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Jurassic Park Dawn of Retribution Stage Eight
By JPJunkee+Yvonne
EIGHTH STAGE
"We cannot choose how many years we will live, but we can choose how much life
those years will have. We cannot control the beauty of our face, but we can control
the expression on it. We cannot control life's difficult moments but we can choose to
make life less difficult. We cannot control the negative atmosphere of the world, but
we can control the atmosphere of our minds. Too often we try to choose and control
things we cannot. Too seldom we choose to control what we can - our attitude."
-- John Maxwell --
Leah, Aaron, and Kaje were sitting side by side, three feet apart, with their backs against the wall. They were in a small room with bare walls and no furniture. Whatever facility this was, it seemed very unkept, with the green, fuzzy mold and moss growing everywhere in the room. In the far left corner, the furthest corner from the single door, was a small long-deserted dinosaur nest with empty eggs inside.
Two of Larson's guards were standing by the door, along with McCarney, who was closest to them, watching them drink water and eat. He had supplied them each with a small paper bag of a few choice food items and a bottled water to share, and the three prisoners had all but consumed everything already.
Leah and Aaron both stared up at their captors, who were holding rifles and looking sternly down at their hostages. Leah was worried about the others. They had been separated and were left with the one guy she didn't know, Adam Kaje. She wanted to ask him a million things, but the armed men had been adamant in ceasing her questions whenever she tried, so she stayed quiet for now . . . waiting and worrying.
Kaje, on the other hand, was trying to focus his attention elsewhere. He was studying the empty dinosaur nest on the other side of the room, just next to his backpack that had been thrown there by one of the men. He wondered what kind of species had lived here before? This room was obviously not meant to be the living quarters of a dinosaur. So, the animal must have made the room her home after the scientists had all departed from the island. Staring intently at one of the broken egg shells, his curiosity got the better of him, as he forgot about his current predicament. Slowly, he began to inch his way toward the nests.
One of the guards was about to say something to Kaje, when a piercing scream rang through the building. Kaje's skin went pale, and he sat back in his spot against the wall.
That was Grant, Kaje thought. The scream that he had made . . . what were they doing to him? . . . What are they going to do to me?
Kaje looked at Leah. Her face was blank. She stared straight forward, just looking at the bare moldy walls. Sweat made its way down her brow, and her eye twitched slightly.
"Are you okay?" Kaje asked.
Leah didn't respond at all. She acted as though she had never heard the question and continued to stare forward.
"It's okay, Leah," Aaron said in a soft comforting voice, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be alright."
Kaje heard footsteps coming down the hall outside the door, and looked at the door, awaiting his own torture.
Brock Larson appeared at the door, he exchanged a few quiet words with McCarney and the two other guards. Then, they left the room, and Larson entered, closing the door behind him.
The thought of jumping Larson now, bringing him down and holding him hostage, crossed Kaje's mind. They weren't handcuffed, and it would be one against the three of them. That would be quite the scene, as he pictured himself throwing his slightly heavy backpack at Larson's head. The tables would have turned right then and there.
But, if they did that, they would kill the others for sure. That was, if they weren't dead already, of course.
"What have you done?" Leah asked, finally looking away from the wall, and into the eyes of Larson.
Larson crossed his muscular arms, and sighed, "I have done, the inevitable."
"Did you kill him?" Leah demanded, her voice showing no fear.
"Death is an odd thing, wouldn't you agree?" Larson started. "Many believe in an afterlife. And that the afterlife will bring a new, even more fruitful life than the one they once lived. And if people believe this, then how can they even believe in death? If death only brings life, then where is the sense in it all?"
"Did you kill Alan?" Leah repeated.
Larson paused for a moment, then said, "No. He is not dead. Only . . . wounded."
Leah's gaze into Larson's eyes did not change. It remained stone and still, showing no emotion. She did not trust Larson's word. But, she did want to believe him.
