Chapter 10 - No Way Out

"A traitor is the loneliest of all men. He has no friends, only enemies."- Roland Tembo

oOo

"What do you mean you didn't get him?! He was right there in front of all of you and you just let him run through the backdoor of a fucking sports bar?!"

Henry Wu studied the conference room table while Lewis Dodgson escalated his furious rant. Naturally, the meeting started with him calmly asking what happened hours ago at the sports bar. It didn't take long for his temper to manifest itself. Wu didn't dare make eye contact with the rest of the team. He had a feeling that Sonya Durant, Raúl Lopez, and Roland Tembo were kicking themselves for not snatching Dennis Nedry when they had the opportunity. At the time, they had enjoyed watching the police apprehend Nedry and believed Dodgson would be thrilled with this outcome. Nedry would be sent back to prison for a much longer time. He would be locked up and out of their hair.

Dodgson had the opposite reaction.

"That was rehearsal for you guys! I have bigger plans than catching that hacker, but he's your rehearsal for the real thing! Grab one jackass, throw him in a van, tie him up so he can't escape or injure anyone, and bring him here. Why was that so hard to accomplish?"

Dodgson slammed his clenched fists on the table in an identical manner to how John Hammond first reacted when finding out Wu's betrayal. Out of the corner of his eye, Wu saw Sonya flinch. Dodgson circled the conference room now, getting in everyone's faces. He started with Lopez who backed off the table when Dodgson closed in on him.

"Can any of you tell me why that was such a difficult task? Did Dennis make it hard for you? Answer me, Raúl."

"Yes, Dr. Dodgson?"

"Why was it so hard to seize him? There were four of you and one of him—two of you are trained mercenaries!"

"Lew, it's not—" Sonya tried, and immediately stopped when Dodgson made a chopping motion in the air.

"I don't want to hear your bullshit excuses, Sonya!"

"But Lew—you should've seen it! It was—"

"Shut the hell up! He should've been caught by everyone here—not fucking cops!"

He turned back to Lopez, completely missing Sonya's mortified expression. Her jaw had dropped in shock, and just as quickly, she looked away, not making eye contact with anyone. Dodgson was completely focused on Lopez.

"You hate that hacker's guts more than anyone in this room. If anyone should've forced him back here against his will, it should've been you."

Lopez nodded quickly. "You're right, I should've got him then. I'll make sure I get him next time."

Wu cringed when he watched their exchange from across the table. Why did Lopez give that lousy answer? It only made Dodgson angrier. Wu was tempted to shake his head, but he made sure to keep still and not reveal any emotions through his facial expressions or body language. Dodgson would spot it right away and badger him next if he wasn't careful.

"Next time?! What the hell is this 'next time' garbage?!" Dodgson upturned a chair next to Lopez, barely missing Sonya. "And what if there's no next time?!"

"There will be, I'm sure of it."

Lopez sat upright, trying to maintain his composure. Wu knew it was hard to remain calm, especially when Dodgson's temper erupted like a volcano.

"I have a solution to the Nedry problem."

Dodgson spun around and approached Tembo as he was the only one who made it clear he had a concrete plan to capture Nedry.

"We set him up. He'll never see it coming."

"How do you plan to do it? I want fucking details, Roland—not empty promises."

Wu watched as Tembo held his own, not the least bit intimidated by Dodgson's raging tirade—unlike Lopez who cowered away.

"Let's start with what Dr. Grant says."

"I don't give a shit about what Dr. Grant says! What the hell does he have to do with that scumbag traitorous hacker?!" An empty glass vase sat on the conference table. Dodgson snatched it and threw it at the wall. The vase shattered to pieces. Thankfully, no one was sitting near the wall where Dodgson had flung it. "I'm not hearing a word of what that lovesick paleontologist thinks about standing still in front of the T-Rex!"

Tembo continued, regardless of Dodgson's angry reaction. "Dr. Grant says velociraptors attack not from the front, but from the side."

Lopez looked like he was about to respond to what Tembo was suggesting, but Tembo shook his head, indicating he should stay out of it. Lopez wanted to offer his expertise as a paleontologist, but now was not the time. Tembo knew where he was going and didn't want interruptions.

"Dr. Grant understands that velociraptors are pack hunters; they have coordinated attack patterns."

Dodgson had been pacing back and forth in the conference room now. He stopped abruptly and slammed a clenched right fist against the wall. "Get to the fucking point."

