Chapter 18 - Two Traitors in a Pod

"Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated. Betrayal of any one of those is to lose all three." - Ziad K. Abdelnour

oOo

Henry Wu exhaled slowly and turned left and right. Nothing but blackness thanks to the blindfold. He wriggled his hands and the ropes rubbed against his skin. It seemed like it wouldn't be long before his circulation was completely cut off. He was about to call out to Dennis Nedry when he heard him speaking in a low voice. Wu thought Nedry sounded panicked. In all the years he had known him, Nedry's voice never sounded shaky as it did now.

"If you can hear me, you need to come now! We can't wait anymore—we tried to escape, and they caught us. They're getting Lewis Dodgson and once they get him; we're finished. I don't know what you're waiting for, but you better hurry up."

A beat of silence passed and then he spoke again, his speech more hurried than the first time.

"John—Dr. Malcolm—Robert—Detective Anderson—I know you can hear me. You need to get here now!"

At first, Wu thought he was talking to himself. Then he remembered that Nedry was bugged. Whoever heard him on the other side—the police—hopefully they would act fast. He wanted to reassure Nedry that they would be fine, but Wu knew he was trying to reassure himself. He was going to call out to Nedry when he heard the mechanical click of a key turning in the lock. Then the door banged against the wall. Wu heard thunderous footsteps enter the room and stop short.

"You're so fucking ridiculous. It's hard to believe I ever saw any potential in you."

The blood in Wu's veins froze. He knew that voice. He had managed to calm down, but now his heart was bouncing in his chest and his legs felt like they would give way. Wu forced himself to lean against the pole he was tied to so that he wouldn't crumple in fright.

"You saw me for the extraordinary systems analyst that I've always been. You just steal others' work and call it yours. You're like moldy bread—disgusting! No one wants you!"

Wu's lips perked upwards into a half-smile. Hearing Nedry mouth off at Dodgson showed he wasn't completely broken. He still had a fighting spirit. There was a flurry of movement and then a stifled yelp of pain. It sounded like Dodgson kicked him in the face.

Then the thunderous footsteps started again, louder than before.

Wu could tell Dodgson was approaching him. The footsteps stopped in front of him. Wu twisted his hands around and winced when the rope burned his wrists. He heard heavy breathing right in front of him as though Dodgson was trying to calm himself before speaking. Then out of nowhere, his face swung, exploding with pain. He had barely registered that Dodgson had punched him across his face, when just as quickly, he was struck again— and much harder the second time. Wu's head hung now as wooziness descended upon him. His head rang horribly, and he felt something sticky leaking from his nose—his own blood. Just as he realized it, his hair was snatched up and the back of his head banged against the pole. Wu's heart ran a marathon when he realized Dodgson held his head up by the hair.

"I've never been so disappointed in my whole life. I cultivated you, Hank. I spent time, effort, and money building you up—and then you have the fucking nerve to run out on me with that shitty hacker!"

Wu tried to elicit a response, but none came. This infuriated Dodgson further because Wu's head was slammed against the pole again and then his hair released. His skull felt like it had been smashed with a sledgehammer. The pain was unimaginable, and the rancid taste of vomit flooded his mouth now. Saliva dribbled from his lips. He thought he would vomit whatever he had eaten earlier. That thought faded as his head hung between his shoulders and when Dodgson spoke again, Wu barely heard him.

"I told you a while ago that I'm a stickler for loyalty and that I can't stand traitors. Do you remember that?" When Wu didn't respond right away, Dodgson's voice became a feral growl. "You better fucking answer me."

"Yeah…" Wu hardly heard himself speak. The ringing in his ears was as loud as a fire truck's blaring sirens.

"When someone turns their back on me, the consequences aren't pretty. I told you I'd rather you not experience them firsthand."

There was a brief silence and Wu thought Dodgson had left. Being punched again in the face told him otherwise. This time he mumbled an acknowledgement. "Uh-huh…"

"Use this time wisely, since it'll be the last time you speak to each other. Say your good-byes and express your regrets—I don't give a shit. This will all be over by morning."

Dodgson stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The key turned in the lock, echoing in the room.

Then there was a weird humming noise that seemed to grow louder in Wu's ears, followed by nothingness. Black nothingness. Wu didn't know how much time had passed by the time he heard Nedry. He hadn't responded due to temporarily blacking out.

