CHAPTER 18: SAFE HAVEN
The compys scurried along the side of the road in the night. The vehicle's lights illuminated the path that Harding's jeep was taking a short distance behind. Fluttershy's gaze faced the foliage to her right that rushed past Harding's jeep in a blur, her countenance still reflecting worry for her friends, the experts, and the children. There was a moment where she heard a distant, faint, and powerful thump that alarmed her by its sound, but it was quickly covered up with other sounds: the rumbling of the engine, the rustling of leaves as the air current blew against them, and the sounds of nocturnal animals. Fluttershy turned her gaze toward Ellie in time to see her pointing farther up the road.
"Is that a light?" Ellie asked.
"Could be," Harding replied. "Looks almost like headlights."
The radio suddenly hummed and crackled.
"—you there?" They heard John Arnold through the radio.
"Ah, there he is," Harding said, pressing the button. "Finally. Yes, John, we're here. We're near the river, following the compys. It's quite interesting."
More crackling. Then: "—eed your car—"
"What'd he say?" Gennaro asked.
"Something about a car," Ellie deduced. Fluttershy looked at Ellie curiously.
"How can you tell?" Fluttershy asked.
"At Grant's dig in Montana, I was the one who operated the radiophone. After years of experience, I have become skilled at picking up garbled transmissions," Ellie answered, shifting her gaze back at Harding. "I think he said he needs your car."
Harding pressed the button. "John? Are you there? We can't read you very well. John?"
There was a flash of lightning, followed by a long sizzle of radio static, then Arnold's tense voice. "—where are—ou—"
"We're one mile north of the hypsy paddock. Near the river, following some compys."
"No—damn well—get back here—ow!"
"Sounds like he's got a problem," Ellie said, frowning. There was no mistaking the tension in the voice.
"Um, if there's trouble then maybe maybe we should go back." Fluttershy suggested timidly.
Harding shrugged.
"John's frequently got a problem. You know how engineers are. They want everything to go by the book." He pressed the button on the radio. "John? Say again, please.…"
More crackling.
More static. Fluttershy jumped in fright by the loud crash of lightning. Ellie placed a comforting hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, hoping this gesture will calm her nerves.
"—Muldoo—need your car—ow—"
Gennaro frowned. "Is he saying Muldoon needs our car?"
"That's what it sounded like," Ellie said.
"Well, that doesn't make any sense," Harding said.
"—other—stuck—Muldoon wants—car—"
"I get it," acknowledged Ellie. "The other cars are stuck on the road in the storm, and Muldoon wants to go get them."
Harding shrugged.
"Why doesn't Muldoon take the other car?" He pushed the radio button. "John? Tell Muldoon to take the other car. It's in the garage."
The radio crackled. "—not—listen—crazy bastards—car—"
Harding pressed the radio button. "I said, it's in the garage, John. The car is in the garage."
More static. "—edry has—ssing—one—"
Ellie shook her head
"I'm afraid this isn't getting us anywhere," Gennaro said.
Harding nodded in agreement. "I agree."
Harding pressed the radio button for the final time.
"All right, John. We're coming in now." He turned the radio off, and turned the car around. "I just wish I understood what the urgency is."
Harding put the Jeep in gear and they rumbled down the road in the darkness. It was another ten minutes before they saw the welcoming lights of the Safari Lodge. As Harding pulled to a stop in front of the visitor center, they saw Muldoon coming toward them.
Fluttershy's worry increased when she heard him shouting, and waving his arms.
The rain had finally ceased its downpour. The full moon was blurred by drifting mist, and their blunted shadows led them across an open field, toward dark woods beyond. Grant led the way at the front while Malcolm trailed behind, carrying a still unconscious Twilight Sparkle in his arms. Carter followed the pair slowly, holding Lexs' hand and Tim walking beside her. Ed Regis lagged behind the group, his countenance wild-eyed and frantic, shaking relentlessly as he stared at the small walls of dense foliage.
Grant stared forward with a frown. He was lost in thought, trying to decide where he was. Since they had originally crossed over the fence that the tyrannosaur had battered down, Grant was reasonably sure they were now somewhere in the tyrannosaur paddock.
Which was a place he did not want to be. In his mind, he kept seeing the computer tracing of the tyrannosaur's home range, the tight squiggle of lines that traced his movements within a small area. He and the others were in that area now. But Grant also remembered that the tyrannosaurs were isolated from all the other animals, which meant they would know they had left the paddock when they crossed a barrier—a fence, or a moat, or both.
He had seen no barriers, so far.
"I'm tired," Lex said. "Carry me, Dr. Grant."
"You're too big to carry," Tim said.
"But I'm tired," she persisted.
Carter glanced down at Lex.
"I'll carry you, Lex," offered Carter.
Lex looked up at Carter. "Really?"
"Yeah," Carter replied.