Slowly, Tembo listed the plan step by step. "If he ever gets out and we find him first, we remind him that you want to speak with him. Or maybe he'll reach out to you first."

"And why would he do that?"

"Because he knows you want to hear from him. Dennis loves to have the last word. We simply use that against him."

Dodgson didn't look convinced, but he urged Tembo to continue. "Go on."

"Set up a date and time. One of us talks to him, providing a distraction. The other sneaks up behind him and knocks him out with a sleeping agent: ether or chloroform. From there, we grab him."

"That's a great start, but he better be tied up right after!"

"That much is obvious."

Dodgson pointed across the conference room at Tembo. "It's not because last time he got away—after breaking George's arm and bashing Howard's kneecap—because you failed to restrain him."

Tembo became quiet as he remembered the failed hit on Nedry. What should've been an easy assignment turned into an embarrassing failure. He could feel everyone staring at him as Dodgson continued his angry tirade. And he knew there was no point in bringing up the fact that although Nedry's hands had been tied that night, he had still managed to free himself. Tembo had never found out how he got loose as that night because more pressing matters immediately followed: Nedry had left King with a bashed kneecap and wasted no time breaking Baselton's arm. He had let Eric Kirby go without a scratch, and he didn't harm Tembo as severely as King and Baselton (Nedry had pistol-whipped him), but that didn't soften Tembo's hatred towards him. In fact, it made Tembo hate Nedry even more.

"I'm not having a second round of Dennis escaping after injuring my staff! I don't want him doing a fucking thing except sitting there and being scared shitless for what's in store for him."

"We won't give him an inch of leeway to do what he did last time." Tembo said, regaining his confidence and refusing to kowtow to Dodgson's temper tantrum. He also conveniently left out the fact that he, George Baselton, and Eric Kirby had gone out for drinks after capturing Nedry while Howard King had been left behind to keep watch. King was a weakling in Tembo's view, but that was beside the point. "This plan will be foolproof. We will deliver him to you, unable to lift a finger to protect himself or attack us. He will be completely at our mercy."

"What about the risk of him injuring any of you?" Dodgson's question shocked everyone, although they didn't let on that they were surprised he showed an inkling of concern for their well-being. It was also repetitive, but that didn't matter.

"The only one who will have a broken arm or a busted kneecap if he doesn't cooperate will be Dennis—and I'll make sure he's aware of that fact," Tembo said, locking eyes with Dodgson to show him he was serious. "We'll drag him back to the man he so ruthlessly betrayed. Because to be honest with you, Dr. Dodgson, he never really paid for what he did."

Wu folded his arms across his chest as he listened to Tembo. Tembo's speech patterns were always dignified and refined, but also heartless and cold. The methodical way he described how he would abduct Nedry caused Wu to break out in heart palpitations as though he were the one being kidnapped. It was also surreal since he had joined Dodgson to clone more dinosaurs and do whatever he could to have a taste of fame. But here he was, sitting in a dark conference room, planning to abduct his former InGen coworker. He also severely disagreed when Tembo stated Nedry had never paid for what he had done against Dodgson. Wu was about to mention that night in the jail cell when the team destroyed him—physically and emotionally—but then he remembered Tembo wasn't there. He had chosen to stay on Isla Nublar and guard the InGen staff. Nedry had been broken by the end of that night, and even now, after all this time, Wu still felt pangs of guilt for his participation—and it forced him to speak up.

"You're proposing taking him down in a manner that will attract attention."

Tembo sent him a scathing glance. "No, I'm proposing we hunt him down."

"Like an animal." Wu didn't hide his disgust. "That you can kill, so that you can mount his head in your trophy room."

"Absolutely not! His very presence would disgrace where I celebrate my success." Tembo grimaced. "I would never stoop as low, Henry. Aside from that, I don't want that image stuck in my head, it makes me want to retch."

Sonya chuckled at this. Wu ignored her and continued to challenge Tembo.

"And yet, your method—"

"My 'method' would instill terror in that selfish traitor."

Lopez eagerly nodded with approval. "I second that. Make that son of a bitch piss his pants!"

"So, this is all about scaring the daylights out of Dennis?" Wu asked.

Tembo applauded. "You really are quite brilliant—unlike that whiny con you defend."

Wu visibly recoiled, offended by the accusation. "I'm not defending him."

