Chapter 17 - Moves and Countermoves
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." - William Blake
oOo
"It's been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. It's gonna be fucking freezing and that dish will crack and shatter! Just like that old bastard, John Hammond, will crack and lose his shit when he finds out I have his grandbrats in my grasp."
It was the following day in the late morning and Lewis Dodgson stood at the head of the table in the conference room. He had ordered everyone to be present so that they, or rather, he could begin outlining his monstrous plot. Henry Wu sat by himself at the end of the table, while Raúl Lopez, Sonya Durant, and Roland Tembo sat at the opposite end, hanging onto Dodgson's every word. George Baselton and Howard King were sitting near them, taking down notes. The fact that Wu sat alone wasn't lost on him. He had a feeling Dennis Nedry had the same lonesome experience when he decided not to go along with Dodgson's plans to take over Isla Nublar. Instead of openly disagreeing with Dodgson, Wu knew to keep silent and gather as much information as he could. The more, the better.
"We're gonna have Henry pull a Dennis—" Dodgson started.
"What the hell does that mean?" Lopez asked with ire in his voice. ""Pull a Dennis' ? Last time Dennis pulled anything, he was backstabbing us by blabbing to InGen about your plans."
Dodgson stared at him. "Are you gonna let me finish?"
"I just wanted to know what you meant." Lopez slid back in his chair as though expecting Dodgson to pounce on him.
"What happened the last time Dennis betrayed us?"
"We taught him a lesson that he still remembers," Sonya volunteered, grinning wickedly.
"No, Sonya. We got kicked off the island because Dennis was helping out InGen all along," Lopez snapped. "Obviously, we haven't learned our lesson the first time."
Wu glanced across the table at Lopez, who now glared at him. At first, he was thrown off by Lopez's hateful reaction, but then he reminded himself that he had stopped Tembo several times: from shooting Nedry and finding a hidden wire. Those actions would cause Lopez to turn against him, since it involved defending Nedry. And now Dodgson appeared to give Wu preferential treatment if he expected him to carry out the bulk of this crazy plan. Another trigger for Lopez's professional jealousy. At this point, Wu couldn't care less. He was about to respond when Dodgson slammed a clenched fist on the table, causing Sonya and Lopez to jolt in their seats. Tembo was immovable with his arms crossed his chest. Dodgson's temper rarely bothered him. Baselton and King stopped what they were writing and looked up at Dodgson questioningly.
"Let me finish and then you can ask all the questions you want. Got it?"
Lopez's eyes dropped to the table. "Yes, Dr. Dodgson."
"If you'd stop running your fucking mouth, then you'd find out what I'm thinking. Are you ready to listen and learn?"
Wu watched as Lopez silently agreed by giving a stiff nod.
"When I say 'pull a Dennis', consider what that idiot hacker did last time. He went to Isla Nublar to throw us under the bus and reveal to the stupid InGen staff what we had planned. I'm proposing that we have Henry return to the island, pretend to turn over a new leaf—as in pretend to align himself with InGen again. Are you all following?" Dodgson's eyes quickly flicked from Lopez to Sonya and Tembo, and then to Baselton and King. They were all listening attentively. From there, he locked eyes with Wu again. "From there, he'd lure Tim and Lex—he'd kidnap those brats."
Wu bit down on his tongue as he tried not to let the revulsion he felt internally show on his face. He didn't see how this insane plan would work.
"The team would be with you, Henry," Dodgson said calmly as though reading his mind. "They will help you carry out this assignment."
That only further angered Wu. "Carry out an assignment"—as though the crime of kidnapping minors was an "assignment". Wu maintained a quiet presence with a blank stare.
"The only difference is that Mr. Hacker really became Mr. Goody-Fucking-Two-Shoes, and no one believed him, so they all rejected him. At the time, it worked in our favor that nobody from InGen trusted a word spilling from his big mouth. Whereas with Henry, they will welcome him with open arms and never see it coming—they'll be blindsided."
And they would hate me forever—I would traumatize Hammond's grandchildren who have done nothing to deserve being used as pawns in Dodgson's game to seize Jurassic Park, Wu thought as he drummed his fingers on the table. He noticed Tembo and Lopez watching him carefully, assessing his reaction to Dodgson's proposal. For Wu, it was strange how they seemed so far away, although they were all sitting at the same table in the same room. He was mentally light years apart from all of them. The person he was mentally closest to was locked in the basement. On that note, Wu reminded himself that he needed to formulate a plan—and fast. That could wait though…right now, he blurted out something completely off topic.
"I thought you wanted to begin a new genetic engineering project, interbreed dinosaurs…?" Wu let his question hang in the air.
"We can start on that project once we have the grandbrats under our control—we need to hold them over Hammond's head to ensure he hands over his company, his park, and his island, and then we can have access to the breeding facilities." Dodgson's lips curled into a creepy grin. "Then you will finally have the fame you've been waiting for Henry—you'll be able to taste it!"