Carter shifted her gaze towards Ed Regis. Her countenance changed from blank to sheer contempt as she narrowed her eyes at him. Without looking back at Lex, she lets go of her hand and stalks towards Regis.
"Wait here." Carter told Lex, her tone strangely laced with sudden anger. Lex and Tim exchanged bewildering glances before redirecting their gaze back at Carter.
Ed Regis lifted his head when he saw Carter approaching him. He blinked in puzzlement, seeing the woman glaring hard at him. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Carter swung her arm and slapped the man across the face, hard. Ed Regis fell on his rump as he brought his hand up to his cheek, feeling the burning heat from where the woman had slapped him. The sudden slap caused Grant and Malcolm to halt their pace and rolled their bodies around to see Carter towering over Regis.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Grant assumed a short sprint to the pair and stood in front of Carter with his hand raised. "Woah, easy, easy. We're all friends here."
Carter felt a vein pulse on her temple.
"Friends?" Carter repeated. "That friend down there left us—left those kids unprotected!"
Ed Regiss' expression transformed from shock to anger. He quickly got back up to his feet, stepping up to Carter with a glare. Carter glared back at him while placing her hands on her hips.
"Hey, I didn't ask to be a damn babysitter!" Ed Regis shouted, pointing his finger at her.
"That doesn't excuse you for abandoning them," Carter retorted. "They were under your care—your responsibility!"
"Shhh," Grant hissed. "Please be quiet. We're all safe now but we won't be if you two continue to shout at each other."
Malcolm approached the trio until he stood by Carter's side.
"Uh, what's your name?" Malcolm asked, turning his gaze towards her. Carter shifted her gaze back at Malcolm.
"Bobbie," Carter replied, raising a brow at him.
"Ah, Bobbie, Bobbie." Malcolm nodded his head. "Well, Bobbie, trust me when I say that I understand what you're feeling. So does Grant, and the kids. We can all agree that this man right here is an undeniable coward."
Malcom gestured his hand toward Ed Regis. Regis turned away from them with folded arms, glaring at the ground.
"But that's not important at the moment. What is important is one goal that we—as well as those back at the visitor center share in common, and that is, uh, survival. So with this in mind, if we're going to get off of this island alive then we have to work together. But not if you two keep getting at each other's throats. So in conclusion to my statement, can you two like, uh, save your little shout war after we get back to civilization?"
Carter and Ed Regis glared back at each other. After a tense moment, Carter exhaled deeply, forcing her anger aside.
"Fine," Carter said tersely, glancing at Malcolm. "But he better pull his weight."
Carter rolled her body around and walked back towards Lex and Tim. She picked Lex up and held her close, advancing forward. Tim proceeded walking beside her once again, and Malcolm trailed after the trio. Grant turned his gaze towards Ed Regis.
"Come on, Regis," Grant said, his voice firm. "We need to keep moving."
Ed Regis honored Grant with silence but nevertheless followed him. It seemed like a long walk for the group, and the road had been deathly quiet. There was a moment or two where they had frozen, thinking they had heard the footsteps of a big dinosaur, but it faded as quickly as it came.
Lex placed her head on Carter's shoulder, and twirled her hair in her fingers. Soon she was snoring. Tim trudged alongside Grant.
"How you holding up, Tim?" Grant asked, looking down at him while keeping up the pace.
"Okay," Tim replied. "But I think we might be in the tyrannosaur area."
Grant nodded. "I'm pretty sure we are. I hope we get out soon."
"So we're going to go into the woods?" Malcolm asked. As they came closer, the woods seemed dark and forbidding.
"Yes," Grant replied. "I think we can navigate by the numbers on the motion sensors."
Carter glanced up and noticed green box-shaped motion sensors placed about four feet above the ground. Some were standing alone, while most were attached to trees. None of them seemed to be functioning, probably due to the power outage. Each sensor box featured a glass lens at the center and a code number painted below.
As the group ventured into the forest, towering trees surrounded them. In the moonlight, a gentle mist hovered close to the ground, swirling around the tree roots. It was a beautiful sight, but it made walking quite tricky. Grant was keeping an eye on the sensors, which appeared to be numbered in descending order.
After passing a few sensors they eventually reached the end. Carter was tired from carrying the girl, and she had hoped this would coincide with a boundary for the tyrannosaur paddock, but it was just another box in the middle of the woods.
Tim shifted a worried glance at the unconscious lavender unicorn in Malcolm's arms. Twilight had yet to wake up from her state; she hasn't regained consciousness since that quick stunt she pulled at the juvenile. Whatever she did back there must've taken a lot out of her, and he only hoped she'll be okay.
Grant realized after passing two marked boxes the numbers were arranged geographically around a central point, like a compass. They were going from south to north, so the numbers got smaller as they approached the center, then got larger again.
