
Jurassic World 2 receives reinforcements, and in important quantity.
Thus, somebody called them. But who ? And why ? Because nobody knew what was preparing.
- Thank you, Williamson, he eventually says !
« And thank you, « The Mole » ! It is good to know in advance what is waiting for us.
« I loathe unpleasant surprises.
« You and the guys who are with you, begin to load the barge. Right after the end of our action, it will be necessary to leave very fast because our "Mother hen", in the wide, cannot wait for us for a long time. »
- Received, my colonel, we do what's necessary. »
- Good luck ! Ended ! »
Trevor is worried.
He goes out of the box of transmission and comes back in slow step to his tent.
He may cross and iron the events in his head, he does not succeed in finding at which moment a weakness was able to open in his plan.
A question haunts him : by what means did those on the opposite side get knowledge of his presence and his preparations for intervention ?
D - 1 on Isla Nublar - further north – 8 : 00 am
In the control room, the night shift gets ready to go away.
That of the day is not yet there, but it could not delay.
Sat in one of the superior corners of the room, Owen is lost in his thoughts.
- Hello Owen, tells him Nicolas. I do not ask you if you slept well. »
- Useless, indeed ! The tension rises, you know ! »
« The images of yesterday evening showed us that it will not be a picnic.
« We shall have no right to make mistakes. »
« And when our reinforcements will see the film, in a little moment, I'm not convinced they will not let us down. »
- It is absolutely necessary to avoid that ! With our poor staff, we cannot hope to win. »
Suddenly, a telephone rings.
When Owen picks up, the face of his interlocutor appears on the big screen.
It is Harvey Harper.
- Then, Mr Grady, he says, what are the news ? »
Owen describes him the last events : the dynamiting of the wall and the attack of dinosaurs. He insists on the speed and the savagery of their intervention.
- I am a little afraid of the reaction of the guys whom you sent to us, when they will see the images, he concludes. »
- Let us go, answers Harvey, they are hardened professionals, capable of facing any opponent, human being or not !
« Listen to ! I have an idea ! At what time is your "council of war" today ? »
- At 9 : 00 am, answers Nicolas. »
- Very well ! You will make me call up at thirty past nine o'clock, after the projection of your images, and you will ask to one of your IT specialists to throw me on the big screen of the meeting room.
« Today, I exactly have to meet general Magister, who commands the landing troops. He should facilitate you the task. »
- And if he could delegate us a certain authority on his soldiers, pursues Nicolas, it would help us a lot. »
- I am going to speak to him about it. No doubt that he will know what to do.
« On your side, inform me if significant events occur.
« I want to be informed in real time. I shall serve relay with my joint shareholders. »
- It will be made, answers Owen. »
- In this case, sirs, see you later. "
Meanwhile, Marvin arrived.
Without waiting, he consulted the meteorological data.
- Then, tells him Nicolas by putting the hand on his shoulder ? »
- Then, the disturbance a little accelerated. According to me, your H hour will be situated near 4 : 00 pm tomorrow.
« But be not delighted too much ! You escape from the night but the visibility will be bad and you will evolve in a semi darkness. »
- Thank you, Marvin, for this information which cheers me up ! »
- Sorry, Mister Randanne. I cannot do better. »
- I know, I made fun ! Anyway, we shall make with, we have no choice ! »
D - 1 - Camp of the mercenaries – 8 : 55 am
All the people are present in the main tent, around the big map of the island, displayed on the table.
Outside, dinosaurs grouped together.
They wait, calmly, for the return of their masters.
Inside, Trevor begins the briefing.
- Good ! Sirs, we are from now on on the eve of the D-day.
« We have to be loans for tomorrow.
« Listen to the program !
« Today, we do not move from here.
« This morning, you will entail your animals.
« Clifford prepared some exercises for them, at the same time to maintain them in shape but also to strengthen their degree of obedience and efficiency.
« He will explain you all this himself later.
« This afternoon, each of us will prepare and verify all his material which he will need tomorrow, in connection with Buddy. He will be there to help you or complete your equipment, if need be.