"You know how long it has been since I first dreamed of this day?" Larson asked. "The day that I would finally come upon the three scientists in that room. Nearly a decade." He nodded slowly, then the hint of a quivering smile appeared on his face. "Oh, they had no idea of course. None of them have ever met me before. None have ever heard of me, either. And that's just as well, I suppose. If they had known me, they would have probably feared me. But, I did not want any of them to fear me . . . not until now, of course."
"What did they ever do to you?" Aaron demanded, more than asked.
Larson was not swayed by the other man's tone. He answered with a calm and level voice, "They are not even aware of what they did to deserve this. So, why should I tell you?"
"What are you going to do with us?" Kaje asked, interrupting.
Larson shrugged slightly. "That remains to be seen. I came to this island for them, not for you. My men came here for the animals that occupy this land. They want to send the world a message, of sorts. I don't care about messages, I care about vengeance. And since I have no vengeance to seek from you . . . I am left in a quarrel of what to do with you. I suppose, the wisest choice would be to dispose of you all." Larson looked at Leah and tilted his head to the side, "Well, maybe not all of you."
"You're insane," Leah said in a monotone voice.
"Am I? I always thought sanity was odd and misunderstood. The average human mind only uses about ten percent of its brain. The other ninety is never even tapped into. Now, the people that occupy our mental wards, are declared insane because their minds have either twisted to such a degree that the world is just a bad dream for them, or they are not using the proper amount of brain power, and have become a danger to themselves and society. Society doesn't even use the proper amount of brain power. And it shows, because we are always killing each other, or committing senseless acts of violence or stupidity. Driving drunk, cheating on a loved one, gambling in Vegas, and fighting wars over religions are all examples of society being insane. And, you label me insane? I accept that." Larson paused, then said in a quiet voice, "But, I think I'm probably the only one thinking clearly in this little society we have here, so I call the shots."
"You can't get away with this," Aaron stated.
Larson frowned, then leaned in close to Aaron and growled, "I can, I will, and I am." Then he shifted his eyes to Leah, stood back upright, and said, "Come. I want to show you something."
Aaron put a hand on Leah's shoulder, "She's not going anywhere."
"Oh, I beg to differ." Larson reached down and grabbed Leah's wrist, yanking her to her feet. When Aaron quickly stood up, Larson withdrew a pistol from his hip, and pointed it at her skull. "We will be leaving now," he said, as he walked backwards to the door with Leah in his grasps.
When he reached the door, he tapped it with the side of his foot. The door was instantly opened by the guards standing outside. Larson smiled at Aaron and said softly, "It would be best if you tried to sit down and get some rest, let your food settle. It may help you drown out the screams." Then Larson stepped outside the door, and the guards and McCarney took his place inside the room. Then he winked at Leah, and shut the door behind him.
"Where are you taking me?" Leah asked, her voice finally showing the smallest hint of fear.
"Where do you want to go?" Larson replied, a big grin plastered upon his face, and a sort of mad twinkle in his eyes.
Leah looked at him with a fearful expression, as her lip began to quiver.
Larson tilted his head to the side, "I am taking you to him."
"Alan?"
Larson walked behind Leah, and put his lips beside her ear, and whispered, "Who else?"
Leah smiled the smallest bit, but the smile was erased when she felt the cold metal of the end of the gun placed at the back of her neck.
"Walk," Larson demanded, and pushed the barrel of the gun harder against her neck.
Leah complied, and began to walk down the beaten and dirty corridor.
"You know, back when InGen used to still work here, they used this building for caring for the animals. Sick animals. Wounded animals. Or the young ones that just couldn't make it in the wild without a parent, which happened often, seeing as the first animals were bred in labs," Larson waited for some sort of response from Leah, but when he realized she wasn't going to say anything, he continued, "But, InGen was so preoccupied with investors and money, and the whole fact that they were making the future, that they didn't worry about safety or the elements of nature. This building was never finished. For nearly a year, it stood just as you see it now . . . except, without all the mold and other grime, of course.
