JURASSIC PARK III
The Five Deaths

Fanfic by Randy Ravest

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AUTHOR’S NOTE.

I know many people hate it and others not so much. Let’s be honest—it’s not the best plot in the saga. Personally, I love Jurassic Park III. From the moment I first saw the movie cover to watching it with my father in the theater, it became one of the best experiences of my childhood and something that marked me for life—a true cinematic reference for me. I love its cinematography, its color palette, its soundtrack, the cast, the locations, the props, the pacing, the dinosaurs—everything in general… except the script, which could have been much better. For that very reason, I will try to fulfill the dream of many fans. Here is my own version of Jurassic Park III.

With love, from your writer friend,

Randy Ravest

Prologue.

Why did the San Diego incident restore Ian Malcolm’s reputation? To understand that, we must go back to the beginning.

After the incident at the Park, badly injured, Dr. Ian Malcolm was visited at a hospital in Costa Rica by Sarah Harding, a paleobiologist and daughter of Gerry Harding, the head veterinarian of Jurassic Park. Ian told her everything that had happened, ignoring the confidentiality agreement he had signed with InGen. A friendship was born between them, and over time, a romantic relationship. They settled in Austin, Texas. Before visiting Jurassic Park, Ian had been married and had a daughter, Kelly. He later divorced and kept custody of the child.

By 1995, tired of keeping the Park incident a secret and without considering the consequences, Malcolm publicly shared his experience on a famous television program watched by millions. At first, only conspiracy theorists supported him, while the rest of the public dismissed him as a fraud. InGen’s legal representative, Peter Ludlow, defamed him in two major newspapers, claiming Malcolm had been bribed to “sell crazy stories to the press.” Ludlow knew Malcolm was telling the truth, but his purpose was to protect InGen from a criminal investigation. Hammond did not intervene, and the Costa Rican government denied the existence of dinosaurs—animals they had never actually seen.

The University of Austin removed Malcolm from his position and dismissed him. Unemployed, he only had Sarah and Kelly, who always believed him. Even so, his relationship with Sarah was far from perfect. On one occasion, Malcolm stood her up at a dinner with both their parents. In 1997, Malcolm took a temporary assignment in Berkeley, San Francisco, California… and Sarah temporarily moved to 2625 2nd Avenue, apartment no. 111, in New York City.

Having understood the immense damage to Dr. Ian Malcolm’s reputation after revealing what happened at Jurassic Park—and how the world saw him at that time—we arrive in San Diego, California, 1997.

Who in their right mind could have ever imagined something like this? No science fiction or horror film could even come close to such a deranged and unthinkable idea… When mankind believes it has seen everything, achieved everything—when it is certain it knows the limits between the possible and the impossible—reality surpasses fiction and hits you so hard in the face that you forget whether you’re awake or trapped in a terrible nightmare…

A roar echoed through the streets, planting terror in the hearts of San Diego’s inhabitants… the longest, most stormy and endless night in history… There were several deaths, many injured, countless people in shock, panic, and confusion, as well as damage to public and private infrastructure…

What twisted mind was behind such an immense tragedy? Was it an accident?

One thing was certain: dinosaurs do exist. They are real, flesh and blood—an undeniable and irrefutable truth. Malcolm was right… and as he once said to Dr. Grant on a rainy night: “Boy, do I hate being right all the time.”

There they were… breathing, eating, walking, and killing without hesitation… coexisting with humans and reminding them how vulnerable and insignificant they truly are.

Despite everything, San Diego was saved from an even worse catastrophe. Authorities and the press focused on a particular couple—the one seen driving a red convertible Pontiac GTO through the streets. When Ian, Sarah, Kelly, and Nick disembarked from the InGen helicopter in San Diego, the couple left the girl with Nick, who remained at the helipad, while Ian and Sarah stole the car and headed toward the harbor, where the SS Venture was docked. Yes, the Pontiac was stolen—but at that point, it was the least important detail.

Journalists kept asking: Wasn’t that the crazy scientist? The strange, black-clad cripple who used to appear on television talking about monsters on an island? The former laughingstock of the media?

Yes, it was him… the mathematician, the intellectual, the charismatic, talkative, egocentric womanizer dressed in black… the damned know-it-all—Ian Malcolm… and his partner, the doctor, the pioneer, the adventurer, the explorer, the red-haired muse with an independent spirit… the legendary Sarah Harding.

The media went wild, chasing and harassing the family for answers. Now Malcolm had been vindicated, and everyone praised him as a reference figure. His face appeared on every newspaper front page: “Scientist saves San Diego from a terrible catastrophe.”

Dozens of newspapers and television networks demanded interviews with Malcolm, offering thousands—even millions—of dollars. Malcolm promised Sarah that with the money earned from interviews, they would move to a house in the countryside.

Meanwhile, John Hammond feared others would follow his nephew Ludlow’s example and travel to Isla Sorna to capture more animals and exhibit them in zoos. He insisted that Isla Sorna should be declared a restricted zone—a sanctuary for dinosaurs.

To achieve this, he called Sarah Harding and Nick Van Owen to congratulate them and asked them to found the “Dinosaur Protection Group,” alongside environmentalists and members of Greenpeace. Sarah and Nick agreed—Malcolm did not. He strongly disagreed with them and Hammond, ultimately ending his marriage and facing them later at an Environmental Council meeting in the United States Congress.

On one side, Hammond, Nick, Sarah, and Greenpeace representatives demanded a law—the “Genetic Guard Act”—to end dinosaur cloning and experimentation, and to have Costa Rica declare Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna as restricted zones. On the other side, Dr. Ian Malcolm, deeply opposed, argued that both islands should be bombed and the dinosaurs completely eradicated, as they could continue reproducing and eventually reach the mainland, repeating tragedies like those in Costa Rica and San Diego.

Congress deliberated… and rejected any military intervention or bombing, in order to preserve diplomatic relations with Costa Rica. Instead, they approved the Genetic Guard Act and declared both islands restricted zones.

As a result, InGen released a list of species living on the islands. On Sorna, the list was as follows:

INTERNATIONAL GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES

ASSET CATALOG: DECEMBER 7, 1996

DINOSAUR INFORMATION

Property of International Genetic Technologies. Copying and redistribution of this material is strictly prohibited.

Signed by: J. Hammond

CONTENTS

1.1 – Active Dinosaurs [Nublar]

1.2 – Active Dinosaurs [Sorna]

1.3 – Species Profiles

2.1 – Inactive Dinosaurs

3.1 – Established Territories

4.1 – Excavation Sites / Sample Records

4.2 – Amber Mines / Sample Records

ACTIVE DINOSAURS [SORNA]

Population: Previous estimate: Fully populated. NDING estimate of 1993.

UPDATE 1997 REPORT: Since the abandonment of Site B facilities, the dinosaur population count is PENDING.

HERBIVORES

Brachiosaurus: Previous population count: 10. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Mamenchisaurus: Previous population count: 4. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Edmontosaurus: Previous population count: 4. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Parasaurolophus: Previous population count: 13. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Triceratops: Previous population count: 10. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Microceratus: Previous population count: 22. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Stegosaurus: Previous population count: 11. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

CARNIVORES

Tyrannosaurus Rex: Previous population count: 6. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Velociraptor: Previous population count: 18. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Carnotaurus: Previous population count: 2. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Baryonyx: Previous population count: 5. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Dilophosaurus: Previous population count: 12. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Gallimimus: Previous population count: 30. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Procompsognathus: Previous population count: 43. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

Pteranodon: Previous population count: 10. Current population: UNKNOWN. Notes: [UPDATE PENDING]

CHAPTER 1

Grant and Sattler: Is Love Over?

By that time, it’s understood that Dr. Alan Grant had already overcome his aversion to children—Lex and Tim had been his “therapy,” so to speak. Ellie had always held onto the distant hope that Alan might become a good father… and in fact, he had the potential to be one. That, however, was not the reason for their separation. If we are to identify the causes, we could list two.

First, the tragedy on Isla Nublar had deep repercussions on the survivors. It is true that InGen bought their silence, but who could heal the countless nightmares and traumas of the victims? This was the case for Dr. Ellie Sattler. It took years of therapy with psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists to try to erase those images and sounds. Being attacked by a dinosaur in an underground power facility, in narrow corridors, completely alone… is not a pleasant experience, not in the slightest.

Naturally, Dr. Ellie Sattler fought with all her strength to distance herself from everything related to Jurassic Park and dinosaurs. She wanted to turn the page and start over: get married, build a family, hold a baby in her arms, and kiss a husband coming home tired from work—things people do in an ordinary life. And on the other side, there was Alan—and here we move to the second point.

Second, this ordinary life was far removed from Dr. Grant’s perspective. As Juanito, the paleontologist who assisted Donald Gennaro while searching for amber in a cave, once said: “Alan is a digger.” And yes, it’s true—Grant loved that outdoor life, in harsh environments, covered in dirt and dust, unearthing fossils and drinking cans of beer. Although paleontology is somewhat more profitable in the United States, the San Diego incident changed everything. It shook the field and pushed it to a point where it was considered almost unnecessary.

“Why spend money digging up rocks when there’s an island full of living dinosaurs?” some journalists would say. That phrase echoed in Dr. Grant’s mind—it was a threat to his future. As a result, funding for his excavations gradually declined, forcing him to ask for money from universities during his lectures.

Yes, he could have made money talking about Jurassic Park, but the confidentiality clause in the contract signed with InGen was still in effect… and legally binding. If InGen wanted to impose financial penalties on those who broke it, they could do so without issue. The company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and its new executives needed to recover from the disaster—any money would help pay compensation to the victims of San Diego.

Alan knew this very well. For that reason, he always avoided the subject. In fact, he had already received a lawsuit from InGen and a financial penalty for his book about the events of Jurassic Park. His income was not enough to support a family…

And yes, Alan and Ellie talked about these things many times. So, although it may surprise some, they ended their ten-year relationship peacefully and went on with their lives separately. Ellie started a family, and Alan continued searching for fossils… They remained that way—but without losing contact, of course, as good friends.

CHAPTER 2

The “Dino Soar” Parasail

That morning in May 2001, on a beach in Costa Rica, Ben Hildebrand was playing Frisbee with twelve-year-old Eric Kirby. Amanda filmed them with her camera. She had divorced Paul, Eric’s father, years earlier.

It seemed Amanda, now 35, liked older men—but despite being 50, Ben was very energetic and active for his age. He loved sports, just like Amanda… and unlike Paul, Ben was charismatic, cheerful, and playful. At least Eric got along very well with him. Paul, on the other hand, spent most of his time in his hardware store in Enid, Oklahoma—“Kirby Paint & Tile Plus”—and didn’t like sports. He didn’t even know how to swim.

Eric had always been a dinosaur enthusiast. He had read many books on the subject—Dr. Grant’s was his favorite, especially the first one, before the island incident, since the nesting system of Maiasaura seemed far more promising than a story filled with death. He never stopped talking about it…

And that’s when Ben came up with a “brilliant” idea: to sail very close to Isla Sorna. Needless to say, even though Amanda loved danger, she completely disapproved. So that same morning, after playing Frisbee, Ben and Eric went out for a “boat ride”… but what Amanda didn’t know was that Ben planned to hire a boatman to tow him parasailing and carry out his reckless plan.

—Do you know where it is? —Ben asked the boatman in a light blue shirt.

—Friend… everyone knows where it is. It’s a restricted zone. Nobody is allowed there—planes patrol it all the time. People who get close never come back. That’s what the legend of the Five Deaths says —replied the Costa Rican fisherman in good English.

Ben lifted his camera case, opened it slightly, and discreetly showed him a stack of bills. The fisherman’s eyes shifted toward it.

—Get in —he said.

Ben and Eric boarded the boat. The boy smiled nervously as they moved away from the shore.

Floating on the blue waters, the fisherman—Carlos—and his assistant, Santiago, scanned the skies with binoculars. A white plane passed by. They continued.

Carlos handed Ben the harness, and he secured it around himself, attaching Eric’s harness to his own. The rope was hooked in place.

—Get as close to the island as you can—I’ll tip you well if you give me a good ride! —Ben shouted.

—I’ll get as close as I can! But not too close—you don’t want to get eaten! —Carlos replied.

Ben counted to three, pulled the release, and they soared into the sky. Eric shouted with excitement.

Up in the air, Ben took out the camcorder.

—Do you see anything? —Eric asked.

—No, nothing yet —Ben replied.

That’s when things went wrong.

Carlos saw a thick fog covering a reef and heard loud crashing sounds—like waves hitting rocks… but were they waves? The water level there was too low. Fearing they might run aground, he ordered Santiago to steer right to avoid a large rock. The boat bounced violently.

Carlos had a bad feeling. He just wanted to get out of there. The legend of the Five Deaths echoed in his mind…

Suddenly, something emerged from the water.

It looked like a crocodile standing on two legs atop the reef rocks, with a large sail on its back. The creature stretched its forelimbs and grabbed the boat, its claws piercing the roof. The impact was brutal—Santiago was thrown forward, sliding toward the bow… and before he could jump, the reptile seized Carlos in its jaws, splattering blood across the deck.

Up above, Ben and Eric only felt violent jerks. They couldn’t see anything through the fog… except the blood-covered boat still moving forward—straight toward another reef.

—We’re going to crash! —Eric screamed.

—I’ll cut the rope! Hands off! —Ben said, keeping his composure, and released the line just before impact.

He steered the parasail toward the island—the only option.

The trees grew larger… until they crashed into one.

Ben took the worst of it—a branch pierced his thigh, severing his femoral artery. They were left hanging, suspended about two meters above the ground.