"At least we're going the right way," Tim said.
"Good for you," Grant said.
Tim smiled, and stumbled over vines in the mist. He got quickly to his feet. They walked on for a while.
"My parents are getting a divorce," he said.
Grant nodded his head with sympathy plastered over his face. Carter and Malcolm glanced at Tim, bearing the same expressions as the latter but said nothing. Ed Regis blinked in surprise at Tim's revelation but soon glanced at the forest floor with a frown.
"Uh-huh," Grant responded.
"My dad moved out last month. He has his own place in Mill Valley now."
"Uh-huh."
"He never carries my sister any more. He never even picks her up."
"And he says you have dinosaurs on the brain," Grant said.
Tim sighed. "Yeah."
"You miss him?" Grant asked.
"Not really," Tim said. "Sometimes. She misses him more."
"Who, your mother?" Carter asked, glancing at Tim curiously.
"No, Lex," Tim replied. "My mom has a boyfriend. She knows him from work."
They walked in silence for a while until Malcolm spoke.
"Have you met him?" Malcom asked.
"Yeah." Tim replied
"How is he?"
"He's okay," Tim replied, shrugging his shoulders. "He's younger than my dad, but he's bald."
"How does he treat you?" Ed Regis spoke up with a question.
Tim looked at Ed Regis over his shoulder. "I don't know. Okay. I think he just tries to get on my good side. I don't know what's going to happen. Sometimes my mom says we'll have to sell the house and move. Sometimes he and my mom fight, late at night. I sit in my room and play with my computer, but I can still hear it."
"Uh-huh," Ed Regis responds.
"Are you divorced, Mr. Regis?" Tim asked.
"Oh, uh, no," Ed Regis replied, shaking his head. "My wife died a long time ago."
"Oh…I'm sorry." Tim turned away with shame plastering his features, regretting bringing up a touchy subject. Ed Regis honored Tim with silence as a response.
They once again walked for a while in silence.
"Uh, Dr. Grant." Malcolm shifted his gaze toward Grant. "Are we going to walk all night?"
"I don't think I can," said Carter.
Grant looked back at Malcolm.
"We'll have to stop, at least for a few hours." He glanced at his watch. "We're okay. We've got almost fifteen hours before we have to be back. Before the ship reaches the mainland."
"Where are we going to stop?" Tim asked, immediately.
Grant was also thinking about that. His initial idea was that they could climb a tree and sleep up there. However, they would need to climb very high to be safe from the animals, and Lex might fall out while sleeping. Plus, tree branches are uncomfortable; they wouldn't get any rest. At least, Grant wouldn't.
Then there's the unconscious lavender unicorn. Carrying a child as heavy as Lex was one thing, but Grant didn't know how they would manage to climb a huge tree while also carrying Twilight. For all he knew, the pony probably weighed more than the little girl.
They needed a really safe place. He recalled the plans he had seen on the jet on the way down. He remembered there were outlying buildings for each division, but he didn't know what they were like as the plans didn't include details for each building. He couldn't recall their exact locations, but he knew they were scattered throughout the park. There might be buildings nearby.
But that was a different requirement from simply crossing a barrier and getting out of the tyrannosaur paddock. Finding a building meant a search strategy of some kind. After a minute pondering Grant made his decision.
Grant approached a tree and began ascending up while the others watched in bewilderment. High in the branches, he had a good view of the forest, the tops of the trees extending away to his left and right. They were surprisingly near the edge of the forest—directly ahead the trees ended before a clearing, with an electrified fence and a pale concrete moat. Beyond that, a large open field in what he assumed was the sauropod paddock. In the distance, more trees, and misty moonlight sparkling on the ocean.
Somewhere in the far off jungle he heard the bellowing of a dinosaur, but it was far away. He put on Tim's night-vision goggles and looked again. He followed the gray curve of the moat, and then saw what he was looking for: the dark strip of a service road, leading to the flat rectangle of a roof. The roof was barely above ground level, but it was there. And it wasn't far. Maybe a quarter of a mile or so from the tree.
Grant descended back down from the tree and he led the others to the fence. It was twelve feet high, with a spiral of barbed wire at the top, and It seemed to stretch far above them in the moonlight. The moat was immediately on the other side. Lex woke up from her slumber in time for Carter to finally put her down. Lex looked up at the fence doubtfully.
"Can you climb it?" Grant asked her.
She handed him her glove, and her baseball.
"Sure. Easy." She glanced at Tim with a sly smile. "But I bet Timmy can't."
Tim spun in fury: "You shut up."
"Timmy's afraid of heights."
"I am not."
"Are so."
"Am not."
"Hey, hey, that's enough you two," Carter scolded, placing her gentle hands on the bickering siblings' shoulders.
Malcolm looked up at the fences' structure.