He can't even use their names. Tim and Lex. Is it really that hard? Wu knew better than to ask that question aloud. Everything Dodgson said about fame he had been waiting for, and fame that he could taste…fell on deaf ears.
"And what happens when you seize InGen, Jurassic Park, and Isla Nublar?" He was playing with fire with that question, and he didn't want to get burned—but he needed to know. "What will you do with Tim and Lex then?"
Dodgson took off his glasses and placed them on the conference table. Wu refused to be intimidated as he had been in the past. He waited to see if Dodgson would answer his question and it seemed like everyone was waiting too. He noticed Tembo looked from him to Dodgson back to him again.
"I'll leave that to your imagination." Dodgson turned to the rest of the group. "Start brainstorming how you want to do this assignment. If you guys need reinforcements, I'll call on Cruz and Morales to be involved in this. Chadwick too, if necessary."
Sonya stared at him, shocked.
Dodgson grinned as he put back on his glasses that made him appear nonthreatening.
"You already know I have people all over the world on my payroll. Nima Cruz and Oscar Morales have always stayed close by, same with Miles Chadwick. They were there the night you ambushed our favorite hacker at Carlos and Charlie's."
The group was stunned by what he revealed and looked at each other, as though questioning if someone else had known all along. Then he dropped his biggest bombshell.
"I still have Eli Mills under my payroll. He's got an interesting assignment, working under an alias."
"Where's Eli? And how did you get him on board this time?" Baselton asked. He was speaking for everyone in the conference room since they all knew Mills didn't like the usual spying assignments Dodgson gave him. They barely saw him around.
"Hanging out in a specific correctional facility, so that if a specific person gets sent back there, Mills will keep an eye on him."
Sonya's smile widened when she realized what Dodgson was implying. "As an inmate or correction officer? This I gotta know!"
"That's for me to know and him to find out if he ever returns there. I know and I'm not telling you."
"You're no fun, Lew." Sonya pretended to pout.
"I'll give you some time and then you can take turns guarding our favorite prisoner. That's your 'fun' for today, you get to be his personal prison guard."
At the mention of "favorite prisoner", Wu looked up sharply. What else did Dodgson plan to do to Nedry while holding him captive? Aside from that, he had never met or heard of Eli Mills, so he overlooked that person's significance. He also wondered how Dodgson managed to keep in touch with Chadwick, Morales, and Cruz—how did he communicate with them? What did they look like? He didn't recall meeting them…
"What about Dennis?"
"What about him?"
"What are we gonna do about him?"
Dodgson tilted his head as he thought about it. Then he flashed the same charming smile that spooked Wu now.
"I'd like to keep him around. I've been thinking of doing some experiments on him, since he's a willing test subject. I'd love to play around with dino and human DNA. Maybe even try out other viruses and vaccines. Once I finish, I'll dispose of him. Whether he stays here as my lab rat or gets tossed in a cramped prison cell, he has a bright future ahead of him."
The room was deathly silent as Dodgson held Wu's gaze. It was as though he was waiting—almost expecting—for Wu to challenge him. Wu didn't and Dodgson left the conference room without explanation, leaving everyone baffled by his silent exit. After waiting a few moments to ensure he wasn't returning, Wu stood up to make his own exit. He was at the door when he heard Lopez call his name.
"You're not gonna participate in planning this out?" Lopez asked.
"You don't need me here for this. After all, my role has already been laid out for me by Dr. Dodgson. I'm gonna 'pull a Dennis', except do the opposite."
Before they could convince him to stay, Wu left the conference room and headed straight for his office on the fourth floor, while trying not to appear like he was rushing to get out of there. He hurried inside his office and closed the door. Now he had time to come up with a plan for his and Nedry's escape. It wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done sooner than later, especially given the plans Dodgson had just revealed to the team. The whole idea of "pulling a Dennis" was beyond farfetched: returning to InGen, pretending to rejoin them, only to devastate Hammond by kidnapping Tim and Lex was out of the question. And how in the hell would he get away with snatching them away? They were teenagers now, and not the little kids he had first met when they came to the island for the initial park inspection.
As if the abduction plan wasn't abhorrent enough, Dodgson planned on conducting experiments on Nedry. Wu wanted to believe he was just saying that as a joke, but he knew to take Dodgson at his word. He remembered when Dodgson told him about the experiment where Chilean peasant farmers had been exposed to an airborne version of the rabies virus. How he had sounded excited and not the least bit concerned or regretful that he had killed ten unsuspecting people. If Dodgson could do that and not bat an eyelash, then what could he do to Nedry? Wu thought Dodgson had done more than enough, but he would always make Nedry pay for his betrayal. Nothing would ever satisfy his revenge. Right then it hit Wu: Dodgson planned to experiment on Nedry until he stopped breathing.
