At Port Freeport, the authorities were still investigating the private dock that belonged to DPW. They had been alerted to a massive explosion and several dinosaurs running free by several people on the highway. When they arrived, it had been absolute chaos.

It took a good two hours to get everything under control. Several of the DPW employees had attempted to escape. A large majority got away, but the remainder were caught. They were currently being read their rights as an FBI transport arrived to take them to the FBI office in Houston.

The dinosaurs were being taken to a temporary sanctuary about an hour away. Since they were considered evidence, and it was clear that the DPW had been doing something illegal at the docks, it was the best solution for now. A permanent solution would be decided at a later date.

Mateo was currently giving his statement for the tenth time to one of the officers.


"Mr. Montoya, could you please explain how you came to be here?"

Mateo cleared his throat and glanced over at his car. He then looked at the officer. "As I've explained before, I was trying to repay my debt to the remaining members of the Nublar Six."

"I was the transport driver the night their friend was killed. I felt bad that I hadn't arrived in time with the rest of the squad to catch the Allosaurs that killed their friend. I wanted to make up for that."

"How did you intend to do that, sir? How did you know where they were?"

Mateo explained his daughter had helped him find their home addresses. He had gone to visit Kenji's to apologize. He found a note on the trailer door saying he was going to visit his father.

"I went to the halfway house because I was starting to lose my nerve. I felt that if I went there and waited for them, I wouldn't turn and run. When I got there, I saw the two kids running from a predatory dinosaur."

"Before you ask, no, I don't know what species it was. When I was a transport driver, all I cared to know was if the animal was going to wake up before I reached the drop-off point. I rammed my car into the predator to save them."

"I gave the boys a ride to a friend's apartment after apologizing. I intended to go home but changed my mind because I hadn't apologized to the other three. They had mentioned they were coming here to meet their friends because Darius wanted to speak to Mr. Cabrea about getting his job back."

"When I arrived, I saw the illegal operation happening. I snuck in to find the Nublar Six and saw they were in trouble when a few dinosaurs got loose."

"How could you tell that if you weren't with them? How could you be certain they were inside the warehouse you drove through?" the officer demanded to know.

"Let me rephrase my sentence. I heard their screams in the warehouse and noticed the open crates with claw marks. I did the first thing that came to mind to save lives."

"Yes, ramming a semi-truck into a warehouse to partially collapse is what most people would think," the officer replied sarcastically.

Mateo shot the man a look. "I didn't have a weapon or a tranquilizer gun. I couldn't take on those creatures on my own. Since ramming a dinosaur down worked last time, then my mind thought it would work again."

Mateo finished telling his story about what happened afterward. He told them about the group leaving on the boat but didn't mention how they could become hybrids. "I promised to make sure the dinosaurs got someplace safe."

The officer continued to write in his notebook. He noticed Mateo's eyes kept darting towards his car. "Sir, what's in the car?"

Mateo sputtered and said nothing was in his car. "There have been dinosaurs big and small stomping around the docks. Pardon me, if I'm anxious to check to see if they damaged my car."

"I need to check your car to make sure there's nothing illegal in it. Hand me the keys, please?"

Mateo tried not to sweat as the officer took the keys. He had hidden Bumpy aka Bushra Libitar in the backseat. If the police discovered the dinosaur/human hybrid, he knew it wouldn't be good.

The officer spent twenty minutes searching the car and found nothing. After asking Mateo to sign his statement, he was told he was free to go. The man warily got into the car and drove it out of the port.


He drove for half a mile, wondering what he was going to do. He would need to go back to get his passenger. He was about to turn around when he spotted someone on the side of the road.

To his astonishment, it was Bushra. He parked the car and told her to get in the back. Lying sideways, the teenager gripped the egg she held tighter.

"How did you get here without being seen?" he asked.

"The Unaysaurus came back while the auth…authorities were busy in the warehouse. They were checking everywhere for bad people. My friend helped me get to safety."

Mateo vaguely recalled seeing one of the dinosaurs coming back to the docks. The authorities had given the creature a wide berth once they realized it was a harmless herbivore. That's why a majority of the authorities had decided to head into the warehouse to avoid upsetting the dinosaur.

Come to think of it, the creature had curiously sniffed his car before leaving again. That must have been when the current hybrid made her escape. "That was a pretty clever idea to get away undetected."

Bushra nodded explaining that she had been fearful that the good guys would search the car to make sure Mateo was telling the truth. "It was nice for once to ride a dinosaur instead of a human riding me."

Mateo laughed saying she was right. "So, you still have the address in your pocket? I can program it into my GPS and get you to where you need to go without too much of a hassle."

"I do, but we must go back to Sammy's ranch," Bushra interjected. She explained that Sammy had prepared in advance, items for Bumpy/Bushra in case she needed to use the booster.