"Really? Then share with all of us," Tembo said, gesturing to everyone who sat around the conference table, "your 'method' of how you would bring him back here. Keep in mind how difficult and resistant he is. Perhaps you two can have dinner by candlelight."

Everyone broke into peals of laughter—including Dodgson. He was the most entertained by Tembo's and Wu's quarrel.

Wu was the only one not laughing. "Jab a syringe in his arm. Knock him out. One and done, simple and sweet."

"Where's the fun in that? Watching that devious bastard go down easy is insulting after what he did to all of us. No, he needs to fight for his life knowing he will end up losing—and not knowing what's in store for him."

"Damn, I love the way your mind works." Lopez sounded mesmerized. He was in awe of Tembo's vicious approach.

Wu was the opposite: he found it repulsive—and wasn't afraid to say so. "That's disgusting. You can take him down in a way that doesn't terrorize him."

"Therein lies the difference between you and I. You take a boring and merciful approach." Tembo gestured at Wu like he was an annoying insect who wouldn't go away, and then he put his hand on his chest proudly. "And I take a more imaginative and aggressive approach."

"I don't know how luring a man, hunting him down, and ultimately kidnapping him is 'imaginative', but intelligence was never one of your high points, Roland. I'll give you credit though for owning your aggression."

The conference room fell into an eerie silence at Wu's words. Tembo glared across the table at Wu who met him head on, locking eyes with him. He refused to be intimidated—or give his approval for such a monstrous plan. The most difficult part? Knowing he had no choice but to participate in it—regardless of his feelings on the matter.

Wu had already learned that there was no "let me get back to you on that, Dr. Dodgson" or "no, Lew, I'm not interested in joining in". It was more like, "yes, master, your wish is my command"—of course, not in those exact words. There were no other options. Well, there was, but Wu wasn't ready to face a premature death at Dodgson's hands—or Tembo's. Knowing that Dodgson had already sent Tembo to (unsuccessfully) murder Nedry, Wu knew he'd be in the line of fire if he bucked against him. Better to play along and make it work for him, so that he could get out alive when the right time revealed itself. Survival at all costs…even if it meant abducting his former coworker.

The argument was over for now. Wu listened as Tembo gave his rationale. The entire time Tembo looked directly at him, although he was speaking to Dodgson.

"Dennis is forever scheming, he's a pathetic traitor as we all know. He shows no loyalty to anyone except himself. He does not deserve the opportunity to peacefully surrender himself or to be knocked out so that he feels no pain or fear. Every ounce of terror he feels is just punishment for what he did to all of us sitting around this table, especially Dr. Dodgson." Tembo now appealed to him. "Dr. Dodgson, you gave him a second chance and he squandered it. That's what this is about. We got sidetracked with Henry's solo pity parade for Dennis, so let's focus on what this is about: making sure that bastard pays for giving InGen a helping hand. Doing so led to our defeat."

"I couldn't agree more, Roland," Lopez said.

He had been nodding in agreement the entire time Tembo spoke. Wu thought he resembled a bobblehead.

"I knew you would."

"Great minds think alike." Lopez grinned, glad that he and Tembo—as always—were on the same page.

Wu scoffed. He ignored Sonya's burning stare.

Lopez and Tembo looked in Wu's direction, but this time Wu avoided them by keeping his focus on the window. He imagined jumping out, running away, and never looking back. Dodgson's epiphany distracted him.

"He did so much bullshit after I gave him a second chance," Dodgson whispered. "And you're right: he never paid at all. This time will be different."

Wu inwardly groaned. He thought Tembo and Dodgson were referring to Nedry's first betrayal—when he had tried to warn InGen of Biosyn's plan to take control of Isla Nublar and Jurassic Park. Now Wu realized they meant his second betrayal after he pretended to realign himself with Biosyn again. That included purposely shutting off the paddock's fences for the T-Rex enclosure, which effectively drove Bill Steingarten and Jeff Rossiter off the island. This was after they had been planning to approve Jurassic Park for their inspection.

Nedry's betrayal caused Dodgson a series of losses. Loss of control of the InGen staff. He lost the opportunity to secure Isla Nublar and Jurassic Park. It all culminated in losing his actual standing with Biosyn. Dodgson received Nedry's last laugh in the form of the corrupted laptop. Instead of downloading InGen's research as had been demanded of him, Nedry installed a virus that ruined the laptop and quickly spread to Biosyn's computer network, effectively shutting them down. Dodgson and everyone in his team were kicked out of Biosyn for good.