"You okay, Henry?" Nedry asked, making sure not to speak too loudly.

"Yeah…I'm okay…you?"

There was a faint clinking noise. "Never better."

Wu gave an exasperated sigh. "Really?"

"My arms are on fire and feel like they'll rip out of their sockets. Other than that, I'm great."

"Glad to hear it."

More silence passed. Wu wondered what time it was and if Dodgson planned on keeping them imprisoned in this room all night. Or if he would take them out and shoot them behind the building. Then he'll throw our corpses in a pool of lye, leaving no trace of us, Wu thought. A bitter laugh that sounded like croaking escaped from him. He couldn't believe it had come down to this.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know it would be this way," Nedry said.

Wu thought he sounded far away again and realized the room must be larger than he first thought. "Don't be sorry. I'm not."

"That's good."

"I'm grateful."

There was a pause and then: "For what?"

"That I'm not alone," Wu said. "I'm not going through this crazy nonsense by myself."

"That's 'cause we're two traitors in a pod."

"Not peas?" Wu's laugh was softer this time. "Two peas in a pod?"

"Nope, we're traitors and should own it."

"It's not all of who we are."

Wu was aware that he was protesting. He didn't want to carry that label around for the rest of his life: traitor. It was like the mark of Cain after he murdered his brother Abel. Although the mark was meant to protect Cain from anyone killing him, the sign came about because he had killed his own brother.

"It's how we both got here." Nedry's voice was flat as though he was telling Wu to accept it already.

"Touché."

Wu took deep breaths as he stood up stiffly against the pole. The rumbling in his head had lessened, but his hands were numb. He wondered if Nedry was sitting down with his arms pulled high over his head since he said they felt like they would rip out. Either way, both their positions were uncomfortable, painful, and humiliating. The best way to treat traitors in captivity. Exactly what Tembo wanted when he left us here, Wu thought.

It was difficult to believe that not too long ago, he and Nedry were employees on a remote island responsible for helping to create a unique theme park where the main attractions were resurrected dinosaurs. Now they were trapped in a large room, blindfolded, tied up and cuffed, and awaiting their deaths by a charismatic and dangerous sociopath who treated betrayal like a capital crime. The irony was not lost on Wu. For Dodgson to acquire both him and Nedry, they had to make a conscious decision to betray InGen. Heaven forbid you betray Lewis Dodgson. Wu felt drenched in bitterness, and then a question occurred to him.

"How much was Dodgson paying you originally?" He was curious.

"For the embryos?"

"Yeah."

"Seven hundred fifty thousand upfront and then an extra fifty thousand for each viable embryo. Altogether, one point five million dollars."

Wu whistled sadly.

"What is it?" Nedry sounded agitated.

"Dodgson ripped you off. Those embryos cost easily between two and ten million."

"Really? That jackass!"

"Really." Wu nodded. "He ripped you off, just as he was using me as a tool against John Hammond."

"At least we know where we stand, huh? So have you made your decision, Henry?"

Wu knew what he referred to. He tried to pull his wrists apart, but the knots were tight. "I'm here with you, so obviously I have. Only Dodgson's not happy with it."

"Dodgson can take an express train to hell. You have a right to decide for yourself."

Wu swallowed nervously before asking his next question.

"What happened before we saw you that night at the bar—before you got arrested? I've always wondered."

"I was trying to get my life back on track. It's much harder than I realized. That and being on the run isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. It's extremely stressful."

"I thought it was better than being locked up."

"I used to think that, but now? No."

Wu's eyebrows knitted together behind the blindfold. He must've missed something. "I don't get it."

Nedry sighed and Wu thought he sounded sad.

"Around the time I ran into you guys, I was living out of my car. I reached out to an old friend to see if he knew anyone who was hiring. He wanted nothing to do with me and said he'd call the police if I ever showed my face again."

The realization hit Wu in the gut: Nedry had been homeless, and a "friend" had threatened to turn him in.

"That's awful…"

"That's how it is. There's a stigma attached to being a convicted felon—it's one of many reasons why I didn't want you following in my footsteps. Making one poor decision can haunt you for the rest of your life."

Wu thought this was the most serious Nedry had ever sounded. There was no trace of sarcasm in his tone.

