THE LOST WORLD

8 - Another Day on Isla Sorna

"You shouldn't be here," Roland whispered to the hybrid he studied from the corner of his eye. "He plans to kill you once he feels you're not needed anymore."

Pet already knew this and gave Ludlow a backward glance. No surprise he was tinkering with a GPS and trying to get it to work. "I figured as much."

"I heard him talking to one of his big shots down by the coast when we were taking a break. Just thought I'd let you know." A part of the man felt obligated to keep a close watch on the young woman, given who she was to him. "For what it's worth, I truly am sorry for your unfortunate shortcomings."

Pet snorted and shook her head. "Spare me your sympathy."

Roland chuckled and patted the hybrid on the shoulder. "You really are Robert's kid, after all these years. Some things just don't change, do they?" There were a few minutes of silence between the two as they continued their trekking through the Isla Sorna terrain. "He couldn't stop talking about you some time after the incident on Isla Nublar. As soon as I got word from his sister on what happened, I went to visit him. Quite the lucky bastard to survive the raptor attack." Roland forced a smile for the hybrid who watched him through her peripheral vision. "I'll be honest with you, the first time Robert told me about you I mentally imagined something different. Not to be taken the wrong way, of course. I just pictured you to look a bit more different is all. More animalistic and less human." The two people exchanged glances. "A more elongated jaw...a hunched over form and even a tail."

The hybrid stiffened back a laugh. "A tail? Really?" Roland shrugged. "Thank God I was created without one. Back in the day, I saw myself as some deformed creature." She grimaced. "I'd hate to know what I'd look like with your description."

"Well I can tell you this, you wouldn't be as pretty."

Pet's eyes widened, and her face distorted in mild disgust. "Excuse me?"

"You would look like a repulsive something or other from one of those C rated cheap budget science fiction movies." Roland adjusted his rifle against his shoulder. "I just might have to put you down myself for your sake." He gave her a sideways smirk, and the hybrid jabbed him in the side.

"You mentioned having contact with Robert, earlier. Have you, uh, spoken to him or seen him lately?"

The two people briefly met stares. "A few months ago, actually."

"Well?" The man's silence urged the young woman to press her questioning. "How is he?"

Roland thought of how to carefully explain things so as not to come off the wrong way to the hybrid. "Not well, I'm afraid. He's resorted to alcoholism again. After the incident, he went to stay with his sister and nephew while he recovered from his injuries. Once he was back on his feet and cleared by his physical therapist, he got a job working for the London Zoo as an animal caretaker. He did that for about three years before he got fired for excessive drinking. Came to work one too many times either still drunk from the night before or greatly hung over. Not even his impeccable record as a game warden could save him."

Hearing this greatly pained Pet and she clenched her teeth in heated disappointment. "And then? Does he still live in London?"

Roland shook his head. "He's back in Kenya. I let him live with me for a little while until he got his shit together. When I saw that was going nowhere, I felt I had no choice but to kick him out. I got tired of watching a good man waste away behind a bottle every night and day. He's now in some trailer outside Mombasa living off the millions of settlement funds following his family's lawsuit against InGen."

The hunter could see the hybrid was upset by the news and wished things had gone differently for his good friend. But things were as they were, as unfortunate as it was.


Early morning gave way to daylight and then to evening. Rain traveled on the clouds welcoming the sunset and Pet frowned. Every time it rained around these people, bad things happened. Or maybe it was just around Ian Malcolm. After all, he was present on Isla Nublar when Jurassic Park went to hell and now present again on the second island. She continued to lead the team through the fields and jungle growth, however, ignoring Ludlow and his persistence to go a different direction. She'd give him a stern stare and continue to walk in her own direction. The rest of the team would follow her versus Ludlow, given how she knew the terrain and animal territories better than a GPS did. Eventually, the man gave up and stuck with the group, preferring to travel towards the back and as far from the hybrid as possible.

The rain started to lighten up, now, bringing much relief to the already soaked travelers. Roland looked to the hybrid. "What animal territory is this?"

"We're more on the edge of two, really," answered Pet. "Triceratops is on the right and Ankylosaurus on the left."