Now that he was more than aware of Dodgson's deadly side, Wu questioned himself as to how he had allowed himself to get tangled up in Dodgson's web of industrial espionage and corruption. His promises of fame were so convincing. Back then, Wu felt that Dodgson truly heard him, and respected him for his accomplishments. Those conversations reverberated in his mind now: I promise you'll get the fame you deserve. You'll be recognized in scientific journals, be a celebrated guest on talk shows, have radio interviews, and get featured on international news. You'll be known all over the world. From Hong Kong to Egypt to Denmark to Peru—everyone will know who Henry Wu is. Your name will become a household name. Wu hung his head in shame now as he realized how easily he had been duped into believing that Dodgson respected him. Dodgson had played on his desire for recognition. He felt foolish and embarrassed, but he couldn't dwell on emotions and exploitation—he had to come up with a solid plan. Wu paced back and forth as he thought over everything.
Dodgson said he'd have the team assist him, and even send reinforcements: Nima Cruz, Oscar Morales, and Miles Chadwick. Eli Mills, too. Four Biosyn employees Wu had never met. Dodgson had a lot of people working for him—more than Wu imagined. He shook his head. This idea is so ridiculous. I could pretend to go along with it, but what then? He brainstormed some more.
Should I drug their drinks, so that they fall asleep? Pretend to go along with the crazy plans, slip the drugs, and then get Dennis out of here? Wu pictured the scenario in his head. Tembo wouldn't fall for it and the others wouldn't either. Even if Tembo did and the others followed suit—they were all knocked out and he freed Nedry…what if they woke up and caught up to them before they escaped the building? Then there was what Dodgson planned to do to Nedry—experiment on him because he was a "willing test subject". Wu didn't want to imagine what type of experiments Dodgson had in mind.
Another idea occurred to Wu as he walked in circles.
He could pretend to turn Nedry over to the police. Dodgson and the group wouldn't object to it. After all, it meant the hacker they hated most would be gone for good. Besides Dodgson already had his "talk" with Nedry. If he turned him in, then he could escape from Dodgson. Wu glanced at the clock on the wall. He was running out of time. One thing was certain: whatever decision he made, he had to act tonight.
oOo
Robert Muldoon sat in the courtroom and watched Detective Corey Anderson speak with Judge Hoskins. From where he sat in the gallery, Muldoon could tell Anderson was frustrated. He kept shaking his head as though he severely disagreed with Judge Hoskins, who appeared neutral. Muldoon had a feeling Anderson wasn't hearing what he was hoping to hear, and that was disappointing. He had wanted to bring back good news to John Hammond and Ian Malcolm. They had stayed at the hotel as he decided to accompany Anderson to the courthouse.
It was mid-afternoon and the day seemed to stretch on…
By now, Anderson believed he had sufficient evidence to obtain arrest warrants for Lewis Dodgson, Howard King, George Baselton, Roland Tembo, Sonya Durant, and Raúl Lopez—much of it based on Wu's and Nedry's conversations and all the other recordings he had obtained. He had explained this to Muldoon during the drive over. He had just signed an affidavit and needed to obtain the arrest warrants so he could proceed forward. He also needed a search warrant to get into Dodgson's new safehold in Los Altos. Anderson was confident he would obtain everything he needed by the end of the day—which is why the hold-up was frustrating. He now approached Muldoon who sat in the gallery.
"We have to come back in a few hours. There's been a hold up in the courts today."
"A hold up? We can't bloody wait another day—that puts them at risk!" Muldoon said, standing up and following Anderson outside of the courtroom.
Anderson nodded, understanding Muldoon's frustration. "I get it, but we'll come back in a few hours. In the meantime, I need to get my squad together. This is a big bust since we're serving six arrest warrants."
They made their way outside of the courthouse and got into Anderson's car.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Robert," Anderson said, turning on the car and pulling out of the spot. Before long, they were driving down the streets to the police precinct. "The day when we heard Dodgson doing something to Dennis, you had a strong reaction. Dr. Malcolm explained you guys have a history. Can you tell me about it?"
"Sure."
Muldoon was quiet for a moment. Anderson thought he wasn't going to say anything, but then he spoke.
"I'll try to be as brief as possible. Some of this you've already read in his written statement. You can take what I'm sharing as confirmation."
"Got it."
Muldoon watched pedestrians walking up and down the street while Anderson drove. "My coworker, Ray, and I caught him in the act of stealing and we testified against him in that same courthouse. During his entire trial, he was guilty as hell, but that didn't stop him from glaring at both of us while we testified. He blamed us for a long time, saying we ruined his life."
Anderson nodded as he drove. Now it clicked for him. No wonder Muldoon appeared tense in the courthouse when they went to Nedry's arraignment.
"When he trespassed on Hammond's property at Dodgson's orders with his group, he always went after me."
"Did that bother you?"
"No—I always said if he wanted a bloody fight, then a bloody fight is what I'd give him."
"A bloody nose?" Anderson joked and noticed that Muldoon's stoicism never wavered.
"Way more than that the third time. That was when we got into a vicious fight. After that, I swore I would be ready for him if he ever came back—which he did, and I made good on my promise. I shot him, captured him, and interrogated him along with Ray. That night he came damn close to pushing me over the edge."
Anderson made a right turn and kept his eyes on the traffic, while being sure to stay attuned to what Muldoon shared with him. "What did he do?"