In Wu's eyes, Nedry backstabbing Dodgson was worse than his betrayal of Hammond—and that was saying a lot, given how atrocious his initial betrayal was. Especially given the after-effects with Hammond laid up in the hospital for months, recovering from a stroke, while still being unable to open Jurassic Park to the world. As far as Wu knew, Hammond had recovered and returned to the island, although it took months of intense therapy for him to be ready to return to his life again. He might even have a chance to open Jurassic Park in the future. In short, Hammond was able to return to a somewhat normal life, whereas Dodgson was still picking up the pieces from his broken ambitions to run Jurassic Park, own the island, and completely obliterate InGen. All so that he could climb the corporate ladder at Biosyn. Dodgson was still trying to obtain good favor from the higher-ups at Biosyn. It didn't make sense to Wu because they were no longer under them. But no one said that to Dodgson—if he believed he was still part of the Biosyn Corporation, then let him believe his delusion.

"When you make him pay, make sure it will always haunt him—that is, if you don't plan on killing him," Tembo suggested. "Killing his psyche is far worse than killing him physically. Much like what you did that night at the jail, but he recovered from that. You need to do something so horrendous that he's forced to face it every single day for the rest of his life."

Wu noticed Dodgson's temper lost its fire. He was more relaxed and quieter now. Even his agitated pacing and racing around the conference room had slowed down so that he walked around in a calm manner. Wu realized Tembo deescalated him by steering him in the direction of planning his revenge against Nedry.

"I'm not gonna kill him. That would be too easy and merciful. Dennis doesn't deserve either." Dodgson paused as he thought about it. "I have ideas though…thank you for your wisdom, Roland."

Tembo gave a stiff nod in acknowledgment. Wu was amazed at how Tembo remained loyal to Dodgson, although Dodgson never showed him half of the same loyalty in return. That's what Wu took away from this recent exchange. Every connection Dodgson had was one-sided. They gave and he always took…while never giving back in return.

"And whatever I do to him, will be more than ten times worse for InGen."

"What do you have planned for InGen?" Tembo asked.

Dodgson simply grinned. "I have ideas…" He didn't elaborate further.

A beat of silence passed.

"I could drive the getaway car," Sonya offered, as though Tembo had already developed a solid plan and needed to fulfill this one vital role. She figured it was better to continue the conversation, rather than to allow for the silence to lengthen. "One of us should always remain in the driver's seat, so that once we get him, we drive off."

"Excellent, Sonya." Dodgson nodded approvingly. "Great thinking on your part."

That was another thing Wu noticed: Dodgson could idealize and devalue someone—all within the span of ten minutes. He would praise you one moment, and the next, he was demeaning you. Or sometimes, it was the reverse with him devaluing first and then idealizing.

Dodgson had one more question and it came in the form of one word: "When?"

At this, no one could answer his question. Dodgson eyed each of them. His hard stare landed on Wu now.

"When, Henry?"

Wu had stared back at him, thrown off by the question. He had no idea when Nedry would show up again since he had been recently captured. The bigger question was if he would ever be released. He doubted Dodgson planned to break him out of prison again. Still, he had to answer Dodgson's question. Be it wrong, right, or made-up, he needed to put an idea out there for Dodgson to grasp onto. It didn't matter if that idea changed—he needed something to go on. After today, Wu knew the answer wasn't "next time" as Lopez had so poorly answered.

"When we see him again. Maybe if he gets a plea deal."

"You actually think that will happen?"

"Anything's possible." Wu didn't think it was possible, but he made sure not to skip a beat. He honestly felt that Nedry was gearing up for a longer prison sentence. He couldn't picture him walking the streets again, and if he did, it would be miraculous. Surprisingly enough, Dodgson appeared satisfied with his response.

"Excellent. I want all of you to watch the news carefully to see if anything else comes up about Dennis. Howard and George will be doing the same thing because I'm giving them the same exact directive. The first day he's out there, we're snatching him up. No ifs, ands, or buts. Do you fucking understand? Have I made myself clear?!"

Everyone nodded.

"Good."