"And it was the same way with the people. Oh, they never cared about the people who worked so hard trying to achieve their precious dream," Larson continued, as he escorted Leah down a hall to the right. "Never cared about me, anyway. They looked to the future. They wanted to succeed. They didn't care about how they got there or about who helped them get there, just as long as we did our part and that they wouldn't need to hold our hands. They needed people who wouldn't ask to many questions. People who wouldn't stir the pot . . . . People like me . . . . People like me."
Footsteps were heard from the end of the hall before them. Stumbling into view, came Ian Malcolm. His face was red and sweaty. He looked up and saw Leah and Larson, but didn't say a word.
Griffin came rushing around the corner, right behind him, and quickly seized Malcolm by the neck and pushed him into the wall.
"Trying to get ahead of me isn't wise," he sneered, immobilizing him against the wall.
Malcolm gasped in pain, but still didn't say a word.
Ellie, who had been forced to leave Grant behind not too long ago, wasn't about to let another friend of hers suffer. She ran up behind Griffin and screamed, "Stop it!" She grabbed at his shoulders, and tried to pull him off, but Griffin hit her jaw with his elbow, and she fell back hard.
"Put them in the x-ray lab down the hall," Larson said.
Griffin grabbed Malcolm by the hair, and pushed him down the hall. Then another one of Larson's men picked Ellie off the floor, and pushed her down the hall, following closely behind Griffin.
"She's not a part of this. Leave her alone!" Malcolm shouted as they walked further down the hall. Then there was a loud thud, and Malcolm grunted once more.
Larson whispered into Leah's ear again, "Ah, but you are a part of this. A beautifully unexpected addition, let me assure you."
Leah shivered as fear was really beginning to take hold after seeing how they had treated Ellie and Malcolm.
Pressing the gun harder against the skin of her neck, he whispered close to her ear, "Keep moving, now."
Leah's body shook slightly, a sudden mixture of uncertain fear and adrenaline passing through her veins.
"The fun has only just begun." he teased.
* * *
Leah followed Larson into another room. She was beyond scared at this point, but she knew she had to keep it together and continue to follow him. They came upon yet another door, only this door was different in style and texture.
"Reinforced titanium," he said, as he tapped on it with his bare knuckles. He then proceeded to punch a six-digit code into the panel.
There was a loud clicking sound, indicating that he had input the correct code. He opened the door and Leah was greeted by an extraordinarily large room, filled with cages. At first sight, she could see four cages, that went from floor to ceiling. They were all empty . . . except for one. The first cage at the other end of the room, had a man inside. It took Leah less than five seconds to realize who it was.
"Alan!?" she yelled.
She ran down the narrow hallway, forgetting about the dangerous man who had escorted her there. Reaching the cage, she peered inside, very concerned.
"Alan?" she repeated, more of a whisper this time, since he was right in front of her now.
He didn't respond. He was unconscious, slumped on the concrete floor of the steel cage. Leah's worry turned to anger, as she faced Larson.
"What the hell did you do to him?" she demanded.
He was holding a bottle of water now and as he walked past her, he smiled without answering right away. Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, Larson unlocked the cage door with his free hand and swung it open. Leah kept her eyes on Grant, as the steel door creaked open. Larson reached around to the side wall and flipped on a light switch, illuminating the immediate area. That's when Leah saw the blood. Very alarmed by the situation, but still keeping her wits about her, she stopped herself from running into the open cage to see after him. Larson noticed this, as well.
"What's the matter? Afraid I may lock you up with him?"
Leah didn't answer, as she continued to see if Grant was going to awaken. Larson became annoyed.
"Allow me to wake him up, then."
He tucked the keys back into his pocket and walked inside. Leah remained still, watching the muscular man reach the unconscious Grant. Looking down at him, Larson smiled and kicked one of his legs, causing him to stir some. Not satisfied with the result, Larson opened the bottle and threw water into Grant's face. Grant coughed and began to come around.
He was disoriented at first, opening and closing his eyes several times, before finally fixating them on the giant man in front of him. He couldn't remember much about what had happened, after Larson had attacked him. There was one sickening thought running through his mind, though. He remembered being in the cage with Ellie and she was trying to talk him into not moving around so much. He had ignored her and decided to pull the crowbar out of his hand. Things went bad. Very bad. Blood went everywhere. Ellie and Ian were both yelling at him, but all he could remember after that was slumping to the ground and fading away into unconsciousness.