"It's not even what he did, it's what he said. Dennis has a way of getting under your skin. He's obnoxious and arrogant—and he knows it."
Anderson frowned, unsure about Muldoon's assessment. Then he remembered when they were preparing Nedry to make the call to Dodgson and how he became angry and difficult all at once.
"I saw that side of him before he called Dodgson. The way he mouthed off at me, you, John, and Dr. Malcolm."
"That was a smidge of it, and it's not a 'side' of his—it's who he is. In time, I came to learn there's more to him beyond that sarcastic exterior. Anyway, the night he returned is when he started saying that Henry had betrayed our company to Biosyn. None of us believed him—least of all me."
"That's understandable, given everything he's done."
"Exactly."
Anderson pulled into the parking lot of the police precinct. Muldoon pointed at the scars on his face.
"You see these? I'm sure you've noticed them by now."
"I've been meaning to ask how you got those scars."
"Dennis mentioned it in his statement. The same day we got into that fight—he had released one of the animals and I got mauled. That's what led to us fighting. It was the same day as John's stroke. That day was hell."
Anderson nodded in agreement. He didn't know what to say or how to respond. Muldoon took his silence to continue sharing.
"Later, he snuck back to the island by himself. The night I captured him, he claimed he was there to help InGen and then had his usual childish jokes about my scars."
Anderson let out a low whistle as he turned off the car. "That's horrendous."
"That's Dennis," Muldoon corrected him. "He knows how to push your buttons. If Ray and everyone else hadn't held me back, we wouldn't be having this conversation now. I would've shot him in the face."
Anderson sighed as he processed everything. It was a lot and he realized now that it was difficult for Muldoon to be brief about his history with Nedry. It was a lot more in-depth than he first thought. The question in is mind lingered: how in the world did Robert Muldoon and Dennis Nedry go from hating each other to respecting each other? He asked him this.
"That same night, Dodgson's gang abducted us and left us stranded on a nearby island. We were forced to cooperate to survive. Don't think for one bloody second that we became best friends because we didn't. I've lost count of how many times we argued and insulted each other—and I almost choked him out."
"When did it change, or what changed it?"
"He saved my life. I had fallen off a cliff, hit my head on a rock, and ended up in a river. Dennis got me out of there—he could've left me there to drown."
"And he didn't…" Anderson's eyes widened in understanding. It all made sense as to what led to the change in their dynamics. "It changed how you saw him."
Muldoon stared out the windshield of police officers walking in and out of the precinct.
"It did, and I realize now that I saw him in black and white terms, but the truth is, he saw me the same way. I was the 'self-righteous prick' who ruined his life—his words, not mine," he added. "Ray and I had a ton of insults for him. Fat slob, greedy traitor, bold liar, petty thief…but that all stopped after he got me out of that river."
"Sounds like mutual hatred gave way to mutual respect."
"That's right. From that point forward, we started to see each other as human beings. He shared everything he knew about Dodgson, what it was like to work for him, how Dodgson operates. When it came to Henry Wu though, I was bloody stubborn, and didn't want to hear a word of it from him. When we returned to the island, I found out that same night he had been telling the truth the whole time about Henry joining Dodgson…" Muldoon's voice trailed off.
"That's a lot to take in."
"There's a lot I'm leaving out, but that's the gist of it. We got off that island because of what started out as forced cooperation. Later, when Dr. Malcolm got him out of jail, he helped us get rid of Biosyn. That's another story for another day, but I'll just say he fooled us all into believing that he sided with Dodgson again."
Anderson noticed that Muldoon stopped and searched for something in his pocket that he couldn't find. Then he continued speaking, his tone solemn.
"Dodgson was fooled too—and furious when the truth came out. Dennis did that for InGen, and it wasn't a small matter. Dodgson had his group brutally beat him, and he still put his neck on the line for InGen. It's no exaggeration that myself and everyone are still grateful for what he's done—and this is after all the bloody nonsense he pulled, including landing John in the hospital."
Anderson opened the car door on his side and Muldoon imitated his actions. They walked into the building and headed for Anderson's office.
"That's why sending him there was so risky," Anderson said, unlocking the door to his office.
Muldoon gave a curt nod. "It was extremely risky for Dennis to go on his own to get Henry out of that mess. It's why he kept saying he didn't think he'd make it out alive."
Anderson opened his drawer and grabbed some files together as he listened to Muldoon.
"Lewis Dodgson's a bloody sociopath. Dr. Malcolm and I once talked about how Dodgson is both charismatic and ruthless. He has no limits, no boundaries. Dennis has limits to an extent. He stole from Hammond, but he didn't let me drown. These scars…" Muldoon pointed at his face. "He never intended it to happen. It doesn't excuse what happened, but it helped me to let go of the anger I had towards him for a long time."
Anderson came around his desk. "I appreciate you sharing, Robert. It paints a fuller picture of everything and helps me to understand where you're coming from. I'm assembling a group today to get to that compound in Los Altos as soon as possible."
