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The InGen Chronicles 'Dark Park' Pt 2
By Gamblers Ruined
The rotting carcass of Fillip Franko stared accusingly up at Muldoon. The game warden looked at what was left of him and could instantly tell what killed him. The other men, Frances and Jophery held handkerchiefs to their noses, swatting at the swarm of flies surrounding the dead man. All men were armed and prepared for an attack.
“Shit, Bob,” swore Frances. “These animals we’re after...these raptors...they did this?”
Muldoon took his eyes off the late gatekeeper and onto Frances. “Yes. They did this. Fillip never had a chance. He was eaten before he died.”
Jophery swallowed.
Muldoon walked back to the Explorer and pulled out a canvas. He put the remains of Fillip into it and tied it up. Flies continued to smother the air.
Not far away from the men, hidden in the green foliage was the pack. They watched tenaciously as the men put their meal into a bag. The alpha female snarled. She observed the men. She looked at the metal canisters straddled to their sides and she instantly remembered that they brought pain. Sacrifices were to be made. She snarled again. The three raptors beside her jittered uneasily. She snorted. They were immediately silent. She looked at the vehicle that they were getting into. She would have to act fast. Through her throat came a low, bellow. The other raptors slowly trudged out of their hiding spots, unseen, ready for their next meal.
John Hammond watched the motion sensors from inside the control room. Everything appeared normal. He had ordered the park staff in for the day. He had also ordered the concrete moats that Muldoon wanted. He pressed a button and on the screen appeared a view of the Hadrosaur lagoon. The big horned animals were lying hazily in a group, snoring. Hammond smiled. He loved every one of his creations, every blinking eye, every white tooth. He pressed another button and saw Muldoon, Frances and Jophery load the jeep up. Muldoon was swearing at Frances for something. Hammond frowned. He liked Muldoon but sometimes he was impossibly rebellious. Out of the corner of the screen, three figures loomed silently towards the men. At first, Hammond thought they were curious pachys, wondering what all the fuss was about. But when they picked up speed, he picked up the walkie-talkie and tried quickly to warn Muldoon.
Muldoon’s pocket buzzed. Damn that walkie-talkie. He was in the driver seat when he pulled it out and pressed the ‘on’ button.
“ –obert! They’re –om-ng! Behind –ou!”
“What? Who is this?”
Then he heard Frances screaming. He turned around and to his horror saw two raptors tugging on each of his arms. Jophery was frozen in terror. Suddenly, Muldoon heard a loud ‘rip’ and saw Frances’ body fall backward. Without arms. The two raptors had an arm each in their mouth and were heading back to the jungle. Blood splattered the ground around Frances and he was screaming. Jophery jumped into the passenger seat, away from the terror. The third raptor, hidden all this time, jumped 4 meters into the air and landed on Frances’ squirming body. Muldoon was prepared this time. He pulled out his Linsdtat rifle and shot four bullets at the raptor. One pierced its thigh and its head shot up and looked at Muldoon. From its jaws Jophery saw the dangling optic nerve of Frances’ eye, with the eyeball swinging below its mouth. Jophery gagged. Seconds before it was killed by another bullet, the raptor grossly slurped up the eye.
Muldoon’s heart was racing. He had a million things at one in his mind. Jophery was throwing up next to him. It had all happened so fast! The ambush, the trap, the attack on Frances....Frances! Muldoon shakily put the key in the ignition and drove towards Frances and the raptor. He jumped out of the vehicle. He slowly walked up to the two still bodies. Both dead. Both undeniably dead. He looked at Frances and was able to see his skull. Half of his face was missing. Flies already began to wander in and out of his face. Muldoon felt dizzy. He unstably jumped back into the jeep. Jophery was already getting the other gun ready. Muldoon stared out into the distance where the raptors had fled with Frances’ appendages. He stepped on the accelerator and the jeep was on their trail.
The walkie-talkie beeped. It was on the floor of the jeep. “Give it to me,” Muldoon ordered. Jophery obeyed and handed it over. Muldoon turned it on. “What?”
“Robert...you cannot kill them.”
Muldoon stared dumbly in silence. He finally replied “Did you just see what they did?”
Hammond answered. “Yes I did. And it’s tragic, truly tragic. But if you don’t swap those bullets for tranquilizers right away you can forget about your job. Your job is to listen to me. I want those animals alive.”
Muldoon was unfathomable. “Yessir,” he replied and switched the walkie-talkie off.
The alpha female watched as the noisy mechanical animal roared towards them. The other two raptors ignored the noise and hungrily gnawed at the digits of the disembodied arms. The alpha did not warn them, did not make any noises. She slowly slipped further into the jungle.
The two raptors didn’t even feel the prick of the dart. They fell to the ground with eyes wide open. One of their legs twitched uncontrollably. “You stay here,” Muldoon ordered Jophery as he jumped out of the vehicle. “I’m going to bag these bastards.”
Muldoon cautiously stepped into the jungle. He was staring at the sleeping raptors. He went up to them, tentatively. He opened the canvas so it was spread wide. Carefully, he rolled one raptor onto the canvas. The stench of its skin wafted into Muldoon’s senses. He held his breath. As he rolled the other raptor onto the canvas, he noticed a thumb fall out of its mouth. He shuddered disgustedly. That’s two tranquilized, he thought.
“ROBERT WATCH OUT!”
Robert Muldoon fell onto his stomach. He felt the sharpness of claws on his back. The alpha female had been hunting him. Muldoon grimaced as he felt the hot sticky breath on the back of his neck. He waited for the blow. But it never came. The alpha female landed heavily beside him, and Muldoon could see the dart sticking out of her neck. Jophery had saved his life. The alpha female made soft, sorrowful noises. She looked at her intended prey with fierce intelligence. He looked back at her intensely. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed down. Her day would come. But not today.
Muldoon sat in Hammond’s office. It was later that day and the raptors were back in their temporary pen. “So Robert, I did what you asked of me. The new pen WITH concrete moats will be here by Thursday.”
Muldoon was quick to respond. “And for now?”
Hammond was quicker to interrupt. “For now we have full fledged security around the pen. Those animals are not going to be going anywhere.”
“Those animals SHOULD be destroyed, John. Three men have died because of them. How many more?”
Hammond replied calmly “There were eight, Robert. Now there are three. If anyone asks, there were eight but the alpha female killed the rest and spared two.”
“You’re going to lie about this?”
“Robert, sometimes it’s the only way to deal with these things. Do you understand?”
Muldoon said nothing. He walked out of the room with his face in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Hammond was asking him to lie. And he was actually going to do it. Robert Muldoon went to his room. He lay down to sleep. This park is a mistake, was his last thought before he was dreaming of other, happier things.
In the darkness of her cage, the alpha female raptor roared. One day, she would get him. The other two raptors roared in unison. Jurassic Park was not silent that night. Jurassic Park was not peaceful. But Robert Muldoon slept. He was silent and peaceful....for now.
THE END
10/29/2003 1:05:52 AM
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