Chapter 20 - The Great Escape
"True redemption is seized when you accept the future consequences for your past mistakes."
-Eduardo Macedo
oOo
Henry Wu and Dennis Nedry never found out which thunderous bang came first—or if they both happened at the same time. Wu's gunshot when he aimed the revolver in Lewis Dodgson's direction—or the door that was kicked down by the police from the outside. All they knew was that suddenly the room was flooded with police officers wearing black gear, helmets, and aiming their rifles. Was it a SWAT team that raided the building? Clouds of white smoke filled the room. A peppery odor spread throughout. Constant screaming rang out and glass shattered. It sounded like a woman's and a man's screams mingled together. More police stormed in.
Lewis Dodgson lay on his back, writhing on the floor and groaning in pain.
Coughing nonstop, Nedry and Wu bolted up from their chairs and stepped around Dodgson on the floor. The entire time the white smoke caused them to tear up and their mouths were burning with irritation. Being exposed to the tear gas was having a horrible effect on them and they needed to focus on getting away. Far, far away from this hellhole.
They weren't sure if Wu had shot Dodgson, but they weren't going to wait around to find out. It was hard to distinguish who was yelling and screaming, where everyone was in all the smoke and chaos. Wu thought he heard Roland Tembo getting slammed on the table by three police officers, while Raúl Lopez got thrown against the wall. Howard King and George Baselton were being taken down—Wu and Nedry were familiar with King's whimpering and Baselton's low grunts.
"Time for us to get the hell out of here!" Nedry grabbed Wu's arm and together they rushed out of the conference room. Just before they left, Nedry snatched Wu's gym bag from a corner of the room.
"Where are we—" Wu tried to ask as Nedry hurried down the hallway, trying not to trip, and then pushed through the front doors. His gym bag was thrown at him, and he caught it in time.
"Keys!" Nedry pointed at Wu's blue Toyota and then quickly wiped his eyes.
Wu unzipped his bag and grabbed his car keys, while trying to ignore the tightening in his chest. In no time at all, he managed to get the car doors opened after fumbling for a few seconds, since his vision was blurry from the gas. They got in the car and sped around the building. Once they found the winding road, the opening to the world outside, they drove away.
oOo
As the white smoke slowly cleared and seeped out the window, Corey Anderson stepped around the broken glass. His officers had Raúl Lopez and Roland Tembo pinned to the ground and were in the process of handcuffing them. Even from where he stood, he could see Lopez's runny nose and hear Tembo wheezing from the tear gas. Hurrying to the other side of the room, Anderson saw a man in a black business suit laying on the floor. The man kept squirming around as though trying to get comfortable or to alleviate whatever severe pain he was in. He almost seemed immune to the effects of the tear gas because of the immense pain he was experiencing, and his chest heaved up and down. Anderson realized this was Lewis Dodgson. Hearing about him and seeing him in-person were two very different experiences.
"What…the…fuck…how…the…hell…" He muttered incoherently.
A woman with dark hair was kneeling by his side.
"Lew, he did this to you—I can't believe—" She tried to reach for him and then pulled back, afraid she'd further injure him. Her eyes were reddened, and tears coursed down her cheeks. Another side effect from the tear gas. She coughed into her arm and then tried to turn Dodgson over to his side. "Lew, just—"
Anderson motioned to two of his officers to apprehend her. Sonya Durant was seized and pressed against the ground with her arms being forcefully twisted behind her back. He expected her to resist, but given that she was shocked by Dodgson's condition, she barely fought back. At the same moment, Anderson made the call.
"Get an ambulance in here—NOW!" He demanded to the three police officers closest to Dodgson.
Anderson watched as they called for an ambulance and directed the other police officers who now lined up the entire group that had been captured. Sitting in a row against the wall and all cuffed were Lopez, Tembo, King, and Baselton. He recognized each man from the photos he had kept in his office at the precinct. Sonya was brought over and forced to sit on the floor with them. Everyone was heaving and out of breath. Tears spilled from their eyes due to the tear gas. At different times, they tried to swallow, and Anderson noticed them wincing in pain. Eyebrows were raised in shock, and jaws dropped open. They were surprised at the raid that had just happened. No one had seen it coming. Based on Anderson's experience, this was the best-case scenario—but now with Dodgson severely injured on the floor, he wasn't so sure.
Not only that, but where the hell was Wu and Nedry? Anderson spun around, looking for any sign of either man. They had vanished—they had used the commotion to their advantage to escape. There was only one thing he could do right now.
"Search this entire building, from the basement to the top floor. Find Henry Wu and Dennis Nedry—they couldn't have gotten far. We'll get an ambulance for him," Anderson pointed at Dodgson on the floor, who was still muttering and cursing. That was one group's directive. To another group of officers, he gave the order: "Take these guys in. Get them booked as soon as possible."
oOo
Five miles away, Wu sat in his car at a nearby shopping center wiping his eyes and squinting. The tearing up and blurriness had lessened after he flushed his eyes with bottled water. He had insisted that Nedry do the same before leaving the car. Nedry had been resistant before finally agreeing, but Wu wasn't surprised.
He stared at the two bags of McDonalds on the dashboard. He had brought cheeseburgers, fries, and Pepsi for them, he figured Nedry must be hungry. Wu waited for him to return—why were they here anyway? Twisted around in the seat, he glanced all around. He was getting nervous as the minutes ticked by when he heard banging on the driver's window. Nedry pointed at the passenger side with a baseball cap pulled over his face in a halfhearted attempt to hide the bruises, words, and newly formed scars on his face. Wu had found the baseball cap in the trunk when they had first parked at the shopping center and made him wear it. He let him in and Nedry rushed in with the bag of items clutched in his hand.
"What's that you have there?" Wu asked. "I got us food."
Nedry grabbed the McDonalds bag and pulled out French fries. He wolfed them down. "Thanks," he said with his mouth full. For him, the side effects of the tear gas weren't as bad as before.
Wu picked up his bag, unwrapped the cheeseburger and then placed it back down. He couldn't eat. His heart still hammered against his ribcage after everything that had happened this morning. How he and Nedry managed to escape was beyond logic and reason. At first, he thought it was miraculous that they had gotten away with all the police raiding the building, but then he thought it was pure luck. Pure dumb luck. It was only a matter of time before the police found them. And why were they running away? They hadn't done anything wrong. He asked Nedry this.
"I wanted to stay around Los Altos and watch those morons get led out in silver bracelets, but I have a better idea." Nedry held up the bag of items.
"A better idea? What do you mean?" Wu felt confused as he stared at the bag, curious about its contents.
Nedry took each item out of the bag, showcasing it before placing it back in again: a bottle of alcohol, a cloth rag, a box of matches, and a small bottle of kerosene. "Gonna make a Molotov cocktail, toss it in Biosyn's headquarters, and watch it burn to the ground."
"What?! That's—"
"Drive over to Cupertino so I can make it happen." Nedry tapped the steering wheel, urging Wu to start driving.
Wu turned the ignition key and the car's engine rumbled to life. He was about to drive off when he thought better of it. He turned off the car.
"No—this is crazy, Dennis."
Nedry sighed in exasperation. "It's perfectly fine. Just drive, damn it."
"Why are you doing this? We nearly got killed back there and now you're making a Molotov cocktail—to throw at Biosyn's headquarters?"
"Sure, why not?"
"At the Los Altos building or the headquarters in Cupertino?"
"Doesn't matter."
Wu refused to budge and Nedry knew he had to explain himself.
"I'm finishing what I started. You think the reason I turned up in California was for you, Henry?" He shook his head, grinning. "Right after Cambridge, I drove over here with my mind made up."
"To do what?" Wu found he was getting more confused by the minute. They had escaped from the hellish Russian Roulette game and an unexpected police raid—only for Nedry to decide he wanted to make a homemade firebomb. This day can't get any crazier, he thought. It's like working at Jurassic Park.
"To finish off Biosyn, once and for all. That's why we ran into each other at the sports bar. Getting captured by the police and pulled into John's save-Henry Wu-for-InGen plan stalled me, but now I can do what I came to do. Destroy them all—kinda like what Muldoon used to say about those pesky lizards? They should all be destroyed."
Wu stared at him, stunned.