"Two herbivores. Excellent." Once the rain stopped, Roland brought the group to a halt. Now was as good a place to set up camp for the night as any. "We camp here," he yelled.

More than happy to take a much-needed rest, the travelers set them up a spot. Sleep didn't come easy for some when it started to rain again a couple of hours later. Those who had tents allowed other less fortunate people to bunk with them while some chose to stay outside. Ian, Sarah, and Kelly were holed up in one tent while Ludlow bribed his way in to stay with Burke in his. Mostly the people who took turns watching over the camp remained outside, bundled under their ponchos for both warmth and to keep dry.

Pet had neither tent nor poncho but instead had formed a shelter out of broken off leafy branches. She laid them over a series of sticks crossed over tree roots and sat underneath it. The gap between the tree roots was just big enough for two people. Pet could see Nick huddled against himself and not enjoying the rain. Pet patted the ground next to her for him to join. At first, Nick was skeptical but eventually gave up to join her. He studied her behind a half expectant expression as though anticipating it to be a trap.

"I don't bite," Pet stated humorously.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Nick stayed as far to the opposite side of the little shelter as possible until sleep overcame the both of them.


Morning came and with it, clear sunny skies. "Wake up," Roland bellowed to the two people curled up together beneath the leafy shelter.

Nick and Pet grumbled and rubbed at their eyes. The more awake they became, they slowly came to a realize their position against the other. At one point, they had curled up together during the night. He had an arm wrapped around her waist, which he quickly removed in sudden shock.

"I'm sorry, I-" He didn't know how to apologize to the horrified hybrid as the color drained from his face.

Sarah snickered. "What's wrong, Nick?"

Pet barked a shriek in annoyance and stormed out from under the shelter. Roland cocked a brow at the woman disappearing from view. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To kill something," she ranted back.

Thirty minutes later, the group had caught up with Pet as she finished up her breakfast. As soon as the team came into view, she tossed the remains of a Compy aside into the bushes and slid off the uprooted tree she sat on.

Burke motioned for her to wipe her mouth. "You have something right there."

Blushing, the hybrid wiped her face and cleared her throat. "Right." Ludlow and Dieter were repulsed at the scene as Ian shook his head.

"This way," the hybrid stated and trudged on.


Further and further the stranded group of people traveled into the jungle. Their groans and grumbles subtly became louder the longer they trudged on.

Roland called, "Take a break! Five minutes!" and a simultaneous sigh filled the weary group. The day was already a little over halfway gone, and they felt like they had barely gained any ground closer to their destination.

Sarah shuffled over to a tree root and plopped down. She shed off her backpack and laid it at her feet, noticing Roland coming to join her. What did he want now? He took a knee before her and saw the front of her light brown shirt stained with blood. "Are you injured?"

"Huh?" She furrowed her brow in bewilderment to the man's question. He pointed at the front of her shirt to show what he was referring. "Oh...no, it's from the baby. I set its broken leg." Sarah shrugged. "It's not drying in the humidity."

Behind the two, Ludlow stepped over and around peoples' feet stretched out into the path. When he stepped over a pair of sickle-clawed ones, Pet lifted her feet in an attempt to trip the man. Ludlow stumbled, but much to her disapproval, he didn't trip. He shot the hybrid a sour scowl, and she smirked, winking at him.

He rolled his eyes off the offensive creature and beckoned to the hunter, "Roland, a word?" The addressed man joined the CEO as Ludlow loudly sighed, "I'd love to know where we are..."

Pet hissed a laugh. "What's wrong? GPS can't keep up? Or did the batteries die?" Ludlow gave the woman another sour stare. "Technology is so unreliable, isn't it?"

"Perhaps you know where we are, then," he snapped back and planted his hands on his hips.

"Sure I do," Pet answered with a devious smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were lost! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Roland stood between the two people and lowered his gaze on the confrontational man.

The three people were so enthralled in their arguing that they didn't notice Nick wiggle past them and over to where Sarah was. But it wasn't the woman's company that brought him there. It was a particular gun. Roland's .600 Nitro Express to be exact. Ever since teaming with InGen's group, he'd been trying to get his hands on it. At first, he thought that by getting good with the hybrid he could convince her to do the job for him. That idea quickly left him, however, when seeing how goody goody the two were and continued to be throughout the trip. His eyes settled on the prized object, left propped against the tree, and smiled wickedly to himself.