—I’m going to drop you —Ben said.

Eric fell onto some plants.

—Are you okay?

—Yes… the camera’s still on —Eric said, turning it off. —Can you free yourself?

Then a small creature appeared. It looked like a tiny lizard.

Eric stepped back.

—Relax… that little guy won’t hurt you —Ben joked.

Then another appeared. And another. And another.

They surrounded them.

—I’m scared, Ben… —Eric whispered.

One of them bit him.

—Run, Eric! —Ben shouted.

Eric ran into the jungle, a few compies chasing him. The rest climbed the tree, descended along the parasail, and attacked Ben… who, under the numbing effect of their bites, stopped resisting.

Eric ran, crying, wiping tears with his sleeve… until he slipped down a slope. He lay there for a moment, then limped toward what looked like a clearing.

It was a worker village.

He hid inside the tank of a tanker truck.

CHAPTER 3

The Police Station

The pilot of the white plane patrolling Isla Sorna spotted the stranded boat on the reef and reported it via radio to San Juan airport and Costa Rica’s police force—the Fuerza Pública.

Authorities began an investigation using photographs taken by the co-pilot, identifying the owners: Carlos Benamburg and Santiago Montenegro. Witnesses confirmed they had last been seen with two American clients—a man and a boy. Coordinates placed them southwest of Sorna.

Night fell.

Amanda Kirby checked her watch repeatedly and went down to reception.

—Excuse me… have you seen a man and a boy come into the hotel? Eric Kirby, my son, and my boyfriend Ben Hildebrand—have you seen them? —she asked anxiously.

—What were they wearing? —the receptionist asked in English.

—Eric had a red long-sleeve shirt, he’s twelve… Ben was wearing a white floral shirt, like a guayabera—please, have you seen them?

The receptionist shook his head.

—Are you sure? Could you check the cameras? They left this morning and haven’t come back. I’ve called them many times… no answer. I was even thinking of calling the police…

—Mrs. Kirby, I’m sure I haven’t seen them. But given what you’ve told me… perhaps you should call the police. I can call for you if you’d like.

He handed her the phone.

—Costa Rica Police, good afternoon. How can I help you?

—Yes… my son and my boyfriend are missing —Amanda said.

—What time did they leave?

—Early morning… eight or nine…

—Did they say where they were going?

—No… just a boat ride…

—Where are you now?

—At a hotel. Sonesta Jacó.

—Stay there. We’ll send a patrol.

At the station, Amanda repeated her statement. Eric Kirby and Ben Hildebrand were officially declared missing.

A large man in a black suit approached her.

—Mrs. Kirby, I’m Commissioner Pedro Quesada. I have bad news… It appears Mr. Hildebrand hired an illegal tour service. Two fishermen took them to a restricted island—Sorna. Come with me.

He pointed to a map.

—Our pilot found their boat stranded here… We recovered Santiago Montenegro’s body—but no sign of your son or Mr. Hildebrand. We believe the boat was attacked by a large animal. There were claw marks on the structure.

Amanda collapsed into a chair.

—Do you know where they are?

—No, ma’am.

—Can you go find them?

—Even if we wanted to… no one can approach that island.

—Why not?!

—We don’t have the equipment. Haven’t you heard about the San Diego incident? That giant dinosaur? That island is full of them. Costa Rica has no army. I recommend contacting your embassy. There’s nothing more we can do… I’m truly sorry.

Amanda stared at him in disbelief.

—You must be… you can’t… please, you have to go…

She grabbed his shirt… then collapsed, breaking into uncontrollable sobs as officers rushed to assist her.

Outside, people gathered, watching silently through the glass.

CHAPTER 4

Mr. Udesky

Devastated, lying on the floor of her hotel room, Amanda’s eyes wandered across every corner, thinking of who else she could ask for help…

She remembered Paul.

A chill ran through her. She didn’t want to call him—they always argued, and it made her feel terrible. It was obvious Paul would scold her and finish with “I told you so.” After all, from the beginning, Paul Kirby had disapproved of Ben Hildebrand’s reckless behavior.

But… as much as she hated to admit it, Paul had been right. Again.

He never exceeded speed limits, never did anything risky—he behaved like an old man. Still, Amanda couldn’t deny he was a good father… a responsible one who deserved to know what had happened to his son.

She gathered her courage and called him.

She told him everything.

To her surprise, Paul didn’t scold her. On the contrary, he was deeply concerned and said he would go to the embassy for help.

Paul Kirby contacted authorities and managed to reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A man named Mark Degler answered—he sounded young, though he was about 42.

—Mr. Degler, this is Paul Kirby. I need your help.

—Good afternoon, Mr. Kirby. I’m Mark Degler, secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How can I assist you?

Paul explained everything, his hands trembling.

—Near which island did they disappear?

—Sorna… Isla Sorna.

—Alright… I’ll speak with the minister and call you back.

Hours passed. Paul didn’t go to his hardware store that day—he couldn’t think about anything else.

The phone rang.

—Yes? Any news?

—Yes, Mr. Kirby… and I’m afraid it’s not good. The island is indeed a restricted zone. It belongs to Costa Rica, but it is currently leased by Mazrani Global, a biotechnology company that acquired the former InGen—the creators of the famous Jurassic Park dinosaurs. We contacted a representative, and he stated the island is not part of their active properties. No one has visited it for obvious reasons, and they will not be involved.

—What does that mean?!

—Mr. Kirby… we’ve done everything we can. There’s no option left but to accept the inevitable.

—WHAT?! This must be a joke! You have planes, tanks, weapons—why can’t you send an army?!

—We tried once. In 1997, InGen deployed troops to that island. Less than a third returned. A dozen men died. Sending more would be pointless… do you understand?

Furious, Paul slammed the phone down.

His desperate sobs filled the room.

With no options left, Paul remembered a customer—Mr. Newman, a veteran. He called him.

After a brief exchange, Newman said:

—I might know someone… Mr. Udesky. Write this down.

Paul called the number.

—Hello… Mr. Udesky?

—Who is this?

—Paul Kirby. I need your help. My son is missing on an island in Costa Rica—Sorna.

—Sorna… I’ve heard of it… oh… damn. I can’t help you.

—Please! I’ll pay you! You’re our last hope!

—You understand you’re asking for something illegal, right?

—Yes… I know. It’s dangerous. We might not come back alive. I understand. That’s why I’ll pay you well.

Silence.

—Alright… first, you must sign a confidentiality agreement.

—Agreed.

—Second… I know some ex-military men. Tough guys. I can get three. You’ll need to pay all four of us—twenty thousand each. Eighty thousand total.

Paul hesitated.

—Half now… half after the mission.

—Excuse me? You’re not in a position to negotiate.

—There are people who take advantage of desperation. I won’t be one of them.

Pause.

—…Fine. We’ll stay in contact.

CHAPTER 5

The Five Deaths

Amanda walked along the dock where Benamburg’s boat had last departed and approached a group of fishermen.

—Excuse me… did you know the fishermen who disappeared?

—Yes. Who are you?

—Amanda Kirby. The missing boy’s mother.

—We’re just fishermen. We don’t organize illegal tours.

—Please… I’m not accusing you. I just want to know what happened.

—Same as you. A man paid for a boat ride. They never came back.

—What do you know about Isla Sorna?

—The Five Deaths… it’s an archipelago of five islands.

—Why that name?

—An old legend. The Mayans said warriors lived there. The cruelest killed a tribe, and the gods punished him—offered five ways to die. He chose all five. One death per island. That’s why they’re called that. They’re cursed. I won’t say more.

—Do you know anyone who could take me there?

—No!

Amanda walked away, defeated.

Back at the hotel, she called Paul.

—I found someone. He’s assembling a team. Don’t tell anyone.

—Alright…

Later, Udesky met Paul at a restaurant and handed him a confidentiality contract.

—We’re missing one more person—a guide. Someone who’s been there before. Malcolm, Harding, Grant, or Sattler.

—I’ll handle that.

They shook hands.

—The money —Udesky reminded him.

—I’ll transfer it.

—No. Cash. No trace.

Paul nodded.

—I’ll have it this week.

—Here.

CHAPTER 6

Alan Grant

When he got home, Paul Kirby searched online for contact information for Malcolm, Harding, Grant, or Sattler. He found nothing and grew frustrated… He got his things together and went to pick Amanda up at the airport—she was supposed to arrive that day.

Once back home, Paul told her everything they had so far.

—So how are we going to find those scientists? —Amanda asked, sitting at the dining table.

—I don’t know. I searched online—nothing… Eric used to talk about Grant… wait —Paul suddenly remembered. He jumped up and rushed to the bookshelf.

—What are you looking for? —Amanda asked.

—Eric’s book.

—It’s in his room —Amanda said. Paul ran upstairs.

He grabbed the book titled “Dinosaur Detectives,” a nationwide bestseller written by Dr. Alan Grant and Michael Baches. He checked the back cover… the publisher’s name: Workman Publishing.

—That’s it—the publisher’s phone number! —Paul said excitedly and made the call.

—Good afternoon, this is Paul Kirby. I need some information.

—Good afternoon, Workman Publishing. How may we assist you?

—A few years ago, Dr. Alan Grant published a book with your company. I need to contact him regarding business.

—I see… we only have an email address. Let me check… here it is—write this down: dr.alangrant@yahoo.com.

Paul wrote it down.

The email read:

“Good afternoon, Dr. Grant. My name is Paul Kirby, from Kirby Enterprises, a company dedicated to the import and export of raw materials. My wife Amanda and I would be delighted to invite you to our 13th anniversary. We are looking for something very special and would like to request your services, which will be well compensated. We look forward to hearing from you.”

—Paul Kirby

And the reply came:

“Good afternoon. Dr. Alan Grant is currently traveling, but I will pass along your message.”

—Billy Brennan

—Alright, Amanda… we’ll find Grant. He wants nothing to do with Jurassic Park, so we’ll have to trick him.

—Are you talking about kidnapping him? —Amanda asked, alarmed.

—Something like that. We need to invent a believable story and rehearse it. I’m a wealthy businessman, owner of Kirby Enterprises. We have no children. We’ve traveled everywhere—the Nile, the Galápagos, K2… we even have tickets for the first trip to the Moon. We’re an eccentric couple—do you understand?

—Will we use the same names?

—Yes. We’ll just lie about being rich and childless. Nothing more.

Amanda nodded.

CHAPTER 7

Ellie Sattler

South Pasadena, California. A large house with a beautifully maintained green garden.

Little Charlie played with toy dinosaurs under Alan’s watchful eye. It was amusing—Charlie called him “the dinosaur man.”

Charlie made a Brachiosaurus fight a Triceratops.

—No, Charlie, that one’s a herbivore—they wouldn’t fight each other. But these two are carnivores, and they’d love to fight. They use their teeth and claws to tear each other apart —Alan said, playing with a Megalosaurus and a raptor.

Ellie overheard from behind.

—Alan… he’s three. Wait until he’s older —she said softly, smiling, holding her baby boy on her hip.

—Haha, you’re right. Sorry, Charlie.

Ellie laughed.

—I remember when you scared that kid in the Montana Badlands…

—Haha, the chubby kid who said the raptor was a six-foot turkey… do you think I’m still that bad guy?

—No, you’re not.

Their moment was interrupted.

—Ellie, it’s Tom—he wants to talk about the last chapter —said the babysitter, handing her the phone.

—Tell him I won’t remove Jack Horner’s “chicken-lizard” quote —Ellie joked. —My editor thinks he’s a paleontologist.

—Ah… that experiment. I found something—I’ll tell you later —Alan said, hearing a car arrive.

—Hi, Mark! Look who’s here, baby! —Ellie greeted her husband with a kiss.

Alan felt a sharp pain in his chest but hid it behind a polite smile.

—Hi, Mark.

—Nice to meet you, Alan.

—Dad, this one’s a herbivore, and he’s the dinosaur man! —Charlie blurted out, breaking the tension.

At dinner, Alan tried talking to Jack, the family’s red macaw.

—Jack, say my name… Alan…

—Haha, he doesn’t remember you —Ellie laughed.

—He used to…

Mark sat down.

—Alan, did you know Mark works for the government?

—No—what do you do?

—International relations. Treaties and such.

Alan drifted into thought…

Later, Alan and Ellie talked privately.

—What are you studying?

—Raptors.

—My favorites… —Ellie said, uneasy.

—Do you remember the sounds they made?

—Alan… I try not to.

—Right… sorry. But we discovered something. We scanned a Utahraptor skull—it had a resonance chamber… complex.

—So we were right? They could vocalize?

—That’s the key to their social intelligence.

—That’s how they hunted in packs…

—And coordinated attacks.

—They talked to each other…

—More than we ever imagined. More intelligent than dolphins… even primates.

Ellie stared, stunned.

That night, Alan got into his car.

—I just want you to know… if you ever need help, call me. Anytime —Ellie said.

—Thank you.

—You’re still the best.

Alan felt a sting in his chest.

—Maybe I’m the last of my kind —he joked.

As he drove away, he thought:

“I’d ask for your help, Ellie… but the love I needed from you… you can’t give me anymore.”

At noon, in the Auditorium of Thorne Hall at Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, between Los Angeles and Pasadena. The large auditorium waited eagerly and hungrily for Doctor Grant’s lecture; it was supposed to be in the morning and it was already noon. There had been a delay with the acquisition and exhibition of the raptor fossils, and Doctor Grant waited impatiently... Alan stepped onto the stage and fixed his hair a little.

—Doctor Grant, welcome, go ahead—invited the Geology professor.

—Thank you for waiting—said Alan, approaching the microphone and looking at the hundred students and professors, very expectant and attentive despite everything.