"You tried to change though." He quickly amended his statement. "You did change."

"That doesn't mean everything falls into place. My shitty choices have ripple effects on everyone. John suffered from a stroke and ended up hospitalized for months. Robert has horrible scars and traumatic memories of almost getting killed. Everyone else, including you, could've been killed anytime I shut down the power."

"That's true." Wu couldn't dispute what Nedry said.

"As for myself, past friends want nothing to do with me. Many places don't want to hire convicted felons; they want folks with a clean record—which I obviously don't have." Nedry paused for several seconds and the rest of his words rushed out. "If I can't find a job, then I can't work to support myself. If I can't support myself, then I can't get my own place. No one trusts me because they see me as a liar, a thief, and a traitor—which is understandable given that I've lied, stole, and betrayed others. Then you have Loony Dodgson and his brood of vipers who enjoy torturing you until they decide to kill you. The consequences aren't just wearing handcuffs—which you love throwing in my face."

Wu was silent as he contemplated what Nedry was telling him. He always thought the only reason Nedry confronted him about his betrayal of InGen was because of its potential to ruin him forever. Now he realized it was more than that: Dodgson was ruthless, and his gang eagerly mimicked his viciousness. Betraying John Hammond was one matter, and betraying Lewis Dodgson was quite another. Hammond would probably fire him and never want to hear from him again—whereas Dodgson would make sure no one heard from Wu ever again. The sharp contrast in how both men operated was sobering.

Trapped in that room, Wu finally heard what Nedry was saying about the cause-and-effect of committing treachery: how it destroyed relationships. People's perception of you was forever altered. The ramifications of conviction in a court of law and incarceration would impact Nedry and his ability to resume his career and live in the community. Wu sighed when he remembered ridiculing Nedry. He figured being forced to wear chains must've been humiliating and shameful. Even worse was becoming a pariah whom nobody trusted. No one wanted Nedry around. The rejection was constant. Wu had never experienced legal problems and his taunts were another way of reminding Nedry that he got caught for his crimes against InGen. Everyone in InGen knew why Nedry had been sent to prison, whereas Wu had felt smug because he steered clear of getting caught breaking the law. Back then, no one knew the extent of Wu's betrayal—not when their focus was on Nedry's. And Wu wanted everyone to know him—not cast him aside.

That was back then; and this was now.

Now he was wide awake as though he could see everything clearly despite the blindfold. I really let my ambition blind me. Wu appreciated Nedry for trying to reach him before he made things worse for himself—before he made decisions that he couldn't undo. He thought he heard the faint rattle of a chain, and imagined that Nedry was shifting around, trying to get comfortable.

"I'm sorry, Dennis."

"For what?" Nedry sounded both exhausted and curious.

"For all the times I treated you like dirt. When you and Robert came back to the island. That night when I smashed your hand. I…" He hesitated and then forced himself to continue. "I knocked you out when we brought you back here, so that Lopez and Tembo wouldn't keep beating up on you. That was my way of making up for what happened with your hand. I thought it would be better for you to be knocked out…" His voice trailed off as he lost his words at that moment and his head started pounding again. He wished he could have this conversation with Nedry face to face. "I'm sorry for that time in the cafeteria with the dino guts. When we saw you in the sports bar and I threw in your face about being locked up, I'm sorry for that too."

A long period of silence followed. Wu thought Nedry didn't believe him, didn't want to talk about it, or that he was considering everything.

"That's a long overdue apology. Or apologies, plural." Nedry sounded like he was joking at first and then his tone turned serious. "Thank you, but it's water the bridge. You were behaving like an asshole because you had teamed up with the Biggest Asshole in the Universe also known as Lewis Dodgson. I can tell you that because I used to be that asshole running around with that psychopath and causing hell for InGen. You see the error of your ways, so now you gotta forgive yourself."

Wu was surprised by the response he received. Forgetting that he was bound to the pole, he started to move forward, before the stinging sensation around his wrists reminded him that he couldn't move freely.

"You're willing to forgive that easily?"

"Others have forgiven me for much worse," Nedry said, quietly.

"Who did—who forgave you?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"I just want to know," Wu said, scuffing his sneaker on the floor.