Slowly and painfully, he raised his right hand a few inches and studied it. Someone had bandaged it, but the blood was still slowly trickling from the wound. He tried to move his fingers, but it only resulted in rapid shots of pain flowing through his arm.
He dropped his arm down by his side again, wincing as he did so. Trying to make some sense out of what was happening, he looked to both sides of him, noticing that Ellie and Ian were gone now.
"Where are the others?" he asked, his voice very raspy sounding.
Larson smiled. It was a cold looking smile.
"I don't think you really need to concern yourself with that, at the moment."
Grant stared at him for a few seconds, and then began to drift away again. Larson kicked at one of his legs again, startling him back into reality. He winced and then he heard another voice from the front of the cage, behind Larson.
"Leah?" he gasped.
Leah rushed past Larson and knelt down by Grant, checking him over carefully. When he saw her face, a smile and a look of relief developed on his face.
"You okay?" he asked her.
She almost laughed, as she thought about the silly question.
"I'm okay. You're a different story, though. What happened?" she asked, gently picking up his right hand, looking at it, "Did something bite you?"
Moving his hand around was really hurting him. Wincing, and getting a little bit annoyed, he pulled his hand away, holding it against his chest. He settled back down, and answered her question.
"No," he said. He looked around the room, as if he hadn't realized where he was. His behavior was alarming Leah, who followed his gaze, as it seemed to have fixated on something to the right of her. "Crowbar," he said, gesturing to the said weapon that was still lying on the concrete floor. Then, his head gestured slightly toward Larson.
She followed Grant's gaze toward Larson, and instantly became angry and protective. She had already hated this man, and now it was beyond that. She wished she could kill him somehow, right now.
Sensing her hostility, Grant reached his good hand out to her, gently touching her shoulder. She turned her head and looked at him.
"I can see you're planning a . . ." Leah stared at him as she watched him try to search for the proper word. He was really out of it. ". . . revolt," he finally whispered, and then added, "Please, don't."
As they were talking, Larson quietly backed away, edging closer and closer to the opened door. Grant noticed.
"Leah, get out of here," he said, trying to push her away, "Get out of this cage."
The squeaking of the door echoed throughout the area, causing Leah to look in that direction. Larson pushed the door the rest of the way, and the door shut with a click.
"Enjoy your time together," he said, smiling, "It will be short. I really don't have a use for a reporter at this stage of my plan."
Larson turned to walk away, prompting Grant to try and stand up. Using the bars, he attempted to pull himself to a standing position, but it wasn't working. Leah was right there to help him, though.
"Whatever you have planned, it doesn't involve Leah. I'm going to beg you to just let her go."
Larson stopped and looked back toward the couple in the cage, "No," he simply said with a cold smile. Then he glanced to his right, nodded to some unknown person, causing a clicking sound to be heard from that side of the room. "Dr. Grant, I know you have admired the velociraptor for years, and I am going to give you a once in a lifetime opportunity to see it very up close and personal. I'll just totally ignore the fact that you've been in close quarters with them in the past."
The cage to the extreme left had a very small gate located near the back right side, that opened slowly. It was then that Grant noticed similar gates in all of the cages, including the one they were in. The small entrances could hardly be seen when just glancing in that direction, but now he noticed it. He and Leah watched as something walked into the farthest cage. It was concealed in the darkness, but there was no mistaking the low growling noises.
"Oh, God," Leah whispered.
Grant had slowly made his way toward Larson, "Please, let her out of here."
"I think it will be interesting to see how the two of you work together to overcome the adversary."
"Larson, please---"
"Don't worry, Grant," Larson said, cutting him off, "This particular raptor is very much blind. So, just be quiet and it won't find you," he ended the sentence with another cold smile.
Satisfied, the criminal mind turned to leave again.