« But everything must necessarily be ready this evening. »
- Sorry, my colonel, but if somebody surprises us here, a boat or a copter ? »
- The probability is low because the weather is not going to stop degrading. Nevertheless, you are right ! To mitigate this problem, I asked The Mole to insure some supervision. This morning, he is going, in rubber dinghy, to install some cameras on the facade of the island which looks at the continent. If something approaches, by navigating or by flying, we shall be warned. And if, nevertheless, an irresponsible arrives until us, then, too bad for him. We shoot him down or we sink him. We are too much near, now, of our H hour, so that the authorities of Costa Rica can interfere with our mission. »
- And if those of the park tried to chase away us ? »
- I do not believe that they will make it, pursues Trevor. They will not risk a boat or a copter to try to find us.
« And a ground intervention would be particularly risked.
« They do not know exactly where we are. If they had to look for us in the forest, they would take the mortal risk of being surprised by our animalfriends without having time even to perceive them.
« I think moreover that our small demonstration of yesterday should make them careful. »
- My colonel, intervenes Luigi, why to have returned here and not to have stayed where we were ? »
- Because the attack of tomorrow will not take place in the same zone. On the other side of the outer wall, we would have found ourselves in the middle of a vast plain without tree nor bush to hide, visible "as your nose on your face". It is a situation which does not suit to me because we would be too easily locatable and our animals could not express their real potential.
« Look at the map, pursues Trevor after a moment of silence. We were here, in the point A and we returned in the creek which is there, right in the South of the island. Tomorrow, having embarked everything on the barge, we shall follow the coast eastward and we shall go back up to the point B.
« According to the images taken by our drones, it is a favorable beach, set at the bottom of a tiny creek.
« We shall there be invisible.
« It is thus from there that we shall leave to reunite the point C, here, on the southeast facade of the island.
« It is in this place that Ernst will blow up the outer wall. »
- What type of passage do you want, my colonel, asks then the Dutchman ? »
- I want you to open a passage on all the height of the wall and about three meters wide. »
- I shall thus have to place several explosive charges at various heights and I shall need a scale to install the highest. »
- No problem, you will have it, answers Trevor. And for the fence ? »
- I planned to use lasers, answers Ernst. One on each side. We tested them. They cut iron bars as if it was some butter ! Antoine and Giovanni will manipulate them. They are used to it. It should take no more than two or three minutes. »
- Perfect. Sirs, prepare all this. I do not want the slightest problem during this mission.
« Tomorrow morning, we will make a final presentation here before we move everything. I shall give you all the details of the operation : objectives and progress.
« Have you any questions ? »
Only the silence answers him.
- Ok, he concludes. Last thing before leaving us.
« The Mole » indicated me that those on the opposite camp had received reinforcements, about sixty "marines".
« As I do not believe at random, I deduct that there has been leaks at our home.
« Impossible that it comes from the main group which came here with me because the cargo boat which brought us, equipped by our partners, released us on the open sea on both landing crafts and continued its road towards the continent.
« Thus, there is not more than you three, sirs. While you belonged in Puntarenas, you did not speak about the mission ? »
- Negative, my colonel, answers Jurgen. Ignacio, Luigi and myself played the perfect tourists. No weapons, casual clothes, false name and we still spoke about subjects without interest, but, in any case, never about the real reason of our presence. »
- And in front of the sailors who brought you ? »
- Either. From the beginning, we locked ourselves into the cabin and we went out of it only to rise in the boat that you had sent to look for us.
- Thus, nothing either on that side ! »
- Unless, says sudden Ignacio who seems to think in a loud voice ! »
- Unless what, thunders Trevor who seized him by the T‑shirt ? »
- The tramp on the boat ! »
- What story of tramp, asks the colonel by turning to Jurgen ? »
- When we booked the boat, a kind of wanderer asked us if we could take him to Isla Nublar. He said that he was going to look for a job there. Not wanting to arouse suspicions, I accepted his presence.