These items included clothes, money, and a fake ID. She could also locate an incubator for her egg at the ranch. There was also a list of what to do if they had to leave the ranch for a lengthy period of time.

"Are you sure it's safe? Darius mentioned those raptors attacked the place. How do we know that handler didn't leave something deadly behind."

"We need to take that risk. The girls emphasized how important it was for me not to walk around naked. Daddy's jacket doesn't cover me up enough."

"How are we going to get there though? I don't have the address for my GPS. Do you?"

Bushra asked for a pencil and paper. Mateo gave her a small notebook he kept in the car along with the pencil. Glancing into the mirror, he saw Bushra very carefully writing something.

When she was done, she slipped the paper back to him. In very shaky handwriting was an address. He was astonished to realize how smart Bumpy/Bushra was.

The hybrid noticed the human's astonishment and smiled. "Daddy and Brooklynn taught me the alphabet and numbers. Sammy repeated the address to me every day so I would memorize it."

"Exactly how smart are you in your normal form?"

"Originally, I was very average. The experiment that changed us had lasting effects on my mind. I retained a great amount of human intellect when I was returned to normal."

"I'm not as smart as the bad man who created me is. Sammy used to say I was smart as a high school graduate. Is that okay?"

Mateo said that it was fine. He explained he asked because he needed to know if she would understand his instructions if they got in trouble. Bushra let out a yawn and said she was going to nap.

Mateo promised to wake her when they made it to Sammy's ranch. Watching the hybrid girl sleeping Mateo wondered if he took on more than he could handle.


Bushra woke up when they were an hour away from the ranch. She yawned and peeked out the window. There were a few other cars on the road and there was no sign of the bad men.

She lowered her head and tried to stretch out only for Mateo to shout at her to watch the tail. She had nearly smashed it into the review mirror.

"Sorry, I've never been in a vehicle before, so I didn't realize how cramped it can be," the hybrid girl mentioned.

"Really? Well, I guess there wouldn't be many working vehicles on an island of dinosaurs. How did you get around the last time you were uh, like this?"

"I can walk bipedal. At least, last time I could. It's been six years so I might need to practice."

Mateo simply nodded. He was trying to think of how he was going to keep his car in one piece. Bushra's tail and armored back were really not compatible with his car.

He wondered if there was an animal trailer at the ranch he could borrow. It would unquestionably have enough space. But would riding in it trigger the hybrid teenager?

He didn't know the whole story of how Bumpy/Bushra got to that warehouse, but it couldn't have been pleasant. He saw the teenager brush her hair out of her face. She was cooing at the egg, telling the baby inside she would protect it from any danger.

Mateo could tell that she would make a good mother. The way she cradled the egg was the same way he cradled his daughter when she was born. He really should call home to check on how his family was doing.

He noticed a sign saying there was a small campground ahead. It would be a good place to make a quick stop so he could call home. "Hey, I'm pulling over to the campgrounds so I can call my family. Will you be okay in the car for a little bit?"

Bushra nodded and added it would be nice to stretch her legs for a few minutes. She also needed to find an outhouse. She didn't know how much longer she could hold it.

As they pulled into the camping grounds parking lot, they saw it was empty. Bushra carefully laid her egg on the car seat before hopping out. As she made a sprint to the bathroom, Mateo called his wife.


It rang once and a warm voice answered. "Hello, may I ask whose calling?"

"Hi Kanda."

"Mateo! Why didn't you call me sooner? I have been so worried. Especially when Hiraya told me why you were traveling."

Mateo could imagine his wife waving her hand around as she walked through the house. She always did that when he called her during a road trip. "Kanda, I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Mateo. If you were fine, you would have called sooner. What happened out there?"

Mateo tugged at his shirt collar. Oh, boy, his wife was not going to let this go. Biting the bullet, he gave a heavily edited version of what happened.

Once he finished, Kanda calmed down. "I'm glad that were able to do right by your conscious. Are you coming home now?"

"Soon," Mateo assured her. "As I mentioned, the five young adults are going to continue the work their friend Brooklynn started. Since I have experience driving dinosaurs, they asked me to take their Ankylosaurus friend to a scientist friend in Montana."

Kanda understood his husband needed to finish making things right. "How do you plan to get their Ankylosaurus to Montana without a transport truck?"

Mateo lied about finding a flatbed for the dinosaur, and that Sammy said he could borrow her animal trailer for the rest of the journey. "It's going to take a few days to do this drop-off, but afterward I'm coming home."

Kanda let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Please, be careful out there Mateo. I don't want you to meet your end by the jaws of a carnivore."

"You have my word, Kanda. Nothing is going to stop me from getting back to you and Hiraya. I'll call you again tomorrow. I love you, Kanda."

"I love you too, Mateo. Take care of yourself. Bye."