"Are you serving the warrants today?" Muldoon tried not to get his hopes up, but he knew that every moment that passed was another moment of Nedry and Wu remaining under Dodgson's stranglehold.
"I'll go back to the courthouse to get them. My plan right now is to organize a team of officers to come with me to serve the warrants. It shouldn't take long and once I'm done; I'm heading back to the courthouse." Anderson paused, expecting for Muldoon to unleash a tirade that another day would pass before Wu and Nedry were brought to safety. "I promise I'll keep you, John, and Dr. Malcolm in the loop of everything. You'll know what's happening every step of the way so that none of you are in the dark."
Muldoon was distracted. He took off his fedora and stood in front of the evidence board filled with photos showing Dodgson's team. Anderson was about to speak up but stopped himself when he saw Muldoon staring intensely at two photos on the evidence board.
Muldoon's gaze was focused on Nedry's and Wu's photos.
"You don't belong there," he said, quietly. "You belong with us, InGen." He turned back to Anderson. "Thank you for your efforts—and for listening." Muldoon put his fedora back on and left the office to return to the hotel.
Anderson watched him leave. "By this time tomorrow, they'll be back here safe and sound," he said aloud as a promise to himself—and as a promise to Muldoon, Malcolm, and Hammond.
oOo
That same evening, Wu waited in his office until he was sure Lopez and Tembo had completed their shifts. He glanced at his watch. It was after eleven at night and by now they should've left Nedry. Wu figured that after Dodgson's meeting, the rest of the team had probably trekked down to the basement to taunt Nedry all day. Now that he was certain they were gone, he could make his move. Opening his drawer, he grabbed what he had stashed away—a gym bag containing rope, his car keys, his notebook, several pens, his wallet, the Jurassic Park lighter, and some cash packed in a manilla envelope. He double-checked his office to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. Then it came to him as he opened the top drawer and found the last item he had almost forgotten. The photo showed him, Nedry, Arnold, Muldoon, and Harding standing in front of the visitor center. Folding it in half, he shoved it in his pocket.
Now he just needed his nerve. Wu counted to ten and then exited his office. He knew Tembo and Lopez usually hung around the second floor, while Sonya, Baselton, and King were on the third floor. Lewis Dodgson took up the entire first floor. Deciding that using the elevator may bring attention to him, Wu made his way down the stairway instead. He had one more flight and then he was in the basement. Sighing in relief, he rushed into the room where Nedry was being held and shut the door behind him. His eyes searched and found the chair he usually sat in. After placing the chair in front of the door, he hurried to the gurney and shook Nedry who appeared to be drifting off to sleep.
"Wha—What's happening?"
Wu didn't answer as he quickly undid the straps. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting Tembo or Lopez to come crashing through the door, although he had put a chair in place to stop them from getting inside. Nedry sat up, groggy, and stretched his arms and legs to get circulation going. Wu helped ease him off the gurney.
"We gotta be fast, Dennis, we don't have a lot of time."
Nedry nodded and yawned at the same time. He looked all around the basement as he stretched again. It amazed him that he had been held prisoner there. The entire ordeal felt like it had taken place over a month of time, and his body was still cramped up from laying in the same position.
"Where are we going?"
"Far away from here." Wu grabbed the rope from his bag. "Hold out your wrists."
Nedry suddenly woke up as though Wu had thrown a bucket of ice-cold water at him like Lopez had done days ago. "What the hell?"
"You have to!"
"No—I'm sick and tired of being restrained."
Wu sighed, frustrated. "It's the only way. We need to make it look like I'm turning you over to the police. "
"That's the story if we run into them?"
"Then you come up with something better!"
"That's lame…" Nedry yawned and stretched his arms over his head. He turned again and then grabbed onto the gurney for support. "My balance is off…all these days strapped to this stupid thing."
"I can't have you walking side by side with me like we're taking an evening stroll around the building."
"Fair enough, but wouldn't it make more sense if it was me taking you as prisoner? They see you as precious cargo, Henry—Dodgson does. If they shoot me, they'd at least let you live."
Wu closed his eyes, willing himself not to lose his temper. He was usually calm and collected, but with what he was attempting to do, he was afraid that it wouldn't work, and that fear was manifesting itself with a pounding heart and an unclear mind. He had to act fast and not overthink any of this—which he felt Nedry was doing.
"If they shoot you, I'll never get out of here," Wu gestured at the room they were in. "You're my ticket out of this hellhole."
Wu's rationale clicked for Nedry. He held out his wrists but looked away.
"In front—makes it easier for me to choke someone from behind."
Wu didn't ask Nedry what he meant by that as he looped the rope around Nedry's wrists. "I won't make it tight. You can get out of it easily."
Nedry nodded and yawned again. Wu finished knotting the rope just as Nedry started leaning against the gurney. He realized Nedry was exhausted from all the time spent awake. Even so, they had to get out of here fast. Leave the basement, make their way to the first floor, and then out to the parking lot. Once in the car, they could drive to wherever—as long as it was far from Los Altos. It seemed simple enough.