« But he never approached us. He remained seated outside, in front of the boat, during all the route. »
- All the same, resumes Ignacio, I am sure to have already seen this guy, but I do not manage to remember myself where ? »
- Oh, you, answers Jurgen, all the pretexts are good to look for quarrel to the others ! »
- This is not true ! Moreover, when I asked him the question, he looked embarrassed.
- Well, that is enough, both, interrupts Trevor ! What did he look like, your guy ? "»
- About our age, answers Jurgen, greying long hair, glasses tinged constantly on eyes, even the night, dressed in old military effects. »
- I tried to deprive him his glasses. He grabbed my wrist with his left hand. I thought he was going to crush it. I have never seen a similar grip. Beyond the fact that his hand was just lukewarm.
« Moreover, look, my colonel, I still have the mark of tightening ! »
Indeed, the wrist of the Spaniard bears the trace of strong pressure.
- And you did not insist ? It amazes me ! »
- You see, my colonel, we had no weapon and I noticed that this guy had constantly the right hand pushed in the pocket of his pants. In the deformation of the tissue, he made no doubt that he held a pistol. And of the big calibre, still ! I would say of the 11,43 mm. I think that he would not have left with me the slightest luck. »
- Well, Ok, says Trevor. We know now where the leak comes from. This chap recognized you, it is certain !
« Doubtless he also got back the lost necklace which he will have made analyze once arrived on the island.
« The persons in charge of the park will then have feeled the danger and asked for the reinforcements.
« Things are more or less clear, now. Except that I would like to know who is this guy.
« For the rest, now that I know the real situation, this one suits me very well.
« Our mission is to test our animals. If there had been only the guards of the park, they would have almost fought one against one. With the reinforcements, they will fight rather one against five. We shall see thus better what they can do !
« Have you anything to add ? »
- No, my colonel, answers Jurgen. »
- Perfect, if you want to meet me, I am in my tent. Break ! »
Immediately, the people join their jobs, in the rain which begins again to fall.
D - 1 on Isla Nublar - Further north - Same hour (by a few minutes).
All the people are present in the big amphitheater.
But the atmosphere is stretched out. As the day before, Nicholas, Owen and Lieutenant Jefferson are sitting in the tribune.
- The atmosphere is not happy, says the Frenchman !
- Be not mistaken, answers the officer of the "marines". It's not fear that makes them so, but the lack of action. Do not let them cogitate too long ! »
- No problem about that, says Owen. The period of inactivity is ended. »
Then, getting up :
- Hello sirs. Feel reassured ! We are not going to spend the morning here, even if the seats are very comfortable !
« To start with, I am going to make you a fast summary on the last information which we have.
« Then we shall borrow the monorail which will allow us to visit the park and to present you the main species and what it is necessary to know about them.
« In the afternoon, we shall go inside the reserve. You will put yourselves in groups of ten and you will be accompanied by a guide of the park.
« But, before anything else, I would want that my assistant appears at you a little more in detail.
« Nicolas, please ! »
The questioned man gets up slowly.
- Hello, gentlemen. I am the captain Nicolas Randanne, former combat swimmer of the French navy, today officer of the special forces of the American Navy, base of Coronado in California. It is moreover in this place that I met mister Grady.
« If I have long hair and if I wear coloured glasses, it is not by chance.
« But see rather ! »
Dumbfounded, the soldiers discover the electronic improvements which the Frenchman has undergone.
« You understand now why I have hair " very long for an officer ", as whispered yesterday one of you to his neighbor, and why I heard him.
« I address the young soldier who sits at the back on the left. Get up, please ! »
The questioned man stands up.
- Did you notice that your watch delays ten minutes ? »
The "marine" looks at the dial fixed to its wrist.
- It's true, he says ! »
- When we shall be in operation, these assets will allow me to track the opponents, even if the noise of the wind, the rain and maybe the thunderstorm, as well as the bad visibility will doubtless perturb them.
« But there is one who will serve us certainly. »
A young man arrives.
He carries a coconut in a basin.
- You go to pay us a cocktail, my captain, says a soldier by smiling ? »
The whole room laughs.