"John said he forgave me because I set things right at the park…" Nedry's tone had changed. He sounded like he was trying to hold back emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. "He said he would've forgiven me…even if I hadn't helped out InGen…because for him to have a full recovery from the stroke…he had to make his peace. Robert's never told me outright that he forgives me…but he did tell me to forgive myself…so I guess that means something..."

Wu was surprised to feel tears burning in his own eyes. The fact that Hammond and Muldoon had forgave Nedry—this hit him hard. It was obvious that Nedry still couldn't forgive himself for all the wrongs he had committed. Or maybe it gave him hope. If Nedry could be forgiven and granted a new start, perhaps he too could be forgiven and have a new beginning. But if Nedry couldn't forgive himself, Wu wasn't sure how he would be able to forgive himself. Maybe Nedry was right that first night in the basement prison: they were very similar.

"If they can forgive me…or even give me a second chance after all the bullshit I put them and everyone through…then I can forgive you for punching me in the face when that asshole cop was bullying me and Robert. I can let go of the fact that you joined the team in beating me half to death…or that you said I was 'famous' when I was really being hunted down by the law." As an afterthought, he added, "thank you for knocking me out that night…I was scared out of my mind. Being knocked out was better than whatever those two stupid jerks wanted me to feel…"

A solitary tear slid down Wu's face from under the blindfold. Hearing his own actions was a real wake-up call. What Nedry mentioned was just the tip of the iceberg, given how he had treated everyone at InGen, the secrets he had kept from John Hammond, and even from Ray Arnold. Arnold had fully trusted him, never knowing that Wu knew where Muldoon and Nedry were the entire two months when they were stranded on Isla Sorna. Wu had sat back and watched his friend spiral down into a black hole of constant anxiety and never-ending stress. He could've told Arnold the truth at any time but chose not to. When Wu thought about it, it was as bad as lying to Hammond's face and destroying Ellie Sattler's greenhouse. Only by that time, Ellie knew he was the enemy. Hammond and Arnold had no idea back then… Wu's muscles tensed and his stomach ached just thinking about it. Before that moment, he would've laughed at the notion that guilt could be physically painful. Now was an entirely different story. He almost wanted to believe he was in a trance or under a warped spell when he did those things.

He was also glad now that he gave Nedry that second injection. Hearing him share that he was afraid that night confirmed for Wu that he had done the right thing. He knew it was a big deal if Nedry was admitting aloud how terrified he was. Still, the guilt weighed on him: Lopez and Tembo would've kept going if he hadn't stopped them.

"You know three times you tried to talk sense into me before all this." Wu stiffened his jaw now, determined to not let anymore of his emotions overtake him.

"They say three time's the charm."

"The first time in the cell. The second time in my lab you approached me. I should've listened to you."

"The third time you sought me out in the cafeteria. You knew you had made a big mistake but were too proud to admit it. By then, I knew my message had sunk into your thick skull—somewhat," Nedry quickly added, chuckling. "You were listening to me the entire time, you just weren't ready to walk away from Dodgson."

Wu was glad to hear Nedry sound like himself again. He tried to pull his wrists apart for the umpteenth time. Tembo had made strong knots, making it impossible for him to undo them and the standing position made it worse. His legs felt stiff, and his hands were numb.

"I felt I had to save face."

"I get that—sometimes it's hard to admit when we're wrong, even though it's the right thing to do. Or we know we're wrong and don't care because what we want is more important."

"I also believed that Lew was serious about getting my name out there. Stupid, huh?"

"It's not stupid, he knows how to pull our strings. He purposely seeks out folks who are unhappy for whatever reason. He observes you carefully to find out what makes you tick. From there, he uses your weakness to manipulate you. The problem is we wanted what we wanted—"

"—and we had no qualms about turning our backs on those who trusted us," Wu added.

"If he tried his fake promises now, it wouldn't work because we know our worth—and we value and respect those around us."

"I wish I knew my worth back then…and that I was more appreciative of the opportunity to work for InGen."

"You and me both." Nedry sighed regretfully. "You don't know how many times I think of what I could've done differently."

"I've been doing the same thing."

"Thing is, Henry, you have a right to want to be known for everything you've done. You worked extremely hard for years to give John what he asked for: real breathing dinosaurs."

Wu drew in his breath sharply. Hearing Nedry say "dinosaurs" instead of "lizards" struck him.