"You're free to go. I'll walk there if I have to."
Nedry was about to open the passenger side door to let himself out of the car when Wu locked it from the inside.
"What the hell?!" Nedry spun around and faced Wu. "Why are you trying to stop me?"
"I'm going with you—I need to do this, too."
Wu could tell by his silence that he had thrown a wrench in his plans. He didn't even know how long Nedry had thought of doing this. It never came up during their talks in Los Altos. And why would he do something so ridiculous after working so hard to get his sentence commuted? That was the question Wu needed to ask because what Nedry wanted to do was nonsensical. It would send him right back to prison. Wu heard his sincerity when he spoke again.
"Henry, when this whole thing is over, go on with your life. Put all this behind you and get the fame you deserve. You earned it and I ruined it for you."
Wu sighed. He had been angry at Nedry for what felt like an eternity and now his rage had evaporated in the past twenty-four hours. He was no longer upset at Nedry for "ruining" his chances for fame.
"I don't care about fame anymore. I have to do this," Wu said slowly, realizing the implications. "It can't just be you."
"Don't mess up your life—go redeem yourself."
Finally, the question he wanted to ask this entire time finally presented itself. "How do I redeem myself?"
"Go back to InGen." Nedry gestured towards the windshield, indicating the outside. "They're waiting for you. John, Ray, Robert…everyone's waiting for you to return."
"How do I face them after everything I've done? I was horrible to them…" Wu stared at the steering wheel, remembering all the times he had bullied them. Although he was excited to see his InGen coworkers, he also dreaded that moment, not knowing what to expect.
"The same way I did. Take a risk and see what comes from it. Own your shitty mistakes, and don't make excuses for your poor choices. Tell them you're sorry and mean it—and back it up with action. 'Sorry' doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't show it."
"What if they don't accept me back?"
Nedry sighed. "That's the risk you took—that we both took when we betrayed everyone from InGen. You're afraid of them holding it against you?"
"I'm worried that they'll shun me. Sounds stupid, I know."
"It's not stupid. There are all sorts of consequences for betraying those who put their trust in us. You did shitty things against everyone from InGen, and you can't expect them to be gung-ho about you coming back."
Nedry waited to see if Wu was digesting this. It was a hard pill to swallow, but it was the truth.
"You have to accept that as fact, Henry, whether you like it or not. It's the same for me too. I risked returning to the island to give the park staff info about Dodgson taking over—especially after all the nonsense I did. I hated Robert for shooting me down at the time, but if the roles were reversed, I would've done the same to him."
Wu forced himself to face whatever lay ahead. "InGen…what do you think they'll do?"
"InGen won't harm or punish you for what you've done, and I doubt anyone will press charges—not if John wants you to return. At the same time, if there's even one person on that island that isn't welcoming you back with open arms, you know why that is."
Wu let those words sink in. He knew Nedry was right. He couldn't control how anyone responded to him—if they would be glad to see him or never want to speak with him again. Now he wondered about the consequences of abandoning Dodgson.
"What about when we backstabbed Dodgson?" Wu asked.
"It's not the same," Nedry said. "We left Dodgson because we were sick of his garbage. What he did back there with that Russian Roulette nonsense was his way of exerting control over us, by showing us that our lives aren't our own. In his warped mind, he was punishing us, but it's more that he goes batshit crazy when you buck against him."
"He hates losing control."
"Exactly."
"It doesn't make sense."
"You still think Dodgson was punishing us for betraying him?"
Wu thought this was obvious. "Of course!"
"No." Nedry shook his head. "Henry, you need to understand something. Getting marked up by Dodgson isn't punishment." He pointed at his scars that were identical to Muldoon's and the words written on his face that showcased his betrayal. Traitor. Rat. Snitch. "Playing a life-or-death game isn't punishment either—although it feels that way."
Wu was frustrated now. What Nedry said made no sense. "Then what is punishment?"
"You'll know it when you see it and feel it."
"Be more specific."
"When people look at you a certain way. You can be telling them the truth, but they'll give you you're-full-of-shit look. It'll be written all over their faces. Complete and utter disbelief. Sometimes accompanied by mocking laughter. I've experienced it before."
"When?" He gave Nedry a sideways glance.
"The night in Hammond's bungalow when I told the park staff about you."
"What else?"
"When no one wants any part of you. When I tried to get a job in Cambridge and my friend threatened to call the police on me—he didn't care that I was trying to right my wrongs. He didn't know my side of the story—not that it matters, but I was hoping he'd see that I was trying to rebuild my life. I was going about it the honest way—the right way—but that didn't matter to him. What mattered was all the crimes I had committed in the past."
"He held it against you."
Nedry looked out the window for a brief time before continuing. "When your amends don't matter because to that person your offenses are too awful to be forgiven. When people remember you at your worst and ignore when you're doing your best to be better. That's the real punishment. I don't want you to go through this, but you might have to, to understand what I'm talking about."
Unsure of what to say, Wu turned on the car and drove out of the parking lot. Without telling Nedry, he agreed to go to Biosyn's previous headquarters in Cupertino. As he drove, he heard Nedry speaking in a quiet tone.
"That's why you must forgive yourself. Others may hold what you did against you, but you can't internalize that. Believe me, it's hard."
"Have you forgiven yourself?"
"Sometimes I think I have, and other times, I realize that I haven't."
Wu looked at Nedry and saw him staring out the window again.
"Our choices have consequences, Henry, and we have no control over what those consequences are." Nedry paused for several seconds and sighed. "I know I sound like I'm lecturing you but hear me out: we can choose what we want, but we can't choose how it all ends up. John made a choice not to compensate me. He threatened my livelihood, so I chose to betray him for cold cash. I chose to steal from InGen and ended up in the criminal justice system. One bad choice altered my life forever. You chose to betray InGen and go over-the-top with your cruelty to them. Now you're worried about how everyone back at the park will see you. If they will accept or reject you. It sucks."
"It sucks a whole lot," Wu said, shaking his head. "All these ripple effects."
"Yes, but what sucks even more is that we betrayed people who trusted us. We did shitty things and didn't care who got hurt or harmed. Their reactions are completely valid. They have every right to want us to disappear forever."
"When you put it that way…"
"We hurt people to get what we want—me, a tax-free income. You, your name in bright lights. We lied right in John's face, knowing full well we were sleeping with the enemy. So, we get what we get."
"We get what we get…" Wu repeated allowing the words and meaning to sink in.
"It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it is what it is. We violated others' trust in us, so we can't expect or think we're entitled to forgiveness and acceptance because we're sorry for what we've done. That's what you want, Henry."
"It's what I'm hoping for."
"Yeah?" Nedry turned to Wu and noticed he was focused on the road. "Get rid of that false hope and wake up to the real world." He snapped his fingers in Wu's face and laughed when Wu flinched. "Rejection, loneliness, shitty self-worth, and self-hatred is par the course. It's the price we pay for prioritizing money and fame over relationships and honesty."
A long silence passed.
Wu finally spoke up. "Is it going to be that way from now on? Does it ever go away?"
"A, expect it to be—and B, there's no way to know but probably not."
When Wu didn't respond, Nedry changed the topic.
"You shouldn't be doing this. You should be out there, getting the recognition you earned. Be famous for doing something good and worthwhile."
Wu stopped at a red light and turned to Nedry. "You're famous too."
"Infamous. Stop mixing it up. You still have a chance—don't ruin your life."
"What about the sentence reduction?"
The light turned green, and Wu drove towards Cupertino. They weren't far from there, less than eight miles away.
"It's a pipe dream. Having my sentence reduced sounds great, but I don't think it'll happen…" Nedry's voice trailed off.
Wu sent him a quick glance and that prompted Nedry to finish his statement.
"I have nothing to lose. My life's been over since the moment I betrayed InGen. I came back to destroy Dodgson and Biosyn—so that they never have a chance to harm InGen again."
"Let the courts take care of them."
"Are you kidding me? That will take forever, and this is more immediate. I'm taking them down with me."
"What if it's real and Hammond wants to help you out? Why throw your life away for "dumbass Lewis Dodgson"?"
"It's not too late for you. That's why you shouldn't do this." Nedry easily avoided his question.
