Notes

Soundtrack suggestions:

Franklin's awakening and his conversation with the couple about their next destination:
- The House of Beorn — Howard Shore, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Up to 02:24).

Preparing the horses/the ride:
- Flight from Edoras — Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

-o-

Still sore from the eve's ordeals, Franklin woke up with a moan. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that the curtains were letting in some of the sunlight, softly illuminating the room. The bed being comfortable, the IT technician wanted to stay in it and go back to sleep. Curious, he looked at the time on the clock radio. Seeing that it was past one o'clock, his eyes widened in surprise and as if to remind him that he had missed breakfast and probably lunch, his stomach began to gurgle and all desire for sleep disappeared.

He got up, put on his T-shirt and pants and left the bedroom, heading for the kitchen. With any luck, the couple was already up and could tell him where he could find food. Approaching the living room, he heard a male voice speaking in Spanish and guessed that the television had been turned on. When he came out of the hall, he saw neither Owen nor Claire in the living room but Blanca, Elena's mother. She was sitting in an armchair, watching the national news. She noticed his presence.

"Buenos dias," she told him.

"Buenos dias," he answered, giving her a small smile before continuing towards the kitchen.

But as he scanned the kitchen for a dish or a plate of snacks left at their disposal, Blanca called out to him. Not understanding what she was saying to him, he looked at her and saw that she was pointing at the television.

He left the kitchen and approached the screen. Blanca said more words to him then burst out laughing. When footage of the rail, the wrecked vehicles of the Gavilanes and then the interior of Site D appeared, he realized that news of the incident had leaked out overnight.

After introducing the topic, the report spoke of the ecoterrorist attack that took place at the facility and its toll, both material and human. Three people had lost their lives during the latter: Two of the three eco-terrorists and Benito Verde. Franklin was surprised to find that Jocelyn was not counted among the victims despite Claire telling him that she didn't make it. A tweet written in English then appeared on the screen and Spanish subtitles scrolled in the lower part of the latter. While denying involvement in the attack or having any connection to its organizers, the author of the tweet said that InGen was looking for that kind of incident and that it served them right after all the harm it caused. Franklin looked at the author's profile picture and saw that he was a middle-aged man who looked a lot like the actor Vince Vaughn, some Nick Van Owen. While the IT technician could have sworn he had already heard of this name, the report then continued with a speech by Pedro Merced, a speech that seemed full of accusations and in which he pronounced the name of Claire Dearing with a certain disgust and contempt. The report later showed footage of the fallen park director, taken the day before when the convoy was stopped because of the protest. She was shown provoking American journalist Cassandra Landis then the Ark appeared, before giving way to pictures of her and Jocelyn side by side, establishing a connection that Franklin could not quite grasp. He heard the words desaparecida and muerta.

Are they saying that Jocelyn died because of her? Or even that she killed her and they haven't found the body yet?

After talking about Claire, the report talked about her boyfriend and showed not only a photo of Owen but also that of an old man, Laureano Herrera, none other than the farmer who died of a heart attack after being attacked by Blue. Footage of police vehicles parked near the site of the attack and a body wrapped in a body bag were then shown.

Franklin suddenly widened his eyes when a photo of himself appeared, raising a chuckle from Blanca. The photo then shrunk and pictures of Claire and Owen were posted above his along with a comment which included a phone number, that of the police. Thinking it looked like a wanted poster, Franklin wondered if they thought he was the couple's hostage and not just a companion in misfortune.

Laughing, Blanca turned to Franklin and pointed to the hallway, suggesting that he go wake up the couple to tell them about that.

Surprised to say the least by how their situation was evolving, he headed for the guest bedroom at the end of the corridor, which Blanca had cleared for the couple when they arrived. He knocked softly on the door and waited. He got no answer.

"Owen? Claire?" he asked

But he still had no response. Worried, he decided to slowly open the door and step forward a bit into the guest room so he could see the bed. Only Claire was there, and Owen was probably in the bathroom. She was still sleeping, lying on her back, with the blanket pulled down to waist level. He noticed that she wasn't wearing any tops, not even a bra, exposing her scarred chest. Realizing that she was probably wearing nothing else under the blanket, a feeling of embarrassment took over him and he considered leaving the room immediately. Suddenly she began to stir.

"Shit…" he muttered, realizing that she might wake up any second.

Before anyone caught him thinking he was a voyeur, Franklin backed away, about to close the door, but jumped in surprise when his back hit something.

"Oh, were you ogling my chick?!" Owen growled, waking her by the occasion.

The IT technician turned hastily and took a step back, afraid of being beaten.

"No no!" Franklin stammered as the keeper gave him an intimidating look. "I just wanted…"

Owen's face relaxed and he gently put a hand on the IT technician's shoulder.

"I was kidding!" He said.

In the bed, Claire moaned and opened her eyes.

"Don't be a prude, Franklin," she added, sitting up. "Have you never seen a pair of tits in the flesh or what?"