"Bye," Mateo said as he ended the call. Rubbing his face, he turned his attention to his passenger. She was exiting the restroom, the coat pulled tightly around her body.

"I cleaned myself thoroughly," Bushra told him. She slowly walked back to the car. She gritted her teeth as she stepped onto the hot and rocky gravel parking lot.

Taking pity on her, Mateo gave her his shoes so she could get back to the car. Once she was settled in the back seat, she gave them back. Except for a small spot of blood, they were in good condition.

Bushra thanked him for his kindness. "I forgot how frail human skin is. My normal skin is very thick so I don't get injured walking around."

He told her it was no big deal. "Once we get your supplies, I'm sure you won't have any more problems with walking."


An hour later, they were pulling into Sammy's ranch. It was hard to believe a week ago that raptors had attacked the place. Though there were still signs of the attack.

The front door was still on the porch. Checking the pens she found raptor claw marks. No doubt the rest of the house was still a mess.

The only odd thing was the truck and Carl's body were missing. Someone had moved them. The question was it the raptor trainer or was it someone else?

Stepping into the house, Bushra was hit by the smell of rotting food. She was coughing badly as she entered the kitchen. The pie was lying rotten on the floor.

"Wow, this place needs some airing out," Mateo said when he entered the kitchen. "We should clean out this kitchen before the smell gets any worse."

Twenty minutes later, the pie remains and the food in the refrigerator/freezer was tossed into the garbage. Mateo said he could handle cleaning the appliance properly. Bushra nodded, as she hesitantly climbed the stairs to the second floor.

The hybrid tried to remember what Sammy had said about the supplies she bought for her. She kept them in her room. Which one had she pointed to when they were outside together?

Oh, the one on the far left. It faced the pens so Sammy could keep an eye out for her at night. Holding her egg in one arm, she gently pushed open the door.

Sammy's room was just like her. There were a lot of soft pillows and the room was painted in bright colors. There were cute stuffed animals along with fairy lights strewn across the bedroom.

Laying her egg on the bed, she went over to the closet. In the back was a big box that had her name on it. Pull it out, she opened it.

Inside, were three sets of saris and head wraps. They were big enough to cover her back and had a slit for her tail. As long as she didn't drag it, no one would be able to see it and believe it was just extra fabric bunched up.

The head wraps would keep her horns hidden. She found a pair of sandals that were wide enough for her feet. There were also undergarments of varying sizes for her to try on.

She pulled out an envelope that contained the fake ID, a burner phone, and a small about of cash. She also found, what was the word Sammy used. Oh, dossier containing a backstory for Bushra.

Attached to the dossier was a fake Social Security card. Sammy had never clearly explained what it was for. She just said every human in this country had one.

Bushra did her best to memorize the story in the dossier. It would be a risk to bring it with her. Looking in the box again, she found a set of tools with instructions on how to modify seats in a car so she could sit in the front.

There was only one thing left in the box. It was a photo of her human herd mates together. Someone had, what was the word, oh Photoshop! Yes, someone had Photoshopped her into the picture.

She hugged the photo firmly. It was just like Sammy to give her a piece of home to take with her. She would thank her herdmate mate the next time she saw her.

About fifteen minutes later, she carefully made her way down the stairs. The sari was a bit harder to walk in than she first assumed it would be. She carefully laid down her backpack before entering the kitchen.

Mateo removed his glasses and wiped them clean when he saw her. "You look very beautiful. I didn't know you could braid your hair."

Indeed, Bushra's super long hair was now in a tight braid. The hybrid played with the end. "Yaz showed me how to on the island. She, along with Sammy and Brooklynn, taught me how to be a female human."

Mateo shook his head acknowledging that teenage girls did know everything about being human. "Your friend has a list of things that need to be done before we can leave. Such as paying the electric and water bill in advance."

Bushra didn't understand but assumed it was something that adults did. "Yes, we can take care of that and I'll get the incubator from the barn. Once my egg is safe, I'll help you with that."


At that moment, they heard a police siren blaring. Looking out the window, Bushra's face turned white. A police car was parking next to Mateo's car. A female and male officer got out.

Why were the police here? She was terrified and concerned about her egg. She couldn't let them find it in her backpack.

Mateo placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay calm. If they see you're overly anxious, they'll suspect we're hiding something. We will sort this out."

Bushra nodded and tried to remain composed. All she had to do was go along with her fictitious back story. Hopefully, it would be enough for the police.

She followed Mateo into the hallway as the police came up the porch. "Good afternoon officers. Can I help you with something?"

"You can start by answering some questions. Who are you and why are you on the Guterrez's private property," the male cop asked.

Mateo introduced himself and Bushra. He told the officers that he was a friend of Bushra's family. They were here because Bushra was a friend of Sammy's.