—Well, let me introduce myself, I am Doctor Alan Grant, a vertebrate paleontologist from the University of Alberta, Canada, with a specialization in theropod dinosaurs. My specific field of study is the clade Maniraptora and the family Dromaeosauridae, what we commonly call “raptors.” In general, it was always believed that dinosaurs were cold-blooded reptiles or ectotherms, large, clumsy, slow, not very intelligent, etc. That image was refuted in the 1970s, after the discovery of Deinonychus by Doctor John Ostrom. That’s when the dinosaur renaissance began, carried forward by my colleagues Doctors Jack Horner and Robert Bakker, among others. Today we are very clear that there were smaller, more graceful dinosaurs, with a more active lifestyle and somewhat more intelligent than we believed. Doctor Horner proposed that their hunting system was even very similar to that of modern wolves. There are other paleontologists who have refuted this, apparently, arguing that raptors and almost all theropods did not plan hunting strategies, but rather hunts driven by occasional cooperation, as current diapsids do, I mean crocodiles and lizards, not birds, of course. On the other hand, my colleague, the paleontologist Gregory S. Paul, has proposed that almost all Maniraptora could be descendant lineages of taxa such as Archaeopteryx, that is, that raptors could be larger Archaeopterygids that lost the ability to fly. Other, more daring colleagues have even claimed that all raptors were in fact birds. Well... today is a before and after in all this debate... with my colleague, the paleontologist Billy Brennan, and our team, who are currently at an excavation in Badlands, Montana, we have scanned the almost complete skull of a known taxon, Utahraptor, and we discovered a strange cavity. We believe it is a very elaborate resonance chamber... or at least it would fulfill certain structures that would facilitate very complex communication and an exciting correlation between the upper palate and the larynx... this leads us to the theory—and only the theory—that Utahraptor, and by extension Velociraptor, was capable of performing advanced articulations that could present a tremendous evolutionary advantage. Raptors were fierce, intelligent, and socially very sophisticated; they hunted in large numbers and coordinated their efforts. If it weren’t for the cataclysmic events that reached them, it is possible that raptors, and not humans, would have become the dominant species on this planet. I hope this has been of interest to you. This definitely excites us a lot as paleontologists, but there is much, much more to discover, and for that we need resources... and we ask for... your support... thank you—concluded Doctor Alan Grant’s speech. This was followed by a lukewarm applause from the audience, and one or two who couldn’t stand the hunger and went off to have lunch.

—We thank you very much, Doctor Grant, now, does anyone have a question?—the professor intervened, and all hands went up; apparently many of them were his fans and just wanted an autograph.

—Right... I’ll be honest—does anyone have a question that has nothing to do with Jurassic Park?—Grant asked, and half of those present lowered their hands.

—And please nothing related to the San Diego incident, which I did not witness—he ruled out... only two students kept their hands up.

—Yes, sir—Alan gave the floor, and another professor handed him the microphone.

—Doctor Grant, I admit your theory about raptors is good, but... let’s be realistic—don’t you think you’re wasting your time? When the UN decides what to do with Sorna, the second island, the scientists—I mean geneticists—will go and seek their own theories, much better than yours, with living raptors—the young man countered. Alan felt intense heat at the back of his neck and a surge of tension and anger; he realized how all the muscles in his face and abdomen tightened. “You insolent fool! Who do you think you are?! That the work of centuries, everything we’ve invested and lost, was in vain?! I’d come down there right now and give you a proper punch, for being so insolent. Control yourself, Alan, control yourself, everyone is watching you, be professional, be professional,” he told himself.

—Sir... please... dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago. The only thing we have of them are fossils in the rocks, and in the rocks is where real scientists make real discoveries. What John Hammond did at Jurassic Park was manipulate genetic engineering at his whim to manufacture prehistoric monsters, hybrids that, in short, are unreal—false dinosaurs—he replied with great formality, holding back all his fury.

—Does that mean you wouldn’t like to visit that island and study them if you had the opportunity, I mean to test your theories?—another student asked.

—And who could come back alive? No, not for all the money in the world would I set foot on that island—Grant concluded.

—Well, that’s very drastic—the young woman observed, and Grant stepped down from the stage to sign autographs and copies of his books. Everyone formed a line, and it was the turn of the “Insolent kid,” who presented him with a copy of his book, the second one.

—Hello Doctor Grant, I’m White Hirtford, do you remember me?—the opportunist asked.

—No... next—he signed it and dismissed him.

—I’m the one who said “The raptor doesn’t scare me, because it’s a two-meter turkey,” remember?—the young man prompted.

—Ah, it’s you... and were you always this intrusive?—Alan complained.

—Doctor Grant, I’m a journalist; my job is to ask intrusive questions. How have you been all these years?—Hirtford explained and asked.

—Ah... I see, I’m sorry. Uh... well, I can’t complain, everything is still the same as always—said Alan briefly.

—Ah... I understand, funds are low... if you want, I could invite you to our program, we’d pay you for an interview, it might not be much, but—White offered.

—An interview about what?—Alan asked.

—About a topic you don’t like—the journalist revealed.

—Ah... look, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about Jurassic Park, there’s a confidentiality agreement with InGen—Grant said; the others waited in line, somewhat bored.

—Ah... that’s why. I read that InGen is bankrupt, Doctor Grant, and is planning to be bought by Masrani Global—White informed.

—Exactly, they would sue anyone to get every last cent. Sir, there are people waiting—Grant emphasized, pointing at those in line. White said goodbye and left.

Chapter 8.

Nash and Cooper

Meanwhile, at an aircraft boneyard on Mirage Airport Road 20020, about 20 miles from Victorville, California, Master Sergeant Michael Nash finished painting the cockpit window of an old white jet.

—What do we have here, Nashi?—asked Cooper, a former Green Beret, lying on the ground, fully focused as he aimed a large rifle mounted on a Harris bipod.

—The “Iron Horn,” a gas-operated, semi-automatic subsonic rifle with a 10-round magazine. It fires 20mm incendiary rounds with high explosive power… rotating bolt. It also has an AN/PAS-13 thermal scope and a multi-port muzzle brake—Michael Nash explained quickly.

The ringtone of a satellite phone kept playing… the “Kirby Paint & Tile Plus” jingle, until Udesky answered.

—Udesky—he said, dropping down from some supports.

—Mr. Udesky, this is Paul Kirby. Any news?—his client greeted him.

—Ah, Mr. Kirby, we’re all set here, and we’ll finish the rest as soon as I receive the payment—Udesky said calmly as he walked out of an abandoned cargo plane.

—Yes, don’t worry about that. Did you get the men?—Kirby asked.

—Yes, sir. The two best assets I could find—Udesky replied.

—Have you worked with them before?—Kirby pressed.

—No, I haven’t personally worked with them before, but I assure you they are completely professional—Udesky guaranteed.

Cooper disengaged the rifle’s safety, braced the stock against his shoulder, aimed, and fired… the shot was barely audible—until the nose of the old jet exploded into pieces. Cooper and Nash smiled at their boss.

—Mr. Udesky, are you alright?—Kirby asked, alarmed.

—Don’t worry, sir. This will be like “a walk in the park”—Udesky reassured him with a grin.

What they didn’t know was that Paul Kirby had sold almost everything: his beloved van, his fishing gear, tools—he was even close to selling his hardware store, his house, and taking out several loans… he didn’t go that far, because he needed something left for the second payment… but he sold nearly everything… to recover what mattered most… his family.

Chapter 9.

Billy Brennan

At an excavation site near Fort Peck Lake, Montana, Cheryl Logan, a 27-year-old geology student, carefully brushed the femur of a Deinonychus… until her recent boyfriend, Billy Brennan—a kind and friendly young man in his late twenties—lay down beside her.

—Billy, I think I’m doing it wrong—Cheryl said.

—Try using the brush gently… take it slow—Billy advised.

—I never know if it’s bone or rock—Cheryl confessed.

—Technically, it’s all rock. Calcium gets replaced after fossilization and becomes calcium carbonate. But you can feel the difference—he took her hand and guided her finger over the rock—rough… then over the fossil—smooth… rough and smooth, haha—Billy explained, exchanging romantic glances with Cheryl.

—Dr. Grant!—Billy suddenly said, standing up and walking toward him, reluctantly leaving Cheryl behind.

—Mr. Brennan!—Alan greeted from atop a hill, stepping down from his truck.

—So? How did it go?—Billy asked, closing the truck door marked with the logo: “Museum of the Rockies: Department of Paleontology.”

—It’s not too late for you to study economics, Billy—Grant said gloomily.

—That good, huh?—Billy asked.

—Worse. We have to pack up in four weeks—Grant announced.

—Three. I had to rent equipment. Do you like computers?—Billy added with concern.

—Billy… you know I stopped at the abacus—Grant joked.

Inside the tent, a 3D printer connected to an extension cord was hard at work producing an acrylic silicone piece.

—This is a 3D printer. It scanned the fossil we extracted and now it’s creating a mold or replica—Billy explained. The machine finished, and Brennan removed the completed mold.

—Dr. Grant… I present to you the resonance chamber of a Velociraptor. Listen—Billy said proudly, blowing through the cavity… a strange, primitive sound came out. He blew again, producing the same sound. Alan frowned, impressed, and took the piece.

—This is… impressive, Billy. It’s a shame it’s too late—if you had presented this at the conference…—Grant said sadly.

—Dr. Grant!—a well-dressed man wearing expensive glasses interrupted from outside the tent—I'm Paul Kirby, from Kirby Enterprises… hello, Billy—he introduced himself, greeting Billy as if they already knew each other. Grant shot Billy a questioning look.

—How can I help you, Mr. Kirby?—Alan asked.

—Well, first I wanted to say I truly admire your work, and I have a proposal I’d like to discuss with you. Would you like to join my wife and me for dinner tonight? My treat—he invited.

—Mr. Kirby, I’d love to, but I just arrived and I’m very tired from the trip… maybe another day—Grant declined, shaking his head.

—Trust me, Dr. Grant, it’ll be worth it—Kirby insisted.

—We accept—Billy intervened. Alan looked at him, very uncomfortable.

—Good. Where would you like to go?—Kirby asked.

—There’s a bar here in Jordan—Billy replied.

—Alright. Nine o’clock?—Paul confirmed. Billy and Grant nodded. Kirby left, and Grant gestured for Brennan to go back inside the tent.

—You already knew him?—Grant confronted him.

—Sort of… two days ago he sent an email requesting your services and offering good pay. I told him you were traveling. I was going to tell you, but you just got here—Brennan explained.

—My services? And you trust them? I mean, you’ve never seen them before—Grant pressed, suspicious.

—Dr. Grant… we don’t have any other options… this came down from heaven, you know it—Billy insisted nervously.

—This is about Cheryl, isn’t it? You want to marry her?—Alan asked.

—It’s about everything, doctor… her, our future, our work—and your theory. Everything—Billy defended.

Alan sighed.

Chapter 10.

The Bar.

The Kirbys invited them to the Hell Creek Bar, 502 Main Street, in Jordan—a bar in a town of 350 inhabitants along Highway 200 in the wild regions of eastern Montana.

Alan and Billy walked in through the front door, and “Big Hat” by Randy Newman was playing on the record player, a tune that was half country and half Hawaiian. The Kirby couple were waiting for them at a table about ten meters away.

—Alright, we’re adventurers and we’ve traveled to the Nile, Galápagos, K2, and we have tickets for the first commercial flight to the Moon—Amanda whispered, rehearsing.

—Yes, that’s it, they’re coming—Paul said, encouraging and alerting her.

—Hello, Doctor, still digging holes?—a man at the bar greeted Grant, who gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

They shook hands. Mrs. Kirby had short blonde hair, a beautiful pearl necklace, and a white blouse. She was very young and beautiful, only five years older than Billy, while the age difference with Paul Kirby was quite noticeable, though he was no less elegant.

—What would you like to drink?—Kirby asked.

—Bring me the usual—Alan told the waitress before sitting down.

—Same here—Billy added.

—We’ve admired your work for years—Kirby said.

—I think it’s very inspiring—Mrs. Kirby added.

—Amanda and I are adventurers, and we’ve taken every trip imaginable: the Nile, Galápagos, K2—Mr. Kirby listed. Alan resisted making a face of disgust. “Now I remember why I stayed away from people like these, John,” he thought. He disliked wealthy people because they reminded him of John Hammond.

—We even have tickets reserved for the first commercial flight to the Moon—Amanda Kirby said excitedly, opening her large, beautiful blue eyes, a detail that caught Billy’s attention, who quickly looked away.

—And for our anniversary we want to do something very special, something spectacular—Kirby announced.

—Something unforgettable—said Mrs. Kirby.

—So I rented a plane to fly over Isla Sorna, and we want you to be our guide—Kirby revealed. Alan leaned back uncomfortably, and Billy watched him nervously. Their beer mugs were brought over, and Alan smiled at the waitress.

—I'm flattered, Mr. Kirby, but as you know, I’m a very busy man. However, I can recommend several highly qualified and very experienced guides—Alan offered.

—No, no, no… you’re the best. You’ve seen them up close. No one has your experience—Kirby rejected the idea.

—You won’t be able to get low enough to see anything of real interest—Grant warned them.

—Actually, that’s the best part, because we have permission to fly low—Amanda Kirby said.

—And how low can you fly?—Billy demanded, suspicious.

—Well, I’m not an aviation expert, but no one can go lower than we can—Paul Kirby said quickly, with a broad smile.

—Basically, I understand it’s as low as we want—Amanda answered.

—Nah… that’s hard to believe—Alan disagreed, taking a sip of beer.