"You're wrong. I need to do this…" Wu couldn't put into words that he felt he'd be atoning for what he did wrong against InGen by helping Nedry destroy Biosyn.
"You really want to?"
Wu started down the route that would lead to Cupertino, and eventually Biosyn's previous headquarters. Finally, he forced himself to speak his truth. "Maybe in helping you to destroy Biosyn, I'll make up for what I did wrong against InGen."
Nedry thought about it and Wu saw him nodding in understanding. "Fine then—make amends. I'll just tell them I forced your hand."
"No, I want them to know that I wanted to do this."
"And if you do that, you can face a hefty prison sentence. Me pretending I twisted your arm into doing this lets you off the hook, so you can move on with your life and be famous—"
"Don't you get it?! I don't care about fame anymore!" Wu made a sharp turn. "None of it matters…it never did."
Nedry considered everything and came up with what he hoped was a good solution for them, a fair compromise. "You can still be gung-ho about it, but no one needs to know except us. Got it?"
"Maybe." Wu smirked as he turned the corner.
"You're impossible," Nedry said as he reclined his car seat and closed his eyes for a quick catnap.
Twenty minutes later, they were situated in the parking lot outside of Biosyn's headquarters. Something seemed off though. The parking lot was empty. The grass seemed taller than usual. No one was seen coming in and out of the front entrance. There was a realtor's sign with the company information and phone number nearby, indicating the building was for sale.
"There's no one here, that's odd." Wu pointed at the large realtor sign. "What happened?"
"Guess they all moved out."
"It's an empty building!" Wu angrily gestured at Biosyn's former headquarters, frustrated that Nedry still wanted to carry out his crazy plan. Maybe the sleep deprivation was impacting his ability to make sound decisions? Then again, Nedry had a history of making poor decisions.
Nedry shrugged, indifferent. "That makes it better. I didn't want to hurt anyone when we do this, but it should send a clear message to Dodgson and anyone from Biosyn who finds out."
"If he's alive," Wu muttered.
"I hope he is." Nedry started to put together the Molotov cocktail as he opened the bottle of alcohol and poured some kerosene inside. He took out the cloth and stuffed part of it into the bottle halfway so that the part remaining outside would be used as a wick. "So that he can remember what you did to him after what he did to us."
"What if he's dead?"
"Then Hell gained another demon." When Wu didn't respond, Nedry looked up and saw Wu staring down, ashamed. "Stop worrying, Henry. What you did was self-defense—I know I egged you on—"
"You didn't…it had crossed my mind while we were playing, but I didn't think an opportunity would present itself."
"Really?" Nedry didn't believe him but chose not to openly question it.
"Yeah…"
Wu knew he was lying—he had been too terrified to imagine shooting Dodgson, but he was also being honest with Nedry: once the chance to do it showed itself—he ran with it. He wasn't sure what he felt about his actions yet—he figured he'd know once Dodgson's outcome was revealed. For now, though…he had to agree with Nedry: it was self-defense. As though reading his mind, Nedry confirmed it:
"You heard him back there—if I had shot myself, he would've made it look like you killed me and then forced you to kill yourself or have Tembo give you the parting shot. Same thing if it was you who lost that stupid 'game'. Lopez would've given me my parting shot. No one would ever know the truth of what really happened to us. I'm not wasting an ounce of my life worrying about Lewis Dodgson when he never cared if he destroyed our careers—and our lives. He flattered us for what we could do for him, but that was it. We were tools for him and nothing more."
Wu was silent as he stared at the building, remembering when the entire group had been kicked out by Bill Steingarten. It seemed like eons ago. Deciding not to focus on the past, he pulled his gym bag from the backseat. Opening it up, he rummaged around and found the lighter Ray Arnold had given him some time ago with the Jurassic Park logo.
"Instead of matches, use this." He handed the lighter to Nedry. "Ray gave it to me months ago when I was still on the island."
"Wow—that's great! You know, the first time I raided the island with Dodgson's group, I asked Ray to borrow his lighter so that I could burn Jurassic Park to the ground. Ironic huh?" Nedry laughed gleefully.
"Wait a minute—this was when you and Robert destroyed my lab?!"
"It was more me than Robert, but yeah!"
Nedry was about to light the Molotov cocktail when Wu stopped him. "I have one more question for you."
"Why are you making me stall? You know I'm the King of Stalling."
"I just thought in getting me out of there that you would get your sentence commuted—reduced. You're gonna throw that all away for some stupid revenge that'll land you in prison."
"You're still stuck on this sentence reduction thing. Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'll accept whatever charges they level at me for this. It's worth it—Dodgson won't have anywhere to return to if he ever gets out, and neither will the rest of those bastards. Anyone from Biosyn will get the picture that they're finished."
"That's foolish."
"It's cutting off the snake at the head. It's so damn brilliant that you practically begged to be part of it, Henry."
Wu couldn't hold back his laughter. "Shut the hell up with that nonsense!" Then he opened his hands and gestured for the Molotov cocktail. "Give it to me—I'll throw it."
Nedry held the Molotov cocktail close to him. "No—you already shot Dodgson. It's time for me to have some fun."
"You've done enough," Wu said. "I'll let you light it."
"Only if you agree to switch places with me and let me drive."
Wu thought about it quickly. "Deal."
Wu and Nedry got out and switched places. Nedry handed Wu the Molotov cocktail and then adjusted the sideview and rearview mirrors in the car, so that they'd be ready to drive off as soon as they had executed their plan. Wu waited patiently outside and stared at the building—the very place where he thought Biosyn's board of directors would sing high praises for him because of his expertise in genetics. That seemed so long ago, and Wu was glad that it was in his past—he wanted it to remain that way. When Nedry was done, he got out of the car. Wu passed him the lighter and Nedry flicked it over the wick. Immediately, reddish-orange flames lit up.
"There you go—have at it." Nedry took a step back and watched as Wu hurled the Molotov cocktail into the building's first floor window.
There was a crash as glass shattered and then a distinct hissing and sizzling noise. Soon, red flames started licking the first floor of the building. Nedry rushed into the driver's side and buckled his seatbelt and Wu did the same on the passenger side. With no time to lose, Nedry hightailed out of the parking lot of Biosyn's former headquarters and headed for the highway.
oOo
Anderson arrived at the police precinct and saw that Robert Muldoon, John Hammond, and Ian Malcolm were already waiting for him in the lobby. He knew he had to update them on everything—just as he had promised Muldoon yesterday. He thought of bringing them back to his office but decided against it. Instead, he ushered them into an interrogation room so that they could speak privately. He stood against the door to ensure no one else from the precinct could get inside and broke the news:
"We got them."
"Them?" Malcolm asked, seeking clarification.
"All of Dodgson's group are being transported here. They're in police custody."
"Ah, that's excellent news," Malcolm said. "Best news we've heard in a long time."
Anderson nodded in agreement. "Dodgson is on his way to the hospital. They're rushing him to the ER as we speak."
"What happened to him?" Hammond asked.
Anderson maintained a serious demeanor. "He's been shot, and we don't know how serious it is yet."
Hammond blinked. He didn't know how to respond to that news. "He was shot?!"
Anderson was about to respond to Hammond's question when Muldoon jumped in.
"What about Henry and Dennis? Where are they?!" Muldoon made sure to keep the panic out of his voice. He had faced far worse situations in Jurassic Park—such as the raptors escaping their pen thanks to Nedry shutting off the security systems. Now though—not knowing if Wu and Nedry were safe was starting to eat away at him.
Anderson turned to face Muldoon. "We don't know where they are—they escaped during the raid. We don't think they've gotten too far."
"How in the bloody hell—" Muldoon stepped back, shaking his head. He didn't finish what he was going to say, but instead reached for his flask and took a quick sip. "You have to find them."
"We're doing everything we can, I have my team combing the area."
Just then Anderson's walkie-talkie crackled. He grabbed it and listened to one of his police officers relay new information. The names and phrases "Cupertino", "fire", and "blue Toyota" were heard by Malcolm, Muldoon, and Hammond—all three who realized what must've happened. When Anderson was done, he turned to them.
"Biosyn's old headquarters were in Cupertino," Muldoon said. "There's been a fire there. We heard about it on the way here."