"You can sleep once we get in the car."
Nedry shook himself awake. "Okay, lead the way."
Wu snatched his gym bag and held Nedry's upper arm as he started towards the door. Kicking the chair aside, he continued to lead. Nedry was slow but did his best to stay focused. They both knew the stakes of getting caught—and they were keenly aware this was their only chance for escape. Wu stopped at the staircase after passing by the elevator. Nedry motioned towards the elevator.
"It'll be easier and faster."
"Got it." Wu reluctantly agreed as he jammed the elevator button.
It felt like a decade had passed by the time the elevator got down to the basement level. When the doors finally opened, they rushed inside. The elevator hummed as it took them to the first floor. They were almost there.
Soon they were at the front entrance and exiting through the doors. Wu sighed in relief as they made their way out to the parking lot. His car was only a hundred yards away; he had always parked close to the building. It was a cloudy night, and the sky had a strange blackish-blue tinge. There was a gentle wind blowing around them. Everything had a creepy feeling to it, but Wu didn't let that bother him. This was still the best time to escape. A wave of confidence swept over Wu and Nedry quickened his pace, despite being exhausted. He had also packed away—Wu stopped in his tracks.
Lopez and Tembo leaned against his car, as though they were waiting to meet him for a night out. Lopez was near the hood of the car and Tembo was situated at the back panel near the rear, holding his double barrel rifle. Both men had frozen grins spread wide on their faces as though they had looked forward to seeing Wu arrive at his car, only to find the people he didn't want to see. Lopez knocked on the hood of the car, giving Sonya the signal to exit from the driver's seat. She did so and joined them.
"Look who decided to burn the midnight oil," Tembo said.
"I'm turning him over to the police," Wu said, keeping his voice steady and eyeing Sonya. Did she steal my car keys and make a copy?
"This late at night?" Sonya asked as she glanced at her wristwatch and then at Wu with pursed lips and blue eyes lit up with amusement. It was a weird expression that showed she was holding in mocking laughter.
"It was a last-minute decision," Wu said.
Lopez and Tembo exchanged a knowing glance.
"That's like saying Dennis has a clean record—which is horseshit. This was planned well in advance," Lopez said, scoffing. "We're not stupid, Henry. We've heard all that sweet bonding you've both been doing for the past several nights—and how you exposed Dodgson's trade-off plans."
He took out a tiny voice recorder and waved it in front of Wu and Nedry. Wu maintained a rocky exterior although his heart started slamming against his ribcage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nedry's eyes widen with surprise.
Still holding out the tiny recorder, Lopez said, "I'm sure you'll recognize this conversation."
There was no way… Wu never had a chance to complete his thought as he heard his voice and Nedry's.
"He said the kidnapping was your idea. That you suggested it when you came back from that assignment to get the raptors."
"When I said that to him after Hammond's accident, I was being sarcastic. No way in hell would I be okay with pulling that crap—and you shouldn't be either!"
"I'm not—I have my limits."
"And Dodgson doesn't have any limits. He has no idea what the word means. Glad you finally see the truth."
"Me too."
Lopez's grin appeared ghastly in the darkness. There was no moonlight. It was pitch black outside save for a single floodlight in the parking lot that they were standing under. The light cast an eerie orange glow on them, and the night was silent except for a brief wind that blew around.
"How?" That was the only question Wu could ask.
"Right beneath the gurney that our favorite nerd was strapped to. He couldn't see it at all; it was taped underneath. We started recording after the first night when Roland noticed you had gone down to the basement."
Wu turned to Tembo who nodded in agreement, confirming what Lopez said.
"The day I told you to put your gun down?" Wu shot the question at Tembo.
"Precisely," Tembo answered. "Since we all guarded him in the mornings and afternoons, that left you the evenings, right?"
Wu maintained the cold persona he was known for. He tried to act like he was still in control, although the situation was quickly slipping out of his control. How much had they recorded? And they knew the entire time I was talking to Dennis, but didn't tell Dodgson? He knew that last thought was impossible, because now he remembered what Dodgson had said after he gave Nedry Muldoon's scars: "I'll give you some time alone time with your fellow InGen rat."
Fellow InGen rat.
That should've told you everything, Henry, he thought, frustrated when he realized the meaning behind Dodgson's words. Wu took a step back, still holding Nedry's arm and guiding him away from them as though he were in protective mode—although he couldn't do anything to defend Nedry or himself. Sonya and Tembo stepped towards them, indicating they had no intention of letting them get away. Dodgson knew this entire time—and said nothing?!
"Sonya would collect it each morning when she went to visit our favorite InGen hacker. She knew to put it in places where neither of you could see it," Lopez continued. "All this time, Dennis thought he was slick with his secret recordings, so we decided to do one better and record you both. I gotta say, you both had interesting conversations."
"Really?" Wu's fury came out in a raspy growl.
"Yeah, especially when you two compared your betrayals." Lopez pointed at Wu and then Nedry. "It's like you were trying to outdo the other: whose betrayal was the worst? Which betrayal was the least hurtful? Hilarious as hell!"