—Doctor Grant… in my business work—imports, exports, and trade deals—I’ve made some well-connected friends. In this case, the Costa Rican government—Kirby tried to persuade him. Alan hesitated and kept drinking his beer.

—Doctor Grant, you have no idea how important it is for us that you come along. It wouldn’t be the same without you—Mrs. Kirby pleaded. Billy smiled awkwardly and wiped his smile by scratching his nose.

—Mrs. Kirby, I… no—Alan tried to say, clearly uncomfortable and displeased.

—And we would also love to contribute to your research, so—Kirby pulled out his checkbook, and Amanda opened her eyes wide with excitement—I’ll write whatever you tell me on this check, Doctor Grant… so? How much do you want?—Kirby offered.

A knot tightened in Alan’s throat, and butterflies filled his stomach… it felt like falling in love again. “Ten thousand, forty thousand, or ninety thousand dollars? Easy, Alan, easy.” Alan looked at Billy, and he swallowed nervously.

—How about one hundred thousand dollars?—Grant proposed, as if testing him. Some people glanced at the table with curiosity.

—Perfect! One hundred thousand it is—Paul accepted very casually.

—Wait a moment, I need to speak with my colleague—Grant said, taking Billy aside to a corner of the bar, almost outside.

—One hundred thousand dollars! Damn it, Doctor, that’s a lot of money—Brennan blurted out excitedly.

—Calm down, Billy. Not everything that glitters is gold. Do you have internet on your computer to verify this information?—Alan asked.

—Yes, Doctor, but I have very poor signal—Billy said.

—Alright, check it. Until we know, we’ll tell them we’ll think about it—Grant decided, and they returned to the table.

—Mr. Kirby, for now we can’t confirm anything. We need to arrange a few things—Grant declined. Paul and Amanda looked at each other.

—Doctor Grant, it’s just that… we’re leaving tomorrow. Everything is ready—we can’t wait any longer—Kirby said. Grant pressed his lips anxiously.

—Alright… we accept—Alan said, and Billy sighed in relief.

—Excellent! Let’s make a toast to that—Paul celebrated, and they clinked their mugs.

On the way back to the hostel where they were staying, Grant insisted that Billy investigate the Kirbys.

Brennan searched “Paul Kirby” on an internet portal on his computer, and a list of results appeared. The first was “Kirby Paints” with a logo, but no photos of the Kirbys. Another result was a page titled “Album of Our Travels,” showing the Kirbys in those places: one in the Nile, another in Galápagos, and another on K2.

—Doctor Grant, it’s true, these people didn’t lie—Billy reported, and Grant nodded, satisfied.

But the photographs had been faked by a vendor who worked in a shop across from Paul’s hardware store—a good friend of his… Kirby had left nothing to chance.

Chapter 11.

Sorna.

The rented twin-engine jet, model Super King Air 200, took off from an airfield and crossed the blue skies over the Pacific Ocean along the west coast of Costa Rica.

The company that built it was Beechcraft, and its specifications were as follows:

• Cabin configuration: Standard instrument cockpit.

• Seating: 5 to 11.

• Tail number: N622DC

• Engine type: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A, 1,050 shp

• Cruise speed: 315 kts, 363 mph, 583 km/h

• Service ceiling: 35,000 feet, 10,668 m

• Length: 46.7 feet, 14.23 m

• Height: 14.3 feet, 4.36 m

Sergeant Michael Nash was piloting alongside Udesky. Behind them sat Paul and Amanda, followed by Billy and Alan, and behind them, Cooper, seated at the back, wearing dark sunglasses and looking sleep-deprived and hungover, nodding off slightly… it seemed he had gone partying the night before, as if he would never do it again in his life.

—That backpack, Billy… with what I pay you, can’t you buy a better one?—Alan complained. He looked tense and nervous. Billy smiled.

—No way, it’s lucky… this backpack is special… it saved my life. Once we were climbing in New Zealand, on a rock wall… and a gust of wind hit me so hard it slammed me against the rock—Billy recounted.

—That doesn’t sound very lucky—Alan joked skeptically.

—This simple strap got hooked on a thick branch while I was falling—Billy explained briefly, with some nostalgia.

—Ah, I see… reverse Darwinism, “the survival of the dumbest”—Alan joked.

—I just want to thank you for bringing me—Billy said.

—The bones will still be there when you get back, that’s the best part, bones don’t run away—he leaned closer—what is certain… is that you got me into this and I have no intention of staying alone with these people—Alan whispered, somewhat worried—don’t get too excited, Billy, you might not see anything. Now start socializing. Wake me up when we get there—and he covered his face with his hat to sleep and relax a bit.

—Where did you meet the Kirbys?—Billy asked the man sitting behind him. He thought for two seconds.

—At church—Cooper said plainly, without smiling and very casually.

As they drifted among the clouds… Alan sensed a strange stench… familiar sounds… he opened his eyes. No one was piloting the plane… was it on autopilot? “Alan,” he looked to his side… there it was… a raptor staring at him. Alan jumped… it was Billy tapping his shoulder.

—Alan, wake up, we’re here—Billy said.

Alan let out a nervous smile and looked out the window.

The jet passed through the cloud layer and turned toward Sorna.

“Unidentified aircraft approaching Sorna Island, this is San Juan airport, you are flying over restricted airspace, change your flight path immediately, I repeat…” the air traffic controller managed to say before Udesky turned off the radio.

The plane approached the island from the west side, passing over a reef and a large rock… yes, it was the same place where the boat accident had occurred. It crossed over a series of green volcanic hills and mountains, similar to those found on certain ranches in Kauai (Hawaii), as well as forests of native trees… Amanda looked out the window and saw a river in a lush green jungle… the plane flew over a forest of thin-trunked trees and over an open clearing of bright green grass…

In one corner… a herd of crested, duck-billed dinosaurs.

—God, I had forgotten—Alan said, and Billy let out a joyful laugh.

The Corythosaurs and Parasaurolophus ran at full speed across the countryside, frightened by the plane’s engines, like giant green cattle being chased across a vast ranch… there were also families of Stegosaurus and the immense Brachiosaurus… Billy had always wanted to see them alive. He was tired of looking at rocks and hearing Alan’s tragic stories and his disdain for these animals created by InGen… now he could write his own impressions, his own book, so he took out his camera and photographed as much as he could through the window… it would make a great photographic archive for his book… maybe selling those photos could earn him some money.

—Alright, we did it—Paul whispered to Amanda. She nodded.

—Cooper, if you see anything let us know, okay?—Udesky asked, assuming Cooper was still groggy and dazed.

—No, I’ll keep it to myself!—Cooper joked irritably.

—Haha… up ahead there’s a herd of brachiosaurus and their alpha male leading them—Alan began his private tour.

—Udesky, Nash, what’s ahead, anything?—Paul asked.

—Nothing yet, Mr. Kirby—Udesky replied.

—Haha please! Look Mrs. Kirby, there’s a group of triceratops—Grant pointed out before being interrupted.

—Mr. Kirby, there’s open ground ahead, do you want me to land now?—Nash, the pilot, asked.

—No, no, no… first I want to circle around and tour the entire island—Paul corrected.

—You can’t land on the island! What are you talking about?—Alan asked, alarmed.

—Calm down, Dr. Grant—Paul Kirby said simply.

—You can’t land on the island!—Alan shouted loudly.

—Yes, Dr. Grant, calm down—Paul repeated. Amanda echoed him nervously.

—Damn it! Are you crazy?! Don’t land!—Alan shouted, standing up and running toward the cockpit in a desperate attempt to grab the controls and redirect the plane. At that moment, Cooper stood up, pulled out his gun, and struck Alan on the back of the head, knocking him out… Kirby managed to catch him before he hit the floor. Billy stood up and kicked Cooper in the back, hoping to disarm him, but Cooper regained his balance and pointed the gun at him.

—Easy… I surrender—Billy said, raising his hands and returning to his seat.

Nash reduced speed and landed slowly on an abandoned airstrip. The engines shut down. Everything seemed peaceful… only birds singing and the wind blowing through the trees could be heard. They got off the plane, and the heat hit them straight in the face.

—It’s so hot here!—Kirby complained. Amanda wiped the sweat from her forehead.

—Welcome to the Caribbean—Cooper said, carrying his large rifle.

Udesky took out a megaphone and handed it to Paul.

—Here, honey, call them—Paul said, handing it to Amanda.

Chapter 12.

That is not a good idea!

“Eric, Eric, Ben, Eric!” Amanda Kirby’s voice could be heard shouting through a megaphone. Alan woke up and saw Billy crouched near him.

—Billy, tell me they didn’t land—Alan pleaded, terrified.

—I think they’re looking for someone—Billy said.

—It can’t be—Grant whispered and stood up. “Not again, stupid lunatics, we’ll die in two seconds if we don’t leave, InGen’s list said 18 raptors and 6 T-rexes, I hope this plane doesn’t end up like the car Lex and Timmy were in,” Alan ran through those terrible memories in his mind.

Outside the plane, Nash adjusted a protective vest on Cooper, who held the “Iron Horn,” and they ran into the jungle.

—Dr. Grant, Dr. Grant—Kirby greeted him eagerly as he saw him coming down the steps.

—Who hit me?—Alan asked, annoyed.

—Yes, Dr. Grant, look—Kirby said, trying to calm him.

—WHO HIT ME?!—Grant insisted, raising his voice.

—Uh… that would be… Cooper—Paul pointed at the ex–Green Beret disappearing into the jungle, dodging palm branches.

—Hey! What do you think you’re doing?—Alan demanded.

—They’re setting up a perimeter so we can be safer—Kirby explained, while Amanda kept shouting through the megaphone.

Cooper moved through a tropical jungle forest with tall grass… he stood still and studied the surroundings… in front of him, there was a kind of hole in the mud, about 4 meters in diameter… he leaned in to look… it looked like a large nest… it was empty, only eggshells remained, very similar to crocodile nests. He heard twigs snapping… when he turned around, he was ambushed by a small dinosaur about one meter tall and four meters long, green with silver stripes and a reddish sail on its back… it managed to slash his left arm, Cooper stepped back and shot it in the head several times with his pistol, killing it… the unfortunate reptile fell to the ground.

—What a way to start the trip! Hey, look at this!—Cooper celebrated, calling Nash and Udesky. They came over to see.

—The bastard scratched my arm. Imagine, Nash, a suitcase made of this leather hahaha—joked the ex-soldier, and Nash laughed too.

—It’s a juvenile, Cooper—Udesky said, trembling.

—Yeah, I know, so what?—Cooper asked, kicking its head to check if it was dead.

—That its parents can’t be far—Udesky warned.

Back at the plane.

—What?! A perimeter? Mr. Kirby, on this island none of us are safe, we need to get back on the plane and for God’s sake tell your wife to stop shouting! Doing that is not a good idea!—Grant ordered. Kirby looked at him with that naive air, but he felt genuine admiration and respect for Grant and remembered he was the most experienced in these environments, so he obeyed without hesitation.

—Amanda! Amanda, honey, Dr. Grant says that’s not a good idea!—Paul shouted from the plane. Amanda didn’t stop yelling.

—WHAT?!—she shouted back as she turned. Grant cursed her silently.

—Dr. Grant says that’s a bad idea!—Paul yelled, cupping his hand.

—WHAT is a bad idea?!—Amanda asked, when a terrifying roar thundered from the jungle… everyone fell silent and froze.

—A Tyrannosaurus?—Billy asked.

—No… that sounded like something bigger—Grant warned, swallowing hard.

Suddenly, Nash and Udesky came running out of the bushes.

—We have to go, we have to go!—Udesky shouted, terrified.

—To the plane, everyone to the plane!—Nash said with a trembling voice, running at full speed, as if he had come face to face with the Devil. He ran up the steps into the cockpit… and started the propeller engines.

Everyone climbed up the steps beside Udesky, who waited to close the hatch.

—Hey wait! What about the other guy? Are you leaving him here?—Billy asked.

—Cooper is a professional—Udesky replied, and two gunshots were heard in the jungle. They looked toward the forest but saw nothing—get in!—he pushed them.

In the forest… Cooper loaded the semi-automatic rifle with his right arm, he saw the gigantic female chasing him through the trees and aimed… he couldn’t hold the weapon properly, his left arm trembled and two shots went off, missing the beast, exploding farther away and raising two columns of dirt and dust.

The jet gained speed with the turbines at full power. Nash looked ahead, less than a kilometer away there was a massive hill blocking takeoff… so he moved toward it to gain runway and turned the aircraft the other way to take off… yes, that side faced the west coast and was clear… he accelerated fully, everyone was pressed against their seats.

—Paul—Amanda said.

—Relax, everything will be fine, we’ll circle the island—he reassured her.

The plane began to shake, approaching takeoff speed.

Until Cooper burst out of the tall grass onto the runway, clutching his bleeding left arm.

—Hey, stop!—he shouted, waving his right hand… he was no longer that tough guy with slicked-back hair and sunglasses… tears ran down his cheeks because he could feel the footsteps of the female approaching… Cooper knew Nash wouldn’t stop and thought about crossing the runway and getting into the jungle on the other side to hide…

—It’s Cooper!—Alan said instinctively.

—Get out of the way! You know I can’t stop!—Nash shouted, gripping the controls tightly.

The female Spinosaurus entered the runway and Cooper ran… if he had been faster or a few minutes earlier, he might have escaped its powerful jaws, but he was caught in an ambush…

—Damn it!—Nash exclaimed, pulling the nose up to the maximum, almost vertical… he cleared the ground by six meters, but the left turbine blades grazed the female’s back and sail, severely injuring her… and killing her. The fuselage and windows were splattered with blood everywhere.