Anderson met his questioning gaze. "They're not sure who started the fire or how it happened. The Cupertino Fire Department is there right now putting it out, but what's interesting is that blue Toyota…" He was quiet for a moment and then it clicked for him. "That blue Toyota was at the building at Los Altos—where Dodgson's group was—where we sent Dennis to extract Henry—"
"It has to be them," Malcolm insisted. "What are the odds?"
"Let's go," Anderson said, opening the door and leading the way through the maze-like office.
He rushed out of the precinct and indicated for Muldoon, Malcolm, and Hammond to come with him. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this. If that blue Toyota is Henry's or Dodgson's car, then Henry and Dennis might've taken off in it."
He turned on his police cruiser and opened the doors so that they could all get inside. As he pulled away from the parking lot, Anderson had a gut feeling that all would be revealed before the day was over.
oOo
"Damn it!" Nedry glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the police cruiser tailing them. "Where'd they come from? Did you see them?"
"No, what is it?" Wu looked over his shoulder just as the police siren went off and the red and blue lights flashed. "What the hell?"
Nedry pulled over across the street from Biosyn's previous office building in Cupertino and turned off the car. They had been circling around the block for the past five minutes after Wu had thrown the Molotov cocktail at Biosyn's original headquarters just to keep an eye on the damage. Someone had already called the fire department; they heard the engine's screeching sirens getting closer. Moments later, the fire truck sped past them and drove into the parking lot of Biosyn's former building space. The firefighters would address the fire…but now the police were right behind them. The police would address who started the fire…
Wu noticed Nedry rub his hands nervously which also increased his own anxiety. It was strange to Wu being that he had seen Nedry acting cool and collected before, especially given that the Molotov cocktail was his idea—but now he was seeing the complete opposite. One of them had to stay calm—Wu figured it would be him. He was about to say something when Nedry asked the most unexpected question.
"Got any gum?"
Wu's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Gum?"
"Yes, Henry. Gum. You know, the stuff you put in your mouth, you crack it, snap it, blow bubbles—"
"I know what it is!" Wu searched the glove compartment. "I thought you liked candy bars."
"Gum will do." Nedry checked the rearview mirror again. "Hurry up, there's two officers getting out of that car."
Wu's hand closed around Big-League Chew. "Your lucky day, Dennis."
Nedry snatched it from him, ripped it open, and shoved the gum in his mouth.
"What's this about?"
Nedry held up his pointer finger as he chewed loudly. Before long he was snapping and cracking it. Wu thought it sounded obnoxious and he remembered the time Nedry came into his lab chewing and snapping gum.
"Calm."
"A stress reliever?"
Nedry nodded. Wu exhaled slowly, trying to maintain a calm composure. He opened the glove department again and fished around, knowing that he had stashed the additional fake IDs that Dodgson had given him a while ago. He tossed one to Nedry without giving it a second glance.
"Use this as your driver's license."
"Sure thing."
Nedry looked up just as the first police office reached his window. Next to him, Wu rolled down his window as the second police officer approached the passenger side.
"Know why we pulled you over?" The officer on the driver's side was a muscular man with beard and sharp dark eyes. Intricate tattoos decorated his neck.
Nedry shrugged while still cracking his gum. Wu watched the officer on his side—a woman with her brown pulled back into a low bun. Although she hadn't yet spoken, Wu sensed a formidable air about her. He looked closely at her uniform and read the ID badge: N. Cruz.
"Driver's license." It wasn't a request, but a demand from the officer on Nedry's side.
Wu leaned over to the driver's side and quickly read the ID badge from the other officer: O. Morales. He drew in his breath sharply and Nedry turned to him with raised eyebrows. His expression read: what gives?
"Give me a sec," Wu muttered as he reached into his pocket and produced his fake ID. "This is my car, so here's my ID." He passed it to Nedry, who gave it to Morales. "I have my registration card somewhere…"
"Why are you driving his car?" Cruz asked Nedry.
"Because—" Nedry started, but Wu finished for him.
"I was tired and told him to drive."
Nedry agreed. "Here's mine." He handed over the fake ID Wu had given him.
Morales nodded and gestured for Cruz to return to their police cruiser to look up both licenses. Wu watched through the rearview mirror as they entered their cruiser. Once they closed their doors, he turned to Nedry.
"We gotta get out of here—and fast!"
"Why?" Nedry chewed louder on his gum and cracked it.
"Stop doing that and listen! Those cops aren't real cops. Put the car in drive—we gotta hightail it out of here before they come back."
Nedry glanced in the rearview mirror again. "Damn…"
"What is it?!" Wu tried to keep the panic out of his voice.
"I know those guys…they were at Carlos and Charlie's that night. I thought they were undercover cops sent by Anderson."
The two officers were already approaching the car again.
"We gotta leave now!" Wu urged him, but Nedry simply got comfortable in the driver's seat.
"Too late."
Wu made sure he was buckled in safely and then watched as Nedry turned on the car again and his right hand closed around the gear stick. Wu realized Nedry must've been more nervous than he first thought because now he was blowing bubbles and popping them. He was about to say something to him about it when "N. Cruz" showed up on his side and "O. Morales" resumed his position outside on the driver's side.
Morales held up the two driver's licenses and pointed at Wu. "Yours checked out: Bradley Wong. Age 36, Male, ID# 10-24-1960, Cupertino California." He stepped over and passed the driver's license to Cruz, who gave it back to Wu. Then he held up the driver's license that Nedry had provided—from Wu. "Yours didn't check out."
Nedry blinked, surprised, but kept chewing and cracking his gum. He started blowing a bubble as Morales leaned over, glaring angrily.
"Laura Sorkin. Age 95, Female, ID# 06-11-1993, Kauai, Hawaii."
Nedry's bubble burst on his face. Wu grabbed a napkin from his pocket and shoved it in Nedry's open hand.
"I'm gonna have to ask you to step outside of the car," Morales demanded.
Nedry's wiped the gum off his face with the napkin and tossed it out the window at Morales" feet. "That's nice—gotta go!"
In no time at all, Nedry put the gear in drive, and slammed on the gas pedal. The tires squealed as they sped down the road, leaving the two impersonating police officers and their cruiser in the dust. Wu looked in the side mirror as Nima Cruz's and Oscar Morales' images shrunk from view. He sighed in relief, but knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up.
"I can't believe those jerks," Nedry muttered. "Pretending to be cops."
"That's Lewis Dodgson for you, he has people all over the world on his payroll."
"How did you know they're Dodgson's pals?"
"He mentioned them by name once."
"Go figure—and who made up that lousy fake ID? They must've been getting high that day." Nedry shook his head, disgusted. "Laura Sorkin?! Ninety-five years old? Do I look like a ninety-five-year-old Laura Sorkin to you, Henry?"
Wu didn't answer as he watched the palm trees and buildings flash by. Nedry was driving way beyond the speed limit—probably twenty miles or even thirty miles over. Wu was about to tell him to slow down so they wouldn't attract attention to themselves. It was too late as Cruz's and Morales' police cruiser came bounding after them—followed by three more police cars in hot pursuit, sirens wailing and lights flashing.
"Oh man," Wu sounded worried now. "Those are real cops! You're speeding and now the fake ones and the real ones are after us—pull over, Dennis!"
"Nope." Nedry made a sharp turn around a corner. "We gotta get to where we're going."
Wu grabbed the roof handle to steady himself. Even though he was buckled in, he could feel his body almost get thrown off with the high speed Nedry was driving at. Two more police cars joined the chase. He watched with wide eyes as the speedometer's dial moved from sixty to seventy miles per hour.
"Where's that? Where are we going?"
"Palo Alto." Nedry glanced at the rearview mirror. "There are at least six cop cars following us—including those fakers. What if they're all fakers?"
"Doubt it."
"There's no way for us to know—actually there is."
"How?" Wu was baffled now. "What in the world are you thinking of?"
Nedry flashed a mischievous grin. "You'll see." He slammed on the gas pedal, accelerating Wu's car.
oOo
Anderson hunched over the wheel as he raced towards Palo Alto. Beside him in the passenger seat, Malcolm looked to his side when he heard Anderson's walkie-talking crackling. Muldoon and Hammond sat in the backseat of the police cruiser. There was slight hissing, more crackling, and then a faceless male voice spoke:
"We're pursuing a blue Toyota. The same vehicle was spotted in Cupertino near the recent fire. Now it's headed northbound on US-101."