"Sure, uh, sounds simple enough. However, we have a problem," Malcolm said, gesturing to Twilight's unconscious form in his arms to the group. "How are we gonna get her to the other side?"
The group stood in silence for a moment. But before any of them could think up a plan, they were suddenly assaulted by a bright light. As quickly as said light appeared, it had faded in a quick flash. Grant and the others ventured their eyes open and found themselves on the other side of the fence.
"W-What?!" Carter was genuinely shocked, taken aback. "But how..?"
"You're welcome."
Everyone blinked in surprise. They snapped their gaze towards the familiar voice, finding Twilight finally regaining consciousness. She smiled at the group with half-opened eyes.
"Twilight!" Tim and Lex cried joyfully in sync.
Tim and Lex assumed a short sprint toward the mare with Carter trailing behind. Grant stepped up to Malcolm's side, a relieved smile gracing his lips. Ed Regis stayed rooted from where he stood as he watched the wholesome sight.
"You're awake." Tim said, smiling at her.
"Are you okay?" Lex asked, looking at Twilight worryingly.
"I'm fine now," replied Twilight, looking around. "How long was I out?"
"Fifteen minutes," Carter replied.
"Well, I hope you enjoy your nap Twilight," Malcolm said, chuckling a little. "But if it isn't a bother, can I put you down now? It's been quite tiring having to carry you."
"Do you have the strength to stand?" Carter inquired, placing her hands on her hips.
"I can try," replied Twilight.
Malcolm slowly set Twilight back on the earth's floor on all fours. Twilight wobbled but steadied herself.
"Thank you, Dr. Malcolm," she said with a nod of gratitude.
Tim parted his lips to ask Twilight, until Carter placed a hand on his shoulder. Tim glanced up at Carter.
"I know you might be curious as to what happened to Twilight, but let's save the questions in the morning," Carter said, shifting her gaze at Twilight. "She needs rest. We all deserve some rest."
Grant nodded his head in agreement. "She's right. Come on, let's go."
Grant led the way once more as the group followed him. Due to the exhaustion, Twilight lagged behind next to Ed Regis, with Tim, Lex, and Carter walking beside her. In the moonlight, Grant could see floating lumps on the surface. He moved along the moat, looking at the concrete wall on the far side. The concrete was smooth; they couldn't possibly climb it.
"Eww," Lex said, pointing to the water.
"It won't hurt you, Lex." Grant reassured her.
Grant finally found a place where the concrete had cracked and a vine grew down toward the water. He tugged on the vine, and it held his weight. They started to climb the vine, back to the field above. Twilight teleported herself to the top next to the group.
It took only a few minutes to cross the field to the embankment leading to the below-grade service road, and the maintenance building off to the right. They passed two motion sensors, and Grant noticed with some uneasiness that the sensors were still not working, nor were the lights. More than two hours had passed since the power first went out, and it was not yet restored.
Somewhere in the distance they heard the tyrannosaur roar. Grant and Malcolm went rigid, and the girls froze in their tracks. Tim looked uncertainty at the direction where the roar originated, trembling in fear.
"Is he around here?" Lex asked, her tone laced with pure fear.
"No," Grant replied. "We're in another section of the park from him."
They slid down a grassy embankment and moved toward the concrete building. In the darkness it was forbidding, bunker-like.
"What is this place?" Carter asked.
"It's safe," Grant replied, hoping that was true.
The entrance gate was large enough to drive a truck through. It was fitted with heavy bars. Inside, they could see that the building was an open shed, with piles of grass and bales of hay stacked among equipment.
The gate was locked with a heavy padlock. As Grant was examining it, Lex slipped sideways between the bars.
"Come on, you guys." Lex gestured her hand for the others to follow her.
Tim followed her. "I think you can do it, Dr. Grant."
Grant was the first to slip between the bars. It was a tight squeeze, but Grant was able to ease his body between said bars and get into the shed. Malcolm went second, then Carter, and Ed came last. Twilight advanced forward and casually teleported herself to the other side. As soon as everyone was inside, a wave of exhaustion struck them.
"I wonder if there's anything to eat," said Lex.
"Just hay." Grant broke open a bale, and spread it around on the concrete.
The hay in the center was warm. They lay down, feeling the warmth. Lex curled up beside him, and closed her eyes. Tim put his arm around her. He and the others heard the sauropods trumpeting softly in the distance.
Malcolm and Carter laid down on the hay-made bed. The pair made sure not to lay too close to each other. Ed Regis curled up on the hay not too far from the group, isolating himself from them. Finally, Twilight found her own spot and sat down.
"Goodnight, everypony," Twilight said in a near whisper, resting her head on her forearms.
No one among the circle spoke. They were almost immediately snoring. Grant raised his arm to look at his watch, but it was too dark to see. He felt the warmth of the children against his own body.
Grant closed his eyes and slept.