"Comedy at its finest," Tembo said, offering a toothy grin.
"You recorded quite a lot, huh?" Wu asked, glancing at Nedry, who appeared neutral. He was surprised that Nedry hadn't reacted to anything so far.
"Yeah, we did." Lopez was still enthusiastic. "Remember when Dr. Dodgson kept you in the office a little longer while he let Sonya leave the last meeting early? It was so that she could attach a new recorder."
Wu stared up at the night sky as he thought about it. Now he remembered: Tembo and Lopez were talking about dinner, Dodgson told Wu he'd be the main one to pull off the abduction scheme. Baselton and King had been near Dodgson, while Sonya left the conference room…
"Dr. Dodgson heard everything," Tembo said, backing up Lopez. "He just wanted to see how far you were willing to go, and now we have the answer. You chose the person who caused your dreams to come to a screeching halt over the individual who was willing to go above and beyond to make your dreams a reality."
"That's bullshit," Nedry finally spoke. "Dodgson played on Henry's dream of fame; he never had any intention of making it a reality. It's always been about sticking it to John Hammond. Nothing more, nothing less."
Tembo sent Nedry a scathing glance as though he couldn't be bothered to waste precious time on him, and then focused on Wu again.
"Truth is, it comes as no surprise that we have another traitor in our midst. I always knew you held no loyalty towards the team."
"The team never showed loyalty to me either," Wu snapped back.
"Arguing about loyalty is a moot point, Henry, given your treasonous status. A traitor chose another traitor to place his trust in. If you can't see the irony in that, then that's your problem." Tembo pointed an accusing finger at Nedry. "And it's about to become your problem too, Dennis."
Tembo, Lopez, and Sonya fanned out in the area, making it impossible for Wu to reach his car now. Sonya took out two blindfolds and held them up in the air. She came to stand in front of Nedry now as though intending to blindfold him first.
"Here's what we're doing, and this is non-negotiable," Tembo said. "You're going to turn around and go right back where you exited from." He motioned at Nedry and Wu with his double barrel rifle. "Hands in the air and keep them there."
Wu released Nedry's arm as he raised his hands in the air while Nedry raised his bound hands in the air—and then just as quickly he pulled them apart, and looped the rope around Sonya's throat, pulling her backwards. Sonya's blindfolds dropped to the ground as her hands flung to her throat. Lopez pulled out a handgun from his pocket and pressed it against Wu's temple. Wu's swore his heart would leap out of his chest and his legs became rubber even as he heard Sonya coughing.
"Let him go," Nedry growled. "Or I choke out the bitch."
Tembo stood near Nedry and the struggling Sonya on one side. On the other side was Wu, who kept his hands in the air, while Lopez nudged his head with the handgun. He glanced at both parties and then chuckled loudly, thoroughly entertained.
"You've got some damn nerve being that you acted first," Tembo said, motioning with his rifle at Sonya who grabbed frantically at the rope wrapped around her throat. "I understand where it comes from though. You have this insatiable need to be the hero, Dennis. Probably because you've been rejected so many times in your pitiful life."
"Your pretty girlfriend will have her pitiful life cut short if you don't release Henry." He yanked the rope harder, ignoring Sonya as she desperately tried to pull it away from her throat.
Tembo looked at Lopez and shrugged. "Shoot him. Dr. Dodgson will find himself another Henry Wu."
Nedry released Sonya and pushed her to the ground. He threw the rope on her, and she flinched as though she had been burned by it.
"Lucky for you, your boyfriend has a bargaining chip," Nedry said. "And Henry isn't someone you can replace, Captain Ahab!"
Lopez took his handgun away from Wu's temple, but Wu kept his hands in the air. He couldn't believe how fast his escape plan had gone down the drain. Nedry's and Tembo's exchange about him hadn't even hit him yet. Tembo helped Sonya get to her feet and Wu saw the angry scowl painted on her face.
"Are you alright, Sonya?" Tembo asked. He gently touched her neck as she lifted it so that he could inspect it. "Turn this way, up towards the light."
"Your pet huntress is breathing—of course she's fine," Nedry muttered.
Tembo ignored him as he focused on ensuring she wasn't badly injured. Sonya did as Tembo asked, her furious glare never left her face. It was obvious she was embarrassed by Nedry choking her. Wu watched amazed at how Tembo could be an honorable gentleman to Sonya, genuinely concerned about her having a possible neck injury. In the next minute, he could resume his cutthroat persona, especially when dealing with his enemies. Sonya stepped back as Tembo turned to them now, a raging gleam in his eyes. Every trace of his polite and compassionate demeanor had vanished. Wu found it creepy how Tembo's personality could run on either extreme or change at a moment's notice.
"All these ridiculous theatrics for nothing," Tembo said, shaking his head. "Let's try this one more time: you're going back inside the building." He snatched the blindfolds from the ground and handed them back to Sonya. "Blindfold our two friends. Raúl and I will bring them to a room just for them. Keep your gun on them, Raúl."