The jet kept moving, and Nash and Udesky saw the forest below.

—We’re going to crash!—Udesky shouted.

—Cut the fuel flow!—Nash yelled.

—I’m doing it!—Udesky obeyed, and that saved them from exploding as the plane tore through tree branches, breaking the landing gear, the wings, the dorsal fin… like a great bird falling defeated…

and it came to rest on a large branch about 50 cm thick, like a wooden beam… silence…

No one was unconscious… they unbuckled their seatbelts… Nash had his eyes closed and felt his heart about to burst out of his chest… he imagined the worst and was terrified, anyone would be after seeing that gigantic thing come out of the jungle.

—Are you okay?—Kirby asked, hugging Amanda.

—We’re fine here. But nobody move, stay still—Udesky warned—San Juan Tower, mayday, mayday, mayday, mayday! The radio isn’t working—he said to Nash.

Everyone moved very slowly, measuring every step… Alan went to the door and turned the handle… pushed it slightly and looked down… seven meters of free fall.

—We didn’t land—Alan said ironically.

—Please, stop, nobody move, the plane could lose balance and slip—Udesky warned them, and everyone returned to their seats and stayed still.

—Who has the phone?!—Nash demanded anxiously.

—Ah, here it is—Kirby handed him the yellow satellite phone.

—No, damn it, no, this can’t be—Nash complained, hearing a promotional message and handing the phone to Udesky, who shook his head.

A crocodilian silhouette appeared through the windshield. Amanda noticed it and screamed, hitting Paul’s shoulders.

—Shh, stop, don’t scream, don’t scream—Paul told her. Nash and Udesky looked at Amanda and then at the windshield in a blink… nothing was there.

Suddenly, everything shook and the plane jolted. Nash and Udesky screamed in terror. The plane tilted forward and the five-meter-long cockpit was ripped away by the claws of a monster and crashed to the ground. Nash stuffed the satellite phone into his jacket pocket. The pilots ran toward the back… the enormous dark snout entered through the cockpit, Nash tripped over Amanda and fell on top of her… teeth as thick as bolts and sharp as razors sank into Michael Nash’s thighs, crushing the bones… Nash screamed in terror and a drop of blood splashed onto Amanda… the male Spinosaurus pulled him outside… shook him back and forth in the air like crocodiles and monitor lizards do… Nash slipped from its jaws and hit the ground five meters below. He bounced off some plants and dragged through the mud… the Spinosaurus caught him with its foot and with its jaws tore half his body off, ripping his spine apart and scattering his entrails across the ground… the predator held Nash’s upper torso in its teeth with the intestines hanging, opened its mouth and dropped what was left of him, it did not eat him. It looked at the others… the passengers were stunned, not knowing what to do… and the Spinosaurus roared loudly… the fuselage, once 14 meters long, now 9 meters, slipped off the branch and crashed seven meters to the ground… it wasn’t that high, but the tail was dented, not enough to injure the survivors.

The jet collapsed and rolled slightly. Everyone was somewhat stunned… without warning, a hard impact on the fuselage… and they rolled like a soccer ball kicked by a player… spinning through the air like rag dolls… and crashed against another tree trunk. Amanda heard the theropod coming again and ran.

—Amanda, no!—Paul shouted. Alan ran after her and grabbed her.

—No, no, no!—Amanda screamed hysterically.

—Amanda!—Paul called from outside the fuselage and saw the seven-meter-tall giant in front of him and went back inside. Alan pulled his wife back in again.

The Spinosaurus dropped its heavy arms onto the fuselage and dragged it toward itself. Amanda fell onto Alan and grabbed his waist… then the Spinosaurus stomped down with all its force, unleashing its 10 tons and crushing the metal frame like stepping on a cardboard box, like a car crusher, the metal screeched and all the windows exploded, glass flying everywhere. The wall split and the tip of the snout entered. Paul, Billy, and Udesky crossed the plane and got out along with Amanda and Alan… they ran into the forest… the male saw them and gave chase.

They reached a clearing of tall grass… crossed another forest and the pursuer got stuck between two trunks… it roared in frustration.

Alan, Amanda, Paul, Billy, and Udesky took refuge among some bushes, a dark path… they panted, breathed heavily, and sweated…

—We lost it—Grant said and pushed aside some bamboo… a large Parasaurolophus corpse, everyone jumped in fright.

—Relax, it’s dead—Alan said… a giant crocodilian growl was heard… a massive green-and-yellow snout emerged behind the carcass… a Tyrannosaurus rex, a subadult, nicknamed by InGen employees as “Bull Green.”

—Nobody move a muscle—Grant whispered. The rex sniffed and roared, everyone flinched and scattered like lizards.

—God—Alan muttered and ran after them. The rex stood up and advanced… it wasn’t following them, but a different scent.

In an open space in the forest, the Spinosaurus waited, flexing its claws. The rex roared threateningly, wanting to drive it out of its territory—this had never happened before, their territories were separated by several kilometers, this was unusual. Amanda accidentally pushed Grant and he tripped over two fallen logs, ending up between them. The rex placed its foot on the logs and Grant screamed, thinking he would die… the Spinosaurus roared furiously, as if complaining about being obstructed, its revenge, and struck the rex in the snout, as if saying “Get out of my way!” The rex got angry and grabbed it by the neck with its jaws… slamming it into the mud… lifted it and smashed it against a tree, knocking it down… the male Spinosaurus rose up and broke free, slashing twice more. The rex, somewhat smaller and more agile, dodged and stepped back, then charged again, ramming it shoulder-first in close combat. The Spinosaurus slashed its left thigh, the T-rex lunged and delivered a massive headbutt… the Spinosaurus staggered… the rex was about to deliver the killing bite when the Spinosaurus turned and struck it with its tail on the head, the rex lost balance… the Spinosaurus clamped its jaws on its neck and slammed it to the ground… tore part of its neck, exposing red muscle and spilling a pool of blood. This battle lasted nearly half an hour… time the survivors used to escape and gain distance. The Spinosaurus rested over the tyrannosaur’s body and roared triumphantly… however, it did not eat it.

Chapter 13.

You Owe Me an Explanation!

—You! Come here, come here! You like kidnapping people, don’t you?!—Paul ran from Alan as he chased him, until Alan caught up and drove his knuckles into his cheek. The punch was so strong that Paul Kirby fell backward, tripping against a tree and grabbing onto some vines.

—No, please, don’t hit him, wait—Amanda begged, stepping in between them.

—You owe me an explanation, Mr. Kirby!—Grant demanded, rubbing his hand.

—I swear to you, we did what we could. They didn’t want to help us. Damn it! A guy from our embassy—our own embassy!—told me over the phone that I had to accept the inevitable! Can you believe that?!—Kirby ranted angrily, while Grant and Billy looked at Eric’s photo in his wallet.

—You let a twelve-year-old kid come here alone?—Billy asked, incredulous.

—What?! Of course not!—Paul Kirby snapped.

—No, no, no, he didn’t come alone, he came with a friend—Amanda said.

—Ben Hildebrand—Kirby added.

—Paul and I got divorced a year ago—she confessed.

—Ah… and why did you kidnap me?—Alan demanded.

—Because Udesky said we needed to bring someone who had already been here, an expert guide—Paul explained.

—But damn it… I never told you to kidnap him—Udesky defended himself, hands on his hips.

—Me? You’re talking about me? I had never, ever been on this island! Why didn’t you go get that idiot Malcolm or, I don’t know… Roland Tembo?! The guy hunted a Tyrannosaurus, for God’s sake!—Grant exploded in anger.

—Of course he did! He even wrote a book, my son has it, damn it!—Paul replied.

—That was about Isla Nublar. This is Isla Sorna, Site B… damn it, this is so stupid!—Billy clarified, incredulous, holding his temples with one hand.

—Wait, wait… so there are two islands with dinosaurs?—Udesky asked, confused.

—Oh, you just shut up!—Paul snapped at him. Udesky turned away, grinding his teeth.

—Enough! How long have they been missing?—Grant asked.

—Two months… yes, two months—Paul and Amanda recalled.

—Billy, come on. First we’ll go back to the plane to get our things, then we’ll head to the coast, make a signal with our clothes, and wait for someone to see us—if anyone comes. It’s better to stay on the beach, far from the center of the island, far from the carnivores—Grant decided.

—Doctor Grant! We are not leaving this island without our son—Paul Kirby declared, and Amanda grabbed his arm.

—Oh yeah?! And you’re going to pretend he’s still alive after two months? Then go find him… or come with us… either way, I seriously doubt you’ll make it out of here alive—Grant said with a tone of irony, clearly underestimating them. Grant and Brennan walked off down a path.

—Sorry, Mr. Udesky, for how I spoke to you—Kirby apologized.

—Ah, it’s nothing—Udesky brushed it off.

—So? What do we do? What do you suggest?—Paul asked him.

—We look for your son. In the same direction they went—Udesky advised.

—Excellent, let’s go!—Paul and Amanda said, and they followed them.

Chapter 14.

The Raptors

Dozens of Parasaurolophus and Corythosaurus grazed alongside the Stegosaurus and the enormous Brachiosaurus. They were surrounded by herds of Gallimimus that, besides feeding on low vegetation, were always alert for any stray egg or hatchling to devour—they were omnivores, reminiscent of public sanitation workers who clean up all leftovers…

When the Gallimimus—large, reptilian ostrich-like creatures—became careless, a group of tiny Procompsognathus rushed into the nests and broke the shells. One of them was caught by an adult Gallimimus, which seized it and snapped its neck with its sharp beak. The others screeched and fled. The Procompsognathus followed the feeding cycle, eating the eggs and young of the Gallimimus, and in turn, the Gallimimus also devoured the compys—they were competitors within the food chain.

The rest of the Gallimimus waited for the opportunity to find an unprotected nest… and they found one. They entered a clutch and pulled out the eggs, pushing them with their beaks, breaking the shells and swallowing the fetuses still developing inside.

In front of them, a forest… the alpha Gallimimus lifted its head to scan the surroundings… a vocalization came from the light forest, and the Gallimimus bolted at lizard-like speed… before their muscles could fully react, a black-and-gray raptor burst out from the light forest and chased them. The Gallimimus ran into the forest on the other side—the dark forest—and there… they were ambushed by the rest of the raptors, led by the alpha female, light green with black stripes… they cornered one of the ornithomimids. The female bit its neck, and the others leapt onto it, tearing it apart with the curved claws of their feet, spilling its warm, bluish entrails… the raptors chewed and swallowed everything in great haste, fighting among themselves and biting each other repeatedly.

Yes, the raptors hunted the Gallimimus—that was how the ecological balance of that small ecosystem was maintained. And this was a hunting day. The raptors, now satisfied and with their snouts soaked in blood, returned to their nesting ground… they lay down to sleep… but the alpha female noticed something strange, a different scent… she inspected her nest and realized… two of her eggs were missing. She hissed sharply, and all the raptors woke and gathered alert, like a line of soldiers in a platoon. The female ordered one of them to follow the trail of the strange scent; it obeyed and sprinted off, descending the hill.

Chapter 15.

The laboratory.

At the foot of the hill, Alan, Billy, Amanda, Paul, and Udesky contemplated the complex that included the workers’ village and the Embryo Administration. Many people had lived there, since it was very costly to bring them by boat from the mainland.

—Eric must be there, I’d bet anything—said Paul, and hurried down. Alan took a breath and followed him.

—What do you think it is?—asked Brennan.

—Looks like a luxury hotel to me—Udesky guessed, and they all went down the hill.

Alan brushed aside some large, dew-soaked leaves that struck Paul on the forehead. An abandoned pickup truck with the passenger window shattered stood there; Alan glanced through it and kept moving.

They saw an old, very dirty building with a large sign that read “Embryons Administration,” and on the front, three ATVs bearing the “Masrani Global” logo.

—They’re clean… someone’s here—Billy deduced.

They went inside… the reception area was full of dirt, dust, and plants. Amanda saw a telephone and picked it up… no signal.

—Geothermal power—Alan whispered, and moved toward the radio. Billy and Udesky helped him and tried to turn it on. The radio crackled and Billy searched for a signal… The Kirbys watched them expectantly.

—Masrani Global central here—answered the operator.

—Yes! We’re on Isla Sorna and we need someone to come rescue us! Please!—Billy pleaded.

—Your coordinates?—the operator asked. Billy and Alan looked at each other.

—We’re in the village, the workers’ village, in the center of the island—Alan added.

—Alright, we’ll send a boat. It will wait for you on the southwest coast, down the river—the receiver promised. They all looked at each other, excited.

They continued down the dirty hallways… they found three vending machines.

—Who has coins? No, it doesn’t take bills… I’ve got a dollar, a dollar ten—Kirby checked his pockets, when Billy kicked the glass in. Amanda let out a startled scream. Billy grabbed chocolates and handed them out. Paul looked thoughtful and tried to imitate Billy, but misstepped and twisted his ankle.

Ahead of them gleamed the glass domes of a gigantic genetics laboratory. They went down a staircase from a platform. There were also incubators, and inside them, dinosaur fetuses preserved in a 5% formalin solution in water, to prevent decomposition… one of the fetuses was a Monopholosaurus, another a Maiasaura… another empty one labeled “Spinosaurus.”

—This is where it all began—Alan whispered.

Farther on, a larger one, a tank with two Mosasaurus fetuses.

—Is this where they made the dinosaurs?—Amanda asked, lifting a shell.

—No… this is where they tried to be God—Alan replied, shaking his head in disapproval. Billy took photographs and Paul stepped on a shell.