- And why not, answers the Frenchman ? But not here and not now. »
He seizes the coconut in his left hand and begins squeezing. His movement is incredibly regular, almost mechanical, and, suddenly, the fruit explodes, pouring its milk in the bowl.
Nicolas sits down again quietly.
- That is what we wanted to show you, resumes Owen, he and myself shall manage the operation of tomorrow. »
- Hey, says sergeant Milton, indignant ! We have our lieutenant. I do not see what gives you the legitimacy to replace him. »
- Do you want a reason ? No worries, you soon will have it ! Anyway, nobody spoke of replacing him.
« But before, a point on the current events of yesterday. You have certainly, late in the afternoon, heard a rather strong explosion ?
« It was our future visitors who made their last regulations before the real action of tomorrow.
« This one should take place between 3 : 00 and 5 : 00 pm, because it will be the moment when the hurricane which arrives at us will be the most violent.
« Our security cameras filmed the action of yesterday. »
« Look attentively at this video ! »
Owen remains silent as Marvin plunges the amphitheater into darkness.
The film, rather brief, is projected in a silence of death.
Then the lights flare up again.
- Yesterday, resumes the security officer, we presented you the enemy.
« Today, you have just seen it at work. There was a representative of each of both species.
« Then, gentlemen, what are your reactions ? »
- It was fast and violent, expresses a young soldier. »
- We did not see them coming. They appeared all of a sudden and withdrew very fast, says another one. »
- They had practically the same color as the surrounding vegetation, specifies a third one. »
- If I understand correctly, says Milton, who has calmed down, we must expect hand-to-hand fightings against an elusive enemy. »
The silence returns in the room.
- Anything else, asks Owen ? »
But everything seems to have been said.
- The action which you have just seen, he pursues, lasted only a handful of seconds. Nevertheless, it cost us two men : one is dead and the second is badly wounded. It was necessary to evacuate him immediately.
« You perfectly summarized the situation. In front of us, we shall have fast, wild and imperceptible animals.
« They will attack all at once, will strike all that they will meet and will withdraw as fast.
« When they will be in the middle of us, it will be almost impossible to shoot, if we do not want to kill each other.
« In this context, the heavy weapons will be little effective. Plan rather rifles, pistols, bayonets and daggers, because, you are right, sergeant Milton, it is necessary to expect merciless hand-to-hand fights.
« We will also plan for phosphorus flares and grenades.
« Take also glasses with amplification of light.
« But the point mattering in what you said, it is the capacity which have these dinosaurs to merge in their environment. They become almost invisible. We shall thus see them very bad and at the last moment.
At this time, the peculiarities of my assistant will be useful. A light noise of leaves, a branch which breaks will be sufficient to him to localize animals.
« And then, there is a thing which does not change a color at their home and which Nicolas can easily spot with his artificial eye. »
- And it is, asks Jefferson ? »
- Their eyes, lieutenant. Their eyes will betray them. "
Suddenly, a voice resounds in the amphitheater.
- Sorry to interrupt you, mister Grady, but I called as agreed mister Harper and he is on-line. »
- Thank you, Marvin, send us the image on the big screen and connect me the microphone. »
- I already did it.
The awesome silhouette appears.
Immediately and with only one momentum, the soldiers stood at attention.
- Rests, sirs, says Harper. You do not probably know, but I am responsible of your presence here. I needed reinforcements to defend this park and I requested the help of my old friend, general Magister, with the agreement of the headquarter, of course. "
While he speaks, the field of the image widens and a second upper officer appears.
All the people recognized general Mike Neuville Magister.
Without waiting, this one speaks.
- Soldiers, you had left to make an operation of landing, an exercise furthermore, in a way.
« But you go to have the opportunity to make a real mission and to prove your value.
« You are fighters of elite, ready to face all the situations.
« Even if this one is a little bit particular, it is a fight as another one, and an opportunity for you to prove your professionalism, your reactivity and your skills.
« So, I count on you !
« For this operation, and in agreement with general Harper, I decided to add to lieutenant Jefferson two technical councillors : misters Grady and Randanne.