"Larson---"
"I think you should stop talking. Soon all the gates will be open and talking will be the death of you and your loved one," Larson said, his back to Grant, as he continued to the exit. "And to make it fair," he added, reaching for the light switch, "I wouldn't want the raptor to feel slighted." He flipped the switch, and then left the room.
The door Larson had exited from closed, leaving them in total blackness. Grant was trying to formulate some sort of plan in his head, but his mind was swirling from the loss of blood in his hand. Using the cage bars for help, he began to make his way toward the back of the cage.
"What are you going to do?" Leah whispered.
"I don't know yet."
After a clicking sound, the small door from two cages away could be heard automatically opening. In turn, the low growling of the raptor could be heard getting a bit closer, as it followed the noise and went through to the next cage.
"Well, thinking of something right now would be a good idea."
"Damn it," Grant suddenly said.
"What is it?"
"My hand. It's starting to bleed again."
Leah reached into the darkness and took his hand in hers. He groaned in pain, but she ignored it, as she raised his hand to his chest.
"Keep your hand above your heart. It'll slow the bleeding and help with the pain."
"Okay," he whispered, and then he added, "We need to keep this gate closed."
"Any idea how?"
The raptor could hear them talking and it continually rammed into the side of the cage, trying to get to the source of the noise. It sensed the humans nearby and wanted to get to them very badly. Larson had instructed his men not to feed the sight-challenged dinosaur for several days, so it was very hungry and the desire to find the humans was great.
"I'm working on it," Grant answered after a second. His head was spinning, as his eyes desperately tried to adjust to the darkness. He felt like he could pass out at any moment, and fought that inclination with all of his remaining strength.
"The crowbar. It's still in here, right?" he asked with sudden hopefulness.
"I'm not sure, but I think so," Leah answered, as she began to walk the cage floor, looking for it. Her eyes were almost adjusted now. She could make out the silhouette of her shoes, as she looked toward the floor. Then, as if by some miracle, her foot dragged across something metal.
"I found it," she whispered excitedly.
She ran it to Grant, who was making his way to the back of the cage. When he was almost there, he collapsed to the ground with a grunt.
"Alan!"
"I'm okay, I'm okay," he said, trying to calm her, but she could hear the pain and wooziness in his voice.
She quickly helped him up and when he had a firm grip on the cage bar again, she let him go, watching him steadily sway back and forth, as he held his injured hand to his chest.
"Easy, Alan. Take some deep breaths, okay?"
"Yeah," he agreed, closing his eyes, very much wanting to surrender his body to the sleep it so desperately wanted.
"I need you to think clearly," Leah advised, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Okay."
The small door from the cage next to them slowly opened, instantly getting the blind raptor's attention. As the door clanked against the bars, the hungry creature began to cautiously move in the direction of the noise.
Leah didn't waste another second, "Okay, let's get this crowbar jammed in the door. Is that what you wanted to do?"
Grant didn't answer.
"Alan?"
She had been fiddling with the crowbar and the door, with her back to him. She turned to see what he was doing and was half shocked to see that he had fallen over, leaning against the bars. She was about to whisper his name again, but she noticed a shadow in the cage next to her now. The raptor had found its way into the next cage and was very close to where Grant had fallen over. Silently, she leaned down and pulled him away from the bars. Sweat poured down her face, as she dragged him away from the edge of the cage.
He finally came around again, grunting and groaning as she continued to move him. He was about to ask what was going on, when his questions were answered by the claws of the dinosaur reaching into the cage and striking toward his exposed leg. Alarmed, he moved his leg just in time and became even more alert.
"Did it get you?" Leah asked, concern dripping from her voice. She sounded as if she were about to burst into tears. She was operating under an extreme amount of adrenaline, as she tried to find out if Grant was okay, while also trying to find out where the raptor was now located in the darkness.
"No, I'm fine," he said, shaking his head to clear away the few remaining cobwebs, "Give me the crowbar."