Without another word or expletive, Dodgson calmly left the conference room to the wonderment of everyone who had witnessed his horrendous lashing out.

oOo

The memory of Dodgson's furious demands (and Tembo's proposed "solution" to the "Nedry problem") reverberated in Wu's mind a month later as he got in his car to take a quick drive. He didn't speak about it with anyone on the team, although he figured they discussed it amongst themselves. Tembo's vivid plan to abduct Nedry on Dodgson's orders and the detached manner in how he spoke about it frightened Wu. What was even worse was how Dodgson always spoke about Nedry as though he was a possession he owned and not a human being. On that note, did Dodgson view him the same way: as an object or thing that needed to be seized, held against his will, and controlled?

There were the other questions on constant repeat: who did Dodgson have in mind to be the actual kidnap victims? This always stayed with Wu. If Nedry was the "rehearsal", then who was considered the actual "recital"? Who did he plan to hold for ransom? What was the ransom? Why was Dodgson crossing into kidnapping/abduction territory again? What did he hope to gain from such a twisted scheme? The questions went on and on with no answers in sight.

It was during these strange times that Wu had to get away to preserve his sanity. Just step away from the entire team, even if it meant going to a nearby diner to sit by himself. Of course, he knew he'd have to return later in the day. And that's what Wu found himself doing as he got out of his car and went inside the diner. A brief respite from all the craziness that was Lewis Dodgson, Biosyn, and the toxic team he was with now…

While waiting for the host to sit him at a booth, his eye caught a newspaper on one of the empty tables. A customer must've left it there. He took it and brought it back to the booth where the host sat him after placing a menu on the table. Wu ignored the menu and focused his entire attention on the newspaper. Just then the waitress returned to take his order.

"Coffee, half-and-half, with two sugars, please."

"Anything else?

Wu thought quickly. "A blueberry muffin."

"I'll bring it right out."

He paid no attention as she walked away. He was more curious than he was hungry as he scanned the newspaper's headlines. Dennis Makes a Deal?! Wu's eyes widened when he recognized Nedry in an orange jail jumpsuit standing between two sheriff's deputies in a courtroom. Two more sheriff's deputies stood nearby. He also recognized John Hammond, Robert Muldoon, Ian Malcolm, and the police officer who arrested Nedry. Wu didn't know his name. Both pictures were side by side on the newspaper's front page. From the way it sounded though, it was more like a tabloid—more sensationalism than actual current events, or probably greatly exaggerated.

"Famous again," Wu said, chuckling. "Or infamous."

The waitress returned with his coffee and blueberry muffin. He muttered a quick "thank you" and opened the paper, eager to read the article. After briefly scanning it, he realized it only stated the charges Nedry was facing and the possibility of being given a life sentence for numerous charges. Nothing about any plea deals or plea bargains. What happened after his arraignment? Didn't he go back to court for sentencing? Wu had no idea how the criminal justice system worked.

"What's that you're reading, Henry?"

Wu looked up in time to see Tembo and Lopez slide into the booth across from him. He snatched the newspaper off the table and put it next to him where they couldn't see it.

"Do you come here often?" Lopez asked.

"Sometimes." Wu shrugged. "Or maybe it's more accurate to say, 'not often enough'."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a soft spot for that hacker," Tembo said.

Wu's eyebrows furrowed together. "Where'd you get that idea?"

Tembo studied him for a few seconds before responding. "Just a hunch."

Wu folded the newspaper. Tembo must've seen him reading it.

Tembo didn't say anything for several seconds and neither did Wu. An unspoken tension had always existed between them. Wu knew it and so did Tembo. They weren't overly aggressive about their shared hostility like Lopez and Nedry. It came more from quiet glares, snide comments here and there—such as Tembo suggesting that Wu had a "soft spot" for Nedry. Wu knew Tembo didn't mean it in a romantic way, but more in that Wu felt empathy and understanding for Nedry being that they were both from InGen. Still, the fact that Tembo would voice what he did indicated to Wu that there was a lack of trust and respect between them. Wu had a feeling that would never change, and he accepted it as it was—especially since he knew he didn't respect or trust Tembo either.

"Dr. Dodgson wants to see you in his office when you return," Lopez said, changing the subject. "He'd like it to be a private discussion—just you and him."

"I'll get there when I get there."

Wu didn't care that his tone sounded cold. The entire situation was awkward. He wanted ten minutes by himself, so that he could think without any distractions. He could've escaped to his office on the fourth floor, but he was still in the same environment where everyone else was.

Suddenly, it hit him—Dodgson was keeping tabs on him. There was no escaping Dodgson—not in his mind or in his life...