Pet and Ludlow continued to argue as Roland kept the two apart. Sometimes, it felt like he was babysitting the two people, seeing how they were consistently at each other's throats. Fight, fight, fight. It's all they ever did. One jab at the other would send the other into their own comeback, thus resulting in scenarios such as this.

Roland sighed and rolled his eyes. He couldn't wait to get to the central complex. Then he'd be rid of Ludlow. As bad as the thought was, he kept mentally playing the arrogant executive being chased or devoured by a dinosaur in his head. He regretted accepting the job, now. Come to think about it, he even wondered why he accepted the job in the first place given what he knew about Ludlow's involvement in sending a team to hunt his goddaughter some years ago. A part him strongly regretted his irreversible decision, but at the same time he was thankful he let Ajay talk him into it. Otherwise, he probably never would have known of Pet still being alive. Now since learning of her survival, he swore to himself he would do whatever he could in his power to keep her safe from Ludlow.

Dieter couldn't take much more of his boss and the freak of nature arguing. He had to piss anyway and saw it as an excuse to escape the childish squabbling. Seated off to the side and by himself was a Hispanic man. Dieter strode past him and stated, "Hey Carter, I'm going to the lady's room." Had he paid attention, he had seen the man didn't hear a thing he said. "Wait for me here, okay?" Dieter dropped his bag to the ground and strode off into the jungle floor growth.

Carter happily hummed to himself, oblivious to the other man and what he had said.


Holy hell was the arguing ever going to stop? For several minutes, these two had been launching an arsenal of insults at the other without a break. "Alright, you two, enough!" Roland grabbed the hybrid and held a hand over her mouth to silence her. "You're only making it worse! He won't shut up with you constantly egging him on! Just stop!"

"Hmpf." The hybrid squared her raptor eyes at the man and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And you," he turned his attention to Ludlow. "You're acting like a damn, spoiled child!" Behind him, Pet held up a middle finger and sneered at the CEO. Roland sighed. "Get your shit together and let's go. We've already wasted enough time sitting around." Roland went for his rifle still against the tree where he'd left it and slid his hat back on. Nick only smiled and innocently waved at him. "Okay, break's over. Moving on!"

Once more, the people grumbled in unison and got up to continue with their trek. Their legs were stiff, feet sore and back aching. For some not used to hiking on uneven ground, blisters had started to form on their feet. Such case was with Ian Malcolm. He might despise some of the men he was forced to keep company with, but he had to give it to them; they had stamina. He limped down the path, favoring his foot throbbing with blisters, and forced a smile for Kelly's sake. Being her father, he felt it his place to stay strong for his little girl. That and his pride forbade him to give in and verbally admit weakness.

Roland stepped aside of the group and onto higher ground to keep a visually tally of those traveling with should anyone fall behind. It looked as though everyone was there. Wait, everyone wasn't there. One face was missing. Dieter. He debated on stopping the group but waited. Dieter was probably trailing the back as the caboose. As Roland stood there, waiting and watching, the last of the people strode by. He grabbed one of the men by the arm to stop him.

"Are you the last person?"

The dirty blonde-haired man nodded. "Yeah. No one back here but Carter and I."

Then where was Dieter? "Stop!" Roland bellowed. Upon hearing the order, the travelers came to a stop yet again. "Has anyone seen Dieter?" Everyone looked to the other in question, none having an answer.

Carter blinked and mentally recalled earlier. He sat heavily down in dread. "Uh, I think I saw him earlier..."

Roland turned to face the Hispanic man and intently stared at him. "When did you last see him?"

"About ten to fifteen minutes ago." Carter nodded to himself.

"Come with me," began Roland, ignoring Carter grimacing at the order. "And you. If he's still alive, we'll find him." He walked around with the two men and paused to observe Pet digging mud out from under her sickle claws. "You come, too. You know these parts better than anyone here." He then studied the many faces of the people looking at him in question. "The rest of you, keep right on. Ten minutes you should reach the ridge. Wait for us there."