She handed the crowbar to him, and watched him quickly crawl toward the small gate. When he reached it, he began to try different ways to get the crowbar wedged in the gate, to stop it from opening when the time came. It looked as though he was going to accomplish sealing it, until the metal-against-metal clinking and clanging attracted the raptor. It made its way to the corner where the gate was and began to slice at the air, and then finally through the bars at Grant.
Surprised, he covered his head and leaned back, releasing the crowbar. The sound of it striking the floor echoed throughout the cages, altering the raptor's attitude. The blind carnivore began to sway back and forth, trying to figure out where the noises were coming from, as the echoes finally subsided.
Grant became optimistic for the first time in awhile.
"Leah, go over to the other end and hit the bars with something, anything you can find."
She nodded, but it wasn't necessary, since he wasn't even looking in her direction. He was still trying to wedge the crowbar against the gate, while the raptor was still trying to harm him.
Leah stumbled onto some rocks and dirt on the floor and had immediately picked up the largest rock she could find. Striking it against the bars, she was able to lure the raptor away from Grant.
There was a clicking noise, indicating that the next gate was about to open. While holding onto the gate, Grant felt it moving away from him . . . essentially opening up. He gritted his teeth, as he began to sweat, waiting to see if the crowbar was going to hold the gate.
The door of the gate began to open while Grant continued to hold the crowbar against it. It only opened about an inch and then it caught the crowbar and stopped. Leah, who was standing behind Grant, exhaled deeply, very relieved. Grant was about to do the same, but then the raptor rammed its head into the gate and jarred the crowbar loose, causing it to drop to the floor. The metallic thump echoed throughout the cages, as the raptor began to follow the noise, pushing up against the gate.
Grant was swearing, as he tried to hold the gate closed with his arms. The raptor shrieked and then stayed very still, listening for the man's breathing. When it had the location pinpointed, the raptor lashed out at him with its toe claw.
Leah screamed and pulled Grant backwards just before the creature made contact. The slight weight of the raptor was all that was needed for the gate to swing open. Leah was still behind Grant and he was on his back facing the raptor as it slowly made its way through the open gate. He scooted forward, wincing as he tried to move himself along with his injured hand, and then kicked the gate shut again.
The gate flew back into place, causing the raptor to bark in anger as the fast-moving metal collided with its head. After taking a few steps back, the raptor shook it off and walked forward again, shrieking and growling all the while.
Grant was exhausted and wasn't feeling well again. He tried to push himself forward, but it was too much of an effort. His arms finally relaxed at his sides and he slumped onto his back.
Leah couldn't believe he was just giving up, but then again, she knew he wasn't in a very good state of mind. That's about as long as she thought about it, though, since the raptor had already begun to open the gate again. She jumped over him and ran to the gate, pushing it closed one more time.
"Get the hell out of here! Ahhh! Go!" she screamed at the raptor.
The raptor stopped its forward momentum, just as it reached the gate. The new array of sounds greatly confused the creature, as it tilted its head like a dog, listening to the human yell. Its task was only temporarily distracted, though, as it shrieked again. Pushing its way through the unsecured gate, Leah found herself face-to-face with the terrifying and very hungry creature. She settled her nerves, so that her breathing wouldn't give away her position, and then slowly took a single step backward. The raptor sniffed the air and took a step just as she did, but only one step. It was being overly-cautious, since the metal gate had already wounded the top of its head.
Still on his back, Grant grunted as he tried to sit up. The dinosaur was only a few feet to his right and it was obvious that it had heard him. Eerily, they watched it locate his position on the floor.
"Alan," Leah whispered, getting the raptor to look in her general direction again, "Don't move."
He had made it into an upright position, but that was all so far. He slowly nodded, keeping a close eye on the raptor's movements. It was too late for him to stay hidden, though.
Leah helplessly watched the raptor use its remaining senses to find the wounded human and go after him. She took a brave step forward.
"Stay there!" Grant yelled, pointing at her.
This helped the raptor pinpoint the human's location without question. It snarled and jerked its head back, getting ready to pounce.
After briefly making eye contact with Leah, Grant looked away and braced himself for the inevitable.
The raptor leapt toward him, its mouth agape.