"Got it," Anderson responded. "Looks like we're going in the right direction. We'll probably get there before they do.
"But how do you know they're heading towards my company's headquarters?" Hammond asked from the backseat. He sounded unconvinced.
"It's a hunch, John," Muldoon said.
"Correct," Anderson said. "We have to take this route because of what's going on."
"Where else would they go?" Malcolm looked over his shoulder at Hammond who squeezed his hat in his hands, nervous and anxious.
Hammond shrugged. "I have no idea. I just want them to be safe."
"They will be," Anderson said, looking at him through the rearview mirror. "Hang tight, we're almost there." He pressed on the gas and steered the wheel as he headed up north.
oOo
In the staff lodge at Isla Nublar, Ray Arnold, Gerry Harding, along with Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, sat on the sofa, crowded together in the recreation room with their eyes glued to the television. They had found the international news channel, which now showed recent happenings in California. On the screen was a police chase unfolding. A four-door blue Toyota was racing down the US-101N route followed by six police cars.
"This is gonna sound crazy," Harding started. "But what if it's Henry and Dennis in the car?"
"That's impossible," Ellie said. "Didn't Robert contact the control room to tell us the police planned to raid Dodgson's compound? I thought that was the message he gave George."
Arnold nodded as he lit a cigarette. "Robert spoke with Lawala last night, but today when the police cleared out the building and arrested Dodgson's gang, Dennis and Henry were nowhere to be found." He puffed on his cigarette as he stared at the police chase. "Biosyn's old headquarters in Cupertino was set on fire. That same Toyota is now heading towards Palo Alto…or so it appears."
Grant's eyes widened when the realization hit him. "They're going to InGen's corporate headquarters?!"
"In theory," Arnold said, his tone glum. He didn't know what to make of what he was watching.
"Why would they do that?"
Grant received silence as an answer. When he turned to Harding, Harding shrugged. He was in the dark as much as Grant and everyone else. Everyone watched the scene, amazed and uncertain. The blue Toyota kept ahead of the police cars. Whoever was driving weaved seamlessly around the other cars. The police cars stayed close behind, and one nearly overtook them, but then the blue Toyota picked up speed and changed lanes again—narrowly avoiding hitting another car.
"This is crazy—especially if it's them in the car," Grant said.
"My thoughts exactly, Alan," Arnold replied.
"It is them," Harding said again.
"But why did they leave when the police arrived?" Ellie asked. "That doesn't make sense."
Just then, George Lawala rushed into the recreation room. Everyone looked up simultaneously, their attention torn away from the television for the moment.
"Robert just called again—he said he, John, Dr. Malcolm, and the main cop in charge of the case—Anderson, I think was his name—they're driving to InGen's main office right now."
"That confirms that they're going there, but we still don't know why," Grant said, glancing at Ellie. She raised her hands in response as though saying, I have no idea, Alan.
"No one knows what's going on. They can't find Henry and Dennis," Lawala said as he took a seat on the opposite couch to watch the television.
"They're in the car," Harding said. "I'm sure of it."
"But why would they be out there?" Arnold asked.
As though in answer to his question, Tim and Lex Murphy, along with Donald Gennaro, joined them in the recreation room.
"Me and Lex were watching the news, and we went to go ask Mr. Gennaro," Tim started and then became quiet when he realized that everyone was watching the same thing—the police chase.
"We came here and found all of you," Gennaro said.
"OH MY GOD!" Lex shouted, pointing at the television just in time to see one police car speed up ahead of the others and ram the blue Toyota from behind, causing it to fishtail and hit the concrete barrier as the driver swerved to avoid a minivan in the center lane. The car stayed in motion, but it was obvious the driver was trying to maintain control after being deliberately rear-ended.
Tim rushed over to the television and pointed at the blue Toyota. "They were ahead of the cops, but now they're busted!"
Lex yanked Tim away from the television since he was blocking it. "That's not funny, Timmy."
"Take it easy, Lex", Gennaro said, as he positioned himself between them. "This is upsetting for everyone."
"What the hell?!" Harding was focused on the screen and didn't notice Tim and Lex for the moment.
"I hope they're safe," Ellie whispered.
She noticed that Arnold had frozen in shock, his half-lit cigarette clutched between his fingers. Lawala was shaking his head in disbelief. Tim was completely entranced and Lawala looked like he was about to comment, but then decided against it. Grant and Gennaro were speechless. Harding leaned forward, completely enthralled by everything unfolding. Everyone was glued to the television. The blue Toyota stayed in place for a split-second before the driver reversed, straightened out the car, and started driving again, picking up speed. It was just in time as the police cruisers were almost upon them. Before long, the chase had resumed. The blue Toyota accelerated and changed over to the right lane. The police cruiser that had rear-ended them was now in the back of the other police cruisers.
"This is insane," Gennaro muttered, shaking his head.
oOo
"Are you okay?" Nedry glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the police cruisers steadily chasing them down.
Despite his heart bouncing in his chest, he forced himself to remain focused. They weren't too far from Palo Alto now—but they needed to avoid being hit again. The tires screeched loudly as he swerved into the next lane. Someone blasted their horn when Nedry cut them off. Next to him, Wu had one arm outstretched with his hand grabbing the dashboard. His other hand rubbed the back of his neck from the whiplash. Nedry kept his eyes on the road as he pressed on the gas pedal. Wu's chest expanded, rising and falling as he took deep breaths to calm himself.
"I'm fine…just shocked." He lifted his head and looked all around him at the flying scenery. "That was a close one."
"It was probably Dodgson's whores, Cruz and Morales. How in the hell did they follow us? How was Dodgson able to tell them to tail us?"
"Who knows, maybe he has a panic button." Wu's tone was stilted.
"We're almost there—just gotta keep going."
Nedry pressed on the gas again and Wu sat back against the car seat and grabbed the door handle, trying to brace himself for the next impact—in case it happened again.
oOo
"Tell you what," Grant said, standing up from the couch. "Ellie and I will go to the control room; in case John, Ian, or Robert try to reach out."
Ellie nodded as she headed for the door. "You guys stay here, and we'll let you know if we hear anything."
"I'll join you," Arnold said, putting out his cigarette on his ashtray.
Together, they left the recreation room and headed to the front of the staff lodge so that they could go straight to the visitor center. Rushing up the stairs, they hurried through the visitor's center entrance and in no time at all, they were right outside of the control room. Arnold put in his PIN number and fingerprint. They arrived just in time as they heard a phone ringing. Arnold saw that it was his workstation phone ringing and rushed ahead of Grant and Ellie to grab the receiver.
"InGen—Arnold speaking." He was breathless as he plopped down in his swiveling chair.
Ellie and Grant followed in right after him and grabbed two swiveling chairs to sit near Arnold. They exchanged a knowing glance as they listened to Arnold's conversation.
"You're there at Palo Alto right now? When did you get there?"
There was a pause and Grant and Ellie heard Malcolm explaining that they had just arrived ten minutes ago. Arnold pressed a button on his telephone, putting it on the speakerphone, so that they could hear their conversation.
"We took another route to avoid the police chase that's in progress—but Detective Anderson thinks they're coming here," Malcolm's voice sounded calm, despite all the chaotic craziness happening around him.
"Really? Why?"
"They're on a direct route from Cupertino where they were spotted last—the police think they threw a Molotov cocktail at Biosyn's former office building—hold on—"
Another pause and then they heard Muldoon shouting in the background. "They're here—they're right in the bloody parking lot!"
"What's going on?"
"Chaos as always. I gotta go, Ray. Give my regards to everyone." The phone clicked.
Arnold turned in his swiveling chair to Grant and Ellie, who were astounded by what they had just heard.
"Ian thinks it's Henry and Dennis?" Grant asked.
"He didn't say, but Robert said they're in the parking lot."
"What's that about a Molotov cocktail?" Ellie asked, confused.
"I have no idea," Arnold said, shaking his head now. That part stumped him. "Gerry's right, it has to be them." He started to reach for his lighter and then stopped. If it really was Wu and Nedry, then this was a great thing—not a bad thing. Then he forced himself to say aloud what he didn't want to. "I just hope they can surrender themselves without getting arrested. From what Robert shared with me yesterday, it sounds like they've both been through hell in the last week."