Lopez and Tembo had followed him here…and if they could follow him to a diner a mile away, then what would happen if Wu tried to actually leave the group? They would hunt him down and kill him. Or drag him back Dodgson. Wu was sure of it. More than ever, Wu wanted to leave it all behind. Forget fame, forget recognition, forget Lewis Dodgson, forget Biosyn… If he found another job in genetics, he hoped to have sane and mentally healthy co-workers.

Not co-workers who functioned as stalkers or spies for their boss.

It was time to go.

Wu stood up, leaving the coffee and blueberry muffin untouched. "Thanks, I'll head back right now to find out what he wants."

Before Tembo could respond or Lopez could protest, Wu grabbed the newspaper, and left the booth without looking back. As he neared the entrance of the diner, he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to the cashier at the front.

"Keep the change."

oOo

Wu knocked on the door to Dodgson's office. Dodgson looked up from his desk and gestured for him to come inside and take a seat. Wu did so and shut the door behind him. Dodgson folded his hands on his desk and sat up straight, to indicate Wu had his undivided attention.

"Raúl mentioned you want to speak with me."

Wu had left the newspaper in his office. He had stashed it away and then came back down to see Dodgson. Before doing so, he had debated if he should bring it down with him because if Dodgson found out about it later, he'd never hear the end of it. On a whim, he decided to risk not showing Dodgson the newspaper. Maybe later…

Dodgson flashed a wide smile—that charming smile that Wu was all too familiar with. "I do. You haven't been yourself lately."

Wu wasn't sure what to say. He shrugged, nonchalant. "I don't know what you mean."

"Bullshit." That charming smile didn't crack.

"What am I doing here, Lew—Dr. Dodgson?"

Dodgson blinked. "Come again?"

Wu had an inkling that Dodgson was mocking him, but he pressed forward anyway. "I mean exactly what I asked: what am I doing here? I'm not doing anything."

"You leased this office. Given our recent expulsion from Cupertino, I'd say that's a hell of a lot."

"I'm not talking about an office building." Wu tried to tone down his anger, but it was seeping through.

"You mean as far as your research, genetics, cloning dinosaurs, and tinkering with DNA?"

"Yes." Wu folded his arms across his chest, trying to remain calm. He doubted it was working. This conversation was extremely uncomfortable, and he worried about how Dodgson would perceive him going forward. "I'm not doing anything that you hired me to do. I'm just—just here." He gestured at Dodgson's office that was bland and half empty. Then he glanced at the wall again when a newspaper clipping caught his eye. The newspaper cover page with Nedry's booking photo, articles about InGen, John Hammond, and Biosyn were scattered all over the wall.

"Well…we know why the reason for that is. Of course, I want you to continue to do your research, and at some point, when we're able to access InGen technology again—"

"How?! How would that be possible given where we're at? There are no genetic labs. There's nothing for me here."

"That's why I said 'when', Henry, and not 'if'."

Dodgson did his best to imitate empathy. The truth was he couldn't care less about Wu's frustration, but he also knew he couldn't afford to lose him. It was bad enough that Nedry turned traitor, but when Dodgson and his group got kicked off the island—and then forcefully removed from the Cupertino office—both actions severed any chance of them ever cloning their own dinosaurs. It occurred to Dodgson that perhaps he should placate Wu by having go to InGen's headquarters in Palo Alto. He could have him spy on what was currently going on with InGen, but then he realized two things: Wu might do what Nedry did last time and attempt to escape when given an assignment related to InGen. Or worse yet, someone in InGen would recognize Wu and find a way to detain him there. Dodgson's jaw tightened with determination. He refused to take any chances.

"Hank…Henry…let me say this. I understand your frustration and your anger is valid. At times like this though, I tend to rethink everything and consider which obstacles are standing in your way."

Wu almost blurted out "you", but he forced himself to remain quiet while Dodgson spoke to him calmly. This version of Dodgson was completely different from the raving lunatic he was a month ago. That version was furious that his team couldn't bring down one man. Right now, Wu pictured Dodgson wearing a pleasant mask that was courteous, kind and concerned, along with that charming smile. Then he imagined him removing that mask only for him to see the raging, vicious, and cruel man underneath, accompanied by a hideous sneer. Wu realized this latter version was the true Lewis Dodgson. It was difficult for Wu to reconcile the two vastly different personas as being one and the same person. The same Lewis Dodgson would do anything to make Nedry and InGen pay for making him fail—this was the Lewis Dodgson who could persuade him into believing there was still a chance for him to become famous one day and that he would be there by Wu's side making it happen.