—Hey! Who are you?!—three men in white lab coats confronted them. Their lapels read “Masrani Global,” and one of them pointed a rifle at them. The intruders froze.

—Masrani Global?—Alan asked.

—Who the hell are you?—the scientist demanded.

—Henry Wu?—Alan identified him.

—Alan Grant?—the geneticist recognized him.

—You never get tired of doing stupid things, do you?—Grant snapped.

—And what are you doing here?—Wu demanded.

—No—what are you doing here?! The Genetic Guard law forbids dinosaur experiments—Billy Brennan confronted him.

—Don’t make rash accusations, young man!—Wu corrected him.

—He’s right. Some of these animals aren’t on InGen’s list. You created the Spinosaurus—Alan stated.

—Shut your mouth, Dr. Grant!—Wu shouted.

—I hope you and your friends end up inside a dinosaur’s guts!—Alan yelled furiously.

—Dr. Grant, how does it feel that Ellie Sattler is married to another man?—Henry Wu asked cruelly.

—Nothing special. Listen, Mr. Wu… I’ve got nothing against you, but I think you never should have left Nublar alive. Your existence serves no meaningful purpose—Grant cursed him.

—Yeah, same to you—Wu shot back.

Amanda Kirby froze when she saw an incubator… the head of a dinosaur… it seemed dead, until it half-opened its eye and lunged at her. Amanda screamed and slammed into a pillar. The men turned—and the raptor jumped onto the one with the rifle and killed him. Wu and the other two fled through a window. The rest ran through the breeding corridors.

The male raptor chased them. Udesky, Paul, and Grant locked themselves inside a cage, while Billy and Amanda opened a gate—but the raptor shoved them and cornered them. Udesky, Paul, and Alan shouted to distract it, but it ignored them… the animal climbed the bars to get inside.

—Push!—Amanda shouted. Billy helped her, and they forced the gate the other way, trapping the raptor. It emitted a call for help. They all rushed down another corridor toward the exit.

—My God… it’s calling the others—Alan realized.

—Let’s go!—Paul urged, pulling him along.

They mounted the ATVs: Billy and Amanda on one, Udesky and Paul on another, and Alan on the last. They sped along a trail into the jungle. The dromaeosaur broke free and exited the building, issuing another alarm call. Nearby, the raptor pack stirred and launched the pursuit.

The riders burst into a peaceful herd of Parasaurolophus and Corythosaurus grazing in a meadow. A juvenile Parasaur leapt in fright, followed by the rest… the stampede exploded. The animals ran together like giant cattle fleeing a rancher. The alpha Parasaur shoved a smaller Corythosaurus out of its way. The ATVs bounced wildly across the field. Billy lost balance and fell with Amanda; they got up and continued on foot. Billy dropped the black lunchbox. Alan stopped to pick it up and saw a flock of white birds fly toward the trees.

—To the trees!—Alan shouted. They obeyed. Udesky also fell and continued on foot. A pair of male raptors crossed the meadow.

Paul and Amanda climbed tree roots. Billy hid at the base of another tree. Alan crouched behind a fallen log. Udesky reached a clearing and heard a hiss in front of him… a raptor. Udesky drew his Glock and emptied the magazine into it, killing it. Two more raptors surrounded him… he checked his weapon—no bullets. He grabbed a branch.

—I’ll take you one at a time!—Vladislaw Udesky challenged them in his Polish accent. The alpha female saw her fallen soldier and signaled the other to attack.

—Come on, you bastard!—Udesky shouted before the beta male leapt at him. The victim fell face down, and the male slashed his back with the large claw of its foot.

Billy froze upon encountering a distracted male and hid among branches, unnoticed. Then he saw Kirby signaling him. Billy climbed up and joined them.

—Where’s Alan?—Billy asked.

—Oh no! Mr. Udesky!—Amanda cried upon seeing him from the treetop.

—We have to help him—Paul said.

—Wait! Something’s wrong!—Billy warned. Amanda hung from a branch that snapped, leaving her dangling by her legs. Paul and Billy pulled her up just before the alpha female and beta male leapt nearly three meters trying to reach her.

—It was a trap… they set a trap for us—Billy said.

Alan, slipping through some bushes, peeked through roots and saw a pair of males, one vocalizing.

—What are you saying? What are you looking for?—he whispered, intrigued.

The alpha female and beta male received the message and withdrew—but not before the male snapped Udesky’s neck. Amanda looked away, horrified.

Alan hid, took a breath, and looked again—the vocalizing male faced him directly. Alan trembled and backed away… the raptor jumped and cornered him. Another appeared… then another—the beta… and the alpha female. She hissed at the beta as if asking, “Is it him?” The male gave an affirmative hiss. Alan whimpered in despair.

—Ellie…—he groaned deeply… remembering when he met her. Tears ran down his cheeks.

—Ellie… I love you, and may God bless you and your children—he said one last time…

The female gave the order to attack—

But an object fell between them: a gas grenade. Alan covered his mouth and nose with a cloth… Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him—a small figure covered in vines, wearing goggles and a face covering.

—Here! What are you waiting for?! They could come back!—the boy shouted, running toward a tanker truck.

—Wait!—Alan called, coughing.

Chapter 16.

Eric Kirby.

The preteen opened the hatch and climbed inside, turning on a lamp… Alan followed, still coughing, and accidentally knocked the lamp with his backpack.

—Thank you, thank you, Eric—Alan said.

—You know my name?—the boy asked.

—Yes, your parents are looking for you—Alan said, trying to catch his breath.

—Together?—Eric asked.

—Yes, together—Alan confirmed.

—That’s a bad sign, they can’t stand each other—Eric recalled.

—You wouldn’t believe the great things people can do in certain situations—Alan said, lifting his hopes. Eric noticed the InGen oil lamp going out and replaced it with another one; everything became much brighter.

—Are you Alan Grant? What are you doing here?—he recognized him excitedly.

—Yes, uh… your parents… well, they invited me—Alan joked.

Eric handed him a can of legumes and a spoon. Alan began to eat…

—I read your books. I liked the first one better, “Dinosaur Detectives,” before you went to the island. I’ve liked dinosaurs since I was at least five—Eric said.

—When I wrote it, they hadn’t tried to eat me—Alan justified.

—When InGen left, they left a lot of things behind—Eric informed.

—Any weapons?—Alan asked.

—No, and that was the last gas grenade. I saved it for emergencies—said the boy.

—Really, you don’t know how much I appreciate it—Alan said again, picking up a bottle with a whitish-green, putrid liquid.

—Hey! Careful with that… it’s T-Rex pee. It scares off the smaller ones, but attracts the big-sailed monster—Eric warned, eating chocolate.

—Is it real urine?—Alan asked, very skeptical. Eric nodded.—How did you get it?

—I don’t even want to remember—Eric replied. Alan put it back.

—Want one?—Eric tossed him a chocolate.

—Thanks—Alan said, catching it.

—Let me tell you, I’m impressed you’re still alive—Alan admitted.

—Two months? Has it really been that short?—Eric said with some disappointment. For him, without clocks, calendars, or speaking to anyone, it felt like half a year.

—The important thing is that you’re alive… and thanks to you, I dare say that’s something we have in common—Alan praised.—Did you read Malcolm’s book?—Eric nodded.

—And?—Alan asked for his opinion.

—Uh… I don’t know, look, I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but… it was boring, because he always talked about chaos, that everything is chaos… and it seemed like he thought he knew too much, way more than everyone else—Eric said. Alan smiled, satisfied.

—Excellent! Now we have two things in common—said the doctor, and Eric laughed… a chirp sounded, and Eric jumped.

—Did you hear that? Those are compys—Eric closed the hatch.—Sometimes I leave it open so some air can come in and ventilate.

A group of Procompsognathus passed a few meters away, eating flies; perhaps they had sensed the smell of Udesky’s body and the raptor.

Night fell. Billy called out for Alan with no results. A family of ankylosaurs devoured low vegetation… and headed toward the river, carrying their heavy armor, osteoderms, and club tails. They likely had that protection because they played a key role in the ecosystem—they ate plants other dinosaurs couldn’t and had low birth rates. Paul and Amanda talked in the tree.

—No matter what happens, it wasn’t your fault. Eric has always been a very strong kid. Then a man like Ben Heildebrand came into his life and…—Paul excused Amanda.

—And?—Amanda asked.

—That… it wasn’t your fault, but Ben’s—Paul said.

—No, of course it was. If Eric had been with you, none of this would have happened. You never go over the speed limit, and I crashed three cars in three years—Amanda recalled.

—No, it wasn’t three. I said yes because I wanted the van… but I still had to sell it, so what does it matter—Paul admitted.

—Haha… Paul, I’m sorry you had to come—Amanda apologized.

—I’m not—Paul replied, and Amanda smiled at him.

Eric dozed on and off and heard Alan snoring and whispering, “Ellie… Ellie… Mary.” Eric took a blanket and covered him.

Morning came…

Eric had breakfast—legumes from a can, more chocolates, and cookies. Alan woke up and turned over.

—Good morning—said the boy.

—Good morning—Alan replied.

—How did you sleep?—Eric asked.

—I think well—said the doctor.

—Excuse me… who is Ellie?—Eric asked.

—Why?—Alan replied.

—Last night, when you were sleeping, you kept saying that name—Ellie. Who is she?—Eric asked curiously.

—She’s a very good friend—Alan said simply.

—Are you in love with her?—Eric asked, scratching his calf from a mosquito bite.

—Huh? No… I mean… we were together, but that was a long time ago—Grant denied.

—And why didn’t you get married?—Eric insisted.

—For many reasons. She wanted to have children, and I didn’t—Grant revealed.

—And why didn’t you want children?—Eric pressed.

—Because I was a fool… that’s why. Actually, I think… it was because my first wife couldn’t have children, and she suffered a lot because of it. So we decided not to talk about it anymore—Alan explained.

—Was her name Mary?—Eric asked sharply.

—Yes. How do you know?—the paleontologist asked, surprised.

—That was the other name you said—Mary—Eric explained.

—Ah… yes—Alan admitted.

—How did you meet her?—Eric asked kindly.

—Ah… it’s a long story. When I was young, I graduated from the University of Alberta, Canada. I had worked with several ceratopsians, but I wanted to study raptors, so I specialized at Montana State University. That’s where I met Mary—Mary Gordon*. She taught geology and paleobotany there. We got married, but years later… she… she died of cancer—uterine cancer. Ellie Sattler was one of her best students and helped me a lot… we became friends… and two years later, a couple. We worked in Montana on a Deinonychus fossil… then John Hammond came with his proposal to catalog Jurassic Park, and you know the rest of the story—Alan concluded with a sigh.

—Ah… I think you should tell Ellie you love her—Eric suggested enthusiastically.

—No, kid. Ellie is married to another man, and he’s a good man—Grant refused.

—But doctor… if one day Ellie were single again, wouldn’t you try to win her back?—Eric insisted.

—I don’t know, kid… maybe—Grant admitted.

Then they gathered everything they needed and left the truck.

Chapter 17.

The natives.

Billy and the Kirbys climbed down from the tree and, after drinking water from a small stream, organized themselves.

—We’ll go to the coast—Billy decided.

—And Eric?—Amanda asked.

—Eric is very smart. He knows he has to go to the coast because the carnivorous dinosaurs are in the center of the island—Paul reassured her.

—Yes, that’s right—Billy confirmed, and they started walking.

Eric pulled out a raptor claw.

—Wow, a raptor claw. I had one, a fossil—Alan recalled, handing it back.

—Mine is new—Eric said, taking it.

—How much of the island have you explored?—Alan asked.

—Not much, really… when Ben and I crashed, some compys attacked us. He died, and I ran and fell down the hill. I reached the village and hid in the truck… one day I walked to the coast, thinking a patrol plane would see me, but a tyrannosaurus got in my way and I had to go back into the forest. I hid near a brachiosaurus that was sleeping… it let out a couple of gas bursts, I almost suffocated… the rex scared it off, and I climbed a tree. That’s when I realized there were other animals—a sloth, a white butterfly with black spots. So I went back to the complex thinking they’d start looking for me there—Eric recounted.

—A tyrannosaurus on the coast? That’s very strange… maybe they’re running out of space on this island—Grant speculated.

—And is that good or bad?—Eric asked.

—I don’t know… on one hand, it’s good, in the sense that if the number of carnivores grows and there’s an ecological imbalance, the dinosaurs could disappear. Otherwise, by necessity, they’ll try to colonize the other islands—and worse yet, reach the mainland—Dr. Grant deduced.

—Oh, I see—said the boy, impressed.

They came across Udesky’s body and the raptor… Alan stopped Eric with his arm and advised him to keep his distance. He checked Udesky’s vital signs… no life… he kicked the raptor… dead. He examined it, touching the filaments on its neck.

—Are those protofeathers?—Eric asked beside him.

—No… they don’t even resemble feather quills, those are more rigid. These are like tubular bristles that remind me more of iguana hairs… they’re called elongated scales—Alan explained, moving them with his fingers.

—Could it be that they’ve been evolving, and as they had offspring, their DNA purified itself?—Eric suggested.

—Huh? No, I don’t think so. Those inherited traits don’t jump from one generation to another that quickly. I’d lean more toward them being the result of artificial genetic modifications. Wu always mixed dinosaur DNA with that of other reptiles and amphibians too. So it doesn’t surprise me they have iguana-like scales—Grant denied.

—Doctor, the river is over there—Eric pointed, and they continued. They stopped at the edge of a canyon overlooking the river. Eric took out his InGen binoculars and focused… an InGen boat.