"It's almost over," Grant said.
"Let's hope for the best…" Ellie started.
"And expect the best—not the worst," Grant finished for her. He knew Arnold's anxiety was skyrocketing and he needed to keep him calm for what lay ahead. If they were all calm, then they could present a unified front to everyone still waiting in the recreation room. "It's gonna end well—it has to," he said, doing his best to reassure Arnold—and himself and Ellie.
Arnold nodded as he stared at the phone. "Henry once told me "what goes down must come up". I hope this whole ordeal will be over soon."
"It will be," Ellie said. She stood up and gave Arnold a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. "We'll see this through to the end just as we did when Biosyn was occupying the island."
oOo
"Home sweet home," Nedry said as he made a sharp turn onto the long driveway leading to InGen's Corporate headquarters.
Before long, they were in the middle of a large empty parking lot. Nedry gradually slowed the car down before coming to a full stop. Keeping his foot on the brake, he put the gear in park mode.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Wu was wide-eyed when he realized where they were.
"Waiting for the end to come." Nedry let out a dry laugh and pointed at another police cruiser parked at the far end of the lot. "Look, we have company!"
oOo
"Is this how it ends?" Harding asked aloud.
Gennaro glanced at him, wanting to answer the question, but unsure of what to say. He sat on the couch by Harding, still watching the television. Tim and Lex were close to the screen, partially obscuring his view. He didn't mind them watching, but he also didn't want the situation to turn violent. The blue Toyota was situated at InGen's headquarters in the parking lot. Police cruisers raced onto the scene and enclosed the vehicle now in a giant ring. The faceless news reporter narrated the current happenings.
"This just in: Detective Corey Anderson and his group arrived at InGen's headquarters just moments before the driver of the blue Toyota came on the premises. The driver and his passenger have yet to exit the vehicle, but as you can see the police are armed and ready for the worst-case scenario…"
Lawala watched the television as the camera focused on the police officers standing by their cruisers, guns out and aimed at the Toyota. He sighed, hoping the situation would end on a good note—no one injured or killed and everyone safe. Just then, Ellie rushed into the recreation room with a chattering walkie-talkie. Lawala thought he heard Grant and Arnold talking.
"Ray wants you guys to have this, so we can stay in touch as this whole thing unfolds." Ellie handed the walk-in-talkie to Harding, who almost dropped it. "Stay on just in case." She left as quickly as she had come in.
oOo
"What goes down must come up." Wu twisted around in his seat as he watched the police exit their cruisers and position themselves.
Every officer aimed their guns in their direction.
There was no escape. Nedry had left the car running and now turned the ignition key. The car's rumbling silenced. Although Wu appeared slightly nervous, he took his cue from Nedry, who was calm as he shifted in the driver's seat to assess the entire situation. They had managed to drive to Palo Alto in less than a half hour—with police chasing them down the entire way. Now the police cruisers surrounded them and driving off was impossible. Nedry was fine with this situation—he had no intention of driving off now that they had reached their destination.
"That's a nice quote. Isn't it the other way around? What goes up must come down?" He asked Wu.
"Yeah, but I changed it around to be more optimistic."
"Optimistic…yeah, we need to stay positive, especially given all this." Nedry gestured at the police lights flashing that bathed their car in alternating blue and red shades.
Wu sighed. "What are we gonna do?"
Nedry thought for a moment. "We can negotiate."
"How?"
"Got your notebook?"
Wu grabbed his gym bag from the backseat. He unzipped it and pulled out his notebook and two pens. Nedry took the notebook and pen. He wrote in all capital letters: NEGOTIATION and underlined it. Pressing the notebook against the windshield, he waited to see what would happen. One police officer pointed in their direction. He had seen what Nedry had written.
"I think he got the message," Wu said.
"Not yet, they haven't." Nedry flipped the page and wrote another message in all capital letters. WITH DETECTIVE ANDERSON. He put the notebook against the windshield again.
There was a slight movement as three police officers pointed at the Toyota and then at the InGen Corporate headquarters. Several of the officers huddled together, as though deciding their next move. Then a group of three went inside the front entrance.
"What do you think they're doing?" Wu asked as he unclicked the safety belt.
Everywhere he looked, there were police cruisers with their blue and red lights flashing. Nedry had stopped right in the middle of the parking lot. As soon as he did, the police positioned their cruisers in a large circle around them, making it impossible to escape. Wu felt his heart sink to his stomach when the police officers exited the building with a stocky dark-skinned man with curly hair. The man carried a megaphone, walked through the police cars, and stopped two hundred feet in front of the Toyota. Some of the police officers guided him away so that he was standing behind one of the cruisers—for his protection.
"That's him," Nedry said, turning to Wu. "That's Detective Anderson." He turned on the car again and pressed the button to lower the windows on his and Wu's side.
Anderson stayed behind the police cruiser directly across from Wu's blue Toyota and raised the megaphone. "This is Detective Corey Anderson. I need you both to come out of the car with your hands up."
Inside the car, Nedry and Wu exchanged a quick glance. "What do you think?" Wu asked. "Should w—"
Nedry didn't wait for him to finish his question as he stuck his head out the driver's side window. "That's gonna be a big fat NO."
Anderson didn't want it to come down to this—it wasn't supposed to. He was supposed to issue the arrest warrants for Dodgson and his gang, and then have the police get Nedry and Wu out of the Los Altos building and bring them to safety—but they had jumped ahead of everyone and ran off. Anderson didn't bother to bring up the Molotov cocktail—he couldn't dwell on that. Right now, his main goal was to convince Wu and Nedry to surrender—safely and peacefully.
"Why do we have to come out with our hands up?" Nedry shot back.
Anderson forced himself to remain patient—especially with Nedry's question. Between him and Wu, he should know why they had to exit the car with their hands up.
"We have reason to believe one of you is armed, and we don't want anyone to get hurt. That was never part of the plan. Are you holding Henry hostage?"
"I'll let Henry speak for himself," Nedry said, turning to Wu and gesturing toward Anderson. "Tell him."
In the car, Wu looked at Nedry, his eyes lit with fear. "Is this gonna end bad for us?"
"Not on my watch." Nedry was serious. "Just tell him you're not my hostage."
Wu nodded and then made sure to project his voice. "I'm not his or anyone's hostage. We left on our own—we escaped."
Anderson nodded. He knew Nedry hadn't taken Wu prisoner, but he needed Wu to state that fact aloud. He then glanced at the police officers around him who were scattered around the cruisers, positioned and ready—and he realized they all had their guns drawn. He was about to say something about it when he heard Nedry.
"Tell your guys to stand down. We don't have any weapons."
Anderson faced Nedry and held up the megaphone to speak into it. "We have reason to believe that you or Henry have a weapon."
"Why?" Nedry and Wu asked at the same time.
"Lewis Dodgson was shot."
There was a long period of silence. Finally, Wu broke it.
"Is he alive?"
"He was rushed to the nearest hospital in an ambulance. We don't have any updates at this time."
Wu's breath caught in his throat. Next to him, he saw Nedry rub his forehead—a gesture completely unlike him. Wu realized that was the second time today since their escape that Nedry appeared nervous. He didn't understand why Nedry fluctuated between confidence and fear—and he couldn't waste time thinking about it. With a shaky grip, Wu reached for his gym bag and pulled out the revolver. Before Nedry could say anything, he dropped it out of the open window and then spoke up while sticking his head out of the passenger side window.
"It's empty—there's no ammo."
Anderson nodded as he stared at the revolver. He motioned for one of his officers to bag it as evidence, which they did. Then he refocused his attention on Nedry and Wu. Even from where he stood, he could tell Dodgson had traumatized both men. Anderson didn't know the extent yet, but their disheveled appearance spoke volumes. Both men had purplish bruises and dried blood smeared on their faces. There were words written on Nedry's face in black marker alongside healing scars. Nedry looked like he'd fall over any moment and Anderson wondered how he had managed to pull off a high-speed police chase. Wu's eyes kept darting around to all the police cruisers trapping him and Nedry in the Toyota. It was obvious he never thought he'd be caught in this predicament. Part of Anderson wanted to call the negotiations team to handle this, but since Nedry had asked specifically for him he decided to see this through. Right now, he would change his approach and see if it was more effective.