By reflex, the IT technician turned around since she had spoken to him, but she immediately pulled the blanket up, so it could also cover her chest. She gestured for him to turn around.

"Well, turn around please, you're not in De Wallen..."

Once he faced Owen, she sat down on the edge of the bed, bent down to grab her clothes and pulled the blanket away from her body.

"Go on... You had something to say," she told him.

"I was watching the news and… in addition to InGen, we are wanted by the police."

Then dressing, she and her boyfriend froze.

"For which reasons?" She asked in a strained voice.

"It was in Spanish, I didn't understand everything, but they talked about Mrs. Hodgson, the eco-terrorists and the farmer. Mr. Merced sounded like he was accusing you."

Claire nodded slightly. Since Alistair Iger left the country during the night, the press had turned to the regional director, whom Torres had contacted to submit to him a certain version of the facts.

"Accused of what?"

"Me for hiding the farmer's body, if not killing him, and you for playing a part in Jocelyn's death," Owen guessed. "And on top of that, I wouldn't be surprised if they claimed we were in cahoots with the eco-terrorists."

"We're the ideal scapegoats!" His girlfriend exclaimed. "I knew that InGen was going to play that dirty trick! We must leave the country as soon as possible."

"How?" Owen asked her. "Even with our passports, we would be arrested at the airport. And we don't have enough money to pay a smuggler for Nicaragua and every other country up to the United States."

"If we can't fly or go by land, maybe we can take the sea," Franklin said.

Owen looked at him.

"Are you suggesting we steal a boat? Do you know how to sail?"

"Uh no…"

"We neither. We're back to the smuggler issue."

The keeper then had an idea.

"We don't have to go all the way up the coast to the USA. Perhaps we could seek asylum in the Five Deaths."

"But that keeps us in Costa Rica," Claire pointed out.

"Like Nublar, the Five Deaths' nature as a true Costa Rican territory is debatable. Austin was right about that. In any case, we will have better chances there than on the mainland. I'll make a few calls..."

Franklin let the couple finish dressing and waited outside the bedroom. They came out soon after, wearing their clothes from the eve. In her pockets, Claire still had what she had stolen from the assassin and she had also put the gun back in her pants. They went to the living room, put on their shoes and Alonso entered the house at the same time.

"Hey, do you have any news from your father?" Owen inquired when he saw him.

"The police came to Site D. They took your belongings," the teen replied.

"What do we do? Do we wait for Juan?" Claire asked.

"My mother is saddling horses," Alonso said. "Go join her in the stable but don't pass by the front. A man has been spying on us from his car since this morning. Instead, exit by the garden and follow the path. I'll prepare some provisions and join you afterwards."

Following his advice, they headed for the door leading to the garden behind the house.

"Goodbye," Blanca told them cheerfully, amused by the fact of having fugitives under the same roof as her.

Once outside, they headed to the opposite end of the garden.

"He said she was saddling horses?" Franklin asked the couple. "But I don't know how to ride a horse!"

"We do," Owen said, looking at his girlfriend.

Although the two went horseback riding a few times before being hired by InGen, he was mostly referring to a horseback ride they had together near Sámara, on the west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, almost five years earlier. She smiled at him, remembering the little race they had then and the galloping of their horses on the beach. The loser had to pay for dinner at the restaurant that evening.

After crossing the garden, they passed through a gate and followed a shady path which led them to a long building. Hearing stampings and neighs, Franklin realized that the house was part of an equestrian centre, probably run by Elena, and he also remembered seeing a flyer about it at the Cañada de las águilas.

They found a door and entered the stable. They found the center's manager further, carrying a saddle.

She greeted them and as they helped her prepare four horses, she told them what was being said about them on the news and their guesses were confirmed.

"Reassure me, we're not going to ride on horseback up to the coast?" Franklin asked, worried.

Elena laughed.

"No. We're just taking you a few kilometres further south, near Corrales. Another means of transport, prepared by some friends, awaits you there."

Alonso joined them, bringing the bag of provisions, and when they had finished preparing the horses, they led them by the bridle out of the stable. Since he had never ridden, Franklin was told he had to ride in the back of one of his companions and Owen volunteered.

Moving in the opposite direction from the house and the road where the spy was still stationed, they reached the entrance to one of the trails which Elena or her employees usually took with their groups. There, she indicated to them that they could mount and Owen helped Franklin to settle on their horse. Alonso looked at them with undisguised amusement.

"I'm aware that some gay porno starts out like this, but make just a single allusion to Brokeback Mountain and I'll guarantee you're going to be in trouble," Owen jokingly warned him in Spanish. "Careful, your father is not here..."

Alonso laughed.

"If only you can catch me," he replied. "I'm sure I'm a better rider than you."

Elena turned back to them.

"You're ready?" She asked the fugitives and her son.

"Uh, not really…" Franklin replied, not feeling at all comfortable on the back of a horse.