—Doctor, look at this—he handed the binoculars to Grant.

—Yes, it’s a boat—Alan said, smiling with relief.

—Is it a rescue boat?—the boy asked.

—I don’t think so, but it floats. Come on, Eric, we’re getting out of here—Grant encouraged him, and they embraced joyfully.

—Doctor, what’s that over there?—Eric spotted something. Alan squinted.

—I think it’s a cave—Grant said. Eric climbed down toward it.

—Eric, be careful!—Alan shouted, running after him. They edged along a cliff wall, trying not to look at the river a hundred meters below… and entered a cave… they walked through it… it was very dark. Eric turned on his InGen lamp… they observed cave paintings on rocks, then clay walls.

—What do they mean?—Eric asked.

—The Five Deaths—Alan interpreted… looking at five islands arranged horizontally, as they would appear from the coast or a boat. The Mayan gods executed the same indigenous warrior on all of them.

—The archipelago, the five islands: Nublar to the east, Isla Matanceros to the north, below it Isla Muerta, Isla Sorna, Isla Tacano, and to the south, the smallest one, Isla Peña—Alan recalled from an old map he had once seen. They kept walking… there were skulls and scattered bones of men, women, and children…

—Were they natives? How did they die?—Eric asked, somewhat frightened.

—I have no idea—Alan admitted, picking up a finger phalanx bone and putting it in his backpack.

—Why did you keep it?—Eric asked.

—To answer your question. To study it and find out who they were—Grant explained, and they left the cave.

On the jungle trail, a phone rang. Eric stopped.

—Wait… did you hear that?—the boy said. Alan froze.

—It’s Dad!—Eric shouted and ran.

—Hey, hey, wait! How do you know?!—Alan asked, trying to keep up.

—Kirby Paints! It’s his ringtone! Dad!—Eric explained as he jogged.

They reached a clearing—a green meadow and a metal fence.

—Amanda, listen—Paul said, and they began to run.

—Eric!—they shouted, meeting in the meadow and embracing through the rope netting and bars, crying with emotion.

—Son! You’re alive!—Paul celebrated. Amanda kissed Eric.

—Hello, Doctor—Billy and Alan shook hands through the mesh.

—We saw Udesky—Alan said. Billy nodded silently.

—Hey, you have my bag—shall I take it?—Billy offered.

—Relax, I’ve got it—Alan refused. Billy pressed his lips, uneasy.

—How did you find us?—Paul asked, wiping his tears.

—Kirby Paints, your phone’s ringtone—Eric said.

—My phone?—Paul asked.

—Yes, that old one you use—the satellite one—Eric said.

—Where is it?—Amanda asked, checking Paul’s pockets.

—No… I don’t have it. I lost it on the plane… and… oh no—Paul remembered, turning pale.

—What?!—Amanda demanded.

—I gave it to Nash. He had it when—Paul sighed, his face full of terror, as if about to vomit.

On the other side of the fence, aegyptiacus was waiting for them, panting, its arms hanging… it growled… the phone was ringing inside its stomach.

—Run—Alan whispered to Eric, and they ran along the fence… the Spinosaurus chased them, trying to devour them, but it was slower than its prey. Eric slipped through an opening, Alan right behind him, just before the dinosaur’s snout grazed his ankle. The Spinosaurus roared… they all embraced on the other side… but then it slammed against the fence… shook it… but couldn’t bring it down. They all sighed in relief. The predator turned around and left in pain.

Behind them stood a building, like a watch post. They walked to the door, when suddenly the raptors appeared… the group fled and kicked open the aviary door, hiding inside… kicks, scratches, hisses, and growls echoed behind the door, which they secured with all the locks and bolts. They breathed.

—Dr. Grant… could you pass me my bag?—Billy insisted.

—It’s safe, Billy, don’t worry—Grant said, looking at the river through a broken window.

—Please give it to me… it’s not safe—Billy warned. Alan frowned deeply, concerned. He opened the black bag. Hearing the zipper, Billy lowered his gaze in shame.

—God… Billy… what the hell were you thinking?—Alan said quietly, like a deeply disappointed father, staring at the raptor eggs.

—I’m so sorry, Doctor… they offered me a lot of money… a hundred million dollars… I thought it would help fund our research for a decade or more… I thought about Cheryl… I… I’m sorry—Billy confessed, tears streaming down his face.

—Who?! Who offered you money?!—Alan demanded, outraged.

—Biosyn… Lewis Dodgson. He posted an ad online, and I replied by email. Doctor, I’m sorry—I did it thinking it was the best decision, with the best intentions—Billy said, wiping his tears. Alan raised his hand to silence him.

—With the best intentions… the worst things you can imagine, Billy, were done with the best intentions… haven’t you ever heard of nuclear radiation? As far as I’m concerned, I think you’re worse than all the stupid bastards who created Jurassic Park—Alan said with deep disgust. Billy broke down crying.

Holding the bag, Alan let it hang over the edge of a broken window overlooking the river. Amanda kissed Eric, but Paul Kirby watched Alan closely. Grant sighed, thoughtful… and without letting go of the bag… pulled it back and placed it inside his backpack.

—What are you doing?! Have you gone insane?! Those things want to kill us because of those eggs!—Paul shouted in fear.

—Those things… know we have them. If we throw them into the river, they’ll keep chasing us—Alan said calmly.

—Oh sure, perfect! And what if they find us with them?!—Paul demanded.

—And what if they find us without them?—Alan asked. Paul fell silent, ashamed.

—There’s a boat down there, in the river. With it, we’ll reach the coast!—Alan announced, heading down an old spiral staircase.

Chapter 18.

The Aviary

Alan led the line down the staircase… a platform… heavy fog and silence… nothing could be seen. Grant stepped on an old rung and slipped, Paul grabbed him and the rest of the old staircase fell down into the canyon.

—Well… are you okay?—Paul asked.

Alan nodded and went another way, exchanging glances with Billy… Alan stepped onto the entrance of an old bridge that creaked.

—Please, if we’re going to cross, one at a time—Alan asked.

—It’ll just be a moment, okay?—Amanda told Eric.

—Mom… I was alone on this island for two months, I don’t think anything will happen to me now—Eric replied to calm her.

Paul smiled. Amanda kissed him on the head and crossed the bridge.

Alan noticed the railings were covered in guano… and had a very bad feeling… he took a piece of guano and smelled it… it had no scent, it was very dry and brittle, like dry cement… a piece of dry guano fell at his feet. He looked up… nothing. Out of the fog, Amanda appeared and reached him.

—Now Eric, cross, son!—she called.

Eric stepped onto the bridge.

—This is a cage, a giant aviary—Alan deduced.

—And for what?—Amanda asked.

Eric grabbed the railing and it shook violently.

—Mom?—Eric asked fearfully… no one answered… dense fog… and suddenly… a dark silhouette, like a witch with a pointed hat and very large—no, more like a gargoyle or a winged demon.

—Mom!—Eric shouted and ran in the opposite direction where his father was waiting.

The gargoyle took flight and grabbed him by the shoulders, lifting him into the air, carrying him through the fog. Eric screamed in terror seeing the river a hundred meters below him. Amanda, Alan, Paul, and Billy met in the middle of the bridge to see what happened.

—Eric! Paul, I can’t see him, I can’t see him!—Amanda screamed desperately.

The pteranodon dropped Eric into a nest where its chicks screeched. The boy stood up, grabbed a skull, and threw it at them, jumping across volcanic columns.

Billy saw the edge of a platform over the void… Alan stopped in front of him… and Billy fastened the strap of the paraglider and ran up the platform.

—No, Billy, don’t do it, please! You have nothing to prove!—Alan shouted.

Brennan jumped off the edge and saw the hundred meters below… death… he took a breath.

—Billy!—Alan brushed his ankle with his hand and Billy jumped into the void… Brennan pulled the strap and the paraglider opened, and he glided…

Paul stood at the edge of a caged corridor, the river below… Amanda and Alan bumped into him. An InGen pteranodon landed on the edge and screeched at them threateningly.

They backed away.

It took off… then landed further ahead and dropped hard, bending and breaking the metal bars, falling into the corridor and cornering them.

It screeched again.

Alan gathered courage and kicked its serrated beak. The flying reptile recoiled but kept pushing them toward the precipice… the lower support broke… the entire structure collapsed and they all fell into water five meters deep… they surfaced for air. The pteranodon flapped, but as it tried to escape, the cage crushed it and dragged it underwater.

Amanda, Paul, and Alan swam to shore.

Eric stood at the edge of the abyss… Billy was gliding toward him.

—Jump, Eric!—Brennan shouted as he passed him.

Eric jumped and grabbed onto his waist.

They glided through the misty canyon…

—Billy!—Eric warned as a pteranodon swooped by, almost grabbing his foot… it missed… another flew above and tore the paraglider with its claws.

Billy descended to about ten meters above the water.

—They’re trying to attack me—jump, Eric!—Billy ordered and pushed him.

The boy fell into the water.

The paraglider got caught on a rock and Billy was left hanging. He pulled the cords but realized he was trapped. Four pteranodons circled him.

Eric emerged from the water and stood by the river.

—There he is! Over there!—Eric shouted.

—No, Amanda, get him out of here—Paul ordered.

—Eric, let’s go—his mother insisted.

—No, Mom, he’s going to die! I have to help him!—Eric argued.

—Eric, your dad and Dr. Grant will help him!—she said.

Grant and Paul jumped into the water toward Billy.

Brennan struggled forward when a pteranodon grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him, but dropped him again.

—No, Billy, Billy!—Alan called.

—No, get out of here, save yourselves!—Brennan shouted.

Two more attacked him, pecking relentlessly. Blood poured from his head and back.

—No!—Paul held Grant back.

Billy was carried away by the current as the creatures kept attacking until he disappeared.

Grant began to cry…

A large pteranodon watched them… spread its wings and dove at them.

Paul and Alan ran and dove into the water again.

They reached the boat.

Amanda and Eric forced open the last iron door and escaped.

On the boat, they pushed off… Paul and Alan climbed aboard.

Grant looked back sadly at the aviary in the fog.

Chapter 19.

Billy Was Right

Paul pulled the engine cord and started it… checked the tank.

—There’s fuel—he said.

Everyone sighed in relief.

Alan sat alone at one end of the boat and began to cry… Eric sat beside him.

—I’m really sorry about Billy—Eric said.

—Do you know what I told him last?—Alan asked—

—I told him he was worse than all those fools who created Jurassic Park… it wasn’t true. He was just young… he needed money… he wanted to get married… and we were broke… I couldn’t pay him anymore… it was my fault.

Eric hugged him.

—I think there are two kinds of boys… those who want to be astronomers and those who want to be astronauts. The astronomer—or the paleontologist—studies these wonders without risking his life—

—Even if he never goes to space—Eric added.

—Exactly… Billy wanted to touch what he studied—

The boat passed in front of a light green meadow... and many herds of dinosaurs grazed very calmly and serenely, brachiosaurus, stegosaurus, parasaurolophus and corythosaurus.

Paul saw that farther ahead, a family of ankylosaurs were crossing the river, so he stopped the boat and let them pass, he started it again and they marveled at the beautiful afternoon landscape, the brachiosaurus leaned down to look at them, they were like gods or mythological beings... they bellowed and the passengers trembled with emotion.

—Doctor Grant, Billy was right—Eric agreed.

Chapter 20.

The river and the night.

Paul turned off the engine... it was his satellite phone... in front of them, on the shore, a coast of mud and piles of foul-smelling excrement. They got down, except Eric... they took a breath and searched among the nauseating feces.

—Be careful, don’t touch your faces, reptile feces can have salmonella—Alan warned. Paul pulled out Nash’s femur, Amanda Nash’s sunglasses, and Alan the phone; he answered... an advertisement.

From the darkness emerged a Ceratosaurus... red as blood, and it leaned toward them, sniffed them... it stepped aside and remained motionless, as if not knowing what to do... when a horned dinosaur jumped and rammed it with its head... the Ceratosaurus fell farther away... Alan, Paul, and Amanda returned to the boat and fled... they saw in the distance the two theropods fighting; the Carnotaurus used one of its legs to knock down the Ceratosaurus, and it stabbed its snout horn into its calf.

Silence reigned again... lightning, a thunderclap, two thunderclaps, and a storm... rain, heavy rain, warm tropical rain. Eric saw groups of fish swimming in fear.

—Hey, come, look!—Eric shouted to them.

—“Bonito” fish, Sarda chilensis—Grant identified.

—Why are they fleeing like that?—Eric asked.

—Start the engine, Mr. Kirby!—Alan ordered, and foreseeing something bad would happen, he took the phone and went under the cabin roof. Kirby pulled the cord.

—It has battery for one call, but don’t even think about calling the U.S. embassy, they won’t help us—Kirby advised. Alan dialed Ellie Sattler’s number.

—Hello—said a thin, childlike voice.

—Ellie—Alan called.

—Hello—repeated the boy in a tender voice.

—Charlie? Charlie, give the phone to your mom, will you? Give the phone to your mom, tell her I’m the “Dinosaur Man,” Charlie listen to me, Charlie—Alan managed to say when a fin rose from the turbulent waters and struck the boat. Paul fell face-first against the fuel tank; the satellite phone flew from Alan’s hand and went over the edge of the deck.

Him again... yes... the Spinosaurus, why wasn’t it willing to tire? It smashed the boat’s cabin and the occupants got inside a large 3×3 cage; the Spinosaurus tried to see them through the rain.

—Look for weapons in the crates, look for weapons in the crates!—Grant urged them, and they turned over many crates inside the cage; a flare gun fell out. Fuel was leaking from the tank and spilling into the water.