"Is that so? If you're a friend of Ms. Guterrez, why are you here when she's not? Do you know where she is?" the female cop demanded.

"Sammy called me to say she going to be visiting her girlfriend in Wyoming. She's been very distracted and couldn't remember if she had cleaned out the fridge or not before she left. She asked me to check on the ranch before I joined her and her girlfriend in Wyoming," Bushra explained.

The police asked why she would be joining them if Sammy was just visiting her girlfriend. Wouldn't the couple want some alone time? The hybrid was unsure how to answer the question.

Mateo jumped in right then. "Hey, now, that's rude of you to assume stuff. Bushra's friends with both girls. There's nothing wrong with friends getting together to have fun, even if one ends up being the third wheel."

The cops had to admit that was true. "Do you know a man by the name of Carl Remington?" the male cop asked.

Bushra did her best to not stiffen at that name. "Sammy mentioned she had a neighbor by that name. All she told me was he a pain in the neck."

The cops informed her the man was found dead on the Guterrez's property. They had been attempting to get in touch with Sammy and her parents but ran into trouble. Sammy's folks had to change phones and carriers in Canada so it was taking a bit to track down their new numbers.

"We've called Ms. Guterrez several times. None of our calls have gone through. Can we see your phone, please? We would like to see for ourselves that Ms. Guterrez called you," the female cop said.

Bushra handed the burner over. "It's a new phone. My old one broke a few days ago." She could tell the police were upset about this.

Mateo asked if Sammy was being investigated as a murder suspect. The police shook their heads. The coroner confirmed Carl was killed by a dinosaur.

They explained the people dropping off the steel fences had found the man. When they didn't find Sammy anywhere, they were concerned she had been killed as well. So, when they got a call about people on the property they came to investigate.

The police questioned Mateo and Bushra for what felt like forever. The hybrid girl was getting more anxious about her egg. She needed to make sure it stayed warm for her child to hatch.

When she was about to bolt to check on her egg, the police finished their questioning. They asked if Sammy got in touch with Bushra again, they would need to speak to her. She nodded and succeeded keeping it together until they were off the property.


Once they were gone, Bushra dashed over to her backpack. Ripping it open, she pulled out her egg. It felt slightly cold to the touch. "I need to put my egg in an incubator quickly."

Mateo hurried to the barn and found one leaning against the door. He grabbed it and hurried back inside. Bushra was hugging the egg close to her chest, hoping her body heat would warm it up.

She quickly transferred the egg inside. She recalled Sammy saying she had to turn the dial to the number she wanted. Debating on what would be the best temperature, she went with five for now.

"I hope that's warm enough for you Speckles. I promise I'll keep a better eye on you. Mother isn't going to let anyone hurt you," she cooed.

"You're naming your baby, Speckles?" Mateo questioned.

She turned and beamed. "Kenji mentioned my egg had speckles on it. I thought it was a good name."

Mateo told her it was because it would apply to both genders. Bushra didn't understand what he meant, but she just brushed it aside. There was work to be down before they could get back on the road.

Following Sammy's checklist, Mateo was able to square things away with the utilities while alerting the post office to hold Sammy's mail for a month. Bushra used her phone to contact the fence people and arrange for them to come back next month to put up the new fence.

They also contacted another rancher who was friends with the Guterrez's family. He agreed to come over to take care of the animals. Apparently, the truck that was supposed to take the rest of the animals to Alberta had blown the engine.

The company's other animal trucks were presently all being used. So, it would take three weeks for the trucking company to come to the ranch and pick up the animals.

Hopefully, Sammy would find a phone and call the trucking company to let them know they could take the animals while she wasn't present. Both Mateo and Bushra hoped that she and the rest of the group were safe.


Three hours later, Bushra was closing the newly fixed front door to Sammy's home. She had found a spare key and locked it up before putting the key back. Cradling the incubator, Bushra ambled over to Mateo's car.

Using Sammy's instructions, the car was modified now. Part of the passenger seat was removed so she could sit in front. Her tail went through a hole in the base, into the backseat, with the club resting in the trunk. There was some netting in the trunk to prop her tail up so she didn't put too much weight on the back tires.

The hybrid girl placed the incubator on the floor behind the driver's seat. She used some bungee cords to secure it. She didn't want her egg to be damaged if they ran over a pothole.

She put her backpack in the back, then slowly got into the passenger seat. It took a few tries before she managed to get her tail in place. She leaned back thankful that some of her armored back wouldn't be cramped.

"Are you ready to go?" Mateo asked as he slid into the driver's seat. The hybrid teenager nodded. She double checked in the review mirror to make sure her horns were hidden.

"Okay, it's time to take you to Montana. Make sure you're comfortable because this is going to be a long trip." The car started and soon they were on the highway again to Bushra's new home.