Wu and Nedry kept their hands in the air as Sonya approached them. When she got to Nedry, she spat in his face. The saliva ran down his cheek and he offered her a syrupy smile.
"It was all in fun, sweetheart!"
Sonya slapped him hard. "You stupid creep!" She went behind him and wrapped the blindfold over his eyes.
Wu watched as Lopez grabbed Nedry's arm in an iron grip and dragged him towards the building. He tried not to overthink the whole scenario that had befallen them. How could I have been so stupid? Of course, Dodgson knew Dennis was trying to get me back to InGen.
"Let's get going," Tembo said, as he led the way to the building. "We've wasted enough time out here."
Wu saw Tembo walking ahead of him when suddenly his vision darkened as the cloth was pressed against his eyes. Sonya tied the knot behind his head and now there was only blackness. Without his vision, Wu found his senses were heightened. His upper arm was grabbed, and he felt himself being pulled forward. The grip on his arm was released. A door opened and closed and then he was roughly pushed from behind.
"What the hell?!" He was tempted to pull off the blindfold.
"Nope, keep walking, Henry." He recognized Sonya's husky voice. "Don't do anything stupid."
Her fingernails dug into his upper arm again as she dragged him forward for some time. There was creaking as another door was opened and Sonya released his arm for the second time.
"In you go."
She pushed him forward again. Wu splayed out his arms to break the fall that he anticipated, but never came.
"Bring our genetic dreamer over here, Sonya." Tembo's authoritarian tone was unmistakable.
Wu felt the sensation of Sonya snatching his arm and pulling him along. Then he was spun around, and his entire body and the back of his head slammed against a pole. A new headache settled in and kept ringing. The pain wasn't the worst; it was the nausea he was experiencing. Wu felt like he had spun in circles twenty times. Dizziness overtook him and his body shook. His stomach was doing cartwheels now, and he was afraid he would vomit on himself.
"Put your hands behind your back." Tembo again.
Wu refused and instead he reached to massage his temples to ease the growing pain.
"I said behind your back, Henry! Damn it, you're as stubborn as your fellow traitor."
"That's his brother from another mother." Wu recognized Sonya's voice in response to Tembo's.
There was a new sensation as his arms were pulled behind his back and his hands brought painfully close together. Then a rope was wrapped around his wrists and pulled tight. The burning in his wrists worsened as Tembo knotted the rope. Wu tried to remain still as he stood against the pole. The blindfold made everything worse because he could hear and feel everything—but he couldn't see anything, and his terror was slowly escalating. His breath was coming out in shallow gasps and his skin felt as though spiders were running all over him. Wu willed himself to calm down and it worked for a short time. He thought he heard the metallic clicking of handcuffs. It sounded far away and then Lopez's mocking voice followed.
"You should be used to this by now, Dennis. Only you won't be able to pick them loose."
Wu listened hard and thought he heard a thumping sound followed by grunting.
"That's alright 'cause I can use my legs to kick your stupid-ass." Wu heard Nedry's distinctive voice.
There was a stifled yelp followed by a body being slammed against the wall. Wu couldn't distinguish who had yelped and whose body was slammed. It was quiet for a moment and then he heard someone being punched. This time he was certain that it wasn't Nedry who delivered the punch.
"Sit there and shut up!" Lopez's fury was reserved for one person only, Wu knew.
He heard rushed footsteps in his direction and huffing.
"I think we're done here."
It sounded like Lopez was talking to Tembo and Sonya right in front of him. Based on how they spoke, he was able to identify all of them.
"They won't be going anywhere anytime soon," Sonya had that annoying sing-song tone that irked Wu's nerves.
There was a brief silence. Wu pictured Tembo assessing the scene and being quite pleased with himself. Then he sensed someone behind him, and the rope was pulled again. By now his hands were numb because of how tight the ropes had been tied.
"Smart move to keep them apart. One standing here and the other on the floor. Unable to go anywhere, although they thought they could escape with no repercussions. Dumb and Dumber."
Tembo had that self-assured tone that Wu despised—and he used Nedry's taunt reserved for him and Lopez.
"Yeah, 'Dumb and Dumber', I remember that nonsense," Lopez said, sounding disgusted. "Look who's Dumb and Dumber now."
"Time to let Dr. Dodgson deal with them. Something tells me he won't be in a forgiving mood, especially since his beloved geneticist stabbed him in the back this time," Tembo said.
"Unlike that felon who has a new enemy every time he breathes?" Sonya asked.
Wu listened as Tembo answered her question. As always, he spoke in that refined manner. Even so, Wu could hear the hatred in Tembo's voice that he knew was directed at him.
"It's easier to forgive an enemy because they hold no standing in your heart…but a friend whom you trusted, when they're wielding the knife…that's far more difficult."
Footsteps marched out of the room and then the door slammed closed. A key clicked in the lock. A long aching silence followed. Neither Wu nor Nedry knew what to make of their precarious situation and their new prison…