"I need you both to cooperate so that no one gets hurt."
"We need your guys to stand down," Nedry repeated. "No guns."
Anderson turned to the police officers, who were ready and waiting in case the situation turned violent.
"Do it—put them down—"
As he turned back to the blue Toyota, he could feel the anger burning at his back from several of the police officers—but he ignored it and pressed on.
"Two of your cops are fake—Nima Cruz and Oscar Morales," Wu said.
"That's why we had you come out, Anderson," Nedry added. "You're legit and those two fakers aren't. They were at Carlos and Charlie's the night I went to meet Dodgson."
Nedry waited for that tidbit to sink in. He could tell by Anderson's wide-eyed expression that he was processing this new fact: Dodgson had infiltrated the police department with impersonating officers.
"We're not coming out until they're arrested on the spot," Nedry said.
Taking a step back, Anderson forced himself to maintain his composure. He looked up at the building and saw Muldoon, Malcolm, and Hammond watching from the second floor. Muldoon was gesturing at himself and then pointing below as though asking if he should go down there and help. Anderson shook his head vehemently. Maybe he would have Muldoon come down in a little while—but not now. A familiar face might help Nedry and Wu to feel safer, but Anderson wasn't ready to risk it. Not yet.
"I can't take your orders to arrest another police officer, Dennis. That's not how negotiations work."
"Then we're not leaving. We'll stay in the car all day and all night if we have to."
Anderson put down the megaphone and turned to the police again.
"They work for Lewis Dodgson and will shoot us on sight if we come out!"
Anderson whipped around when he heard Wu shouting. He sounded shaky and terrified—Anderson decided to take him at his word. He gestured to two police officers to come forward and quickly whispered his directions.
"I need you to go to each police officer—and whoever has those names—Nima Cruz and Oscar Morales—have them leave the premises for now."
Just as the two police officers nodded in agreement, ready to follow the orders, two cops towards the back jumped in their cruiser, backed out, and sped off. Anderson shook his head in disbelief. This was the craziest standoff he'd ever experienced. Thankfully, he didn't have to give the order for the two police officers had called over to track down the two who had just left of their own accord. The very action gave them away. Anderson watched as they now left to track down Cruz and Morales. This was better now because it was only four police cruisers and four less police officers. He decided to try again.
"You can come out now, you're safe. Everyone is standing down. You threw down your revolver."
"We aren't safe," Nedry said, waving his hand out the window. "You don't know the meaning of the word!"
"We'll leave the car when we see Robert, John, and Dr. Malcolm come through those doors," Wu added, pointing at the entrance to InGen's corporate headquarters.
Anderson thought quickly—should he risk having them come down now? As he was thinking about it, he heard both Wu and Nedry, their voices overlapping together and confirming everything that had occurred prior to the police breaking into the Los Altos building.
"He forced us to play Russian Roulette—"
"And whoever survived was gonna be killed anyway. Set it up to look like one killed the other and then that person committed suicide."
"They were betting on our lives—of who would shoot themselves first—so don't talk to us about safe."
It dawned on Anderson how frightened they were—and that he'd have to negotiate with them in a different manner to convince them to safely leave the vehicle.
"You both had a horrible day," Anderson said, nodding in understanding. His empathy was sincere. "It doesn't have to end that way." When they didn't respond, he went a step further. "What do you both want? Let's make it work."
From where he stood, he saw Wu and Nedry talking, sorting out what they both wanted. Then they faced him, decisive.
Nedry ticked off his fingers. "No arresting us. No cuffs. No Miranda rights. No tasers. No guns."
"John, Dr. Malcolm, and Robert walking through those doors," Wu finished their requests, pointing at the building.
Anderson came up with a solution right then. He knew he couldn't let them walk away free and he'd have to explain this. "You won't get arrested—neither of you will. You'll be detained. Now listen to me—hear me out. They gotta cuff you to ensure their safety as well as yours."
Anderson saw Nedry exchange a sly grin with Wu who shook his head.
"That's not acceptable," Nedry said. "You're not putting me and Henry through that."
"Especially after all the nonsense we went through today," Wu emphasized.
Anderson waited several moments before he responded. "You both led the police on a high-speed car chase…" He spoke slowly. "I understand that you both were under duress," he quickly amended his words to the present tense, "are under duress—especially because Dodgson forced you to play that sick game and then threatened to turn it into a murder-suicide. I'm not discounting that, nor am I minimizing the hell he put you both through." He waited again before continuing. "I just need you to follow protocol."
He waited to see if Nedry and Wu were following him. Both men sat rigid in the car and staring straight at him. Anderson took it as his cue to continue. The entire time, he maintained a calm tone.
"I need you both to exit the car with your hands up. Once you get out, put your hands on the car. Let my officers do what they gotta do. That includes frisking and cuffing you both—just so we're clear."
He waited again and even from where he stood, he could see Wu's eyes widen with alarm. Nedry shrugged as though he couldn't care less.
"No fighting and no resisting. Full cooperation. If you do that, I'll make sure that all the circumstances that happened today are taken into full consideration."
"Meaning…?" Nedry asked slowly.
"Meaning you will not be formally arrested."
"We'll be detained?" Wu asked again to be sure. "Will we be released?"
Anderson nodded. "Yes, but right now—in the here and now—I need your full cooperation. Can you do that?"
"What about the charges?" Nedry shot the question at Anderson.
"I need you both to do your part and get out of the car. After that, I'll figure it out."
Wu and Nedry looked at each other again, uncertain if they should surrender.
"Do you trust him?" Wu whispered. "What if he's just saying all that and we get charged anyway?"
Nedry was stumped as he sat back against the car seat. "I believe him, but we won't know until we're out there. Then again, he's not Contreras. Anderson is a good cop."
As they discussed what they should do, and if they should trust Anderson, Anderson motioned for two police officers to come forward. He placed down his megaphone and whispered instructions to them quickly. Both officers went inside InGen's corporate headquarters. Minutes passed by. Anderson faced the blue Toyota again. Nedry and Wu stared back at him, not moving. He was about to speak again when he heard several people walking towards him. He turned in time to see the two police officers return with Muldoon, Hammond, and Malcolm. When he glanced at the Toyota again, he saw Wu's face light up and relief wash over Nedry.
"Thank you," Anderson expressed his appreciation to the two police officers. He turned to Malcolm, Hammond, and Muldoon, who started towards the Toyota, but were stopped by the two cops who brought them out.
"We need you three to stand back," one female officer said, gesturing behind Anderson. "For your safety."
Muldoon, Hammond, and Malcolm did as they were told. The entire time they kept their focus on Wu and Nedry in the blue Toyota.
Anderson picked up his megaphone again—and for what he hoped would be the last time today. "They're here now and they're waiting for you. Dr. Malcolm, Mr. Hammond, and Robert Muldoon." He gestured behind him to the three men. "Now it's your turn."
In the car, Wu couldn't stop staring. John Hammond stared back at him and nodded, willing him to exit the vehicle. Wu wanted to speak, but no words came to him. Seeing Hammond after all this time—there were no words to adequately explain what he felt. He felt relieved that Hammond didn't appear angry with him. Neither did Malcolm or Muldoon for that matter. They looked glad that it was over—and that Wu and Nedry were alive.
Nedry observed Wu's reaction upon seeing Hammond, Malcolm, and Muldoon again. Although he wouldn't say it aloud, Nedry was glad to see them again too—and reassured because it was Hammond and not Dodgson. It was Malcolm and not Lopez. It was Muldoon and not Tembo. He remembered what Muldoon had told him before he left: You have friends looking out for you. Looking in Muldoon's direction, Nedry saw him gesture at his own scars and his mouth was moving. Nedry realized that Muldoon was questioning the new scars on his face. Nedry shook his head. Eventually he would tell Muldoon how he ended up with the same scars.