« I ask you to obey them as to the very lieutenant.
« And it is an order !
« Ended ! »
Immediately, the screen goes out, the communication is cut.
- Always very fast, our general, sighs Jefferson. »
- What do we do, my lieutenant, asks sergeant Milton to his officer ? »
- Did you understand the orders ? Then, no way to discuss. We apply them ! »
Then, turning to Owen and Nicolas :
- I am delighted to work with you, sirs. I shall listen to your notices for all which will concern this park and the animals. On the other hand, I shall ask you to let me order my soldiers during the fight. There is nothing worse that to receive instructions from several people when it is necessary to act fast. »
- We fully agree, answer alternately both men. »
Then, Owen addresses the room.
- Sirs, the meeting is ended. We are going to reach the departure lounge of the monorail.
« Every train can welcome one hundred people, we can all take place in the same one.
« Weather conditions are not degraded still too much. We can thus without risk make the visit.
« This trip will allow you to have an overview of the park and to acquaint so with your future battlefield.
« Do not hesitate to ask your questions, to myself or to my people. Each of us will answer them. »
Less than a quarter of an hour later, the suspended vehicle starts.
At the same time playful and educational, the journey allows the people to study the topography and the plant cover of the site.
When Owen considers it necessary, the vehicle stops totally because it has been placed, for the occasion, under manual command.
- Even if animals are different, he tells in the microphone, the nature changed nothing in the course of ages. There are always preys and predators, carnivores and herbivores.
« As regards herbivores, the danger, for us, is relatively low, on the condition of not approaching them too closely and remaining constantly watchful.
« The noise of the fights and the presence of small carnivores will keep them away, anyway.
« The problem of carnivores is a little more complicated.
« In broad outline, there are of three categories :
« * small ones, which can be dangerous if they are in group. But as we shall also be many, they will not approach. Should the opposite occur, my men will keep them away.
« Those of medium height, like those you will fight. To avoid that ours come to attack or surprise us, we are going to remove them. They will be easy to localize on our screens. So, during the operations of this afternoon, some of my guards are going to capture them and to place them in enclosures till the end of the hostilities.
« * Finally, there are the big predators. We have two couples of them which never meet because they are territorial. I do not know if those on the opposite side know where they are but, if it is the case, they will take care of avoiding them.
« The fights will not thus take place in their neighborhood.
« Should the opposite occur, they will expose themselves at the risk of falling above unexpectedly and I admit you that it would solve our problem.
« It is practically impossible to hire an operation to capture them and you can be sure that the noise of the battle will attract them.
« But we can always follow their approach on our screens and leave them the place if they arrive. »
When the monorail, a little later, crosses the forest zone, Owen goes back on the word.
- I think, he says, that our enemies are going to move in an environment as this one, who suits very well in their animals, in particular because of their mimicry. They know that we shall not take the risk of coming to look for them there. We shall thus have to position in a way that they will be obliged to go out of it to come to face us. »
The visit continues quietly.
As the monorail lines up along a platform, Owen speaks one more time.
- Very well, sirs. Meeting at 2 : 00 pm. We shall maneuver in the park and you will so have the opportunity to see all these animals more closely. »
While the soldiers go away to have lunch, Nicolas approaches his friend.
- You know, he tells him, your explanations questioned me.
« In fact, to put a maximum of chances on our side, something is missing to us. »
- What is it, asks Owen ? »
- A bloodhound ! A creature capable of tracking dinosaurs. »
- There is you ! »
- Do not joke ! Of course, I can bring my help but the conditions will be bad and I am not like a dog. I have no scent. "
- I understand, says Owen. But it is going to be difficult to find good dogs before tomorrow. It will be necessary to go to fetch them very quickly on the continent. »
- No question of dogs, Nicolas objects. They have a real terror of the saurians.
« No, what we need, it is an intelligent dinosaur, used to men and which is of a species close to the one that we are going to fight. »
- We have not, unfortunately, and not time enough to create one. I do not see what you are getting at. »
- It is very simple. We must find Blue ! »