"I also think of how I want to eliminate those obstacles. In this case, the reason why we have no access to any labs, to your research, to any genetic material…this is all due to Dennis' sabotage."

Wu clenched his fists. For once, he wanted Nedry to not be blamed for Dodgson's failures. But wishing for that made no sense because it was the stark truth: Nedry had made Dodgson fail in front of Biosyn's higher-ups during the park inspection. The failed park inspection eventually had a domino effect as Dodgson lost his grasp on InGen immediately after.

"So right now, my focus is on eliminating Dennis as he's been an obstacle for you for quite some time. Sure, I'd love to clone dinosaurs, tinker with DNA, and see what we can create together—and I have no doubt we'd make even better creations than what you've already made for John Hammond—" He flashed that charming smile again. "But I have no access to Biosyn's or InGen's labs or genetic material right now. I have limited funds. I have nothing to go on except this building that you purchased, which is a terrific start—and I have you—" Dodgson gestured to Wu as though he was an expensive treasure to show off, a rare exhibit on display. "The Miracle Worker of Jurassic Park. A much better acquisition than Dennis ever was."

Wu let his silence speak for him. At one time, he had swelled with pride when Hammond and Dodgson referred to him as "The Miracle Worker of Jurassic Park". Now it sounded over-the-top. As for being referred to as an "acquisition", Wu was thoroughly disgusted. He was a human being—not a possession.

"Once I deal with Dennis, I'll address InGen. Once I address InGen, we'll be back on track again."

The calmer and more self-assured Dodgson sounded, the angrier Wu became. Everything was always about Nedry and InGen. That was Dodgson's focus. Wu admitted to himself that Dodgson was right, but still—he didn't align himself with the corporate enemy just to completely zero in on his former disgruntled co-worker. Wu could've been angry at Nedry; he sensed that was the direction Dodgson was trying to push him in. The truth was Wu had been furious with Nedry in the past. Every time he acted aggressively against him—participating in the gang beatdown, punching Nedry in the face when Contreras had arrested him, taunting him for being a convicted felon—this was Wu's rage on full display at Nedry for ruining his chances to enjoy worldwide recognition. Wu had been sympathetic with Nedry when he had first been sentenced, but when more than a year passed after his sentencing, and Hammond made no move to open Jurassic Park, Wu's open compassion morphed into quiet fury. Dodgson seemed to read his mind.

"I understand that you're angry and you have every right to be. My suggestion is to hone your anger in the right direction, or rather, on the appropriate person. It's not me you're angry at. It's Dennis. Time and time again, he's destroyed your dreams. He's a dream-killer. He killed Hammond's dreams of opening Jurassic Park, he murdered my aspirations to eliminate InGen so that Biosyn would be number one in genetic technology, and then there's you." Dodgson motioned to Wu who sat in front of him.

"Me?"

"He slaughtered your dreams, Henry. Obliterated them beyond recognition. You want to be known all over the world, and Dennis screwed that up royally."

These words had once worked on Wu before, but not anymore…

Wu felt he should be angry at Dodgson for his false promises of fame, but the truth was he was angrier at himself. He had allowed himself to fall short of his own ideals and values because at the time receiving recognition was far more important. Now all he wanted to do was leave Biosyn. Even though they weren't in the building in Cupertino anymore, Wu still associated Dodgson with Biosyn. Regardless of the location, there was nothing for him here. He couldn't create, research, or clone. At InGen, not only did he have access to his "miracles", but he also had a good group of co-workers. Arnold, Muldoon, and Harding wouldn't spy on him. His boss was eccentric and sometimes one-track minded—but Hammond wouldn't throw him to the wolves for failing to successfully kidnap his coworker. And Hammond would never suggest abducting Nedry regardless of their troubled employer/employee relationship. Speaking of kidnapping…

"You're gonna be part of that assignment whenever the timing aligns with our plans."

"Which assignment?" Wu played dumb for the moment.

"The one where you invite Dennis to come over here to our office, so that I can have a one-to-one talk with him."

"About what?"

"You already know the answer, Henry." Dodgson's tone was sharp.

Wu's eyebrows furrowed before he had a chance to remind himself not to show any outward resistance to anything Dodgson said. "It sounds more like a kidnapping."