Wu watched Hammond. Hammond's mouth was moving, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. Then he realized what Hammond was mouthing: come out, Henry. His mind flashed back to the time Arnold pled with him to remain with InGen… Only this time, instead of turning his back, Wu would embrace the family of coworkers he had abandoned. I've finally come back to my InGen family, Wu thought. He still felt his heart slamming in his chest from everything that had happened, but his thoughts gave him peace. It was strange for his thought process, emotional state, and physical body to not be synched together.
"Are you ready?" Nedry turned to Wu, who still stared at Hammond.
Wu didn't answer at first. A shiver of fear raced through him. "What do I do?"
"Just follow my lead, you'll open the door on your side slowly…" He pointed at the passenger side door. "Keep your hands raised the entire time. It shows you're not hiding weapons or anything suspicious." Nedry studied Wu's expression—he could see anxiety shining in his eyes. "You're worried. I can tell."
Wu swallowed a lump in his throat. He had never been detained or arrested. To Wu, they were one and the same thing—and it was about to happen right in front of John Hammond—of all people. He didn't know if he felt afraid or embarrassed, or a combination of both.
"I'm okay." He sat up straight in the passenger seat. "I'm fine."
"Sure, you are," Nedry said, smirking. "Being a self-deceptive bastard as always, but hey, whatever floats your boat."
"Just like you enjoy being snarky son of a bitch," Wu shot back, holding back a nervous laugh.
"Exactly! Let me give you this before we go out there."
Nedry rolled up the sleeve of his gray jacket revealing a tiny blue pin underneath the cuff of his button-down shirt. He removed the pin and placed it on the dashboard. After fixing his jacket, he took the pin and held it up for Wu to see. Wu's eyebrows rose in recognition. It was the blue and white InGen logo.
"Robert gave me this before I headed out to Carlos and Charlie's. Hold out your arm."
Wu held out his left arm and watched as Nedry fastened the pin to his jacket sleeve.
"He said I have friends looking out for me, and that InGen was backing me up. I'm paying it forward, Henry. You have friends looking out for you."
Wu stared at the InGen pin, unable to face Nedry. The idea of InGen backing him up seemed impossible. He didn't know what he was feeling, he only knew what he could say in response to the kind gesture. "Thank you."
"You're not welcome. Don't look so upset. There are worse things than being detained by the cops and seeing your old boss." He pointed at Hammond.
"Like what?"
"Like my head in some lizard's jaws and you being eaten alive by another one of those ancient lizards you resurrected. That's way worse than whatever we're about to go through." Nedry burst out laughing. "Imagine that!" When he saw Wu's glum expression, he changed to a more serious tone. "Relax, being cuffed is temporary. Most important thing is you're alive—we both are. We escaped from Lewis Dodgson and his gang of misfits and lived to tell the tale."
"You're right." Wu stared ahead at Anderson and then his eyes flickered to Hammond, Muldoon, and Malcolm waiting for them.
"Just follow my lead. Arms out and hands up." Nedry slowly opened the door on his side and started to step out.
"Wait."
Nedry sighed. "What is it, Henry?"
"They brought you to your trial in chains, remember?"
"Of course, I remember. What about it?"
"You were proud at the time." Wu didn't understand why he sounded bitter. "Why weren't you embarrassed?" He realized now that he would never be carefree like Nedry, although he wished he could be.
Nedry was somber when he responded. "I was a different man back then. Back then, I wanted to humiliate Hammond by having InGen smeared in the media, so I didn't feel embarrassed when I was brought in like that. I was a selfish arrogant jackass."
"What about now?"
"Now, all I feel is shame."
"Shame." Wu repeated the word.
"Shame for the man I used to be, although that's not who I am anymore." Nedry waited to see if Wu would respond, but Wu was staring at a point in the car, trying to avoid what was to come. "Trust me, you'll be fine. Once they detain us, the worst is behind us. Got it?"
"Got it," Wu said, forcing himself to sound confident.
Wu watched as Nedry kept his arms out and exited the car. He didn't close the door behind him. None of it felt real and for a moment, Wu thought he was watching a police show where the suspect surrenders, puts their hands on the car, and waits for the cops to advance. Wu closed his eyes, not wanting to see or hear anything. There was silence, then he heard the cops directing Nedry, followed by that horrible metallic clicking sound. Wu flinched, knowing his turn would be next.
Tightening his jaw and swallowing his pride, he opened the door on his side and kept his arms out and hands up. He vaguely heard the police officers demanding for him to put his hands on the car. Wu did as he was told and waited patiently as he was frisked from head to toe. That part was over fast, but he wasn't prepared for what he would feel when his arms were pinned behind his back and the cuffs were slapped on his wrists.
Suddenly, every time he had taunted Nedry came rushing back to him. He had never felt more humiliated and helpless—and humbled. He looked around and saw Nedry several feet away, standing between two other police officers. Nedry was staring at the ground and didn't see Wu. Wu twisted around to see Hammond, Malcolm, and Muldoon standing nearby, watching everything. Malcolm met his gaze and Muldoon had a pensive expression. Hammond—Wu wished he hadn't made eye contact with him. A single tear slid down Hammond's face and Wu turned away, ashamed that he had hurt him so deeply.
Wu didn't have a chance to speak to any of them right then. He was led away with Nedry and both men were placed in the backseat of a police cruiser. He saw Anderson standing outside. Anderson let out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his head. Wu realized how exhausting it must be to negotiate, ensure everyone's safety, especially when the entire situation could turn chaotic very fast. As he was thinking this, Anderson got in the driver's seat. He turned to them and only then did Wu notice the wire mesh partition between them. It added to his feeling like a prisoner with no rights.
"We're heading to the precinct. Once there, I'll remove the cuffs and get you both some coffee. We'll get you both cleaned up. I just need you to continue cooperating as you both have been doing. Sounds like a plan?"
Nedry nodded silently.
"Will they meet us there?" Wu asked, motioning with his head towards Malcolm, Hammond, and Muldoon who were talking amongst themselves now and heading towards one police cruiser with the female officer who had brought them out.
"Yes, I've told them to be there in an hour. One of my officers will bring them over."
With nothing else to say, Wu sat back as Anderson turned on the car. He watched as the other police officers got in their cruisers and left the parking lot. Their lights were off…the crisis was over. For a moment, Wu glanced at the InGen logo on the building and a half-smile lit his face only to fade. He was finally back where he belonged. They waited a little while longer and only when the last police cruiser drove out of the parking lot did everything fully hit him.
He had escaped from Dodgson forever with Nedry's help. He was thrilled about that, but he was also stuck in a police cruiser being detained. And he didn't realize how much his wrists hurt until now. The handcuffs were heavy and painful. The cold steel kept rubbing against his wrists, and he felt dehumanized wearing them. He was afraid to ask for them to be removed or loosened. Then he turned to Nedry who leaned against the seat with his eyes closed. Catching up on hours of lost sleep, Wu thought. As though reading his mind, Nedry spoke up.
"I'm tired and you're fidgety. Don't move around so much. Cuffs aren't meant to be comfortable. Just relax—we're even now."
"Even?"
Nedry chuckled. "I have Robert's scars and you're wearing silver bracelets."
Wu let out an uneasy laugh and tried to relax for the duration of the ride to the precinct.
oOo
In the control room, the walkie-talkie lay abandoned next to an unlit cigarette and lighter at Arnold's workstation. The walkie-talkie was still on and the voices of Harding, Gennaro, Lawala, Tim, and Lex talked over each other, shocked and thrilled by everything they had just witnessed on television—Wu and Nedry had been safely detained by the police. Their voices were indistinguishable, but Arnold didn't hear them. He kept his face buried in his hands, unable to put into words everything he was feeling and thinking.
Grant and Ellie met each other's eyes, knowing what they had to do. They quietly sat with Arnold between them, their arms around his shoulders, trying to comfort him as he silently processed everything that had occurred. Finally, he found his words.
"Is it over?" Arnold's voice caught in his throat.
"It's over, Ray," Ellie said.
"They have Henry—do you think he's coming back?"
"He's coming back," Grant said.
Moments later, everyone came from the staff lodge and joined them in the control room. Despite all the loud chatter and excitement, Arnold stayed in the same position. Grant and Ellie never left his side, as they resolved to remain with Arnold for as long as he needed. Wu was finally returning, and for Arnold, this meant everything. Grant and Ellie understood and stayed with him in the control room, long after everyone left.