"I had a right to the compensation John owed me for the extra work he demanded…but I'll honest with myself—and with you. Stealing from InGen was a quick easy way to make a lot of money."

"I think so too." Wu nodded in agreement. "It's unfair to be forced to do more work and not get paid for it." He wondered how to address the second part. "When you say it like that, I'm forced to face myself."

"We all have to, eventually. Running away from the truth delays the inevitable. It always catches up to you…" A yawn escaped from Nedry. "We wanted recognition and compensation for our efforts—but the things we did when we didn't get what we wanted? That wasn't right. Now we gotta deal with the consequences."

Wu let that thought sink in. He and Nedry had wanted different things from their work with Hammond. Wu wanted to be recognized—he didn't want to be Hammond's best kept secret. Nedry wanted to be fairly paid for his efforts when working for Hammond—especially after being kept in the dark and forced to do additional work. However, when they didn't get what they wanted or hoped for, they tried to accomplish their goals the wrong way. And after it was all said and done, not only did they hurt others around them—but they had to face what they did and who they became. Their self-worth had diminished significantly. Wu wondered if he and Nedry would be able to regain self-respect for themselves after everything they had done.

"Introspection is good for the soul," Nedry said, interrupting his thoughts. He was serious at first, and then his humorous side came out. "And this floor is hard as hell!"

Wu smiled grimly at his quirky humor. "I think about who I used to be and what I've become. I was a geneticist cloning dinosaurs. Next, I'm beating you up in a cell with the rest of Dodgson's group, abusing the park staff, and then being roped into an abduction scheme for Dodgson to get what he wants with Jurassic Park."

"You did shitty things, but you gotta forgive yourself."

"You're right," Wu agreed, but he didn't know the first steps to self-forgiveness. He would've asked about it, but Nedry jumped to Dodgson's scheme.

"By 'abduction scheme', is that what Lopez meant by 'trade-off'? And you're a genius geneticist," Nedry added. "Own it!"

"Yeah. It's a euphemism for what he really wants to do." Wu thought of what Nedry had said. He didn't feel like a genius anymore—more like the dumbest person in the universe. He was on the verge of saying so, but all he could muster was a low mumble. "Thank you for saying that."

"Facts! I mean, facts about you—know your worth."

Wu smiled grimly. "Thanks."

"As for Dodgson's plans, it sounds like he wants to destroy Hammond."

"That's exactly it."

Just then the door banged open again, hitting the wall. Wu looked up, expecting to see someone, and was met with the constant blackness from the blindfold. He imagined that Nedry had done the same thing. Who was in the room with them and how long would they stay here? Based on the condescending tone, he knew it was Tembo.

"You both better catch up on your beauty rest, so that you're ready for tomorrow. In eight hours, Dr. Dodgson wants you both up, bright and early." With that, Tembo left the room, slamming the door closed and locking it.

Wu wished Sonya hadn't blindfolded him and Nedry. It would've helped them to watch over the other in case they wanted to take turns sleeping. He said this aloud.

"Go to sleep. I'll do the same."

Wu sighed. The headache had died down and maybe if he slept, even for a short time, it would help clear his mind. "You sure?"

After a long yawn, Nedry answered. "Yeah. Go on… 'let's be ready for tomorrow'."

Wu chuckled, but inside a ripple of fear trickled down his spine. What did Dodgson have in mind for him and Nedry? It seemed obvious that it wouldn't be long and drawn out since he told them to say their good-byes and how everything would be over by morning. Would he take them out and have Tembo shoot them execution style? Would he leave Nedry and Wu in the building and then take off with the rest of the team, while making an anonymous call to the police that both men were trapped in the room? They might be brought back down to the basement to be used as test subjects for Dodgson's ilegal/unethical human experiments. The possibilities are endless when it comes to Dodgson, Wu thought. Then Nedry interrupted his thoughts.

"I know you're still awake, Henry."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause you're not snoring…but I will, so get used to it." An exhausting yawn escaped from Nedry. "You can sleep and have sweet dreams, or you can listen to me snore. Pick your poison."

"I'll take sweet dreams for five hundred bucks."

"Good choice…"

Nedry's voice trailed off and that was the last Wu heard from him. He realized it was better to rest and recuperate. Wu allowed his body to go limp against the pole. In no time at all, he dozed off, completely burned out from everything that had occurred within the past week.