Once again, Dodgson flashed his famous charming smile. "It only sounds that way because Dennis is—well, you know how he is. I don't have to tell you."

There was no way that Dodgson wanted to have a sit-down friendly conversation with Nedry after everything he had done. No amount of prettifying the obvious fooled Wu into believing otherwise. And he had no idea what Dodgson had planned. He had an inkling that Dodgson didn't know either, but that eventually, he would know what he wanted to do.

"Roland uses very—" Dodgson tilted his head in thought as he searched for the right word. "Creative methods. It's why he's under my employment. He knows what it will take to convince Dennis to return here. This way, I can speak with him about the laptop."

Wu frowned at mention of "creative". It reminded him of when Tembo identified himself as "imaginative". Tembo and Dodgson loved using positive sounding words in place of other words that were far more accurate: aggressive, violent, horrific…

"The laptop?"

"The one where he was supposed to download all InGen's information." Dodgson eyed Wu warily. "Are you feeling alright?"

Wu offered a lukewarm smile. "I'm feeling fine."

Dodgson nodded, but his cold stare never left Wu.

Wu forced himself to remain seated and not turn to look at the door behind him. He wanted to run out of the room to get away from Dodgson. The more truthful he confronted Dodgson; the more Dodgson minimized what he was planning to do to Nedry. And if that was just Nedry, what about InGen? He hasn't even gotten started on what he wants to do to InGen. To the staff, the island, the park, and to John Hammond… Wu realized Dodgson would always distort everything to make it seem completely acceptable. It made him want to leave the group forever, but if he left on his own accord, there would be very painful consequences…

Dodgson looked at his watch and sighed. "I have to meet with Howard and George about some recent developments. My advice to you, Henry, is to keep your eyes on the prize. Right now, we're just delayed, but once we smooth out this huge bump in the road, once we get over all these unexpected hurdles, we'll move forward with your dreams. I hope you still trust me, so that we can work together. I will make this happen for you, Henry, it's just a matter of time."

Dodgson and Wu stood up at the same time. Without a word, Dodgson went to the door and opened it, gesturing for Wu to leave first. Wu did so and watched as Dodgson closed the door and walked down the hallway. Dodgson was oblivious to the fact that he had left Wu standing there or that Wu was even watching him. As Dodgson's last sentence replayed in his head, Wu thought it was interesting how sincere the message sounded. And yet, it was all empty promises—just as it had always been.

"So did you meet with Dr. Dodgson?"

He spun around to find Lopez and Tembo standing together, watching him closely. Lopez had asked the question.

"I did."

"How did it go?" Now Tembo joined in.

Wu gave them a candy-sweet smile as he channeled Nedry's sarcasm. "Fantastic."

Before they could ask him more, Wu barged between them and went to the elevators so he could go to his office on the fourth floor. It was strange how these days, every time he was near Lopez and Tembo, he had the sudden urge to get away from them. He was certain they sensed his dislike for them, although it was more Tembo that had an issue with him, more so than Lopez. The elevator doors opened, and Wu stepped onto the fourth floor. He rushed back to his office, and as always, he locked the door behind him.

Wu went to sit behind his desk and opened the drawer where he had stashed the newspaper. He made quick work of it and ripped it in half. Then he tore it in quarters. He kept shredding the newspaper until none of it could be pieced together or be recognizable. With a sigh of relief, he threw the destroyed newspaper into the wastebasket. Once done with that, his eyes landed on the phone. Wu grabbed the phone, ready to dial Jurassic Park's control room. But this time, he couldn't do it. He couldn't get himself to call that same number again because he already knew he'd hang up before he had a chance to speak coherently to Ray Arnold, or whoever picked up the phone now.

And last time he called the control room, it was John Hammond who had answered the phone…

Hammond was the last person he wanted to speak with after all this time. Wu had no idea of what he would say. How would he explain that he was with Biosyn and not InGen? Would he tell Hammond that he still wasn't well-known for all his accomplishments—after all this time? How selfish would that be? Hammond obviously had been released from the hospital and had returned to Isla Nublar. How did he find out everything? What did they tell him? What did he say? The questions swirled in Wu's mind, and he was afraid of what the answers would reveal. Perhaps it was better to not know. He didn't want to call the control room—and he didn't want to face anyone from Biosyn.

There was nowhere to turn.

Unsure of what to do, Wu put his head down on his desk for the rest of the afternoon, trying to mentally escape an inescapable situation.