Grant closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a gunshot was heard in the room. His eyes still closed, Grant heard Leah sigh in relief. He opened his eyes and saw the raptor, slumped in front of him. He looked up and saw Larson standing in the hallway. Leah hurried over to Grant and embraced him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, checking him over. She was only asking out of habit, since she was bound and determined to look for herself.
"Yeah," he whispered, holding her tight.
Glancing at the creature that was seconds away from claiming his life, Grant noticed that it had ceased breathing. He looked up toward Larson.
"You didn't think I'd let you die quite that easily, did you, doctor?"
Grant didn't reply.
"It's good to see that you are smart enough to know when to shut up," Larson commented. He unlocked the outside of the cage, "I hope you understand that I am in total control of your fate. If I had wanted you dead just now, you would be dead. If I had wanted your beautiful counterpart there dead, then it would be done. Do you understand this?"
"Yes," Grant answered quickly. He didn't want to give him a reason to harm Leah, so he agreed with the unstable man.
"This was just the first test," Larson promised. "A test, if I may point out, that you failed horribly. Congratulations, Dr. Grant. You've made me think even less of you, if that was possible."
* * *
Sitting very still, with her back to Malcolm, Ellie closed her eyes as she heard Leah screaming something again from the other room. It was so loud that it sounded as if the frightened woman was right next to her.
"I haven't heard Alan in a while," she said, very worried.
"He's probably unconscious, that's all," Malcolm suggested, trying to keep up Ellie's spirits.
"Well, that wouldn't be much better," Ellie said, struggling to free herself from him.
They had been placed in chairs and forced to sit back-to-back, handcuffed to each other. There were two guards in the room watching them carefully, accompanied by a third man, Griffin.
"Ellie, we have to believe that he's alive. Besides, Larson the lunatic wouldn't kill him now anyway."
Ellie didn't respond right away, since there were shrieking and growling noises coming from somewhere beyond the walls.
"What do you think that is?" Ellie finally whispered to Malcolm.
Griffin approached them and smiled, making a point to stand in front of Ellie, "Raptors, of course."
Ellie glared at the man, seemingly angry that he intruded on their conversation. In reality, she was just angry for not being able to do anything to help. Being confined here was quickly getting to her.
"The velociraptor. One of the most dangerous dinosaurs, is it not?" Griffin questioned.
Ellie continued to stare. Griffin continued to press the issue.
Looking toward one of the other guards, he asked, "Hey Jack. What are the odds Grant is still breathing?"
"Slim to none," Jack answered, looking very serious.
Griffin nodded and was pleased that the little man with a little brain was able to grasp the impromptu plan. He gazed back toward Ellie, "You see? Man against raptor . . . that's not a very fair match-up. I think you could consider your dear Alan Grant extinct."
Jack laughed, "Extinct. That's quite a funny little joke there."
"Why thank you, Jack," Griffin said, rocking on his heels, pleased with himself.
Malcolm could feel Ellie getting tense, as the men carried on with their laughing. He cringed, when he realized that she was actually going to speak.
"Why don't you go and torment someone else? I do assume you know the way to the rooms where the other prisoners are located, do you not?" Ellie asked, getting louder and louder with every word, until she was shouting the last part of it.
"Ellie," Malcolm whispered, trying to reel her in.
Griffin only smiled though, "Would you like for me to shut you up? Because I do know a thing or two about the science of torturing and I could easily shut you up in less than five seconds."
Ellie looked away from him, frightened by the threat, but also still angry for not being able to help Grant. Getting in this man's face wasn't going to change a thing, so she settled for being silent.
Malcolm, facing the opposite way, nodded and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that she was going to stop pestering Larson's henchman.
"Good girl, Ellie," he whispered, so softly that only he could hear.
Comments are appreciated!
--JPJunkee and Yvonne
8/17/2003 12:35:16 AM
(Updated: 8/17/2003 11:13:29 AM)
(Updated: 8/18/2003 1:12:55 AM)
(Updated: 8/22/2003 11:17:33 PM)
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