Charlie, on the other end of the phone, was watching the Barney the Dinosaur show... and then remembered the call and gave the phone to his mother, who was saying goodbye to Mark as he left for work. Ellie called back.

The phone rang.

—Where’s the phone?!—Alan asked, sticking out his left arm; the dinosaur grabbed the cage, the boat tilted, and the phone slipped from his hands... the predator lifted the cage out of the boat, which tilted, and the phone returned to Alan’s hands.

—Ellie, in the river, Zone B, in the river!—Alan exclaimed before the Spinosaurus sank the cage... everything spun inside... the door opened, Paul swam out, the great theropod put its hand in and clawed Amanda, Paul surfaced and swam to a crane on the shore... climbed the iron arm... and once on top...

—Hey, you piece of idiot, here I am, leave them alone!—he shouted at the gigantic animal, waving his arms; the hunter roared at him, thinking he was some kind of sauropod or something... and upon realizing he was a man, it headbutted the structure, opening its jaws to devour Kirby.

Under the water, Alan swam to the flare gun, surfaced, and checked the chamber. The Spinosaurus roared furiously.

—This is as far as you go!—Alan declared, firing a flare at the Spinosaurus’s neck; the projectile bounced off and fell into the water, igniting all the fuel that had spilled. The attacker recoiled before the column of fire in front of it, dodged it, yet still burned its thigh and much of its back, ending up badly injured. Eric Kirby was hanging from the crane and, unable to hold on any longer, let go and disappeared behind the dinosaur... one last roar, and the animal vanished, dying, into the darkness of the jungle.

—Dad!—Eric shouted toward the fire over the water.

—Paul, you bastard, damn you, how could you die like that!—Amanda exclaimed. Paul swam weakly toward them and stood up.

—What are you talking about?! I’m not going anywhere!—Paul replied, and his wife and son embraced him.

Chapter 21.

The beach.

Sitting on some roots, Paul told an anecdote about an old fishing day.

—Remember that time we went fishing? The car went into the water and sank, the crane tried to pull it out and also sank, the driver wanted to beat me up hahaha—everyone laughed, Amanda looked at him admiringly and in love—I miss fishing.

—Mr. Kirby!—Alan called from a bit farther ahead, and they stood up to walk.

They walked along a path.

—The woman who called, that was Ellie. How do you know she’ll save us?—Eric asked excitedly.

—Her husband is secretary of the foreign affairs ministry or something like that, I hope that helps somehow, and if not, we’re lost. I owe Ellie a lot, you know, even though I never told her—Grant explained.

—Tell her—Eric advised... a wave.

—Did you hear that?—Alan asked.

—The beach!—the boy shouted, and they ran... however, they were intercepted by the raptor pack.

The alpha female gave the order, and the other five formed a semicircle around them.

—They want their eggs, or they would’ve already killed us—Alan said.

The female approached Amanda and sniffed her.

—Get behind me—Paul whispered to his wife, and the raptor hissed, pushing him aside.

—She thinks you stole her eggs—Alan supposed.

—Then give them to me now—Amanda demanded. Alan opened Billy’s lunchbox; one raptor saw the eggs from a distance and emitted a vocalization... all of them repeated it, creating a great triumphant echo.

Amanda dragged the two eggs across the sand to the female’s feet. Then... Alan found Billy’s resonance chamber replica and blew through it... producing a vocalization. The raptors were perplexed and very confused.

—No, make a distress call—Paul told him. Alan emitted a distress or help call... the beta male ordered to kill them, but the alpha female corrected him with a deep roar... she heard a strange sound, like rotor blades—“The masters,” she might have thought, referring to humans—so she ordered her soldiers to leave, and the raptors obeyed. The female picked up one egg with her snout and straightened up; then the beta male took the other egg... both looked at them one last time and withdrew.

The survivors rushed toward the beach... they saw a man in a suit with a megaphone shouting “Doctor Grant!” and they all shouted back.

—No, that’s not a good idea!—when four amphibious tanks came out of the sea and stopped on the white sand, four platoons of heavily armed soldiers formed beside the tanks.

—Ellie called the Navy and the Army!—Eric said excitedly.

—God bless you Ellie, God bless you—Alan gave thanks, looking at the sky.

A helicopter landed where they were, and they boarded.

—Doctor Grant! Is he with you?!—the suited man asked. Alan saw Billy Brennan, badly injured and bandaged, lying on a stretcher.

—You made it—Billy groaned; Alan nodded, smiling—look, I saved it—Billy handed him the hat.

—Haha, you’ve got your priorities, son. How did you escape?—Alan asked.

—I swam under the fence, the river carried me farther, and I reached the coast limping. I stayed lying on the beach until they saw me; I told them to wait, that you were on your way—Billy explained; it was thanks to him that they waited. Alan Grant hugged him tightly.

—Doctor Grant, we have to go—the operation leader announced—please take a seat.

Everyone sat down, and the helicopter flew toward the aircraft carrier.

—What the hell are those things?!—the co-pilot exclaimed. From the clouds, three pteranodons appeared, flapping.

—Where do you think they’re flying?—Eric asked.

—They’ll look for new nests, it’s a new world for them—Grant supposed.

—Don’t even think about going to Oklahoma!—Amanda grumbled; Paul looked at her, and they smiled at each other.

—We’re going home—Paul leaned in and kissed her; Eric laughed, Alan too, and put on his hat. The co-pilot approached Grant and handed him a headset.

—For you!—he shouted, and Alan adjusted the microphone, having to shout over the rotor noise.

—This is Grant!—Alan said.

—Alan?—Ellie asked—Alan! Are you okay?

—Ellie! Yes! I’m fine—Grant smiled like a child.

—I don’t believe you—you once told me a true paleontologist doesn’t need to be on that island—Ellie said, laughing.

—I know—Alan admitted.

—Then what were you doing?—Ellie asked.

Alan leaned back and let the golden sun bathe him in its light.

—Evolving, maybe, hahaha—he looked out the window, observing the primitive beauty of the Pteranodons. They were flying north, alongside the sunrise. It was a new dawn, a new beginning, and Alan Grant did not want to look away. He kept watching, even after the flapping silhouettes dissolved into the bright light.

The wounded Spinosaurus groaned in the mud beside the river... it was completely burned... and saw the helicopter leave... nearby footsteps... heavy... and without warning, plants moved and Junior appeared, the baby Tyrannosaurus, now four years old... he approached the unfortunate Spinosaurus; it tried to get up to defend itself but collapsed... and as nature suggests, Junior did not waste the opportunity and bit the Spinosaurus in the neck, shook it, tore the flesh from its neck, and killed it.

Chapter 22.

White Hirtford.

On the mainland, the aircraft carrier stopped on a beach, and the helicopter dropped them at Los Angeles International Airport, California. At the exit, thousands of people waited with signs and messages of affection: “Welcome back to life,” “Welcome to California,” “We love you, Doctor Grant.” Eric smiled through the windows, along with Amanda, Paul, Billy, and Alan.

Grant saw White Hitford behind a barrier full of guards; he showed his credentials, and Alan asked them to let him in.

—Doctor Grant, you can’t imagine how happy I am to know you’re alive; we were all very worried—White greeted, shaking his hand.

—Hello White, you two-meter turkey haha—Alan joked.

—Haha, many people went out to protest when they heard no one wanted to rescue Eric—it was a disaster... and when they found out you rescued him, they went crazy and asked for you to receive the Congressional Medal for your bravery. Doctor, truly, I’m glad to see you safe—White summarized. Alan looked at Billy.

—Actually, it was Billy who saved him, he risked his own life—Alan acknowledged, and Billy swallowed, moved.

—I’d love for all of you to come to my show, please come, we’ll pay you well, I swear, one hundred thousand dollars each—Hitford promised. Alan glanced at Billy and the Kirbys and laughed.

—Alright, White, we’ll go—they agreed. White hopped on one foot, jubilant.

The next night, they entered the TV studio set, and the audience applauded and cheered euphorically.

Mark Degler and Ellie Sattler watched the show.

—Mr. Kirby, tell me, why did you have to resort to such drastic measures?—Hitford asked.

—Well, we asked everyone for help and no one wanted to help us; in fact, the secretary of foreign affairs told me, verbatim, “You must accept the inevitable”—Kirby quoted.

Ellie froze, looking at Mark.

—Is what he says true?—Ellie asked incredulously.

—Uh... to a certain extent, I don’t remember saying that—Mark defended himself.

—Did you know Alan was lost with them?—Ellie continued.

—No, no, not at that moment; I understand they kidnapped Alan afterward—Degler clarified.

—But... if you had helped them, none of this would have happened—Ellie deduced.

—No, Ellie, they were asking me to do something illegal—he justified anxiously.

—But... why didn’t you tell me anything? I could have helped somehow, I could have warned Alan about the danger, I could have prevented many things—Sattler supposed.

—No, love... I didn’t want to worry you, that’s why I didn’t tell you—Mark said.

—I think if you had done things differently, this wouldn’t have happened—Sattler rejected.

—Ellie... things don’t work like that—Mark tried to argue.

—Oh? And how do they work, according to you? Alan could have died because of you, your negligence... I refuse to believe you didn’t know he was kidnapped—Ellie said.

—Do you think I planned all this, that I wanted Grant dead?—Mark confronted her.

—I find it hard to believe otherwise—Ellie replied.

—Do you think I’m jealous of him?—he pressed.

—Who wouldn’t be?—she answered.

—Oh Ellie... for God’s sake, just shut up—Mark ordered, standing.

—You shut up!—Ellie shouted.

—You think I’m jealous of that decrepit old man?! Well yes, because all the damn time you talk about him, you never stop talking about him, that he’s the best, that no man is better than him—what about me?! I break my back working for what?! Oh sure, no matter what I do, I’ll never be better than that damn Alan Grant—Mark yelled, kicking a toy.

—Be quiet, you’ll wake the children—his wife said angrily.

—Go to hell, Ellie! Go live your dollhouse life with your doctor! Go look for your stupid rocks!—Mark shouted, grabbing his jacket and leaving.

—Hey! Where the hell are you going?!—Ellie demanded.

—I’m going to drink something, leave me alone!—Mark shouted, getting into his car.

Ellie sat down crying in the doorway... and stayed there for half an hour... until she picked up the phone and called Alan.

—Alan, it’s me—she said, voice breaking.

—Ellie? How are you? Are you okay?—Grant asked gently.

—No—she said softly, sobbing.

They stayed talking for the rest of the night.

Chapter 23.

MALCOLM VS MASRANI.

The doctors gave up on John Hammond, who, lying in his large white bed, asked his assistants, his grandchildren Tim and Lex Murphy, to take care of calling Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant.

Both scientists came to his mansion, greeted Tim and Lex, and they asked them to enter the room.

—I think it’s already too late to regret, Ian, Alan—said Hammond, very tired and thin. Malcolm and Grant sat beside him.

—Tell me, John, what must we do?—asked Ian, holding his hand.

—You were right, you are always right. Simon Masrani is the new owner of InGen, I suspect he wants to rebuild Jurassic Park. He sent Henry Wu to conduct experiments on Sorna, bypassing the Genetic Guard law. You must not allow him to do it. You must kill the dinosaurs, all of them—warned Hammond with great weakness.

—But John... you didn’t, you didn’t want that—Malcolm recalled.

—It’s for the best, you once told me ‘It’s fine that you want to leave your name in history, but not on other people’s tombstones,’ that’s right, I don’t want more people to die because of me. Find a way to destroy those islands, bomb them or whatever it takes, but don’t let Masrani achieve his goal, please, promise me you will do it—John pleaded, his hand trembling, bony and wrinkled.

—Alright, we will do it—Ian promised, and embraced John, Alan also embraced him, as a farewell gesture, Tim and Lex opened the door for them to leave.

Days after John Hammond’s funeral, a lawyer read the will, in front of Grant, Malcolm, Masrani and Wu.

—And my last will, is that you rebuild Jurassic Park—the lawyer concluded. Grant and Malcolm stared open-mouthed at the lawyer... they glanced sideways at Simon Masrani and he, in turn, smiled at Henry Wu seated a bit farther back.

Outside the room, Masrani called Grant and Malcolm.

—Doctors, a pleasure... I am Simon Masrani, owner of Masrani Global, I have a job for you, a consultancy—Masrani greeted with his arm extended.

—I’m not interested. Mr. Hammond never wanted to rebuild Jurassic Park—said Grant sharply, with a look of disdain.

—Are you accusing me of having altered his will in some way?—Masrani suggested, uncomfortable.

—You are making a grave mistake, a very grave mistake... just like Mr. Ludlow... and you will end up like him—said Malcolm. Both doctors turned around and left him with his hand extended.

The attempts by Doctors Grant and Malcolm to destroy the fauna of Nublar and Sorna were unsuccessful; the United States Congress preferred to avoid a political conflict with the government of Costa Rica, once again... and thus began the preparations for the construction of “Jurassic World,” better known as “Jurassic World.”

THE END.

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GUAMBLIN: amor por los dinosaurios y la Paleontología

JURASSIC PARK 3: THE FIVE DEATHS

JURASSIC PARK III
The Five Deaths

Fanfic by Randy Ravest

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JURASSIC PARK IIIThe Five DeathsFanfic by Randy Ravest

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Entradas más populares de este blog

GUAMBLIN: LA CACERÍA DE LOS CRÍPTIDOS

LOS SIETE MISTERIOS MÁS GRANDES DE LA CIENCIA

JURASSIC PARK 3: LAS CINCO MUERTES

JURASSIC PARK III
The Five Deaths

Fanfic by Randy Ravest