"You have to be. The ride will be relatively short, but sustained," Owen told him.

Then the keeper turned to Juan's son.

"Allons-y, Alonso!" He said, having found the opportunity to use that French expression he learned.

Leading the way, the equestrian centre's manager led them on the trail, where their horses trotted for a while before slowing down when it began to describe zigzags as it climbed a slope.

At the top, the wood thinned out and gave way to a large clearing, nearly three hundred meters wide. Judging that the place was ideal to judge their skills on a galloping horse, she spurred her horse and it rushed at full speed. Owen and Claire did the same with their respective mounts and behind the keeper, Franklin let out a scream of surprise and clung to Owen as tightly as a young monkey to its mother, eliciting a mocking sneer from Alonso while he spurred his horse in turn. Noticing that the IT technician nevertheless managed to hang on and that her husband's colleague and their former boss were quite good riders, Elena was reassured.

Leaving behind the equestrian centre, the Aranjuez Valley, Monte Nebuso and the Pilar del Cielo further north, the group rode southeast, towards the Celeste Gorges. After galloping briefly, they slowed down, so they could safely cross a road before returning under the trees' shade, following the horse trails. They saw no one on that part of the trip, except the occupants of an eco-lodge who waved at them when they passed by, taking the trio for simple tourists on a ride. They crossed another road and as they descended into the pastures of the farms established between the village of Jabonal and the railway, they guessed the latter's presence in the distance, the trees preventing them from seeing the rail except at the level of a few gaps.

"To think we often take groups on this side of the rail," Elena said as they had slowed down enough for her to talk with the other riders. "It's a miracle that those who went there were not attacked. They heard the helicopter and gunshots. They said they felt like they were near a war zone. What happened?"

"InGen's enemies attacked the train," Owen replied.

Passing Jabonal, the group shortly after forded a small river, which had given its name to the village, and turned east, crossing yet another pasture before entering into the wood of Corrales. In the middle of it, Elena stopped the trio and her son went ahead, disappearing for two or three minutes before returning and indicating to his mother with a nod that things were going according to plan. They set off again and after a turn, they came in sight of a motorcycle with a sidecar, parked on the side of the path.

"Here's your next means of transportation," Alonso announced to the trio.

As they trotted closer, Claire recognized the model of motorcycle as it was the same one used by InGen and she then remembered a story she had heard while they were at Site D, about a motorcycle sent for repairs and which never returned.

"Isn't that the motorcycle that went to the garage but never returned, supposedly because it was broken?" She asked as they dismounted. "The one some at the Farm were talking about?"

"I think so," Owen said.

"Well, InGen likes to fuck its employees. They have every right to fuck it back."

Alonso said nothing but the knowing smile he gave them was enough as an answer and when she inspected the bike by the rear of the saddle, where one could found the InGen logo on those seen at the Farm, the fallen park director saw a patch of paint of a slightly different shade than the one which covered the rest of the vehicle. Owen grabbed the keys handed by the young man, put them in the ignition and started the engine, checking that the motorcycle was functioning.

"There are only two helmets however," Alonso informed them, taking those out of the sidecar.

The keeper nodded and turned to his girlfriend, who had just found a pair of sunglasses similar to hers in the sidecar's glove box, where they must have been left inadvertently. She tried them on and seeing that they suited her, she kept them.

"You'll take one, Claire," he said. "You know how much I love your red hairs, but you have to hide them for the moment, honey. And you'll keep your jacket on. The Sun will be blazing on the road."

She nodded and grabbed one of the helmets. Owen patted Franklin on the shoulder.

"Franklin, here's the other one. You'll go in the sidecar."

He handed him the other helmet and a road map.

"You'll give us directions," he added.

"Alright, but to which port do we go if you still want to head for the Five Deaths?" Franklin asked.

Owen checked his cell phone.

"They answered me. There is a smuggler in Quepos who could take us: Marcos Puig. Once there, we will have to look for the Virgen del Carmen II. It's his boat."

"Will he accept to take us however?" Claire asked.

"He had some issues with the Grey Guard," Owen told her. Taking us might be in his interest."

"Might," his girlfriend repeated, annoyed by that word.

"I'll let you set the route, Franklin," the keeper said, trying to ignore Claire's annoyance. "We must avoid Puntarenas. The cops will be waiting for us there."

Owen let the DPG IT technician look at the map and went to talk with Elena.

"Avoid the north for a few days," he advised her.

"Because of the carnotaur?" She guessed. "Juan warned me yesterday as soon as he had the chance."

"It's a good thing he did that. Let's hope InGen doesn't find out. They could fire him. Or worse… Did he tell you any other news about the carnotaur? Did the ACU recaptured him?"

"They haven't heard from them since dawn," Elena replied. "Some have gone looking for them but they fear the worst."

The trio then thanked the Barós for their hospitality and help, and the latter wished them luck before remounting and riding north, bringing the horses back to the equestrian centre.